WorldWideScience

Sample records for scoring procedures applicable

  1. Testing the applicability of the SASS5 scoring procedure for ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A study was undertaken between 29th January and 17th February 2004 to test the applicability of the South African Scoring System Version 5 (SASS5) scoring and calculation procedure in nutrient-enriched palustrine wetlands in the midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Four reference wetlands and three dairy-effluent ...

  2. Failure mode and effects analysis: an empirical comparison of failure mode scoring procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashley, Laura; Armitage, Gerry

    2010-12-01

    To empirically compare 2 different commonly used failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) scoring procedures with respect to their resultant failure mode scores and prioritization: a mathematical procedure, where scores are assigned independently by FMEA team members and averaged, and a consensus procedure, where scores are agreed on by the FMEA team via discussion. A multidisciplinary team undertook a Healthcare FMEA of chemotherapy administration. This included mapping the chemotherapy process, identifying and scoring failure modes (potential errors) for each process step, and generating remedial strategies to counteract them. Failure modes were scored using both an independent mathematical procedure and a team consensus procedure. Almost three-fifths of the 30 failure modes generated were scored differently by the 2 procedures, and for just more than one-third of cases, the score discrepancy was substantial. Using the Healthcare FMEA prioritization cutoff score, almost twice as many failure modes were prioritized by the consensus procedure than by the mathematical procedure. This is the first study to empirically demonstrate that different FMEA scoring procedures can score and prioritize failure modes differently. It found considerable variability in individual team members' opinions on scores, which highlights the subjective and qualitative nature of failure mode scoring. A consensus scoring procedure may be most appropriate for FMEA as it allows variability in individuals' scores and rationales to become apparent and to be discussed and resolved by the team. It may also yield team learning and communication benefits unlikely to result from a mathematical procedure.

  3. Algorithm improvement program nuclide identification algorithm scoring criteria and scoring application.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Enghauser, Michael [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2016-02-01

    The goal of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) Algorithm Improvement Program (AIP) is to facilitate gamma-radiation detector nuclide identification algorithm development, improvement, and validation. Accordingly, scoring criteria have been developed to objectively assess the performance of nuclide identification algorithms. In addition, a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet application for automated nuclide identification scoring has been developed. This report provides an overview of the equations, nuclide weighting factors, nuclide equivalencies, and configuration weighting factors used by the application for scoring nuclide identification algorithm performance. Furthermore, this report presents a general overview of the nuclide identification algorithm scoring application including illustrative examples.

  4. Diet Screener in the 2005 CHIS: Scoring Procedures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scoring procedures were developed to convert the individual respondent's screener responses to estimates of individual dietary intake for servings of fruits and vegetables and teaspoons of added sugar using USDA's 1994-96 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes of Individuals (CSFII 94-96) dietary recall data.

  5. A comparative study on assessment procedures and metric properties of two scoring systems of the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised items: standard and modified scores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sattin, Davide; Lovaglio, Piergiorgio; Brenna, Greta; Covelli, Venusia; Rossi Sebastiano, Davide; Duran, Dunja; Minati, Ludovico; Giovannetti, Ambra Mara; Rosazza, Cristina; Bersano, Anna; Nigri, Anna; Ferraro, Stefania; Leonardi, Matilde

    2017-09-01

    The study compared the metric characteristics (discriminant capacity and factorial structure) of two different methods for scoring the items of the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised and it analysed scale scores collected using the standard assessment procedure and a new proposed method. Cross sectional design/methodological study. Inpatient, neurological unit. A total of 153 patients with disorders of consciousness were consecutively enrolled between 2011 and 2013. All patients were assessed with the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised using standard (rater 1) and inverted (rater 2) procedures. Coma Recovery Scale-Revised score, number of cognitive and reflex behaviours and diagnosis. Regarding patient assessment, rater 1 using standard and rater 2 using inverted procedures obtained the same best scores for each subscale of the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised for all patients, so no clinical (and statistical) difference was found between the two procedures. In 11 patients (7.7%), rater 2 noted that some Coma Recovery Scale-Revised codified behavioural responses were not found during assessment, although higher response categories were present. A total of 51 (36%) patients presented the same Coma Recovery Scale-Revised scores of 7 or 8 using a standard score, whereas no overlap was found using the modified score. Unidimensionality was confirmed for both score systems. The Coma Recovery Scale Modified Score showed a higher discriminant capacity than the standard score and a monofactorial structure was also supported. The inverted assessment procedure could be a useful evaluation method for the assessment of patients with disorder of consciousness diagnosis.

  6. The appropriateness of TACOM for a task complexity measure for emergency operating procedures of nuclear power plants - A comparison with OPAS scores

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Jinkyun; Jung, Wondea

    2007-01-01

    It is well known that complicated procedures frequently cause human performance related problems that can result in a serious consequence. Unfortunately a systematic framework to evaluate the complexity of procedures is very rare. For this reason Park et al. suggested a measure called TACOM (Task Complexity) which is able to quantify the complexity of tasks stipulated in procedures. In addition, it was observed that there is a significant correlation between averaged task performance time data and estimated TACOM scores. In this study, for an additional verification activity, TACOM scores are compared with operators' performance data that are measured by Operator Performance Assessment System (OPAS). As a result, it is believed that TACOM scores seem to be meaningfully correlated with OPAS scores. Thus, it is reasonable to expect that the result of this study can be regarded as a supplementary evidence for supporting the fact that TACOM measure is applicable for quantifying the complexity of tasks to be done by operators

  7. An SPSS implementation of the nonrecursive outlier deletion procedure with shifting z score criterion (Van Selst & Jolicoeur, 1994).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Glenn L

    2006-05-01

    Sophisticated univariate outlier screening procedures are not yet available in widely used statistical packages such as SPSS. However, SPSS can accept user-supplied programs for executing these procedures. Failing this, researchers tend to rely on simplistic alternatives that can distort data because they do not adjust to cell-specific characteristics. Despite their popularity, these simple procedures may be especially ill suited for some applications (e.g., data from reaction time experiments). A user friendly SPSS Production Facility implementation of the shifting z score criterion procedure (Van Selst & Jolicoeur, 1994) is presented in an attempt to make it easier to use. In addition to outlier screening, optional syntax modules can be added that will perform tedious database management tasks (e.g., restructuring or computing means).

  8. Conditional Standard Errors of Measurement for Scale Scores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolen, Michael J.; And Others

    1992-01-01

    A procedure is described for estimating the reliability and conditional standard errors of measurement of scale scores incorporating the discrete transformation of raw scores to scale scores. The method is illustrated using a strong true score model, and practical applications are described. (SLD)

  9. 50 CFR 85.21 - Application procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Application procedures. 85.21 Section 85... Application for Grants § 85.21 Application procedures. (a) Eligible applicants will submit their proposals to..., Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin Division of Federal Aid, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bishop Henry Whipple...

  10. The Guy's stone score--grading the complexity of percutaneous nephrolithotomy procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Kay; Smith, Naomi C; Hegarty, Nicholas; Glass, Jonathan M

    2011-08-01

    To report the development and validation of a scoring system, the Guy's stone score, to grade the complexity of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). Currently, no standardized method is available to predict the stone-free rate after PCNL. The Guy's stone score was developed through a combination of expert opinion, published data review, and iterative testing. It comprises 4 grades: grade I, solitary stone in mid/lower pole or solitary stone in the pelvis with simple anatomy; grade II, solitary stone in upper pole or multiple stones in a patient with simple anatomy or a solitary stone in a patient with abnormal anatomy; grade III, multiple stones in a patient with abnormal anatomy or stones in a caliceal diverticulum or partial staghorn calculus; grade IV, staghorn calculus or any stone in a patient with spina bifida or spinal injury. It was assessed for reproducibility using the kappa coefficient and validated on a prospective database of 100 PCNL procedures performed in a tertiary stone center. The complications were graded using the modified Clavien score. The clinical outcomes were recorded prospectively and assessed with multivariate analysis. The Guy's stone score was the only factor that significantly and independently predicted the stone-free rate (P = .01). It was found to be reproducible, with good inter-rater agreement (P = .81). None of the other factors tested, including stone burden, operating surgeon, patient weight, age, and comorbidity, correlated with the stone-free rate. The Guy's stone score accurately predicted the stone-free rate after PCNL. It was easy to use and reproducible. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. MELD Score as a Predictor of Early Death in Patients Undergoing Elective Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS) Procedures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Montgomery, Aaron; Ferral, Hector; Vasan, Rajiv; Postoak, Darren W.

    2005-01-01

    Purpose. To Evaluate the MELD score as a predictor of 30-day mortality in patients undergoing elective TIPS procedures. Methods. This was a retrospective, IRB-approved study. The medical records of all patients who underwent a TIPS procedure between May 1, 1999 and June 1, 2003 in a single institution were reviewed. Patients who underwent elective TIPS were selected. Elective TIPS was performed in 119 patients with a mean age of 55.1 (± 9.6) years. The MELD and Child-Pugh scores before TIPS, etiology of cirrhosis, portosystemic gradients before and after TIPS, procedure time, and procedural complications were obtained from the medical records. The MELD and Child-Pugh scores before TIPS were compared between the survivor group (SG) and the early death (EDG) group. The early death rate was calculated for MELD score subgroups (1-10, 11-17, 18-24, and >24). Data were analyzed using the Fisher exact test, chi-square test and independent-sample t-test. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results. Technical success rate was 100%. The early death rate was 10.9% (13/119). The mean MELD scores before TIPS were 19.4 (± 5.9) (EDG) and 14 (± 4.2) (SG) (p = 0.025). The early death rate was highest in the pre-TIPS MELD > 24 subgroup. The Child-Pugh scores were 9.0 (± 1.6) (SG) and 9.8 ± 1.06 (EDG) (p 0.08). The mean portosystemic gradients before TIPS were 20.5 (± 7.7) mmHg (EDG) and 22.7 (± 7.3) (SG) (p > 1) and the mean portosystemic gradients after TIPS were 6.5 (± 3.5) (EDG) and 6.9 (± 2.4) (SG) (p > 1). The mean procedural times were 95.6 (± 8.4) min (EDG) and 89.2 (± 7.5) min (SG) (p > 1). No early death was attributed to a fatal complication during TIPS. Conclusion. The MELD score is useful in identifying patients at a higher risk of early death after an elective TIPS. On the basis of our results, we do not endorse elective TIPS in patients with MELD scores > 24

  12. Screening applicants for risk of poor academic performance: a novel scoring system using preadmission grade point averages and graduate record examination scores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luce, David

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop an effective screening tool for identifying physician assistant (PA) program applicants at highest risk for poor academic performance. Prior to reviewing applications for the class of 2009, a retrospective analysis of preadmission data took place for the classes of 2006, 2007, and 2008. A single composite score was calculated for each student who matriculated (number of subjects, N=228) incorporating the total undergraduate grade point average (UGPA), the science GPA (SGPA), and the three component Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores: verbal (GRE-V), quantitative (GRE-Q), analytical (GRE-A). Individual applicant scores for each of the five parameters were ranked in descending quintiles. Each applicant's five quintile scores were then added, yielding a total quintile score ranging from 25, which indicated an excellent performance, to 5, which indicated poorer performance. Thirteen of the 228 students had academic difficulty (dismissal, suspension, or one-quarter on academic warning or probation). Twelve of the 13 students having academic difficulty had a preadmission total quintile score 12 (range, 6-14). In response to this descriptive analysis, when selecting applicants for the class of 2009, the admissions committee used the total quintile score for screening applicants for interviews. Analysis of correlations in preadmission, graduate, and postgraduate performance data for the classes of 2009-2013 will continue and may help identify those applicants at risk for academic difficulty. Establishing a threshold total quintile score of applicant GPA and GRE scores may significantly decrease the number of entering PA students at risk for poor academic performance.

  13. 25 CFR 11.503 - Applicable civil procedure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Applicable civil procedure. 11.503 Section 11.503 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAW AND ORDER COURTS OF INDIAN OFFENSES AND LAW AND ORDER CODE Civil Actions § 11.503 Applicable civil procedure. The procedure to be followed in civil...

  14. Identification and Evaluation of Medical Translator Mobile Applications Using an Adapted APPLICATIONS Scoring System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khander, Amrin; Farag, Sara; Chen, Katherine T

    2017-12-22

    With an increasing number of patients requiring translator services, many providers are turning to mobile applications (apps) for assistance. However, there have been no published reviews of medical translator apps. To identify and evaluate medical translator mobile apps using an adapted APPLICATIONS scoring system. A list of apps was identified from the Apple iTunes and Google Play stores, using the search term, "medical translator." Apps not found on two different searches, not in an English-based platform, not used for translation, or not functional after purchase, were excluded. The remaining apps were evaluated using an adapted APPLICATIONS scoring system, which included both objective and subjective criteria. App comprehensiveness was a weighted score defined by the number of non-English languages included in each app relative to the proportion of non-English speakers in the United States. The Apple iTunes and Google Play stores. Medical translator apps identified using the search term "medical translator." Main Outcomes and Measures: Compilation of medical translator apps for provider usage. A total of 524 apps were initially found. After applying the exclusion criteria, 20 (8.2%) apps from the Google Play store and 26 (9.2%) apps from the Apple iTunes store remained for evaluation. The highest scoring apps, Canopy Medical Translator, Universal Doctor Speaker, and Vocre Translate, scored 13.5 out of 18.7 possible points. A large proportion of apps initially found did not function as medical translator apps. Using the APPLICATIONS scoring system, we have identified and evaluated medical translator apps for providers who care for non-English speaking patients.

  15. Are the MDS-UPDRS-based composite scores clinically applicable?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makkos, Attila; Kovács, Márton; Aschermann, Zsuzsanna; Harmat, Márk; Janszky, József; Karádi, Kázmér; Kovács, Norbert

    2018-02-28

    The International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society-sponsored UPDRS (MDS-UPDRS) is a powerful clinical outcome measure. To evaluate the feasibility of various MDS-UPDRS-based composite scores and determine their minimal clinically important difference threshold values. Overall, 1,113 paired investigations of 452 patients were reviewed implementing three different techniques simultaneously. Based on the ordinal regression modeling, the MDS-UPDRS II+III, MDS-UPDRS I+II+III, and the total score of MDS-UPDRS are clinically applicable outcome measures. Any improvement greater than 4.9 points or any worsening more than 4.2 points on MDS-UPDRS II+III represent a minimal, yet clinically meaningful, change. In reference to MDS-UPDRS I+II+III, the smallest changes considered clinically relevant were 6.7 and 5.2 points for improvement and deterioration, respectively. The thresholds for the total score of MDS-UPDRS were 7.1 points for improvement and 6.3 points for worsening. Our findings support the application of various MDS-UPDRS-based composite scores. © 2018 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2018 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

  16. FRENCH CARDS - NEW PROCEDURE FOR INITIAL APPLICATION

    CERN Multimedia

    Human Resources Division

    2002-01-01

    The Human Resources Division would like to remind members of personnel that they are obliged to submit an application form for a French card as soon as they have a permanent address in either Switzerland or in France and they are actually living there. Following the rationalization of our administrative procedures, as of October 1st, 2002, the initial application procedure for a French card will now be as follows: The member of personnel should complete an application form. If necessary, an application form must also be completed for family members. These forms must then be transferred via e-mail to the appropriate Divisional Administrative Officer (DAO) who will forward them to the Cards Service. In parallel, the member of personnel should submit the necessary supporting documents to the Cards Service. The application form (Word format only), the procedural details, the necessary supporting documents as well as the conditions of issue are available here.   Human Resources Division Tel. 74469

  17. Reliability of application of inspection procedures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Murgatroyd, R A

    1988-12-31

    This document deals with the reliability of application of inspection procedures. A method to ensure that the inspection of defects thanks to fracture mechanics is reliable is described. The Systematic Human Error Reduction and Prediction Analysis (SHERPA) methodology is applied to every task performed by the inspector to estimate the possibility of error. It appears that it is essential that inspection procedures should be sufficiently rigorous to avoid substantial errors, and that the selection procedures and the training period for inspectors should be optimised. (TEC). 3 refs.

  18. Reliability of application of inspection procedures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murgatroyd, R.A.

    1988-01-01

    This document deals with the reliability of application of inspection procedures. A method to ensure that the inspection of defects thanks to fracture mechanics is reliable is described. The Systematic Human Error Reduction and Prediction Analysis (SHERPA) methodology is applied to every task performed by the inspector to estimate the possibility of error. It appears that it is essential that inspection procedures should be sufficiently rigorous to avoid substantial errors, and that the selection procedures and the training period for inspectors should be optimised. (TEC)

  19. REMINDER - FRENCH CARDS - NEW PROCEDURE FOR INITIAL APPLICATION

    CERN Multimedia

    Human Resources Division

    2002-01-01

    The Human Resources Division would like to remind members of personnel that they are obliged to submit an application form for a French card as soon as they have a permanent address in either Switzerland or in France and they are actually living there. Following the rationalization of our administrative procedures, as of October 1st, 2002, the initial application procedure for a French card will now be as follows: The member of personnel should complete an application form. If necessary, an application form must also be completed for family members. These forms must then be transferred via e-mail to the appropriate Divisional Administrative Officer (DAO) who will forward them to the Cards Service. In parallel, the member of personnel should submit the necessary supporting documents to the Cards Service. Users are requested to apply for a French card through the Users' Office. The application form (Word format only), the procedural details, the necessary supporting documents as well as the conditions of issue ...

  20. Morphometric scores for renal tumors: What does the radiologist need to know?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Millet, Ingrid; Doyon, Fernanda Curros; Pages, Emma [Department of Imaging, CHU Montpellier (France); Thuret, Rodolphe [Department of Urology, CHU Montpellier (France); Taourel, Patrice, E-mail: p-taourel@chu-montpellier.fr [Department of Imaging, CHU Montpellier (France)

    2014-08-15

    Numerous therapeutic options are possible in the treatment of renal carcinomas including radical nephrectomy, partial nephrectomy, cryoablation, radiofrequency, active follow-up and among surgical treatments, different approaches may be used such as laparotomy, laparoscopy, robotic-assisted intervention. The choice between these different procedures is partially based on the anatomic conditions of the tumors. Different anatomic scores determined from cross-sectional imaging have been built to predict the complexity of the surgical procedure. The goals of this article are to review the relevant morphologic pattern for management of patients with renal tumors, to know how to calculate these different scores and to understand the clinical applications of these scores.

  1. Morphometric scores for renal tumors: What does the radiologist need to know?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Millet, Ingrid; Doyon, Fernanda Curros; Pages, Emma; Thuret, Rodolphe; Taourel, Patrice

    2014-01-01

    Numerous therapeutic options are possible in the treatment of renal carcinomas including radical nephrectomy, partial nephrectomy, cryoablation, radiofrequency, active follow-up and among surgical treatments, different approaches may be used such as laparotomy, laparoscopy, robotic-assisted intervention. The choice between these different procedures is partially based on the anatomic conditions of the tumors. Different anatomic scores determined from cross-sectional imaging have been built to predict the complexity of the surgical procedure. The goals of this article are to review the relevant morphologic pattern for management of patients with renal tumors, to know how to calculate these different scores and to understand the clinical applications of these scores

  2. Credit concession through credit scoring: Analysis and application proposal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oriol Amat

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The study herein develops and tests a credit scoring model which can help financial institutions in assessing credit requests.  Design/methodology/approach: The empirical study has the objective of answering two questions: (1 Which ratios better discriminate the companies based on their being solvent or insolvent? and (2 What is the relative importance of these ratios? To do this, several statistical techniques with a multifactorial focus have been used (Multivariate Analysis of Variance, Linear Discriminant Analysis, Logit and Probit Models. Several samples of companies have been used in order to obtain and to test the model.  Findings: Through the application of several statistical techniques, the credit scoring model has been proved to be effective in discriminating between good and bad creditors.  Research limitations:  This study focuses on manufacturing, commercial and services companies of all sizes in Spain; Therefore, the conclusions may differ for other geographical locations. Practical implications:  Because credit is one of the main drivers of growth, a solid credit scoring model can help financial institutions assessing to whom to grant credit and to whom not to grant credit. Social implications: Because of the growing importance of credit for our society and the fear of granting it due to the latest financial turmoil, a solid credit scoring model can strengthen the trust toward the financial institutions assessment’s.  Originality/value: There is already a stream of literature related to credit scoring. However, this paper focuses on Spanish firms and proves the results of our model based on real data. The application of the model to detect the probability of default in loans is original.

  3. 12 CFR 407.4 - Procedures applicable to other meetings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Procedures applicable to other meetings. 407.4 Section 407.4 Banks and Banking EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES REGULATIONS GOVERNING PUBLIC OBSERVATION OF EX-IM BANK MEETINGS § 407.4 Procedures applicable to other meetings. (a) Amendments. (1) For...

  4. Safety and application of procedures or: how do ''they'' have to use operating procedures in nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dien, Y.

    1993-03-01

    Emergency procedures are inescapable aspects of safety. They can be seen as the laws to be respected in an accident situation. But as for all laws, there remains the problem of their application: should strict adherence to the procedure be imposed under all circumstances. Is this possible. Are there any potential risks with such a requirement. Or, on the contrary, should application be more ''open'', more flexible, allowing for adaptation to the actual situation. But what are the potential risks involved in this approach. Are these two approaches to the application of procedures mutually exclusive, or are they complementary. This paper analyzes the nature of the problem of application of procedures and proposes orientations for further thought on the matter. (author). 11 refs

  5. CT-Guided Microwave Ablation of 45 Renal Tumors: Analysis of Procedure Complexity Utilizing a Percutaneous Renal Ablation Complexity Scoring System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mansilla, Alberto V; Bivins, Eugene E; Contreras, Francisco; Hernandez, Manuel A; Kohler, Nathan; Pepe, Julie W

    2017-02-01

    To develop a scoring system that stratifies complexity of percutaneous ablation of renal tumors. Analysis was performed of 36 consecutive patients (mean age, 64 y; range, 30-89 y) who underwent CT-guided microwave (MW) ablation of 45 renal tumors (mean tumor diameter, 2.4 cm; range, 1.2-4.0 cm). Technical success and effectiveness were determined based on intraprocedural and follow-up imaging studies. The RENAL score and the proposed percutaneous renal ablation complexity (P-RAC) score were calculated for each tumor. Technical success was 93.3% (n = 42). Biopsy of 38 of 45 renal tumors revealed 23 renal cell carcinomas. Median follow-up period was 9.7 months (range, 2.9-46.8 months). There were no tumor recurrences. One major complication, ureteropelvic junction stricture, occurred (2.6%). The P-RAC score was found to differ statistically from the RENAL score (t = 3.754, df = 44, P = .001). A positive correlation was found between the P-RAC score and number of antenna insertions (r = .378, n = 45, P = .011) and procedure duration (r = .328, n = 45, P = .028). No correlation was found between the RENAL score and number of MW antenna insertions (r = .110, n = 45, P = .472) or procedure duration (r = .263, n = 45, P = .081). Hydrodissection was significantly more common in the P-RAC high-complexity category than in low-complexity category (χ 2 = 12.073, df = 2, P = .002). The P-RAC score may be useful in stratifying percutaneous renal ablation complexity. Further studies with larger sample sizes are necessary to validate the P-RAC score and to determine if it can predict risk of complications. Copyright © 2016 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Electronic applications for the CFQ-R scoring

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ronit, Andreas; Gelpi, Marco; Argentiero, Jonathan

    2017-01-01

    Patient reported outcomes (PROs) have become widely accepted outcome measures in cystic fibrosis (CF) and other respiratory diseases. The Cystic Fibrosis-Questionnaire-Revised (CFQ-R) is the best validated and most widely used PRO for CF. Data collection can be time-intensive, and electronic plat......, score and save CFQ-R data for all versions. All codes are open access, which will enable other PRO users to design similar applications for other respiratory diseases, such as primary ciliary dyskinesia and non-CF bronchiectasis....

  7. Investigating the Appropriateness of the TACOM Measure: Application to the Complexity of Proceduralized Tasks for High Speed Train Drivers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Jin Kyun; Jung, Won Dea; Ko, Jong Hyun

    2010-01-01

    According to wide-spread experience in many industries, a procedure is one of the most effective countermeasures to reduce the possibility of human related problems. Unfortunately, a systematic framework to evaluate the complexity of procedural tasks seems to be very scant. For this reason, the TACOM measure, which can quantify the complexity of procedural tasks, has been developed. In this study, the appropriateness of the TACOM measure is investigated by comparing TACOM scores regarding the procedural tasks of high speed train drivers with the associated workload scores measured by the NASA-TLX technique. As a result, it is observed that there is a meaningful correlation between the TACOM scores and the associated NASA-TLX scores. Therefore, it is expected that the TACOM measure can properly quantify the complexity of procedural tasks

  8. Investigating the Appropriateness of the TACOM Measure: Application to the Complexity of Proceduralized Tasks for High Speed Train Drivers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Jin Kyun; Jung, Won Dea [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Ko, Jong Hyun [Nuclear Engineering and Technology Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2010-02-15

    According to wide-spread experience in many industries, a procedure is one of the most effective countermeasures to reduce the possibility of human related problems. Unfortunately, a systematic framework to evaluate the complexity of procedural tasks seems to be very scant. For this reason, the TACOM measure, which can quantify the complexity of procedural tasks, has been developed. In this study, the appropriateness of the TACOM measure is investigated by comparing TACOM scores regarding the procedural tasks of high speed train drivers with the associated workload scores measured by the NASA-TLX technique. As a result, it is observed that there is a meaningful correlation between the TACOM scores and the associated NASA-TLX scores. Therefore, it is expected that the TACOM measure can properly quantify the complexity of procedural tasks

  9. EuroSCORE models in a cohort of patients with valvular heart disease and a high prevalence of rheumatic fever submitted to surgical procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casalino, Ricardo; Tarasoutchi, Flávio; Spina, Guilherme; Katz, Marcelo; Bacelar, Antonio; Sampaio, Roney; Ranzani, Otavio T; Pomerantzeff, Pablo M; Grinberg, Max

    2015-01-01

    Epidemiological differences can be found between Brazilian and European valvular heart disease patients. The prevalence of heart valve diseases due to rheumatic disease is significantly higher in the Brazilian compared with the European population. Therefore, they could have different risks during and after cardiac surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of the additive and logistic EuroSCORE and EuroSCORE II in a cohort of high-risk patients with valvular heart disease of predominantly rheumatic aetiology submitted to surgery. Between 1 February and 30 December 2009, 540 consecutive patients scheduled for valvular heart surgery were included in this study. In this set of patients, we examined the performance of the additive, logistic, and EuroSCORE II models for predicting in-hospital mortality. Calibration of each model was assessed by comparing predicted and observed in-hospital mortality and by the goodness of fit of the Hosmer-Lemeshow chi-square test. Discrimination performance of the model was evaluated with the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The mean age was 56 ± 16 years, 50.6% were female, and the mortality rate was 16.0% (6.0% in elective surgery and 34.0% in emergency/urgency surgery). Mortality rates were estimated according to the additive and logistic EuroSCORE and EuroSCORE II at 6.1%, 8.7%, and 4.3%, respectively. The AUC was 0.76 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.70-0.81) for the additive EuroSCORE, 0.76 (95% CI 0.70-0.81) for the logistic EuroSCORE and 0.81 (95% CI 0.76-0.86) for EuroSCORE II. Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit statistics were P = 0.52, P = 0.07, and P = 0.12 for additive, logistic EuroSCORE, and EuroSCORE II. In this cohort of Brazilian patients with valvular heart disease submitted to surgical procedure, the EuroSCORE models had a good discriminatory capacity; however, the calibration was compromised because of an underestimation of the mortality rate.

  10. New non-cognitive procedures for medical applicant selection: a qualitative analysis in one school.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katz, Sara; Vinker, Shlomo

    2014-11-07

    Recent data have called into question the reliability and predictive validity of standard admission procedures to medical schools. Eliciting non-cognitive attributes of medical school applicants using qualitative tools and methods has thus become a major challenge. 299 applicants aged 18-25 formed the research group. A set of six research tools was developed in addition to the two existing ones. These included: a portfolio task, an intuitive task, a cognitive task, a personal task, an open self-efficacy questionnaire and field-notes. The criteria-based methodology design used constant comparative analysis and grounded theory techniques to produce a personal attributes profile per participant, scored on a 5-point scale holistic rubric. Qualitative validity of data gathering was checked by comparing the profiles elicited from the existing interview against the profiles elicited from the other tools, and by comparing two profiles of each of the applicants who handed in two portfolio tasks. Qualitative validity of data analysis was checked by comparing researcher results with those of an external rater (n =10). Differences between aggregated profile groups were checked by the Npar Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test and by Spearman Rank Order Correlation Test. All subjects gave written informed consent to their participation. Privacy was protected by using code numbers. A concept map of 12 personal attributes emerged, the core constructs of which were motivation, sociability and cognition. A personal profile was elicited. Inter-rater agreement was 83.3%. Differences between groups by aggregated profiles were found significant (p < .05, p < .01, p < .001).A random sample of sixth year students (n = 12) underwent the same admission procedure as the research group. Rank order was different; and arrogance was a new construct elicited in the sixth year group. This study suggests a broadening of the methodology for selecting medical school applicants. This methodology

  11. 44 CFR 78.7 - Grant application procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... OF HOMELAND SECURITY INSURANCE AND HAZARD MITIGATION National Flood Insurance Program FLOOD MITIGATION ASSISTANCE § 78.7 Grant application procedures. States will apply for Technical Assistance and...

  12. 12 CFR 407.3 - Procedures applicable to regularly scheduled meetings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Procedures applicable to regularly scheduled meetings. 407.3 Section 407.3 Banks and Banking EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES REGULATIONS GOVERNING PUBLIC OBSERVATION OF EX-IM BANK MEETINGS § 407.3 Procedures applicable to regularly scheduled...

  13. 14 CFR 151.25 - Procedures: Application; information as to property interests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... time it submits the application. In the case of a joint project, any one or more of the sponsors may... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Procedures: Application; information as to... Development Projects § 151.25 Procedures: Application; information as to property interests. (a) Each sponsor...

  14. 47 CFR 25.403 - Bidding application and certification procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Bidding application and certification procedures. 25.403 Section 25.403 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS Competitive Bidding Procedures for DARS § 25.403 Bidding...

  15. The procedure execution manager and its application to Advanced Photon Source operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borland, M.

    1997-01-01

    The Procedure Execution Manager (PEM) combines a complete scripting environment for coding accelerator operation procedures with a manager application for executing and monitoring the procedures. PEM is based on Tcl/Tk, a supporting widget library, and the dp-tcl extension for distributed processing. The scripting environment provides support for distributed, parallel execution of procedures along with join and abort operations. Nesting of procedures is supported, permitting the same code to run as a top-level procedure under operator control or as a subroutine under control of another procedure. The manager application allows an operator to execute one or more procedures in automatic, semi-automatic, or manual modes. It also provides a standard way for operators to interact with procedures. A number of successful applications of PEM to accelerator operations have been made to date. These include start-up, shutdown, and other control of the positron accumulator ring (PAR), low-energy transport (LET) lines, and the booster rf systems. The PAR/LET procedures make nested use of PEM's ability to run parallel procedures. There are also a number of procedures to guide and assist tune-up operations, to make accelerator physics measurements, and to diagnose equipment. Because of the success of the existing procedures, expanded use of PEM is planned

  16. Use of Standardized Test Scores to Predict Success in a Computer Applications Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Robert V.; King, Stephanie B.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to see if a relationship existed between American College Testing (ACT) scores (i.e., English, reading, mathematics, science reasoning, and composite) and student success in a computer applications course at a Mississippi community college. The study showed that while the ACT scores were excellent predictors of…

  17. Applications of the gambling score in evaluating earthquake predictions and forecasts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhuang, Jiancang; Zechar, Jeremy D.; Jiang, Changsheng; Console, Rodolfo; Murru, Maura; Falcone, Giuseppe

    2010-05-01

    This study presents a new method, namely the gambling score, for scoring the performance earthquake forecasts or predictions. Unlike most other scoring procedures that require a regular scheme of forecast and treat each earthquake equally, regardless their magnitude, this new scoring method compensates the risk that the forecaster has taken. Starting with a certain number of reputation points, once a forecaster makes a prediction or forecast, he is assumed to have betted some points of his reputation. The reference model, which plays the role of the house, determines how many reputation points the forecaster can gain if he succeeds, according to a fair rule, and also takes away the reputation points bet by the forecaster if he loses. This method is also extended to the continuous case of point process models, where the reputation points betted by the forecaster become a continuous mass on the space-time-magnitude range of interest. For discrete predictions, we apply this method to evaluate performance of Shebalin's predictions made by using the Reverse Tracing of Precursors (RTP) algorithm and of the outputs of the predictions from the Annual Consultation Meeting on Earthquake Tendency held by China Earthquake Administration. For the continuous case, we use it to compare the probability forecasts of seismicity in the Abruzzo region before and after the L'aquila earthquake based on the ETAS model and the PPE model.

  18. How to score questionnaires

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hofstee, W.K.B.; Ten Berge, J.M.F.; Hendriks, A.A.J.

    The standard practice in scoring questionnaires consists of adding item scores and standardizing these sums. We present a set of alternative procedures, consisting of (a) correcting for the acquiescence variance that disturbs the structure of the questionnaire; (b) establishing item weights through

  19. Procedural Influence on Internal and External Assessment Scores of Undergraduate Vocational and Technical Education Research Projects in Nigerian Universities

    Science.gov (United States)

    A. C., John; Manabete, S. S.

    2015-01-01

    This study sought to determine the procedural influence on internal and external assessment scores of undergraduate research projects in vocational and technical education programmes in the university under study. A survey research design was used for the conduct of this study. The population consisted of 130 lecturers and 1,847 students in the…

  20. Applications of Desensitization Procedures for School-Related Problems; A Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prout, H. Thompson; Harvey, John R.

    1978-01-01

    A variety of desensitization and counterconditioning procedures have been utilized to deal with school-related problems. These procedures are reviewed with respect to applications for treating school phobia, test anxiety, and other academic anxieties. (Author)

  1. A conceptual application for computer-based procedures for handheld devices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sofie, Lunde-Hanssen Linda [Industrial Psychology, Institute for Energy Technology, Halden (Norway)

    2014-08-15

    This paper describes the concepts and proposed design principles for an application for computer-based procedures (CBPs) for field operators in the nuclear domain (so-called handheld procedures). The concept is focused on the field operators' work with procedures and the communication and coordination between field operators and control room operators. The goal is to overcome challenges with shared situation awareness (SA) in a distributed team by providing effective and usable information design. An iterative design method and user-centred design is used for tailoring the concept to the context of field operations. The resulting concept supports the execution of procedures where close collaboration is needed between control room and field operations, e.g. where particular procedure steps are executed from remote control points and others from the control room. The resulting conceptual application for CBPs on handheld devices is developed for mitigating the SA challenges and designing for usability and ease of use.

  2. A conceptual application for computer-based procedures for handheld devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sofie, Lunde-Hanssen Linda

    2014-01-01

    This paper describes the concepts and proposed design principles for an application for computer-based procedures (CBPs) for field operators in the nuclear domain (so-called handheld procedures). The concept is focused on the field operators' work with procedures and the communication and coordination between field operators and control room operators. The goal is to overcome challenges with shared situation awareness (SA) in a distributed team by providing effective and usable information design. An iterative design method and user-centred design is used for tailoring the concept to the context of field operations. The resulting concept supports the execution of procedures where close collaboration is needed between control room and field operations, e.g. where particular procedure steps are executed from remote control points and others from the control room. The resulting conceptual application for CBPs on handheld devices is developed for mitigating the SA challenges and designing for usability and ease of use

  3. 30 CFR 795.5 - Grant application procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ....5 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR SMALL OPERATOR ASSISTANCE PERMANENT REGULATORY PROGRAM-SMALL OPERATOR ASSISTANCE PROGRAM § 795.5 Grant application procedures. A State intending to administer a Small Operator Assistance Program under a grant from...

  4. Procedure for definition of end-effector orientation in planar surfaces robot applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vidaković Jelena Z.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Design of user-friendly and at the same time powerful robot programming methods is the subject of significant efforts undertaken by the international robotics community. For the purpose of facilitating robot programming, with regard to the most common present-day applications in industry, it would be useful to develop programming procedures for frequently used manipulator tasks which could be easily implemented and used as ready-made application software. Important class of industrial robot applications involves end-effector trajectories in planar surfaces. Development of robot programming language procedure intended for determination of object plane normal with respect to frame of interest, as well as programming of end-effector orientation is presented in this paper. This procedure can be used as integral part of task oriented robot programing applications as well as a procedure for explicit programming languages, and it is illustrated in practical example with the robot Lola 15.

  5. Application of CPM procedures in mine ventilation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Y.J.; Mutmansky, J.M.

    1982-01-01

    Mine ventilation analysis is an engineering discipline that can be considered a branch of the body of science known as network analysis. Likewise, the group of engineering procedures known as the critical path method (CPM) is considered a branch of network analysis. It is therefore not surprising that mine ventilation network analysis and CPM have many similarities. These similarities are useful in analyzing several types of mine ventilation problems and will be utilized in this paper. The analogy between the free split in a ventilation circuit and the critical path in a scheduling network has been recognized by Owili-Eger (1973). While this was recognized as a property of a general ventilation network, many important applications to controlled-splitting problems also exist. The mathematical procedures necessary to apply CPM and network methods have previously been presented (Wang, 1981; Wang, 1982). This paper will illustrate the implementation of these methods by application to mine ventilation networks

  6. Procedure for Application of Software Reliability Growth Models to NPP PSA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Son, Han Seong; Kang, Hyun Gook; Chang, Seung Cheol

    2009-01-01

    As the use of software increases at nuclear power plants (NPPs), the necessity for including software reliability and/or safety into the NPP Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) rises. This work proposes an application procedure of software reliability growth models (RGMs), which are most widely used to quantify software reliability, to NPP PSA. Through the proposed procedure, it can be determined if a software reliability growth model can be applied to the NPP PSA before its real application. The procedure proposed in this work is expected to be very helpful for incorporating software into NPP PSA

  7. Portsmouth physiological and operative severity score for the Enumeration of Mortality and morbidity scoring system in general surgical practice and identifying risk factors for poor outcome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tyagi, Ashish; Nagpal, Nitin; Sidhu, D. S.; Singh, Amandeep; Tyagi, Anjali

    2017-01-01

    Background: Estimation of the outcome is paramount in disease stratification and subsequent management in severely ill surgical patients. Risk scoring helps us quantify the prospects of adverse outcome in a patient. Portsmouth-Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the Enumeration of Mortality and Morbidity (P-POSSUM) the world over has proved itself as a worthy scoring system and the present study was done to evaluate the feasibility of P-POSSUM as a risk scoring system as a tool in efficacious prediction of mortality and morbidity in our demographic profile. Materials and Methods: Validity of P-POSSUM was assessed prospectively in fifty major general surgeries performed at our hospital from May 2011 to October 2012. Data were collected to obtain P-POSSUM score, and statistical analysis was performed. Results: Majority (72%) of patients was male and mean age was 40.24 ± 18.6 years. Seventy-eight percentage procedures were emergency laparotomies commonly performed for perforation peritonitis. Mean physiological score was 17.56 ± 7.6, and operative score was 17.76 ± 4.5 (total score = 35.3 ± 10.4). The ratio of observed to expected mortality rate was 0.86 and morbidity rate was 0.78. Discussion: P-POSSUM accurately predicted both mortality and morbidity in patients who underwent major surgical procedures in our setup. Thus, it helped us in identifying patients who required preferential attention and aggressive management. Widespread application of this tool can result in better distribution of care among high-risk surgical patients. PMID:28250670

  8. 29 CFR 801.50 - Applicability of procedures and rules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Applicability of procedures and rules. 801.50 Section 801.50 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR OTHER LAWS APPLICATION OF THE EMPLOYEE POLYGRAPH PROTECTION ACT OF 1988 Administrative Proceedings General...

  9. Application of computerized procedure system for AP1000

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wen Fang

    2012-01-01

    With the tendency of digitalisation in instrumentation and control system of nuclear power plants, AP1000, as well as other advanced PWRs, is provided with the technical basis for the application of CPS (computerized procedure system). This paper makes a brief introduction on CPS construction and function. CPS, as an advanced procedure system, does not only have the function of electronic indication for operation procedures, but also have the ability to monitor plant data, process the data and then present the status of the procedure steps to the reactor operator. In addition, advantages of CPS compared with paper-based procedures and comparison with digital operating system of one M310 plus advanced nuclear power plant are described. Moreover, based on current situation, this paper offers several suggestions on CPS localization for Sanmen AP1000 nuclear power project. Besides, the last part of this paper discusses problems we might meet during the process of CPS localization. (author)

  10. Development and application of emergency operating procedures for nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin Chengge

    1990-01-01

    The development and application of emergency operating procedures (EOPs) is an important measure to assure the operational safety for nuclear power plants. Event-oriented, symptom-, function- and state-oriented EOPs with their structures, interfaces, development procedures and practical application are described. The ideas and approach can be available for the preparation of EOPs for nuclear power plants which are going to be in service

  11. Disputable issues in the application of the Administrative Procedure Act

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dimitrijević Predrag

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The reform of administrative procedure and the applicable General Administrative Procedure Act (GAPA calls for determining the 'open' and 'disputable' issues in the application of this Act. The process of reforming the administrative legislation does not only imply taking into account the EU standards but also considering the complex, abundant and diverse national administrative practice and case law. The Serbian administrative practice points to some 'open' questions in the application of the current GAPA which should be the cornerstones in the reform of administrative legislation. In that course, it is crucial to start from the current administrative legislation and administrative practice. It is worth noting that the GAPA is already subject to permanent reform through the process of amending the subject-specific substantive provisions governing special administrative proceedings. Such practice should be upheld because the area of special administrative procedure is a dynamic environment where the APA is actually being modeled by amending the special administrative proceedings but in full compliance with the fundamental GAPA principles. Thus, the GAPA should be subject to minimal reform, primarily in the regulation of those procedural matters which have already passed the application test in both national and comparative practice; these 'safe points of reference' significantly improve the process in line with the basic administrative principles and largely contribute to its efficiency, as opposed to other alternative proposals on procedural solutions. The basic presumption for a successful APA reform is the functional analysis of the Draft GAPA. Some of the disputable issues include the subject matter of the GAPA, the enactment of administrative acts and concluding administrative agreements. In case of expanding the scope of the GAPA subject matter, the legislator is obliged to expressly regulate the administrative proceeding for concluding

  12. A general equation to obtain multiple cut-off scores on a test from multinomial logistic regression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bersabé, Rosa; Rivas, Teresa

    2010-05-01

    The authors derive a general equation to compute multiple cut-offs on a total test score in order to classify individuals into more than two ordinal categories. The equation is derived from the multinomial logistic regression (MLR) model, which is an extension of the binary logistic regression (BLR) model to accommodate polytomous outcome variables. From this analytical procedure, cut-off scores are established at the test score (the predictor variable) at which an individual is as likely to be in category j as in category j+1 of an ordinal outcome variable. The application of the complete procedure is illustrated by an example with data from an actual study on eating disorders. In this example, two cut-off scores on the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) scores are obtained in order to classify individuals into three ordinal categories: asymptomatic, symptomatic and eating disorder. Diagnoses were made from the responses to a self-report (Q-EDD) that operationalises DSM-IV criteria for eating disorders. Alternatives to the MLR model to set multiple cut-off scores are discussed.

  13. Comparing TACOM scores with subjective workload scores measured by NASA-TLX technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Jin Kyun; Jung, Won Dea

    2006-01-01

    It is a well-known fact that a large portion of human performance related problems was attributed to the complexity of tasks. Therefore, managing the complexity of tasks is a prerequisite for safety-critical systems such as nuclear power plants (NPPs), because the consequence of a degraded human performance could be more severe than in other systems. From this concern, it is necessary to quantify the complexity of emergency tasks that are stipulated in procedures, because most tasks of NPPs have been specified in the form of procedures. For this reason, Park et al. developed a task complexity measure called TACOM. In this study, in order to confirm the validity of the TACOM measure, subjective workload scores that were measured by the NASA-TLX technique were compared with the associated TACOM scores. To do this, 23 emergency tasks of the reference NPPs were selected, and then subjective workload scores for these emergency tasks were quantified by 18 operators who had a sufficient knowledge about emergency operations

  14. Comparing TACOM scores with subjective workload scores measured by NASA-TLX technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Jin Kyun; Jung, Won Dea [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

    2006-07-01

    It is a well-known fact that a large portion of human performance related problems was attributed to the complexity of tasks. Therefore, managing the complexity of tasks is a prerequisite for safety-critical systems such as nuclear power plants (NPPs), because the consequence of a degraded human performance could be more severe than in other systems. From this concern, it is necessary to quantify the complexity of emergency tasks that are stipulated in procedures, because most tasks of NPPs have been specified in the form of procedures. For this reason, Park et al. developed a task complexity measure called TACOM. In this study, in order to confirm the validity of the TACOM measure, subjective workload scores that were measured by the NASA-TLX technique were compared with the associated TACOM scores. To do this, 23 emergency tasks of the reference NPPs were selected, and then subjective workload scores for these emergency tasks were quantified by 18 operators who had a sufficient knowledge about emergency operations.

  15. High coronary calcium score and post-procedural CK-MB are noninvasive predictors of coronary stent restenosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lee JB

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Jae-Beom Lee,1 Yun-Seok Choi,2 Woo-Baek Chung,2 Ami Kwon,2 Chul-Soo Park,2 Man-Young Lee2 1Anyang Sam Hospital, 2Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Youido St Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea Purpose: High coronary calcium score (CCS and post-procedural cardiac enzyme may be related with poor outcomes in patients with coronary stent implantation. Methods: A total of 1,072 patients (63.2% male, mean age: 61.7±10.3 years who underwent coronary multi-detect computed tomography at index procedure and follow-up coronary angiography (CAG after drug-eluting stent (DES were divided into two groups: those with and without target lesion revascularization (TLR; >50% reduction in luminal stent diameter or angina symptoms on follow-up CAG. The CCSs for predicting stent revascularization were elucidated. Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to risk factors. The initial CCS was significantly higher in the TLR group (1,102.4±743.7 vs 345.8±51.05, P=0.04. After adjustment of significant factors for TLR, only CCS and post-procedural creatine kinase MB form (CK-MB elevation were significant predictors of coronary artery TLR. Receiver operation curve revealed that >800 in CCS had 69% in sensitivity and 88% in specificity about predicting the TLR. Conclusion: High CCS with post-procedural CK-MB might be the useful predictors for TLR after DES implantation. Keywords: coronary restenosis, drug-eluting stents, calcium, creatine kinase

  16. 10 CFR 451.9 - Procedures for processing applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Procedures for processing applications. 451.9 Section 451.9 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION RENEWABLE ENERGY PRODUCTION INCENTIVES § 451.9... or operators of qualified renewable energy facilities using solar, wind, ocean, geothermal, and...

  17. Clinical Outcomes of Root Reimplantation and Bentall Procedure: Propensity Score Matching Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Heemoon; Cho, Yang Hyun; Sung, Kiick; Kim, Wook Sung; Park, Kay-Hyun; Jeong, Dong Seop; Park, Pyo Won; Lee, Young Tak

    2018-03-26

    This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of aortic root replacement(ARR) surgery:Root reimplantation as valve-sparing root replacement(VSR) and the Bentall procedure. We retrospectively reviewed 216 patients who underwent ARR between 1995 and 2013 at Samsung Medical Center. Patients were divided into two groups, depending on the procedure they underwent: Bentall(n=134) and VSR(n=82). The mean follow-up duration was 100.9±56.4 months. There were 2 early deaths in the Bentall group and none in the VSR group(p=0.53). Early morbidities were not different between the groups. Overall mortality was significantly lower in the VSR group (HR=0.12,p=0.04). Despite the higher reoperation rate in the VSR group(p=0.03), major adverse valve-related events(MAVRE) did not differ between the groups(p=0.28). Bleeding events were significantly higher in the Bentall group during follow-up(10 in Bentall group, 0 in VSR group, p=0.04). here were 6 thromboembolic events only in the Bentall group(p=0.11). We performed a propensity score matching analysis comparing the groups(134 Bentall vs 43 VSR). Matched analysis gave similar results, i.e. HR=0.17 and p=0.10 for overall mortality and HR=1.01 and p=0.99 for MAVRE. Although there was marginal significance in the propensity matched analysis, it is plausible to anticipate a survival benefit with VSR during long-term follow-up. Despite a higher reoperation for aortic valves, VSR can be a viable option in patients who decline life-long anticoagulation, especially the young or the patients in whom anticoagulation is contraindicated. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  18. What Do Test Scores Really Mean? A Latent Class Analysis of Danish Test Score Performance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Munk, Martin D.; McIntosh, James

    2014-01-01

    Latent class Poisson count models are used to analyze a sample of Danish test score results from a cohort of individuals born in 1954-55, tested in 1968, and followed until 2011. The procedure takes account of unobservable effects as well as excessive zeros in the data. We show that the test scores...... of intelligence explain a significant proportion of the variation in test scores. This adds to the complexity of interpreting test scores and suggests that school culture and possible incentive problems make it more di¢ cult to understand what the tests measure....

  19. Manual on nuclear gauges. Incorporating: Applications guide, procedures guide, basics guide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    In addition to a basic guide to the principles of production of ionizing radiation and to the methods of radiation protection and dosimetry, this booklet considers the procedures that should be employed when using nuclear gauges. Applications for such gauges are described and radiation protection procedures discussed

  20. Developing Scoring Algorithms

    Science.gov (United States)

    We developed scoring procedures to convert screener responses to estimates of individual dietary intake for fruits and vegetables, dairy, added sugars, whole grains, fiber, and calcium using the What We Eat in America 24-hour dietary recall data from the 2003-2006 NHANES.

  1. Applicant Personality and Procedural Justice Perceptions of Group Selection Interviews.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bye, Hege H; Sandal, Gro M

    2016-01-01

    We investigated how job applicants' personalities influence perceptions of the structural and social procedural justice of group selection interviews (i.e., a group of several applicants being evaluated simultaneously). We especially addressed trait interactions between neuroticism and extraversion (the affective plane) and extraversion and agreeableness (the interpersonal plane). Data on personality (pre-interview) and justice perceptions (post-interview) were collected in a field study among job applicants ( N  = 97) attending group selection interviews for positions as teachers in a Norwegian high school. Interaction effects in hierarchical regression analyses showed that perceptions of social and structural justice increased with levels of extraversion among high scorers on neuroticism. Among emotionally stable applicants, however, being introverted or extraverted did not matter to justice perceptions. Extraversion did not impact on the perception of social justice for applicants low in agreeableness. Agreeable applicants, however, experienced the group interview as more socially fair when they were also extraverted. The impact of applicant personality on justice perceptions may be underestimated if traits interactions are not considered. Procedural fairness ratings for the group selection interview were high, contrary to the negative reactions predicted by other researchers. There was no indication that applicants with desirable traits (i.e., traits predictive of job performance) reacted negatively to this selection tool. Despite the widespread use of interviews in selection, previous studies of applicant personality and fairness reactions have not included interviews. The study demonstrates the importance of previously ignored trait interactions in understanding applicant reactions.

  2. 12 CFR 516.5 - Do the same procedures apply to all applications under this part?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Do the same procedures apply to all applications under this part? 516.5 Section 516.5 Banks and Banking OFFICE OF THRIFT SUPERVISION, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY APPLICATION PROCESSING PROCEDURES § 516.5 Do the same procedures apply to all...

  3. Using an Individual Procedure Score Before and After the Advanced Surgical Skills Exposure for Trauma Course Training to Benchmark a Hemorrhage-Control Performance Metric.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mackenzie, Colin F; Garofalo, Evan; Shackelford, Stacy; Shalin, Valerie; Pugh, Kristy; Chen, Hegang; Puche, Adam; Pasley, Jason; Sarani, Babak; Henry, Sharon; Bowyer, Mark

    2015-01-01

    Test with an individual procedure score (IPS) to assess whether an unpreserved cadaver trauma training course, including upper and lower limb vascular exposure, improves correct identification of surgical landmarks, underlying anatomy, and shortens time to vascular control. Prospective study of performance of 3 vascular exposure and control procedures (axillary, brachial, and femoral arteries) using IPS metrics by 2 colocated and trained evaluators before and after training with the Advanced Surgical Skills Exposure for Trauma (ASSET) course. IPS, including identification of anatomical landmarks, incisions, underlying structures, and time to completion of each procedure was compared before and after training using repeated measurement models. Audio-video instrumented cadaver laboratory at University of Maryland School of Medicine. A total of 41 second to sixth year surgical residents from surgical programs throughout Mid-Atlantic States who had not previously taken the ASSET course were enrolled, 40 completed the pre- and post-ASSET performance evaluations. After ASSET training, all components of IPS increased and time shortened for each of the 3 artery exposures. Procedure steps performed correctly increased 57%, anatomical knowledge increased 43% and skin incision to passage of a vessel loop twice around the correct vessel decreased by a mean of 2.5 minutes. An overall vascular trauma readiness index, a comprehensive IPS score for 3 procedures increased 28% with ASSET Training. Improved knowledge of surface landmarks and underlying anatomy is associated with increased IPS, faster procedures, more accurate incision placement, and successful vascular control. Structural recognition during specific procedural steps and anatomical knowledge were key points learned during the ASSET course. Such training may accelerate acquisition of specific trauma surgery skills to compensate for shortened training hours, infrequent exposure to major vascular injuries, or when just

  4. Application of safeguards procedures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1977-01-01

    The earliest applications of safeguards procedures took place in a political and technical climate far different from that of today. In the early 1960's there was a fear of the proliferation possibilities which could arise as more and more countries acquired nuclear power plants. Today nuclear power is being produced in some 20 countries without resulting in nuclear weapons proliferation. The export of equipment and technology for the nuclear fuel cycle, however, has become the subject of current concern. In view of these developments, it is not surprising that techniques in the application of safeguards have also changed. In order to appreciate the nature of these changes, it is important to be aware of the original general attitude towards the technical problems of safeguards applications. Originally, the common attitude was that the objectives of safeguards were self-evident and the methods, while in need of development, were known at least in outline. Today, it has become evident that before a safeguards procedure can be applied, the objectives must first be carefully defined, and the criteria against which success in meeting those objectives can be measured must also be developed. In line with this change, a significant part of the effort of the safeguards inspectorate is concerned with work preliminary and subsequent to the actual inspection work in the field. Over the last two years, for example, a considerable part of the work of experienced safeguards staff has been spent in analysing the possibilities of diverting material at each facility to be safeguarded. These analyses are carried out in depth by a 'facility officer' and are subjected to constructive criticism by teams composed of staff responsible for similar types of facilities as well as other technical experts. The analyses consider the measures currently considered practicable, to meet the diversion possibilities and where necessary list the development work needed to overcome any present

  5. The Application of Six Sigma Techniques in the Evaluation of Enzyme Measurement Procedures in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Chuanbao; Zhao, Haijian; Wang, Jing; Zeng, Jie; Wang, Zhiguo

    2015-01-01

    Recently, Six Sigma techniques have been adopted by clinical laboratories to evaluate laboratory performance. Measurement procedures in laboratories can be categorized as "excellent", "good", and "improvement needed" based on sigma (σ) metrics of σ ≥ 6, 3 ≤ σ 1.2 indicates that the trueness of the procedure needs to be improved; 0.8 ≤ QGI ≤ 1.2 indicates that both the precision and trueness of the procedure need to be improved. Fresh frozen sera containing seven enzymes (ALT, ALP, AMY, AST, CK, GGT, and LDH) were sent to 78 clinical laboratories in China. The biases for measurement procedures in each laboratory (Bias) were calculated based on the target values assigned by 18 laboratories performing IFCC (International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory medicine) recommended reference methods. The imprecision of each measurement procedure was represented by coefficient variations (CV) calculated based on internal quality control (IQC) data. The σ and QGI values were calculated as follows: σ = (TEa-Bias)/CV; QGI = Bias/(1.5 x CV). TEa is allowable total error for each enzyme derived from biological variation. Our study indicated that 7.9% (6/76, ALP) to 31.0% (18/58, AMY) of the participating laboratories were scored as "excellent" (σ ≥ 6), 21.1% (16/76, ALP) to 41.3% (31/75, CK) of the laboratories were scored as "good" (3 ≤ σ Six Sigma techniques still suggested that approximately 31.1% to 71.0% of the laboratories need to improve their enzyme measurement procedures, either in terms of precision, trueness, or both.

  6. Using Old and New SAT® Scores for Admission: A Closer Look at Concordant Scores in Predictive Models. Research Report 2016-17

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marini, Jessica P.; Shaw, Emily J.; Young, Linda

    2016-01-01

    During the transition period between the use of exclusively old SAT® scores and the use of exclusively new SAT scores, college admission offices will be receiving both types of scores from students. Making an admission decision based on new SAT scores can be challenging at first because institutions have methods, procedures, and models based on…

  7. The ADOPT-LC score: a novel predictive index of in-hospital mortality of cirrhotic patients following surgical procedures, based on a national survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sato, Masaya; Tateishi, Ryosuke; Yasunaga, Hideo; Horiguchi, Hiromasa; Matsui, Hiroki; Yoshida, Haruhiko; Fushimi, Kiyohide; Koike, Kazuhiko

    2017-03-01

    We aimed to develop a model for predicting in-hospital mortality of cirrhotic patients following major surgical procedures using a large sample of patients derived from a Japanese nationwide administrative database. We enrolled 2197 cirrhotic patients who underwent elective (n = 1973) or emergency (n = 224) surgery. We analyzed the risk factors for postoperative mortality and established a scoring system for predicting postoperative mortality in cirrhotic patients using a split-sample method. In-hospital mortality rates following elective or emergency surgery were 4.7% and 20.5%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, patient age, Child-Pugh (CP) class, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and duration of anesthesia in elective surgery were significantly associated with in-hospital mortality. In emergency surgery, CP class and duration of anesthesia were significant factors. Based on multivariate analysis in the training set (n = 987), the Adequate Operative Treatment for Liver Cirrhosis (ADOPT-LC) score that used patient age, CP class, CCI, and duration of anesthesia to predict in-hospital mortality following elective surgery was developed. This scoring system was validated in the testing set (n = 986) and produced an area under the curve of 0.881. We also developed iOS/Android apps to calculate ADOPT-LC scores to allow easy access to the current evidence in daily clinical practice. Patient age, CP class, CCI, and duration of anesthesia were identified as important risk factors for predicting postoperative mortality in cirrhotic patients. The ADOPT-LC score effectively predicts in-hospital mortality following elective surgery and may assist decisions regarding surgical procedures in cirrhotic patients based on a quantitative risk assessment. © 2016 The Authors Hepatology Research published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japan Society of Hepatology.

  8. 31 CFR 203.8 - Application of part and procedural instructions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... AND THE TREASURY TAX AND LOAN PROGRAM General Information § 203.8 Application of part and procedural... account balance, SDI account balance, or a TIO account balance under this part. By accepting or...

  9. Towards a contemporary, comprehensive scoring system for determining technical outcomes of hybrid percutaneous chronic total occlusion treatment: The RECHARGE score.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maeremans, Joren; Spratt, James C; Knaapen, Paul; Walsh, Simon; Agostoni, Pierfrancesco; Wilson, William; Avran, Alexandre; Faurie, Benjamin; Bressollette, Erwan; Kayaert, Peter; Bagnall, Alan J; Smith, Dave; McEntegart, Margaret B; Smith, William H T; Kelly, Paul; Irving, John; Smith, Elliot J; Strange, Julian W; Dens, Jo

    2018-02-01

    This study sought to create a contemporary scoring tool to predict technical outcomes of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from patients treated by hybrid operators with differing experience levels. Current scoring systems need regular updating to cope with the positive evolutions regarding materials, techniques, and outcomes, while at the same time being applicable for a broad range of operators. Clinical and angiographic characteristics from 880 CTO-PCIs included in the REgistry of CrossBoss and Hybrid procedures in FrAnce, the NetheRlands, BelGium and UnitEd Kingdom (RECHARGE) were analyzed by using a derivation and validation set (2:1 ratio). Variables significantly associated with technical failure in the multivariable analysis were incorporated in the score. Subsequently, the discriminatory capacity was assessed and the validation set was used to compare with the J-CTO score and PROGRESS scores. Technical success in the derivation and validation sets was 83% and 85%, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified six parameters associated with technical failure: blunt stump (beta coefficient (b) = 1.014); calcification (b = 0.908); tortuosity ≥45° (b = 0.964); lesion length 20 mm (b = 0.556); diseased distal landing zone (b = 0.794), and previous bypass graft on CTO vessel (b = 0.833). Score variables remained significant after bootstrapping. The RECHARGE score showed better discriminatory capacity in both sets (area-under-the-curve (AUC) = 0.783 and 0.711), compared to the J-CTO (AUC = 0.676) and PROGRESS (AUC = 0.608) scores. The RECHARGE score is a novel, easy-to-use tool for assessing the risk for technical failure in hybrid CTO-PCI and has the potential to perform well for a broad community of operators. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. Applicability of the heart failure Readmission Risk score: A first European study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Formiga, Francesc; Masip, Joan; Chivite, David; Corbella, Xavier

    2017-06-01

    The Readmission Risk score (RR score) has been considered useful to predict Medicare/Medicaid patients' likelihood of 30-day hospital readmission for heart failure (HF). To our knowledge, the accuracy of this prediction model has not been independently validated in other clinical circumstances in Europe. From July 2013 to December 2014, all patients who survived to a first admission due to decompensated HF at our tertiary care teaching hospital were retrospectively included in the study. The RR score was calculated in all patients to predict future 30 and 90-day unplanned all-cause readmissions. A total of 679 patients were included, of them, 52 patients (7.6%) were readmitted by any cause within 30days after discharge, and 98 (14.4%) within 90days. When compared, the average RR scores for patients readmitted was significantly higher to those who did not, either within 30days (22.7 vs. 20.1) or 90days (22.7 vs. 20.1) of discharge. The 30-day C-statistic was 0.649 (95% CI 0.574-0.723) and the 90-day 0.621 (95% CI 0.560-0.681). There was a significant increase in readmission percentages at 30 and 90days with respect to increasing quartiles of RR score. Our results only support a modest applicability of this predictive model in patients at 30 and 90days, after a first hospitalization for decompensated HF. Probably, the fact that our readmission rate in patients firstly admitted due to HF was very low, generated a bias in the study, discouraging the use of this score in the de novo HF patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Confidence Intervals for Weighted Composite Scores under the Compound Binomial Error Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Kyung Yong; Lee, Won-Chan

    2018-01-01

    Reporting confidence intervals with test scores helps test users make important decisions about examinees by providing information about the precision of test scores. Although a variety of estimation procedures based on the binomial error model are available for computing intervals for test scores, these procedures assume that items are randomly…

  12. The Italian validation of the minimal assessment of cognitive function in multiple sclerosis (MACFIMS) and the application of the Cognitive Impairment Index scoring procedure in MS patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Argento, Ornella; Incerti, Chiara C; Quartuccio, Maria E; Magistrale, Giuseppe; Francia, Ada; Caltagirone, Carlo; Pisani, Valerio; Nocentini, Ugo

    2018-04-27

    Cognitive dysfunction occurs in almost 50-60% of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) even in early stages of the disease and affects different aspects of patient's life. Aims of the present study were (1) to introduce and validate an Italian version of the minimal assessment of cognitive functions in MS (MACFIMS) battery and (2) to propose the use of the Cognitive Impairment Index (CII) as a scoring procedure to define the degree of impairment in relapsing-remitting (RRMS) and secondary-progressive (SPMS) patients. A total of 240 HC and 123 MS patients performed the Italian version of the MACFIMS composed by the same tests as the original except for the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test. The CII was derived for each score of the 11 scales for participants of both groups. The results of the study show that cognitive impairment affects around 50% of our sample of MS patients. In RRMS group, only the 15.7% of patients reported a severe impairment, while in the group of SPMS, the 51.4% of patients felt in the "severely impaired" group. Results are in line with previously reported percentages of impairment in MS patients, showing that the calculation of the CII applied to the Italian version of the MACFIMS is sensitive and reliable in detecting different degrees of impairment in MS patients.

  13. Processes and Procedures for Estimating Score Reliability and Precision

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bardhoshi, Gerta; Erford, Bradley T.

    2017-01-01

    Precision is a key facet of test development, with score reliability determined primarily according to the types of error one wants to approximate and demonstrate. This article identifies and discusses several primary forms of reliability estimation: internal consistency (i.e., split-half, KR-20, a), test-retest, alternate forms, interscorer, and…

  14. Another procedure for the preliminary ordering of loci based on two point lod scores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curtis, D

    1994-01-01

    Because of the difficulty of performing full likelihood analysis over multiple loci and the large numbers of possible orders, a number of methods have been proposed for quickly evaluating orders and, to a lesser extent, for generating good orders. A new method is proposed which uses a function which is moderately laborious to compute, the sum of lod scores between all pairs of loci. This function can be smoothly minimized by initially allowing the loci to be placed anywhere in space, and only subsequently constraining them to lie along a one-dimensional map. Application of this approach to sample data suggests that it has promise and might usefully be combined with other methods when loci need to be ordered.

  15. Application and Evaluation of an Expert Judgment Elicitation Procedure for Correlations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zondervan-Zwijnenburg, Mariëlle; van de Schoot-Hubeek, Wenneke; Lek, Kimberley; Hoijtink, Herbert; van de Schoot, Rens

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of the current study was to apply and evaluate a procedure to elicit expert judgments about correlations, and to update this information with empirical data. The result is a face-to-face group elicitation procedure with as its central element a trial roulette question that elicits experts' judgments expressed as distributions. During the elicitation procedure, a concordance probability question was used to provide feedback to the experts on their judgments. We evaluated the elicitation procedure in terms of validity and reliability by means of an application with a small sample of experts. Validity means that the elicited distributions accurately represent the experts' judgments. Reliability concerns the consistency of the elicited judgments over time. Four behavioral scientists provided their judgments with respect to the correlation between cognitive potential and academic performance for two separate populations enrolled at a specific school in the Netherlands that provides special education to youth with severe behavioral problems: youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and youth with diagnoses other than ASD. Measures of face-validity, feasibility, convergent validity, coherence, and intra-rater reliability showed promising results. Furthermore, the current study illustrates the use of the elicitation procedure and elicited distributions in a social science application. The elicited distributions were used as a prior for the correlation, and updated with data for both populations collected at the school of interest. The current study shows that the newly developed elicitation procedure combining the trial roulette method with the elicitation of correlations is a promising tool, and that the results of the procedure are useful as prior information in a Bayesian analysis.

  16. Automated outcome scoring in a virtual reality simulator for endodontic surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Myat Su; Haddawy, Peter; Suebnukarn, Siriwan; Rhienmora, Phattanapon

    2018-01-01

    communication with students and instructors. With the reference virtual templates created automatically, the approach is robust and is applicable in scoring the outcome of any dental surgery procedure involving the act of drilling. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Heart valve surgery: EuroSCORE vs. EuroSCORE II vs. Society of Thoracic Surgeons score

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Sharoz Rabbani

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Background This is a validation study comparing the European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE II with the previous additive (AES and logistic EuroSCORE (LES and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ (STS risk prediction algorithm, for patients undergoing valve replacement with or without bypass in Pakistan. Patients and Methods Clinical data of 576 patients undergoing valve replacement surgery between 2006 and 2013 were retrospectively collected and individual expected risks of death were calculated by all four risk prediction algorithms. Performance of these risk algorithms was evaluated in terms of discrimination and calibration. Results There were 28 deaths (4.8% among 576 patients, which was lower than the predicted mortality of 5.16%, 6.96% and 4.94% by AES, LES and EuroSCORE II but was higher than 2.13% predicted by STS scoring system. For single and double valve replacement procedures, EuroSCORE II was the best predictor of mortality with highest Hosmer and Lemmeshow test (H-L p value (0.346 to 0.689 and area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC curve (0.637 to 0.898. For valve plus concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG patients actual mortality was 1.88%. STS calculator came out to be the best predictor of mortality for this subgroup with H-L p value (0.480 to 0.884 and ROC (0.657 to 0.775. Conclusions For Pakistani population EuroSCORE II is an accurate predictor for individual operative risk in patients undergoing isolated valve surgery, whereas STS performs better in the valve plus CABG group.

  18. Modified Harrington Procedure for Acetabular Insuficiency Due to Metastatic Malignant Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    WI Faisham

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Extensive peri-acetabular osteolysis caused by malignant disease process is a major surgical challenge as conventional hip arthroplasty is not adequate. We describe a modified use of the Harrington procedure for acetabular insufficiency secondary to metastatic disease in twelve patients. The procedures include application of multiple threaded pins to bridge the acetabular columns, anti-protrusio cage and cemented acetabular cup. Eleven patients were able to walk pain free and achieved a mean Musculoskeletal Tumour Society Functional Score of 80 (range, 68 to 86.

  19. D-score: a search engine independent MD-score.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaudel, Marc; Breiter, Daniela; Beck, Florian; Rahnenführer, Jörg; Martens, Lennart; Zahedi, René P

    2013-03-01

    While peptides carrying PTMs are routinely identified in gel-free MS, the localization of the PTMs onto the peptide sequences remains challenging. Search engine scores of secondary peptide matches have been used in different approaches in order to infer the quality of site inference, by penalizing the localization whenever the search engine similarly scored two candidate peptides with different site assignments. In the present work, we show how the estimation of posterior error probabilities for peptide candidates allows the estimation of a PTM score called the D-score, for multiple search engine studies. We demonstrate the applicability of this score to three popular search engines: Mascot, OMSSA, and X!Tandem, and evaluate its performance using an already published high resolution data set of synthetic phosphopeptides. For those peptides with phosphorylation site inference uncertainty, the number of spectrum matches with correctly localized phosphorylation increased by up to 25.7% when compared to using Mascot alone, although the actual increase depended on the fragmentation method used. Since this method relies only on search engine scores, it can be readily applied to the scoring of the localization of virtually any modification at no additional experimental or in silico cost. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Manual on brachytherapy. Incorporating: Applications guide, procedures guide, basics guide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-01-01

    This publication is part of practical radiation safety manual series for different fields of application aimed primarily at persons handling radiation sources on a daily routine basis, which could at same time be used by the competent authorities, supporting their efforts in the radiation protection training of workers or medical assistance personnel or helping on-site management to set up local radiation protection rules. It is dedicated to brachytherapy: its application and procedures guides

  1. Ganga hospital open injury score in management of open injuries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajasekaran, S; Sabapathy, S R; Dheenadhayalan, J; Sundararajan, S R; Venkatramani, H; Devendra, A; Ramesh, P; Srikanth, K P

    2015-02-01

    Open injuries of the limbs offer challenges in management as there are still many grey zones in decision making regarding salvage, timing and type of reconstruction. As a result, there is still an unacceptable rate of secondary amputations which lead to tremendous waste of resources and psychological devastation of the patient and his family. Gustilo Anderson's classification was a major milestone in grading the severity of injury but however suffers from the disadvantages of imprecise definition, a poor interobserver correlation, inability to address the issue of salvage and inclusion of a wide spectrum of injuries in Type IIIb category. Numerous scores such as Mangled Extremity Severity Score, the Predictive Salvage Index, the Limb Salvage Index, Hannover Fracture Scale-97 etc have been proposed but all have the disadvantage of retrospective evaluation, inadequate sample sizes and poor sensitivity and specificity to amputation, especially in IIIb injuries. The Ganga Hospital Open Injury Score (GHOIS) was proposed in 2004 and is designed to specifically address the outcome in IIIb injuries of the tibia without vascular deficit. It evaluates the severity of injury to the three components of the limb--the skin, the bone and the musculotendinous structures separately on a grade from 0 to 5. Seven comorbid factors which influence the treatment and the outcome are included in the score with two marks each. The application of the total score and the individual tissue scores in management of IIIB injuries is discussed. The total score was shown to predict salvage when the value was 14 or less; amputation when the score was 17 and more. A grey zone of 15 and 16 is provided where the decision making had to be made on a case to case basis. The additional value of GHOIS was its ability to guide the timing and type of reconstruction. A skin score of more than 3 always required a flap and hence it indicated the need for an orthoplastic approach from the index procedure. Bone

  2. The Truth about Scores Children Achieve on Tests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Jonathan R.

    1989-01-01

    The importance of using the standard error of measurement (SEm) in determining reliability in test scores is emphasized. The SEm is compared to the hypothetical true score for standardized tests, and procedures for calculation of the SEm are explained. (JDD)

  3. Forecasting the value of credit scoring

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saad, Shakila; Ahmad, Noryati; Jaffar, Maheran Mohd

    2017-08-01

    Nowadays, credit scoring system plays an important role in banking sector. This process is important in assessing the creditworthiness of customers requesting credit from banks or other financial institutions. Usually, the credit scoring is used when customers send the application for credit facilities. Based on the score from credit scoring, bank will be able to segregate the "good" clients from "bad" clients. However, in most cases the score is useful at that specific time only and cannot be used to forecast the credit worthiness of the same applicant after that. Hence, bank will not know if "good" clients will always be good all the time or "bad" clients may become "good" clients after certain time. To fill up the gap, this study proposes an equation to forecast the credit scoring of the potential borrowers at a certain time by using the historical score related to the assumption. The Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) is used to measure the accuracy of the forecast scoring. Result shows the forecast scoring is highly accurate as compared to actual credit scoring.

  4. Coating application procedure qualification for internal girth weld using a robot device

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koebsch, Andre; Cunha, Bruno Rocha Marques da; Barreto, Eduardo Chave; Nunes, Erik Barbosa; Solymossy, Victor [PETROBRAS S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

    2009-12-19

    This year PETROBRAS complete 55 years old filling up our country of energy necessary to support our development. Some oil fields, especially from the northeast region, has being had their production decrease by their ageing. In order to have their live protracted some retrieval technical has being used. For example we can mention gas lift, production water injection, CO{sub 2} injection and so on. The produced water even treated has an elevated tenor of chloride, acid ph, presence of organics acids, H{sub 2}S and no O{sub 2}. The water became too corrosive by those characteristics. Due to it an anti corrosive coating application is demanded on the pipe internal surface and on the girth weld. The pipes are coated in a coating plant and it has a qualified coating procedure. Therefore an application of anti corrosive coating is demanded on the girth weld after the pipe welding. To accomplish this job an application procedure was developed using a robot. The PETROBRAS' Engineer witnesses the PQT of this procedure aiming to guarantee the applied coating quality. This paper will show the PQT results and a basic description of the robot operation. (author)

  5. Application of automated reasoning software: procedure generation system verifier

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, D.E.; Seeman, S.E.

    1984-09-01

    An on-line, automated reasoning software system for verifying the actions of other software or human control systems has been developed. It was demonstrated by verifying the actions of an automated procedure generation system. The verifier uses an interactive theorem prover as its inference engine with the rules included as logic axioms. Operation of the verifier is generally transparent except when the verifier disagrees with the actions of the monitored software. Testing with an automated procedure generation system demonstrates the successful application of automated reasoning software for verification of logical actions in a diverse, redundant manner. A higher degree of confidence may be placed in the verified actions gathered by the combined system

  6. The APPLE Score - A Novel Score for the Prediction of Rhythm Outcomes after Repeat Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jelena Kornej

    Full Text Available Arrhythmia recurrences after catheter ablation occur in up to 50% within one year but their prediction remains challenging. Recently, we developed a novel score for the prediction of rhythm outcomes after single AF ablation demonstrating superiority to other scores. The current study was performed to 1 prove the predictive value of the APPLE score in patients undergoing repeat AF ablation and 2 compare it with the CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores.Rhythm outcome between 3-12 months after AF ablation were documented. The APPLE score (one point for Age >65 years, Persistent AF, imPaired eGFR (<60 ml/min/1.73m2, LA diameter ≥43 mm, EF <50% was calculated in every patient before procedure.379 consecutive patients from The Leipzig Heart Center AF Ablation Registry (60±10 years, 65% male, 70% paroxysmal AF undergoing repeat AF catheter ablation were included. Arrhythmia recurrences were observed in 133 patients (35%. While the CHADS2 (AUC 0.577, p = 0.037 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores (AUC 0.590, p = 0.015 demonstrated low predictive value, the APPLE score showed better prediction of arrhythmia recurrences (AUC 0.617, p = 0.002 than other scores (both p<0.001. Compared to patients with an APPLE score of 0, the risk (OR for arrhythmia recurrences was 2.9, 3.0 and 6.0 (all p<0.01 for APPLE scores 1, 2, or ≥3, respectively.The novel APPLE score is superior to the CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores for prediction of rhythm outcomes after repeat AF catheter ablation. It may be helpful to identify patients with low, intermediate or high risk for recurrences after repeat procedure.

  7. Development of ISA procedure for uranium fuel fabrication and enrichment facilities: overview of ISA procedure and its application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamate, Kazuki; Yamada, Takashi; Takanashi, Mitsuhiro; Sasaki, Noriaki

    2013-01-01

    Integrated Safety Analysis (ISA) procedure for uranium fuel fabrication and enrichment facilities has been developed for aiming at applying risk-informed regulation to these uranium facilities. The development has carried out referring to the ISA (NUREG-1520) by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The paper presents purpose, principles and activities for the development of the ISA procedure, including Risk Level (RL) matrix and grading evaluation method of IROFS (Items Relied on for Safety), as well as general description and features of the procedure. Also described in the paper is current status in application of risk information from the ISA. Japanese four licensees of the uranium facilities have been conducting ISA for their representative processes using the developed procedure as their voluntary safety activities. They have been accumulating experiences and knowledge on the ISA procedure and risk information through the field activities. NISA (Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency) and JNES (Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization) are studying how to use such risk information for the safety regulation of the uranium facilities, taking into account the licensees' experiences and knowledge. (authors)

  8. Application of the FOUR Score in Intracerebral Hemorrhage Risk Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braksick, Sherri A; Hemphill, J Claude; Mandrekar, Jay; Wijdicks, Eelco F M; Fugate, Jennifer E

    2018-06-01

    The Full Outline of Unresponsiveness (FOUR) Score is a validated scale describing the essentials of a coma examination, including motor response, eye opening and eye movements, brainstem reflexes, and respiratory pattern. We incorporated the FOUR Score into the existing ICH Score and evaluated its accuracy of risk assessment in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Consecutive patients admitted to our institution from 2009 to 2012 with spontaneous ICH were reviewed. The ICH Score was calculated using patient age, hemorrhage location, hemorrhage volume, evidence of intraventricular extension, and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). The FOUR Score was then incorporated into the ICH Score as a substitute for the GCS (ICH Score FS ). The ability of the 2 scores to predict mortality at 1 month was then compared. In total, 274 patients met the inclusion criteria. The median age was 73 years (interquartile range 60-82) and 138 (50.4%) were male. Overall mortality at 1 month was 28.8% (n = 79). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was .91 for the ICH Score and .89 for the ICH Score FS . For ICH Scores of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, 1-month mortality was 4.2%, 29.9%, 62.5%, 95.0%, and 100%. In the ICH Score FS model, mortality was 10.7%, 26.5%, 64.5%, 88.9%, and 100% for scores of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. The ICH Score and the ICH Score FS predict 1-month mortality with comparable accuracy. As the FOUR Score provides additional clinical information regarding patient status, it may be a reasonable substitute for the GCS into the ICH Score. Copyright © 2018 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. [Application of Chinese Medical Syndrome Scores in Effectiveness Evaluation: a Critical Appraisal of 240 Randomized Controlled Trials].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Hui; Liao, Xing; Wang, Qian

    2015-10-01

    To explore the role of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores in effectiveness evaluation of clinical studies. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of TCM published in five journals in 2013 were retrieved, including Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine (JTCM), Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine (CJITWM), Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine (CJIM), Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (ECAM), and American Journal of Chinese Medicine (AJCM). The details of TCM syndrome scores and other relevant factors reported in articles were extracted and analyzed. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test were used to describe general features of inclusive studies, ratios of reports on CM syndrome scores in each journal, formulated evidence, adopted evaluation rules, important degrees. The difference in the application rate of CM syndrome scores were compared in various diseases, diseases with or without CM syndrome typing, places where clinical studies were implemented, and different journals. A total of 240 RCTs were included, involving 178 published in Chinese version and 62 in English version. CM syndrome scores were used for effectiveness evaluation in 27.1% (65/240) of RCTs, of which, the highest application percentage was 35.3% (18/51) in RCTs published in CJITWM, and the lowest was 0 (0/7) in RCTs published in AJCM. There were 17 methods for grading TCM syndrome scores, of which Guideline for Clinical Research of New Chinese Herbal Medicine was most commonly used. Detailed grading standards for CM syndrome scores were reported in 46 RCTs, and CM syndrome scores were taken as primary or secondary outcomes in 6 RCTs. When describing the percentages of RCTs adopting TCM syndrome score by diseases classification, the lowest was 9.5% (2/21) in mental and behavioral disorders, and the highest was 39.1% (9/23) in endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases. RCTs with TCM syndrome differentiation had a higher

  10. Evaluation procedure of creep-fatigue defect growth in high temperature condition and application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Chang Gyu; Kim, Jong Bum; Lee, Jae Han

    2003-12-01

    This study proposed the evaluation procedure of creep-fatigue defect growth on the high-temperature cylindrical structure applicable to the KALIMER, which is developed by KAERI. Parameters used in creep defect growth and the evaluation codes with these parameters were analyzed. In UK, the evaluation procedure of defect initiation and growth were proposed with R5/R6 code. In Japan, simple evauation method was proposed by JNC. In France, RCC-MR A16 code which was evaluation procedure of the creep-fatigue defect initiation and growth related to leak before break was developed, and equations related to load conditions were modified lately. As an application example, the creep-fatigue defect growth on circumferential semi-elliptical surface defect in high temperature cylindrical structure was evaluated by RCC-MR A16

  11. The application of workflow technology in the development of management procedures in NPPs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fang Zhaoxia; Huang Fang

    2012-01-01

    According to the national nuclear safety standards and guides, operating organizations of NPPs should document management programs against all safety related activities. One of the preconditions for the implementation of these programs is to setup a comprehensive instructions and procedures. The workflow technology which is a concept originally from computer technology can help in analysing work processes of different working areas in NPP, designing and developing management procedures hierarchy and requirements. The application of the workflow can not only comprehensively analyse the work process but also analyse the requirements for personnel which are related to the work process, therefore the procedures and programs developed could meet the requirements of national nuclear safety standards and guides. This paper also covers the application of workflow in other areas in NPPs. (authors)

  12. An application of locally linear model tree algorithm with combination of feature selection in credit scoring

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siami, Mohammad; Gholamian, Mohammad Reza; Basiri, Javad

    2014-10-01

    Nowadays, credit scoring is one of the most important topics in the banking sector. Credit scoring models have been widely used to facilitate the process of credit assessing. In this paper, an application of the locally linear model tree algorithm (LOLIMOT) was experimented to evaluate the superiority of its performance to predict the customer's credit status. The algorithm is improved with an aim of adjustment by credit scoring domain by means of data fusion and feature selection techniques. Two real world credit data sets - Australian and German - from UCI machine learning database were selected to demonstrate the performance of our new classifier. The analytical results indicate that the improved LOLIMOT significantly increase the prediction accuracy.

  13. Evaluation of patients’ experiences at different stages of the intravitreal injection procedure – what can be improved?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tailor R

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Rajen Tailor, Rebecca Beasley, Yit Yang, Niro NarendranWolverhampton and Midland Counties Eye Infirmary, New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, UKIntroduction: Intravitreal injection of ranibizumab has become one of the most commonly performed ophthalmic procedures. It is timely to conduct an evaluation of the injection procedure from the patient’s perspective so as to determine ways to improve patient experience. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively describe patients’ experiences of the different stages of the intravitreal injection procedure and provide suggestions for improvement.Method: Following intravitreal injection, patients were administered a questionnaire to score the distress felt for each of ten parts of the whole injection process from the initial waiting to the final instillation of topical antibiotic at the end. A score of higher than 4 was regarded as significantly unpleasant. The proportion of scores above 4 for each step was used to evaluate the relative distress experienced by patients for the different parts of the procedure.Results: A total of 42 patients were surveyed. The step with the highest percentage of patients scoring more than 4 was the injection step (19%. However, cumulatively, the steps relating to the application of the drape, the speculum, and the removal of drape accounted for 53% of scores greater than 4.Conclusion: There is considerable variation in how patients tolerate different stages of the injection procedure. The needle entry was the most unpleasant step followed by the draping steps cumulatively. Use of subconjunctival anesthesia, a perforated drape, and alternative lid exclusion devices may help to improve the patient’s tolerability of the procedure and experience.Keywords: ranibizumab, patient experience, age-related macular degeneration

  14. Acute Procedural Pain in Children

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Helle Nygård; Lundbye-Christensen, Søren; Haslund-Thomsen, Helle

    2018-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: Hospitalized children often describe needle-related procedures as the worst pain possible and such procedures may be emotionally traumatic. The use of hospital clowns related to painful medical procedures in children may offer pain relief, but this has not been systematically...... evaluated. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of a therapeutic clown in comparison to standard care on the experience of pain for children receiving venipuncture. METHODS: A sample of 116 children aged 4-15 years consecutively admitted to the hospital was allocated to either......: Without the clown present, the mean pain score (2.7±2.8) was not significantly different between the two age groups. Children aged 7-15 years had lower pain scores when the clown was present compared to the control group (P=0.025). Children aged 4-6 years had higher pain scores with the clown present...

  15. A Retrospective Propensity Score-Matched Early Thromboembolic Event Analysis of Prothrombin Complex Concentrate vs Fresh Frozen Plasma for Warfarin Reversal Prior to Emergency Neurosurgical Procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agarwal, Prateek; Abdullah, Kalil G; Ramayya, Ashwin G; Nayak, Nikhil R; Lucas, Timothy H

    2017-06-29

    Reversal of therapeutic anticoagulation prior to emergency neurosurgical procedures is required in the setting of intracranial hemorrhage. Multifactor prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) promises rapid efficacy but may increase the probability of thrombotic complications compared to fresh frozen plasma (FFP). To compare the rate of thrombotic complications in patients treated with PCC or FFP to reverse therapeutic anticoagulation prior to emergency neurosurgical procedures in the setting of intracranial hemorrhage at a level I trauma center. Sixty-three consecutive patients on warfarin therapy presenting with intracranial hemorrhage who received anticoagulation reversal prior to emergency neurosurgical procedures were retrospectively identified between 2007 and 2016. They were divided into 2 cohorts based on reversal agent, either PCC (n = 28) or FFP (n = 35). The thrombotic complications rates within 72 h of reversal were compared using the χ 2 test. A multivariate propensity score matching analysis was used to limit the threat to interval validity from selection bias arising from differences in demographics, laboratory values, history, and clinical status. Thrombotic complications were uncommon in this neurosurgical population, occurring in 1.59% (1/63) of treated patients. There was no significant difference in the thrombotic complication rate between groups, 3.57% (1/28; PCC group) vs 0% (0/35; FFP group). Propensity score matching analysis validated this finding after controlling for any selection bias. In this limited sample, thrombotic complication rates were similar between use of PCC and FFP for anticoagulation reversal in the management of intracranial hemorrhage prior to emergency neurosurgical procedures. Copyright © 2017 by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons

  16. Developing Scoring Algorithms (Earlier Methods)

    Science.gov (United States)

    We developed scoring procedures to convert screener responses to estimates of individual dietary intake for fruits and vegetables, dairy, added sugars, whole grains, fiber, and calcium using the What We Eat in America 24-hour dietary recall data from the 2003-2006 NHANES.

  17. How is the injury severity scored? a brief review of scoring systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohsen Ebrahimi

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The management of injured patients is a critical issue in pre-hospital and emergency departments. Trauma victims are usually young and the injuries may lead to mortality or severe morbidities. The severity of injury can be estimated by observing the anatomic and physiologic evidences. Scoring systems are used to present a scale of describing the severity of the injuries in the victims.We reviewed the evidences of famous scoring systems, the history of their development, applications and their evolutions. We searched electronic database PubMed and Google scholar with keywords: (trauma OR injury AND (severity OR intensity AND (score OR scale.In this paper, we are going to present a definition of scoring systems and discuss the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS and Injury Severity Score (ISS, the most acceptable systems, their applications and their advantages and limitations.Several injury-scoring methods have been introduced. Each method has specific features, advantages and disadvantages. The AIS is an anatomical-based scoring system, which provides a standard numerical scale of ranking and comparing injuries. The ISS was established as a platform for trauma data registry. ISS is also an anatomically-based ordinal scale, with a range of 1-75. Several databases and studies are formed based on ISS and are available for trauma management research.Although the ISS is not perfect, it is established as the basic platform of health services and public health researches. The ISS registering system can provide many opportunities for the development of efficient data recording and statistical analyzing models.

  18. Soetomo score: score model in early identification of acute haemorrhagic stroke

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moh Hasan Machfoed

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Aim of the study: On financial or facility constraints of brain imaging, score model is used to predict the occurrence of acute haemorrhagic stroke. Accordingly, this study attempts to develop a new score model, called Soetomo score. Material and methods: The researchers performed a cross-sectional study of 176 acute stroke patients with onset of ≤24 hours who visited emergency unit of Dr. Soetomo Hospital from July 14th to December 14th, 2014. The diagnosis of haemorrhagic stroke was confirmed by head computed tomography scan. There were seven predictors of haemorrhagic stroke which were analysed by using bivariate and multivariate analyses. Furthermore, a multiple discriminant analysis resulted in an equation of Soetomo score model. The receiver operating characteristic procedure resulted in the values of area under curve and intersection point identifying haemorrhagic stroke. Afterward, the diagnostic test value was determined. Results: The equation of Soetomo score model was (3 × loss of consciousness + (3.5 × headache + (4 × vomiting − 4.5. Area under curve value of this score was 88.5% (95% confidence interval = 83.3–93.7%. In the Soetomo score model value of ≥−0.75, the score reached the sensitivity of 82.9%, specificity of 83%, positive predictive value of 78.8%, negative predictive value of 86.5%, positive likelihood ratio of 4.88, negative likelihood ratio of 0.21, false negative of 17.1%, false positive of 17%, and accuracy of 83%. Conclusions: The Soetomo score model value of ≥−0.75 can identify acute haemorrhagic stroke properly on the financial or facility constrains of brain imaging.

  19. Preoperative Decision Making for Nephron-Sparing Procedure in the Renal Mass: Time for Using Standard Tools?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zondervan, Patricia J.; van Lienden, Krijn P.; van Delden, Otto M.; de La Rosette, Jean J. M. C. H.; Laguna, M. Pilar

    2016-01-01

    To determine if the application of using standard tools on tumor complexity and comorbidity indexes may replace the traditional choice of nephron-sparing procedure (NSP) based on clinical maximal tumor diameter (cMTD), age, and comorbidity. Anatomic complexity scores (PADUA and RENAL) and Charlson

  20. Guidelines and procedures for the International Code Assessment and Applications Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1987-04-01

    This document presents the guidelines and procedures by which the International Code Assessment and Applications Program (ICAP) will be conducted. The document summarizes the management structure of the program and the relationships between and responsibilities of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) and the international participants. The procedures for code maintenance and necessary documentation are described. Guidelines for the performance and documentation of code assessment studies are presented. An overview of an effort to quantify code uncertainty, which the ICAP supports, is included

  1. 15 CFR 922.48 - National Marine Sanctuary permits-application procedures and issuance criteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false National Marine Sanctuary permits..., DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE OCEAN AND COASTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY PROGRAM REGULATIONS Regulations of General Applicability § 922.48 National Marine Sanctuary permits—application procedures and...

  2. Manual on gamma radiography. Incorporating: Applications guide, procedures guide, basics guide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-01-01

    This publication is part of practical radiation safety manual series for different fields of application aimed primarily at persons handling radiation sources on a daily routine basis, which could at same time be used by the competent authorities, supporting their efforts in the radiation protection training of workers or medical assistance personnel or helping on-site management to set up local radiation protection rules. It is dedicated to gamma radiography: its application and procedures guides

  3. Manual on shielded enclosures. Incorporating: Applications guide, procedures guide, basics guide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-01-01

    This publication is part of practical radiation safety manual series for different fields of application aimed primarily at persons handling radiation sources on a daily routine basis, which could at same time be used by the competent authorities, supporting their efforts in the radiation protection training of workers or medical assistance personnel or helping on-site management to set up local radiation protection rules. It is dedicated to shielding enclosures: their application and procedures guides

  4. Manual on nuclear gauges. Incorporating: Applications guide, procedures guide, basics guide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-01-01

    This publication is part of practical radiation safety manual series for different fields of application aimed primarily at persons handling radiation sources on a daily routine basis, which could at same time be used by the competent authorities, supporting their efforts in the radiation protection training of workers or medical assistance personnel or helping on-site management to set up local radiation protection rules. It is dedicated to nuclear gauges: their application and procedures guides

  5. Experience with conventional inelastic analysis procedures in very high temperature applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mallett, R.H.; Thompson, J.M.; Swindeman, R.W.

    1991-01-01

    Conventional incremental plasticity and creep analysis procedures for inelastic analysis are applied to hot flue gas cleanup system components. These flue gas systems operate at temperatures where plasticity and creep are very much intertwined while the two phenomena are treated separately in the conventional inelastic analysis procedure. Data for RA333 material are represented in forms appropriate for the conventional inelastic analysis procedures. Behavior is predicted for typical operating cycles. Creep-fatigue damage is estimated based upon usage fractions. Excessive creep damage is predicted; the major contributions occur during high stress short term intervals caused by rapid temperature changes. In this paper these results are presented for discussion of the results and their interpretation in terms of creep-fatigue damage for very high temperature applications

  6. Functional and morphological differences following Monarc and TVT-O procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, W-C; Yang, S-H; Yang, J-M; Tzeng, C-R

    2012-12-01

    To explore function of the lower urinary tract and morphology of tape and urethra following Monarc or TVT-O suburethral tape placement for urodynamic stress incontinence (USI). We recruited prospectively women undergoing either Monarc or TVT-O placement for USI. Before and 3 months after the procedure, participants were evaluated by a question-directed interview, the measures of Sandvik Incontinence Severity Index (SISI), Incontinence Bother Scale (IBS), Ingelman-Sundberg Score (ISS) and short forms of Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6) and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ-7), physical examination, a cough stress test and 4D ultrasound investigation. The primary outcome was participants' responses to clinical assessments and the secondary outcome was ultrasound findings. A total of 67 women with Monarc procedures and 60 women with TVT-O procedures completed the survey both preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively. There were significant improvements in scores of SISI, IBS, ISS, UDI-6 and IIQ-7 after both Monarc and TVT-O procedures. At the 3-month follow-up, both procedures had similar success rates, SISI scores, IBS scores, ISS scores, UDI-6 scores and IIQ-7 scores, and similar incidences of postoperative voiding difficulty and overactive bladder symptoms. After Bonferroni correction, all ultrasound parameters representing tape location, tape tension and urethral mobility were similar between the two procedures. At short-term follow-up, Monarc and TVT-O procedures are comparable in both functional outcome of the lower urinary tract and morphology on ultrasound as assessed by parameters representing tape location, tape tension and urethral mobility. Copyright © 2012 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  7. Weighing of risk factors for penetrating keratoplasty graft failure: application of Risk Score System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdo Karim Tourkmani

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To analyze the relationship between the score obtained in the Risk Score System (RSS proposed by Hicks et al with penetrating keratoplasty (PKP graft failure at 1y postoperatively and among each factor in the RSS with the risk of PKP graft failure using univariate and multivariate analysis. METHODS: The retrospective cohort study had 152 PKPs from 152 patients. Eighteen cases were excluded from our study due to primary failure (10 cases, incomplete medical notes (5 cases and follow-up less than 1y (3 cases. We included 134 PKPs from 134 patients stratified by preoperative risk score. Spearman coefficient was calculated for the relationship between the score obtained and risk of failure at 1y. Univariate and multivariate analysis were calculated for the impact of every single risk factor included in the RSS over graft failure at 1y. RESULTS: Spearman coefficient showed statistically significant correlation between the score in the RSS and graft failure (P0.05 between diagnosis and lens status with graft failure. The relationship between the other risk factors studied and graft failure was significant (P<0.05, although the results for previous grafts and graft failure was unreliable. None of our patients had previous blood transfusion, thus, it had no impact. CONCLUSION: After the application of multivariate analysis techniques, some risk factors do not show the expected impact over graft failure at 1y.

  8. Evaluation of uncertainties in benefit-cost studies of electrical power plants. II. Development and application of a procedure for quantifying environmental uncertainties of a nuclear power plant. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sullivan, W.G.

    1977-07-01

    Steam-electric generation plants are evaluated on a benefit-cost basis. Non-economic factors in the development and application of a procedure for quantifying environmental uncertainties of a nuclear power plant are discussed. By comparing monetary costs of a particular power plant assessed in Part 1 with non-monetary values arrived at in Part 2 and using an evaluation procedure developed in this study, a proposed power plant can be selected as a preferred alternative. This procedure enables policymakers to identify the incremental advantages and disadvantages of different power plants in view of their geographic locations. The report presents the evaluation procedure on a task by task basis and shows how it can be applied to a particular power plant. Because of the lack of objective data, it draws heavily on subjectively-derived inputs of individuals who are knowledgeable about the plant being investigated. An abbreviated study at another power plant demonstrated the transferability of the general evaluation procedure. Included in the appendices are techniques for developing scoring functions and a user's manual for the Fortran IV Program

  9. Validating the appropriateness of TACOM measure: Comparing TACOM scores with subjective workload scores quantified by NASA-TLX technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, J.; Jung, W.

    2006-01-01

    In this study, the appropriateness of the task complexity (TACOM) measure that can quantify the complexity of emergency tasks was investigated by comparing subjective workload scores with the associated TACOM scores. To this end, based on the NASA-TLX (task load index) technique, 18 operators were asked to subjectively estimate perceived workload for 23 emergency tasks that were specified in the emergency operating procedures of the reference nuclear power plants. As the result of comparisons, it was observed that subjective workload scores increase in proportion to the increase of TACOM scores. Therefore, it is expect that the TACOM measure can be used as a serviceable method to quantify the complexity of emergency tasks. (authors)

  10. Validating the appropriateness of TACOM measure: Comparing TACOM scores with subjective workload scores quantified by NASA-TLX technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, J.; Jung, W. [Integrated Safety Assessment Div., Korea Atomic Energy Research Inst., P.O.Box 105, Duckjin-Dong, Yusong-Ku, Taejon, 305-600 (Korea, Republic of)

    2006-07-01

    In this study, the appropriateness of the task complexity (TACOM) measure that can quantify the complexity of emergency tasks was investigated by comparing subjective workload scores with the associated TACOM scores. To this end, based on the NASA-TLX (task load index) technique, 18 operators were asked to subjectively estimate perceived workload for 23 emergency tasks that were specified in the emergency operating procedures of the reference nuclear power plants. As the result of comparisons, it was observed that subjective workload scores increase in proportion to the increase of TACOM scores. Therefore, it is expect that the TACOM measure can be used as a serviceable method to quantify the complexity of emergency tasks. (authors)

  11. Validation of the grown-ups with congenital heart disease score.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hörer, Jürgen; Roussin, Régine; LeBret, Emanuel; Ly, Mohamed; Abdullah, Jarrah; Marzullo, Rafaella; Pabst von Ohain, Jelena; Belli, Emre

    2018-06-01

    Adults with congenital heart disease in need of heart surgery frequently present with significant comorbidity. Furthermore, additional technical difficulties often related to redo operations increase the risk for postoperative mortality and morbidity. Hence, next to the type of the procedure, additional procedure-dependent and procedure-independent factors have to be considered for risk evaluation. The recently proposed grown-ups with congenital heart disease (GUCH) mortality and morbidity scores account for these additional risk factors. We sought to validate their predictive power in a large population operated in a single centre. Data of all consecutive patients aged 18 years or more, who underwent surgery for congenital heart disease between 2005 and 2016, were collected. Mortality was defined as hospital mortality or mortality within 30 days following surgery. Morbidity was defined as occurrence of one or more of the following complications: renal failure requiring dialysis, neurologic deficit persisting at discharge, atrioventricular block requiring permanent pacemaker implantation, mechanical circulatory support, phrenic nerve injury and unplanned reoperation. The discriminatory power of the GUCH scores was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (c-index, including 95% CI). Eight hundred and twenty-four operations were evaluated. Additional procedure-dependent and procedure-independent factors, as defined in the GUCH scores, were present in 165 patients (20.0%) and 544 patients (66.0%), respectively. Hospital mortality and morbidity was 3.4% and 10.0%, respectively. C-index for GUCH mortality score was 0.809 (0.742-0.877). C-index for GUCH morbidity score was 0.676 (0.619-0.734). We could confirm the good predictive power of the GUCH mortality score for postoperative mortality in a large population of adults with congenital heart disease. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the

  12. Development of a novel scoring system for identifying emerging chemical risks in the food chain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oltmanns, J; Licht, O; Bitsch, A; Bohlen, M-L; Escher, S E; Silano, V; MacLeod, M; Serafimova, R; Kass, G E N; Merten, C

    2018-02-21

    The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is responsible for risk assessment of all aspects of food safety, including the establishment of procedures aimed at the identification of emerging risks to food safety. Here, a scoring system was developed for identifying chemicals registered under the European REACH Regulation that could be of potential concern in the food chain using the following parameters: (i) environmental release based on maximum aggregated tonnages and environmental release categories; (ii) biodegradation in the environment; (iii) bioaccumulation and in vivo and in vitro toxicity. The screening approach was tested on 100 data-rich chemicals registered under the REACH Regulation at aggregated volumes of at least 1000 tonnes per annum. The results show that substance-specific data generated under the REACH Regulation can be used to identify potential emerging risks in the food chain. After application of the screening procedure, priority chemicals can be identified as potentially emerging risk chemicals through the integration of exposure, environmental fate and toxicity. The default approach is to generate a single total score for each substance using a predefined weighting scenario. However, it is also possible to use a pivot table approach to combine the individual scores in different ways that reflect user-defined priorities, which enables a very flexible, iterative definition of screening criteria. Possible applications of the approaches are discussed using illustrative examples. Either approach can then be followed by in-depth evaluation of priority substances to ensure the identification of substances that present a real emerging chemical risk in the food chain.

  13. Application of the Evidence Procedure to the Estimation of Wireless Channels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fleury Bernard H

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available We address the application of the Bayesian evidence procedure to the estimation of wireless channels. The proposed scheme is based on relevance vector machines (RVM originally proposed by M. Tipping. RVMs allow to estimate channel parameters as well as to assess the number of multipath components constituting the channel within the Bayesian framework by locally maximizing the evidence integral. We show that, in the case of channel sounding using pulse-compression techniques, it is possible to cast the channel model as a general linear model, thus allowing RVM methods to be applied. We extend the original RVM algorithm to the multiple-observation/multiple-sensor scenario by proposing a new graphical model to represent multipath components. Through the analysis of the evidence procedure we develop a thresholding algorithm that is used in estimating the number of components. We also discuss the relationship of the evidence procedure to the standard minimum description length (MDL criterion. We show that the maximum of the evidence corresponds to the minimum of the MDL criterion. The applicability of the proposed scheme is demonstrated with synthetic as well as real-world channel measurements, and a performance increase over the conventional MDL criterion applied to maximum-likelihood estimates of the channel parameters is observed.

  14. Prediction of true test scores from observed item scores and ancillary data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haberman, Shelby J; Yao, Lili; Sinharay, Sandip

    2015-05-01

    In many educational tests which involve constructed responses, a traditional test score is obtained by adding together item scores obtained through holistic scoring by trained human raters. For example, this practice was used until 2008 in the case of GRE(®) General Analytical Writing and until 2009 in the case of TOEFL(®) iBT Writing. With use of natural language processing, it is possible to obtain additional information concerning item responses from computer programs such as e-rater(®). In addition, available information relevant to examinee performance may include scores on related tests. We suggest application of standard results from classical test theory to the available data to obtain best linear predictors of true traditional test scores. In performing such analysis, we require estimation of variances and covariances of measurement errors, a task which can be quite difficult in the case of tests with limited numbers of items and with multiple measurements per item. As a consequence, a new estimation method is suggested based on samples of examinees who have taken an assessment more than once. Such samples are typically not random samples of the general population of examinees, so that we apply statistical adjustment methods to obtain the needed estimated variances and covariances of measurement errors. To examine practical implications of the suggested methods of analysis, applications are made to GRE General Analytical Writing and TOEFL iBT Writing. Results obtained indicate that substantial improvements are possible both in terms of reliability of scoring and in terms of assessment reliability. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

  15. Identifying genetic marker sets associated with phenotypes via an efficient adaptive score test

    KAUST Repository

    Cai, T.

    2012-06-25

    In recent years, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and gene-expression profiling have generated a large number of valuable datasets for assessing how genetic variations are related to disease outcomes. With such datasets, it is often of interest to assess the overall effect of a set of genetic markers, assembled based on biological knowledge. Genetic marker-set analyses have been advocated as more reliable and powerful approaches compared with the traditional marginal approaches (Curtis and others, 2005. Pathways to the analysis of microarray data. TRENDS in Biotechnology 23, 429-435; Efroni and others, 2007. Identification of key processes underlying cancer phenotypes using biologic pathway analysis. PLoS One 2, 425). Procedures for testing the overall effect of a marker-set have been actively studied in recent years. For example, score tests derived under an Empirical Bayes (EB) framework (Liu and others, 2007. Semiparametric regression of multidimensional genetic pathway data: least-squares kernel machines and linear mixed models. Biometrics 63, 1079-1088; Liu and others, 2008. Estimation and testing for the effect of a genetic pathway on a disease outcome using logistic kernel machine regression via logistic mixed models. BMC bioinformatics 9, 292-2; Wu and others, 2010. Powerful SNP-set analysis for case-control genome-wide association studies. American Journal of Human Genetics 86, 929) have been proposed as powerful alternatives to the standard Rao score test (Rao, 1948. Large sample tests of statistical hypotheses concerning several parameters with applications to problems of estimation. Mathematical Proceedings of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, 44, 50-57). The advantages of these EB-based tests are most apparent when the markers are correlated, due to the reduction in the degrees of freedom. In this paper, we propose an adaptive score test which up- or down-weights the contributions from each member of the marker-set based on the Z-scores of

  16. Pacifier and swaddling effective in impeding premature infant's pain score and heart rate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Efendi, Defi; Rustina, Yeni; Gayatri, Dewi

    2018-02-01

    To assess the effectiveness of pacifier and swaddling on premature infant's pain score, hearthrate, and oxygen saturation during an invasive procedure. This randomized control trial involv 30 premature infants who were randomly assigned into control (n=15) and intervention (n=15) groups using parallel design. Infants in the intervention group received pacifier and swaddling when they were undergoing invasive procedures. The outcome indicators of the two-day intervention were pain score, hearth rate, and oxygen saturation. The Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) was used in this study to measure infants' pain. The paired t-test results showed that the pain score and heart rate were significantly increased following the procedure in the control group (p=0.003; p=0.013 0.005). There was no significant different in oxygen saturation in the control group (p=0.270) and in the intervention (p=0.370) group before and after the procedure. Providing pacifier and swaddling can impede the increase of premature infants' pain score and hearth rate during an invasive procedures, therefore it can be implemented as an alternative to pain management in premature infants. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  17. An ultrasound score for knee osteoarthritis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Riecke, B F; Christensen, R.; Torp-Pedersen, S

    2014-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To develop standardized musculoskeletal ultrasound (MUS) procedures and scoring for detecting knee osteoarthritis (OA) and test the MUS score's ability to discern various degrees of knee OA, in comparison with plain radiography and the 'Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score' (KOOS......) domains as comparators. METHOD: A cross-sectional study of MUS examinations in 45 patients with knee OA. Validity, reliability, and reproducibility were evaluated. RESULTS: MUS examination for knee OA consists of five separate domains assessing (1) predominantly morphological changes in the medial...... coefficients ranging from 0.75 to 0.97 for the five domains. Construct validity was confirmed with statistically significant correlation coefficients (0.47-0.81, P knee OA. In comparison with standing radiographs...

  18. Administration and scoring variance on the ADAS-Cog.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Connor, Donald J; Sabbagh, Marwan N

    2008-11-01

    The Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale - Cognitive (ADAS-Cog) is the most commonly used primary outcome instrument in clinical trials for treatments of dementia. Variations in forms, administration procedures and scoring rules, along with rater turnover and intra-rater drift may decrease the reliability of the instrument. A survey of possible variations in the ADAS-Cog was administered to 26 volunteer raters at a clinical trials meeting. Results indicate notable protocol variations in the forms used, administration procedures, and scoring rules. Since change over time is used to determine treatment effect in clinical trials, standardizing the instrument's ambiguities and addressing common problems will greatly increase the instrument's reliability and thereby enhance its sensitivity to treatment effects.

  19. Procedures for the medical application of research reactors (Appendix)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishihara, H.; Kanda, K.

    2004-01-01

    The Kyoto University Reactor (KUR) is one of the four research reactors in Japan that are currently licensed for medical application, in addition to other research purposes. Taking the KUR as an example, legal and other procedures for using research reactors for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) are described, which are practiced in accordance with the 'Provisional Guideline Pertaining to Medical Irradiation by Accelerators and/or Reactors, other than defined by the Medical Service Act' of the Science Council of Japan

  20. [Prognostic scores for pulmonary embolism].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Junod, Alain

    2016-03-23

    Nine prognostic scores for pulmonary embolism (PE), based on retrospective and prospective studies, published between 2000 and 2014, have been analyzed and compared. Most of them aim at identifying PE cases with a low risk to validate their ambulatory care. Important differences in the considered outcomes: global mortality, PE-specific mortality, other complications, sizes of low risk groups, exist between these scores. The most popular score appears to be the PESI and its simplified version. Few good quality studies have tested the applicability of these scores to PE outpatient care, although this approach tends to already generalize in the medical practice.

  1. Application of a simple, affordable quality metric tool to colorectal, upper gastrointestinal, hernia, and hepatobiliary surgery patients: the HARM score.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brady, Justin T; Ko, Bona; Hohmann, Samuel F; Crawshaw, Benjamin P; Leinicke, Jennifer A; Steele, Scott R; Augestad, Knut M; Delaney, Conor P

    2018-06-01

    Quality is the major driver for both clinical and financial assessment. There remains a need for simple, affordable, quality metric tools to evaluate patient outcomes, which led us to develop the HospitAl length of stay, Readmission and Mortality (HARM) score. We hypothesized that the HARM score would be a reliable tool to assess patient outcomes across various surgical specialties. From 2011 to 2015, we identified colorectal, hepatobiliary, upper gastrointestinal, and hernia surgery admissions using the Vizient Clinical Database. Individual and hospital HARM scores were calculated from length of stay, 30-day readmission, and mortality rates. We evaluated the correlation of HARM scores with complication rates using the Clavien-Dindo classification. We identified 525,083 surgical patients: 206,981 colorectal, 164,691 hepatobiliary, 97,157 hernia, and 56,254 upper gastrointestinal. Overall, 53.8% of patients were admitted electively with a mean HARM score of 2.24; 46.2% were admitted emergently with a mean HARM score of 1.45 (p  4 (p  4, complication rates were 9.3, 23.2, 38.8, and 71.6%, respectively. There was a similar trend for increasing HARM score in emergent admissions as well. For all surgical procedure categories, increasing HARM score, with and without risk adjustment, correlated with increasing severity of complications by Clavien-Dindo classification. The HARM score is an easy-to-use quality metric that correlates with increasing complication rates and complication severity across multiple surgical disciplines when evaluated on a large administrative database. This inexpensive tool could be adopted across multiple institutions to compare the quality of surgical care.

  2. A simple approximation of productivity scores of fuzzy production plans

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hougaard, Jens Leth

    2005-01-01

    This paper suggests a simple approximation procedure for the assessment of productivity scores with respect to fuzzy production plans. The procedure has a clear economic interpretation and all the necessary calculations can be performed in a spreadsheet making it highly operational...

  3. An analysis of marketing authorisation applications via the mutual recognition and decentralised procedures in Europe

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ebbers, Hans C; Langedijk, Joris; Bouvy, Jacoline C

    2015-01-01

    the frequency of licensing failure prior to CMDh referrals. RESULTS: During the study period, 10392 MRP/DCP procedures were finalized. Three hundred seventy-seven (3.6%) resulted in a referral procedure, of which 70 (19%) resulted in licensing failure, defined as refusal or withdrawal of the application...

  4. Application of an optimized AM procedure following a SBO in a VVER1000

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cherubini, Marco; D'Auria, Francesco; Petrangeli, Gianni; Muellner, Nikolaus

    2006-01-01

    The University of Pisa was involved in investigations of an Accident Management procedure based on passive feed water injection. Some experiments were performed to validate this possibility (e.g. in LOBI and Bethsy facilities) and fully analyzed by thermal hydraulic system codes. Recent activities in which the University of Pisa is engaged (also as leader) are focused on VVER-1000 safety analyses. The idea is now to use the acquired knowledge to explore if a procedure based on passive feed water injection is applicable and can provide any benefits to the Russian design pressurized plant. The postulated accident is a station blackout, in such a way only passive systems are available. The proposed AM is based on secondary and primary side depressurisation in sequence. The secondary side depressurisation performed by the BRU-A valves has the scope to feed passively the SGs with the water left in the feed water lines and in the deaerators. The primary side depressurisation, via the PORV, is foreseen to keep the plant at the lowest pressure (to reduce the energy of the system) and to maximize the 'grace time' of the plant. Three cases are here considered: no operator action, application of the optimized AM sequence, application of the AM procedure at the last time when it is effective. The intention of this paper is to show that in case of an unlikely event such a SBO the implementation of a strategy based on systems not designed for specific safety application can have a large impact on the 'grace time' of the plant. (author)

  5. Simplified Laboratory Runoff Procedure (SLRP): Procedure and Application

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Price, Richard

    2000-01-01

    The Simplified Laboratory Runoff Procedure (SLRP) was developed to provide a faster, less expensive approach to evaluate surface runoff water quality from dredged material placed in an upland environment...

  6. Clinical application of ocular trauma score for mechanical ocular injury in armed forces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ying ZHANG

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Objective To evaluate the predictive value of ocular trauma score(OTS in mechanical ocular injuries occurring in military forces,and compare the difference of OTS application between ocular injury caused by military training and non-military training.Methods The data of 633 inpatients from armed forces suffering from injury of 665 eyes were retrospectively reviewed.Of the 665 injured eyes,326 were injured during military training and 339 during non-military training.The likelihood of final visual acuity(VA calculated with the OTS score was compared with that by the present OTS study,and the correlation between the score and final VA was then analyzed.Results Compared with the distribution of final VA in standard OTS score,the ratio in category 1 was statistically different in present study(P 0.05.There were significant differences in ratio of category 3 between eyes injured by military and non-military training(P < 0.05,and both ratios in category 1 were significantly different compared with those in standard OTS(P < 0.01,e.g.the ratio of NLP was lower(50% vs 73%,P < 0.01;43% vs 73%,P < 0.01;and the ratio in category 2 was significantly different between the eyes injured by non-military training and standard OTS(P < 0.05.However,the OTS showed positive correlation with final VA in present study(P < 0.0001.Conclusion OTS calculated at initial examination may primarily provide a piece of prognostic information of mechanical ocular injuries,and is of special benefit for deciding a prompt management or for evacuation decision for severe ocular injuries caused by military training.

  7. Manual on high energy teletherapy. Incorporating: Applications guide, procedures guide, basics guide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-01-01

    This publication is part of practical radiation safety manual series for different fields of application aimed primarily at persons handling radiation sources on a daily routine basis, which could at same time be used by the competent authorities, supporting their efforts in the radiation protection training of workers or medical assistance personnel or helping on-site management to set up local radiation protection rules. It is dedicated to high energy radiotherapy: its application and procedures guides

  8. Surgical apgar score in patients undergoing lumbar fusion for degenerative spine diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ou, Chien-Yu; Hsu, Shih-Yuan; Huang, Jian-Hao; Huang, Yu-Hua

    2017-01-01

    Lumbar fusion is a procedure broadly performed for degenerative diseases of spines, but it is not without significant morbidities. Surgical Apgar Score (SAS), based on intraoperative blood loss, blood pressure, and heart rate, was developed for prognostic prediction in general and vascular operations. We aimed to examine whether the application of SAS in patients undergoing fusion procedures for degeneration of lumbar spines predicts in-hospital major complications. One hundred and ninety-nine patients that underwent lumbar fusion operation for spine degeneration were enrolled in this retrospective study. Based on whether major complications were present (N=16) or not (N=183), the patients were subdivided. We identified the intergroup differences in SAS and clinical parameters. The incidence of in-hospital major complications was 8%. The duration of hospital stay for the morbid patents was significantly prolonged (p=0.04). In the analysis of multivariable logistic regression, SAS was an independent predicting factor of the complications after lumbar fusion for degenerative spine diseases [p=0.001; odds ratio (95% confidence interval)=0.35 (0.19-0.64)]. Lower scores were accompanied with higher rates of major complications, and the area was 0.872 under the receiver operating characteristic curve. SAS is an independent predicting factor of major complications in patients after fusion surgery for degenerative diseases of lumbar spines, and provides good risk discrimination. Since the scoring system is relatively simple, objective, and practical, we suggest that SAS be included as an indicator in the guidance for level of care after lumbar fusion surgery. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Self-Reported Emergency Medicine Residency Applicant Attitudes Towards a Procedural Cadaver Laboratory Curriculum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hoffman, Lance

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Residency applicants consider a variety of factors when ranking emergency medicine (EM programs for their NRMP match list. A human cadaver emergency procedure lab curriculum is uncommon. We hypothesized that the presence this curriculum would positively impact the ranking of an EM residency program.METHODS: The EM residency at Nebraska Medical Center is an urban, university-based program with a PGY I-III format. Residency applicants during the interview for a position in the PGY I class of 2006 were surveyed by three weekly electronic mailings. The survey was distributed in March 2006 after the final NRMP match results were released. The survey explored learner preferences and methodological commonality of models of emergency procedural training, as well as the impact of a procedural cadaver lab curriculum on residency ranking. ANOVA of ranks was used to compare responses to ranking questions.RESULTS: Of the 73 potential subjects, 54 (74% completed the survey. Respondents ranked methods of procedural instruction from 1 (most preferred or most common technique to 4 (least preferred or least common technique. Response averages and 95% confidence intervals for the preferred means of learning a new procedure are as follows: textbook (3.69; 3.51-3.87, mannequin (2.83; 2.64-3.02, human cadaver (1.93; 1.72-2.14, and living patient (1.56; 1.33-1.79. Response averages for the commonality of means used to teach a new procedure are as follows: human cadaver (3.63; 3.46-3.80, mannequin (2.70; 2.50-2.90, living patient (2.09; 1.85-2.33, and textbook (1.57; 1.32-1.82. When asked if the University of Nebraska Medical Center residency ranked higher in the individual's match list because of its procedural cadaver lab, 14.8% strongly disagreed, 14.8% disagreed, 40.7% were neutral, 14.8% agreed, and 14.8% strongly agreed.CONCLUSION: We conclude that, although cadaveric procedural training is viewed by senior medical student learners as a desirable means

  10. [Radiation protection in medical research : Licensing requirement for the use of radiation and advice for the application procedure].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minkov, V; Klammer, H; Brix, G

    2017-07-01

    In Germany, persons who are to be exposed to radiation for medical research purposes are protected by a licensing requirement. However, there are considerable uncertainties on the part of the applicants as to whether licensing by the competent Federal Office for Radiation Protection is necessary, and regarding the choice of application procedure. The article provides explanatory notes and practical assistance for applicants and an outlook on the forthcoming new regulations concerning the law on radiation protection of persons in the field of medical research. Questions and typical mistakes in the application process were identified and evaluated. The qualified physicians involved in a study are responsible for deciding whether a license is required for the intended application of radiation. The decision can be guided by answering the key question whether the study participants would undergo the same exposures regarding type and extent if they had not taken part in the study. When physicians are still unsure about their decision, they can seek the advisory service provided by the professional medical societies. Certain groups of people are particularly protected through the prohibition or restriction of radiation exposure. A simplified licensing procedure is used for a proportion of diagnostic procedures involving radiation when all related requirements are met; otherwise, the regular licensing procedure should be used. The new radiation protection law, which will enter into force on the 31st of december 2018, provides a notification procedure in addition to deadlines for both the notification and the licensing procedures. In the article, the authors consider how eligible studies involving applications of radiation that are legally not admissible at present may be feasible in the future, while still ensuring a high protection level for study participants.

  11. Dengue score as a diagnostic predictor for pleural effusion and/or ascites: external validation and clinical application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suwarto, Suhendro; Hidayat, Mohammad Jauharsyah; Widjaya, Bing

    2018-02-23

    The Dengue Score is a model for predicting pleural effusion and/or ascites and uses the hematocrit (Hct), albumin concentration, platelet count and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ratio as independent variables. As this metric has not been validated, we conducted a study to validate the Dengue Score and assess its clinical application. A retrospective study was performed at a private hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia. Patients with dengue infection hospitalized from January 2011 through March 2016 were included. The Dengue Score was calculated using four parameters: Hct increase≥15.1%, serum albumin≤3.49 mg/dL, platelet count≤49,500/μL and AST ratio ≥ 2.51. Each parameter was scored as 1 if present and 0 if absent. To validate the Dengue Score, goodness-of-fit was used to assess calibration, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AROC) was used to assess discrimination. Associations between clinical parameters and Dengue Score groups were determined by bivariate analysis. A total of 207 patients were included in this study. The calibration of the Dengue Score was acceptable (Hosmer-Lemeshow test, p = 0.11), and the score's discriminative ability was good (AROC = 0.88 (95% CI: 0.83-0.92)). At a cutoff of ≥2, the Dengue Score had a positive predictive value (PPV) of 79.03% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 90.36% for the diagnostic prediction of pleural effusion and/or ascites. Compared with the Dengue Score ≤ 1 group, the Dengue Score = 2 group was significantly associated with hemoconcentration> 20% (p = 0.029), severe thrombocytopenia (p = 0.029), and increased length of hospital stay (p = 0.003). Compared with the Dengue Score = 2 group, the Dengue Score ≥ 3 group was significantly associated with hemoconcentration> 20% (p = 0.001), severe thrombocytopenia (p = 0.024), severe dengue (p = 0.039), and increased length of hospital stay (p = 0.011). The Dengue Score performed well and can

  12. Confidence Intervals for True Scores Using the Skew-Normal Distribution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia-Perez, Miguel A.

    2010-01-01

    A recent comparative analysis of alternative interval estimation approaches and procedures has shown that confidence intervals (CIs) for true raw scores determined with the Score method--which uses the normal approximation to the binomial distribution--have actual coverage probabilities that are closest to their nominal level. It has also recently…

  13. Assigning Numerical Scores to Linguistic Expressions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María Jesús Campión

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we study different methods of scoring linguistic expressions defined on a finite set, in the search for a linear order that ranks all those possible expressions. Among them, particular attention is paid to the canonical extension, and its representability through distances in a graph plus some suitable penalization of imprecision. The relationship between this setting and the classical problems of numerical representability of orderings, as well as extension of orderings from a set to a superset is also explored. Finally, aggregation procedures of qualitative rankings and scorings are also analyzed.

  14. Are the results of questionnaires measuring non-cognitive characteristics during the selection procedure for medical school application biased by social desirability?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Obst, Katrin U; Brüheim, Linda; Westermann, Jürgen; Katalinic, Alexander; Kötter, Thomas

    2016-01-01

    Introduction: A stronger consideration of non-cognitive characteristics in Medical School application procedures is desirable. Psychometric tests could be used as an economic supplement to face-to-face interviews which are frequently conducted during university internal procedures for Medical School applications (AdH, Auswahlverfahren der Hochschulen). This study investigates whether the results of psychometric questionnaires measuring non-cognitive characteristics such as personality traits, empathy, and resilience towards stress are vulnerable to distortions of social desirability when used in the context of selection procedures at Medical Schools. Methods: This study took place during the AdH of Lübeck University in August 2015. The following questionnaires have been included: NEO-FFI, SPF, and AVEM. In a 2x1 between-subject experiment we compared the answers from an alleged application condition and a control condition. In the alleged application condition we told applicants that these questionnaires were part of the application procedure. In the control condition applicants were informed about the study prior to completing the questionnaires. Results: All included questionnaires showed differences which can be regarded as social-desirability effects. These differences did not affect the entire scales but, rather, single subscales. Conclusion: These results challenge the informative value of these questionnaires when used for Medical School application procedures. Future studies may investigate the extent to which the differences influence the actual selection of applicants and what implications can be drawn from them for the use of psychometric questionnaires as part of study-place allocation procedures at Medical Schools.

  15. Are the results of questionnaires measuring non-cognitive characteristics during the selection procedure for medical school application biased by social desirability?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Obst, Katrin U.

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: A stronger consideration of non-cognitive characteristics in Medical School application procedures is desirable. Psychometric tests could be used as an economic supplement to face-to-face interviews which are frequently conducted during university internal procedures for Medical School applications (AdH, Auswahlverfahren der Hochschulen. This study investigates whether the results of psychometric questionnaires measuring non-cognitive characteristics such as personality traits, empathy, and resilience towards stress are vulnerable to distortions of social desirability when used in the context of selection procedures at Medical Schools.Methods: This study took place during the AdH of Lübeck University in August 2015. The following questionnaires have been included: NEO-FFI, SPF, and AVEM. In a 2x1 between-subject experiment we compared the answers from an alleged application condition and a control condition. In the alleged application condition we told applicants that these questionnaires were part of the application procedure. In the control condition applicants were informed about the study prior to completing the questionnaires.Results: All included questionnaires showed differences which can be regarded as social-desirability effects. These differences did not affect the entire scales but, rather, single subscales.Conclusion: These results challenge the informative value of these questionnaires when used for Medical School application procedures. Future studies may investigate the extent to which the differences influence the actual selection of applicants and what implications can be drawn from them for the use of psychometric questionnaires as part of study-place allocation procedures at Medical Schools.

  16. Modified Kidner procedure utilizing a Mitek bone anchor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dawson, D M; Julsrud, M E; Erdmann, B B; Jacobs, P M; Ringstrom, J B

    1998-01-01

    The recent development of small bone suture anchors has created several potential applications in reconstructive surgery of the foot. Mitek bone anchors are simple to insert, require less aggressive dissection and surgical time than reefing of the redundant posterior tibial tendon, and are a reliable method of tendon-to-bone fixation. Mitek bone anchors are an excellent technique for the treatment of redundant tibialis posterior tendon following a modified Kidner procedure. In modified Kidner procedures involving an excessively large os tibiale externum, Mitek anchoring of the redundant tibialis posterior tendon to the navicular bone is an excellent means for secure plication of the posterior tibial tendon in cases involving intraoperative tendon laxity. A description of the Mitek Anchor System and technique of application in a modified Kinder procedure is presented. The purpose of this study was to describe patient satisfaction and long-term clinical outcomes of the modified Kinder procedure with and without the Mitek bone anchoring system. A retrospective study of the modified Kinder procedure was performed with 13 patients being evaluated, seven with Mitek anchoring and six without. The University of Maryland 100-point Painful Foot Center Scoring System was modified to be more specific to the modified Kinder procedure for assessment of subjective long-term results. Patient overall satisfaction was rated good to excellent by 85.6% of patients in the Mitek group and by 100% of patients in the non-Mitek group. Use of the Mitek anchor allowed for quicker postoperative recovery to resumption of ambulation without assistive devices (average of 3 weeks vs. 4.42 weeks) and a quicker return to pain-free ambulation in normal shoegear (average of 4 weeks vs. 6 weeks). Mitek anchoring of the tibialis posterior tendon, theoretically, increases medial arch support as evidenced by 14% of the Mitek group and 67% of the non-Mitek group requiring postoperative orthotics.

  17. Chromosome painting in biological dosimetry: Semi-automatic system to score stable chromosome aberrations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garcia-Sagredo, J.M.; Vallcorba, I.; Sanchez-Hombre, M.C.; Ferro, M.T.; San Roman Cos-Gayon, C.; Santos, A.; Malpica, N.; Ortiz, C.

    1997-01-01

    From the beginning of the description of the procedure of chromosome painting by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), it was thought its possible application to score induced chromosomal aberrations in radiation exposition. With chromosome painting it is possible to detect changes between chromosomes that has been validated in radiation exposition. Translocation scoring by FISH, contrarily to the unstable dicentrics, mainly detect stable chromosome aberrations that do not disappear, it allows the capability of quantify delayed acute expositions or chronic cumulative expositions. The large number of cells that have to be analyzed for high accuracy, specially when dealing with low radiation doses, makes it almost imperative to use an automatic analysis system. After validate translocation scoring by FISH in our, we have evaluated the ability and sensitivity to detect chromosomal aberrations by chromosome using different paint probes used, showing that any combination of paint probes can be used to score induced chromosomal aberrations. Our group has developed a FISH analysis that is currently being adapted for translocation scoring analysis. It includes systematic error correction and internal control probes. The performance tests carried out show that 9,000 cells can be analyzed in 10 hr. using a Sparc 4/370. Although with a faster computer, a higher throughput is expected, for large population screening or very low radiation doses, this performance still has to be improved. (author)

  18. Scoring relevancy of features based on combinatorial analysis of Lasso with application to lymphoma diagnosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zare Habil

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract One challenge in applying bioinformatic tools to clinical or biological data is high number of features that might be provided to the learning algorithm without any prior knowledge on which ones should be used. In such applications, the number of features can drastically exceed the number of training instances which is often limited by the number of available samples for the study. The Lasso is one of many regularization methods that have been developed to prevent overfitting and improve prediction performance in high-dimensional settings. In this paper, we propose a novel algorithm for feature selection based on the Lasso and our hypothesis is that defining a scoring scheme that measures the "quality" of each feature can provide a more robust feature selection method. Our approach is to generate several samples from the training data by bootstrapping, determine the best relevance-ordering of the features for each sample, and finally combine these relevance-orderings to select highly relevant features. In addition to the theoretical analysis of our feature scoring scheme, we provided empirical evaluations on six real datasets from different fields to confirm the superiority of our method in exploratory data analysis and prediction performance. For example, we applied FeaLect, our feature scoring algorithm, to a lymphoma dataset, and according to a human expert, our method led to selecting more meaningful features than those commonly used in the clinics. This case study built a basis for discovering interesting new criteria for lymphoma diagnosis. Furthermore, to facilitate the use of our algorithm in other applications, the source code that implements our algorithm was released as FeaLect, a documented R package in CRAN.

  19. Android application for determining surgical variables in brain-tumor resection procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vijayan, Rohan C; Thompson, Reid C; Chambless, Lola B; Morone, Peter J; He, Le; Clements, Logan W; Griesenauer, Rebekah H; Kang, Hakmook; Miga, Michael I

    2017-01-01

    The fidelity of image-guided neurosurgical procedures is often compromised due to the mechanical deformations that occur during surgery. In recent work, a framework was developed to predict the extent of this brain shift in brain-tumor resection procedures. The approach uses preoperatively determined surgical variables to predict brain shift and then subsequently corrects the patient's preoperative image volume to more closely match the intraoperative state of the patient's brain. However, a clinical workflow difficulty with the execution of this framework is the preoperative acquisition of surgical variables. To simplify and expedite this process, an Android, Java-based application was developed for tablets to provide neurosurgeons with the ability to manipulate three-dimensional models of the patient's neuroanatomy and determine an expected head orientation, craniotomy size and location, and trajectory to be taken into the tumor. These variables can then be exported for use as inputs to the biomechanical model associated with the correction framework. A multisurgeon, multicase mock trial was conducted to compare the accuracy of the virtual plan to that of a mock physical surgery. It was concluded that the Android application was an accurate, efficient, and timely method for planning surgical variables.

  20. Image-producing procedures for non-medical applications. Benefits, risks, radiation protection; Bildgebende Verfahren im nicht medizinischen Bereich. Nutzen, Risiken, Strahlenschutz

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Czarwinski, Renate [Bundesamt fuer Strahlenschutz, Berlin (Germany); Estier, Sybille [Bundesamt fuer Gesundheit (BAG), Liebefeld (Switzerland). Direktionsbereich Verbraucherschutz; Huhn, Walter [Ministerium fuer Arbeit, Integration und Soziales NRW, Duesseldorf (Germany); Lorenz, Bernd [Lorenz Consulting, Essen (Germany); Vahlbruch, Jan [Hannover Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Radiooekologie und Strahlenschutz (IRS); Henning, Ulrich; Michel, Rolf

    2016-05-01

    A survey is given of image-producing procedures for non-medical applications, and this under technical, juridical and radiation protection aspects. The historical development of these procedures is also described. An example is given for today's practical application.

  1. Influence of credit scoring on the dynamics of Markov chain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galina, Timofeeva

    2015-11-01

    Markov processes are widely used to model the dynamics of a credit portfolio and forecast the portfolio risk and profitability. In the Markov chain model the loan portfolio is divided into several groups with different quality, which determined by presence of indebtedness and its terms. It is proposed that dynamics of portfolio shares is described by a multistage controlled system. The article outlines mathematical formalization of controls which reflect the actions of the bank's management in order to improve the loan portfolio quality. The most important control is the organization of approval procedure of loan applications. The credit scoring is studied as a control affecting to the dynamic system. Different formalizations of "good" and "bad" consumers are proposed in connection with the Markov chain model.

  2. CRISP: Catheterization RISk score for Pediatrics: A Report from the Congenital Cardiac Interventional Study Consortium (CCISC).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nykanen, David G; Forbes, Thomas J; Du, Wei; Divekar, Abhay A; Reeves, Jaxk H; Hagler, Donald J; Fagan, Thomas E; Pedra, Carlos A C; Fleming, Gregory A; Khan, Danyal M; Javois, Alexander J; Gruenstein, Daniel H; Qureshi, Shakeel A; Moore, Phillip M; Wax, David H

    2016-02-01

    We sought to develop a scoring system that predicts the risk of serious adverse events (SAE's) for individual pediatric patients undergoing cardiac catheterization procedures. Systematic assessment of risk of SAE in pediatric catheterization can be challenging in view of a wide variation in procedure and patient complexity as well as rapidly evolving technology. A 10 component scoring system was originally developed based on expert consensus and review of the existing literature. Data from an international multi-institutional catheterization registry (CCISC) between 2008 and 2013 were used to validate this scoring system. In addition we used multivariate methods to further refine the original risk score to improve its predictive power of SAE's. Univariate analysis confirmed the strong correlation of each of the 10 components of the original risk score with SAE attributed to a pediatric cardiac catheterization (P pediatric cardiac catheterization procedures. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Coppersmith Self-Esteem Inventory Scores of Boys with Severe Behavior Problems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, Frank H.; Johnson, Ardes

    1972-01-01

    Scores on the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory of 44 behaviorally disturbed boys ranging in age from 8 to 12 years were compared with the test's norms, with later retest scores, with teacher assigned self esteem ranks, and with peer group status as measured by sociometric procedures. (DB)

  4. Topical simvastatin gel as a novel therapeutic modality for palatal donor site wound healing following free gingival graft procedure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madi, Marwa; Kassem, Abeer

    2018-04-01

    Autogenous soft-tissue grafting is a commonly used procedure nowadays in dentistry. However, the prolonged healing time needed for the donor site leads to increase the patient's pain and discomfort. Statin has been observed to be beneficial in reducing bacterial burden, improving epithelization and wound healing. The aim of this study was to evaluate intra-oral topical application of simvastatin/chitosan gel (10 mg/mL) over the palatal donor site following free gingival graft (FGG) procedure. Subjects indicated for FGG procedure were divided into four groups. Group I: Simvastatin suspension (S), group II: simvastatin/chitosan gel (SC), group III: chitosan gel (C), group IV: petroleum gel (P). Treatment was applied three times/day for the following 7 days. Wound healing was evaluated at day 3, 7 and 14 post-surgery. A visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to measure the experienced discomfort at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 14 days. Statistical significant reduction in wound-healing scores was observed after 3 and 7 days for group II compared to other groups (p  = .015). A significant reduction was also observed in VAS score for group II compared to other groups at day 1, 3, 5 and 7. Topical application of S/C gel could be used as a novel therapeutic modality that improved healing and reduced pain in the palatal donor site following FGG procedure.

  5. Estimating the Reliability of Aggregated and Within-Person Centered Scores in Ecological Momentary Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Po-Hsien; Weng, Li-Jen

    2012-01-01

    A procedure for estimating the reliability of test scores in the context of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) was proposed to take into account the characteristics of EMA measures. Two commonly used test scores in EMA were considered: the aggregated score (AGGS) and the within-person centered score (WPCS). Conceptually, AGGS and WPCS represent…

  6. eGrader, A Software Application that Automatically Scores Student Essays: with a Postscript on Ethical Complexities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roxanne Byrne

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Online and traditional teachers face several instructional challenges with regard to assessing student learning. This paper focuses on a software application that automatically scores student essay. The first part gives a brief overview of three commercial automated essay scoring systems. Then it describes the technical aspects of the machine grader developed by the authors, including an assessment of its performance. Although the statistical results were significant in finding a strong correlation between human and machine scorers and the other measures, follow-up non-quantitative evaluations led the researchers to discontinue using the eGrader. They concluded that while the eGrader's ability to measure objective evaluation criteria was successful, measuring subjective ideas proved to more complex and problematic.

  7. Application of balanced score card in the development of performance indicator system in nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shen Shuguang; Huang Fang; Fang Zhaoxia

    2013-01-01

    Performance indicator, which is one of ten performance monitoring tools recommended by WANO performance improvement model, has become an effective tool for performance improvement of nuclear power plant. At present, performance indicator system has been built in nuclear power plant. However, how to establish the performance indicator system that is reasonable and applicable for plant is still a question to be discussed. Performance indictor is closely tied to the strategic direction of a corporation by a balanced score card, and the performance indicator system is established from the point of performance management and strategic development. The performance indicator system of nuclear power plant is developed by introducing the balanced score card, and can be as a reference for other domestic nuclear power plants. (authors)

  8. Dose Uniformity of Scored and Unscored Tablets: Application of the FDA Tablet Scoring Guidance for Industry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciavarella, Anthony B; Khan, Mansoor A; Gupta, Abhay; Faustino, Patrick J

    This U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) laboratory study examines the impact of tablet splitting, the effect of tablet splitters, and the presence of a tablet score on the dose uniformity of two model drugs. Whole tablets were purchased from five manufacturers for amlodipine and six for gabapentin. Two splitters were used for each drug product, and the gabapentin tablets were also split by hand. Whole and split amlodipine tablets were tested for content uniformity following the general chapter of the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Uniformity of Dosage Units , which is a requirement of the new FDA Guidance for Industry on tablet scoring. The USP weight variation method was used for gabapentin split tablets based on the recommendation of the guidance. All whole tablets met the USP acceptance criteria for the Uniformity of Dosage Units. Variation in whole tablet content ranged from 0.5 to 2.1 standard deviation (SD) of the percent label claim. Splitting the unscored amlodipine tablets resulted in a significant increase in dose variability of 6.5-25.4 SD when compared to whole tablets. Split tablets from all amlodipine drug products did not meet the USP acceptance criteria for content uniformity. Variation in the weight for gabapentin split tablets was greater than the whole tablets, ranging from 1.3 to 9.3 SD. All fully scored gabapentin products met the USP acceptance criteria for weight variation. Size, shape, and the presence or absence of a tablet score can affect the content uniformity and weight variation of amlodipine and gabapentin tablets. Tablet splitting produced higher variability. Differences in dose variability and fragmentation were observed between tablet splitters and hand splitting. These results are consistent with the FDA's concerns that tablet splitting can have an effect on the amount of drug present in a split tablet and available for absorption. Tablet splitting has become a very common practice in the United States and throughout the

  9. Fractional Microneedling: A Novel Method for Enhancement of Topical Anesthesia Before Skin Aesthetic Procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Fakahany, Hasan; Medhat, Walid; Abdallah, Fahd; Abdel-Raouf, Hamza; Abdelhakeem, Mohammed

    2016-01-01

    Skin microneedling or fractional microneedle therapy is a recent approach used for skin rejuvenation or to enhance transdermal delivery of topical medications. The authors evaluated the efficacy of skin microneedling, using an automated device, to enhance the numbing effect of topical anesthesia, used before minimally invasive aesthetic approaches. Fifteen patients, looking for treatment of atrophic acne scars, were subjected to randomized split-face study comparing automated fractional skin microneedling (0.5 mm depth) followed by application of topical anesthetic cream (Lidocaine 2.5% + Prilocaine 2.5%) on one side of face, with topical anesthesia alone on the other side, followed by full face fractional microneedling treatment for postacne scars (2.5 mm depth). The treated sides (fractional needling + topical anesthesia) had significantly lower pain scores when compared with the nontreated sides (topical anesthesia alone). The scores of pain sensation, during the whole procedure, were statistically significantly (p aesthetic procedures can be enhanced with fractional microneedling pretreatment.

  10. Procedure generation and verification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sheely, W.F.

    1986-01-01

    The Department of Energy has used Artificial Intelligence of ''AI'' concepts to develop two powerful new computer-based techniques to enhance safety in nuclear applications. The Procedure Generation System, and the Procedure Verification System, can be adapted to other commercial applications, such as a manufacturing plant. The Procedure Generation System can create a procedure to deal with the off-normal condition. The operator can then take correct actions on the system in minimal time. The Verification System evaluates the logic of the Procedure Generator's conclusions. This evaluation uses logic techniques totally independent of the Procedure Generator. The rapid, accurate generation and verification of corrective procedures can greatly reduce the human error, possible in a complex (stressful/high stress) situation

  11. Plasma dye coating as straightforward and widely applicable procedure for dye immobilization on polymeric materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Smet, Lieselot; Vancoillie, Gertjan; Minshall, Peter; Lava, Kathleen; Steyaert, Iline; Schoolaert, Ella; Van De Walle, Elke; Dubruel, Peter; De Clerck, Karen; Hoogenboom, Richard

    2018-03-16

    Here, we introduce a novel concept for the fabrication of colored materials with significantly reduced dye leaching through covalent immobilization of the desired dye using plasma-generated surface radicals. This plasma dye coating (PDC) procedure immobilizes a pre-adsorbed layer of a dye functionalized with a radical sensitive group on the surface through radical addition caused by a short plasma treatment. The non-specific nature of the plasma-generated surface radicals allows for a wide variety of dyes including azobenzenes and sulfonphthaleins, functionalized with radical sensitive groups to avoid significant dye degradation, to be combined with various materials including PP, PE, PA6, cellulose, and PTFE. The wide applicability, low consumption of dye, relatively short procedure time, and the possibility of continuous PDC using an atmospheric plasma reactor make this procedure economically interesting for various applications ranging from simple coloring of a material to the fabrication of chromic sensor fabrics as demonstrated by preparing a range of halochromic materials.

  12. Key performance indicators score (KPIs-score) based on clinical and laboratorial parameters can establish benchmarks for internal quality control in an ART program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franco, José G; Petersen, Claudia G; Mauri, Ana L; Vagnini, Laura D; Renzi, Adriana; Petersen, Bruna; Mattila, M C; Comar, Vanessa A; Ricci, Juliana; Dieamant, Felipe; Oliveira, João Batista A; Baruffi, Ricardo L R

    2017-06-01

    KPIs have been employed for internal quality control (IQC) in ART. However, clinical KPIs (C-KPIs) such as age, AMH and number of oocytes collected are never added to laboratory KPIs (L-KPIs), such as fertilization rate and morphological quality of the embryos for analysis, even though the final endpoint is the evaluation of clinical pregnancy rates. This paper analyzed if a KPIs-score strategy with clinical and laboratorial parameters could be used to establish benchmarks for IQC in ART cycles. In this prospective cohort study, 280 patients (36.4±4.3years) underwent ART. The total KPIs-score was obtained by the analysis of age, AMH (AMH Gen II ELISA/pre-mixing modified, Beckman Coulter Inc.), number of metaphase-II oocytes, fertilization rates and morphological quality of the embryonic lot. The total KPIs-score (C-KPIs+L-KPIs) was correlated with the presence or absence of clinical pregnancy. The relationship between the C-KPIs and L-KPIs scores was analyzed to establish quality standards, to increase the performance of clinical and laboratorial processes in ART. The logistic regression model (LRM), with respect to pregnancy and total KPIs-score (280 patients/102 clinical pregnancies), yielded an odds ratio of 1.24 (95%CI = 1.16-1.32). There was also a significant difference (pclinical pregnancies (total KPIs-score=20.4±3.7) and the group without clinical pregnancies (total KPIs-score=15.9±5). Clinical pregnancy probabilities (CPP) can be obtained using the LRM (prediction key) with the total KPIs-score as a predictor variable. The mean C-KPIs and L-KPIs scores obtained in the pregnancy group were 11.9±2.9 and 8.5±1.7, respectively. Routinely, in all cases where the C-KPIs score was ≥9, after the procedure, the L-KPIs score obtained was ≤6, a revision of the laboratory procedure was performed to assess quality standards. This total KPIs-score could set up benchmarks for clinical pregnancy. Moreover, IQC can use C-KPIs and L-KPIs scores to detect problems

  13. Lord-Wingersky Algorithm Version 2.0 for Hierarchical Item Factor Models with Applications in Test Scoring, Scale Alignment, and Model Fit Testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Li

    2015-06-01

    Lord and Wingersky's (Appl Psychol Meas 8:453-461, 1984) recursive algorithm for creating summed score based likelihoods and posteriors has a proven track record in unidimensional item response theory (IRT) applications. Extending the recursive algorithm to handle multidimensionality is relatively simple, especially with fixed quadrature because the recursions can be defined on a grid formed by direct products of quadrature points. However, the increase in computational burden remains exponential in the number of dimensions, making the implementation of the recursive algorithm cumbersome for truly high-dimensional models. In this paper, a dimension reduction method that is specific to the Lord-Wingersky recursions is developed. This method can take advantage of the restrictions implied by hierarchical item factor models, e.g., the bifactor model, the testlet model, or the two-tier model, such that a version of the Lord-Wingersky recursive algorithm can operate on a dramatically reduced set of quadrature points. For instance, in a bifactor model, the dimension of integration is always equal to 2, regardless of the number of factors. The new algorithm not only provides an effective mechanism to produce summed score to IRT scaled score translation tables properly adjusted for residual dependence, but leads to new applications in test scoring, linking, and model fit checking as well. Simulated and empirical examples are used to illustrate the new applications.

  14. Tokuhashi Scoring System has limited applicability in the majority of patients with spinal cord compression secondary to vertebral metastasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matheus Fernandes de Oliveira

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Spine is the primary bone site affected by systemic metastasis. Although there are scales that attempt to manage these patients, their real applicability is unknown. The Tokuhashi Scoring System (TSS is a widely used prognostic tool. At the time of treatment, the data necessary to complete TSS may be incomplete, making its application impossible. Objective To evaluate the number of TSS scores completed by the time the clinical therapeutic decision was made. Methods From July 2010 to January 2012, we selected patients who were diagnosed with spinal metastases. Results Sixty spinal metastasis patients (21 female, 39 male were evaluated between July 2010 and January 2012. At the time of the treatment decision, only 25% of the patients had completed the TSS items. Conclusion In the majority of patients with vertebral metastasis, TSS variables cannot be applied.

  15. Development and validation of a composite scoring system for robot-assisted surgical training--the Robotic Skills Assessment Score.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chowriappa, Ashirwad J; Shi, Yi; Raza, Syed Johar; Ahmed, Kamran; Stegemann, Andrew; Wilding, Gregory; Kaouk, Jihad; Peabody, James O; Menon, Mani; Hassett, James M; Kesavadas, Thenkurussi; Guru, Khurshid A

    2013-12-01

    A standardized scoring system does not exist in virtual reality-based assessment metrics to describe safe and crucial surgical skills in robot-assisted surgery. This study aims to develop an assessment score along with its construct validation. All subjects performed key tasks on previously validated Fundamental Skills of Robotic Surgery curriculum, which were recorded, and metrics were stored. After an expert consensus for the purpose of content validation (Delphi), critical safety determining procedural steps were identified from the Fundamental Skills of Robotic Surgery curriculum and a hierarchical task decomposition of multiple parameters using a variety of metrics was used to develop Robotic Skills Assessment Score (RSA-Score). Robotic Skills Assessment mainly focuses on safety in operative field, critical error, economy, bimanual dexterity, and time. Following, the RSA-Score was further evaluated for construct validation and feasibility. Spearman correlation tests performed between tasks using the RSA-Scores indicate no cross correlation. Wilcoxon rank sum tests were performed between the two groups. The proposed RSA-Score was evaluated on non-robotic surgeons (n = 15) and on expert-robotic surgeons (n = 12). The expert group demonstrated significantly better performance on all four tasks in comparison to the novice group. Validation of the RSA-Score in this study was carried out on the Robotic Surgical Simulator. The RSA-Score is a valid scoring system that could be incorporated in any virtual reality-based surgical simulator to achieve standardized assessment of fundamental surgical tents during robot-assisted surgery. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Interval Coded Scoring: a toolbox for interpretable scoring systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lieven Billiet

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Over the last decades, clinical decision support systems have been gaining importance. They help clinicians to make effective use of the overload of available information to obtain correct diagnoses and appropriate treatments. However, their power often comes at the cost of a black box model which cannot be interpreted easily. This interpretability is of paramount importance in a medical setting with regard to trust and (legal responsibility. In contrast, existing medical scoring systems are easy to understand and use, but they are often a simplified rule-of-thumb summary of previous medical experience rather than a well-founded system based on available data. Interval Coded Scoring (ICS connects these two approaches, exploiting the power of sparse optimization to derive scoring systems from training data. The presented toolbox interface makes this theory easily applicable to both small and large datasets. It contains two possible problem formulations based on linear programming or elastic net. Both allow to construct a model for a binary classification problem and establish risk profiles that can be used for future diagnosis. All of this requires only a few lines of code. ICS differs from standard machine learning through its model consisting of interpretable main effects and interactions. Furthermore, insertion of expert knowledge is possible because the training can be semi-automatic. This allows end users to make a trade-off between complexity and performance based on cross-validation results and expert knowledge. Additionally, the toolbox offers an accessible way to assess classification performance via accuracy and the ROC curve, whereas the calibration of the risk profile can be evaluated via a calibration curve. Finally, the colour-coded model visualization has particular appeal if one wants to apply ICS manually on new observations, as well as for validation by experts in the specific application domains. The validity and applicability

  17. Comparison of L-system applications towards plant modelling, music rendering and score generation using visual language programming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Chen Kim; Tan, Kian Lam; Yusran, Hazwanni; Suppramaniam, Vicknesh

    2017-10-01

    Visual language or visual representation has been used in the past few years in order to express the knowledge in graphic. One of the important graphical elements is fractal and L-Systems is a mathematic-based grammatical model for modelling cell development and plant topology. From the plant model, L-Systems can be interpreted as music sound and score. In this paper, LSound which is a Visual Language Programming (VLP) framework has been developed to model plant to music sound and generate music score and vice versa. The objectives of this research has three folds: (i) To expand the grammar dictionary of L-Systems music based on visual programming, (ii) To design and produce a user-friendly and icon based visual language framework typically for L-Systems musical score generation which helps the basic learners in musical field and (iii) To generate music score from plant models and vice versa using L-Systems method. This research undergoes a four phases methodology where the plant is first modelled, then the music is interpreted, followed by the output of music sound through MIDI and finally score is generated. LSound is technically compared to other existing applications in the aspects of the capability of modelling the plant, rendering the music and generating the sound. It has been found that LSound is a flexible framework in which the plant can be easily altered through arrow-based programming and the music score can be altered through the music symbols and notes. This work encourages non-experts to understand L-Systems and music hand-in-hand.

  18. www.common-metrics.org: a web application to estimate scores from different patient-reported outcome measures on a common scale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fischer, H Felix; Rose, Matthias

    2016-10-19

    Recently, a growing number of Item-Response Theory (IRT) models has been published, which allow estimation of a common latent variable from data derived by different Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs). When using data from different PROs, direct estimation of the latent variable has some advantages over the use of sum score conversion tables. It requires substantial proficiency in the field of psychometrics to fit such models using contemporary IRT software. We developed a web application ( http://www.common-metrics.org ), which allows estimation of latent variable scores more easily using IRT models calibrating different measures on instrument independent scales. Currently, the application allows estimation using six different IRT models for Depression, Anxiety, and Physical Function. Based on published item parameters, users of the application can directly estimate latent trait estimates using expected a posteriori (EAP) for sum scores as well as for specific response patterns, Bayes modal (MAP), Weighted likelihood estimation (WLE) and Maximum likelihood (ML) methods and under three different prior distributions. The obtained estimates can be downloaded and analyzed using standard statistical software. This application enhances the usability of IRT modeling for researchers by allowing comparison of the latent trait estimates over different PROs, such as the Patient Health Questionnaire Depression (PHQ-9) and Anxiety (GAD-7) scales, the Center of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), PROMIS Anxiety and Depression Short Forms and others. Advantages of this approach include comparability of data derived with different measures and tolerance against missing values. The validity of the underlying models needs to be investigated in the future.

  19. Diagnostic accuracy of guys Hospital stroke score (allen score) in acute supratentorial thrombotic/haemorrhagic stroke

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zulfiqar, A.; Toori, K. U.; Khan, S. S.; Hamza, M. I. M.; Zaman, S. U.

    2006-01-01

    A consecutive series of 103 patients, 58% male with mean age of 62 year (range 40-75 years), admitted with supratentorial stroke in our teaching hospital were studied. All patients had Computer Tomography scan brain done after clinical evaluation and application of Allen stroke score. Computer Tomography Scan confirmed thrombotic stroke in 55 (53%) patients and haemorrhagic stroke in 48 (47%) patients. Out of the 55 patients with definitive thrombotic stroke on Computer Tomography Scan, Allen stroke score suggested infarction in 67%, haemorrhage in 6% and remained inconclusive in 27% of cases. In 48 patients with definitive haemorrhagic stroke on Computer Tomography Scan, Allen stroke score suggested haemorrhage in 60%, infarction in 11% and remained inconclusive in 29% of cases. The overall accuracy of Allen stroke score was 66%. (author)

  20. Knowing the operative game plan: a novel tool for the assessment of surgical procedural knowledge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balayla, Jacques; Bergman, Simon; Ghitulescu, Gabriela; Feldman, Liane S; Fraser, Shannon A

    2012-08-01

    What is the source of inadequate performance in the operating room? Is it a lack of technical skills, poor judgment or a lack of procedural knowledge? We created a surgical procedural knowledge (SPK) assessment tool and evaluated its use. We interviewed medical students, residents and training program staff on SPK assessment tools developed for 3 different common general surgery procedures: inguinal hernia repair with mesh in men, laparoscopic cholecystectomy and right hemicolectomy. The tools were developed as a step-wise assessment of specific surgical procedures based on techniques described in a current surgical text. We compared novice (medical student to postgraduate year [PGY]-2) and expert group (PGY-3 to program staff) scores using the Mann-Whitney U test. We calculated the total SPK score and defined a cut-off score using receiver operating characteristic analysis. In all, 5 participants in 7 different training groups (n = 35) underwent an interview. Median scores for each procedure and overall SPK scores increased with experience. The median SPK for novices was 54.9 (95% confidence interval [CI] 21.6-58.8) compared with 98.05 (95% CP 94.1-100.0) for experts (p = 0.012). The SPK cut-off score of 93.1 discriminates between novice and expert surgeons. Surgical procedural knowledge can reliably be assessed using our SPK assessment tool. It can discriminate between novice and expert surgeons for common general surgical procedures. Future studies are planned to evaluate its use for more complex procedures.

  1. Applicability of Two International Risk Scores in Cardiac Surgery in a Reference Center in Brazil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Garofallo, Silvia Bueno; Machado, Daniel Pinheiro; Rodrigues, Clarissa Garcia; Bordim, Odemir Jr.; Kalil, Renato A. K.; Portal, Vera Lúcia, E-mail: veraportal.pesquisa@gmail.com [Post-Graduation Program in Health Sciences: Cardiology, Instituto de Cardiologia/Fundação Universitária de Cardiologia, Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil)

    2014-06-15

    The applicability of international risk scores in heart surgery (HS) is not well defined in centers outside of North America and Europe. To evaluate the capacity of the Parsonnet Bernstein 2000 (BP) and EuroSCORE (ES) in predicting in-hospital mortality (IHM) in patients undergoing HS at a reference hospital in Brazil and to identify risk predictors (RP). Retrospective cohort study of 1,065 patients, with 60.3% patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), 32.7%, valve surgery and 7.0%, CABG combined with valve surgery. Additive and logistic scores models, the area under the ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) curve (AUC) and the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) were calculated. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the RP. Overall mortality was 7.8%. The baseline characteristics of the patients were significantly different in relation to BP and ES. AUCs of the logistic and additive BP were 0.72 (95% CI, from 0.66 to 0.78 p = 0.74), and of ES they were 0.73 (95% CI; 0.67 to 0.79 p = 0.80). The calculation of the SMR in BP was 1.59 (95% CI; 1.27 to 1.99) and in ES, 1.43 (95% CI; 1.14 to 1.79). Seven RP of IHM were identified: age, serum creatinine > 2.26 mg/dL, active endocarditis, systolic pulmonary arterial pressure > 60 mmHg, one or more previous HS, CABG combined with valve surgery and diabetes mellitus. Local scores, based on the real situation of local populations, must be developed for better assessment of risk in cardiac surgery.

  2. Applicability of Two International Risk Scores in Cardiac Surgery in a Reference Center in Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garofallo, Silvia Bueno; Machado, Daniel Pinheiro; Rodrigues, Clarissa Garcia; Bordim, Odemir Jr.; Kalil, Renato A. K.; Portal, Vera Lúcia

    2014-01-01

    The applicability of international risk scores in heart surgery (HS) is not well defined in centers outside of North America and Europe. To evaluate the capacity of the Parsonnet Bernstein 2000 (BP) and EuroSCORE (ES) in predicting in-hospital mortality (IHM) in patients undergoing HS at a reference hospital in Brazil and to identify risk predictors (RP). Retrospective cohort study of 1,065 patients, with 60.3% patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), 32.7%, valve surgery and 7.0%, CABG combined with valve surgery. Additive and logistic scores models, the area under the ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) curve (AUC) and the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) were calculated. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the RP. Overall mortality was 7.8%. The baseline characteristics of the patients were significantly different in relation to BP and ES. AUCs of the logistic and additive BP were 0.72 (95% CI, from 0.66 to 0.78 p = 0.74), and of ES they were 0.73 (95% CI; 0.67 to 0.79 p = 0.80). The calculation of the SMR in BP was 1.59 (95% CI; 1.27 to 1.99) and in ES, 1.43 (95% CI; 1.14 to 1.79). Seven RP of IHM were identified: age, serum creatinine > 2.26 mg/dL, active endocarditis, systolic pulmonary arterial pressure > 60 mmHg, one or more previous HS, CABG combined with valve surgery and diabetes mellitus. Local scores, based on the real situation of local populations, must be developed for better assessment of risk in cardiac surgery

  3. Estimated conditional score function for missing mechanism model with nonignorable nonresponse

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    CUI Xia; ZHOU Yong

    2017-01-01

    Missing data mechanism often depends on the values of the responses,which leads to nonignorable nonresponses.In such a situation,inference based on approaches that ignore the missing data mechanism could not be valid.A crucial step is to model the nature of missingness.We specify a parametric model for missingness mechanism,and then propose a conditional score function approach for estimation.This approach imputes the score function by taking the conditional expectation of the score function for the missing data given the available information.Inference procedure is then followed by replacing unknown terms with the related nonparametric estimators based on the observed data.The proposed score function does not suffer from the non-identifiability problem,and the proposed estimator is shown to be consistent and asymptotically normal.We also construct a confidence region for the parameter of interest using empirical likelihood method.Simulation studies demonstrate that the proposed inference procedure performs well in many settings.We apply the proposed method to a data set from research in a growth hormone and exercise intervention study.

  4. [Definition of the Diagnosis Osteomyelitis-Osteomyelitis Diagnosis Score (ODS)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, H G K; Tiemann, A H; Braunschweig, R; Diefenbeck, M; Bühler, M; Abitzsch, D; Haustedt, N; Walter, G; Schoop, R; Heppert, V; Hofmann, G O; Glombitza, M; Grimme, C; Gerlach, U-J; Flesch, I

    2011-08-01

    The disease "osteomyelitis" is characterised by different symptoms and parameters. Decisive roles in the development of the disease are played by the causative bacteria, the route of infection and the individual defense mechanisms of the host. The diagnosis is based on different symptoms and findings from the clinical history, clinical symptoms, laboratory results, diagnostic imaging, microbiological and histopathological analyses. While different osteomyelitis classifications have been published, there is to the best of our knowledge no score that gives information how sure the diagnosis "osteomyelitis" is in general. For any scientific study of a disease a valid definition is essential. We have developed a special osteomyelitis diagnosis score for the reliable classification of clinical, laboratory and technical findings. The score is based on five diagnostic procedures: 1) clinical history and risk factors, 2) clinical examination and laboratory results, 3) diagnostic imaging (ultrasound, radiology, CT, MRI, nuclear medicine and hybrid methods), 4) microbiology, and 5) histopathology. Each diagnostic procedure is related to many individual findings, which are weighted by a score system, in order to achieve a relevant value for each assessment. If the sum of the five diagnostic criteria is 18 or more points, the diagnosis of osteomyelitis can be viewed as "safe" (diagnosis class A). Between 8-17 points the diagnosis is "probable" (diagnosis class B). Less than 8 points means that the diagnosis is "possible, but unlikely" (class C diagnosis). Since each parameter can score six points at a maximum, a reliable diagnosis can only be achieved if at least 3 parameters are scored with 6 points. The osteomyelitis diagnosis score should help to avoid the false description of a clinical presentation as "osteomyelitis". A safe diagnosis is essential for the aetiology, treatment and outcome studies of osteomyelitis. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  5. MODIFIED ALVARADO SCORING IN ACUTE APPENDICITIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Varadarajan Sujath

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND Acute appendicitis is one of the most common surgical emergencies with a lifetime presentation of approximately 1 in 7. Its incidence is 1.5-1.9/1000 in males and females. Surgery for acute appendicitis is based on history, clinical examination and laboratory investigations (e.g. WBC count. Imaging techniques add very little to the efficacy in the diagnosis of appendix. A negative appendicectomy rate of 20-40% has been reported in literature. A difficulty in diagnosis is experienced in very young patients and females of reproductive age. The diagnostic accuracy in assessing acute appendicitis has not improved in spite of rapid advances in management. MATERIALS AND METHODS The modified Alvarado score was applied and assessed for its accuracy in preparation diagnosis of acute appendicitis in 50 patients. The aim of our study is to understand the various presentations of acute appendicitis including the age and gender incidence and the application of the modified Alvarado scoring system in our hospital setup and assessment of the efficacy of the score. RESULTS Our study shows that most involved age group is 3 rd decade with male preponderance. On application of Alvarado score, nausea and vomiting present in 50% and anorexia in 30%, leucocytosis was found in 75% of cases. Sensitivity and specificity of our study were 65% and 40% respectively with positive predictive value of 85% and negative predictive value of 15%. CONCLUSION This study showed that clinical scoring like the Alvarado score can be a cheap and quick tool to apply in emergency departments to rule out acute appendicitis. The implementation of modified Alvarado score is simple and cost effective.

  6. Production and chemical isolation procedure of positron-emitting isotopes of arsenic for environmental and medical applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellison, P. A.; Barnhart, T. E.; Engle, J. W.; Nickles, R. J.; DeJesus, O. T.

    2012-12-01

    The positron-emitting isotopes of arsenic have unique potential for imaging research in medical and environmental applications. The production and purification of radioarsenic from proton-irradiated natural GeO2 targets is reported. The separation procedure utilizes precipitation and anion exchange separation steps. Two anion exchange procedures were investigated. An overall arsenic decay-corrected separation yield of 80% was obtained.

  7. Claims Procedure for Plans Providing Disability Benefits; 90-Day Delay of Applicability Date. Final rule; delay of applicability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-11-29

    This document delays for ninety (90) days--through April 1, 2018--the applicability of a final rule amending the claims procedure requirements applicable to ERISA-covered employee benefit plans that provide disability benefits (Final Rule). The Final Rule was published in the Federal Register on December 19, 2016, became effective on January 18, 2017, and was scheduled to become applicable on January 1, 2018. The delay announced in this document is necessary to enable the Department of Labor to carefully consider comments and data as part of its effort, pursuant to Executive Order 13777, to examine regulatory alternatives that meet its objectives of ensuring the full and fair review of disability benefit claims while not imposing unnecessary costs and adverse consequences.

  8. Development and validation of the International Hidradenitis Suppurativa Severity Score System (IHS4), a novel dynamic scoring system to assess HS severity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zouboulis, C C; Tzellos, T; Kyrgidis, A

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: A validated tool for the dynamic severity assessment of hidradenitis suppurativa/acne inversa (HS) is lacking. OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate a novel dynamic scoring system to assess the severity of HS. METHODS: A Delphi voting procedure was conducted among the members......, as well as examination for correlation (Spearman's rho) and agreement (Cohen's kappa) with existing scores, were engaged to recognize the variables for a new International HS4 (IHS4) that was established by a second Delphi round. RESULTS: Consensus HS4 was based on number of skin lesions, number of skin....... Three candidate scores were presented to the second Delphi round. The resulting IHS4 score is arrived at by the number of nodules (multiplied by 1) plus the number of abscesses (multiplied by 2) plus the number of draining tunnels (multiplied by 4). A total score of 3 or less signifies mild, 4...

  9. Forensic analysis of Salvia divinorum using multivariate statistical procedures. Part I: discrimination from related Salvia species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willard, Melissa A Bodnar; McGuffin, Victoria L; Smith, Ruth Waddell

    2012-01-01

    Salvia divinorum is a hallucinogenic herb that is internationally regulated. In this study, salvinorin A, the active compound in S. divinorum, was extracted from S. divinorum plant leaves using a 5-min extraction with dichloromethane. Four additional Salvia species (Salvia officinalis, Salvia guaranitica, Salvia splendens, and Salvia nemorosa) were extracted using this procedure, and all extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Differentiation of S. divinorum from other Salvia species was successful based on visual assessment of the resulting chromatograms. To provide a more objective comparison, the total ion chromatograms (TICs) were subjected to principal components analysis (PCA). Prior to PCA, the TICs were subjected to a series of data pretreatment procedures to minimize non-chemical sources of variance in the data set. Successful discrimination of S. divinorum from the other four Salvia species was possible based on visual assessment of the PCA scores plot. To provide a numerical assessment of the discrimination, a series of statistical procedures such as Euclidean distance measurement, hierarchical cluster analysis, Student's t tests, Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, and Pearson product moment correlation were also applied to the PCA scores. The statistical procedures were then compared to determine the advantages and disadvantages for forensic applications.

  10. Generalizability of a composite student selection procedure at a university-based chiropractic program

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    O'Neill, Lotte Dyhrberg; Korsholm, Lars; Wallstedt, Birgitta

    2009-01-01

    , rater and residual effects were estimated for a mixed model with the restricted maximum likelihood method. The reliability of obtained applicant ranks (generalizability coefficients) was calculated for the individual admission criteria and for the composite admission procedure. RESULTS: Very good......PURPOSE: Non-cognitive admission criteria are typically used in chiropractic student selection to supplement grades. The reliability of non-cognitive student admission criteria in chiropractic education has not previously been examined. In addition, very few studies have examined the overall test...... test, and an admission interview. METHODS: Data from 105 Chiropractic applicants from the 2007 admission at the University of Southern Denmark were available for analysis. Each admission parameter was double scored using two random, blinded, and independent raters. Variance components for applicant...

  11. Automated Scoring of Constructed-Response Science Items: Prospects and Obstacles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ou Lydia; Brew, Chris; Blackmore, John; Gerard, Libby; Madhok, Jacquie; Linn, Marcia C.

    2014-01-01

    Content-based automated scoring has been applied in a variety of science domains. However, many prior applications involved simplified scoring rubrics without considering rubrics representing multiple levels of understanding. This study tested a concept-based scoring tool for content-based scoring, c-rater™, for four science items with rubrics…

  12. Dietary Screener Questionnaire in the NHIS CCS 2010: Data Processing and Scoring Procedures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Our NCI research team followed several steps to formulate the Dietary Screener Questionnaire (DSQ) scoring algorithms. These steps are described for researchers who may be interested in the methodologic process our team used.

  13. Dietary Screener Questionnaire in the NHIS CCS 2015: Data Processing and Scoring Procedures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Our NCI research team followed several steps to formulate the Dietary Screener Questionnaire (DSQ) scoring algorithms. These steps are described for researchers who may be interested in the methodologic process our team used.

  14. Oswestry Disability Index scoring made easy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehra, A; Baker, D; Disney, S; Pynsent, P B

    2008-09-01

    Low back pain effects up to 80% of the population at some time during their active life. Questionnaires are available to help measure pain and disability. The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) is the most commonly used outcome measure for low back pain. The aim of this study was to see if training in completing the ODI forms improved the scoring accuracy. The last 100 ODI forms completed in a hospital's spinal clinic were reviewed retrospectively and errors in the scoring were identified. Staff members involved in scoring the questionnaire were made aware of the errors and the correct method of scoring explained. A chart was created with all possible scores to aid the staff with scoring. A prospective audit on 50 questionnaires was subsequently performed. The retrospective study showed that 33 of the 100 forms had been incorrectly scored. All questionnaires where one or more sections were not completed by the patient were incorrectly scored. A scoring chart was developed and staff training was implemented. This reduced the error rate to 14% in the prospective audit. Clinicians applying outcome measures should read the appropriate literature to ensure they understand the scoring system. Staff must then be given adequate training in the application of the questionnaires.

  15. Increasing topical anesthetic efficacy with microneedle application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buhsem, Ömer; Aksoy, Alper; Kececi, Yavuz; Sir, Emin; Güngör, Melike

    2016-10-01

    Since topical anesthetics alone seldom provide adequate analgesia for laser resurfacing procedures, injectable forms of anesthesia are often required. However, their application is uncomfortable for the patient. In this study, it is investigated whether microneedle application would enhance the efficacy of topical anesthetics. Forty-seven patients participated in the study. Topical anesthetic agent EMLA was applied to the whole face of the patients. Microneedle treatment was applied to one side of the face with a roller-type device. Whole-face carbon dioxide laser resurfacing therapy was carried out then. The pain that patients experienced was assessed by using visual analog scale (VAS) method. VAS scores of two sides of the face were compared by using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The mean of VAS score of the microneedle treated side was 2.1 ± 1.1 while that of the untreated side was 5.9 ± 0.9 and this difference was statistically significant (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, the Z-value is - 5.9683 and the p-value is < 0.001). This study revealed that microneedle application, with a roller-type device, is a safe and easy procedure in providing sufficient anesthesia for facial laser resurfacing without the need for supplementary nerve blocks or injections.

  16. Development and application of a welding procedure for remote repair of Magnox reactor internal components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morgan-Warren, E.J.

    1988-01-01

    This paper summarises the development and application of an all-welding repair method for reinforcing magnox reactor internal components. The development was dominated by the necessity for remote operation and the environmental constraints, in particular the oxide covering on the steel reactor structure. The choice of welding process is described, together with the development of the procedure for remote operation. The quality assurance procedure, including the verification of the technique and monitoring of the repair operation, is discussed. (author)

  17. A novel genetic score approach using instruments to investigate interactions between pathways and environment: application to air pollution.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marie-Abele Bind

    Full Text Available Air pollution has been associated with increased systemic inflammation markers. We developed a new pathway analysis approach to investigate whether gene variants within relevant pathways (oxidative stress, endothelial function, and metal processing modified the association between particulate air pollution and fibrinogen, C-reactive protein (CRP, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1, and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1. Our study population consisted of 822 elderly participants of the Normative Aging Study (1999-2011. To investigate the role of biological mechanisms and to reduce the number of comparisons in the analysis, we created pathway-specific scores using gene variants related to each pathway. To select the most appropriate gene variants, we used the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso to relate independent outcomes representative of each pathway (8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine for oxidative stress, augmentation index for endothelial function, and patella lead for metal processing to gene variants. A high genetic score corresponds to a higher allelic risk profile. We fit mixed-effects models to examine modification by the genetic score of the weekly air pollution association with the outcome. Among participants with higher genetic scores within the oxidative stress pathway, we observed significant associations between particle number and fibrinogen, while we did not find any association among participants with lower scores (p(interaction = 0.04. Compared to individuals with low genetic scores of metal processing gene variants, participants with higher scores had greater effects of particle number on fibrinogen (p(interaction = 0.12, CRP (p(interaction = 0.02, and ICAM-1 (pinteraction = 0.08. This two-stage penalization method is easy to implement and can be used for large-scale genetic applications.

  18. North Korean refugee doctors' preliminary examination scores

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sung Uk Chae

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Purpose Although there have been studies emphasizing the re-education of North Korean (NK doctors for post-unification of the Korean Peninsula, study on the content and scope of such re-education has yet to be conducted. Researchers intended to set the content and scope of re-education by a comparative analysis for the scores of the preliminary examination, which is comparable to the Korean Medical Licensing Examination (KMLE. Methods The scores of the first and second preliminary exams were analyzed by subject using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. The passing status of the group of NK doctors for KMLE in recent 3 years were investigated. The multiple-choice-question (MCQ items of which difficulty indexes of NK doctors were lower than those of South Korean (SK medical students by two times of the standard deviation of the scores of SK medical students were selected to investigate the relevant reasons. Results The average scores of nearly all subjects were improved in the second exam compared with the first exam. The passing rate of the group of NK doctors was 75%. The number of MCQ items of which difficulty indexes of NK doctors were lower than those of SK medical students was 51 (6.38%. NK doctors’ lack of understandings for Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures, Therapeutics, Prenatal Care, and Managed Care Programs was suggested as the possible reason. Conclusion The education of integrated courses focusing on Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures and Therapeutics, and apprenticeship-style training for clinical practice of core subjects are needed. Special lectures on the Preventive Medicine are likely to be required also.

  19. Gambling scores for earthquake predictions and forecasts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhuang, Jiancang

    2010-04-01

    This paper presents a new method, namely the gambling score, for scoring the performance earthquake forecasts or predictions. Unlike most other scoring procedures that require a regular scheme of forecast and treat each earthquake equally, regardless their magnitude, this new scoring method compensates the risk that the forecaster has taken. Starting with a certain number of reputation points, once a forecaster makes a prediction or forecast, he is assumed to have betted some points of his reputation. The reference model, which plays the role of the house, determines how many reputation points the forecaster can gain if he succeeds, according to a fair rule, and also takes away the reputation points betted by the forecaster if he loses. This method is also extended to the continuous case of point process models, where the reputation points betted by the forecaster become a continuous mass on the space-time-magnitude range of interest. We also calculate the upper bound of the gambling score when the true model is a renewal process, the stress release model or the ETAS model and when the reference model is the Poisson model.

  20. Manual on therapeutic uses of iodine-131. Incorporating: Applications guide, procedures guide, basics guide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-03-01

    This publication is part of practical radiation safety manual series for different fields of application aimed primarily at persons handling radiation sources on a daily routine basis, which could at same time be used by the competent authorities, supporting their efforts in the radiation protection training of workers or medical assistance personnel or helping on-site management to set up local radiation protection rules. It is dedicated to therapeutic uses of Iodine-131: its application and procedures guides.

  1. Manual on therapeutic uses of iodine-131. Incorporating: Applications guide, procedures guide, basics guide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-01-01

    This publication is part of practical radiation safety manual series for different fields of application aimed primarily at persons handling radiation sources on a daily routine basis, which could at same time be used by the competent authorities, supporting their efforts in the radiation protection training of workers or medical assistance personnel or helping on-site management to set up local radiation protection rules. It is dedicated to therapeutic uses of Iodine-131: its application and procedures guides

  2. AGREED-UPON PROCEDURES, PROCEDURES FOR AUDITING EUROPEAN GRANTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Petru VARTEIU

    2016-12-01

    The audit of EU-funded projects is an audit based on agreed-upon procedures, which are established by the Managing Authority or the Intermediate Body. Agreed-upon procedures can be defined as engagements made in accordance with ISRS 4400, applicable to agreed-upon procedures, where the auditor undertakes to carry out the agreed-upon procedures and issue a report on factual findings. The report provided by the auditor does not express any assurance. It allows users to form their own opinions about the conformity of the expenses with the project budget as well as the eligibility of the expenses.

  3. A Human Capital Model of Educational Test Scores

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    McIntosh, James; D. Munk, Martin

    Latent class Poisson count models are used to analyze a sample of Danish test score results from a cohort of individuals born in 1954-55 and tested in 1968. The procedure takes account of unobservable effects as well as excessive zeros in the data. The bulk of unobservable effects are uncorrelated...... with observable parental attributes and, thus, are environmental rather than genetic in origin. We show that the test scores measure manifest or measured ability as it has evolved over the life of the respondent and is, thus, more a product of the human capital formation process than some latent or fundamental...... measure of pure cognitive ability. We find that variables which are not closely associated with traditional notions of intelligence explain a significant proportion of the variation in test scores. This adds to the complexity of interpreting test scores and suggests that school culture, attitudes...

  4. Application of the Wallingford Procedure to sewer network rehabilitation. Rehabilitacion de redes de alcantarillado. Aplicando el sistema de Wallingford

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gomez, M. (Universidad Politecnica de de Cataluna. Barcelona (Spain)); Lopez, R. (Universitat de Lleida. Lleida (Spain))

    1999-01-01

    In this paper we present a summary of the Wallingford Procedure application to sewer network rehabilitation studies. After the methodology of the Procedure is revised, an application to a sewer network of Sant Boi de Llobregat is showed. Flow survey campaigns, calibration and validation processes and the alternative proposed to improve the initial situation are described. Finally, the benefits to apply such methodologies to the sewer network rehabilitation analysis are exposed. (Author) 3 refs.

  5. Application of the Wallingford Procedure to sewer network rehabilitation; Rehabilitacion de redes de alcantarillado. Aplicando el sistema de Wallingford

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gomez, M. [Universidad Politecnica de de Cataluna. Barcelona (Spain); Lopez, R. [Universitat de Lleida. Lleida (Spain)

    1999-11-01

    In this paper we present a summary of the Wallingford Procedure application to sewer network rehabilitation studies. After the methodology of the Procedure is revised, an application to a sewer network of Sant Boi de Llobregat is showed. Flow survey campaigns, calibration and validation processes and the alternative proposed to improve the initial situation are described. Finally, the benefits to apply such methodologies to the sewer network rehabilitation analysis are exposed. (Author) 3 refs.

  6. INITIATION AND CONDUCT OF ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milan Stipic

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available General administrative procedure act contains legal norms that are valid for all identical cases. In addition to the general, there are special administrative procedures, customized to the specific administrative areas. Procedure initiation is regulated. Administrative procedure can be initiated at the request of the proponent and ex officio. When the official determines that the conditions for the conduct of administrative procedure are met, before making a decision, all the facts and circumstances relevant to the resolution of administrative matter have to be identified. When there are no legal requirements for the initiation of procedures, the official shall make a decision to reject the application of the party. The procedure is initiated ex officio when stipulated by law or when protection of public interest requires it. When initiating procedure ex officio, the public authority shall take into consideration the petition or other information that indicate the need to protect the public interest. In such cases the applicant is not a party, and the official is obliged to notify the applicant, if initiation of procedures is not accepted ex officio. Based on the notification, the applicant has a right to complain, including the situation when there is no response within the prescribed period of 30 days. Public authority may, therefore it is not obliged to, initiate administrative procedure by public announcement only in a situation where the parties are unknown, while it is obliged to initiate procedure by public announcement when this method of initiating the procedure is prescribed by law. Initiation of procedure with public announcement occurs in rare cases. Due to the application of efficiency and cost-effectiveness principle, two or more administrative procedures can be merged into one procedure by a conclusion. The condition for this is that the rights or obligations of the parties are based on the same legal basis and on the same or

  7. The Boyd–McLeod procedure for tennis elbow: mid- to long-term results

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeavons, Richard; Richards, Ian; Bayliss, Neil

    2014-01-01

    Background Tennis elbow is a common condition that usually responds to conservative measures. In refractory cases, surgical intervention is indicated. A plethora of surgical techniques have been described. We report the mid- to long-term outcomes of the Boyd–McLeod procedure for refractory tennis elbow. Methods A retrospective analysis and current review of patients that had undergone the Boyd–McLeod procedure over a 12-year period was undertaken. Demographics, time to discharge, length of follow-up and outcome scores were collected. Results Seventy patients underwent surgery. Mean time to discharge was 15.35 weeks, with 88% successful outcomes. Fifty-four patients were available for current follow-up at mean of 5.52 years (range 1.17 years to 11.49 years). Range of motion in all patients was unchanged. There were no revision procedures. Mean (SD) Mayo Elbow Performance Score was 90.85 (13.11), with 75.5% returning a good or excellent score and 24.5% a fair outcome. The mean (SD) Oxford Elbow Score was 44.04 (6.92); mean (SD) pain score was 89.5 (17.58); mean (SD) function score was 95.34 (9.59) and mean (SD) socio-psychological score was 91.50 (17.01). Overall, 83% of patients had an Oxford Elbow Score of 43 or greater, suggesting excellent outcome. Conclusions We show that the Boyd–McLeod procedure is an excellent option over both the short- and long-term for refractory tennis elbow. PMID:27582946

  8. Quantum-Mechanics Methodologies in Drug Discovery: Applications of Docking and Scoring in Lead Optimization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crespo, Alejandro; Rodriguez-Granillo, Agustina; Lim, Victoria T

    2017-01-01

    The development and application of quantum mechanics (QM) methodologies in computer- aided drug design have flourished in the last 10 years. Despite the natural advantage of QM methods to predict binding affinities with a higher level of theory than those methods based on molecular mechanics (MM), there are only a few examples where diverse sets of protein-ligand targets have been evaluated simultaneously. In this work, we review recent advances in QM docking and scoring for those cases in which a systematic analysis has been performed. In addition, we introduce and validate a simplified QM/MM expression to compute protein-ligand binding energies. Overall, QMbased scoring functions are generally better to predict ligand affinities than those based on classical mechanics. However, the agreement between experimental activities and calculated binding energies is highly dependent on the specific chemical series considered. The advantage of more accurate QM methods is evident in cases where charge transfer and polarization effects are important, for example when metals are involved in the binding process or when dispersion forces play a significant role as in the case of hydrophobic or stacking interactions. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  9. Modified Distal Urethral Polypropylene Sling (Canal Transobturator Tape Procedure: Efficacy for Persistent Stress Urinary Incontinence After a Conventional Midurethral Sling Procedure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chang Hee Kim

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: Despite reports of persistent stress urinary incontinence (SUI in patients after the midurethral sling (MUS procedure, there is no widely accepted definition or cause of the condition. In many cases, the mesh implanted in the previous MUS procedure has been found to have migrated proximally. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the modified distal urethral polypropylene sling, or canal transobturator tape (TOT, procedure for persistent SUI after a conventional MUS procedure on the assumption that persistent SUI after MUS is due to the location of the sling. Methods: From January 2008 to April 2012, 31 female patients who underwent the canal TOT procedure presented with incontinence or lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS were included in this study. We identified patients who had been operated on by use of the conventional MUS procedure at other medical facilities, whose Valsalva leak pressure point was less than 120 cm-H2O by urodynamic study, and who were also diagnosed with persistent SUI. If vaginal or urethral mesh exposure was concomitant with persistent SUI, the mesh was removed completely or in part. Surgical procedures for canal TOT were identical to the original TOT procedures, except in the number and location of the vaginal incisions. Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-Short Form (IIQ-7 and Urogenital Distress Inventory-Short Form (UDI-6 scores were assessed preoperatively and at 3 months postoperatively. Results: There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications. Twenty-eight patients (90.3% showed improvement in incontinence or other LUTS. Postoperative scores of the IIQ-7 (0.65±0.48 and UDI-6 (3.48±2.28 were significantly improved compared with preoperative scores (1.26±0.58 and 7.52±4.30, respectively; P<0.05. Conclusions: Improper sling location is one of the major causes of persistent SUI after the conventional MUS procedure. Our results demonstrate that canal TOT may be an alternative

  10. Assessment of the application of an ecotoxicological procedure to screen illicit toxic discharges in domestic septic tank sludge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    López-Gastey, J; Choucri, A; Robidoux, P Y; Sunahara, G I

    2000-06-01

    An innovative screening procedure has been developed to detect illicit toxic discharges in domestic septic tank sludge hauled to the Montreal Urban Community waste-water treatment plant. This new means of control is based on an integrative approach, using bioassays and chemical analyses. Conservative criteria are applied to detect abnormal toxicity with great reliability while avoiding false positive results. The complementary data obtained from toxicity tests and chemical analyses support the use of this efficient and easy-to-apply procedure. This study assesses the control procedure in which 231 samples were analyzed over a 30-month period. Data clearly demonstrate the deterrent power of an efficient control procedure combined with a public awareness campaign among the carriers. In the first 15 months of application, between January 1996 and March 1997, approximately 30% of the 123 samples analyzed showed abnormal toxicity. Between April 1997 and June 1998, that is, after a public hearing presentation of this procedure, this proportion dropped significantly to approximately 9% based on 108 analyzed samples. The results of a 30-month application of this new control procedure show the superior efficiency of the ecotoxicological approach compared with the previously used chemical control procedure. To be able to apply it effectively and, if necessary, to apply the appropriate coercive measures, ecotoxicological criteria should be included in regulatory guidelines.

  11. Therapeutic intervention scoring system-28 (TISS-28: diretrizes para aplicação Therapeutic intervention scoring system-28 (tiss-28: directrices para su aplicación Therapeutic intervention scoring system-28 (tiss-28: directions for application

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katia Grillo Padilha

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available O Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System-28 (TISS-28 é um instrumento que permite dimensionar carga de trabalho de enfermagem em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva e estimar gravidade da doença. Apresenta-se nesta publicação as definições operacionais para sua aplicação, proposta por um grupo de especialistas na área, com vistas a uniformizar o significado de cada um dos itens e evitar vieses de interpretação.El Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System-28 (TISS-28 es un instrumento que permite dimensionar carga de trabajo de enfermería en una Unidad de Terapia Intensiva y estimar la gravedad de la enfermedad. Se presenta en esta publicación las definiciones operacionales para su aplicación, propuesta por un grupo de especialistas en el área, con vistas a uniformizar el significado de cada uno de los items y evitar sesgos de interpretación.Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System-28 (TISS-28 is a tool that enables the measurement of the nursing work load in Intensive Care Units and the estimate of how grave the disease is. In this study are presented the operational definitions for its application, proposed by a group of specialists in the area, with the aim of rendering uniform the meaning of each of the items and preventing interpretation biases.

  12. DECA -- The design change assistant: An application of expert systems concepts to procedure automation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brtis, J.S.

    1993-01-01

    Proceduralized engineering reviews required for nuclear power stations result in significant O ampersand M cost's. A method of streamlining procedural reviews (while improving their quality) is to computerize the procedures and associated checklists. DECA, the Design Change Assistant, is an expert system based program that is specifically designed for computerizing procedures. This program improves the effectiveness of engineers in performing engineering design reviews. DECA is a development shell, which allows the computerization of most types of engineering reviews. In addition to computerizing the decision making process, DECA makes it possible to call on electronic information, such as databases or text files, and makes them available to the user to assist in a review. DECA clearly demonstrates the benefits that can accrue by applying expert system technologies to engineering reviews. It results in the following: a well defined process, reduced user training in the use of procedures, improved quality of reviews, a streamlining of the review process through elimination of questions that are not applicable, and high quality documentation of reviews. DECA has been successfully applied to Commonwealth Edison's engineering design review checklists, and is currently in use by Commonwealth Edison

  13. Are minimally invasive procedures harder to acquire than conventional surgical procedures?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiemstra, Ellen; Kolkman, Wendela; le Cessie, Saskia; Jansen, Frank Willem

    2011-01-01

    It is frequently suggested that minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is harder to acquire than conventional surgery. To test this hypothesis, residents' learning curves of both surgical skills are compared. Residents had to be assessed using a general global rating scale of the OSATS (Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills) for every procedure they performed as primary surgeon during a 3-month clinical rotation in gynecological surgery. Nine postgraduate-year-4 residents collected a total of 319 OSATS during the 2 years and 3 months investigation period. These assessments concerned 129 MIS (laparoscopic and hysteroscopic) and 190 conventional (open abdominal and vaginal) procedures. Learning curves (in this study defined as OSATS score plotted against procedure-specific caseload) for MIS and conventional surgery were compared using a linear mixed model. The MIS curve revealed to be steeper than the conventional curve (1.77 vs. 0.75 OSATS points per assessed procedure; 95% CI 1.19-2.35 vs. 0.15-1.35, p < 0.01). Basic MIS procedures do not seem harder to acquire during residency than conventional surgical procedures. This may have resulted from the incorporation of structured MIS training programs in residency. Hopefully, this will lead to a more successful implementation of the advanced MIS procedures. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  14. Ready for OR or not? Human reader supplements Eyesi scoring in cataract surgical skills assessment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Selvander M

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Madeleine Selvander,1,2 Peter Åsman11Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö: Ophthalmology, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden; 2Practicum Clinical Skills Centre, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, SwedenPurpose: To compare the internal computer-based scoring with human-based video scoring of cataract modules in the Eyesi virtual reality intraocular surgical simulator, a comparative case series was conducted at the Department of Clinical Sciences – Ophthalmology, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden.Methods: Seven cataract surgeons and 17 medical students performed one video-recorded trial with each of the capsulorhexis, hydromaneuvers, and phacoemulsification divide-and-conquer modules. For each module, the simulator calculated an overall score for the performance ranging from 0 to 100. Two experienced masked cataract surgeons analyzed each video using the Objective Structured Assessment of Cataract Surgical Skill (OSACSS for individual models and modified Objective Structured Assessment of Surgical Skills (OSATS for all three modules together. The average of the two assessors' scores for each tool was used as the video-based performance score. The ability to discriminate surgeons from naive individuals using the simulator score and the video score, respectively, was compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC curves.Results: The ROC areas for simulator score did not differ from 0.5 (random for hydromaneuvers and phacoemulsification modules, yielding unacceptably poor discrimination. OSACSS video scores all showed good ROC areas significantly different from 0.5. The OSACSS video score was also superior compared to the simulator score for the phacoemulsification procedure: ROC area 0.945 vs 0.664 for simulator score (P = 0.010. Corresponding values for capsulorhexis were 0.887 vs 0.761 (P = 0.056 and for hydromaneuvers 0.817 vs 0.571 (P = 0.052 for the video scores and simulator scores, respectively.The ROC

  15. Does the emergency surgery score accurately predict outcomes in emergent laparotomies?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peponis, Thomas; Bohnen, Jordan D; Sangji, Naveen F; Nandan, Anirudh R; Han, Kelsey; Lee, Jarone; Yeh, D Dante; de Moya, Marc A; Velmahos, George C; Chang, David C; Kaafarani, Haytham M A

    2017-08-01

    The emergency surgery score is a mortality-risk calculator for emergency general operation patients. We sought to examine whether the emergency surgery score predicts 30-day morbidity and mortality in a high-risk group of patients undergoing emergent laparotomy. Using the 2011-2012 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database, we identified all patients who underwent emergent laparotomy using (1) the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program definition of "emergent," and (2) all Current Procedural Terminology codes denoting a laparotomy, excluding aortic aneurysm rupture. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to measure the correlation (c-statistic) between the emergency surgery score and (1) 30-day mortality, and (2) 30-day morbidity after emergent laparotomy. As sensitivity analyses, the correlation between the emergency surgery score and 30-day mortality was also evaluated in prespecified subgroups based on Current Procedural Terminology codes. A total of 26,410 emergent laparotomy patients were included. Thirty-day mortality and morbidity were 10.2% and 43.8%, respectively. The emergency surgery score correlated well with mortality (c-statistic = 0.84); scores of 1, 11, and 22 correlated with mortalities of 0.4%, 39%, and 100%, respectively. Similarly, the emergency surgery score correlated well with morbidity (c-statistic = 0.74); scores of 0, 7, and 11 correlated with complication rates of 13%, 58%, and 79%, respectively. The morbidity rates plateaued for scores higher than 11. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that the emergency surgery score effectively predicts mortality in patients undergoing emergent (1) splenic, (2) gastroduodenal, (3) intestinal, (4) hepatobiliary, or (5) incarcerated ventral hernia operation. The emergency surgery score accurately predicts outcomes in all types of emergent laparotomy patients and may prove valuable as a bedside decision

  16. Scoring of nonmetric cranial traits: a methodological approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    GUALDI-RUSSO, E.; TASCA, M. A.; BRASILI, P.

    1999-01-01

    The purpose of the present study was to analyse the replicability of the scoring of discontinuous traits. This was assessed on a sample of 100 skulls from the Frassetto collection (Dipartimento di Biologia Evoluzionistica Sperimentale of Bologna University) analysed through intraobserver comparisons: the discontinuous traits were determined on the same skulls and by the same observer on 3 separate occasions. The scoring was also assessed through interobserver comparisons: 3 different observers performed an independent survey on the same skulls. The results show that there were no significant differences in the discontinuous trait frequencies between the 3 different scorings by the same observer, but there were sometimes significant differences between different observers. Caution should thus be taken in applying the frequencies of these traits to population research. After an indispensable control of material conditions (subject age included), consideration must be given to standardisation procedures between observers, otherwise this may be an additional source of variability in cranial discontinuous trait scoring. PMID:10634693

  17. Test/score/report: Simulation techniques for automating the test process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hageman, Barbara H.; Sigman, Clayton B.; Koslosky, John T.

    1994-01-01

    A Test/Score/Report capability is currently being developed for the Transportable Payload Operations Control Center (TPOCC) Advanced Spacecraft Simulator (TASS) system which will automate testing of the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Payload Operations Control Center (POCC) and Mission Operations Center (MOC) software in three areas: telemetry decommutation, spacecraft command processing, and spacecraft memory load and dump processing. Automated computer control of the acceptance test process is one of the primary goals of a test team. With the proper simulation tools and user interface, the task of acceptance testing, regression testing, and repeatability of specific test procedures of a ground data system can be a simpler task. Ideally, the goal for complete automation would be to plug the operational deliverable into the simulator, press the start button, execute the test procedure, accumulate and analyze the data, score the results, and report the results to the test team along with a go/no recommendation to the test team. In practice, this may not be possible because of inadequate test tools, pressures of schedules, limited resources, etc. Most tests are accomplished using a certain degree of automation and test procedures that are labor intensive. This paper discusses some simulation techniques that can improve the automation of the test process. The TASS system tests the POCC/MOC software and provides a score based on the test results. The TASS system displays statistics on the success of the POCC/MOC system processing in each of the three areas as well as event messages pertaining to the Test/Score/Report processing. The TASS system also provides formatted reports documenting each step performed during the tests and the results of each step. A prototype of the Test/Score/Report capability is available and currently being used to test some POCC/MOC software deliveries. When this capability is fully operational it should greatly reduce the time necessary

  18. A collaborative filtering approach for protein-protein docking scoring functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bourquard, Thomas; Bernauer, Julie; Azé, Jérôme; Poupon, Anne

    2011-04-22

    A protein-protein docking procedure traditionally consists in two successive tasks: a search algorithm generates a large number of candidate conformations mimicking the complex existing in vivo between two proteins, and a scoring function is used to rank them in order to extract a native-like one. We have already shown that using Voronoi constructions and a well chosen set of parameters, an accurate scoring function could be designed and optimized. However to be able to perform large-scale in silico exploration of the interactome, a near-native solution has to be found in the ten best-ranked solutions. This cannot yet be guaranteed by any of the existing scoring functions. In this work, we introduce a new procedure for conformation ranking. We previously developed a set of scoring functions where learning was performed using a genetic algorithm. These functions were used to assign a rank to each possible conformation. We now have a refined rank using different classifiers (decision trees, rules and support vector machines) in a collaborative filtering scheme. The scoring function newly obtained is evaluated using 10 fold cross-validation, and compared to the functions obtained using either genetic algorithms or collaborative filtering taken separately. This new approach was successfully applied to the CAPRI scoring ensembles. We show that for 10 targets out of 12, we are able to find a near-native conformation in the 10 best ranked solutions. Moreover, for 6 of them, the near-native conformation selected is of high accuracy. Finally, we show that this function dramatically enriches the 100 best-ranking conformations in near-native structures.

  19. Spline-procedures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmidt, R.

    1976-12-01

    This report contains a short introduction to spline functions as well as a complete description of the spline procedures presently available in the HMI-library. These include polynomial splines (using either B-splines or one-sided basis representations) and natural splines, as well as their application to interpolation, quasiinterpolation, L 2 -, and Tchebycheff approximation. Special procedures are included for the case of cubic splines. Complete test examples with input and output are provided for each of the procedures. (orig.) [de

  20. Poor performances of EuroSCORE and CARE score for prediction of perioperative mortality in octogenarians undergoing aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chhor, Vibol; Merceron, Sybille; Ricome, Sylvie; Baron, Gabriel; Daoud, Omar; Dilly, Marie-Pierre; Aubier, Benjamin; Provenchere, Sophie; Philip, Ivan

    2010-08-01

    Although results of cardiac surgery are improving, octogenarians have a higher procedure-related mortality and more complications with increased length of stay in ICU. Consequently, careful evaluation of perioperative risk seems necessary. The aims of our study were to assess and compare the performances of EuroSCORE and CARE score in the prediction of perioperative mortality among octogenarians undergoing aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis and to compare these predictive performances with those obtained in younger patients. This retrospective study included all consecutive patients undergoing cardiac surgery in our institution between November 2005 and December 2007. For each patient, risk assessment for mortality was performed using logistic EuroSCORE, additive EuroSCORE and CARE score. The main outcome measure was early postoperative mortality. Predictive performances of these scores were assessed by calibration and discrimination using goodness-of-fit test and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, respectively. During this 2-year period, we studied 2117 patients, among whom 134/211 octogenarians and 335/1906 nonoctogenarians underwent an aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis. When considering patients with aortic stenosis, discrimination was poor in octogenarians and the difference from nonoctogenarians was significant for each score (0.58, 0.59 and 0.56 vs. 0.82, 0.81 and 0.77 for additive EuroSCORE, logistic EuroSCORE and CARE score in octogenarians and nonoctogenarians, respectively, P performances of these scores are poor in octogenarians undergoing cardiac surgery, especially aortic valve replacement. Risk assessment and therapeutic decisions in octogenarians should not be made with these scoring systems alone.

  1. Specificity of SPC Procedures Application in Foundry in Aspect of Data Acquisition and Data Exploration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ignaszak Z.

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents an analysis of SPC (Statistical Process Control procedures usability in foundry engineering. The authors pay particular attention to the processes complexity and necessity of correct preparation of data acquisition procedures. Integration of SPC systems with existing IT solutions in area of aiding and assistance during the manufacturing process is important. For each particular foundry, methodology of selective SPC application needs to prepare for supervision and control of stability of manufacturing conditions, regarding specificity of data in particular “branches” of foundry production (Sands, Pouring, Metallurgy, Quality.

  2. Curative effects of two new endometrial ablation procedures using radiofrequency thermocoagulation for the treatment of severe abnormal uterine bleeding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Geping; Li, Juan; Zhu, Tongyu; Chen, Ming

    2013-07-01

    Severe Abnormal Uterine Bleeding (SAUB) is a common gynecological disorder. The clinical characteristics include disordered menstrual cycle and massive bleeding that can cause anemia or secondary infection. Current treatment mainly relies on drug therapy or surgical removal of the uterus, each having its significant disadvantages. How to preserve the uterus, reduce the pain from surgery, and achieve better treatment effects have been well known but remaining as unresolved issues. This study aims at evaluating two types of radiofrequency (RF) thermocoagulation procedures for the treatment of SAUB: the RF-A procedure group included 25 SAUB patients ≥45 years of age treated for amenorrhea; the RF-B procedure group included 51 patients at bleeding. Post-treatment ratings of menstrual satisfaction and pre-/post-treatment menstrual scores-pictorial blood loss assessment chart (PBAC)-and hemoglobin levels were collected; and the mean length of follow-up was 72 months. Also, 38 SAUB patients treated with standard drug regimens served as a control group. The results of the study showed that following RF treatment, the average long-term patient menstrual satisfaction was greater than 92 %. In both the RF groups, PBAC scores and hemoglobin levels were significantly improved from baseline (p < .05). Compared with the control group, PBAC scores and hemoglobin levels were also significantly better for the RF groups at 6-24-month post-operation. Patients experienced no hysterectomy in association with the RF procedures. In conclusion, this pilot study suggests that the novel RF procedures are both safe and effective in treating patients with SAUB. Further investigation is necessary to evaluate their application in broader clinical indication.

  3. Does giving brief information keep patients calm during different oral surgical procedures?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cabbar, Fatih; Burdurlu, Muammer Çağrı; Tomruk, Ceyda Özçakır

    2018-04-16

    Dental anxiety may play a central role in the oral health status and treatment outcomes of oral surgical procedures. The study aimed to investigate the effect that brief written information has over patients undergoing oral surgical procedures and to evaluate factors that may cause anxiety. A prospective study was performed on 38 mandibular third molar surgery patients (mean age 26.74 ± 6.44 years) and 56 implant surgery patients (mean age 49.13 ± 15.11 years). Each group was divided into two subgroups, and written information, explaining what they could expect and details about the procedure, was provided to study groups. The Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was used to measure state (STAI-S) and trait anxiety (STAI-T). The visual analog scale (VAS) was used for pain scores preoperatively and on days 1, 3, 5, and 7. Demographic data and intraoperative behaviors of patients were recorded. All groups had similar anxiety scores at baseline. Preoperative STAI-S and VAS scores were similar between study and control groups (P > .05). Study groups showed significantly lower mean intraoperative anxiety levels (P < .05). The implant group had a significantly lower VAS score (P < .05). STAI-T and preoperative STAI-S were not related to VAS. Postoperative STAI-S and VAS and recuperation were correlated (P < .05). Women showed significantly higher anxiety and VAS scores. The patients who received written information did not report lower anxiety scores. However, improved patient cooperation could be achieved with this method. Different surgical procedures may cause anxiety for different reasons.

  4. Discrimination of Arabic-named applicants in the Netherlands: An internet-based field experiment examining different phases in online recruitment procedures

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Blommaert, E.C.C.A.; Coenders, M.T.A.; Tubergen, F.A. van

    2014-01-01

    This study examines discrimination of Arabic-named applicants in online recruitment procedures in the Netherlands. We develop and implement a new field experiment approach, posting fictitious resumes (n = 636) on two online resume databases. Two phases of recruitment procedures are examined:

  5. Orientation-dependent backbone-only residue pair scoring functions for fixed backbone protein design

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bordner Andrew J

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Empirical scoring functions have proven useful in protein structure modeling. Most such scoring functions depend on protein side chain conformations. However, backbone-only scoring functions do not require computationally intensive structure optimization and so are well suited to protein design, which requires fast score evaluation. Furthermore, scoring functions that account for the distinctive relative position and orientation preferences of residue pairs are expected to be more accurate than those that depend only on the separation distance. Results Residue pair scoring functions for fixed backbone protein design were derived using only backbone geometry. Unlike previous studies that used spherical harmonics to fit 2D angular distributions, Gaussian Mixture Models were used to fit the full 3D (position only and 6D (position and orientation distributions of residue pairs. The performance of the 1D (residue separation only, 3D, and 6D scoring functions were compared by their ability to identify correct threading solutions for a non-redundant benchmark set of protein backbone structures. The threading accuracy was found to steadily increase with increasing dimension, with the 6D scoring function achieving the highest accuracy. Furthermore, the 3D and 6D scoring functions were shown to outperform side chain-dependent empirical potentials from three other studies. Next, two computational methods that take advantage of the speed and pairwise form of these new backbone-only scoring functions were investigated. The first is a procedure that exploits available sequence data by averaging scores over threading solutions for homologs. This was evaluated by applying it to the challenging problem of identifying interacting transmembrane alpha-helices and found to further improve prediction accuracy. The second is a protein design method for determining the optimal sequence for a backbone structure by applying Belief Propagation

  6. Processes and Procedures for Application of CFD to Nuclear Reactor Safety Analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Richard W. Johnson; Richard R. Schultz; Patrick J. Roache; Ismail B. Celik; William D. Pointer; Yassin A. Hassan

    2006-01-01

    Traditionally, nuclear reactor safety analysis has been performed using systems analysis codes such as RELAP5, which was developed at the INL. However, goals established by the Generation IV program, especially the desire to increase efficiency, has lead to an increase in operating temperatures for the reactors. This increase pushes reactor materials to operate towards their upper temperature limits relative to structural integrity. Because there will be some finite variation of the power density in the reactor core, there will be a potential for local hot spots to occur in the reactor vessel. Hence, it has become apparent that detailed analysis will be required to ensure that local ''hot spots'' do not exceed safety limits. It is generally accepted that computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes are intrinsically capable of simulating fluid dynamics and heat transport locally because they are based on ''first principles''. Indeed, CFD analysis has reached a fairly mature level of development, including the commercial level. However, CFD experts are aware that even though commercial codes are capable of simulating local fluid and thermal physics, great care must be taken in their application to avoid errors caused by such things as inappropriate grid meshing, low-order discretization schemes, lack of iterative convergence and inaccurate time-stepping. Just as important is the choice of a turbulence model for turbulent flow simulation. Turbulence models model the effects of turbulent transport of mass, momentum and energy, but are not necessarily applicable for wide ranges of flow types. Therefore, there is a well-recognized need to establish practices and procedures for the proper application of CFD to simulate flow physics accurately and establish the level of uncertainty of such computations. The present document represents contributions of CFD experts on what the basic practices, procedures and guidelines should be to aid CFD analysts to obtain accurate estimates

  7. Paralytic Ectropion Treatment with Lateral Periosteal Flap Canthoplasty and Introduction of the Ectropion Severity Score

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Steven F. S. Korteweg, MD

    2014-05-01

    Conclusions: The ESS is a useful instrument to score the severity of paralytic ectropion. The periosteal flap canthoplasty is an effective procedure, with durable results in paralytic ectropion patients. The same periosteal flap can be used in a revision procedure.

  8. Multiple Score Comparison: a network meta-analysis approach to comparison and external validation of prognostic scores

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah R. Haile

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Prediction models and prognostic scores have been increasingly popular in both clinical practice and clinical research settings, for example to aid in risk-based decision making or control for confounding. In many medical fields, a large number of prognostic scores are available, but practitioners may find it difficult to choose between them due to lack of external validation as well as lack of comparisons between them. Methods Borrowing methodology from network meta-analysis, we describe an approach to Multiple Score Comparison meta-analysis (MSC which permits concurrent external validation and comparisons of prognostic scores using individual patient data (IPD arising from a large-scale international collaboration. We describe the challenges in adapting network meta-analysis to the MSC setting, for instance the need to explicitly include correlations between the scores on a cohort level, and how to deal with many multi-score studies. We propose first using IPD to make cohort-level aggregate discrimination or calibration scores, comparing all to a common comparator. Then, standard network meta-analysis techniques can be applied, taking care to consider correlation structures in cohorts with multiple scores. Transitivity, consistency and heterogeneity are also examined. Results We provide a clinical application, comparing prognostic scores for 3-year mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using data from a large-scale collaborative initiative. We focus on the discriminative properties of the prognostic scores. Our results show clear differences in performance, with ADO and eBODE showing higher discrimination with respect to mortality than other considered scores. The assumptions of transitivity and local and global consistency were not violated. Heterogeneity was small. Conclusions We applied a network meta-analytic methodology to externally validate and concurrently compare the prognostic properties

  9. What do educational test scores really measure?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    McIntosh, James; D. Munk, Martin

    Latent class Poisson count models are used to analyze a sample of Danish test score results from a cohort of individuals born in 1954-55 and tested in 1968. The procedure takes account of unobservable effects as well as excessive zeros in the data. The bulk of unobservable effects are uncorrelate......, and possible incentive problems make it more difficult to elicit true values of what the tests measure....

  10. Experiences with preventive procedures application in the process of beer production in Czech Republic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jana Kotovicová

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Food-processing industry is an intriguing field regarding prevention procedures application. All food-processing operations have common fundamental spheres of problems – wastewater polluted by organic substances, solid waste of biological origin and losses during source material processing. Beer production process is a representative of food-processing sphere. The brewing industry has an ancient tradition and is still a dynamic sector open to new developments in technology and scientific progress. A case study of beer production in Czech Republic has been performed. During the work on the project, there were utilized methodical procedures of Cleaner Production, best available technologies (BAT utilization and hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP, optimization of final technology operation.

  11. Recursive and non-linear logistic regression: moving on from the original EuroSCORE and EuroSCORE II methodologies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poullis, Michael

    2014-11-01

    EuroSCORE II, despite improving on the original EuroSCORE system, has not solved all the calibration and predictability issues. Recursive, non-linear and mixed recursive and non-linear regression analysis were assessed with regard to sensitivity, specificity and predictability of the original EuroSCORE and EuroSCORE II systems. The original logistic EuroSCORE, EuroSCORE II and recursive, non-linear and mixed recursive and non-linear regression analyses of these risk models were assessed via receiver operator characteristic curves (ROC) and Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic analysis with regard to the accuracy of predicting in-hospital mortality. Analysis was performed for isolated coronary artery bypass grafts (CABGs) (n = 2913), aortic valve replacement (AVR) (n = 814), mitral valve surgery (n = 340), combined AVR and CABG (n = 517), aortic (n = 350), miscellaneous cases (n = 642), and combinations of the above cases (n = 5576). The original EuroSCORE had an ROC below 0.7 for isolated AVR and combined AVR and CABG. None of the methods described increased the ROC above 0.7. The EuroSCORE II risk model had an ROC below 0.7 for isolated AVR only. Recursive regression, non-linear regression, and mixed recursive and non-linear regression all increased the ROC above 0.7 for isolated AVR. The original EuroSCORE had a Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic that was above 0.05 for all patients and the subgroups analysed. All of the techniques markedly increased the Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic. The EuroSCORE II risk model had a Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic that was significant for all patients (P linear regression failed to improve on the original Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic. The mixed recursive and non-linear regression using the EuroSCORE II risk model was the only model that produced an ROC of 0.7 or above for all patients and procedures and had a Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic that was highly non-significant. The original EuroSCORE and the EuroSCORE II risk models do not have adequate ROC and Hosmer

  12. The Penile Perception Score after distal hypospadias repair with ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    perception, including the following items: meatus, glans, skin, and general appearance. The pediatric Penile. Perception Score (PPS) was calculated, consisting of the sum of these four items, and the study proved that pediatric PPS is a significant self-assessment test for repair and for appraisal for surgical procedures used ...

  13. Clinical Application of Diode Laser (980 nm) in Maxillofacial Surgical Procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aldelaimi, Tahrir N; Khalil, Afrah A

    2015-06-01

    For many procedures, lasers are now becoming the treatment of choice by both clinicians and patients, and in some cases, the standard of care. This clinical study was carried out at Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Ramadi Teaching Hospital, Rashid Private Hospital and Razi Private Hospital, Anbar Health Directorate, Anbar Province, Iraq. A total of 32 patients including 22 (≈ 70%) male and 10 (≈ 30%) female with age range from 5 months to 34 years old. Chirolas 20 W diode laser emitting at 980 nm was used. Our preliminary clinical findings include sufficient hemostasis, coagulation properties, precise incision margin, lack of swelling, bleeding, pain, scar tissue formation and overall satisfaction were observed in the clinical application. The clinical application of the diode (980 nm) laser in maxillofacial surgery proved to be of beneficial effect for daily practice and considered practical, effective, easy to used, offers a safe, acceptable, and impressive alternative for conventional surgical techniques.

  14. A comparison of nutrient density scores for 100% fruit juices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rampersaud, G C

    2007-05-01

    The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that consumers choose a variety of nutrient-dense foods. Nutrient density is usually defined as the quantity of nutrients per calorie. Food and nutrition professionals should be aware of the concept of nutrient density, how it might be quantified, and its potential application in food labeling and dietary guidance. This article presents the concept of a nutrient density score and compares nutrient density scores for various 100% fruit juices. One hundred percent fruit juices are popular beverages in the United States, and although they can provide concentrated sources of a variety of nutrients, they can differ considerably in their nutrient profiles. Six methodologies were used to quantify nutrient density and 7 100% fruit juices were included in the analysis: apple, grape, pink grapefruit, white grapefruit, orange, pineapple, and prune. Food composition data were obtained from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18. Application of the methods resulted in nutrient density scores with a range of values and magnitudes. The relative scores indicated that citrus juices, particularly pink grapefruit and orange juice, were more nutrient dense compared to the other nonfortified 100% juices included in the analysis. Although the methods differed, the relative ranking of the juices based on nutrient density score was similar for each method. Issues to be addressed regarding the development and application of a nutrient density score include those related to food fortification, nutrient bioavailability, and consumer education and behavior.

  15. Visualisation of Proficiency Test Exercise by Means of Kiri Plots. Informatics Application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gasco, C.; Trinidad, J. A.

    2012-01-01

    This report describes the visualisation procedure of the proficiency tests by means of Kiri Plots, based on three tests: z-score, zeta-score and the relative uncertainty outlier. The results assessment of the intercomparison exercises and proficiency tests among Spanish environmental radioactivity laboratories and Spanish Nuclear Power Plants Laboratories is performed by Environmental Radioactivity and Radiological Surveillance Unit following the ISO-43 e ISO/ IUPAC standards and applying the z-score test. The application of new graphics methods and tests to a better evaluation of uncertainties reported by Labs is described in this paper. An informatics programme has been developed in Visual Basic for applications that allows the graphic representation of Tables and Figures automatically in an excel-sheet and later statistical simulations changing the ratios between the reference value uncertainties and the concentration activities values from the participants laboratories. (Author) 26 refs.

  16. Reducing neonatal pain during routine heel lance procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morrow, Carla; Hidinger, Andrea; Wilkinson-Faulk, Debbie

    2010-01-01

    To measure the difference in pain scores for newborns who were held and swaddled while undergoing routine heel lance procedures compared to newborns who were lying on their backs and not swaddled during heel lance. Additionally, we sought to compare the total amount of time it took to collect the specimens in each group. A total of 42 neonates recruited from a large tertiary hospital were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial. Infants in the experimental group (n = 22) were swaddled and held in an upright position during routine heel lance procedures while neonates in the control group (n = 20) remained in a standard care position. Pain was measured with the Neonatal Inventory Pain Scale (NIPS) at two points in time for each group (just before the heel lance procedure and at the completion of the heel lance). Total collection time was measured using a stopwatch accurate to 1/100th of a second. Specimen quality was measured based on the number of rejected specimens for each group. Descriptive statistics and t tests were used to analyze the data. The mean NIPS score for neonates who were swaddled and held during the procedure (experimental group) was significantly lower (M = 1.3, SD = .9) than the score for infants in the standard position (control group) (M = 2.7, SD = 1.3), t (40) = -4.48, p lance procedures offers nurses a nonpharmacologic method of neonatal pain reduction for heel sticks. This technique can be easily implemented on any unit independent of facility protocols. Furthermore, the technique is not associated with any cost or policy development, making it more likely that nurses can use it in practice.

  17. Surgical apgar score predicts early complication in transfemoral amputees

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wied, Christian; Foss, Nicolai Bang; Kristensen, Morten T

    2016-01-01

    AIM: To assess whether the surgical apgar score (SAS) is a prognostic tool capable of identifying patients at risk of major complications following lower extremity amputations surgery. METHODS: This was a single-center, retrospective observational cohort study conducted between January 2013...... and April 2015. All patients who had either a primary transtibial amputation (TTA) or transfemoral amputation (TFA) conducted at our institution during the study period were assessed for inclusion. All TTA patients underwent a standardized one-stage operative procedure (ad modum Persson amputation......) performed approximately 10 cm below the knee joint. All TTA procedures were performed with sagittal flaps. TFA procedures were performed in one stage with amputation approximately 10 cm above the knee joint, performed with anterior/posterior flaps. Trained residents or senior consultants performed...

  18. Applicability and prognostic value of histologic scoring systems in primary sclerosing cholangitis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Vries, Elisabeth M. G.; Verheij, Joanne; Hubscher, Stefan G.; Leeflang, Mariska M. G.; Boonstra, Kirsten; Beuers, Ulrich; Ponsioen, Cyriel Y.

    2015-01-01

    Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic cholestatic liver disease. At present, there is no appropriate histologic scoring system available for PSC, evaluating both degree of necroinflammatory activity (grade) and fibrosis (stage). The aim of this study was to assess if three scoring

  19. Radiologic intervention: patient anxiety, fear of pain, understanding of the procedure and satisfaction with the medication-a prospective study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Tae Hoon

    2006-01-01

    I wanted to prospectively assess patients' anxiety, their understanding of the procedure being performed, the perception of the pain level and the satisfaction with the administered medication for interventional procedures. I investigated 78 patients before and after they underwent 93 interventional procedures. The patients responded to a series of questions by using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Two different procedures were performed on 15 patients at different times. Based on the patient's body weight, a combination of sedative and analgesic was intravenously administered. The mean anxiety VAS score for the interventional procedures was about 5.3. The mean anxiety score of the experienced patients was about 3.8 and that of the inexperienced patients was about 5.5 (ρ < .001). The mean score for the understanding of the procedure, which was recorded both before and after the procedure, was about 4.1 and 7.1, respectively. The mean scores for the understanding of the procedure were about 7.0 in the experienced patients and about 3.6 in the inexperienced patients (ρ < .001). The anticipated level of pain recorded before the procedure was about 5.2 and the level of pain during the procedure was 2.9, and the latter was recorded after the procedure (ρ < .001). The level of satisfaction with the medication provided during the procedure was about 8.0 on the VAS score. The patients had a moderate amount of anxiety about the interventional procedures. Most patients had a high level of satisfaction with the medication despite the amount of pain they experienced during the procedure. The patients who were experienced with a procedure tended to have less anxiety and anticipated pain, and they had a greater understanding of the procedure

  20. Using Learner-Centered, Simulation-Based Training to Improve Medical Students’ Procedural Skills

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Serkan Toy

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of a learner-centered, simulation-based training developed to help medical students improve their procedural skills in intubation, arterial line placement, lumbar puncture, and central line insertion. Method: The study participants were second and third year medical students. Anesthesiology residents provided the training and evaluated students’ procedural skills. Two residents were present at each station to train the medical students who rotated through all 4 stations. Pre/posttraining assessment of confidence, knowledge, and procedural skills was done using a survey, a multiple-choice test, and procedural checklists, respectively. Results: In total, 24 students were trained in six 4-hour sessions. Students reported feeling significantly more confident, after training, in performing all 4 procedures on a real patient ( P < .001. Paired-samples t tests indicated statistically significant improvement in knowledge scores for intubation, t (23 = −2.92, P < .001, and arterial line placement, t (23 = −2.75, P < .001. Procedural performance scores for intubation ( t (23 = −17.29, P < .001, arterial line placement ( t (23 = −19.75, P < .001, lumbar puncture ( t (23 = −16.27, P < .001, and central line placement ( t (23 = −17.25, P < .001 showed significant improvement. Intraclass correlation coefficients indicated high reliability in checklist scores for all procedures. Conclusions: The simulation sessions allowed each medical student to receive individual attention from 2 residents for each procedure. Students’ written comments indicated that this training modality was well received. Results showed that medical students improved their self-confidence, knowledge, and skills in the aforementioned procedures.

  1. MRF-ANN: a machine learning approach for automated ER scoring of breast cancer immunohistochemical images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mungle, T; Tewary, S; DAS, D K; Arun, I; Basak, B; Agarwal, S; Ahmed, R; Chatterjee, S; Chakraborty, C

    2017-08-01

    Molecular pathology, especially immunohistochemistry, plays an important role in evaluating hormone receptor status along with diagnosis of breast cancer. Time-consumption and inter-/intraobserver variability are major hindrances for evaluating the receptor score. In view of this, the paper proposes an automated Allred Scoring methodology for estrogen receptor (ER). White balancing is used to normalize the colour image taking into consideration colour variation during staining in different labs. Markov random field model with expectation-maximization optimization is employed to segment the ER cells. The proposed segmentation methodology is found to have F-measure 0.95. Artificial neural network is subsequently used to obtain intensity-based score for ER cells, from pixel colour intensity features. Simultaneously, proportion score - percentage of ER positive cells is computed via cell counting. The final ER score is computed by adding intensity and proportion scores - a standard Allred scoring system followed by pathologists. The classification accuracy for classification of cells by classifier in terms of F-measure is 0.9626. The problem of subjective interobserver ability is addressed by quantifying ER score from two expert pathologist and proposed methodology. The intraclass correlation achieved is greater than 0.90. The study has potential advantage of assisting pathologist in decision making over manual procedure and could evolve as a part of automated decision support system with other receptor scoring/analysis procedure. © 2017 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2017 Royal Microscopical Society.

  2. A simplified score to quantify comorbidity in COPD.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nirupama Putcha

    Full Text Available Comorbidities are common in COPD, but quantifying their burden is difficult. Currently there is a COPD-specific comorbidity index to predict mortality and another to predict general quality of life. We sought to develop and validate a COPD-specific comorbidity score that reflects comorbidity burden on patient-centered outcomes.Using the COPDGene study (GOLD II-IV COPD, we developed comorbidity scores to describe patient-centered outcomes employing three techniques: 1 simple count, 2 weighted score, and 3 weighted score based upon statistical selection procedure. We tested associations, area under the Curve (AUC and calibration statistics to validate scores internally with outcomes of respiratory disease-specific quality of life (St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire, SGRQ, six minute walk distance (6MWD, modified Medical Research Council (mMRC dyspnea score and exacerbation risk, ultimately choosing one score for external validation in SPIROMICS.Associations between comorbidities and all outcomes were comparable across the three scores. All scores added predictive ability to models including age, gender, race, current smoking status, pack-years smoked and FEV1 (p<0.001 for all comparisons. Area under the curve (AUC was similar between all three scores across outcomes: SGRQ (range 0·7624-0·7676, MMRC (0·7590-0·7644, 6MWD (0·7531-0·7560 and exacerbation risk (0·6831-0·6919. Because of similar performance, the comorbidity count was used for external validation. In the SPIROMICS cohort, the comorbidity count performed well to predict SGRQ (AUC 0·7891, MMRC (AUC 0·7611, 6MWD (AUC 0·7086, and exacerbation risk (AUC 0·7341.Quantifying comorbidity provides a more thorough understanding of the risk for patient-centered outcomes in COPD. A comorbidity count performs well to quantify comorbidity in a diverse population with COPD.

  3. Scoring and Classifying Examinees Using Measurement Decision Theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lawrence M. Rudner

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes and evaluates the use of measurement decision theory (MDT to classify examinees based on their item response patterns. The model has a simple framework that starts with the conditional probabilities of examinees in each category or mastery state responding correctly to each item. The presented evaluation investigates: (1 the classification accuracy of tests scored using decision theory; (2 the effectiveness of different sequential testing procedures; and (3 the number of items needed to make a classification. A large percentage of examinees can be classified accurately with very few items using decision theory. A Java Applet for self instruction and software for generating, calibrating and scoring MDT data are provided.

  4. Evolution and applications of radiochemical procedures. From Marie Curie to Darleane Hoffman

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Contis, E. T.; Rengan, K.

    1996-01-01

    Marie Curie carried out the first radiochemical separations which eventually lead to the discovery of polonium and radium, two new elements. Nearly a century later Darleane Hoffman and her collaborators are devising new radiochemical separation procedures for studying the chemical properties of newly discovered transactinide elements. Safety requirements as well as changes necessitated by fast decaying radionuclides have transformed the nature of radiochemical separations. Further, applications in a wide variety of areas such as analysis of trace elements in food to radioimmunoassay have broadened the use of radiochemical separations. Examples of some early, historically important, radiochemical separations are described in this article. In addition, recent trends in the use of radiochemical separations in neutron activation analysis, in dating applications, in fission product studies and in the study of transactinide elements are briefly described with specific examples. (author). 52 refs

  5. Conditional standard errors of measurement for composite scores on the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Third Edition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, Larry R; Raju, Nambury; Lurie, Anna; Wilkins, Charles; Zhu, Jianjun

    2006-02-01

    A specific recommendation of the 1999 Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing by the American Educational Research Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Council on Measurement in Education is that test publishers report estimates of the conditional standard error of measurement (SEM). Procedures for calculating the conditional (score-level) SEM based on raw scores are well documented; however, few procedures have been developed for estimating the conditional SEM of subtest or composite scale scores resulting from a nonlinear transformation. Item response theory provided the psychometric foundation to derive the conditional standard errors of measurement and confidence intervals for composite scores on the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Third Edition.

  6. 78 FR 76160 - Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS) Capital Fund Interim Scoring Notice: Reinstitution of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-16

    ... System (PHAS) Capital Fund Interim Scoring Notice: Reinstitution of Five Points for Occupancy Sub... intended to help lessen the impact of decreases in funding in recent appropriations acts. Adding automatic... to adjust their systems and procedures to the new scoring regime. As a result of automatic across-the...

  7. Application of modified R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry score system in evaluating the retroperitoneal partial nephrectomy for T1 renal cell carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Qinzhang; Qian, Biao; Li, Qiang; Ni, Zhao; Li, Yinglong; Wang, Xinmin

    2015-01-01

    This study aims to investigate the application of the modified R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry score system in evaluating the operation difficulty of retroperitoneal partial nephrectomy in T1 renal cell carcinoma patients. A total of 52 patients with T1 renal cell carcinoma were enrolled. They all had retroperitoneal partial nephrectomy. Their clinical data was retrospectively analyzed. R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry score system was modified based on the features of retroperitoneal partial nephrectomy. The specificity, sensitivity and Youden index were compared between R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry score system and the modified R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry score system. The effect of the modified R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry score system on perioperative outcomes was analyzed. Three degrees of operation difficulty were defined by the modified R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry score system, which included the low, medium and high degree of operation difficulty. The specificity, sensitivity and Youden index of the modified R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry score system were better than those of the original R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry score system. Compared with low degree of operation difficulty, patients with medium and high degree of operation difficulty had significantly higher levels of operative time, warm ischemia time, and intraoperative blood loss (P system has a good effect in evaluating the operation difficulty of retroperitoneal partial nephrectomy.

  8. Patient satisfaction with procedural sedation in the emergency department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Olivia G; Taylor, David McD; Lee, Marina; Ding, Juen-Li; Ashok, Aadith; Johnson, Damian; Peck, Daniel; Knott, Jonathan; Weinberg, Laurence

    2017-06-01

    The aim of this study was to determine patient satisfaction with procedural sedation as a function of nature of the procedure and depth of sedation. We undertook a prospective observational study of adult patients who received procedural sedation in two EDs (20 month period). The level of sedation was determined by an investigator, using the Observers Assessment of Anaesthesia/Sedation Scale (1 = awake to 6 = no response to noxious stimuli). Patient satisfaction was measured with the Iowa Satisfaction with Anaesthesia Scale after full recovery. This was self-administered, comprised 11 items (e.g. 'I felt pain') and has a score range of -3 (poor satisfaction) to +3 (very satisfied). A total of 163 patients were enrolled (51.2% men, mean age 50.7 years). The median (interquartile range) satisfaction score was 2.7 (0.7). Patient satisfaction was lower among patients who had orthopaedic procedures (median 2.6 vs 2.8, P patient satisfaction is high. Greater satisfaction is associated with deeper sedation, sedation with propofol and non-orthopaedic procedures. © 2017 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

  9. The application of surgical procedure manager (SPM): first experience with FESS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feige, Katharina; Gollnick, Iris; Schmitz, Pia; Strauss, Gero

    2017-09-01

    In our hypothesis, the newly developed program SPM (surgical procedure manager) will ensure successful standardization and efficiency of the FESS (functional endoscopic sinus surgery) and therefore make a decisive contribution in terms of economization and improvement of intraoperative quality. Between 27th March 2015 and 8th October 2015, data from 259 FESS procedures were collected using the SPM. The study took place at the surgical desk, an operating room in the ACQUA clinic in Leipzig, Germany. 233 FESS (90%) of the total FESS (n = 259, 100%) were conducted entirely with SPM. 26 SPM terminations (10%) of 259 FESS remain, which are classified as actual SPM terminations-when the surgeon intentionally stops the SPM. The maximum time slot decreased clearly from 1 h 39 min (period A) to 1 h 10 min (period B). A time reduction can also be seen with the minimum duration of 13.5 min compared to 11 min. The variability of the time slot also decreases since the standard deviation is reduced by 4.5 min. On the basis of available recordings it can be postulated that the application of SPM is suitable for standardization for FESS. Standardization by means of SPM and minimal development can be recognized over a period of time. The SPM makes it possible to transfer the general advantages of mechanization on a concrete FESS and do not influence the medical processes nor even restrict the medical freedom. The users are still entirely free in the implementation of the respective procedure.

  10. Application of the neo-deterministic seismic microzonation procedure in Bulgaria and validation of the seismic input against Eurocode 8

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paskaleva, I.; Kouteva, M.; Vaccari, F.; Panza, G.F.

    2008-03-01

    The earthquake record and the Code for design and construction in seismic regions in Bulgaria have shown that the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria is exposed to a high seismic risk due to local shallow and regional strong intermediate-depth seismic sources. The available strong motion database is quite limited, and therefore not representative at all of the real hazard. The application of the neo-deterministic seismic hazard assessment procedure for two main Bulgarian cities has been capable to supply a significant database of synthetic strong motions for the target sites, applicable for earthquake engineering purposes. The main advantage of the applied deterministic procedure is the possibility to take simultaneously and correctly into consideration the contribution to the earthquake ground motion at the target sites of the seismic source and of the seismic wave propagation in the crossed media. We discuss in this study the result of some recent applications of the neo-deterministic seismic microzonation procedure to the cities of Sofia and Russe. The validation of the theoretically modeled seismic input against Eurocode 8 and the few available records at these sites is discussed. (author)

  11. 42 CFR Appendix to Subpart G of... - Interim Procedures and Criteria for Review by Health Systems Agencies of Applications Under...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... Health Systems Agencies of Applications Under Section 1625 of the Public Health Service Act Appendix to..., App. Appendix to Subpart G of Part 124—Interim Procedures and Criteria for Review by Health Systems... section 1625 of the Act, health systems agencies shall use the procedures and criteria stated below. A...

  12. Auditory short-term memory activation during score reading.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simoens, Veerle L; Tervaniemi, Mari

    2013-01-01

    Performing music on the basis of reading a score requires reading ahead of what is being played in order to anticipate the necessary actions to produce the notes. Score reading thus not only involves the decoding of a visual score and the comparison to the auditory feedback, but also short-term storage of the musical information due to the delay of the auditory feedback during reading ahead. This study investigates the mechanisms of encoding of musical information in short-term memory during such a complicated procedure. There were three parts in this study. First, professional musicians participated in an electroencephalographic (EEG) experiment to study the slow wave potentials during a time interval of short-term memory storage in a situation that requires cross-modal translation and short-term storage of visual material to be compared with delayed auditory material, as it is the case in music score reading. This delayed visual-to-auditory matching task was compared with delayed visual-visual and auditory-auditory matching tasks in terms of EEG topography and voltage amplitudes. Second, an additional behavioural experiment was performed to determine which type of distractor would be the most interfering with the score reading-like task. Third, the self-reported strategies of the participants were also analyzed. All three parts of this study point towards the same conclusion according to which during music score reading, the musician most likely first translates the visual score into an auditory cue, probably starting around 700 or 1300 ms, ready for storage and delayed comparison with the auditory feedback.

  13. Short- and Long-Term Prognostic Utility of the HEART Score in Patients Evaluated in the Emergency Department for Possible Acute Coronary Syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jain, Tarun; Nowak, Richard; Hudson, Michael; Frisoli, Tiberio; Jacobsen, Gordon; McCord, James

    2016-06-01

    The HEART score is a risk-stratification tool that was developed and validated for patients evaluated for possible acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in the emergency department (ED). We sought to determine the short-term and long-term prognostic utility of the HEART score. A retrospective single-center analysis of 947 patients evaluated for possible ACS in the ED in 1999 was conducted. Patients were followed for major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) at 30 days: death, acute myocardial infarction, or revascularization procedure. All-cause mortality was assessed at 5 years. The HEART score was compared with the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) score. At 30 days, 14% (135/947) of patients had an MACE: 48 deaths (5%), 84 acute myocardial infarctions (9%), and 48 (5%) revascularization procedures. The MACE rate in patients with HEART score ≤3 was 0.6% (1/175) involving a revascularization procedure, 9.5% (53/557) in patients with HEART score between 4 and 6, and 38% (81/215) with HEART score ≥7. The C-statistic for the HEART score was 0.82 and 0.68 for the TIMI score for predicting 30-day MACE (P < 0.05). Patients with HEART score ≤3 had lower 5-year mortality rate compared with those with TIMI score of 0 (10.6% vs. 20.5%, P = 0.02). The HEART score is a valuable risk-stratification tool in predicting not only short-term MACE but also long-term mortality in patients evaluated for possible ACS in the ED. The HEART score had a superior prognostic value compared with the TIMI score.

  14. Stricture location predicts swallowing outcomes following endoscopic rendezvous procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, Katherine N; Shah, Rupali N; Buckmire, Robert A

    2017-06-01

    Complete pharyngoesophageal strictures may be encountered by the otolaryngologist as a consequence of radiation/chemoradiotherapy therapies for head and neck cancer. A combined anterograde and retrograde dilation procedure (rendezvous procedure) has proven to be a useful surgical intervention in these cases. We assess the long-term swallowing outcomes of this patient cohort including gastrostomy tube (G-tube) reliance, swallowing quality of life, and variables that contribute to improved swallowing outcomes. Retrospective chart review. A retrospective chart review of 18 consecutive patients treated with rendezvous procedures between April 2007 and May 2015 was carried out. Data were collected from chart review and follow-up telephone calls including demographics, surgical/postoperative course details, and Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) (swallowing quality of life) scores. The completion rate of the procedure was 83% (15 completed/3 procedures aborted). Average follow-up was 22 months. Thirteen of 15 (86.7%) achieved an oral diet, and 7/15 (46.7%) had their G-tube removed. G-tube-independent (GTI) patients had an average stricture length of 2.33 cm and an average distance from the incisors of 17.4 cm compared to G-tube dependent-(GTD) patients who had an average stricture length of 2.63 cm and 14.6 cm mean distance from the incisors (P = .66 and .0343, respectively). Final EAT-10 scores averaged 20.1 in GTI patients and 33.8 in GTD patients (P = .022). Stricture/incisor distance and EAT-10 scores demonstrated a moderate to strong negative correlation (r = -0.67). Following the endoscopic rendezvous procedure, swallowing outcomes and G-tube status is related to the distance of the stricture from the incisors. 2b Laryngoscope, 127:1388-1391, 2017. © 2016 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

  15. Validation and Reliability of a Smartphone Application for the International Prostate Symptom Score Questionnaire: A Randomized Repeated Measures Crossover Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shim, Sung Ryul; Sun, Hwa Yeon; Ko, Young Myoung; Chun, Dong-Il; Yang, Won Jae

    2014-01-01

    Background Smartphone-based assessment may be a useful diagnostic and monitoring tool for patients. There have been many attempts to create a smartphone diagnostic tool for clinical use in various medical fields but few have demonstrated scientific validity. Objective The purpose of this study was to develop a smartphone application of the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and to demonstrate its validity and reliability. Methods From June 2012 to May 2013, a total of 1581 male participants (≥40 years old), with or without lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), visited our urology clinic via the health improvement center at Soonchunhyang University Hospital (Republic of Korea) and were enrolled in this study. A randomized repeated measures crossover design was employed using a smartphone application of the IPSS and the conventional paper form of the IPSS. Paired t test under a hypothesis of non-inferior trial was conducted. For the reliability test, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was measured. Results The total score of the IPSS (P=.289) and each item of the IPSS (P=.157-1.000) showed no differences between the paper version and the smartphone version of the IPSS. The mild, moderate, and severe LUTS groups showed no differences between the two versions of the IPSS. A significant correlation was noted in the total group (ICC=.935, Psmartphones could participate. Conclusions The validity and reliability of the smartphone application version were comparable to the conventional paper version of the IPSS. The smartphone application of the IPSS could be an effective method for measuring lower urinary tract symptoms. PMID:24513507

  16. Differences of wells scores accuracy, caprini scores and padua scores in deep vein thrombosis diagnosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gatot, D.; Mardia, A. I.

    2018-03-01

    Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is the venous thrombus in lower limbs. Diagnosis is by using venography or ultrasound compression. However, these examinations are not available yet in some health facilities. Therefore many scoring systems are developed for the diagnosis of DVT. The scoring method is practical and safe to use in addition to efficacy, and effectiveness in terms of treatment and costs. The existing scoring systems are wells, caprini and padua score. There have been many studies comparing the accuracy of this score but not in Medan. Therefore, we are interested in comparative research of wells, capriniand padua score in Medan.An observational, analytical, case-control study was conducted to perform diagnostic tests on the wells, caprini and padua score to predict the risk of DVT. The study was at H. Adam Malik Hospital in Medan.From a total of 72 subjects, 39 people (54.2%) are men and the mean age are 53.14 years. Wells score, caprini score and padua score has a sensitivity of 80.6%; 61.1%, 50% respectively; specificity of 80.65; 66.7%; 75% respectively, and accuracy of 87.5%; 64.3%; 65.7% respectively.Wells score has better sensitivity, specificity and accuracy than caprini and padua score in diagnosing DVT.

  17. Comparison of the Classifier Oriented Gait Score and the Gait Profile Score based on imitated gait impairments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christian, Josef; Kröll, Josef; Schwameder, Hermann

    2017-06-01

    Common summary measures of gait quality such as the Gait Profile Score (GPS) are based on the principle of measuring a distance from the mean pattern of a healthy reference group in a gait pattern vector space. The recently introduced Classifier Oriented Gait Score (COGS) is a pathology specific score that measures this distance in a unique direction, which is indicated by a linear classifier. This approach has potentially improved the discriminatory power to detect subtle changes in gait patterns but does not incorporate a profile of interpretable sub-scores like the GPS. The main aims of this study were to extend the COGS by decomposing it into interpretable sub-scores as realized in the GPS and to compare the discriminative power of the GPS and COGS. Two types of gait impairments were imitated to enable a high level of control of the gait patterns. Imitated impairments were realized by restricting knee extension and inducing leg length discrepancy. The results showed increased discriminatory power of the COGS for differentiating diverse levels of impairment. Comparison of the GPS and COGS sub-scores and their ability to indicate changes in specific variables supports the validity of both scores. The COGS is an overall measure of gait quality with increased power to detect subtle changes in gait patterns and might be well suited for tracing the effect of a therapeutic treatment over time. The newly introduced sub-scores improved the interpretability of the COGS, which is helpful for practical applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. 78 FR 35570 - Application Procedures, Execution and Filing of Forms: Correction of State Office Address for...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-13

    ...] RIN 1004-AE31 Application Procedures, Execution and Filing of Forms: Correction of State Office Address for Filings and Recordings, Including Proper Offices for Recording of Mining Claims; Oregon... administrative final rule amends the regulations pertaining to execution and filing of forms in order to reflect...

  19. 75 FR 78988 - Post-2014 Resource Pool-Loveland Area Projects, Allocation Procedures and Call for Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-12-17

    ... Administration (Western), a Federal power marketing agency of the Department of Energy (DOE), is publishing this... customers and for other appropriate purposes as determined by Western. These allocation procedures and call for applications, in conjunction with the Loveland Area Projects (LAP) Final Post-1989 Marketing Plan...

  20. Clinical Course Score (CCS): a new clinical score to evaluate efficacy of neurotrauma treatment in traumatic brain injury and subarachnoid hemorrhage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandner, Sebastian; Kellermann, Isabel; Hore, Nirjhar; Bozhkov, Yavor; Buchfelder, Michael

    2015-01-01

    Neurotrauma continues to represent a challenging public health issue requiring continual improvement in therapeutic approaches. As no such current system exists, we present in this study the Clinical Course Score (CCS) as a new clinical score to evaluate the efficacy of neurotrauma treatment. The CCS was calculated in neurotrauma patients to be the difference between the grade of the Glasgow Outcome Scale 6 months after discharge from our department and the grade of a 1 to 5 point reduced Glasgow Coma Scale on admission. We assessed the CCS in a total of 248 patients (196 traumatic brain injury [TBI] patients and 52 subarachnoid hemorrhage [SAH] patients) who were treated in our Department of Neurosurgery between January 2011 and December 2012. We found negative CCS grades both in mild TBI and in mild SAH patients. In patients with severe TBI or SAH, we found positive CCS grades. In SAH patients, we found higher CCS scores in younger patients compared with elderly subjects in both mild and severe cases. The CCS can be useful in evaluating different therapeutic approaches during neurotrauma therapy. This new score might improve assessment of beneficial effects of therapeutic procedures.

  1. The importance of procedural defects in Atomic Law

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ossenbuehl, F.

    1981-01-01

    The Muelheim-Kaerlich decision of the Federal Constitutional Court has brought about a 'revaluation' of procedural requirements. This has caused some insecurity in the application of procedural requirements, e.g. whether a license under Nuclear Law, granted without public participation in spite of procedural requirements, can be revolved on the basis of this procedural defect alone. The answer depends on the applicability of Sect. 46 VwVfG (Act on Procedural Rules) in Nuclear Law. (orig.) [de

  2. Building a Scoring Model for Small and Medium Enterprises

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Răzvan Constantin CARACOTA

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of the paper is to produce a scoring model for small and medium enterprises seeking financing through a bank loan. To analyze the loan application, scoring system developed for companies is as follows: scoring quantitative factors and scoring qualitative factors. We have estimated the probability of default using logistic regression. Regression coefficients determination was made with a solver in Excel using five ratios as input data. Analyses and simulations were conducted on a sample of 113 companies, all accepted for funding. Based on financial information obtained over two years, 2007 and 2008, we could establishe and appreciate the default value.

  3. Experiences with preventive procedures application in the process of beer production in Czech Republic

    OpenAIRE

    Jana Kotovicová; František Toman; Magdalena Vaverková

    2011-01-01

    Food-processing industry is an intriguing field regarding prevention procedures application. All food-processing operations have common fundamental spheres of problems – wastewater polluted by organic substances, solid waste of biological origin and losses during source material processing. Beer production process is a representative of food-processing sphere. The brewing industry has an ancient tradition and is still a dynamic sector open to new developments in technology and scientific prog...

  4. Modified Weaver-Dunn Procedure Versus The Use of Semitendinosus Autogenous Tendon Graft for Acromioclavicular Joint Reconstruction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hegazy, Galal; Safwat, Hesham; Seddik, Mahmoud; Al-Shal, Ehab A; Al-Sebai, Ibrahim; Negm, Mohame

    2016-01-01

    The optimal operative method for acromioclavicular joint reconstruction remains controversial. The modified Weaver-Dunn method is one of the most popular methods. Anatomic reconstruction of coracoclavicular ligaments with autogenous tendon grafts, widely used in treating chronic acromioclavicular joint instability, reportedly diminishes pain, eliminates sequelae, and improves function as well as strength. To compare clinical and radiologic outcomes between a modified Weaver-Dunn procedure and an anatomic coracoclavicular ligaments reconstruction technique using autogenous semitendinosus tendon graft. Twenty patients (mean age, 39 years) with painful, chronic Rockwood type III acromioclavicular joint dislocations were subjected to surgical reconstruction. In ten patients, a modified Weaver-Dunn procedure was performed, in the other ten patients; autogenous semitendinosus tendon graft was used. The mean time between injury and the index procedure was 18 month (range from 9 - 28). Clinical evaluation was performed using the Oxford Shoulder Score and Nottingham Clavicle Score after a mean follow-up time of 27.8 months. Preoperative and postoperative radiographs were compared. In the Weaver-Dunn group the Oxford Shoulder Score improved from 25±4 to 40±2 points. While the Nottingham Clavicle Score increased from 48±7 to 84±11. In semitendinosus tendon graft group, the Oxford Shoulder Score improved from 25±3 points to 50±2 points and the Nottingham Clavicle Score from 48±8 points to 95±8, respectively. Acromioclavicular joint reconstruction using the semitendinosus tendon graft achieved better Oxford Shoulder Score and Nottingham Clavicle Score compared to the modified Weaver-Dunn procedure.

  5. The relationship of live animal muscular and skeletal scores, ultrasound measurements and carcass classification scores with carcass composition and value in steers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conroy, S B; Drennan, M J; Kenny, D A; McGee, M

    2009-11-01

    This study examined the relationship of muscular and skeletal scores and ultrasound measurements in the live animal, and carcass conformation and fat scores with carcass composition and value using 336 steers, slaughtered at 2 years of age. Live animal scores and measurements were recorded at 8 to 12 months of age and pre-slaughter. Following slaughter, each carcass was classified for conformation and fatness and the right side dissected into meat, fat and bone. Carcass conformation scores and fat scores were both measured on a continuous 15-point scale and ranged from 2.0 to 12.0 and from 2.8 to 13.3, respectively. Pre-slaughter muscular scores showed positive correlations (P carcass meat proportion, proportion of high-value cuts in the carcass, conformation score and carcass value, significant negative correlations with carcass fat (r = -0.13) and bone (r = -0.81) proportions, and generally low non-significant relationships with the proportion of high-value cuts in meat and carcass fat score. Pre-slaughter ultrasound muscle depth and carcass conformation score showed similar correlations with carcass traits to those using the pre-slaughter muscular scoring procedure. Pre-slaughter ultrasound fat depth showed positive correlations (P carcass fat proportion (r = 0.59) and fat score (r = 0.63), and significant negative correlations (-0.23 to -0.50) with carcass meat and bone proportions, high-value cuts in the carcass and in meat, and carcass value. Pre-slaughter skeletal scores generally showed poor correlations ranging from -0.38 to 0.52 with the various carcass traits. Corresponding correlations (-0.26 to 0.44) involving records collected at 8 to 12 months of age were lower than those using pre-slaughter records. A one-unit increase in carcass conformation score increased carcass meat proportion and value by 11.2 g/kg and 5.6 cents/kg, respectively. Corresponding values for fat score were -8.2 g/kg and -5.1 cents/kg. In conclusion, both pre-slaughter live animal

  6. Residency factors that influence pediatric in-training examination score improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chase, Lindsay H; Highbaugh-Battle, Angela P; Buchter, Susie

    2012-10-01

    The goal of this study was to determine which measurable factors of resident training experience contribute to improvement of in-training examination (ITE) and certifying examination (CE) scores. This is a descriptive retrospective study analyzing data from July 2003 through June 2006 at a large academic pediatric training program. Pediatric categorical residents beginning residency in July 2003 were included. Regression analyses were used to determine if the number of admissions performed, core lectures attended, acute care topics heard, grand rounds attended, continuity clinic patients encountered, or procedures performed correlated with improvement of ITE scores. These factors were then analyzed in relation to CE scores. Seventeen residents were included in this study. The number of general pediatric admissions was the only factor found to correlate with an increase in ITE score (P = .04). Scores for the ITE at pediatric levels 1 and 3 were predictive of CE scores. No other factors measured were found to influence CE scores. Although all experiences of pediatric residents likely contribute to professional competence, some experiences may have more effect on ITE and CE scores. In this study, only general pediatric admissions correlated significantly with an improvement in ITE scores from year 1 to year 3. Further study is needed to identify which elements of the residency experience contribute most to CE success. This would be helpful in optimizing residency program structure and curriculum within the limitations of duty hour regulations.

  7. Credit scoring using ensemble of various classifiers on reduced feature set

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dahiya Shashi

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Credit scoring methods are widely used for evaluating loan applications in financial and banking institutions. Credit score identifies if applicant customers belong to good risk applicant group or a bad risk applicant group. These decisions are based on the demographic data of the customers, overall business by the customer with bank, and loan payment history of the loan applicants. The advantages of using credit scoring models include reducing the cost of credit analysis, enabling faster credit decisions and diminishing possible risk. Many statistical and machine learning techniques such as Logistic Regression, Support Vector Machines, Neural Networks and Decision tree algorithms have been used independently and as hybrid credit scoring models. This paper proposes an ensemble based technique combining seven individual models to increase the classification accuracy. Feature selection has also been used for selecting important attributes for classification. Cross classification was conducted using three data partitions. German credit dataset having 1000 instances and 21 attributes is used in the present study. The results of the experiments revealed that the ensemble model yielded a very good accuracy when compared to individual models. In all three different partitions, the ensemble model was able to classify more than 80% of the loan customers as good creditors correctly. Also, for 70:30 partition there was a good impact of feature selection on the accuracy of classifiers. The results were improved for almost all individual models including the ensemble model.

  8. Scoring best-worst data in unbalanced many-item designs, with applications to crowdsourcing semantic judgments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hollis, Geoff

    2018-04-01

    Best-worst scaling is a judgment format in which participants are presented with a set of items and have to choose the superior and inferior items in the set. Best-worst scaling generates a large quantity of information per judgment because each judgment allows for inferences about the rank value of all unjudged items. This property of best-worst scaling makes it a promising judgment format for research in psychology and natural language processing concerned with estimating the semantic properties of tens of thousands of words. A variety of different scoring algorithms have been devised in the previous literature on best-worst scaling. However, due to problems of computational efficiency, these scoring algorithms cannot be applied efficiently to cases in which thousands of items need to be scored. New algorithms are presented here for converting responses from best-worst scaling into item scores for thousands of items (many-item scoring problems). These scoring algorithms are validated through simulation and empirical experiments, and considerations related to noise, the underlying distribution of true values, and trial design are identified that can affect the relative quality of the derived item scores. The newly introduced scoring algorithms consistently outperformed scoring algorithms used in the previous literature on scoring many-item best-worst data.

  9. GPU acceleration of Dock6's Amber scoring computation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Hailong; Zhou, Qiongqiong; Li, Bo; Wang, Yongjian; Luan, Zhongzhi; Qian, Depei; Li, Hanlu

    2010-01-01

    Dressing the problem of virtual screening is a long-term goal in the drug discovery field, which if properly solved, can significantly shorten new drugs' R&D cycle. The scoring functionality that evaluates the fitness of the docking result is one of the major challenges in virtual screening. In general, scoring functionality in docking requires a large amount of floating-point calculations, which usually takes several weeks or even months to be finished. This time-consuming procedure is unacceptable, especially when highly fatal and infectious virus arises such as SARS and H1N1, which forces the scoring task to be done in a limited time. This paper presents how to leverage the computational power of GPU to accelerate Dock6's (http://dock.compbio.ucsf.edu/DOCK_6/) Amber (J. Comput. Chem. 25: 1157-1174, 2004) scoring with NVIDIA CUDA (NVIDIA Corporation Technical Staff, Compute Unified Device Architecture - Programming Guide, NVIDIA Corporation, 2008) (Compute Unified Device Architecture) platform. We also discuss many factors that will greatly influence the performance after porting the Amber scoring to GPU, including thread management, data transfer, and divergence hidden. Our experiments show that the GPU-accelerated Amber scoring achieves a 6.5× speedup with respect to the original version running on AMD dual-core CPU for the same problem size. This acceleration makes the Amber scoring more competitive and efficient for large-scale virtual screening problems.

  10. Checklist and scoring system for the assessment of soft tissue preservation in CT examinations of human mummies. Application to the Tyrolean Iceman

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Panzer, Stephanie [Trauma Center Murnau (Germany). Dept. of Radiology; Trauma Center Murnau and Paracelsus Medical Univ. Salzburg, Murnau (Germany). Inst. of Biomechanics; Pernter, Patrizia [Central Hospital, Bozen (Italy). Dept. of Radiodiagnostics; Piombino-Mascali, Dario; Jankauskas, Rimantas [Vilnius Univ. (Lithuania). Dept. of Anatomy, Histology and Anthropology; Zesch, Stephanie; Rosendahl, Wilfried [Reiss-Engelhorn Museen, Mannheim (Germany). German Mummy Project; Hotz, Gerhard [Natural History Museum of Basel (Switzerland). Anthropology; Zink, Albert R. [EURAC-Institute for Mummies and the Iceman, Bolzano (Italy)

    2017-12-15

    Soft tissues make a skeleton into a mummy and they allow for a diagnosis beyond osteology. Following the approach of structured reporting in clinical radiology, a recently developed checklist was used to evaluate the soft tissue preservation status of the Tyrolean Iceman using computed tomography (CT). The purpose of this study was to apply the ''Checklist and Scoring System for the Assessment of Soft Tissue Preservation in CT Examinations of Human Mummies'' to the Tyrolean Iceman, and to compare the Iceman's soft tissue preservation score to the scores calculated for other mummies. A whole-body (CT) (SOMATOM Definition Flash, Siemens, Forchheim, Germany) consisting of five scans, performed in January 2013 in the Department of Radiodiagnostics, Central Hospital, Bolzano, was used (slice thickness 0.6mm; kilovolt ranging from80 to 140). For standardized evaluation the ''CT Checklist and Scoring System for the Assessment of Soft Tissue Preservation in Human Mummies'' was used. All checkpoints under category ''A. Soft Tissues of Head and Musculoskeletal System'' and more than half in category ''B. Organs and Organ Systems'' were observed. The scoring system accounted for a total score of 153 (out of 200). The comparison of the scores between the Iceman and three mummy collections from Vilnius, Lithuania, and Palermo, Sicily, as well as one Egyptian mummy resulted in overall higher soft tissue preservation scores for the Iceman. Application of the checklist allowed for standardized assessment and documentation of the Iceman's soft tissue preservation status. The scoring system allowed for a quantitative comparison between the Iceman and other mummies. The Iceman showed remarkable soft tissue preservation.

  11. Checklist and scoring system for the assessment of soft tissue preservation in CT examinations of human mummies. Application to the Tyrolean Iceman

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Panzer, Stephanie

    2017-01-01

    Soft tissues make a skeleton into a mummy and they allow for a diagnosis beyond osteology. Following the approach of structured reporting in clinical radiology, a recently developed checklist was used to evaluate the soft tissue preservation status of the Tyrolean Iceman using computed tomography (CT). The purpose of this study was to apply the ''Checklist and Scoring System for the Assessment of Soft Tissue Preservation in CT Examinations of Human Mummies'' to the Tyrolean Iceman, and to compare the Iceman's soft tissue preservation score to the scores calculated for other mummies. A whole-body (CT) (SOMATOM Definition Flash, Siemens, Forchheim, Germany) consisting of five scans, performed in January 2013 in the Department of Radiodiagnostics, Central Hospital, Bolzano, was used (slice thickness 0.6mm; kilovolt ranging from80 to 140). For standardized evaluation the ''CT Checklist and Scoring System for the Assessment of Soft Tissue Preservation in Human Mummies'' was used. All checkpoints under category ''A. Soft Tissues of Head and Musculoskeletal System'' and more than half in category ''B. Organs and Organ Systems'' were observed. The scoring system accounted for a total score of 153 (out of 200). The comparison of the scores between the Iceman and three mummy collections from Vilnius, Lithuania, and Palermo, Sicily, as well as one Egyptian mummy resulted in overall higher soft tissue preservation scores for the Iceman. Application of the checklist allowed for standardized assessment and documentation of the Iceman's soft tissue preservation status. The scoring system allowed for a quantitative comparison between the Iceman and other mummies. The Iceman showed remarkable soft tissue preservation.

  12. Quasi-linear score for capturing heterogeneous structure in biomarkers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Omae, Katsuhiro; Komori, Osamu; Eguchi, Shinto

    2017-06-19

    Linear scores are widely used to predict dichotomous outcomes in biomedical studies because of their learnability and understandability. Such approaches, however, cannot be used to elucidate biodiversity when there is heterogeneous structure in target population. Our study was focused on describing intrinsic heterogeneity in predictions. Because heterogeneity can be captured by a clustering method, integrating different information from different clusters should yield better predictions. Accordingly, we developed a quasi-linear score, which effectively combines the linear scores of clustered markers. We extended the linear score to the quasi-linear score by a generalized average form, the Kolmogorov-Nagumo average. We observed that two shrinkage methods worked well: ridge shrinkage for estimating the quasi-linear score, and lasso shrinkage for selecting markers within each cluster. Simulation studies and applications to real data show that the proposed method has good predictive performance compared with existing methods. Heterogeneous structure is captured by a clustering method. Quasi-linear scores combine such heterogeneity and have a better predictive ability compared with linear scores.

  13. Bio-absorption evaluation procedure with gamma irradiated for brachytherapy strand application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leme, Ednilse; Silva, Patricia C.P.; Rostelato, Maria Elisa C.M.; Moriguchi, Patricia; Ribeiro, Suzana P.; Manzoli, Jose E.

    2007-01-01

    Bio-absorbable sutures are largely used to hold and wind tissues together in good apposition until completing the healing process, without needing future removal. There are some materials commonly used for these sutures, such as polyglycolide, polylactide, poly(ecaprolactone), mucosa or beef intestines. Some of these materials have marked or moderate tissue reaction, like mucosa or beef intestines, and could not be used for some delicate applications, like braiding brachytherapy seed strands. The best option for this application is Vicryl sutures, trade mark of Johnson and Johnson company. Vicryl has a bio-absorption time still a little long, for brachytherapy application, but it could be accelerated imparting a dose of ionizing radiation in the strand, before using it. In this work, it is shown the procedure where small hanks of Vicryl wires (fifteen centimeters unrolled), surgical diameter number 7-0 (∼50 mm), were inserted into rats underskin and removed for mechanical and histological evaluation after 15, 30 and 60 days. Wire samples were irradiated with gamma doses of 10, 25 and 50 kGy, besides those non-irradiated. Preliminary mechanical evaluation was carried out in a EMIC DL 2000 machine, using NBR 13904 standard normative test. Fifty grays caused great degradation on wires, preventing any traction evaluation. Small doses are promising for accelerating bio-absorption and the samples mechanical tests results will be the scope of a future work. (author)

  14. Practical applications of the R6 leak-before-break procedure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bouchard, P.J.

    1997-01-01

    A forthcoming revision to the R6 Leak-before-Break Assessment Procedure is briefly described. Practical application of the LbB concepts to safety-critical nuclear plant is illustrated by examples covering both low temperature and high temperature (>450 degrees C) operating regimes. The examples highlight a number of issues which can make the development of a satisfactory LbB case problematic: for example, coping with highly loaded components, methodology assumptions and the definition of margins, the effect of crack closure owing to weld residual stresses, complex thermal stress fields or primary bending fields, the treatment of locally high stresses at crack intersections with free surfaces, the choice of local limit load solution when predicting ligament breakthrough, and the scope of calculations required to support even a simplified LbB case for high temperature steam pipe-work systems

  15. Practical applications of the R6 leak-before-break procedure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bouchard, P.J.

    1997-04-01

    A forthcoming revision to the R6 Leak-before-Break Assessment Procedure is briefly described. Practical application of the LbB concepts to safety-critical nuclear plant is illustrated by examples covering both low temperature and high temperature (>450{degrees}C) operating regimes. The examples highlight a number of issues which can make the development of a satisfactory LbB case problematic: for example, coping with highly loaded components, methodology assumptions and the definition of margins, the effect of crack closure owing to weld residual stresses, complex thermal stress fields or primary bending fields, the treatment of locally high stresses at crack intersections with free surfaces, the choice of local limit load solution when predicting ligament breakthrough, and the scope of calculations required to support even a simplified LbB case for high temperature steam pipe-work systems.

  16. A Comparison of Standard-Setting Procedures for an OSCE in Undergraduate Medical Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaufman, David M.; Mann, Karen V.; Muijtjens, Arno M. M.; van der Vleuten, Cees P. M.

    2000-01-01

    Compared four standard-setting procedures for an objective structure clinical examination (OSCE) in medical education. Applied Angoff, borderline, relative, and holistic procedures to the data used to establish a cutoff score for a pass/fail decision. The Angoff and borderline procedures gave similar results; however, the relative and holistic…

  17. Estimating the Standard Error of the Judging in a modified-Angoff Standards Setting Procedure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert G. MacCann

    2004-03-01

    Full Text Available For a modified Angoff standards setting procedure, two methods of calculating the standard error of the..judging were compared. The Central Limit Theorem (CLT method is easy to calculate and uses readily..available data. It estimates the variance of mean cut scores as a function of the variance of cut scores within..a judging group, based on the independent judgements at Stage 1 of the process. Its theoretical drawback is..that it is unable to take account of the effects of collaboration among the judges at Stages 2 and 3. The..second method, an application of equipercentile (EQP equating, relies on the selection of very large stable..candidatures and the standardisation of the raw score distributions to remove effects associated with test..difficulty. The standard error estimates were then empirically obtained from the mean cut score variation..observed over a five year period. For practical purposes, the two methods gave reasonable agreement, with..the CLT method working well for the top band, the band that attracts most public attention. For some..bands in English and Mathematics, the CLT standard error was smaller than the EQP estimate, suggesting..the CLT method be used with caution as an approximate guide only.

  18. Application of fast procedures for the real-time processing of multi-parameter events in the γ-spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hanewinkel, H.

    1984-01-01

    The construction of a new structurated data acquisition system at the Cologne tandem accelerator should contribute to the further development of the experimental methods in nuclear physics. For this fast procedures for the real-time processing and on-line data reduction of multi-parameter events were development and applied. These procedures allowed in connection with the whole analyzer system an effective processing of the occurring many-parametric data. By this work an important condition for the experimental application of the high-resolution γγ anti-Compton coincidence spectrometer OSIRIS, which is constructed in an collaboration with goups in Berlin, Bonn, and Julich, was created at the Cologne accelerator. The ensued analyzer system offers however also to all other users an extension of their experimental possibilities. The requirements and the structure of the analyzer system as well as the procedures developed and applied for this are described and compared with other procedures proposed in literature. (orig./HSI) [de

  19. Inverse load calculation procedure for offshore wind turbines and application to a 5-MW wind turbine support structure: Inverse load calculation procedure for offshore wind turbines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pahn, T. [Pahn Ingenieure, Am Seegraben 17b 03051 Cottbus Germany; Rolfes, R. [Institut f?r Statik und Dynamik, Leibniz Universit?t Hannover, Appelstra?e 9A 30167 Hannover Germany; Jonkman, J. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Parkway Golden Colorado 80401 USA

    2017-02-20

    A significant number of wind turbines installed today have reached their designed service life of 20 years, and the number will rise continuously. Most of these turbines promise a more economical performance if they operate for more than 20 years. To assess a continued operation, we have to analyze the load-bearing capacity of the support structure with respect to site-specific conditions. Such an analysis requires the comparison of the loads used for the design of the support structure with the actual loads experienced. This publication presents the application of a so-called inverse load calculation to a 5-MW wind turbine support structure. The inverse load calculation determines external loads derived from a mechanical description of the support structure and from measured structural responses. Using numerical simulations with the software fast, we investigated the influence of wind-turbine-specific effects such as the wind turbine control or the dynamic interaction between the loads and the support structure to the presented inverse load calculation procedure. fast is used to study the inverse calculation of simultaneously acting wind and wave loads, which has not been carried out until now. Furthermore, the application of the inverse load calculation procedure to a real 5-MW wind turbine support structure is demonstrated. In terms of this practical application, setting up the mechanical system for the support structure using measurement data is discussed. The paper presents results for defined load cases and assesses the accuracy of the inversely derived dynamic loads for both the simulations and the practical application.

  20. Translation and validation of the new version of the Knee Society Score - The 2011 KS Score - into Brazilian Portuguese.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, Adriana Lucia Pastore E; Croci, Alberto Tesconi; Gobbi, Riccardo Gomes; Hinckel, Betina Bremer; Pecora, José Ricardo; Demange, Marco Kawamura

    2017-01-01

    Translation, cultural adaptation, and validation of the new version of the Knee Society Score - The 2011 KS Score - into Brazilian Portuguese and verification of its measurement properties, reproducibility, and validity. In 2012, the new version of the Knee Society Score was developed and validated. This scale comprises four separate subscales: (a) objective knee score (seven items: 100 points); (b) patient satisfaction score (five items: 40 points); (c) patient expectations score (three items: 15 points); and (d) functional activity score (19 items: 100 points). A total of 90 patients aged 55-85 years were evaluated in a clinical cross-sectional study. The pre-operative translated version was applied to patients with TKA referral, and the post-operative translated version was applied to patients who underwent TKA. Each patient answered the same questionnaire twice and was evaluated by two experts in orthopedic knee surgery. Evaluations were performed pre-operatively and three, six, or 12 months post-operatively. The reliability of the questionnaire was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) between the two applications. Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. The ICC found no difference between the means of the pre-operative, three-month, and six-month post-operative evaluations between sub-scale items. The Brazilian Portuguese version of The 2011 KS Score is a valid and reliable instrument for objective and subjective evaluation of the functionality of Brazilian patients who undergo TKA and revision TKA.

  1. A highly rationalized procedure of neutron activation analysis for routine applications in dairy science

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heine, K.; Wiechen, A.

    1976-01-01

    A rational procedure was developed for the multi-element analysis by neutron activation for applications in dairy science. The preparation of samples prior to irradiation consists of drying, weighing, and welding in quartz ampoules. The neutron flux, samples are exposed to during reactor irradiation , is determined by the mono-comparator technique for which the Co-content of a commercial aluminium foil was chosen as the flux monitor. Constancy of the Co-content and uncomplicated handling of the foil essentially simplify the determination of flux. The samples are irradiated for 72 h, dissolved in HNO 3 /H 2 SO 4 and measured in the liquid state after waiting times of 1-2, 4 and 8 weeks by a Ge(Li)-detector and a 4,096 channel spectrometer. The procedure was confirmed by investigations of the biological KALE standard and by participation in inter-comparisons of biological substances of the Analytical Quality Control Service of the IAEA for the analysis of the elements Na, Ca, Cr, Fe, Co, Zn, Se, Rb, and Cs. So a procedure was developed suitable for routine multi-element analysis of biologic samples by optimizing and rationalizing all analytical steps. (orig./MG) [de

  2. Corticosteroid transdermal delivery to target swelling, edema and inflammation following facial rejuvenation procedures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iannitti T

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available T Iannitti,1,2 V Rottigni,2,3 B Palmieri2,31School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK; 2Poliambulatorio del Secondo Parere, Modena, Italy; 3Department of General Surgery and Surgical Specialties, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Medical School, Surgical Clinic, Modena, ItalyBackground and aim: The use of transdermal therapeutic systems has spread worldwide since they allow effective local drug delivery. In the present study, we investigated the efficacy and safety of a new betamethasone valerate medicated plaster (Betesil® to manage facial swelling, edema, inflammation, ecchymosis, and hematoma, when applied immediately after a facial rejuvenation procedure.Materials and methods: We applied the plaster to the skin of 20 healthy patients for 12 hours immediately after hyaluronic acid-based procedure performed with the aim of erasing facial wrinkles of perioral and nasolabial folds and improving chin and eye contour. A further 20 patients underwent the same cosmetic procedure, but they were treated with an aescin 10% cream (applied immediately after the procedure, in the evening, and the morning after and served as control group.Results: Betesil® application resulted in a significant improvement in swelling/edema/inflammation score, if compared with aescin 10% cream (P < 0.01. As for facial ecchymosis and hematoma around the needle injection track, only two patients in the active treatment group displayed minimal ecchymosis and hematoma. In the control group, two patients presented minimal ecchymosis and three slight hematoma. However, using the ecchymosis/hematoma score, no significant difference between Betesil® and aescin 10% cream groups was observed. Patients’ satisfaction was significantly higher among subjects receiving Betesil®, if compared to patients receiving aescin 10% cream (P < 0.01.Conclusion: The present study supports the use of Betesil® plaster immediately after facial cosmetic procedures in order

  3. Credit scores, cardiovascular disease risk, and human capital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Israel, Salomon; Caspi, Avshalom; Belsky, Daniel W; Harrington, HonaLee; Hogan, Sean; Houts, Renate; Ramrakha, Sandhya; Sanders, Seth; Poulton, Richie; Moffitt, Terrie E

    2014-12-02

    Credit scores are the most widely used instruments to assess whether or not a person is a financial risk. Credit scoring has been so successful that it has expanded beyond lending and into our everyday lives, even to inform how insurers evaluate our health. The pervasive application of credit scoring has outpaced knowledge about why credit scores are such useful indicators of individual behavior. Here we test if the same factors that lead to poor credit scores also lead to poor health. Following the Dunedin (New Zealand) Longitudinal Study cohort of 1,037 study members, we examined the association between credit scores and cardiovascular disease risk and the underlying factors that account for this association. We find that credit scores are negatively correlated with cardiovascular disease risk. Variation in household income was not sufficient to account for this association. Rather, individual differences in human capital factors—educational attainment, cognitive ability, and self-control—predicted both credit scores and cardiovascular disease risk and accounted for ∼45% of the correlation between credit scores and cardiovascular disease risk. Tracing human capital factors back to their childhood antecedents revealed that the characteristic attitudes, behaviors, and competencies children develop in their first decade of life account for a significant portion (∼22%) of the link between credit scores and cardiovascular disease risk at midlife. We discuss the implications of these findings for policy debates about data privacy, financial literacy, and early childhood interventions.

  4. ABOUT PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES IN APPLICATION SCORING MODELS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pablo Rogers

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to investigate the contribution of psychological variables and scales suggested by Economic Psychology in predicting individuals’ default. Therefore, a sample of 555 individuals completed a self-completion questionnaire, which was composed of psychological variables and scales. By adopting the methodology of the logistic regression, the following psychological and behavioral characteristics were found associated with the group of individuals in default: a negative dimensions related to money (suffering, inequality and conflict; b high scores on the self-efficacy scale, probably indicating a greater degree of optimism and over-confidence; c buyers classified as compulsive; d individuals who consider it necessary to give gifts to children and friends on special dates, even though many people consider this a luxury; e problems of self-control identified by individuals who drink an average of more than four glasses of alcoholic beverage a day.

  5. Multicenter Validation of a Customizable Scoring Tool for Selection of Trainees for a Residency or Fellowship Program. The EAST-IST Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bosslet, Gabriel T; Carlos, W Graham; Tybor, David J; McCallister, Jennifer; Huebert, Candace; Henderson, Ashley; Miles, Matthew C; Twigg, Homer; Sears, Catherine R; Brown, Cynthia; Farber, Mark O; Lahm, Tim; Buckley, John D

    2017-04-01

    Few data have been published regarding scoring tools for selection of postgraduate medical trainee candidates that have wide applicability. The authors present a novel scoring tool developed to assist postgraduate programs in generating an institution-specific rank list derived from selected elements of the U.S. Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS) application. The authors developed and validated an ERAS and interview day scoring tool at five pulmonary and critical care fellowship programs: the ERAS Application Scoring Tool-Interview Scoring Tool. This scoring tool was then tested for intrarater correlation versus subjective rankings of ERAS applications. The process for development of the tool was performed at four other institutions, and it was performed alongside and compared with the "traditional" ranking methods at the five programs and compared with the submitted National Residency Match Program rank list. The ERAS Application Scoring Tool correlated highly with subjective faculty rankings at the primary institution (average Spearman's r = 0.77). The ERAS Application Scoring Tool-Interview Scoring Tool method correlated well with traditional ranking methodology at all five institutions (Spearman's r = 0.54, 0.65, 0.72, 0.77, and 0.84). This study validates a process for selecting and weighting components of the ERAS application and interview day to create a customizable, institution-specific tool for ranking candidates to postgraduate medical education programs. This scoring system can be used in future studies to compare the outcomes of fellowship training.

  6. Prediction of Mortality after Emergent Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Placement: Use of APACHE II, Child-Pugh and MELD Scores in Asian Patients with Refractory Variceal Hemorrhage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tzeng, Wen Sheng; Wu, Reng Hong; Lin, Ching Yih; Chen, Jyh Jou; Sheu, Ming Juen; Koay, Lok Beng; Lee, Chuan [Chi-Mei Foundation Medical Center, Tainan (China)

    2009-10-15

    This study was designed to determine if existing methods of grading liver function that have been developed in non-Asian patients with cirrhosis can be used to predict mortality in Asian patients treated for refractory variceal hemorrhage by the use of the transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedure. Data for 107 consecutive patients who underwent an emergency TIPS procedure were retrospectively analyzed. Acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE II), Child-Pugh and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores were calculated. Survival analyses were performed to evaluate the ability of the various models to predict 30-day, 60-day and 360-day mortality. The ability of stratified APACHE II, Child-Pugh, and MELD scores to predict survival was assessed by the use of Kaplan-Meier analysis with the log-rank test. No patient died during the TIPS procedure, but 82 patients died during the follow-up period. Thirty patients died within 30 days after the TIPS procedure; 37 patients died within 60 days and 53 patients died within 360 days. Univariate analysis indicated that hepatorenal syndrome, use of inotropic agents and mechanical ventilation were associated with elevated 30-day mortality (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that a Child-Pugh score > 11 or an MELD score > 20 predicted increased risk of death at 30, 60 and 360 days (p < 0.05). APACHE II scores could only predict mortality at 360 days (p < 0.05). A Child-Pugh score > 11 or an MELD score > 20 are predictive of mortality in Asian patients with refractory variceal hemorrhage treated with the TIPS procedure. An APACHE II score is not predictive of early mortality in this patient population.

  7. 7 CFR 1467.5 - Application procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS WETLANDS RESERVE PROGRAM § 1467.5 Application... Application for Participation in the WRP. (b) Preliminary agency actions. By filing an Application for... enhance the probability of enrollment in WRP, a landowner may voluntarily offer to accept a lesser payment...

  8. Heritability Analyses of IQ Scores: Science or Numerology?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Layzer, David

    1974-01-01

    Examines limitations of the heritability concept and heritability analysis, and discusses a conventional application of heritability analysis, IQ scores as measurements of a phenotypic character, the heritability of IQ, and the relationship of IQ and race. (JR)

  9. Comparison of three contemporary risk scores for mortality following elective abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grant, S W; Hickey, G L; Carlson, E D; McCollum, C N

    2014-07-01

    A number of contemporary risk prediction models for mortality following elective abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair have been developed. Before a model is used either in clinical practice or to risk-adjust surgical outcome data it is important that its performance is assessed in external validation studies. The British Aneurysm Repair (BAR) score, Medicare, and Vascular Governance North West (VGNW) models were validated using an independent prospectively collected sample of multicentre clinical audit data. Consecutive, data on 1,124 patients undergoing elective AAA repair at 17 hospitals in the north-west of England and Wales between April 2011 and March 2013 were analysed. The outcome measure was in-hospital mortality. Model calibration (observed to expected ratio with chi-square test, calibration plots, calibration intercept and slope) and discrimination (area under receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC]) were assessed in the overall cohort and procedural subgroups. The mean age of the population was 74.4 years (SD 7.7); 193 (17.2%) patients were women and the majority of patients (759, 67.5%) underwent endovascular aneurysm repair. All three models demonstrated good calibration in the overall cohort and procedural subgroups. Overall discrimination was excellent for the BAR score (AUC 0.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.76-0.89), and acceptable for the Medicare and VGNW models, with AUCs of 0.78 (95% CI 0.70-0.86) and 0.75 (95% CI 0.65-0.84) respectively. Only the BAR score demonstrated good discrimination in procedural subgroups. All three models demonstrated good calibration and discrimination for the prediction of in-hospital mortality following elective AAA repair and are potentially useful. The BAR score has a number of advantages, which include being developed on the most contemporaneous data, excellent overall discrimination, and good performance in procedural subgroups. Regular model validations and recalibration will be essential. Copyright

  10. 26 CFR 1.852-9 - Special procedural requirements applicable to designation under section 852(b)(3)(D).

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... notice by the Internal Revenue Service that the regulated investment company has failed to comply with... 26 Internal Revenue 9 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Special procedural requirements applicable to designation under section 852(b)(3)(D). 1.852-9 Section 1.852-9 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE...

  11. Student Ranking Differences within Institutions Using Old and New SAT Scores

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marini, Jessica P.; Beard, Jonathan; Shaw, Emily J.

    2018-01-01

    Admission offices at colleges and universities often use SAT® scores to make decisions about applicants for their incoming class. Many institutions use prediction models to quantify a student's potential for success using various measures, including SAT scores (NACAC, 2016). In March 2016, the College Board introduced a redesigned SAT that better…

  12. Construction of Chained True Score Equipercentile Equatings under the Kernel Equating (KE) Framework and Their Relationship to Levine True Score Equating. Research Report. ETS RR-09-24

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Haiwen; Holland, Paul

    2009-01-01

    In this paper, we develop a new chained equipercentile equating procedure for the nonequivalent groups with anchor test (NEAT) design under the assumptions of the classical test theory model. This new equating is named chained true score equipercentile equating. We also apply the kernel equating framework to this equating design, resulting in a…

  13. three-in-one procedure versus percutaneous spinal fixation alone

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Results: All patients showed progressive decrease of NRS pain and ODI scores compared with preoperative ... Patients maintained on rehabilitation medicine for at least ..... the 3-in-1 procedure; however, the results obtained in the current.

  14. The step complexity measure - its meaning and applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Jin Kyun; Jung, Won Dea; Kim, Jae Whan; Ha, Jae Joo

    2003-01-01

    According to related studies, it was revealed that the procedural deviation plays a significant role in initiating accidents or incidents. This means that, to maximize safety, it is indispensable to be able to answer the question of 'why the operators deviate from procedures?' In this study, the SC(Step Complexity) measure is introduced to investigate its applicability for studying the procedural deviation, since it was shown that the change of the operators' performance is strongly correlated with the change of SC scores. This means that the SC measure could play an important role for researches related to the procedural deviation, since it is strongly believed that complicated procedures would affect both the operators' performance and the possibility of the procedural deviation. Thus, to ensure this expectation, the meaning of the SC measure is investigated through brief explanations including the necessity, theoretical basis and verification activities of the SC measure. As a result, it is confirmed that the SC measure can be used to explain the change of the operators' performance due to the task complexity implied by procedures. In addition, it seems that the SC measure may be useful for various purposes, particularly for scrutinizing the relationship between the procedural deviation and complicated procedures

  15. Assessment of procedural skills in residents working in a research and training institute: An effort to ensure patient safety and quality control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumari, Kamlesh; Samra, Tanvir; Naik, B Naveen; Saini, Vikas

    2018-01-01

    To ensure patient safety, it is important to regularly assess the knowledge and practical skills of anesthesia trainees. This study was conducted to evaluate the competency of the residents and the impact of various corrective measures in the form of didactic lectures and clinical skill demonstrations on the conduct of various procedural skills by the residents. Ninety-five junior residents were enrolled in this study. Assessment of competency of 1 st , 2 nd , and 3 rd year residents in performing various procedure skills of anesthesia was done in two stages using procedure specific checklist (PSC) and Global Rating Scales (GRSs). Preliminary results of the first assessment (Score 1) were discussed with the residents; deficiencies were identified and corrective measures suggested by didactic lectures and clinical skill demonstrations which were followed by a subsequent assessment after 3 months (Score 2). There was a statistically significant improvement in the PSC and GRS scores after corrective measures for all the procedural interventions studied. Percentage increase in scores was maximum in 1 st year (42.98 ± 6.62) followed by 2 nd year (34.62 ± 5.49) and minimum in 3 rd year residents (18.06 ± 3.69). The percentage increase of scores was almost similar for all subset of procedural skills; low, intermediate, and high skill anesthetic procedures. For assessment of procedural skills of residents, use of PSC and GRS scores should be incorporated and the same should be used to monitor the impact of various corrective measures (didactic lectures and clinical skill demonstrations) on the conduct of various procedural skills by the resident.

  16. Adopting Cut Scores: Post-Standard-Setting Panel Considerations for Decision Makers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geisinger, Kurt F.; McCormick, Carina M.

    2010-01-01

    Standard-setting studies utilizing procedures such as the Bookmark or Angoff methods are just one component of the complete standard-setting process. Decision makers ultimately must determine what they believe to be the most appropriate standard or cut score to use, employing the input of the standard-setting panelists as one piece of information…

  17. The Effect of Preintervention Preparation on Pain and Anxiety Related to Peripheral Cannulation Procedures in Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tunç-Tuna, Pinar; Açikgoz, Ayfer

    2015-12-01

    This study was performed to determine the effect of several preintervention preparation practices on pain and anxiety related to the peripheral cannulation procedure in children ages 9-12 years. The study included 60 Turkish children (28 female, 32 male, randomly selected by lot), 30 of whom were included in the intervention group and 30 of whom were included in the control group. The children's demographic data were collected by a data collection form prepared by the researcher. The children in the intervention group read the training manual before peripheral cannulation, and the procedure was demonstrated on a teddy bear. Their level of pain was assessed using the Wong-Baker Faces Rating Scale, and their level of anxiety was determined by the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, before and during the procedure in both groups. Results showed that while anxiety and pain scores increased during the actual procedure compared to the preparatory procedure in the control group (anxiety t = -4.957, pain Z(a) = -4.048), anxiety and pain scores decreased during the actual procedure in the intervention group compared to the preparatory procedure (anxiety t = 7.896, pain t = 6.196). When the pain and anxiety scores were examined, it was found that both anxiety and pain scores in the intervention group were significantly lower than in the control group. In conclusion, children in this study experienced pain and situational anxiety during peripheral cannulation, and this pain can be reduced by preparing the child in advance of the procedure. It is suggested that children should be informed about and able to practice the procedure on a toy or model before peripheral cannulation. Preparation of the children to painful procedures in accordance with their cognitive development can reduce anxiety and pain. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. The value of muscular and skeletal scores in the live animal and carcass classification scores as indicators of carcass composition in cattle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drennan, M J; McGee, M; Keane, M G

    2008-05-01

    The objective was to determine the relationship of muscular and skeletal scores taken on the live animal and carcass conformation and fat scores with carcass composition and value. Bulls (n = 48) and heifers (n = 37) of 0.75 to 1.0 late-maturing breed genotypes slaughtered at 16 and 20 months of age, respectively, were used. At 8 months of age (weaning) and immediately pre-slaughter, visual muscular scores were recorded for each animal and additionally skeletal scores were recorded pre-slaughter. Carcass weight, kidney and channel fat weight, carcass conformation and fat scores, fat depth over the longissimus dorsi muscle at the 12th (bulls) or 10th (heifers) rib and carcass length were recorded post-slaughter. Each carcass was subsequently dissected into meat, fat and bone using a commercial dissection procedure. Muscular scores taken pre-slaughter showed positive correlations with killing-out rate (r ≈ 0.65), carcass meat proportion (r ≈ 0.60), value (r ≈ 0.55) and conformation score (r ≈ 0.70), and negative correlations with carcass bone (r ≈ -0.60) and fat (r ≈ -0.4) proportions. Corresponding correlations with muscular scores at weaning were lower. Correlations of skeletal scores taken pre-slaughter, carcass length and carcass weight with killing-out rate and the various carcass traits were mainly not significant. Carcass fat depth and kidney and channel fat weight were negatively correlated with carcass meat proportion and value, and positively correlated with fat proportion. Correlations of carcass conformation score were positive (r = 0.50 to 0.68) with killing-out rate, carcass meat proportion and carcass value and negative with bone (r ≈ -0.56) and fat (r ≈ -0.40) proportions. Corresponding correlations with carcass fat score were mainly negative except for carcass fat proportion (r ≈ 0.79). A one-unit (scale 1 to 15) increase in carcass conformation score increased carcass meat proportion by 8.9 and 8.1 g/kg, decreased fat proportion by

  19. Randomised controlled trial to assess the effect of a Just-in-Time training on procedural performance: a proof-of-concept study to address procedural skill decay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Branzetti, Jeremy B; Adedipe, Adeyinka A; Gittinger, Matthew J; Rosenman, Elizabeth D; Brolliar, Sarah; Chipman, Anne K; Grand, James A; Fernandez, Rosemarie

    2017-11-01

    A subset of high-risk procedures present significant safety threats due to their (1) infrequent occurrence, (2) execution under time constraints and (3) immediate necessity for patient survival. A Just-in-Time (JIT) intervention could provide real-time bedside guidance to improve high-risk procedural performance and address procedural deficits associated with skill decay. To evaluate the impact of a novel JIT intervention on transvenous pacemaker (TVP) placement during a simulated patient event. This was a prospective, randomised controlled study to determine the effect of a JIT intervention on performance of TVP placement. Subjects included board-certified emergency medicine physicians from two hospitals. The JIT intervention consisted of a portable, bedside computer-based procedural adjunct. The primary outcome was performance during a simulated patient encounter requiring TVP placement, as assessed by trained raters using a technical skills checklist. Secondary outcomes included global performance ratings, time to TVP placement, number of critical omissions and System Usability Scale scores (intervention only). Groups were similar at baseline across all outcomes. Compared with the control group, the intervention group demonstrated statistically significant improvement in the technical checklist score (11.45 vs 23.44, p<0.001, Cohen's d effect size 4.64), the global rating scale (2.27 vs 4.54, p<0.001, Cohen's d effect size 3.76), and a statistically significant reduction in critical omissions (2.23 vs 0.68, p<0.001, Cohen's d effect size -1.86). The difference in time to procedural completion was not statistically significant between conditions (11.15 min vs 12.80 min, p=0.12, Cohen's d effect size 0.65). System Usability Scale scores demonstrated excellent usability. A JIT intervention improved procedure perfromance, suggesting a role for JIT interventions in rarely performed procedures. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in

  20. A study comparing standard and transepithelial collagen cross-linking riboflavin solutions: epithelial findings and pain scores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuksel, Erdem; Novruzlu, Shahin; Ozmen, Mehmet C; Bilgihan, Kamil

    2015-06-01

    To evaluate epithelial signs and pain after epithelial-on corneal collagen cross-linking (Epi-on CCL) with new transepithelial riboflavin formulation and epithelial-off corneal collagen cross-linking (Epi-off CCL) with standard riboflavin formulation and to compare pain and duration of epithelial healing between both techniques. Thirty-nine eyes of 39 patients undergoing Epi-on CCL and 39 eyes of 39 patients undergoing Epi-off CCL were evaluated. Corneal epithelial signs and durations of corneal epithelial healing and subjective pain scores after the procedures were recorded and compared between 2 groups. Total epithelialization was observed after 2.7 ± 0.7 days in Epi-on CCL and 2.3 ± 0.4 days in Epi-off CCL (P = 0.006). The mean pain score on the first day was 3.1 ± 0.6 in Epi-on CCL and 2.3 ± 0.4 in Epi-off CCL with a significant difference (P = 0.0001). The epithelial damage was observed in both procedures; also, the epithelial healing time was longer in Epi-on CCL and it is of great importance that the patients should have therapeutic contact lenses until the epithelium heals in both procedures. The Epi-off CCL group had less pain scores than the Epi-on CCL group and more pain problems after Epi-on CCL still remains. The patient should be informed about pain, even if the Epi-on CCL procedure was performed.

  1. Application of statistical process control and process capability analysis procedures in orbiter processing activities at the Kennedy Space Center

    Science.gov (United States)

    Safford, Robert R.; Jackson, Andrew E.; Swart, William W.; Barth, Timothy S.

    1994-01-01

    Successful ground processing at KSC requires that flight hardware and ground support equipment conform to specifications at tens of thousands of checkpoints. Knowledge of conformance is an essential requirement for launch. That knowledge of conformance at every requisite point does not, however, enable identification of past problems with equipment, or potential problem areas. This paper describes how the introduction of Statistical Process Control and Process Capability Analysis identification procedures into existing shuttle processing procedures can enable identification of potential problem areas and candidates for improvements to increase processing performance measures. Results of a case study describing application of the analysis procedures to Thermal Protection System processing are used to illustrate the benefits of the approaches described in the paper.

  2. Internal Delorme's Procedure for Treating ODS Associated With Impaired Anal Continence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Weicheng; Sturiale, Alessandro; Fabiani, Bernardina; Giani, Iacopo; Menconi, Claudia; Naldini, Gabriele

    2017-12-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the medium-term outcomes of internal Delorme's procedure for treating obstructed defecation syndrome (ODS) patients with impaired anal continence. In a retrospective study, 41 ODS patients who underwent internal Delorme's procedure between 2011 and 2015 were divided into 3 subgroups according to their associated symptoms of impaired continence, as urgency, passive fecal incontinence and both, before study. Then the patients' preoperative statuses, perioperative complications, and postoperative outcomes were investigated and collected from standardized questionnaires, including Altomare ODS score, Fecal Incontinence Severity Index (FISI), Patient Assessment of Constipation-Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAC-QoL), and Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale (FIQLS). All results with a 2-tailed P ODS score, FISI, PAC-QoL, and FIQLS in all patients when comparing scores from before the operation with those at the final follow-up. Similar results were also observed in both the urgency subgroup and passive fecal incontinence subgroup, but there were no statistically significant improvements ( P > .05) in Altomare ODS score, FISI, PAC-QoL, or FIQLS in the urgency and passive fecal incontinence subgroups. Anorectal manometry showed the mean value of anal resting pressure increased 20%. Additionally, no major complications occurred. Internal Delorme's procedure is effective without major morbidity for treating ODS associated with urgency or passive fecal incontinence, but it may be less effective for treating ODS associated with both urgency and passive fecal incontinence.

  3. A fast and systematic procedure to develop dynamic models of bioprocesses: application to microalgae cultures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Mailier

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to report on the development of a procedure for inferring black-box, yet biologically interpretable, dynamic models of bioprocesses based on sets of measurements of a few external components (biomass, substrates, and products of interest. The procedure has three main steps: (a the determination of the number of macroscopic biological reactions linking the measured components; (b the estimation of a first reaction scheme, which has interesting mathematical properties, but might lack a biological interpretation; and (c the "projection" (or transformation of this reaction scheme onto a biologically-consistent scheme. The advantage of the method is that it allows the fast prototyping of models for the culture of microorganisms that are not well documented. The good performance of the third step of the method is demonstrated by application to an example of microalgal culture.

  4. Extension of the lod score: the mod score.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clerget-Darpoux, F

    2001-01-01

    In 1955 Morton proposed the lod score method both for testing linkage between loci and for estimating the recombination fraction between them. If a disease is controlled by a gene at one of these loci, the lod score computation requires the prior specification of an underlying model that assigns the probabilities of genotypes from the observed phenotypes. To address the case of linkage studies for diseases with unknown mode of inheritance, we suggested (Clerget-Darpoux et al., 1986) extending the lod score function to a so-called mod score function. In this function, the variables are both the recombination fraction and the disease model parameters. Maximizing the mod score function over all these parameters amounts to maximizing the probability of marker data conditional on the disease status. Under the absence of linkage, the mod score conforms to a chi-square distribution, with extra degrees of freedom in comparison to the lod score function (MacLean et al., 1993). The mod score is asymptotically maximum for the true disease model (Clerget-Darpoux and Bonaïti-Pellié, 1992; Hodge and Elston, 1994). Consequently, the power to detect linkage through mod score will be highest when the space of models where the maximization is performed includes the true model. On the other hand, one must avoid overparametrization of the model space. For example, when the approach is applied to affected sibpairs, only two constrained disease model parameters should be used (Knapp et al., 1994) for the mod score maximization. It is also important to emphasize the existence of a strong correlation between the disease gene location and the disease model. Consequently, there is poor resolution of the location of the susceptibility locus when the disease model at this locus is unknown. Of course, this is true regardless of the statistics used. The mod score may also be applied in a candidate gene strategy to model the potential effect of this gene in the disease. Since, however, it

  5. The European Procedure on Reduced Value Claims

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandrina Zaharia

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Maintaining and developing the area of freedom, security and justice is a major objective of theEuropean Community, which guarantees the free movement of persons. As a result of litigations regardingthe applications with a reduced value arising among physical or legal persons, it was felt the need for acommunity legislation that would guarantee identical conditions, both for creditors and debtors throughoutthe entire European Union territory. The European procedure regarding the debts recovery of reducedvalue facilitates the access to justice and it is characterized by simplifying and expediting the settling of thetransboundary litigations, reducing costs, the recognition and execution of the court order in a MemberState given in another Member State. This procedure is available to litigants as an alternative to theprocedures provided by the laws of Member States. The Regulation (EC no. 861/2007 establishing aEuropean procedure regarding the applications with reduced value applies in civil and commercial matters inthe transboundary cases, regardless the nature of the court when the application value, without taking intoaccount the interest, expenditures and other costs, does not exceed 2000 Euro at the time of receiving theapplication form by the competent court. This procedure does not apply to revenue, customs oradministrative matters or in regard to state responsibility for acts or omissions in exercising the publicauthority, and other matters specifically referred to in the Regulation. A cause is transboundary in naturewhen one of the parties has its habitual residence in a Member State, other than the one where the courtreceives such application. The proper procedure of application resolution for the recovery of debts withreduced value is governed by the rules of procedural law of the Member State in which the proceedings areconducted, and the execution of court of law is made by state legislation in which it takes place. The

  6. Model checking as an aid to procedure design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Wenhu

    2001-01-01

    The OECD Halden Reactor Project has been actively working on computer assisted operating procedures for many years. The objective of the research has been to provide computerised assistance for procedure design, verification and validation, implementation and maintenance. For the verification purpose, the application of formal methods has been considered in several reports. The recent formal verification activity conducted at the Halden Project is based on using model checking to the verification of procedures. This report presents verification approaches based on different model checking techniques and tools for the formalization and verification of operating procedures. Possible problems and relative merits of the different approaches are discussed. A case study of one of the approaches is presented to show the practical application of formal verification. Application of formal verification in the traditional procedure design process can reduce the human resources involved in reviews and simulations, and hence reduce the cost of verification and validation. A discussion of the integration of the formal verification with the traditional procedure design process is given at the end of this report. (Author)

  7. Characteristics of Mobile Payment Procedures

    OpenAIRE

    Kreyer, Nina; Pousttchi, Key; Turowski, Klaus

    2002-01-01

    Companies are not going to invest into the development of innovative applications or services unless these can be charged for appropriately. Thus, the existence of standardized and widely accepted mobile payment procedures is crucial for successful business-to-customer mobile commerce. The acceptance of mobile payment procedures depends on costs, security and convenience issues. For the latter, it is important that a procedure can be used over the different payment scenarios mobile commerce, ...

  8. 14 CFR 302.715 - Post-conference procedure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... desirable in the interest of further clarification and understanding of the issues. The granting of an... PROCEEDINGS) PROCEDURAL REGULATIONS RULES OF PRACTICE IN PROCEEDINGS Rules Applicable to Mail Rate Proceedings and Mail Contracts Informal Mail Rate Conference Procedure § 302.715 Post-conference procedure. No...

  9. A “Cookbook” Cost Analysis Procedure for Medical Information Systems*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torrance, Janice L.; Torrance, George W.; Covvey, H. Dominic

    1983-01-01

    A costing procedure for medical information systems is described. The procedure incorporates state-of-the-art costing methods in an easy to follow “cookbook” format. Application of the procedure consists of filling out a series of Mac-Tor EZ-Cost forms. The procedure and forms have been field tested by application to a cardiovascular database system. This article describes the major features of the costing procedure. The forms and other details are available upon request.

  10. Get the most from your data: a propensity score model comparison on real-life data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferdinand, Dennis; Otto, Mirko; Weiss, Christel

    2016-01-01

    In the past, the propensity score has been in the middle of several discussions in terms of its abilities and limitations. With a comprehensive review and a practical example, this study examines the effect of propensity score analysis of real-life data and introduces a simple and effective clinical approach. After the authors reviewed current publications, they applied their insights to the data of a nonrandomized clinical trial in bariatric surgery. This study examined weight loss in 173 patients where 127 patients received Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery and 46 patients sleeve gastrectomy. Both groups underwent analysis in terms of their covariate distribution using Mann-Whitney U and χ (2) testing. Mean differences within excess weight loss in native data were examined with Student's t-test. Three propensity score models were defined and matching was performed. Covariate distribution and mean differences in excess weight loss were checked with Mann-Whitney U and χ (2) testing. Native data implied a significant difference in excess weight loss. The propensity score models did not confirm this difference. All models proved that both surgical procedures were equal, due to their weight-loss induction. Covariate distribution improved after the matching procedure in terms of an equal distribution. It seemed that a practical clinical approach with outcome-related covariates as a propensity score base is the ideal midpoint between an equal distribution in covariates and an acceptable loss of data. Nevertheless, propensity score models designed with clinical intent seemed to be absolutely suitable for overcoming heterogeneity in covariate distribution.

  11. 10 CFR 205.326 - Filing procedures and fees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Filing procedures and fees. 205.326 Section 205.326 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY OIL ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES AND SANCTIONS Electric Power System Permits and Reports.... The application fee will be charged irrespective of the ERA's disposition of the application. Fee...

  12. Effects of Propofol and Midazolam on Newborns’ Apgar Scores and Mothers’ Hemodynamic under Spinal Anesthesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Navid Kalani

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available At present, cesarean section is the most prevalent surgical procedure in women and the anesthesia performed for it has turned into a selective technique. This study compared the effects of midazolam and propofol on newborns’ Apgar scores and on the hemodynamic status of the mothers undergoing cesarean sections. This research, in the form of a double-blind clinical trial, was carried out on forty-two15 - 35 year-old of class ASAI and II pregnant women who underwent cesarean section. Using the simple random method, they were divided into two groups of equal members: 21 in the Propofol and 21 in the midazolam groups. The newborns’ Apgar scores were recorded 1 and 5 minutes after birth and the mothers’ hemodynamic status 3, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60 minutes into the surgical procedure. The data was analyzed using SPSS, the repeated measurement test, and the independent t-test. One and five minutes after birth, there were no significant differences between the newborns’ Apgar scores in the two groups (p=0.08, or between the two groups (p=0.33. Results showed there were no statistically significant differences between the Apgar scores of the newborns at low doses of midazolam and propofol.

  13. 12 CFR 7.2000 - Corporate governance procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... OPERATIONS Corporate Practices § 7.2000 Corporate governance procedures. (a) General. A national bank proposing to engage in a corporate governance procedure shall comply with applicable Federal banking... 12 Banks and Banking 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Corporate governance procedures. 7.2000 Section...

  14. Reduced infant response to a routine care procedure after sucrose analgesia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taddio, Anna; Shah, Vibhuti; Katz, Joel

    2009-03-01

    Sucrose has analgesic and calming effects in newborns. To date, it is not known whether the beneficial effects extend to caregiving procedures that are performed after painful procedures. Our objective was to determine the effect of sucrose analgesia for procedural pain on infant pain responses during a subsequent caregiving procedure. We conducted a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial. Healthy neonates within 2 strata (normal infants and infants of diabetic mothers) were randomly assigned to a sucrose or placebo water group before all needle procedures after birth. Pain response during a diaper change performed after venipuncture for the newborn screening test was determined by using a validated multidimensional measure, the Premature Infant Pain Profile. The study was conducted between September 15, 2003, and July 27, 2004. Altogether, 412 parents were approached; 263 consented. Twenty-three infants were not assigned, leaving 240 for participation (n = 120 per group), with an equal number in each infant strata. Of those, 186 (78%) completed the study. There were no significant differences in birth characteristics between groups. During diaper change, sucrose-treated infants had lower pain scores than placebo-treated infants. The relative risk of having pain, defined as a Premature Infant Pain Profile score of >/=6, was 0.64 with sucrose compared with placebo. This study demonstrates that when used to manage pain, sucrose reduces the pain response to a subsequent routine caregiving procedure. Therefore, the benefits of sucrose analgesia extend beyond the painful event to other aversive and potentially painful procedures.

  15. The Zhongshan Score

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Lin; Guo, Jianming; Wang, Hang; Wang, Guomin

    2015-01-01

    Abstract In the zero ischemia era of nephron-sparing surgery (NSS), a new anatomic classification system (ACS) is needed to adjust to these new surgical techniques. We devised a novel and simple ACS, and compared it with the RENAL and PADUA scores to predict the risk of NSS outcomes. We retrospectively evaluated 789 patients who underwent NSS with available imaging between January 2007 and July 2014. Demographic and clinical data were assessed. The Zhongshan (ZS) score consisted of three parameters. RENAL, PADUA, and ZS scores are divided into three groups, that is, high, moderate, and low scores. For operative time (OT), significant differences were seen between any two groups of ZS score and PADUA score (all P RENAL showed no significant difference between moderate and high complexity in OT, WIT, estimated blood loss, and increase in SCr. Compared with patients with a low score of ZS, those with a high or moderate score had 8.1-fold or 3.3-fold higher risk of surgical complications, respectively (all P RENAL score, patients with a high or moderate score had 5.7-fold or 1.9-fold higher risk of surgical complications, respectively (all P RENAL and PADUA scores. ZS score could be used to reflect the surgical complexity and predict the risk of surgical complications in patients undergoing NSS. PMID:25654399

  16. 36 CFR 64.6 - Application procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... provided for in Attachment M of OMB Circular A-102. An application package developed for this program will... application will include copies of State, county, or city maps showing the geographic location of the project...

  17. Re-Scoring the Game’s Score

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gasselseder, Hans-Peter

    2014-01-01

    This study explores immersive presence as well as emotional valence and arousal in the context of dynamic and non-dynamic music scores in the 3rd person action-adventure video game genre while also considering relevant personality traits of the player. 60 subjects answered self-report questionnai......This study explores immersive presence as well as emotional valence and arousal in the context of dynamic and non-dynamic music scores in the 3rd person action-adventure video game genre while also considering relevant personality traits of the player. 60 subjects answered self......-temporal alignment in the resulting emotional congruency of nondiegetic music. Whereas imaginary aspects of immersive presence are systemically affected by the presentation of dynamic music, sensory spatial aspects show higher sensitivity towards the arousal potential of the music score. It is argued...

  18. Evaluation procedure for radioactive waste treatment processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whitty, W.J.

    1979-11-01

    An aspect of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory's nuclear waste management R and D programs has been to develop an evaluation procedure for radioactive waste treatment processes. This report describes the process evaluation method. Process worth is expressed as a numerical index called the Figure-of-Merit (FOM), which is computed using a hierarchial, linear, additive, scoring model with constant criteria weights and nonlinear value functions. A numerical example is used to demonstrate the procedure and to point out some of its strengths and weaknesses. Potential modifications and extensions are discussed, and an extensive reference list is included

  19. Manual on panoramic gamma irradiators (categories 2 and 4). Incorporating: Applications guide, procedures guide, basics guide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-03-01

    The document is the first revision of a previous one published in 1993 to provide guidance on the safe use and regulation of self-contained gamma irradiators (Co-60 or Cs-137 sources) in different fields of application. It includes three parts: Applications Guide, which describes the main applications of self-contained gamma irradiators, the type of equipment, including safety systems, operation and maintenance, and how to deal with incidents. Procedures Guide, which gives step by step instructions on how to carry out the practice. Basics Guide, which explains the fundamentals of radiation, the system of units, interaction of radiation with matter radiation detection, etc. The manual is aimed primarily at persons handling such radiation sources on a daily routine basis, as well as at the competent authorities for training of workers in radiation protection or for setting up local radiation protection rules.

  20. Manual on panoramic gamma irradiators (categories 2 and 4). Incorporating: Applications guide, procedures guide, basics guide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-01-01

    The document is the first revision of a previous one published in 1993 to provide guidance on the safe use and regulation of self-contained gamma irradiators (Co-60 or Cs-137 sources) in different fields of application. It includes three parts: Applications Guide, which describes the main applications of self-contained gamma irradiators, the type of equipment, including safety systems, operation and maintenance, and how to deal with incidents. Procedures Guide, which gives step by step instructions on how to carry out the practice. Basics Guide, which explains the fundamentals of radiation, the system of units, interaction of radiation with matter radiation detection, etc. The manual is aimed primarily at persons handling such radiation sources on a daily routine basis, as well as at the competent authorities for training of workers in radiation protection or for setting up local radiation protection rules

  1. Safety training and safe operating procedures written for PBFA (Particle Beam Fusion Accelerator) II and applicable to other pulsed power facilities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Donovan, G.L.; Goldstein, S.A.

    1986-12-01

    To ensure that work in advancing pulsed power technology is performed with an acceptably low risk, pulsed power research facilities at Sandia National Laboratories must satisfy general safety guidelines established by the Department of Energy, policies and formats of the Environment, Safety, and Health (ES and H) Department, and detailed procedures formulated by the Pulsed Power Sciences Directorate. The approach to safety training and to writing safe operating procedures, and the procedures presented here are specific to the Particle Beam Fusion Accelerator II (PBFA II) Facility but are applicable as guidelines to other research and development facilities which have similar hazards.

  2. Safety training and safe operating procedures written for PBFA [Particle Beam Fusion Accelerator] II and applicable to other pulsed power facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Donovan, G.L.; Goldstein, S.A.

    1986-12-01

    To ensure that work in advancing pulsed power technology is performed with an acceptably low risk, pulsed power research facilities at Sandia National Laboratories must satisfy general safety guidelines established by the Department of Energy, policies and formats of the Environment, Safety, and Health (ES and H) Department, and detailed procedures formulated by the Pulsed Power Sciences Directorate. The approach to safety training and to writing safe operating procedures, and the procedures presented here are specific to the Particle Beam Fusion Accelerator II (PBFA II) Facility but are applicable as guidelines to other research and development facilities which have similar hazards

  3. College Math Assessment: SAT Scores vs. College Math Placement Scores

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foley-Peres, Kathleen; Poirier, Dawn

    2008-01-01

    Many colleges and university's use SAT math scores or math placement tests to place students in the appropriate math course. This study compares the use of math placement scores and SAT scores for 188 freshman students. The student's grades and faculty observations were analyzed to determine if the SAT scores and/or college math assessment scores…

  4. Get the most from your data: a propensity score model comparison on real-life data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ferdin

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Dennis Ferdinand,1 Mirko Otto,2 Christel Weiss1 1Department of Biomathematics and Medical Statistics, 2Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Mannheim (UMM, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany Purpose: In the past, the propensity score has been in the middle of several discussions in terms of its abilities and limitations. With a comprehensive review and a practical example, this study examines the effect of propensity score analysis of real-life data and introduces a simple and effective clinical approach. Materials and methods: After the authors reviewed current publications, they applied their insights to the data of a nonrandomized clinical trial in bariatric surgery. This study examined weight loss in 173 patients where 127 patients received Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery and 46 patients sleeve gastrectomy. Both groups underwent analysis in terms of their covariate distribution using Mann–Whitney U and χ2 testing. Mean differences within excess weight loss in native data were examined with Student’s t-test. Three propensity score models were defined and matching was performed. Covariate distribution and mean differences in excess weight loss were checked with Mann–Whitney U and χ2 testing. Results: Native data implied a significant difference in excess weight loss. The propensity score models did not confirm this difference. All models proved that both surgical procedures were equal, due to their weight-loss induction. Covariate distribution improved after the matching procedure in terms of an equal distribution. Conclusion: It seemed that a practical clinical approach with outcome-related covariates as a propensity score base is the ideal midpoint between an equal distribution in covariates and an acceptable loss of data. Nevertheless, propensity score models designed with clinical intent seemed to be absolutely suitable for overcoming heterogeneity in covariate distribution. Keywords: nonrandomized clinical

  5. 32 CFR 14.3 - Policies and procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Policies and procedures. 14.3 Section 14.3... QUALIFICATION OF CIVILIAN DEFENSE COUNSEL § 14.3 Policies and procedures. (a) Application procedures. (1... the subject of any sanction or disciplinary action by any court, bar, or other competent governmental...

  6. In-Trail Procedure Air Traffic Control Procedures Validation Simulation Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chartrand, Ryan C.; Hewitt, Katrin P.; Sweeney, Peter B.; Graff, Thomas J.; Jones, Kenneth M.

    2012-01-01

    In August 2007, Airservices Australia (Airservices) and the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) conducted a validation experiment of the air traffic control (ATC) procedures associated with the Automatic Dependant Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) In-Trail Procedure (ITP). ITP is an Airborne Traffic Situation Awareness (ATSA) application designed for near-term use in procedural airspace in which ADS-B data are used to facilitate climb and descent maneuvers. NASA and Airservices conducted the experiment in Airservices simulator in Melbourne, Australia. Twelve current operational air traffic controllers participated in the experiment, which identified aspects of the ITP that could be improved (mainly in the communication and controller approval process). Results showed that controllers viewed the ITP as valid and acceptable. This paper describes the experiment design and results.

  7. A Practical Standardized Composite Nutrition Score Based on Lean Tissue Index: Application in Nutrition Screening and Prediction of Outcome in Hemodialysis Population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Huan-Sheng; Cheng, Chun-Ting; Hou, Chun-Cheng; Liou, Hung-Hsiang; Chang, Cheng-Tsung; Lin, Chun-Ju; Wu, Tsai-Kun; Chen, Chang-Hsu; Lim, Paik-Seong

    2017-07-01

    Rapid screening and monitoring of nutritional status is mandatory in hemodialysis population because of the increasingly encountered nutritional problems. Considering the limitations of previous composite nutrition scores applied in this population, we tried to develop a standardized composite nutrition score (SCNS) using low lean tissue index as a marker of protein wasting to facilitate clinical screening and monitoring and to predict outcome. This retrospective cohort used 2 databases of dialysis populations from Taiwan between 2011 and 2014. First database consisting of data from 629 maintenance hemodialysis patients was used to develop the SCNS and the second database containing data from 297 maintenance hemodialysis patients was used to validate this developed score. SCNS containing albumin, creatinine, potassium, and body mass index was developed from the first database using low lean tissue index as a marker of protein wasting. When applying this score in the original database, significantly higher risk of developing protein wasting was found for patients with lower SCNS (odds ratio 1.38 [middle tertile vs highest tertile, P < .0001] and 2.40 [lowest tertile vs middle tertile, P < .0001]). The risk of death was also shown to be higher for patients with lower SCNS (hazard ratio 4.45 [below median level vs above median level, P < .0001]). These results were validated in the second database. We developed an SCNS consisting of 4 easily available biochemical parameters. This kind of scoring system can be easily applied in different dialysis facilities for screening and monitoring of protein wasting. The wide application of body composition monitor in dialysis population will also facilitate the development of specific nutrition scoring model for individual facility. Copyright © 2017 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Standardized UXO Technology Demonstration Site Open Field Scoring Recording Number 231 (Human Factors Applications, Inc.)

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Overbay, Larry; Robitaille, George

    2005-01-01

    ...) utilizing the APG Standardized UXO Technology Demonstration Site Open Field. The scoring record was coordinated by Larry Overbuy and by the Standardized UXO Technology Demonstration Site Scoring Committee...

  9. Continual Screening of Patients Using mHealth: The Rolling Score Concept Applied to Sleep Medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zluga, Claudio; Modre-Osprian, Robert; Kastner, Peter; Schreier, Günter

    2016-01-01

    Continual monitoring of patients utilizing mHealth-based telemonitoring applications are more and more used for individual management of patients. A new approach in risk assessment called Rolling Score Concept uses standardized questionnaires for continual scoring of individuals' health state through electronic patient reported outcome (ePRO). Using self-rated questionnaires and adding a specific Time Schedule to each question result in a movement of the questionnaires' scores over time, the Rolling Score. A text-processing pipeline was implemented with KNIME analytics platform to extract a Score Mapping Rule Set for three standardized screening questionnaires in the field of sleep medicine. A feasibility study was performed in 10 healthy volunteers equipped with a mHealth application on a smartphone and a sleep tracker. Results show that the proposed Rolling Score Concept is feasible and deviations of scores are in a reasonable range (< 7%), sustaining the new approach. However, further studies are required for verification. In addition, parameter quantification could avoid incorrect subjective evaluation by substitution of questions with sensor data.

  10. MR score system on spatium perilymphaticum gadolinium opacification and its application for diagnosis of Meniere's disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fang Zheming; Liu Ying; Cao Dairong; Chen Xi

    2012-01-01

    Objective: To propose a MR scoring methods for spatium perilymphaticum gadolinium opacification and explore the value of their diagnosis of Meniere's disease. Methods: Fifty-one asymptomatic and 65 symptomatic patients with Meniere's disease were enrolled in this study. MR imaging of spatium perilymphaticum after intratypanic gadolinium injection were analyzed with following scoring method. (1) Semicircular canal not visualized equal to score 0; some visualized equal score 1; full visualized equal score 2.(2)There were high-signal and low-signal in the vestibule, low-signal areas above the lateral semicircular canal plane equal score 6; low signal areas down to lateral semicircular canal plane equal score 3; no higher signal in the vestibule area equal score 0. (3) Basal turn of cochlea: full visualized equal score 3; part visualized equal score 2; scala vestibule of basal turn smaller than scala tympani equal score 1 regardless of full or visualized in basal turn; no visualized equal score 0. Medial turn of cochlea: full visualized equal score 2; part visualized equal score 1; no visualized equal score 0. Apical turn of cochlea: visualized equal score 1; no visualized equal score 0. One radiologist scored all cases with double blind. SPSS 17.0 software was used to conduct multiple independent-samples nonparametric tests, multivariate Logistic regression, and ROC curve analysis. Evaluate the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of Meniere's disease with the scoring system. Results: (1) Meniere's disease summation score 0 to 12, median 9 (quarter spacing 4.5); no symptoms group summation score 15 to 18,median 17 (quarter spacing 3), two group differences has statistics significance (Wilcoxon rank and inspection U=-9.118, P=0.00). (2) Based on summation score for the diagnosis of Meniere's disease, tangent point was 14.5, Youden index 0.969, specificity 100.0%, sensitivity 96.9%.(3) Let cochlear, vestibular, semicircular canal scoring

  11. Application of a Compact High-Definition Exoscope for Illumination and Magnification in High-Precision Surgical Procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krishnan, Kartik G; Schöller, Karsten; Uhl, Eberhard

    2017-01-01

    The basic necessities for surgical procedures are illumination, exposure, and magnification. These have undergone transformation in par with technology. One of the recent developments is the compact magnifying exoscope system. In this report, we describe the application of this system for surgical operations and discuss its advantages and pitfalls. We used the ViTOM exoscope mounted on the mechanical holding arm. The following surgical procedures were conducted: lumbar and cervical spinal canal decompression (n = 5); laminotomy and removal of lumbar migrated disk herniations (n = 4); anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion (n = 1); removal of intraneural schwannomas (n = 2); removal of an acute cerebellar hemorrhage (n = 1); removal of a parafalcine atypical cerebral hematoma caused by a dural arteriovenous fistula (n = 1); and microsutures and anastomoses of a nerve (n = 1), an artery (n = 1), and veins (n = 2). The exoscope offered excellent, magnified, and brilliantly illuminated high-definition images of the surgical field. All surgical operations were successfully completed. The main disadvantage was the adjustment and refocusing using the mechanical holding arm. The time required for the surgical operation under the exoscope was slightly longer than the times required for a similar procedure performed using an operating microscope. The magnifying exoscope is an effective and nonbulky tool for surgical procedures. In visualization around the corners, the exoscope has better potential than a microscope. With technical and technologic modifications, the exoscope might become the next generation in illumination, visualization, exposure, and magnification for high-precision surgical procedures. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Prediction of Mortality after Emergent Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Placement: Use of APACHE II, Child-Pugh and MELD Scores in Asian Patients with Refractory Variceal Hemorrhage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tzeng, Wen Sheng; Wu, Reng Hong; Lin, Ching Yih; Chen, Jyh Jou; Sheu, Ming Juen; Koay, Lok Beng; Lee, Chuan

    2009-01-01

    This study was designed to determine if existing methods of grading liver function that have been developed in non-Asian patients with cirrhosis can be used to predict mortality in Asian patients treated for refractory variceal hemorrhage by the use of the transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedure. Data for 107 consecutive patients who underwent an emergency TIPS procedure were retrospectively analyzed. Acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE II), Child-Pugh and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores were calculated. Survival analyses were performed to evaluate the ability of the various models to predict 30-day, 60-day and 360-day mortality. The ability of stratified APACHE II, Child-Pugh, and MELD scores to predict survival was assessed by the use of Kaplan-Meier analysis with the log-rank test. No patient died during the TIPS procedure, but 82 patients died during the follow-up period. Thirty patients died within 30 days after the TIPS procedure; 37 patients died within 60 days and 53 patients died within 360 days. Univariate analysis indicated that hepatorenal syndrome, use of inotropic agents and mechanical ventilation were associated with elevated 30-day mortality (p 11 or an MELD score > 20 predicted increased risk of death at 30, 60 and 360 days (p 11 or an MELD score > 20 are predictive of mortality in Asian patients with refractory variceal hemorrhage treated with the TIPS procedure. An APACHE II score is not predictive of early mortality in this patient population

  13. Assessment of lung disease in children with cystic fibrosis using hyperpolarized 3-Helium MRI: comparison with Shwachman score, Chrispin-Norman score and spirometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beek, Edwin J.R. van; Hill, Catherine; Woodhouse, Neil; Fichele, Stanislao; Fleming, Sally; Wild, Jim M.; Howe, Bridget; Bott, Sandra; Taylor, Christopher J.

    2007-01-01

    This study assesses the feasibility of hyperpolarized 3-Helium MRI in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) and correlates the findings with standard clinical parameters based on chest radiograph (CXR) and pulmonary function tests (PFT). An uncontrolled, observational study in eighteen children with cystic fibrosis aged 5 - 17 years (median 12.1 years), with different severity of disease was carried out. All subjects underwent routine clinical assessment including PFT and standard auxology; CXR was obtained and Shwachman and Chrispin-Norman scores calculated. Hyperpolarized 3-He magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was carried out using a spin-exchange polarizer and a whole body 1.5 T scanner. Ventilation distribution images were obtained during a 21-second breath-hold and scored according to previously defined criteria. Spearman's non-parametric correlations test was performed to assess for statistical significance at the p<0.05 level. The children tolerated the procedure well. No desaturation events were observed during 3-He MRI. A significant, albeit moderate, correlation was found between MRI score and FEV1% predicted (r=-0.41; p=0.047) and FVC% predicted (r=-0.42; p=0.04), while there were trends of correlations between Shwachman score and MRI score (r=-0.38; p=0.06) and Shwachman score and FEV1% predicted (r=0.39; p=0.055). The feasibility of hyperpolarized 3-He MRI in children with CF was demonstrated. MRI appears to be able to demonstrate functional lung changes, although correlations with routine clinical tests are only moderate to poor. This non-ionising radiation technique could be useful for monitoring lung disease and assessing therapy in this patient population. (orig.)

  14. Assessment of lung disease in children with cystic fibrosis using hyperpolarized 3-Helium MRI: comparison with Shwachman score, Chrispin-Norman score and spirometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beek, Edwin J.R. van [University of Sheffield, Unit of Academic Radiology, Sheffield (United Kingdom); University of Iowa, Department of Radiology, Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City (United States); University of Iowa, Department of Radiology, Iowa City, IA (United States); Hill, Catherine; Woodhouse, Neil; Fichele, Stanislao; Fleming, Sally; Wild, Jim M. [University of Sheffield, Unit of Academic Radiology, Sheffield (United Kingdom); Howe, Bridget; Bott, Sandra; Taylor, Christopher J. [University of Sheffield, Academic Unit of Child Health, Sheffield (United Kingdom)

    2007-04-15

    This study assesses the feasibility of hyperpolarized 3-Helium MRI in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) and correlates the findings with standard clinical parameters based on chest radiograph (CXR) and pulmonary function tests (PFT). An uncontrolled, observational study in eighteen children with cystic fibrosis aged 5 - 17 years (median 12.1 years), with different severity of disease was carried out. All subjects underwent routine clinical assessment including PFT and standard auxology; CXR was obtained and Shwachman and Chrispin-Norman scores calculated. Hyperpolarized 3-He magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was carried out using a spin-exchange polarizer and a whole body 1.5 T scanner. Ventilation distribution images were obtained during a 21-second breath-hold and scored according to previously defined criteria. Spearman's non-parametric correlations test was performed to assess for statistical significance at the p<0.05 level. The children tolerated the procedure well. No desaturation events were observed during 3-He MRI. A significant, albeit moderate, correlation was found between MRI score and FEV1% predicted (r=-0.41; p=0.047) and FVC% predicted (r=-0.42; p=0.04), while there were trends of correlations between Shwachman score and MRI score (r=-0.38; p=0.06) and Shwachman score and FEV1% predicted (r=0.39; p=0.055). The feasibility of hyperpolarized 3-He MRI in children with CF was demonstrated. MRI appears to be able to demonstrate functional lung changes, although correlations with routine clinical tests are only moderate to poor. This non-ionising radiation technique could be useful for monitoring lung disease and assessing therapy in this patient population. (orig.)

  15. Application of prognostic score IPSET-thrombosis in patients with essential thrombocythemia of a Brazilian public service

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luana Magalhães Navarro

    Full Text Available Summary Introduction: In patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET, the vascular complications contribute to morbidity and mortality. To better predict the occurrence of thrombotic events, an International Prognostic Score for Thrombosis in Essential Thrombocythemia (IPSET-thrombosis has recently been proposed. We present the application of this score and compare its results with the usual classification system. Method: We retrospectively evaluated the characteristics and risk factors for thrombosis of 46 patients with a diagnosis of ET seen in the last 6 years at Faculdade de Medicina do ABC (FMABC. Results: Thrombosis in the arterial territory was more prevalent than in venous sites. We observed that cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus, and smoking were also risk factors for thrombosis (p<0.001. Age over 60 years and presence of JAK2 V617F mutation were not associated with the occurrence of thrombotic events. No patient classified by IPSET-thrombosis as low risk had a thrombotic event. Furthermore, using the IPSET-thrombosis scale, we identified two patients who had thrombotic events during follow-up and were otherwise classified in the low-risk group of the traditional classification. Leukocytosis at diagnosis was significantly associated with arterial thrombosis (p=0.02, while splenomegaly was associated with venous thrombotic events (p=0.01. Conclusion: Cardiovascular risk factors and leukocytosis were directly associated with arterial thrombosis. IPSET-thrombosis appears to be better than the traditional classification at identifying lower risk patients who do not need specific therapy.

  16. Mercury and trace element fractionation in Almaden soils by application of different sequential extraction procedures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sanchez, D.M.; Quejido, A.J.; Fernandez, M.; Hernandez, C.; Schmid, T.; Millan, R.; Gonzalez, M.; Aldea, M.; Martin, R.; Morante, R. [CIEMAT, Madrid (Spain)

    2005-04-01

    A comparative evaluation of the mercury distribution in a soil sample from Almaden (Spain) has been performed by applying three different sequential extraction procedures, namely, modified BCR (three steps in sequence), Di Giulio-Ryan (four steps in sequence), and a specific SEP developed at CIEMAT (six steps in sequence). There were important differences in the mercury extraction results obtained by the three procedures according to the reagents applied and the sequence of their application. These findings highlight the difficulty of setting a universal SEP to obtain information on metal fractions of different mobility for any soil sample, as well as the requirement for knowledge about the mineralogical and chemical characteristics of the samples. The specific six-step CIEMAT sequential extraction procedure was applied to a soil profile (Ap, Ah, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons). The distribution of mercury and major, minor, and trace elements in the different fractions were determined. The results indicate that mercury is mainly released with 6 M HCl. The strong association of mercury with crystalline iron oxyhydroxides, present in all the horizons of the profile, and/or the solubility of some mercury compounds in such acid can explain this fact. Minor mercury is found in the fraction assigned to oxidizable matter and in the final insoluble residue (cinnabar). (orig.)

  17. Verification procedures of ultrasonic flow meters for natural gas applications; Procedimento de verificacao de medidores ultra-sonicos para gas natural

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lourenco, Tulio C. [TRANSPETRO, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

    2009-12-19

    In recent years, the use of ultrasonic flow meters for natural gas applications has grown significantly, especially after the issuance of AGA Report 9 and AGA Report 10. The reasons this technology has stood out from the others, such as orifice-plates or turbines, are: accuracy, wide range ability, it is bi-directional, robustness, low maintenance and, mainly, integrated diagnostic parameters, such as sound velocity, signal quality and profile velocity analysis. TRANSPETRO currently operates 56 ultrasonic natural gas flow-meter systems. For operational control applications, 90% of the meters are ultrasonic, of which 85% are provided with internal diagnostic tools through the manufacturer's software. Within this perspective, it is essential and unquestionable that there are procedures and routines for ultrasonic flow-meter verification and analysis, in order to monitor their performance and integrity, in addition to the early identification of potential problems. This paper discusses the practical application of several tools and diagnostic parameters inherent in ultrasonic flow meters in periodical verifications using TRANSPETRO's procedure. (author)

  18. 46 CFR 296.40 - Billing procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... OPERATORS MARITIME SECURITY PROGRAM (MSP) Billing and Payment Procedures § 296.40 Billing procedures. Submission of voucher. For contractors operating under more than one MSP Operating Agreement, the contractor may submit a single monthly voucher applicable to all its MSP Operating Agreements. Each voucher...

  19. Exploring a Source of Uneven Score Equity across the Test Score Range

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huggins-Manley, Anne Corinne; Qiu, Yuxi; Penfield, Randall D.

    2018-01-01

    Score equity assessment (SEA) refers to an examination of population invariance of equating across two or more subpopulations of test examinees. Previous SEA studies have shown that score equity may be present for examinees scoring at particular test score ranges but absent for examinees scoring at other score ranges. No studies to date have…

  20. Application of revised procedure on determining large excess reactivity of operating reactor. Fuel addition method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagao, Yoshiharu

    2002-01-01

    The fuel addition method or the neutron absorption substitution method have been used for determination of large excess multiplication factor of large sized reactors. It has been pointed out, however, that all the experimental methods are possibly not free from the substantially large systematic error up to 20%, when the value of the excess multiplication factor exceeds about 15%Δk. Then, a basic idea of a revised procedure was proposed to cope with the problem, which converts the increase of multiplication factor in an actual core to that in a virtual core by calculation, because its value is in principle defined not for the former but the latter core. This paper proves that the revised procedure is able to be applicable for large sized research and test reactors through the theoretical analyses on the measurements undertaken at the JMTRC and JMTR cores. The values of excess multiplication factor are accurately determined utilizing the whole core calculation by the Monte Carlo code MCNP4A. (author)

  1. Use of Verbal Descriptors, Thermal Scores and Electrical Pulp Testing Scores as Predictors of Tooth Pain Before and After Application of Benzocaine Gels into Cavities of Teeth with Pulpitis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gangarosa, Louis P.; Ciarlone, Alfred E.; Neaverth, Elmer J.; Johnston, Carey A.; Snowden, J. Douglas; Thompson, William O.

    1989-01-01

    A double-blind pilot study was conducted on 27 consenting human volunteers who had irreversible pulpitis associated with persistent toothache pain from open carious lesions. Formulations tested contained either 0, 10%, or 20% benzocaine and were identified only by a numbered code. Before the experiment started, a small amount of a known 5% benzocaine gel was placed for 1 minute on the tongue of each patient to assure a sensation of numbness within the oral cavity. Then the test tooth was washed with a gentle stream of warm water and dried with gauze. A randomly selected test medication was placed into the open cavity and around the gingival margins for 5 minutes. Pre- and posttreatment tests were conducted at the following timed intervals: 0, 5, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75 and 90 minutes. The tests included degree of pain (rated: 0 = none, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = severe); electrical pulp testing (EPT) by a modified, voltage-ramping instrument; and ice water testing (0.5 mL directed quickly onto sound enamel of the tooth and rated: 0 to 4, with 4 being intolerable). After testing, or when pain returned to baseline, endodontic procedures were performed. There was a significant increase (p pulpitis and control teeth, 3) there were no correlations between direction of EPT scores and pain relief, 4) cold water testing was a good predictor of whether or not a tooth had pulpitis, and 5) changes in cold water testing scores after treatment could not be correlated to relief of pain according to verbal descriptors. The effectiveness of benzocaine in relieving toothache pain verifies previous studies; however, a difference between 10% and 20% benzocaine could not be demonstrated probably because of two factors: 1) the present experiment had a small sample size, and 2) there was no direct measurement of duration of local anesthesia. PMID:2490060

  2. Example of an application of an assessment procedure for defects in plant operating in the creep range

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ainsworth, R.; Coleman, M.C.

    1986-10-01

    A worked example is presented to illustrate the application of a CEGB procedure for the assessment of defects in plant that operates within the creep range. The example chosen is a large cylindrical pressure vessel with a fully circumferential crack for which experimental results are available. The example demonstrates that it is straightforward to perform the calculations required in the procedure for the time for structural failure by continuum damage mechanisms, the time for crack incubation and the time for crack growth. It is predicted that crack incubation in the pressure vessel occurs at about one-third of life with the remaining life being taken up by crack growth. The predictions are in close agreement with the experimentally observed incubation, growth and final failure times. (UK)

  3. Female sexual function following a novel transobturator sling procedure without paraurethral dissection (modified-TOT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Burak Arslan

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Purpose To determine whether there is a difference in sexual function after modified and classical TOT procedures. Materials and Methods Of the 80 sexually active women with SUI, 36 underwent an original outside-in TOT as described by Delorme, and 44 underwent modified TOT procedure, between 2011 and 2015. The severity of incontinence and sexual function were evaluated using International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF and Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI questionnaires preoperatively and 3 months after surgery. Results The postoperative ICIQ-SF score was significantly lower than the preoperative ICIQ-SF score in both groups (p=0.004 for modified TOT and p=0.002 for classical TOT. There was no significant difference in the ICIQ-SF score reduction between the two groups (14.1±2.1 vs. 14.4±1.9; p=0.892. Complication rates according to the Clavien-Dindo classification were also similar in both groups. In both groups, difference between preoperative and postoperative FSFI scores revealed a statistically significant improvement in all domains. Comparison of postoperative 3-month FSFI scores of modified and classical TOT groups showed statistically significant differences in arousal, lubrication and orgasm domains. Desire, satisfaction, pain and total FSFI scores did not differ significantly between two groups. Conclusion The modified TOT technique is a simple, reliable and minimal invasive procedure. The cure rate of incontinence and complication rates are the same as those of the classical TOT technique. However, due to the positive effects of minimal tissue damage on sexual arousal and orgasmic function, modified TOT has an advantage over the classical TOT.

  4. Association Between Allergies and Psychiatric Disorders in Patients Undergoing Invasive Procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aberle, Dwight; Wu, Stephanie E; Oklu, Rahmi; Erinjeri, Joseph; Deipolyi, Amy R

    Associations between allergies and psychiatric disorders have been reported in the context of depression and suicide; psychiatric disorders may affect pain perception. To investigate the relationship of allergies with psychiatric disorders and pain perception in the context of invasive procedures, specifically during tunneled hemodialysis catheter placement. We identified 89 patients (51 men, 38 women), mean age 66 years (range: 23-96), who underwent tunneled hemodialysis catheter placement (1/2014-2/2015), recording numeric rating scale pain scores, medications, psychiatric history, allergies, and smoking status. Of 89 patients, 47 patients had no allergies, and 42 had ≥1 allergy. Patients with allergies were more likely to have a pre-existing psychiatric disorder compared to those without allergies, odds ratio 2.6 (95% CI: 1.0-6.8). Having allergies did not affect procedural sedation or postprocedural pain scores. Multiple logistic regression with age, sex, smoking, presence of allergies, psychiatric history, inpatient/outpatient status, procedure time, and procedural sedation administration as inputs and postprocedural pain as the outcome showed that the only independent predictor was receiving procedural sedation (P = 0.005). Findings corroborate anecdotal reports of allergies as a marker for psychiatric history. However, having allergies was not associated with increased pain or need for more sedation. Further studies could prospectively assess whether allergies and psychiatric disorders affect patient/doctor perceptions beyond pain during invasive procedures. Copyright © 2017 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Measuring Biological Age via Metabonomics: The Metabolic Age Score.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hertel, Johannes; Friedrich, Nele; Wittfeld, Katharina; Pietzner, Maik; Budde, Kathrin; Van der Auwera, Sandra; Lohmann, Tobias; Teumer, Alexander; Völzke, Henry; Nauck, Matthias; Grabe, Hans Jörgen

    2016-02-05

    Chronological age is one of the most important risk factors for adverse clinical outcome. Still, two individuals at the same chronological age could have different biological aging states, leading to different individual risk profiles. Capturing this individual variance could constitute an even more powerful predictor enhancing prediction in age-related morbidity. Applying a nonlinear regression technique, we constructed a metabonomic measurement for biological age, the metabolic age score, based on urine data measured via (1)H NMR spectroscopy. We validated the score in two large independent population-based samples by revealing its significant associations with chronological age and age-related clinical phenotypes as well as its independent predictive value for survival over approximately 13 years of follow-up. Furthermore, the metabolic age score was prognostic for weight loss in a sample of individuals who underwent bariatric surgery. We conclude that the metabolic age score is an informative measurement of biological age with possible applications in personalized medicine.

  6. Scoring systems of severity in patients with multiple trauma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rapsang, Amy Grace; Shyam, Devajit Chowlek

    2015-04-01

    Trauma is a major cause of morbidity and mortality; hence severity scales are important adjuncts to trauma care in order to characterize the nature and extent of injury. Trauma scoring models can assist with triage and help in evaluation and prediction of prognosis in order to organise and improve trauma systems. Given the wide variety of scoring instruments available to assess the injured patient, it is imperative that the choice of the severity score accurately match the application. Even though trauma scores are not the key elements of trauma treatment, they are however, an essential part of improvement in triage decisions and in identifying patients with unexpected outcomes. This article provides the reader with a compendium of trauma severity scales along with their predicted death rate calculation, which can be adopted in order to improve decision making, trauma care, research and in comparative analyses in quality assessment. Copyright © 2013 AEC. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  7. SU-C-BRD-02: A Team Focused Clinical Implementation and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis of HDR Skin Brachytherapy Using Valencia and Leipzig Surface Applicators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sayler, E; Harrison, A; Eldredge-Hindy, H; Dinome, J; Munro, S; Anne, R; Comber, E; Lockamy, V

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: and Leipzig applicators (VLAs) are single-channel brachytherapy surface applicators used to treat skin lesions up to 2cm diameter. Source dwell times can be calculated and entered manually after clinical set-up or ultrasound. This procedure differs dramatically from CT-based planning; the novelty and unfamiliarity could lead to severe errors. To build layers of safety and ensure quality, a multidisciplinary team created a protocol and applied Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to the clinical procedure for HDR VLA skin treatments. Methods: team including physicists, physicians, nurses, therapists, residents, and administration developed a clinical procedure for VLA treatment. The procedure was evaluated using FMEA. Failure modes were identified and scored by severity, occurrence, and detection. The clinical procedure was revised to address high-scoring process nodes. Results: Several key components were added to the clinical procedure to minimize risk probability numbers (RPN): -Treatments are reviewed at weekly QA rounds, where physicians discuss diagnosis, prescription, applicator selection, and set-up. Peer review reduces the likelihood of an inappropriate treatment regime. -A template for HDR skin treatments was established in the clinical EMR system to standardize treatment instructions. This reduces the chances of miscommunication between the physician and planning physicist, and increases the detectability of an error during the physics second check. -A screen check was implemented during the second check to increase detectability of an error. -To reduce error probability, the treatment plan worksheet was designed to display plan parameters in a format visually similar to the treatment console display. This facilitates data entry and verification. -VLAs are color-coded and labeled to match the EMR prescriptions, which simplifies in-room selection and verification. Conclusion: Multidisciplinary planning and FMEA increased delectability and

  8. 5 CFR 339.303 - Examination procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Examination procedures. 339.303 Section... QUALIFICATION DETERMINATIONS Medical Examinations § 339.303 Examination procedures. (a) When an agency orders or offers a medical examination under this subpart, it must inform the applicant or employee in writing of...

  9. Spacecraft COst REduction Team (SCORE): TQM/CI on a massive scale

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bullard, Jerry D.

    1992-01-01

    The business of building satellites and space systems has matured. Few missions require, or can afford, excellent performance at any price. The new paradigm is doing more with less, providing quality systems at lower cost--in other words, doing our job 'Faster-Better-Cheaper.' The TRW Spacecraft COst REduction (SCORE) initiative was launched in 1990 by Daniel S. Goldin, then general manager of TRW's Space & Technology Group. The SCORE mission is to apply continuous improvement (CI) techniques to effect major reductions in the cost (our primary goal) and span time (as a corollary) required for the production of spacecraft. SCORE is a multi-year initiative that is having a profound effect on both the procedural and the cultural aspects of how we do business. The objectives of this initiative are being realized. The focus of this paper is not on the results of SCORE per se, but rather on the things we have leaned about how to do continuous improvement on a massive scale, with multilevel (hierarchical) CI teams. The following sections summarize the chronology of the SCORE initiative, from team formation to development of the year-end report for 1991. Lessons learned, the core of this presentation, are discussed--with particular focus on the unique aspects of SCORE. The SCORE initiative is continuing and, as a part of our evolving culture, will never end. It has resulted in profound insights into the way we do work and (the topic at hand) how to do CI for large and complex multidisciplinary development activities.

  10. Evaluation of Cardiovascular Risk Scores Applied to NASA's Astronant Corps

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jain, I.; Charvat, J. M.; VanBaalen, M.; Lee, L.; Wear, M. L.

    2014-01-01

    In an effort to improve cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction, this analysis evaluates and compares the applicability of multiple CVD risk scores to the NASA Astronaut Corps which is extremely healthy at selection.

  11. Application procedures and analysis examples of the SIE ASME-NH program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Seok Hoon; Koo, G. H.; Kim, J. B.

    2010-12-01

    In this report, the design rule of the ASME-NH Code was briefly summarized and the application procedures of SIE ASME-NH program were analysed, the analysis examples were described. The SIE ASME-NH program was developed according to the ASME Code Section III Subsection NH rules to perform the primary stress limits, the accumulated inelastic strain limits and the creep fatigue damage evaluations in the structural design of nuclear power plants operating with high temperatures over creep temperature at normal operating conditions. In the analysis examples, the benchmark problem for the high temperature reactor vessel which was discussed in the SIE ASME-NH user's seminar was described. Also, the preliminary structural analysis of an Advanced Burner Test Reactor internal structure was described. Considering the load combinations of the various cycle types submitted from significant operating conditions, the integrity of a reactor internal structure was reviewed according to the stress and strain limits of the ASME-NH rules and the analysis and evaluation results were summarized

  12. Recurrent Stroke: The Value of the CHA2DS2VASc Score and the Essen Stroke Risk Score in a Nationwide Stroke Cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andersen, Søren Due; Gorst-Rasmussen, Anders; Lip, Gregory Y H; Bach, Flemming W; Larsen, Torben Bjerregaard

    2015-09-01

    The CHA2DS2VASc score and the Essen Stroke Risk Score are respectively used for risk stratification in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with cerebrovascular incidents. We aimed to test the ability of the 2 scores to predict stroke recurrence, death, and cardiovascular events (stroke, transient ischemic attack, myocardial infarction, or arterial thromboembolism) in a nationwide Danish cohort study, among patients with incident ischemic stroke and no atrial fibrillation. We conducted a registry-based study in patients with incident ischemic stroke and no atrial fibrillation. Patients were stratified according to the CHA2DS2VASc score and the Essen Stroke Risk Score and were followed up until stroke recurrence or death. We estimated stratified incidence rates and hazard ratios and calculated the cumulative risks. 42 182 patients with incident ischemic stroke with median age 70.1 years were included. The overall 1-year incidence rates of recurrent stroke, death, and cardiovascular events were 3.6%, 10.5%, and 6.7%, respectively. The incidence rates, the hazard ratios, and the cumulative risk of all outcomes increased with increasing risk scores. C-statistics for both risk scores were around 0.55 for 1-year stroke recurrence and cardiovascular events and correspondingly for death around 0.67 for both scores. In this cohort of non-atrial fibrillation patients with incident ischemic stroke, increasing CHA2DS2VASc score and Essen Stroke Risk Score was associated with increasing risk of recurrent stroke, death, and cardiovascular events. Their discriminatory performance was modest and further refinements are required for clinical application. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

  13. Step Complexity Measure for Emergency Operating Procedures - Determining Weighting Factors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Jinkyun; Jung, Wondea; Kim, Jaewhan; Ha, Jaejoo

    2003-01-01

    In complex systems, such as nuclear power plants (NPPs) or airplane control systems, human error has been regarded as the primary cause of many events. Therefore, to ensure system safety, extensive effort has been made to identify the significant factors that can cause human error. According to related studies, written manuals or operating procedures are revealed as one of the important factors, and the understandability is pointed out as one of the major reasons for procedure-related human errors.Many qualitative checklists have been suggested to evaluate emergency operating procedures (EOPs) of NPPs so as to minimize procedure-related human errors. However, since qualitative evaluations using checklists have some drawbacks, a quantitative measure that can quantify the complexity of EOPs is indispensable.From this necessity, Park et al. suggested the step complexity (SC) measure to quantify the complexity of procedural steps included in EOPs. To verify the appropriateness of the SC measure, averaged step performance time data obtained from emergency training records of the loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) and the excess steam demand event were compared with estimated SC scores. However, although averaged step performance time data and estimated SC scores show meaningful correlation, some important issues such as determining proper weighting factors have to be clarified to ensure the appropriateness of the SC measure. These were not properly dealt with due to a lack of backup data.In this paper, to resolve one of the important issues, emergency training records are additionally collected and analyzed in order to determine proper weighting factors. The total number of collected records is 66, and the training scenarios cover five emergency conditions including the LOCA, the steam generator tube rupture, the loss of all feedwater, the loss of off-site power, and the station blackout. From these records, average step performance time data are retrieved, and new

  14. Deceleration in maturation of bone during adolescent age in achondroplasia - a retrospective study using RUS scoring system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Suk-Ha; Modi, Hitesh N.; Suh, Seung Woo; Song, Hae-Ryong; Hazra, Sunit; Modi, Chetna

    2009-01-01

    Knowledge of bone age in achondroplasia is required for the prediction of adult height, timings of limb lengthening, and epiphysiodesis procedures. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the differences in skeletal age in achondroplasia and a control population with the Tanner-Whitehouse 3 method using the RUS score and to determine the right age for the interventional procedure for limb lengthening procedure or deformity correction in these patients. Left hand radiographs of 34 patients (age range, 5-18 years) with achondroplasia were evaluated for skeletal age using the RUS scoring system, which were compared with the left hand radiographs of 41 patients (age range, 5-18 years) without achondroplasia measuring skeletal age. The difference in chronological age and RUS bone age were evaluated statistically according to gender and age group. In the achondroplasia group, chronological age were 10.5±4.3 years for males and 10.1±3.6 years for females and RUS bone age were 9.2±4.0 years for males and 8.9±3.4 years for females, which showed statistically significantly difference (males p=0.0003 and females p 10 years in the study group, while 0.1±1.1 for 10 years in the control group, which also showed >statistically significant difference ( 10 years p 10 years in achondroplasia patients compared to nonachondroplasia patients. We recommend the use of the Tanner-Whitehouse 3 method especially the radius, ulna, short bone score to measure the skeletal age and to wait for a longer time before interventional procedures in achondroplasia patients. (orig.)

  15. A baseline-free procedure for transformation models under interval censorship.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Ming Gao; Sun, Liuquan; Zuo, Guoxin

    2005-12-01

    An important property of Cox regression model is that the estimation of regression parameters using the partial likelihood procedure does not depend on its baseline survival function. We call such a procedure baseline-free. Using marginal likelihood, we show that an baseline-free procedure can be derived for a class of general transformation models under interval censoring framework. The baseline-free procedure results a simplified and stable computation algorithm for some complicated and important semiparametric models, such as frailty models and heteroscedastic hazard/rank regression models, where the estimation procedures so far available involve estimation of the infinite dimensional baseline function. A detailed computational algorithm using Markov Chain Monte Carlo stochastic approximation is presented. The proposed procedure is demonstrated through extensive simulation studies, showing the validity of asymptotic consistency and normality. We also illustrate the procedure with a real data set from a study of breast cancer. A heuristic argument showing that the score function is a mean zero martingale is provided.

  16. Human and server docking prediction for CAPRI round 30-35 using LZerD with combined scoring functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Lenna X; Kim, Hyungrae; Esquivel-Rodriguez, Juan; Roy, Amitava; Han, Xusi; Shin, Woong-Hee; Zhang, Jian; Terashi, Genki; Lee, Matt; Kihara, Daisuke

    2017-03-01

    We report the performance of protein-protein docking predictions by our group for recent rounds of the Critical Assessment of Prediction of Interactions (CAPRI), a community-wide assessment of state-of-the-art docking methods. Our prediction procedure uses a protein-protein docking program named LZerD developed in our group. LZerD represents a protein surface with 3D Zernike descriptors (3DZD), which are based on a mathematical series expansion of a 3D function. The appropriate soft representation of protein surface with 3DZD makes the method more tolerant to conformational change of proteins upon docking, which adds an advantage for unbound docking. Docking was guided by interface residue prediction performed with BindML and cons-PPISP as well as literature information when available. The generated docking models were ranked by a combination of scoring functions, including PRESCO, which evaluates the native-likeness of residues' spatial environments in structure models. First, we discuss the overall performance of our group in the CAPRI prediction rounds and investigate the reasons for unsuccessful cases. Then, we examine the performance of several knowledge-based scoring functions and their combinations for ranking docking models. It was found that the quality of a pool of docking models generated by LZerD, that is whether or not the pool includes near-native models, can be predicted by the correlation of multiple scores. Although the current analysis used docking models generated by LZerD, findings on scoring functions are expected to be universally applicable to other docking methods. Proteins 2017; 85:513-527. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. High-Throughput Scoring of Seed Germination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ligterink, Wilco; Hilhorst, Henk W M

    2017-01-01

    High-throughput analysis of seed germination for phenotyping large genetic populations or mutant collections is very labor intensive and would highly benefit from an automated setup. Although very often used, the total germination percentage after a nominated period of time is not very informative as it lacks information about start, rate, and uniformity of germination, which are highly indicative of such traits as dormancy, stress tolerance, and seed longevity. The calculation of cumulative germination curves requires information about germination percentage at various time points. We developed the GERMINATOR package: a simple, highly cost-efficient, and flexible procedure for high-throughput automatic scoring and evaluation of germination that can be implemented without the use of complex robotics. The GERMINATOR package contains three modules: (I) design of experimental setup with various options to replicate and randomize samples; (II) automatic scoring of germination based on the color contrast between the protruding radicle and seed coat on a single image; and (III) curve fitting of cumulative germination data and the extraction, recap, and visualization of the various germination parameters. GERMINATOR is a freely available package that allows the monitoring and analysis of several thousands of germination tests, several times a day by a single person.

  18. 10 CFR 72.150 - Instructions, procedures, and drawings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Instructions, procedures, and drawings. 72.150 Section 72... WASTE Quality Assurance § 72.150 Instructions, procedures, and drawings. The licensee, applicant for a... documented instructions, procedures, or drawings of a type appropriate to the circumstances and shall require...

  19. Optimizing Travel Time to Outpatient Interventional Radiology Procedures in a Multi-Site Hospital System Using a Google Maps Application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mandel, Jacob E; Morel-Ovalle, Louis; Boas, Franz E; Ziv, Etay; Yarmohammadi, Hooman; Deipolyi, Amy; Mohabir, Heeralall R; Erinjeri, Joseph P

    2018-02-20

    The purpose of this study is to determine whether a custom Google Maps application can optimize site selection when scheduling outpatient interventional radiology (IR) procedures within a multi-site hospital system. The Google Maps for Business Application Programming Interface (API) was used to develop an internal web application that uses real-time traffic data to determine estimated travel time (ETT; minutes) and estimated travel distance (ETD; miles) from a patient's home to each a nearby IR facility in our hospital system. Hypothetical patient home addresses based on the 33 cities comprising our institution's catchment area were used to determine the optimal IR site for hypothetical patients traveling from each city based on real-time traffic conditions. For 10/33 (30%) cities, there was discordance between the optimal IR site based on ETT and the optimal IR site based on ETD at non-rush hour time or rush hour time. By choosing to travel to an IR site based on ETT rather than ETD, patients from discordant cities were predicted to save an average of 7.29 min during non-rush hour (p = 0.03), and 28.80 min during rush hour (p travel time when more than one location providing IR procedures is available within the same hospital system.

  20. Development and validation of a clinically applicable score to classify cachexia stages in advanced cancer patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Ting; Wang, Bangyan; Liu, Huiquan; Yang, Kaixiang; Thapa, Sudip; Zhang, Haowen; Li, Lu

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Background Cachexia is a multifactorial syndrome that is highly prevalent in advanced cancer patients and leads to progressive functional impairments. The classification of cachexia stages is essential for diagnosing and treating cachexia. However, there is a lack of simple tools with good discrimination for classifying cachexia stages. Therefore, our study aimed to develop a clinically applicable cachexia staging score (CSS) and validate its discrimination of clinical outcomes for different cachexia stages. Methods Advanced cancer patients were enrolled in our study. A CSS comprising the following five components was developed: weight loss, a simple questionnaire of sarcopenia (SARC‐F), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, appetite loss, and abnormal biochemistry. According to the CSS, patients were classified into non‐cachexia, pre‐cachexia, cachexia, and refractory cachexia stages, and clinical outcomes were compared among the four groups. Results Of the 297 participating patients, data from 259 patients were ultimately included. Based on the CSS, patients were classified into non‐cachexia (n = 69), pre‐cachexia (n = 68), cachexia (n = 103), and refractory cachexia (n = 19) stages. Patients with more severe cachexia stages had lower skeletal muscle indexes (P = 0.002 and P = 0.004 in male and female patients, respectively), higher prevalence of sarcopenia (P = 0.017 and P = 0.027 in male and female patients, respectively), more severe symptom burden (P cachexia stages. This score is extremely useful for the clinical treatment and prognosis of cachexia and for designing clinical trials. PMID:29372594

  1. Sensitivity of lod scores to changes in diagnostic status.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hodge, S E; Greenberg, D A

    1992-05-01

    This paper investigates effects on lod scores when one individual in a data set changes diagnostic or recombinant status. First we examine the situation in which a single offspring in a nuclear family changes status. The nuclear-family situation, in addition to being of interest in its own right, also has general theoretical importance, since nuclear families are "transparent"; that is, one can track genetic events more precisely in nuclear families than in complex pedigrees. We demonstrate that in nuclear families log10 [(1-theta)/theta] gives an upper limit on the impact that a single offspring's change in status can have on the lod score at that recombination fraction (theta). These limits hold for a fully penetrant dominant condition and fully informative marker, in either phase-known or phase-unknown matings. Moreover, log10 [(1-theta)/theta] (where theta denotes the value of theta at which Zmax occurs) gives an upper limit on the impact of a single offspring's status change on the maximum lod score (Zmax). In extended pedigrees, in contrast to nuclear families, no comparable limit can be set on the impact of a single individual on the lod score. Complex pedigrees are subject to both stabilizing and destabilizing influences, and these are described. Finally, we describe a "sensitivity analysis," in which, after all linkage analysis is completed, every informative individual in the data set is changed, one at a time, to see the effect which each separate change has on the lod scores. The procedure includes identifying "critical individuals," i.e., those who would have the greatest impact on the lod scores, should their diagnostic status in fact change. To illustrate use of the sensitivity analysis, we apply it to the large bipolar pedigree reported by Egeland et al. and Kelsoe et al. We show that the changes in lod scores observed there, on the order of 1.1-1.2 per person, are not unusual. We recommend that investigators include a sensitivity analysis as a

  2. Report from a quality assurance program on patients undergoing the MILD procedure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durkin, Brian; Romeiser, Jamie; Shroyer, A Laurie W; Schiller, Robin; Bae, Jin; Davis, Raphael P; Peyster, Robert; Benveniste, Helene

    2013-05-01

    To characterize trends in pain and functional outcomes and identify risk factors in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) and neurogenic claudication undergoing the "Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression" (MILD) procedure. Retrospective observational cohort study. Academic multidisciplinary pain center at Stony Brook Medicine. Patients undergoing the MILD procedure from October 2010 to November 2012. De-identified perioperative, pain and function related data for 50 patients undergoing MILD were extracted from the Center for Pain Management's quality assessment database. Data included numerical rating scale (NRS), symptom severity and physical function (Zurich Claudication Questionnaire), functional status (Oswestry Disability Index [ODI]), pain interference scores (National Institutes of Health Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System [PROMIS]), and patients' self-reported low back and lower extremity pain distribution. No MILD patient incurred procedure-related complications. Average NRS scores decreased postoperatively and 64.3% of patients reported less pain at 3 months. Clinically meaningful functional ODI improvements of at least 20% from baseline were present in 25% of the patients at 6 months. Preliminary analysis of changes in PROMIS scores at 3 months revealed that pre-MILD "severe" lumbar canal stenosis may be associated with high risk of "no improvement." No such impact was observed for NRS or ODI outcomes. Overall, pain is reduced and functional status improved in LSS patients following the MILD procedure at 3 and 6 months. Given the small sample size, it is not yet possible to identify patient subgroups at risk for "no improvement." Continued follow-up of longer-term outcomes appears warranted to develop evidence-based patient selection criteria. Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. WebScore: An Effective Page Scoring Approach for Uncertain Web Social Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shaojie Qiao

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available To effectively score pages with uncertainty in web social networks, we first proposed a new concept called transition probability matrix and formally defined the uncertainty in web social networks. Second, we proposed a hybrid page scoring algorithm, called WebScore, based on the PageRank algorithm and three centrality measures including degree, betweenness, and closeness. Particularly,WebScore takes into a full consideration of the uncertainty of web social networks by computing the transition probability from one page to another. The basic idea ofWebScore is to: (1 integrate uncertainty into PageRank in order to accurately rank pages, and (2 apply the centrality measures to calculate the importance of pages in web social networks. In order to verify the performance of WebScore, we developed a web social network analysis system which can partition web pages into distinct groups and score them in an effective fashion. Finally, we conducted extensive experiments on real data and the results show that WebScore is effective at scoring uncertain pages with less time deficiency than PageRank and centrality measures based page scoring algorithms.

  4. Mobile health technology transforms injury severity scoring in South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spence, Richard Trafford; Zargaran, Eiman; Hameed, S Morad; Navsaria, Pradeep; Nicol, Andrew

    2016-08-01

    The burden of data collection associated with injury severity scoring has limited its application in areas of the world with the highest incidence of trauma. Since January 2014, electronic records (electronic Trauma Health Records [eTHRs]) replaced all handwritten records at the Groote Schuur Hospital Trauma Unit in South Africa. Data fields required for Glasgow Coma Scale, Revised Trauma Score, Kampala Trauma Score, Injury Severity Score (ISS), and Trauma Score-Injury Severity Score calculations are now prospectively collected. Fifteen months after implementation of eTHR, the injury severity scores were compared as predictors of mortality on three accounts: (1) ability to discriminate (area under receiver operating curve, ROC); (2) ability to calibrate (observed versus expected ratio, O/E); and (3) feasibility of data collection (rate of missing data). A total of 7460 admissions were recorded by eTHR from April 1, 2014 to July 7, 2015, including 770 severely injured patients (ISS > 15) and 950 operations. The mean age was 33.3 y (range 13-94), 77.6% were male, and the mechanism of injury was penetrating in 39.3% of cases. The cohort experienced a mortality rate of 2.5%. Patient reserve predictors required by the scores were 98.7% complete, physiological injury predictors were 95.1% complete, and anatomic injury predictors were 86.9% complete. The discrimination and calibration of Trauma Score-Injury Severity Score was superior for all admissions (ROC 0.9591 and O/E 1.01) and operatively managed patients (ROC 0.8427 and O/E 0.79). In the severely injured cohort, the discriminatory ability of Revised Trauma Score was superior (ROC 0.8315), but no score provided adequate calibration. Emerging mobile health technology enables reliable and sustainable injury severity scoring in a high-volume trauma center in South Africa. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Predicting long-term mortality after Fontan procedures: A risk score based on 6707 patients from 28 studies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Alsaied, Tarek; Bokma, Jouke P.; Engel, Mark E.; Kuijpers, Joey M.; Hanke, Samuel P.; Zuhlke, Liesl; Zhang, Bin; Veldtman, Gruschen R.

    2017-01-01

    Reported long-term outcome measures vary greatly between studies in Fontan patients making comprehensive appraisal of mortality hazard challenging. We sought to create a clinical risk score to assist monitoring of Fontan patients in the outpatient setting. A systematic review was conducted to

  6. Supervision as the procedure applicable in the case of bankruptcy ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The article is devoted to the monitoring procedure used in the bankruptcy case. The procedures used in the insolvency (bankruptcy) case are examined and analyzed. Bankruptcy is the debtor's inability recognized by the court of arbitration or the debtor's inability to fully satisfy the creditors' claims for monetary obligations ...

  7. ReaderBench Learns Dutch: Building a Comprehensive Automated Essay Scoring System for Dutch Language

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dascalu, Mihai; Westera, Wim; Ruseti, Stefan; Trausan-Matu, Stefan; Kurvers, Hub

    2018-01-01

    Automated Essay Scoring has gained a wider applicability and usage with the integration of advanced Natural Language Processing techniques which enabled in-depth analyses of discourse in order capture the specificities of written texts. In this paper, we introduce a novel Automatic Essay Scoring

  8. Evaluating the Validity and Applicability of Automated Essay Scoring in Two Massive Open Online Courses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erin Dawna Reilly

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available The use of massive open online courses (MOOCs to expand students’ access to higher education has raised questions regarding the extent to which this course model can provide and assess authentic, higher level student learning. In response to this need, MOOC platforms have begun utilizing automated essay scoring (AES systems that allow students to engage in critical writing and free-response activities. However, there is a lack of research investigating the validity of such systems in MOOCs. This research examined the effectiveness of an AES tool to score writing assignments in two MOOCs. Results indicated that some significant differences existed between Instructor grading, AES-Holistic scores, and AES-Rubric Total scores within two MOOC courses. However, use of the AES system may still be useful given instructors’ assessment needs and intent. Findings from this research have implications for instructional technology administrators, educational designers, and instructors implementing AES learning activities in MOOC courses.

  9. Conceptual scoring of receptive and expressive vocabulary measures in simultaneous and sequential bilingual children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gross, Megan; Buac, Milijana; Kaushanskaya, Margarita

    2014-11-01

    The authors examined the effects of conceptual scoring on the performance of simultaneous and sequential bilinguals on standardized receptive and expressive vocabulary measures in English and Spanish. Participants included 40 English-speaking monolingual children, 39 simultaneous Spanish-English bilingual children, and 19 sequential bilingual children, ages 5-7. The children completed standardized receptive and expressive vocabulary measures in English and also in Spanish for those who were bilingual. After the standardized administration, bilingual children were given the opportunity to respond to missed items in their other language to obtain a conceptual score. Controlling for group differences in socioeconomic status (SES), both simultaneous and sequential bilingual children scored significantly below monolingual children on single-language measures of English receptive and expressive vocabulary. Conceptual scoring removed the significant difference between monolingual and simultaneous bilingual children in the receptive modality but not in the expressive modality; differences remained between monolingual and sequential bilingual children in both modalities. However, in both bilingual groups, conceptual scoring increased the proportion of children with vocabulary scores within the average range. Conceptual scoring does not fully ameliorate the bias inherent in single-language standardized vocabulary measures for bilingual children, but the procedures employed here may assist in ruling out vocabulary deficits, particularly in typically developing simultaneous bilingual children.

  10. Measuring variability of procedure progression in proceduralized scenarios

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Yochan; Park, Jinkyun; Jung, Wondea

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► The VPP measure was developed to quantify how differently operators follow the procedures. ► Sources that cause variability of ways to follow a given procedure were identified. ► The VPP values for the scenarios are positively related to the scenario performance time. ► The VPP measure is meaningful for explaining characteristics of several PSFs. -- Abstract: Various performance shaping factors (PSFs) have been presented to explain the contributors to unsafe acts in a human failure event or predict a human error probability of new human performance. However, because most of these parameters of an HRA depend on the subjective knowledge and experience of HRA analyzers, the results of an HRA insufficiently provide unbiased standards to explain human performance variations or compare collected data with other data from different analyzers. To secure the validity of the HRA results, we propose a quantitative measure, which represents the variability of procedure progression (VPP) in proceduralized scenarios. A VPP measure shows how differently the operators follow the steps of the procedures. This paper introduces the sources of the VPP measure and relevance to PSFs. The assessment method of the VPP measure is also proposed, and the application examples are shown with a comparison of the performance time. Although more empirical studies should be conducted to reveal the relationship between the VPP measure and other PSFs, it is believed that the VPP measure provides evidence to quantitatively evaluate human performance variations and to cross-culturally compare the collected data.

  11. Development of symptoms-oriented operating procedures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Colquhoun, R.

    1984-01-01

    Until recently, the formal treatment of control room procedures for upset conditions in nuclear power plants has been event-oriented. This orientation was not so much a reflection of power plant operating practice as it was a reflection of design-oriented thinking - design-basis events, therefore event-oriented procedures. Event orientation is not common in other professions. In the medical profession, for example, the stabilization of vital functions through a symptoms-oriented approach has priority over diagnosis and prognosis. The American nuclear power industry has initiated programs for the development and application of a symptoms-oriented approach for handling upset conditions. Canadian programs have independently paralleled the US programs. This article describes the rationale and current applications of the Canadian programs and identifies the relevance of a generic symptoms-based emergency procedure to current operating practices

  12. Construction of an Exome-Wide Risk Score for Schizophrenia Based on a Weighted Burden Test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curtis, David

    2018-01-01

    Polygenic risk scores obtained as a weighted sum of associated variants can be used to explore association in additional data sets and to assign risk scores to individuals. The methods used to derive polygenic risk scores from common SNPs are not suitable for variants detected in whole exome sequencing studies. Rare variants, which may have major effects, are seen too infrequently to judge whether they are associated and may not be shared between training and test subjects. A method is proposed whereby variants are weighted according to their frequency, their annotations and the genes they affect. A weighted sum across all variants provides an individual risk score. Scores constructed in this way are used in a weighted burden test and are shown to be significantly different between schizophrenia cases and controls using a five-way cross-validation procedure. This approach represents a first attempt to summarise exome sequence variation into a summary risk score, which could be combined with risk scores from common variants and from environmental factors. It is hoped that the method could be developed further. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/University College London.

  13. Machine Learning Consensus Scoring Improves Performance Across Targets in Structure-Based Virtual Screening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ericksen, Spencer S; Wu, Haozhen; Zhang, Huikun; Michael, Lauren A; Newton, Michael A; Hoffmann, F Michael; Wildman, Scott A

    2017-07-24

    In structure-based virtual screening, compound ranking through a consensus of scores from a variety of docking programs or scoring functions, rather than ranking by scores from a single program, provides better predictive performance and reduces target performance variability. Here we compare traditional consensus scoring methods with a novel, unsupervised gradient boosting approach. We also observed increased score variation among active ligands and developed a statistical mixture model consensus score based on combining score means and variances. To evaluate performance, we used the common performance metrics ROCAUC and EF1 on 21 benchmark targets from DUD-E. Traditional consensus methods, such as taking the mean of quantile normalized docking scores, outperformed individual docking methods and are more robust to target variation. The mixture model and gradient boosting provided further improvements over the traditional consensus methods. These methods are readily applicable to new targets in academic research and overcome the potentially poor performance of using a single docking method on a new target.

  14. Implementation procedure for a fingerprint based matching and authentication system using filterbank for e-commerce applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choudhry, B.S.; Baloch, A.K.; Pathan, A.H.

    2004-01-01

    The issue of secure online transactions is of almost importance in the present day world of Internet based commercial applications. Accurate authentication of a person before he or she is allowed to use a resource is very important. On the other hand biometrics is fast developing as a reliable and accurate system for person identification. Biometrics can be the answer to most of the security related problems of the online commercial world. Finger based matching and authentication systems are one of the most reliable systems that can be used for security applications. In this paper, we present a detailed description and implementation procedure for a fingerprint based matching and authentication system using Filterbank approach. The algorithm has been found to give good performance for low quality images. (author)

  15. Performance of machine-learning scoring functions in structure-based virtual screening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wójcikowski, Maciej; Ballester, Pedro J; Siedlecki, Pawel

    2017-04-25

    Classical scoring functions have reached a plateau in their performance in virtual screening and binding affinity prediction. Recently, machine-learning scoring functions trained on protein-ligand complexes have shown great promise in small tailored studies. They have also raised controversy, specifically concerning model overfitting and applicability to novel targets. Here we provide a new ready-to-use scoring function (RF-Score-VS) trained on 15 426 active and 893 897 inactive molecules docked to a set of 102 targets. We use the full DUD-E data sets along with three docking tools, five classical and three machine-learning scoring functions for model building and performance assessment. Our results show RF-Score-VS can substantially improve virtual screening performance: RF-Score-VS top 1% provides 55.6% hit rate, whereas that of Vina only 16.2% (for smaller percent the difference is even more encouraging: RF-Score-VS top 0.1% achieves 88.6% hit rate for 27.5% using Vina). In addition, RF-Score-VS provides much better prediction of measured binding affinity than Vina (Pearson correlation of 0.56 and -0.18, respectively). Lastly, we test RF-Score-VS on an independent test set from the DEKOIS benchmark and observed comparable results. We provide full data sets to facilitate further research in this area (http://github.com/oddt/rfscorevs) as well as ready-to-use RF-Score-VS (http://github.com/oddt/rfscorevs_binary).

  16. Propensity scores as a basis for equating groups: basic principles and application in clinical treatment outcome research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    West, Stephen G; Cham, Heining; Thoemmes, Felix; Renneberg, Babette; Schulze, Julian; Weiler, Matthias

    2014-10-01

    A propensity score is the probability that a participant is assigned to the treatment group based on a set of baseline covariates. Propensity scores provide an excellent basis for equating treatment groups on a large set of covariates when randomization is not possible. This article provides a nontechnical introduction to propensity scores for clinical researchers. If all important covariates are measured, then methods that equate on propensity scores can achieve balance on a large set of covariates that mimics that achieved by a randomized experiment. We present an illustration of the steps in the construction and checking of propensity scores in a study of the effectiveness of a health coach versus treatment as usual on the well-being of seriously ill individuals. We then consider alternative methods of equating groups on propensity scores and estimating treatment effects including matching, stratification, weighting, and analysis of covariance. We illustrate a sensitivity analysis that can probe for the potential effects of omitted covariates on the estimate of the causal effect. Finally, we briefly consider several practical and theoretical issues in the use of propensity scores in applied settings. Propensity score methods have advantages over alternative approaches to equating groups particularly when the treatment and control groups do not fully overlap, and there are nonlinear relationships between covariates and the outcome. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

  17. Risk of Venous Thromboembolism and Operative Duration in Patients Undergoing Neurosurgical Procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bekelis, Kimon; Labropoulos, Nicos; Coy, Shannon

    2017-05-01

    The association of operative duration with the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) has not been quantified in neurosurgery. To investigate the association of surgical duration for several neurosurgical procedures and the incidence of VTE. We performed a retrospective cohort study involving patients who underwent neurosurgical procedures from 2005 to 2012 and were registered in the American College of Surgeons National Quality Improvement Project registry. In order to control for confounding, we used multivariable regression models, and propensity score conditioning. During the study period, there were 94 747 patients, who underwent neurosurgical procedures, and met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 1358 (1.0%) developed VTE within 30 days postoperatively. Multivariable logistic regression demonstrated an association of longer operative duration with higher 30-day incidence of VTE (odds ratio [OR], 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19-1.25). Compared with procedures of moderate duration (third quintile, 40-60th percentile), patients undergoing the longest procedures (>80th percentile) had higher odds (OR, 3.15; 95% CI, 2.49-3.99) of developing VTE. The shortest procedures (<20th percentile) were associated with a decreased incidence of VTE (OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.27-0.76) in comparison to those of moderate duration. The same associations were present in propensity score-adjusted models, and models stratified by subgroups of cranial, spinal, peripheral nerve, and carotid procedures. In a cohort of patients from a national prospective surgical registry, increased operative duration was associated with increased incidence of VTE for neurosurgical procedures. These results can be used by neurosurgeons to inform operative management, and to stratify patients with regard to VTE risk. Copyright © 2016 by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons

  18. BANKING RETAIL CONSUMER FINANCE DATA GENERATOR – CREDIT SCORING DATA REPOSITORY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karol Przanowski

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents two cases of random banking data generators based on migration matrices and scoring rules. The banking data generator is a breakthrough in researches aimed at finding a method to compare various credit scoring techniques. These data are very useful for various analyses to understand the complexity of banking processes in a better way and are also of use for students and their researches. Another application can be in the case of small samples, e.g. when historical data are too fresh or are connected with the processing of a small number of exposures. In these cases a data generator can extend a sample to an adequate size for advanced analysis. The influence of one cyclic macro-economic variable on client characteristics and their stability over time is analyzed. Some stimulating conclusions for crisis behavior are presented, namely that if a crisis is impacted by both factors: application and behavioral, then it is very difficult to clearly indicate these factors in a typical scoring analysis and the crisis becomes widespread in every kind of risk report.

  19. An analytical inductor design procedure for three-phase PWM converters in power factor correction applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kouchaki, Alireza; Niroumand, Farideh Javidi; Haase, Frerk

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents an analytical method for designing the inductor of three-phase power factor correction converters (PFCs). The complex behavior of the inductor current complicates the inductor design procedure as well as the core loss and copper loss calculations. Therefore, this paper analyze...... to calculate the core loss in the PFC application. To investigate the impact of the dc link voltage level, two inductors for different dc voltage levels are designed and the results are compared.......This paper presents an analytical method for designing the inductor of three-phase power factor correction converters (PFCs). The complex behavior of the inductor current complicates the inductor design procedure as well as the core loss and copper loss calculations. Therefore, this paper analyzes...... circuit is used to provide the inductor current harmonic spectrum. Therefore, using the harmonic spectrum, the low and high frequency copper losses are calculated. The high frequency minor B-H loops in one switching cycle are also analyzed. Then, the loss map provided by the measurement setup is used...

  20. 7 CFR 1205.520 - Procedure for obtaining reimbursement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... application forms may be filed. In any such case, the reimbursement application shall show the names... Cotton Board shall make reimbursement to the importer. For joint applications, the reimbursement shall be... procedures prescribed in this section. (a) Application form. An importer shall obtain a reimbursement...

  1. Painful procedures can affect post-natal growth and neurodevelopment in preterm infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coviello, Caterina; Popple Martinez, Marina; Drovandi, Livia; Corsini, Iuri; Leonardi, Valentina; Lunardi, Clara; Antonelli, Carla; Pratesi, Simone; Dani, Carlo

    2018-05-01

    This Italian study evaluated whether painful procedures during the first four weeks of life were related to subsequent weight gain, head circumference (HC) and neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants, METHODS: We evaluated the number of invasive procedures that infants born at less than 32 weeks of gestational age (GA) underwent in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Careggi Hospital, Florence, from January to December 2015. Weight and HC were recorded at birth, 36 weeks of PMA and six and 12 months of CA. Neurological outcomes were assessed at six and 12 months of CA using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development - Third Edition. We studied 83 preterm infants with a GA of 28 ± 2 weeks and birth weight of 1098 ± 340 g. A higher number of invasive painful procedures were related to a lower HC standard deviation score at 36 weeks of PMA and six and 12 months of CA and with lower cognitive scores at six months. At 12 months, the relationship only remained significant for infants born at less than 28 weeks (p growth and short-term cognitive scores in preterm infants in the first year of life. ©2018 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Manual on self-contained gamma irradiators (categories 1 and 3). Incorporating: Applications guide, procedures guide, basics guide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-01-01

    The document is the first revision of a previous one published in 1993 to provide guidance on the safe use and regulation of panoramic gamma irradiators (Co-60 or Cs-137 sources) in different fields of application. It includes three parts: Applications Guide, which describes the main applications of panoramic gamma irradiators, the type of equipment, including safety systems, operation and maintenance, and how to deal with incidents. Procedures Guide, which gives step by step instructions on how to carry out the practice. Basics Guide, which explains the fundamentals of radiation, the system of units, interaction of radiation with matter radiation detection, etc. and which is common to all documents in the series. The manual is aimed primarily at persons handling such radiation sources on a daily routine basis, as well as at the competent authorities for training of workers in radiation protection or for setting up local radiation protection rules

  3. A Comparison of Two Scoring Methods for an Automated Speech Scoring System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xi, Xiaoming; Higgins, Derrick; Zechner, Klaus; Williamson, David

    2012-01-01

    This paper compares two alternative scoring methods--multiple regression and classification trees--for an automated speech scoring system used in a practice environment. The two methods were evaluated on two criteria: construct representation and empirical performance in predicting human scores. The empirical performance of the two scoring models…

  4. NCACO-score: An effective main-chain dependent scoring function for structure modeling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dong Xiaoxi

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Development of effective scoring functions is a critical component to the success of protein structure modeling. Previously, many efforts have been dedicated to the development of scoring functions. Despite these efforts, development of an effective scoring function that can achieve both good accuracy and fast speed still presents a grand challenge. Results Based on a coarse-grained representation of a protein structure by using only four main-chain atoms: N, Cα, C and O, we develop a knowledge-based scoring function, called NCACO-score, that integrates different structural information to rapidly model protein structure from sequence. In testing on the Decoys'R'Us sets, we found that NCACO-score can effectively recognize native conformers from their decoys. Furthermore, we demonstrate that NCACO-score can effectively guide fragment assembly for protein structure prediction, which has achieved a good performance in building the structure models for hard targets from CASP8 in terms of both accuracy and speed. Conclusions Although NCACO-score is developed based on a coarse-grained model, it is able to discriminate native conformers from decoy conformers with high accuracy. NCACO is a very effective scoring function for structure modeling.

  5. Relation between task complexity and variability of procedure progression during an emergency operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Yochan; Park, Jinkyun; Jung, Wondea

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • The relation between task complexity and the variability of procedure progression was investigated. • The two quantitative measures, TACOM and VPP, were applied to this study. • The task complexity was positively related with the operator’s procedural variability. • The VPP measure can be useful for explaining the operator’s behaviors. - Abstract: In this study, the relation between task complexity and variability of procedure progression during an emergency operation was investigated by comparing the two quantitative measures. To this end, the TACOM measure and VPP measure were applied to evaluate the complexity of tasks and variability of procedure progression, respectively. The TACOM scores and VPP scores were obtained for 60 tasks in the OPERA database, and a correlation analysis between two measures and a multiple regression analysis between the sub-measures of the TACOM measure and VPP measure were conducted. The results showed that the TACOM measure is positively associated with the VPP measure, and the abstraction hierarchy complexity mainly affected the variability among the sub-measures of TACOM. From these findings, it was discussed that the task complexity is related to an operator’s procedural variability and VPP measure can be useful for explaining the operator’s behaviors

  6. 6 CFR 25.9 - Procedures for certification of approved products for Homeland Security.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... Procedures for certification of approved products for Homeland Security. (a) Application Procedure. An applicant seeking a Certification of anti-terrorism Technology as an Approved Product for Homeland Security... application for renewal must be made using the “Application for Certification of an Approved Product for...

  7. Ethics Requirement Score: new tool for evaluating ethics in publications

    Science.gov (United States)

    dos Santos, Lígia Gabrielle; Fonseca, Ana Carolina da Costa e; Bica, Claudia Giuliano

    2014-01-01

    Objective To analyze ethical standards considered by health-related scientific journals, and to prepare the Ethics Requirement Score, a bibliometric index to be applied to scientific healthcare journals in order to evaluate criteria for ethics in scientific publication. Methods Journals related to healthcare selected by the Journal of Citation Reports™ 2010 database were considered as experimental units. Parameters related to publication ethics were analyzed for each journal. These parameters were acquired by analyzing the author’s guidelines or instructions in each journal website. The parameters considered were approval by an Internal Review Board, Declaration of Helsinki or Resolution 196/96, recommendations on plagiarism, need for application of Informed Consent Forms with the volunteers, declaration of confidentiality of patients, record in the database for clinical trials (if applicable), conflict of interest disclosure, and funding sources statement. Each item was analyzed considering their presence or absence. Result The foreign journals had a significantly higher Impact Factor than the Brazilian journals, however, no significant results were observed in relation to the Ethics Requirement Score. There was no correlation between the Ethics Requirement Score and the Impact Factor. Conclusion Although the Impact Factor of foreigner journals was considerably higher than that of the Brazilian publications, the results showed that the Impact Factor has no correlation with the proposed score. This allows us to state that the ethical requirements for publication in biomedical journals are not related to the comprehensiveness or scope of the journal. PMID:25628189

  8. Ethics Requirement Score: new tool for evaluating ethics in publications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos, Lígia Gabrielle dos; Costa e Fonseca, Ana Carolina da; Bica, Claudia Giuliano

    2014-01-01

    To analyze ethical standards considered by health-related scientific journals, and to prepare the Ethics Requirement Score, a bibliometric index to be applied to scientific healthcare journals in order to evaluate criteria for ethics in scientific publication. Journals related to healthcare selected by the Journal of Citation Reports™ 2010 database were considered as experimental units. Parameters related to publication ethics were analyzed for each journal. These parameters were acquired by analyzing the author's guidelines or instructions in each journal website. The parameters considered were approval by an Internal Review Board, Declaration of Helsinki or Resolution 196/96, recommendations on plagiarism, need for application of Informed Consent Forms with the volunteers, declaration of confidentiality of patients, record in the database for clinical trials (if applicable), conflict of interest disclosure, and funding sources statement. Each item was analyzed considering their presence or absence. The foreign journals had a significantly higher Impact Factor than the Brazilian journals, however, no significant results were observed in relation to the Ethics Requirement Score. There was no correlation between the Ethics Requirement Score and the Impact Factor. Although the Impact Factor of foreigner journals was considerably higher than that of the Brazilian publications, the results showed that the Impact Factor has no correlation with the proposed score. This allows us to state that the ethical requirements for publication in biomedical journals are not related to the comprehensiveness or scope of the journal.

  9. Memory in pediatric patients undergoing conscious sedation for aversive medical procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pringle, Beverly; Dahlquist, Lynnda M; Eskenazi, Allen

    2003-05-01

    This study investigated preserved memory in 26 pediatric cancer patients (65% boys, 77% Caucasian, mean age = 12.5 years) undergoing midazolam-induced conscious sedation during painful medical procedures to treat hematological or oncological diseases. The sedative midazolam had a significant anterograde amnesic effect on participants' performance on a visual recognition (explicit) memory task but not on a visual perceptual facilitation (implicit) memory task. That implicit memory scores were relatively unaffected while explicit memory scores deteriorated significantly indicates that leaning occurred while participants were sedated, even when participants did not recollect the learning event. These findings, which replicate those of M. R. Polster, R. A. McCarthy, G. O'Sullivan, P. A. Gray, and G. R. Park (1993) in a study of adults, have implications for the development and treatment of conditioned anxiety reactions associated with aversive medical procedures.

  10. The Rectal Cancer Female Sexuality Score

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thyø, Anne; Emmertsen, Katrine J; Laurberg, Søren

    2018-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Sexual dysfunction and impaired quality of life is a potential side effect to rectal cancer treatment. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to develop and validate a simple scoring system intended to evaluate sexual function in women treated for rectal cancer. DESIGN......: This is a population-based cross-sectional study. SETTINGS: Female patients diagnosed with rectal cancer between 2001 and 2014 were identified by using the Danish Colorectal Cancer Group's database. Participants filled in the validated Sexual Function Vaginal Changes questionnaire. Women declared to be sexually active...... in the validation group. PATIENTS: Female patients with rectal cancer above the age of 18 who underwent abdominoperineal resection, Hartmann procedure, or total/partial mesorectal excision were selected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measured was the quality of life that was negatively affected because...

  11. Relationship between framingham risk score and coronary artery calcium score in asymptomatic Korean individuals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heo, So Young; Park, Noh Hyuck; Park, Chan Sub; Seong, Su Ok

    2016-01-01

    We explored the association between Framingham risk score (FRS) and coronary artery calcium score (CACS) in asymptomatic Korean individuals. We retrospectively analyzed 2216 participants who underwent routine health screening and CACS using the 64-slice multidetector computed tomography between January 2010 and June 2014. Relationship between CACS and FRS, and factors associated with discrepancy between CACS and FRS were analyzed. CACS and FRS were positively correlated (p < 0.0001). However, in 3.7% of participants with low coronary event risk and high CACS, age, male gender, smoker, hypertension, total cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, and body mass index (BMI; ≥ 35) were associated with the discrepancy. In the diagnostic prediction model for discrepancy, the receiver operating characteristic curve including factors associated with FRS, diastolic blood pressure (≥ 75 mm Hg), diabetes mellitus, and BMI (≥ 35) showed that the area under the curve was 0.854 (95% confidence interval, 0.819–0.890), indicating good sensitivity. Diabetes mellitus or obesity (BMI ≥ 35) compensate for the weakness of FRS and may be potential indicators for application of CACS in asymptomatic Koreans with low coronary event risk

  12. Relationship between framingham risk score and coronary artery calcium score in asymptomatic Korean individuals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heo, So Young; Park, Noh Hyuck; Park, Chan Sub; Seong, Su Ok [Dept. of Radiology, Myongji Hospital, Seonam University College of Medicine, Goyang (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-02-15

    We explored the association between Framingham risk score (FRS) and coronary artery calcium score (CACS) in asymptomatic Korean individuals. We retrospectively analyzed 2216 participants who underwent routine health screening and CACS using the 64-slice multidetector computed tomography between January 2010 and June 2014. Relationship between CACS and FRS, and factors associated with discrepancy between CACS and FRS were analyzed. CACS and FRS were positively correlated (p < 0.0001). However, in 3.7% of participants with low coronary event risk and high CACS, age, male gender, smoker, hypertension, total cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, and body mass index (BMI; ≥ 35) were associated with the discrepancy. In the diagnostic prediction model for discrepancy, the receiver operating characteristic curve including factors associated with FRS, diastolic blood pressure (≥ 75 mm Hg), diabetes mellitus, and BMI (≥ 35) showed that the area under the curve was 0.854 (95% confidence interval, 0.819–0.890), indicating good sensitivity. Diabetes mellitus or obesity (BMI ≥ 35) compensate for the weakness of FRS and may be potential indicators for application of CACS in asymptomatic Koreans with low coronary event risk.

  13. GERMINATOR: a software package for high-throughput scoring and curve fitting of Arabidopsis seed germination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joosen, Ronny V L; Kodde, Jan; Willems, Leo A J; Ligterink, Wilco; van der Plas, Linus H W; Hilhorst, Henk W M

    2010-04-01

    Over the past few decades seed physiology research has contributed to many important scientific discoveries and has provided valuable tools for the production of high quality seeds. An important instrument for this type of research is the accurate quantification of germination; however gathering cumulative germination data is a very laborious task that is often prohibitive to the execution of large experiments. In this paper we present the germinator package: a simple, highly cost-efficient and flexible procedure for high-throughput automatic scoring and evaluation of germination that can be implemented without the use of complex robotics. The germinator package contains three modules: (i) design of experimental setup with various options to replicate and randomize samples; (ii) automatic scoring of germination based on the color contrast between the protruding radicle and seed coat on a single image; and (iii) curve fitting of cumulative germination data and the extraction, recap and visualization of the various germination parameters. The curve-fitting module enables analysis of general cumulative germination data and can be used for all plant species. We show that the automatic scoring system works for Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica spp. seeds, but is likely to be applicable to other species, as well. In this paper we show the accuracy, reproducibility and flexibility of the germinator package. We have successfully applied it to evaluate natural variation for salt tolerance in a large population of recombinant inbred lines and were able to identify several quantitative trait loci for salt tolerance. Germinator is a low-cost package that allows the monitoring of several thousands of germination tests, several times a day by a single person.

  14. Green Port / Eco Port Project - Applications and Procedures in Turkey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akgul, Burak

    2017-12-01

    As being the heartlands of international trade, sea ports are the junction points of land and sea routes. The growth of global trade has led to the development of number and capacity as well as the service quality of ports. The policies and procedures applied during construction, operation and development of ports under development with environmental considerations scope has evolved in accordance with the needs of global trends. Although maritime transportation provides the most ecofriendly transportation method, the reduction of potential environmental threats and continuous improvement of ports and their vicinity is paramount from environmental concerns with regards to the international environmental standards. In the context of the study, national and international legal regulations governing the control of the environmental impacts of the activity groups causing pollution in Turkey based sea ports were viewed. In addition, the models applied during the measurement and documentation of environmental impacts were investigated. The most important aspects in terms of the effectiveness of the environmental management models are legal regulations. However, the standards applied at the ports without any legal obligation, such as EcoPorts applications, ISO 14001 standard, and the EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) were sought in the scope of the study. The boundaries of the study were determined as the EU based Environmental Management Systems and the Green Port/Eco Port Project which is being administered by the Turkish Ministry of Transport, Maritime and Communication. “Marport”, which is Turkey’s first certified Green Port / Eco Port is designated as the experimental study site. In addition, the provisions in the ports of ESPO member countries are approached in order to compare the effectiveness and applicability of Green Port / Eco Port Project.

  15. Credit scoring analysis using kernel discriminant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Widiharih, T.; Mukid, M. A.; Mustafid

    2018-05-01

    Credit scoring model is an important tool for reducing the risk of wrong decisions when granting credit facilities to applicants. This paper investigate the performance of kernel discriminant model in assessing customer credit risk. Kernel discriminant analysis is a non- parametric method which means that it does not require any assumptions about the probability distribution of the input. The main ingredient is a kernel that allows an efficient computation of Fisher discriminant. We use several kernel such as normal, epanechnikov, biweight, and triweight. The models accuracy was compared each other using data from a financial institution in Indonesia. The results show that kernel discriminant can be an alternative method that can be used to determine who is eligible for a credit loan. In the data we use, it shows that a normal kernel is relevant to be selected for credit scoring using kernel discriminant model. Sensitivity and specificity reach to 0.5556 and 0.5488 respectively.

  16. Short-term effect of TVT-SECUR procedure on quality of life and sexual function in women with stress urinary incontinence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Xiang; Zhu, Lan; Zhong, Wen; Li, Bin; Lang, Jinghe

    2013-01-01

    To investigate whether patient quality of life and sexual function are improved after the tension-free vaginal tape SECUR (TVT-S) procedure (H-type). Prospective study (Canadian Task Force classification II-3). Single-center hospital. Thirty-three women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) (high urethral mobility) and no concomitant pelvic floor prolapse underwent TVT-S between October 2009 and October 2011. TVT-S procedure. Before and after surgery(6 and 12 months), all patients completed the Chinese version of the Incontinence Quality of Life Questionnaire (I-QOL). In addition, 28 sexually active patients who underwent the TVT-S procedure completed the short-form Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Function Questionnaire (PISQ-12) before and after surgery (6 and 12 months). We used a paired t test to compare I-QOL scores before and after surgery. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the preoperative and postoperative PISQ scores. The objective cure rate was 78% (26 of 33 patients) at 12 months after surgery. The objective improvement rate was 12.1% (4 of 33 patients). The subjective satisfaction rate was 90%. Three operations (9.1%) were considered failures. Two patients underwent a TVT procedure after TVT-S because of recurrence. No patients reported severe pain; the mean (SD) visual analog scale pain score was 1.8 (1.2) after surgery. Only 1 patient (3%) was found to have sling erosion at 12 months postoperatively. The I-QOL score was 28.3 (14.2) before surgery and increased to 69.5 (18.9) at 12 months after the TVT-S procedure. The I-QOL score improved significantly after surgery (p .05). Although the objective cure rate was not high, the TVT-S procedure is a minimally invasive, safe, and effective surgical procedure for treatment of SUI (high urethral mobility) and can improve the quality of life and sexual function in women with SUI. Copyright © 2013 AAGL. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. A procedure for effective Dancoff factor calculation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Milosevic, M.

    2001-01-01

    In this paper, a procedure for Dancoff factors calculation based on equivalence principle and its application in the SCALE-4.3 code system is described. This procedure is founded on principle of conservation of neutron absorption for resolved resonance range in a heterogeneous medium and an equivalent medium consisted of an infinite array of two-region pin cells, where the presence of other fuel rods is taken into account through a Dancoff factor. The neutron absorption in both media is obtained using a fine-group elastic slowing-down calculation. This procedure is implemented in a design oriented lattice physics code, which is applicable for any geometry where the method of collision probability is possible to apply to get a flux solution. Proposed procedure was benchmarked for recent exercise that represents a system with a fuel double heterogeneity, i.e., fuel in solid form (pellets) surrounded by fissile material in solution, and for a 5x5 irregular pressurised water reactor assembly, which requires different Dancoff factors. (author)

  18. Teleconference versus face-to-face scientific peer review of grant application: effects on review outcomes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephen A Gallo

    Full Text Available Teleconferencing as a setting for scientific peer review is an attractive option for funding agencies, given the substantial environmental and cost savings. Despite this, there is a paucity of published data validating teleconference-based peer review compared to the face-to-face process. Our aim was to conduct a retrospective analysis of scientific peer review data to investigate whether review setting has an effect on review process and outcome measures. We analyzed reviewer scoring data from a research program that had recently modified the review setting from face-to-face to a teleconference format with minimal changes to the overall review procedures. This analysis included approximately 1600 applications over a 4-year period: two years of face-to-face panel meetings compared to two years of teleconference meetings. The average overall scientific merit scores, score distribution, standard deviations and reviewer inter-rater reliability statistics were measured, as well as reviewer demographics and length of time discussing applications. The data indicate that few differences are evident between face-to-face and teleconference settings with regard to average overall scientific merit score, scoring distribution, standard deviation, reviewer demographics or inter-rater reliability. However, some difference was found in the discussion time. These findings suggest that most review outcome measures are unaffected by review setting, which would support the trend of using teleconference reviews rather than face-to-face meetings. However, further studies are needed to assess any correlations among discussion time, application funding and the productivity of funded research projects.

  19. Teleconference versus Face-to-Face Scientific Peer Review of Grant Application: Effects on Review Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallo, Stephen A.; Carpenter, Afton S.; Glisson, Scott R.

    2013-01-01

    Teleconferencing as a setting for scientific peer review is an attractive option for funding agencies, given the substantial environmental and cost savings. Despite this, there is a paucity of published data validating teleconference-based peer review compared to the face-to-face process. Our aim was to conduct a retrospective analysis of scientific peer review data to investigate whether review setting has an effect on review process and outcome measures. We analyzed reviewer scoring data from a research program that had recently modified the review setting from face-to-face to a teleconference format with minimal changes to the overall review procedures. This analysis included approximately 1600 applications over a 4-year period: two years of face-to-face panel meetings compared to two years of teleconference meetings. The average overall scientific merit scores, score distribution, standard deviations and reviewer inter-rater reliability statistics were measured, as well as reviewer demographics and length of time discussing applications. The data indicate that few differences are evident between face-to-face and teleconference settings with regard to average overall scientific merit score, scoring distribution, standard deviation, reviewer demographics or inter-rater reliability. However, some difference was found in the discussion time. These findings suggest that most review outcome measures are unaffected by review setting, which would support the trend of using teleconference reviews rather than face-to-face meetings. However, further studies are needed to assess any correlations among discussion time, application funding and the productivity of funded research projects. PMID:23951223

  20. Developing a Cloze Procedure as a Reading Comprehension Achievement Test

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I Ketut Seken

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available The project was concerned with developing a cloze procedure as a reading comprehension achievement test. The subjects were students of the English Department of the Faculty of Letters, State University of Malang, who were halfway in the semester to complete Reading II course. The test was planned and constructed on the foundation of existing theory of cloze test construction. A review of theory concerning reading comprehension, testing reading comprehension, and cloze testing led to the construction of the test, including the decision concerning how to score the test and to interpret the scores. Using a class of 28 students, the test was tried out a week after the mid-semester test was administered by the Reading II teacher. It was found that the test is sufficienty reliable on the basis of a reliability coefficient of .79 through split-half procedure and a coefficient value of .78 by K-R 20. The test also showed high inter-section correlation. The validity of the test was viewed in terms of face, content, and construct. The test scores correlate moderately with those obtained from the mid-semester test by the teacher. Some problems are discussed and a suggestion made with regard to a possible solution to these problems.

  1. Enhance the performance of current scoring functions with the aid of 3D protein-ligand interaction fingerprints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jie; Su, Minyi; Liu, Zhihai; Li, Jie; Li, Yan; Wang, Renxiao

    2017-07-18

    In structure-based drug design, binding affinity prediction remains as a challenging goal for current scoring functions. Development of target-biased scoring functions provides a new possibility for tackling this problem, but this approach is also associated with certain technical difficulties. We previously reported the Knowledge-Guided Scoring (KGS) method as an alternative approach (BMC Bioinformatics, 2010, 11, 193-208). The key idea is to compute the binding affinity of a given protein-ligand complex based on the known binding data of an appropriate reference complex, so the error in binding affinity prediction can be reduced effectively. In this study, we have developed an upgraded version, i.e. KGS2, by employing 3D protein-ligand interaction fingerprints in reference selection. KGS2 was evaluated in combination with four scoring functions (X-Score, ChemPLP, ASP, and GoldScore) on five drug targets (HIV-1 protease, carbonic anhydrase 2, beta-secretase 1, beta-trypsin, and checkpoint kinase 1). In the in situ scoring test, considerable improvements were observed in most cases after application of KGS2. Besides, the performance of KGS2 was always better than KGS in all cases. In the more challenging molecular docking test, application of KGS2 also led to improved structure-activity relationship in some cases. KGS2 can be applied as a convenient "add-on" to current scoring functions without the need to re-engineer them, and its application is not limited to certain target proteins as customized scoring functions. As an interpolation method, its accuracy in principle can be improved further with the increasing knowledge of protein-ligand complex structures and binding affinity data. We expect that KGS2 will become a practical tool for enhancing the performance of current scoring functions in binding affinity prediction. The KGS2 software is available upon contacting the authors.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duthie, Elizabeth A

    2010-06-01

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

  3. The SPOTS System: An Ocular Scoring System Optimized for Use in Modern Preclinical Drug Development and Toxicology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eaton, Joshua Seth; Miller, Paul E; Bentley, Ellison; Thomasy, Sara M; Murphy, Christopher J

    2017-12-01

    To present a semiquantitative ocular scoring system comprising elements and criteria that address many of the limitations associated with systems commonly used in preclinical studies, providing enhanced cross-species applicability and predictive value in modern ocular drug and device development. Revisions to the ocular scoring systems of McDonald-Shadduck and Hackett-McDonald were conducted by board-certified veterinary ophthalmologists at Ocular Services On Demand (OSOD) over the execution of hundreds of in vivo preclinical ocular drug and device development studies and general toxicological investigations. This semiquantitative preclinical ocular toxicology scoring (SPOTS) system was driven by limitations of previously published systems identified by our group's recent review of slit lamp-based scoring systems in clinical ophthalmology, toxicology, and vision science. The SPOTS system provides scoring criteria for the anterior segment, posterior segment, and characterization of intravitreal test articles. Key elements include: standardized slit lamp settings; expansion of criteria to enhance applicability to nonrabbit species; refinement and disambiguation of scoring criteria for corneal opacity, fluorescein staining severity, and aqueous flare; introduction of novel criteria for scoring of aqueous and anterior vitreous cell; and introduction of criteria for findings observed with drugs/devices targeting the posterior segment. A modified Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature (SUN) system is also introduced to facilitate accurate use of SUN's criteria in laboratory species. The SPOTS systems provide criteria that stand to enhance the applicability of semiquantitative scoring criteria to the full range of laboratory species, in the context of modern approaches to ocular therapeutics and drug delivery and drug and device development.

  4. Simple Scoring System to Predict In-Hospital Mortality After Surgery for Infective Endocarditis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gatti, Giuseppe; Perrotti, Andrea; Obadia, Jean-François; Duval, Xavier; Iung, Bernard; Alla, François; Chirouze, Catherine; Selton-Suty, Christine; Hoen, Bruno; Sinagra, Gianfranco; Delahaye, François; Tattevin, Pierre; Le Moing, Vincent; Pappalardo, Aniello; Chocron, Sidney

    2017-07-20

    Aspecific scoring systems are used to predict the risk of death postsurgery in patients with infective endocarditis (IE). The purpose of the present study was both to analyze the risk factors for in-hospital death, which complicates surgery for IE, and to create a mortality risk score based on the results of this analysis. Outcomes of 361 consecutive patients (mean age, 59.1±15.4 years) who had undergone surgery for IE in 8 European centers of cardiac surgery were recorded prospectively, and a risk factor analysis (multivariable logistic regression) for in-hospital death was performed. The discriminatory power of a new predictive scoring system was assessed with the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Score validation procedures were carried out. Fifty-six (15.5%) patients died postsurgery. BMI >27 kg/m 2 (odds ratio [OR], 1.79; P =0.049), estimated glomerular filtration rate 55 mm Hg (OR, 1.78; P =0.032), and critical state (OR, 2.37; P =0.017) were independent predictors of in-hospital death. A scoring system was devised to predict in-hospital death postsurgery for IE (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.780; 95% CI, 0.734-0.822). The score performed better than 5 of 6 scoring systems for in-hospital death after cardiac surgery that were considered. A simple scoring system based on risk factors for in-hospital death was specifically created to predict mortality risk postsurgery in patients with IE. © 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

  5. Procedural pain in neonatal units in Kenya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kyololo, O'Brien Munyao; Stevens, Bonnie; Gastaldo, Denise; Gisore, Peter

    2014-11-01

    To determine the nature and frequency of painful procedures and procedural pain management practices in neonatal units in Kenya. Cross-sectional survey. Level I and level II neonatal units in Kenya. Ninety-five term and preterm neonates from seven neonatal units. Medical records of neonates admitted for at least 24 h were reviewed to determine the nature and frequency of painful procedures performed in the 24 h period preceding data collection (6:00 to 6:00) as well as the pain management interventions (eg, morphine, breastfeeding, skin-to-skin contact, containment, non-nutritive sucking) that accompanied each procedure. Neonates experienced a total of 404 painful procedures over a 24 h period (mean=4.3, SD 2.0; range 1-12); 270 tissue-damaging (mean=2.85, SD 1.1; range 1-6) and 134 non-tissue-damaging procedures (mean=1.41, SD 1.2; range 0-6). Peripheral cannula insertion (27%) and intramuscular injections (22%) were the most common painful procedures. Ventilated neonates and neonates admitted in level II neonatal units had a higher number of painful procedures than those admitted in level I units (mean 4.76 vs 2.96). Only one procedure had a pain intensity score documented; and none had been performed with any form of analgesia. Neonates in Kenya were exposed to numerous tissue-damaging and non-tissue-damaging procedures without any form of analgesia. Our findings suggest that education is needed on how to assess and manage procedural pain in neonatal units in Kenya. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  6. The step complexity measure for emergency operating procedures: measure verification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Jinkyun; Jung, Wondea; Ha, Jaejoo; Park, Changkue

    2002-01-01

    In complex systems, such as nuclear power plants (NPPs) or airplane control systems, human errors play a major role in many accidents. Therefore, to prevent an occurrence of accidents or to ensure system safety, extensive effort has been made to identify significant factors that can cause human errors. According to related studies, written manuals or operating procedures are revealed as one of the most important factors, and the understandability is pointed out as one of the major reasons for procedure-related human errors. Many qualitative checklists are suggested to evaluate emergency operating procedures (EOPs) of NPPs. However, since qualitative evaluations using checklists have some drawbacks, a quantitative measure that can quantify the complexity of EOPs is very necessary to compensate for them. In order to quantify the complexity of steps included in EOPs, Park et al. suggested the step complexity (SC) measure. In addition, to ascertain the appropriateness of the SC measure, averaged step performance time data obtained from emergency training records for the loss of coolant accident and the excess steam dump event were compared with estimated SC scores. Although averaged step performance time data show good correlation with estimated SC scores, conclusions for some important issues that have to be clarified to ensure the appropriateness of the SC measure were not properly drawn because of lack of backup data. In this paper, to clarify remaining issues, additional activities to verify the appropriateness of the SC measure are performed using averaged step performance time data obtained from emergency training records. The total number of available records is 36, and training scenarios are the steam generator tube rupture and the loss of all feedwater. The number of scenarios is 18 each. From these emergency training records, averaged step performance time data for 30 steps are retrieved. As the results, the SC measure shows statistically meaningful

  7. Fusion Imaging for Procedural Guidance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiley, Brandon M; Eleid, Mackram F; Thaden, Jeremy J

    2018-05-01

    The field of percutaneous structural heart interventions has grown tremendously in recent years. This growth has fueled the development of new imaging protocols and technologies in parallel to help facilitate these minimally-invasive procedures. Fusion imaging is an exciting new technology that combines the strength of 2 imaging modalities and has the potential to improve procedural planning and the safety of many commonly performed transcatheter procedures. In this review we discuss the basic concepts of fusion imaging along with the relative strengths and weaknesses of static vs dynamic fusion imaging modalities. This review will focus primarily on echocardiographic-fluoroscopic fusion imaging and its application in commonly performed transcatheter structural heart procedures. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  8. New scoring schema for finding motifs in DNA Sequences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nowzari-Dalini Abbas

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Pattern discovery in DNA sequences is one of the most fundamental problems in molecular biology with important applications in finding regulatory signals and transcription factor binding sites. An important task in this problem is to search (or predict known binding sites in a new DNA sequence. For this reason, all subsequences of the given DNA sequence are scored based on an scoring function and the prediction is done by selecting the best score. By assuming no dependency between binding site base positions, most of the available tools for known binding site prediction are designed. Recently Tomovic and Oakeley investigated the statistical basis for either a claim of dependence or independence, to determine whether such a claim is generally true, and they presented a scoring function for binding site prediction based on the dependency between binding site base positions. Our primary objective is to investigate the scoring functions which can be used in known binding site prediction based on the assumption of dependency or independency in binding site base positions. Results We propose a new scoring function based on the dependency between all positions in biding site base positions. This scoring function uses joint information content and mutual information as a measure of dependency between positions in transcription factor binding site. Our method for modeling dependencies is simply an extension of position independency methods. We evaluate our new scoring function on the real data sets extracted from JASPAR and TRANSFAC data bases, and compare the obtained results with two other well known scoring functions. Conclusion The results demonstrate that the new approach improves known binding site discovery and show that the joint information content and mutual information provide a better and more general criterion to investigate the relationships between positions in the TFBS. Our scoring function is formulated by simple

  9. Dynamical modeling procedure of a Li-ion battery pack suitable for real-time applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Castano, S.; Gauchia, L.; Voncila, E.; Sanz, J.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Dynamical modeling of a 50 A h battery pack composed of 56 cells. • Detailed analysis of SOC tests at realistic performance range imposed by BMS. • We propose an electrical circuit that improves how the battery capacity is modeled. • The model is validated in the SOC range using a real-time experimental setup. - Abstract: This paper presents the modeling of a 50 A h battery pack composed of 56 cells, taking into account real battery performance conditions imposed by the BMS control. The modeling procedure starts with a detailed analysis of experimental charge and discharge SOC tests. Results from these tests are used to obtain the battery model parameters at a realistic performance range (20–80% SOC). The model topology aims to better describe the finite charge contained in a battery pack. The model has been validated at three different SOC values in order to verify the model response at real battery pack operation conditions. The validation tests show that the battery pack model is able to simulate the real battery response with excellent accuracy in the range tested. The proposed modeling procedure is fully applicable to any Li-ion battery pack, regardless of the number of series or parallel cells or its rated capacity

  10. Nevada Applied Ecology Group procedures handbook for environmental transuranics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    White, M.G.; Dunaway, P.B.

    1976-10-01

    The activities of the Nevada Applied Ecology Group (NAEG) integrated research studies of environmental plutonium and other transuranics at the Nevada Test Site have required many standardized field and laboratory procedures. These include sampling techniques, collection and preparation, radiochemical and wet chemistry analysis, data bank storage and reporting, and statistical considerations for environmental samples of soil, vegetation, resuspended particles, animals, and other biological material. This document, printed in two volumes, includes most of the Nevada Applied Ecology Group standard procedures, with explanations as to the specific applications involved in the environmental studies. Where there is more than one document concerning a procedure, it has been included to indicate special studies or applications more complex than the routine standard sampling procedures utilized

  11. Nevada Applied Ecology Group procedures handbook for environmental transuranics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    White, M.G.; Dunaway, P.B.

    1976-10-01

    The activities of the Nevada Applied Ecology Group (NAEG) integrated research studies of environmental plutonium and other transuranics at the Nevada Test Site have required many standardized field and laboratory procedures. These include sampling techniques, collection and preparation, radiochemical and wet chemistry analysis, data bank storage and reporting, and statistical considerations for environmental samples of soil, vegetation, resuspended particles, animals, and others. This document, printed in two volumes, includes most of the Nevada Applied Ecology Group standard procedures, with explanations as to the specific applications involved in the environmental studies. Where there is more than one document concerning a procedure, it has been included to indicate special studies or applications perhaps more complex than the routine standard sampling procedures utilized

  12. River Discharge and Local Scale Habitat Influence LIFE Score Macroinvertebrate LIFE Scores

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dunbar, Michael J.; Pedersen, Morten Lauge; Cadman, Dan

    2010-01-01

    Midlands of the U.K., we describe how local-scale habitat features (indexed through River Habitat Survey or Danish Habitat Quality Survey) and changing river flow (discharge) influence the response of a macroinvertebrate community index. The approach has broad applicability in developing regional flow...... Invertebrate index for Flow Evaluation (LIFE), an average of abundance-weighted flow groups which indicate the microhabitat preferences of each taxon for higher velocities and clean gravel/cobble substrata or slow/still velocities and finer substrata. 3. For the Danish fauna, the LIFE score responded to three...... of the channel (negative). In both cases, LIFE responded negatively to features associated with historical channel modification. We suggest that there are several mechanisms for these relationships, including the narrower tolerances of taxa preferring high velocity habitat; these taxa are also continually...

  13. Radiofrequency Procedures to Relieve Chronic Knee Pain: An Evidence-Based Narrative Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhatia, Anuj; Peng, Philip; Cohen, Steven P

    2016-01-01

    Chronic knee pain from osteoarthritis or following arthroplasty is a common problem. A number of publications have reported analgesic success of radiofrequency (RF) procedures on nerves innervating the knee, but interpretation is hampered by lack of clarity regarding indications, clinical protocols, targets, and longevity of benefit from RF procedures. We reviewed the following medical literature databases for publications on RF procedures on the knee joint for chronic pain: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Google Scholar up to August 9, 2015. Data on scores for pain, validated scores for measuring physical disability, and adverse effects measured at any timepoint after 1 month following the interventions were collected, analyzed, and reported in this narrative review. Thirteen publications on ablative or pulsed RF treatments of innervation of the knee joint were identified. A high success rate of these procedures in relieving chronic pain of the knee joint was reported at 1 to 12 months after the procedures, but only 2 of the publications were randomized controlled trials. There was evidence for improvement in function and a lack of serious adverse events of RF treatments. Radiofrequency treatments on the knee joint (major or periarticular nerve supply or intra-articular branches) have the potential to reduce pain from osteoarthritis or persistent postarthroplasty pain. Ongoing concerns regarding the quality, procedural aspects, and monitoring of outcomes in publications on this topic remain. Randomized controlled trials of high methodological quality are required to further elaborate role of these interventions in this population.

  14. Application of the ATLAS score for evaluating the severity of Clostridium difficile infection in teaching hospitals in Mexico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raúl Hernández-García

    2015-07-01

    Conclusion: The ATLAS score is a potentially useful tool for the routine evaluation of patients at the time of C. difficile infection diagnosis. At 30 days post-diagnosis, patients with a score of ≤3 points had 100% survival while all of those with scores ≥8 died. Patients with scores between 4 and 7 points had a greater probability of colectomy with an overall cure rate of 70.1%.

  15. Application of insights from the IREP analyses to the IREP procedures guide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carlson, D.D.; Murphy, J.A.; Young, J.

    1982-01-01

    One of the objectives of the Interim Reliability Evaluation Program (IREP) was to prepare a set of procedures based on experience gained in the study for use in future IREP-type analyses. The current analyses used a set of procedures and, over the course of the program, a concerted effort was made to develop insights which could improve these procedures. Insights have been gained into the organization and content of th procedures guide, into the performance and management of an IREP analysis, and into the methods to be used in the analysis

  16. Morphologic and functional scoring of cystic fibrosis lung disease using MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eichinger, Monika; Optazaite, Daiva-Elzbieta; Kopp-Schneider, Annette; Hintze, Christian; Biederer, Jürgen; Niemann, Anne; Mall, Marcus A.; Wielpütz, Mark O.; Kauczor, Hans-Ulrich; Puderbach, Michael

    2012-01-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) gains increasing importance in the assessment of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease. The aim of this study was to develop a morpho-functional MR-scoring-system and to evaluate its intra- and inter-observer reproducibility and clinical practicability to monitor CF lung disease over a broad severity range from infancy to adulthood. 35 CF patients with broad age range (mean 15.3 years; range 0.5–42) were examined by morphological and functional MRI. Lobe based analysis was performed for parameters bronchiectasis/bronchial-wall-thickening, mucus plugging, abscesses/sacculations, consolidations, special findings and perfusion defects. The maximum global score was 72. Two experienced radiologists scored the images at two time points (interval 10 weeks). Upper and lower limits of agreement, concordance correlation coefficients (CCC), total deviation index and coverage probability were calculated for global, morphology, function, component and lobar scores. Global scores ranged from 6 to 47. Intra- and inter-reader agreement for global scores were good (CCC: 0.98 (R1), 0.94 (R2), 0.97 (R1/R2)) and were comparable between high and low scores. Our results indicate that the proposed morpho-functional MR-scoring-system is reproducible and applicable for semi-quantitative evaluation of a large spectrum of CF lung disease severity. This scoring-system can be applied for the routine assessment of CF lung disease and maybe as endpoint for clinical trials.

  17. Costs of Clostridium difficile infection in pediatric operations: A propensity score-matching analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kulaylat, Afif N; Rocourt, Dorothy V; Podany, Abigail B; Engbrecht, Brett W; Twilley, Marianne; Santos, Mary C; Cilley, Robert E; Hollenbeak, Christopher S; Dillon, Peter W

    2017-05-01

    The purpose of this analysis was to assess the burden of Clostridium difficile infection in the hospitalized pediatric surgical population and to characterize its influence on the costs of care. There were 313,664 patients age 1-18 years who underwent a general thoracic or abdominal procedure in the Kids' Inpatient Database during 2003, 2006, 2009, and 2012. Logistic regression was used to model factors associated with the development of C difficile infection. A propensity score-matching analysis was performed to evaluate the influence of C difficile infection on mortality, duration of stay, and costs in similar patient cohorts. Population weights were used to estimate the national excess burden of C difficile infection on these outcomes. The overall prevalence of C difficile infection in the sampled cohort was 0.30%, with an increasing trend of C difficile infection over time in non-children's hospitals (P difficile infection was associated with younger age, nonelective procedures, increasing comorbidities, and urban teaching hospital status (P difficile infection after operation. After propensity score matching, the mean excess duration of stay and costs attributable to C difficile infection were 5.8 days and $12,801 (P difficile infection is a relatively uncommon but costly complication after pediatric operative procedures. Given the increasing trend of C difficile infection among hospitalized surgical patients, there is substantial opportunity for reduction of inpatient burden and associated costs in this potentially preventable nosocomial infection. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Application of dissociation curve analysis to radiation hybrid panel marker scoring: generation of a map of river buffalo (B. bubalis chromosome 20

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schäffer Alejandro A

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Fluorescence of dyes bound to double-stranded PCR products has been utilized extensively in various real-time quantitative PCR applications, including post-amplification dissociation curve analysis, or differentiation of amplicon length or sequence composition. Despite the current era of whole-genome sequencing, mapping tools such as radiation hybrid DNA panels remain useful aids for sequence assembly, focused resequencing efforts, and for building physical maps of species that have not yet been sequenced. For placement of specific, individual genes or markers on a map, low-throughput methods remain commonplace. Typically, PCR amplification of DNA from each panel cell line is followed by gel electrophoresis and scoring of each clone for the presence or absence of PCR product. To improve sensitivity and efficiency of radiation hybrid panel analysis in comparison to gel-based methods, we adapted fluorescence-based real-time PCR and dissociation curve analysis for use as a novel scoring method. Results As proof of principle for this dissociation curve method, we generated new maps of river buffalo (Bubalus bubalis chromosome 20 by both dissociation curve analysis and conventional marker scoring. We also obtained sequence data to augment dissociation curve results. Few genes have been previously mapped to buffalo chromosome 20, and sequence detail is limited, so 65 markers were screened from the orthologous chromosome of domestic cattle. Thirty bovine markers (46% were suitable as cross-species markers for dissociation curve analysis in the buffalo radiation hybrid panel under a standard protocol, compared to 25 markers suitable for conventional typing. Computational analysis placed 27 markers on a chromosome map generated by the new method, while the gel-based approach produced only 20 mapped markers. Among 19 markers common to both maps, the marker order on the map was maintained perfectly. Conclusion Dissociation curve

  19. Improved Survival After the Ross Procedure Compared With Mechanical Aortic Valve Replacement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buratto, Edward; Shi, William Y; Wynne, Rochelle; Poh, Chin L; Larobina, Marco; O'Keefe, Michael; Goldblatt, John; Tatoulis, James; Skillington, Peter D

    2018-03-27

    It is unclear whether the Ross procedure offers superior survival compared with mechanical aortic valve replacement (AVR). This study evaluated experience and compared long-term survival between the Ross procedure and mechanical AVR. Between 1992 and 2016, a total of 392 Ross procedures were performed. These were compared with 1,928 isolated mechanical AVRs performed during the same time period as identified using the University of Melbourne and Australia and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons' Cardiac Surgery Databases. Only patients between 18 and 65 years of age were included. Propensity-score matching was performed for risk adjustment. Ross procedure patients were younger, and had fewer cardiovascular risk factors. The Ross procedure was associated with longer cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross-clamp times. Thirty-day mortality was similar (Ross, 0.3%; mechanical, 0.8%; p = 0.5). Ross procedure patients experienced superior unadjusted long-term survival at 20 years (Ross, 95%; mechanical, 68%; p mechanical, 84%; p = 0.018). In this Australian, propensity-score matched study, the Ross procedure was associated with better long-term survival compared with mechanical AVR. In younger patients, with a long life expectancy, the Ross procedure should be considered in centers with sufficient expertise. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Applications of Small Area Estimation to Generalization with Subclassification by Propensity Scores

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Wendy

    2018-01-01

    Policymakers have grown increasingly interested in how experimental results may generalize to a larger population. However, recently developed propensity score-based methods are limited by small sample sizes, where the experimental study is generalized to a population that is at least 20 times larger. This is particularly problematic for methods…

  1. Advances in the EDM-DEDM procedure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caliandro, Rocco; Carrozzini, Benedetta; Cascarano, Giovanni Luca; Giacovazzo, Carmelo; Mazzone, Anna Maria; Siliqi, Dritan

    2009-03-01

    The DEDM (difference electron-density modification) algorithm has been described in a recent paper [Caliandro et al. (2008), Acta Cryst. A64, 519-528]: it breaks down the collinearity between model structure phases and difference structure phase estimates. The new difference electron-density produced by DEDM, summed to the calculated Fourier maps, is expected to provide a representation of the full structure that is more accurate than that obtained by the observed Fourier synthesis. In the same paper, the DEDM algorithm was combined with the EDM (electron-density modification) approach to give the EDM-DEDM procedure which, when applied to practical molecular-replacement cases, was able to improve the model structures. In this paper, it is shown that EDM-DEDM suffers from some critical points that did not allow cyclical application of the procedure. These points are identified and modifications are made to allow iteration of the procedure. The applications indicate that EDM-DEDM may become a fundamental tool in protein crystallography.

  2. A smartphone application for psoriasis segmentation and classification (Conference Presentation)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasefi, Fartash; MacKinnon, Nicholas B.; Horita, Timothy; Shi, Kevin; Khan Munia, Tamanna Tabassum; Tavakolian, Kouhyar; Alhashim, Minhal; Fazel-Rezai, Reza

    2017-02-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease affecting approximately 125 million people worldwide. Currently, dermatologists monitor changes of psoriasis by clinical evaluation or by measuring psoriasis severity scores over time which lead to Subjective management of this condition. The goal of this paper is to develop a reliable assessment system to quantitatively assess the changes of erythema and intensity of scaling of psoriatic lesions. A smartphone deployable mobile application is presented that uses the smartphone camera and cloud-based image processing to analyze physiological characteristics of psoriasis lesions, identify the type and stage of the scaling and erythema. The application targets to automatically evaluate Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) by measuring the severity and extent of psoriasis. The mobile application performs the following core functions: 1) it captures text information from user input to create a profile in a HIPAA compliant database. 2) It captures an image of the skin with psoriasis as well as image-related information entered by the user. 3) The application color correct the image based on environmental lighting condition using calibration process including calibration procedure by capturing Macbeth ColorChecker image. 4) The color-corrected image will be transmitted to a cloud-based engine for image processing. In cloud, first, the algorithm removes the non-skin background to ensure the psoriasis segmentation is only applied to the skin regions. Then, the psoriasis segmentation algorithm estimates the erythema and scaling boundary regions of lesion. We analyzed 10 images of psoriasis images captured by cellphone, determined PASI score for each subject during our pilot study, and correlated it with changes in severity scores given by dermatologists. The success of this work allows smartphone application for psoriasis severity assessment in a long-term treatment.

  3. A comparison between genotyping-by-sequencing and array-based scoring of SNPs for genomic prediction accuracy in winter wheat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elbasyoni, Ibrahim S; Lorenz, A J; Guttieri, M; Frels, K; Baenziger, P S; Poland, J; Akhunov, E

    2018-05-01

    The utilization of DNA molecular markers in plant breeding to maximize selection response via marker-assisted selection (MAS) and genomic selection (GS) has revolutionized plant breeding. A key factor affecting GS applicability is the choice of molecular marker platform. Genotyping-by-sequencing scored SNPs (GBS-scored SNPs) provides a large number of markers, albeit with high rates of missing data. Array scored SNPs are of high quality, but the cost per sample is substantially higher. The objectives of this study were 1) compare GBS-scored SNPs, and array scored SNPs for genomic selection applications, and 2) compare estimates of genomic kinship and population structure calculated using the two marker platforms. SNPs were compared in a diversity panel consisting of 299 hard winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) accessions that were part of a multi-year, multi-environments association mapping study. The panel was phenotyped in Ithaca, Nebraska for heading date, plant height, days to physiological maturity and grain yield in 2012 and 2013. The panel was genotyped using GBS-scored SNPs, and array scored SNPs. Results indicate that GBS-scored SNPs is comparable to or better than Array-scored SNPs for genomic prediction application. Both platforms identified the same genetic patterns in the panel where 90% of the lines were classified to common genetic groups. Overall, we concluded that GBS-scored SNPs have the potential to be the marker platform of choice for genetic diversity and genomic selection in winter wheat. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Aromatherapy for reducing colonoscopy related procedural anxiety and physiological parameters: a randomized controlled study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Pei-Hsin; Peng, Yen-Chun; Lin, Yu-Ting; Chang, Chi-Sen; Ou, Ming-Chiu

    2010-01-01

    Colonoscopy is generally tolerated, some patients regarding the procedure as unpleasant and painful and generally performed with the patient sedated and receiving analgesics. The effect of sedation and analgesia for colonoscopy is limited. Aromatherapy is also applied to gastrointestinal endoscopy to reduce procedural anxiety. There is lack of information about aromatherapy specific for colonoscopy. In this study, we aimed to performed a randomized controlled study to investigate the effect of aromatherapy on relieve anxiety, stress and physiological parameters of colonoscopy. A randomized controlled trail was carried out and collected in 2009 and 2010. The participants were randomized in two groups. Aromatherapy was then carried out by inhalation of Sunflower oil (control group) and Neroli oil (Experimental group). The anxiety index was evaluated by State Trait Anxiety Inventory-state (STAI-S) score before aromatherapy and after colonoscopy as well as the pain index for post-procedural by visual analogue scale (VAS). Physiological indicators, such as blood pressure (systolic and diastolic blood pressure), heart rate and respiratory rate were evaluated before and after aromatherapy. Participates in this study were 27 subjects, 13 in control group and 14 in Neroli group with average age 52.26 +/- 17.79 years. There was no significance of procedural anxiety by STAI-S score and procedural pain by VAS. The physiological parameters showed a significant lower pre- and post-procedural systolic blood pressure in Neroli group than control group. Aromatic care for colonoscopy, although with no significant effect on procedural anxiety, is an inexpensive, effective and safe pre-procedural technique that could decrease systolic blood pressure.

  5. Results of clinical application of the modified maze procedure as concomitant surgery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakker, Robbert C.; Akin, Sakir; Rizopoulos, Dimitris; Kik, Charles; Takkenberg, Johanna J.M.; Bogers, Ad J.J.C.

    2013-01-01

    OBJECTIVES Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The classic cut-and-sew maze procedure is successful in 85–95% of patients. However, the technical complexity has prompted modifications of the maze procedure. The objective of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the clinical safety and efficacy of the maze treatment performed at our institution. METHODS From March 2001 until February 2009, 169 patients underwent a modified maze procedure for atrial fibrillation at the Erasmus MC, Rotterdam. Patient characteristics, surgical procedure and follow-up data were obtained by reviewing the medical charts and consulting with the referring physicians. The efficacy of the procedure as measured by AF recurrence was analysed with a repeated measurements model. The quality of life of the patients was assessed with the SF-36 (a short-form health survey with 36 questions) questionnaire and compared with that of the general Dutch population. RESULTS Of the 169 patients who underwent a modified maze procedure, 163 had their maze procedure as a concomitant procedure. The 30-day mortality rate was 4.7% (n = 8). The rate of post-procedural AF recurrence varied significantly over time (P < 0.0001). Decreased left ventricular function, increased age and higher preoperative creatinine levels were predictors of AF recurrence. Quality of life, as measured with the SF-36 questionnaire, was comparable with that of the Dutch population for all health domains. CONCLUSIONS Concomitant maze is a relatively safe treatment that eliminates atrial fibrillation in the majority of patients, although the probability of recurrent AF increases with the passage of time. Decreased left ventricular function, increased age and higher preoperative creatinine levels are associated with an increased risk of AF recurrence. PMID:23103720

  6. EuroSCORE II and STS as mortality predictors in patients undergoing TAVI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vitor Emer Egypto Rosa

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available SUMMARY Introduction: the EuroSCORE II and STS are the most used scores for surgical risk stratification and indication of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI. However, its role as a tool for mortality prediction in patients undergoing TAVI is still unclear. Objective: to evaluate the performance of the EuroSCORE II and STS as predictors of in-hospital and 30-day mortality in patients undergoing TAVI. Methods: we included 59 symptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis that underwent TAVI between 2010 and 2014. The variables were analyzed using Student's t-test and Fisher's exact test and the discriminative power was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC and area under the curve (AUC with a 95% confidence interval. Results: mean age was 81±7.3 years, 42.3% men. The mean EuroSCORE II was 7.6±7.3 % and STS was 20.7±10.3%. Transfemoral procedure was performed in 88.13%, transapical in 3.38% and transaortic in 8.47%. In-hospital mortality was 10.1% and 30-day mortality was 13.5%. Patients who died had EuroSCORE II and STS higher than the survivors (33.7±16.7vs. 18.6±7.3% p=0,0001 for STS and 13.9±16.1 vs. 4.8±3.8% p=0.0007 for EuroSCORE II. The STS showed an AUC of 0.81 and the EuroSCORE II of 0.77 and there were no differences in the discrimination ability using ROC curves (p=0.72. Conclusion: in this cohort, the STS and EuroSCORE II were predictors of in-hospital and 30-days mortality in patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing TAVI.

  7. Anterior Versus Posterior Approach for Multilevel Degenerative Cervical Disease: A Retrospective Propensity Score-Matched Study of the MarketScan Database.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cole, Tyler; Veeravagu, Anand; Zhang, Michael; Azad, Tej D; Desai, Atman; Ratliff, John K

    2015-07-01

    Retrospective 2:1 propensity score-matched analysis on a national longitudinal database between 2006 and 2010. To compare rates of adverse events, revisions procedure rates, and payment differences in anterior cervical fusion procedures compared with posterior laminectomy and fusion procedures with at least 3 levels of instrumentation. The comparative benefits of anterior versus posterior approach to multilevel degenerative cervical disease remain controversial. Recent systematic reviews have reached conflicting conclusions. We demonstrate the comparative economic and clinical outcomes of anterior and posterior approaches for multilevel cervical degenerative disk disease. We identified 13,662 patients in a national billing claims database who underwent anterior or posterior cervical fusion procedures with 3 or more levels of instrumentation. Cohorts were balanced using 2:1 propensity score matching and outcomes were compared using bivariate analysis. With the exception of dysphagia (6.4% in anterior and 1.4% in posterior), overall 30-day complication rates were lower in the anterior approach group. The rate of any complication excluding dysphagia with anterior approaches was 12.3%, significantly lower (P disease provide clinical advantages over posterior approaches, including lower overall complication rates, revision procedure rates, and decreased length of stay. Anterior approach procedures are also associated with decreased overall payments. These findings must be interpreted in light of limitations inherent to retrospective longitudinal studies including absence of subjective and radiographical outcomes. 3.

  8. Impact of Procedure-Related Complications on Long-term Islet Transplantation Outcome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caiazzo, Robert; Vantyghem, Marie-Christine; Raverdi, Violeta; Bonner, Caroline; Gmyr, Valery; Defrance, Frederique; Leroy, Clara; Sergent, Geraldine; Hubert, Thomas; Ernst, Oliver; Noel, Christian; Kerr-Conte, Julie; Pattou, François

    2015-05-01

    Pancreatic islet transplantation offers a promising biotherapy for the treatment of type 1 diabetes, but this procedure has met significant challenges over the years. One such challenge is to address why primary graft function still remains inconsistent after islet transplantation. Several variables have been shown to affect graft function, but the impact of procedure-related complications on primary and long-term graft functions has not yet been explored. Twenty-six patients with established type 1 diabetes were included in this study. Each patient had two to three intraportal islet infusions to obtain 10,000 islet equivalent (IEQ)/kg in body weight, equaling a total of 68 islet infusions. Islet transplantation consisted of three sequential fresh islet infusions within 3 months. Islet infusions were performed surgically or under ultrasound guidance, depending on patient morphology, availability of the radiology suite, and patient medical history. Prospective assessment of adverse events was recorded and graded using "Common Terminology Criteria for adverse events in Trials of Adult Pancreatic Islet Transplantation." There were no deaths or patients dropouts. Early complications occurred in nine of 68 procedures. β score 1 month after the last graft and optimal graft function (β score ≥7) rate were significantly lower in cases of procedure-related complications (P = 0.02, P = 0.03). Procedure-related complications negatively impacted graft function (P = 0.009) and was an independent predictive factor of long-term graft survival (P = 0.033) in multivariate analysis. Complications occurring during radiologic or surgical intraportal islet transplantation significantly impair primary graft function and graft survival regardless of their severity.

  9. 46 CFR 10.209 - General application procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ..., and notarized oath on Coast Guard-furnished forms, and the evaluation fee required by § 10.219 of this.... (a) The applicant for an MMC, whether original, renewal, duplicate, raise of grade, or a new... contains the general requirements for all applicants. Additional requirements for duplicates, renewals, new...

  10. Learning style preferences of surgical residency applicants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Roger H; Gilbert, Timothy

    2015-09-01

    The learning style preferences of general surgery residents have been previously reported; there is evidence that residents who prefer read/write learning styles perform better on the American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE). However, little is known regarding the learning style preferences of applicants to general surgery residency and their impact on educational outcomes. In this study, the preferred learning styles of surgical residency applicants were determined. We hypothesized that applicant rank data are associated with specific learning style preferences. The Fleming VARK learning styles inventory was offered to all general surgery residency applicants that were interviewed at a university hospital-based program. The VARK model categorizes learners as visual (V), aural (A), read/write (R), kinesthetic (K), or multimodal (MM). Responses on the inventory were scored to determine the preferred learning style for each applicant. Applicant data, including United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) scores, class rank, interview score, and overall final applicant ranking, were examined for association with preferred learning styles. Sixty-seven applicants were interviewed. Five applicants were excluded due to not completing the VARK inventory or having incomplete applicant data. The remaining 62 applicants (92%) were included for analysis. Most applicants (57%) had a multimodal preference. Sixty-nine percent of all applicants had some degree of preference for kinesthetic learning. There were statistically significant differences between applicants of different learning styles in terms of USMLE step 1 scores (P = 0.001) and USMLE step 2 clinical knowledge scores (P = 0.01), but not for class ranks (P = 0.27), interview scores (P = 0.20), or final ranks (P = 0.14). Multiple comparison analysis demonstrated that applicants with aural preferences had higher USMLE 1 scores (233.2) than those with kinesthetic (211.8, P = 0.005) or multimodal

  11. Using Procedure Codes to Define Radiation Toxicity in Administrative Data: The Devil is in the Details.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Anne-Marie; Kuo, Tzy-Mey; Chang, YunKyung; Carpenter, William R; Chen, Ronald C; Sturmer, Til

    2017-05-01

    Systematic coding systems are used to define clinically meaningful outcomes when leveraging administrative claims data for research. How and when these codes are applied within a research study can have implications for the study validity and their specificity can vary significantly depending on treatment received. Data are from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare linked dataset. We use propensity score methods in a retrospective cohort of prostate cancer patients first examined in a recently published radiation oncology comparative effectiveness study. With the narrowly defined outcome definition, the toxicity event outcome rate ratio was 0.88 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval, 0.71-1.08). With the broadly defined outcome, the rate ratio was comparable, with 0.89 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval, 0.76-1.04), although individual event rates were doubled. Some evidence of surveillance bias was suggested by a higher rate of endoscopic procedures the first year of follow-up in patients who received proton therapy compared with those receiving intensity-modulated radiation treatment (11.15 vs. 8.90, respectively). This study demonstrates the risk of introducing bias through subjective application of procedure codes. Careful consideration is required when using procedure codes to define outcomes in administrative data.

  12. Identification of Individuals with Serious Emotional Disturbance Using the Draw a Person: Screening Procedure for Emotional Disturbance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNeish, Timothy J.; Naglieri, Jack A.

    1993-01-01

    Regular education students (n=81) and students with serious emotional disturbance (n=81,) were matched on age (7-13), gender, race, and intelligence. They completed drawings which were scored using the "Draw a Person: Screening Procedure for Emotional Disturbance." Students with emotional disturbance scored significantly higher than did…

  13. Feasibility study of computerized presentation of procedures of a nuclear plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takagawa, Kenichi; Niwa, Yuji; Urakami, Masahiro

    2010-01-01

    Introduction of a digital instrumentation control system is in progress in recent nuclear power plants, and an application of Computer Based Procedures (CBP) is being considered. The Institute of Nuclear Safety System, Incorporated has developed a system for a Computerized Presentation of Procedures (CPP) which corresponds to CBP. By fiscal year 2002, all items in the emergency operation procedures of a model plant were made displayable on the CPP. In 2003, the CPP instead of the paper based procedures was used for trial by the operators of a nuclear power plant in an actual training simulator, and feasibility of its practical application was evaluated. Based on the result, we considered subjects which should be taken into account in the future. As a result, improvements of CPP and its navigation system, etc. to enable operations with multi-procedures in parallel were extracted as primary subjects for introduction of CBP in the future as well as practical application of CPP. (author)

  14. A procedure for the assessment of low frequency noise complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moorhouse, Andy T; Waddington, David C; Adams, Mags D

    2009-09-01

    The development and application of a procedure for the assessment of low frequency noise (LFN) complaints are described. The development of the assessment method included laboratory tests addressing low frequency hearing threshold and the effect on acceptability of fluctuation, and field measurements complemented with interview-based questionnaires. Environmental health departments then conducted a series of six trials with genuine "live" LFN complaints to test the workability and usefulness of the procedure. The procedure includes guidance notes and a pro-forma report with step-by-step instructions. It does not provide a prescriptive indicator of nuisance but rather gives a systematic procedure to help environmental health practitioners to form their own opinion. Examples of field measurements and application of the procedure are presented. The procedure and examples are likely to be of particular interest to environmental health practitioners involved in the assessment of LFN complaints.

  15. 13 CFR 115.65 - General PSB procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false General PSB procedures. 115.65 Section 115.65 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION SURETY BOND GUARANTEE Preferred Surety Bond (PSB) Guarantees § 115.65 General PSB procedures. (a) Retention of information. A PSB Surety must comply with all applicable SBA...

  16. Laparoscopic Whipple procedure: review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gagner, Michel; Palermo, Mariano

    2009-01-01

    Laparoscopic pancreatic surgery represents one of the most advanced applications for laparoscopic surgery currently in use. In the past, minimally invasive techniques were only used for diagnostic laparoscopy, staging of pancreatic cancer, and palliative procedures for unresectable pancreatic cancer. With new advances in technology and instrumentation, some sophisticated procedures are currently available, such as the Whipple procedure, one of the most sophisticated applications of minimally invasive surgery. A review of the literature shows that 146 laparoscopic Whipple procedures have been published worldwide since 1994. The authors analyzed blood loss, mean operating time, hospital stay, conversion rate, mean age, mortality rate, lymph nodes in the pathologic findings, follow up, and complications. Mean age was 59.1 years; mean operating time was 439 min. The average blood loss for the reviewed literature was 143 mL; median hospital stay was 18 days; conversion rate was 46%; number of lymph nodes in the pathologic findings was 19; and mortalities related to the procedure was low, 2 patients (1.3%) and the complication rate was 16% (23/46 patients). Complications included 2 hemorrhages, 4 bowel obstructions, 1 stress ulcer, 1 delay of gastric emptying, 4 pneumonias, and 11 leaks. This review demonstrates that the laparoscopic Whipple procedure is not only feasible but also safe, with low mortality and acceptable rates of complications.

  17. Robust joint score tests in the application of DNA methylation data analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xuan; Fu, Yuejiao; Wang, Xiaogang; Qiu, Weiliang

    2018-05-18

    Recently differential variability has been showed to be valuable in evaluating the association of DNA methylation to the risks of complex human diseases. The statistical tests based on both differential methylation level and differential variability can be more powerful than those based only on differential methylation level. Anh and Wang (2013) proposed a joint score test (AW) to simultaneously detect for differential methylation and differential variability. However, AW's method seems to be quite conservative and has not been fully compared with existing joint tests. We proposed three improved joint score tests, namely iAW.Lev, iAW.BF, and iAW.TM, and have made extensive comparisons with the joint likelihood ratio test (jointLRT), the Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) test, and the AW test. Systematic simulation studies showed that: 1) the three improved tests performed better (i.e., having larger power, while keeping nominal Type I error rates) than the other three tests for data with outliers and having different variances between cases and controls; 2) for data from normal distributions, the three improved tests had slightly lower power than jointLRT and AW. The analyses of two Illumina HumanMethylation27 data sets GSE37020 and GSE20080 and one Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC data set GSE107080 demonstrated that three improved tests had higher true validation rates than those from jointLRT, KS, and AW. The three proposed joint score tests are robust against the violation of normality assumption and presence of outlying observations in comparison with other three existing tests. Among the three proposed tests, iAW.BF seems to be the most robust and effective one for all simulated scenarios and also in real data analyses.

  18. Application of the ATLAS score for evaluating the severity of Clostridium difficile infection in teaching hospitals in Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernández-García, Raúl; Garza-González, Elvira; Miller, Mark; Arteaga-Muller, Giovanna; Galván-de los Santos, Alejandra María; Camacho-Ortiz, Adrián

    2015-01-01

    For clinicians, a practical bedside tool for severity assessment and prognosis of patients with Clostridium difficile infection is a highly desirable unmet medical need. Two general teaching hospitals in northeast Mexico. Adult patients with C. difficile infection. Prospective observational study. Patients included had a median of 48 years of age, 54% of male gender and an average of 24.3 days length of hospital stay. Third generation cephalosporins were the antibiotics most commonly used prior to C. difficile infection diagnosis. Patients diagnosed with C. difficile infection had a median ATLAS score of 4 and 56.7% of the subjects had a score between 4 and 7 points. Patients with a score of 8 through 10 points had 100% mortality. The ATLAS score is a potentially useful tool for the routine evaluation of patients at the time of C. difficile infection diagnosis. At 30 days post-diagnosis, patients with a score of ≤3 points had 100% survival while all of those with scores ≥8 died. Patients with scores between 4 and 7 points had a greater probability of colectomy with an overall cure rate of 70.1%. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  19. Randomized Controlled Study on Safety and Feasibility of Transfusion Trigger Score of Emergency Operations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    De-Xing Liu

    2015-01-01

    Conclusions: Peri-operative Transfusion Trigger Score-E evaluation scheme is used to guide the application of RBC. There are no differences in the recent prognosis of patients with the traditional transfusion guidelines. This scheme is safe; Compared with doctor experience-based subjective assessment, the scoring scheme was closer to patient physiological needs for transfusion and more reasonable; Utilization rate and the per capita consumption of RBC are obviously declined, which has clinical significance and is feasible. Based on the abovementioned three points, POTTS-E scores scheme is safe, reasonable, and practicable and has the value for carrying out multicenter and large sample clinical researches.

  20. Distribution of model-based multipoint heterogeneity lod scores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xing, Chao; Morris, Nathan; Xing, Guan

    2010-12-01

    The distribution of two-point heterogeneity lod scores (HLOD) has been intensively investigated because the conventional χ(2) approximation to the likelihood ratio test is not directly applicable. However, there was no study investigating th e distribution of the multipoint HLOD despite its wide application. Here we want to point out that, compared with the two-point HLOD, the multipoint HLOD essentially tests for homogeneity given linkage and follows a relatively simple limiting distribution ½χ²₀+ ½χ²₁, which can be obtained by established statistical theory. We further examine the theoretical result by simulation studies. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  1. Novel, customizable scoring functions, parameterized using N-PLS, for structure-based drug discovery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Catana, Cornel; Stouten, Pieter F W

    2007-01-01

    The ability to accurately predict biological affinity on the basis of in silico docking to a protein target remains a challenging goal in the CADD arena. Typically, "standard" scoring functions have been employed that use the calculated docking result and a set of empirical parameters to calculate a predicted binding affinity. To improve on this, we are exploring novel strategies for rapidly developing and tuning "customized" scoring functions tailored to a specific need. In the present work, three such customized scoring functions were developed using a set of 129 high-resolution protein-ligand crystal structures with measured Ki values. The functions were parametrized using N-PLS (N-way partial least squares), a multivariate technique well-known in the 3D quantitative structure-activity relationship field. A modest correlation between observed and calculated pKi values using a standard scoring function (r2 = 0.5) could be improved to 0.8 when a customized scoring function was applied. To mimic a more realistic scenario, a second scoring function was developed, not based on crystal structures but exclusively on several binding poses generated with the Flo+ docking program. Finally, a validation study was conducted by generating a third scoring function with 99 randomly selected complexes from the 129 as a training set and predicting pKi values for a test set that comprised the remaining 30 complexes. Training and test set r2 values were 0.77 and 0.78, respectively. These results indicate that, even without direct structural information, predictive customized scoring functions can be developed using N-PLS, and this approach holds significant potential as a general procedure for predicting binding affinity on the basis of in silico docking.

  2. The step complexity measure for emergency operating procedures - comparing with simulation data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Jinkyun; Jung, Wondea; Kim, Jaewhan; Ha, Jaejoo; Shin, Yunghwa

    2001-01-01

    In complex systems, such as nuclear power plants (NPPs) or airplane control systems, human errors play a major role in many accidents. Therefore, to prevent occurrences of accidents or to ensure system safety, extensive effort has been made to identify significant factors that cause human errors. According to related studies, written manuals or operating procedures are revealed as one of the most important factors, and complexity or understandability of a procedure is pointed out as one of the major reasons that make procedure-related human errors. Many qualitative checklists are suggested to evaluate emergency operating procedures (EOPs) of NPPs. However, since qualitative evaluations using checklists have some drawbacks, a quantitative measure that can quantify the complexity of EOPs is imperative to compensate for them. In order to quantify the complexity of EOPs, Park et al. suggested the step complexity (SC) measure to quantify the complexity of a step included in EOPs. In this paper, to ensure the appropriateness of the SC measure, SC scores are compared with averaged step performance time data obtained from emergency training records. The total number of available records is 36, and training scenarios are the loss of coolant accident and the excess steam dump event. The number of scenario is 18 each. From these emergency training records, step performance time data for 39 steps are retrieved, and they are compared with estimated SC scores of them. In addition, several questions that are needed to clarify the appropriateness of the SC measure are also discussed. As a result, it was observed that estimated SC scores and step performance time data have a statistically meaningful correlation. Thus, it can be concluded that the SC measure can quantify the complexity of steps included in EOPs

  3. WAIS-III index score profiles in the Canadian standardization sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lange, Rael T

    2007-01-01

    Representative index score profiles were examined in the Canadian standardization sample of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition (WAIS-III). The identification of profile patterns was based on the methodology proposed by Lange, Iverson, Senior, and Chelune (2002) that aims to maximize the influence of profile shape and minimize the influence of profile magnitude on the cluster solution. A two-step cluster analysis procedure was used (i.e., hierarchical and k-means analyses). Cluster analysis of the four index scores (i.e., Verbal Comprehension [VCI], Perceptual Organization [POI], Working Memory [WMI], Processing Speed [PSI]) identified six profiles in this sample. Profiles were differentiated by pattern of performance and were primarily characterized as (a) high VCI/POI, low WMI/PSI, (b) low VCI/POI, high WMI/PSI, (c) high PSI, (d) low PSI, (e) high VCI/WMI, low POI/PSI, and (f) low VCI, high POI. These profiles are potentially useful for determining whether a patient's WAIS-III performance is unusual in a normal population.

  4. Smoke as a pictorial procedure: Fumage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Antonio Pérez Esteban

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available I propose a new definition for fumage and address in a brief approach —from the chemical point of view— the nature of smoke. From this base, I study the possible supports, potential tools for application in artistic purposes, visual possibilities, attachment procedure and narrative connotations related to its use. Next, I analyze its connections with the related heat engraving art. To finish and justifying the new definition which claims the contemporaneity of the procedure, I bring a list of artists who have used and, mainly, who are using this procedure in their artistic proposals.

  5. GalaxyDock BP2 score: a hybrid scoring function for accurate protein-ligand docking

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baek, Minkyung; Shin, Woong-Hee; Chung, Hwan Won; Seok, Chaok

    2017-07-01

    Protein-ligand docking is a useful tool for providing atomic-level understanding of protein functions in nature and design principles for artificial ligands or proteins with desired properties. The ability to identify the true binding pose of a ligand to a target protein among numerous possible candidate poses is an essential requirement for successful protein-ligand docking. Many previously developed docking scoring functions were trained to reproduce experimental binding affinities and were also used for scoring binding poses. However, in this study, we developed a new docking scoring function, called GalaxyDock BP2 Score, by directly training the scoring power of binding poses. This function is a hybrid of physics-based, empirical, and knowledge-based score terms that are balanced to strengthen the advantages of each component. The performance of the new scoring function exhibits significant improvement over existing scoring functions in decoy pose discrimination tests. In addition, when the score is used with the GalaxyDock2 protein-ligand docking program, it outperformed other state-of-the-art docking programs in docking tests on the Astex diverse set, the Cross2009 benchmark set, and the Astex non-native set. GalaxyDock BP2 Score and GalaxyDock2 with this score are freely available at http://galaxy.seoklab.org/softwares/galaxydock.html.

  6. 49 CFR 244.17 - Procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION REGULATIONS ON SAFETY INTEGRATION PLANS GOVERNING RAILROAD CONSOLIDATIONS, MERGERS, AND ACQUISITIONS OF CONTROL Safety Integration Plans § 244.17 Procedures. (a) Each applicant shall file one...

  7. Pancreaticoduodenectomy: a rare procedure for the management of complex pancreaticoduodenal injuries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asensio, Juan A; Petrone, Patrizio; Roldán, Gustavo; Kuncir, Eric; Demetriades, Demetrios

    2003-12-01

    Pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple's procedure) is a formidable procedure when undertaken for severe pancreaticoduodenal injury. The purposes of this study were to review our experience with this procedure for trauma; to classify injury grades for both pancreatic and duodenal injuries in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy according to the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma-Organ Injury Scale for pancreatic and duodenal injury; and to validate existing indications for performance of this procedure. We performed a retrospective 126-month study (May 1992 to December 2002) of all patients admitted with proven complex pancreaticoduodenal injuries requiring pancreaticoduodenectomy. Eighteen patients were included; mean age was 32 +/- 12 years (SD), mean Revised Trauma Score was 6.84 +/- 2.13 (SD), and mean Injury Severity Score was 27 +/- 8 (SD). There were 17 penetrating injuries (94%) and 1 blunt injury (6%). One of 18 patients had an emergency department thoracotomy and died (100% mortality); 5 of the remaining 17 patients required operating room thoracotomies, and only 1 survived (80% mortality). There was 1 AAST-OIS pancreas grade IV injury, and there were 17 pancreas grade V injuries and 18 AAST-OIS duodenum grade V injuries. Indications for pancreaticoduodenectomy were: massive uncontrollable retropancreatic hemorrhage, 13 patients (72%); massive unreconstructable injury to the head of the pancreas/main pancreatic duct and intrapancreatic portion/distal common bile duct, 18 patients (100%); and massive unreconstructable injury, 18 patients (100%). Mean estimated blood loss was 6,888 +/- 7,866 mL, and overall survival was 67% (12 of 18 patients). Complex pancreaticoduodenal injuries requiring pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple's procedure) are uncommon but highly lethal; virtually all are classified as AAST-OIS grade V for both pancreas and duodenum. Current indications for performance of pancreaticoduodenectomy are valid and should be strictly

  8. Failure of ETV in patients with the highest ETV success scores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gianaris, Thomas J; Nazar, Ryan; Middlebrook, Emily; Gonda, David D; Jea, Andrew; Fulkerson, Daniel H

    2017-09-01

    OBJECTIVE Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is a surgical alternative to placing a CSF shunt in certain patients with hydrocephalus. The ETV Success Score (ETVSS) is a reliable, simple method to estimate the success of the procedure by 6 months of postoperative follow-up. The highest score is 90, estimating a 90% chance of the ETV effectively treating hydrocephalus without requiring a shunt. Treatment with ETV fails in certain patients, despite their being the theoretically best candidates for the procedure. In this study the authors attempted to identify factors that further predicted success in patients with the highest ETVSSs. METHODS A retrospective review was performed of all patients treated with ETV at 3 institutions. Demographic, radiological, and clinical data were recorded. All patients by definition were older than 1 year, had obstructive hydrocephalus, and did not have a prior shunt. Failure of ETV was defined as the need for a shunt by 1 year. The ETV was considered a success if the patient did not require another surgery (either shunt placement or a repeat endoscopic procedure) by 1 year. A statistical analysis was performed to identify factors associated with success or failure. RESULTS Fifty-nine patients met the entry criteria for the study. Eleven patients (18.6%) required further surgery by 1 year. All of these patients received a shunt. The presenting symptom of lethargy statistically correlated with success (p = 0.0126, odds ratio [OR] = 0.072). The preoperative radiological finding of transependymal flow (p = 0.0375, OR 0.158) correlated with success. A postoperative larger maximum width of the third ventricle correlated with failure (p = 0.0265). CONCLUSIONS The preoperative findings of lethargy and transependymal flow statistically correlated with success. This suggests that the best candidates for ETV are those with a relatively acute elevation of intracranial pressure. Cases without these findings may represent the failures in this

  9. Application and comparison of scoring indices to predict outcomes in patients with healthcare-associated pneumonia

    OpenAIRE

    Fang, Wen-Feng; Yang, Kuang-Yao; Wu, Chieh-Liang; Yu, Chong-Jen; Chen, Chang-Wen; Tu, Chih-Yen; Lin, Meng-Chih

    2011-01-01

    Introduction Healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) is a relatively new category of pneumonia. It refers to infections that occur prior to hospital admission in patients with specific risk factors following contact or exposure to a healthcare environment. There is currently no scoring index to predict the outcomes of HCAP patients. We applied and compared different community acquired pneumonia (CAP) scoring indices to predict 30-day mortality and 3-day and 14-day intensive care unit (ICU) adm...

  10. Allegheny County Walk Scores

    Data.gov (United States)

    Allegheny County / City of Pittsburgh / Western PA Regional Data Center — Walk Score measures the walkability of any address using a patented system developed by the Walk Score company. For each 2010 Census Tract centroid, Walk Score...

  11. Risk of poor neonatal outcome at term after medically assisted reproduction: a propensity score-matched study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ensing, Sabine; Abu-Hanna, Ameen; Roseboom, Tessa J; Repping, Sjoerd; van der Veen, Fulco; Mol, Ben Willem J; Ravelli, Anita C J

    2015-08-01

    To study risk of birth asphyxia and related morbidity among term singletons born after medically assisted reproduction (MAR). Population cohort study. Not applicable. A total of 1,953,932 term singleton pregnancies selected from a national registry for 1999-2011. None. Primary outcome Apgar score score score matching analysis was performed with matching on multiple maternal baseline covariates (maternal age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, parity, year of birth, and preexistent diseases). Each MAR pregnancy was matched to three SC controls. Relative to SC, the MAR singletons had an increased risk of adverse neonatal outcomes including Apgar score score matching, the risk of an Apgar score Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. A comparison of Google Glass and traditional video vantage points for bedside procedural skill assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Heather L; O'Shea, Dylan J; Morris, Amy E; Keys, Kari A; Wright, Andrew S; Schaad, Douglas C; Ilgen, Jonathan S

    2016-02-01

    This pilot study assessed the feasibility of using first person (1P) video recording with Google Glass (GG) to assess procedural skills, as compared with traditional third person (3P) video. We hypothesized that raters reviewing 1P videos would visualize more procedural steps with greater inter-rater reliability than 3P rating vantages. Seven subjects performed simulated internal jugular catheter insertions. Procedures were recorded by both Google Glass and an observer's head-mounted camera. Videos were assessed by 3 expert raters using a task-specific checklist (CL) and both an additive- and summative-global rating scale (GRS). Mean scores were compared by t-tests. Inter-rater reliabilities were calculated using intraclass correlation coefficients. The 1P vantage was associated with a significantly higher mean CL score than the 3P vantage (7.9 vs 6.9, P = .02). Mean GRS scores were not significantly different. Mean inter-rater reliabilities for the CL, additive-GRS, and summative-GRS were similar between vantages. 1P vantage recordings may improve visualization of tasks for behaviorally anchored instruments (eg, CLs), whereas maintaining similar global ratings and inter-rater reliability when compared with conventional 3P vantage recordings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Slow information processing after very severe closed head injury : impaired access to declarative knowledge and intact application and acquisition of procedural knowledge

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Timmerman, ME; Brouwer, WH

    As an explanation of the pattern of slow information processing after closed head injury (CHI), hypotheses of impaired access to declarative memory and intact application and acquisition of procedural memory after CHI are presented. These two hypotheses were tested by means of four cognitive

  14. Specific algorithm method of scoring the Clock Drawing Test applied in cognitively normal elderly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liana Chaves Mendes-Santos

    Full Text Available The Clock Drawing Test (CDT is an inexpensive, fast and easily administered measure of cognitive function, especially in the elderly. This instrument is a popular clinical tool widely used in screening for cognitive disorders and dementia. The CDT can be applied in different ways and scoring procedures also vary. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to analyze the performance of elderly on the CDT and evaluate inter-rater reliability of the CDT scored by using a specific algorithm method adapted from Sunderland et al. (1989. METHODS: We analyzed the CDT of 100 cognitively normal elderly aged 60 years or older. The CDT ("free-drawn" and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE were administered to all participants. Six independent examiners scored the CDT of 30 participants to evaluate inter-rater reliability. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: A score of 5 on the proposed algorithm ("Numbers in reverse order or concentrated", equivalent to 5 points on the original Sunderland scale, was the most frequent (53.5%. The CDT specific algorithm method used had high inter-rater reliability (p<0.01, and mean score ranged from 5.06 to 5.96. The high frequency of an overall score of 5 points may suggest the need to create more nuanced evaluation criteria, which are sensitive to differences in levels of impairment in visuoconstructive and executive abilities during aging.

  15. BitPAl: a bit-parallel, general integer-scoring sequence alignment algorithm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loving, Joshua; Hernandez, Yozen; Benson, Gary

    2014-11-15

    Mapping of high-throughput sequencing data and other bulk sequence comparison applications have motivated a search for high-efficiency sequence alignment algorithms. The bit-parallel approach represents individual cells in an alignment scoring matrix as bits in computer words and emulates the calculation of scores by a series of logic operations composed of AND, OR, XOR, complement, shift and addition. Bit-parallelism has been successfully applied to the longest common subsequence (LCS) and edit-distance problems, producing fast algorithms in practice. We have developed BitPAl, a bit-parallel algorithm for general, integer-scoring global alignment. Integer-scoring schemes assign integer weights for match, mismatch and insertion/deletion. The BitPAl method uses structural properties in the relationship between adjacent scores in the scoring matrix to construct classes of efficient algorithms, each designed for a particular set of weights. In timed tests, we show that BitPAl runs 7-25 times faster than a standard iterative algorithm. Source code is freely available for download at http://lobstah.bu.edu/BitPAl/BitPAl.html. BitPAl is implemented in C and runs on all major operating systems. jloving@bu.edu or yhernand@bu.edu or gbenson@bu.edu Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press.

  16. High-precision prostate cancer irradiation by clinical application of an offline patient setup verification procedure, using portal imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bel, Arjan; Vos, Pieter H.; Rodrigus, Patrick T. R.; Creutzberg, Carien L.; Visser, Andries G.; Stroom, Joep C.; Lebesque, Joos V.

    1996-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate in three institutions, The Netherlands Cancer Institute (Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Huis [AvL]), Dr. Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center (DDHC), and Dr, Bernard Verbeeten Institute (BVI), how much the patient setup accuracy for irradiation of prostate cancer can be improved by an offline setup verification and correction procedure, using portal imaging. Methods and Materials: The verification procedure consisted of two stages. During the first stage, setup deviations were measured during a number (N max ) of consecutive initial treatment sessions. The length of the average three dimensional (3D) setup deviation vector was compared with an action level for corrections, which shrunk with the number of setup measurements. After a correction was applied, N max measurements had to be performed again. Each institution chose different values for the initial action level (6, 9, and 10 mm) and N max (2 and 4). The choice of these parameters was based on a simulation of the procedure, using as input preestimated values of random and systematic deviations in each institution. During the second stage of the procedure, with weekly setup measurements, the AvL used a different criterion ('outlier detection') for corrective actions than the DDHC and the BVI ('sliding average'). After each correction the first stage of the procedure was restarted. The procedure was tested for 151 patients (62 in AvL, 47 in DDHC, and 42 in BVI) treated for prostate carcinoma. Treatment techniques and portal image acquisition and analysis were different in each institution. Results: The actual distributions of random and systematic deviations without corrections were estimated by eliminating the effect of the corrections. The percentage of mean (systematic) 3D deviations larger than 5 mm was 26% for the AvL and the DDHC, and 36% for the BVI. The setup accuracy after application of the procedure was considerably improved (percentage of mean 3D deviations larger than 5 mm was 1.6% in the

  17. Body Movement Music Score – Introduction of a newly developed model for the analysis and description of body qualities, movement and music in music therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hanna Agnieszka Skrzypek

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background In music therapy, there is a range of music therapy concepts that, in addition to music, describe and analyse the body and movement. A model that equally examines the body, movement and music has not been developed. The Body Movement Music Score (BMMS is a newly developed and evaluated music therapy model for analysing body qualities, movement, playing style of musical instruments and music and to describe body behaviour and body expression, movement behaviour and movement expression, playing behaviour and musical expression in music therapy treatment. The basis for the development of the Body Movement Music Score was the evaluation of the analytical movement model Emotorics-Emotive Body Movement Mind Paradigm (Emotorics-EBMMP by Yona Shahar Levy for the analysis and description of the emotive-motor behaviour and movement expression of schizophrenic patients in music therapy treatment. Participants and procedure The application of the Body Movement Music Score is presented in a videotaped example from the music therapy treatment of one schizophrenic patient. Results The results of applying the Body Movement Music Score are presented in the form of Body Qualities I Analysis, Body Qualities II Analysis, Movement Analysis, Playing Style Analysis and Music Analysis Profiles. Conclusions The Body Movement Music Score has been developed and evaluated for the music therapy treatment of schizophrenic patients. For the development of the model, a proof of reliability is necessary to verify the reliability and limitations of the model in practice and show that the Body Movement Music Score could be used for both practical and clinical work, for documentation purposes and to impact research in music therapy.

  18. Application of data processing in technological procedures for Dolni Rozinka uranium mines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sterzel, J.; Havelka, J.; Chrast, M.

    1987-01-01

    A program was written for technological procedures for mining operations, driving of horizontal workings, driving of raises, boring of long survey boreholes, driving of wide workings, and for working support withdrawal. Each of the said types of technological procedures is specific as concerns data and different information contents but the basic configuration is the same. The procedure is divided into three parts. Part one shows basic data on the working and technological operations from which wages are calculated and material is inventoried. Part two offers necessary information on retreat paths, special duties during blasting operations, during material handling, and all other information required by safety specifications. Part three consists of a signature list containing the names of the team of the given section and of the area foremen, and approval columns. The programs are written in COBOL-DOS/4 allowing the operation of up to 30 remote terminals of the EC 7920 type. The advantage of the computer-assisted production of technological procedures is the possibility of using the technological procedures already defined for the production of new technological procedures, this by a mere change in parameters. The data base is also a source for analytical activities of practically all production units. (J.B.)

  19. 32 CFR 110.5 - Procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... enrolled in the basic or advanced course. Payments are as prescribed in the DoD Military Pay and Allowances... procedures applicable to ROTC units of their respective Military Services. (2) When discrepancies are noted... of the date the discrepancy was noted. ...

  20. USE OF A MODIFIED ALVORADO SCORE IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    hi-tech

    2003-08-01

    Aug 1, 2003 ... vomiting, shift of pain from epigastrium, rebound tenderness and localized guarding (4-6). The incidence of appendicitis is increasing in the urban centers of countries in Africa (7). It is not clear whether diagnostic scores would be applicable for our groups of patients. Elsewhere, the performances of these.

  1. Imaging of cartilage repair procedures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanghvi, Darshana; Munshi, Mihir; Pardiwala, Dinshaw

    2014-01-01

    The rationale for cartilage repair is to prevent precocious osteoarthritis in untreated focal cartilage injuries in the young and middle-aged population. The gamut of surgical techniques, normal postoperative radiological appearances, and possible complications have been described. An objective method of recording the quality of repair tissue is with the magnetic resonance observation of cartilage repair tissue (MOCART) score. This scoring system evaluates nine parameters that include the extent of defect filling, border zone integration, signal intensity, quality of structure and surface, subchondral bone, subchondral lamina, and records presence or absence of synovitis and adhesions. The five common techniques of cartilage repair currently offered include bone marrow stimulation (microfracture or drilling), mosaicplasty, synthetic resorbable scaffold grafts, osteochondral allograft transplants, and autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI). Complications of cartilage repair procedures that may be demonstrated on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) include plug loosening, graft protuberance, graft depression, and collapse in mosaicplasty, graft hypertrophy in ACI, and immune response leading to graft rejection, which is more common with synthetic grafts and cadaveric allografts

  2. Clinical audit in gynecological cancer surgery: development of a risk scoring system to predict adverse events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas; Bouman, Chantal; De Jong, Suzanne; Sanday, Karen; Nicklin, Jim; Land, Russell; Obermair, Andreas

    2009-12-01

    Advanced gynecological surgery undertaken in a specialized gynecologic oncology unit may be associated with significant perioperative morbidity. Validated risk prediction models are available for general surgical specialties but currently not for gynecological cancer surgery. The objective of this study was to evaluate risk factors for adverse events (AEs) of patients treated for suspected or proven gynecological cancer and to develop a clinical risk score (RS) to predict such AEs. AEs were prospectively recorded and matched with demographical, clinical and histopathological data on 369 patients who had an abdominal or laparoscopic procedure for proven or suspected gynecological cancer at a tertiary gynecological cancer center. Stepwise multiple logistic regression was used to determine the best predictors of AEs. For the risk score (RS), the coefficients from the model were scaled using a factor of 2 and rounded to the nearest integer to derive the risk points. Sum of all the risk points form the RS. Ninety-five patients (25.8%) had at least one AE. Twenty-nine (7.9%) and 77 (20.9%) patients experienced intra- and postoperative AEs respectively with 11 patients (3.0%) experiencing both. The independent predictors for any AE were complexity of the surgical procedure, elevated SGOT (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, > or /=35 U/L), higher ASA scores and overweight. The risk score can vary from 0 to 14. The risk for developing any AE is described by the formula 100 / (1 + e((3.697 - (RS /2)))). RS allows for quantification of the risk for AEs. Risk factors are generally not modifiable with the possible exception of obesity.

  3. Can the Obesity Surgery Mortality Risk Score predict postoperative complications other than mortality?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Major, Piotr; Wysocki, Michał; Pędziwiatr, Michał; Małczak, Piotr; Pisarska, Magdalena; Migaczewski, Marcin; Winiarski, Marek; Budzyński, Andrzej

    2016-01-01

    Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) and laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) are bariatric procedures with acceptable risk of postoperative morbidities and mortalities, but identification of high-risk patients is an ongoing issue. DeMaria et al. introduced the Obesity Surgery Mortality Risk Score (OS-MRS), which was designed for mortality risk assessment but not perioperative morbidity risk. To assess the possibility to use the OS-MRS to predict the risk of perioperative complications related to LSG and LRYGB. Retrospective analysis of patients operated on for morbid obesity was performed. Patients were evaluated before and after surgery. We included 408 patients (233 LSG, 175 LRYGB). Perioperative complications were defined as adverse effects in the 30-day period. The Clavien-Dindo scale was used for description of complications. Patients were assigned to five grades and three classes according to the OS-MRS results, then risk of morbidity was analyzed. Complications were observed in 30 (7.35%) patients. Similar morbidity was related to both procedures (OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 0.53-2.44, p = 0.744). The reoperation and mortality rates were 1.23% and 0.49% respectively. There were no significant differences in median OS-MRS value between the group without and the group with perioperative complications. There were no significant differences in OS-MRS between groups (p = 0.091). Obesity Surgery Mortality Risk Score was not related to Clavien-Dindo grades (p = 0.800). It appears that OS-MRS is not useful in predicting risk of perioperative morbidity after bariatric procedures.

  4. A cadaveric procedural anatomy simulation course improves video-based assessment of operative performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Gaurav; Aycart, Mario A; O'Mara, Lynne; Havens, Joaquim; Nehs, Matthew; Shimizu, Naomi; Smink, Douglas S; Gravereaux, Edwin; Gates, Jonathan D; Askari, Reza

    2018-03-01

    Inadequate anatomic knowledge has been cited as a major contributor to declining surgical resident operative competence. We analyzed the impact of a comprehensive, procedurally oriented cadaveric procedural anatomy dissection laboratory on the operative performance of surgery residents, hypothesizing that trainees' performance of surgical procedures would improve after such a dissection course. Midlevel general surgery residents (n = 9) participated in an 8 wk, 16-h surgery faculty-led procedurally oriented cadaver simulation course. Both before and after completion of the course, residents participated in a practical examination, in which they were randomized to perform one of nine Surgical Council on Resident Education-designated "essential" procedures. The procedures were recorded using wearable video technology. Videos were deidentified before evaluation by six faculty raters blinded to examinee and whether performances occurred before or after an examinee had taken the course. Raters used the validated Operative Performance Rating System and Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill scales. After the course residents had higher procedure-specific scores (median, 4.0 versus 2.4, P 4.0 versus 3.0, P = 0.006), respect for tissue (4.0 versus 3.0, P = 0.0004), time and motion (3.0 versus 2.0, P = 0.0007), operation flow (3.0 versus 2.0, P = 0.0005), procedural knowledge (4.0 versus 2.0, P = 0.0001), and overall performance scores (4.0 versus 2.0, P < 0.0001). Operative Performance Rating System and Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill scales averaged by number of items in each were also higher (3.2 versus 2.0, P = 0.0002 and 3.1 versus 2.2, P = 0.002, respectively). A cadaveric procedural anatomy simulation course covering a broad range of open general surgery procedures was associated with significant improvements in trainees' operative performance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Controller tuning with evolutionary multiobjective optimization a holistic multiobjective optimization design procedure

    CERN Document Server

    Reynoso Meza, Gilberto; Sanchis Saez, Javier; Herrero Durá, Juan Manuel

    2017-01-01

    This book is devoted to Multiobjective Optimization Design (MOOD) procedures for controller tuning applications, by means of Evolutionary Multiobjective Optimization (EMO). It presents developments in tools, procedures and guidelines to facilitate this process, covering the three fundamental steps in the procedure: problem definition, optimization and decision-making. The book is divided into four parts. The first part, Fundamentals, focuses on the necessary theoretical background and provides specific tools for practitioners. The second part, Basics, examines a range of basic examples regarding the MOOD procedure for controller tuning, while the third part, Benchmarking, demonstrates how the MOOD procedure can be employed in several control engineering problems. The fourth part, Applications, is dedicated to implementing the MOOD procedure for controller tuning in real processes.

  6. Acidentes de trânsito: caracterização das vitimas segundo o "Revised Trauma Score" medido no período pré-hospitalar Accidentes de transito: caracterización de las víctimas según el "Revised Trauma Score" medido en el periodo pre-hospitalario Motor vehicle crash: victims' characterization throughout prehospital "Revised Trauma Score"

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marisa Amaro Malvestio

    2002-12-01

    Full Text Available O estudo descreve idade, sexo, aspectos do mecanismo e procedimentos realizados em. 643 acidentados de trânsito atendidos nas Marginais Tietê e Pinheiros, considerando os valores do Revised Trauma Score (RTS do período pré-hospitalar. As vítimas com RTS=12 somaram 90,8%, com RTS=11, 4,0% e RTSEste estudio tiene como obje tivo describer, considerando el Revised Trauma Score (RTS obtenido en el periodo pré hospitalario, edad, sexo, aspectos del mecanismo e procedimientos realizados en 643 víctimas de accidente de tránsito. Las víctimas con RTS=12 sumaron 90,8%, con RTS=11, 4,0% y RTSThis report describes age, gender, trauma mechanics aspects and procedures from 643 motor vehicle crashes, MVC, victims in Tietê and Pinheiros expressways, by considering the prehospital Revised Trauma Score (RTS. The RTS=12 victims' were 90,8%, with RTS=11 added 4,0% and in group with RTS<10, 5,2%. Among the RTS<10 victims, the pedestrians stand out (36,4%, the frontal impacts (24,2% and the projected (36,4% or trapped victims (15,1%, and those that received advanced life support procedures.The motorcyclists and the male victims with 21 with 30 years of age were predominant. This study is expected to contribute to a better assistance to MVC victims.

  7. Scoring irradiation mucositis in head and neck cancer patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spijkervet, F.K.L.; Panders, A.K.; Saene, H.K.F. van; Vermey, A.; Mehta, D.M.

    1989-01-01

    Irradiation mucositis is defined as an inflammatory-like process of the oropharyngeal mucosa following therapeutic irradiation of patients who have head and neck cancer. Clinically, it is a serious side effect because severe mucositis can cause generalized problems (weight loss, nasogastic tube feedings) and interferes with the well-being of the patient seriously. Grading mucositis is important for the evaluation of preventive and therapeutic measures. The object of this study was to develop a scoring method based on local mucositis signs only. Four clinical local signs of mucositis were used in this score: white discoloration, erythema, pseudomembranes and ulceration. Mucositis of the oral cavity was calcualted during conventional irradiation protocol for 8 distinguishable areas using the 4 signs and their extent. A prospective evaluation of this method in 15 irradiated head and neck cancer patients displayed an S-curve reflecting a symptomless first irradiation week, followed by a rapid and steady increase of white discoloration, erythema and pseudomembranes during the second and third week. Oral candidiasis, generalized symptoms such as weight loss and the highest mucositis scores were seen after 3 weeks irradiation. The novel mucositis scoring method may be of value in studying the effect of hygiene programs, topical application of disinfectans or antibiotics on oral mucositis. (author)

  8. Scoring irradiation mucositis in head and neck cancer patients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Spijkervet, F.K.L.; Panders, A.K. (Departments of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Groningen (Netherlands)); Saene, H.K.F. van (Medical Microbiology, University of Liverpool (UK)); Vermey, A. (Department of Surgery Oncology Division, University Hospital Groningen (Netherlands)); Mehta, D.M. (Department of Radiotherapy, University Hospital Groningen (Netherlands))

    1989-01-01

    Irradiation mucositis is defined as an inflammatory-like process of the oropharyngeal mucosa following therapeutic irradiation of patients who have head and neck cancer. Clinically, it is a serious side effect because severe mucositis can cause generalized problems (weight loss, nasogastic tube feedings) and interferes with the well-being of the patient seriously. Grading mucositis is important for the evaluation of preventive and therapeutic measures. The object of this study was to develop a scoring method based on local mucositis signs only. Four clinical local signs of mucositis were used in this score: white discoloration, erythema, pseudomembranes and ulceration. Mucositis of the oral cavity was calcualted during conventional irradiation protocol for 8 distinguishable areas using the 4 signs and their extent. A prospective evaluation of this method in 15 irradiated head and neck cancer patients displayed an S-curve reflecting a symptomless first irradiation week, followed by a rapid and steady increase of white discoloration, erythema and pseudomembranes during the second and third week. Oral candidiasis, generalized symptoms such as weight loss and the highest mucositis scores were seen after 3 weeks irradiation. The novel mucositis scoring method may be of value in studying the effect of hygiene programs, topical application of disinfectans or antibiotics on oral mucositis. (author).

  9. A comparison between modified Alvarado score and RIPASA score in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singla, Anand; Singla, Satpaul; Singh, Mohinder; Singla, Deeksha

    2016-12-01

    Acute appendicitis is a common but elusive surgical condition and remains a diagnostic dilemma. It has many clinical mimickers and diagnosis is primarily made on clinical grounds, leading to the evolution of clinical scoring systems for pin pointing the right diagnosis. The modified Alvarado and RIPASA scoring systems are two important scoring systems, for diagnosis of acute appendicitis. We prospectively compared the two scoring systems for diagnosing acute appendicitis in 50 patients presenting with right iliac fossa pain. The RIPASA score correctly classified 88 % of patients with histologically confirmed acute appendicitis compared with 48.0 % with modified Alvarado score, indicating that RIPASA score is more superior to Modified Alvarado score in our clinical settings.

  10. Predictive power of the grace score in population with diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baeza-Román, Anna; de Miguel-Balsa, Eva; Latour-Pérez, Jaime; Carrillo-López, Andrés

    2017-12-01

    Current clinical practice guidelines recommend risk stratification in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) upon admission to hospital. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is widely recognized as an independent predictor of mortality in these patients, although it is not included in the GRACE risk score. The objective of this study is to validate the GRACE risk score in a contemporary population and particularly in the subgroup of patients with diabetes, and to test the effects of including the DM variable in the model. Retrospective cohort study in patients included in the ARIAM-SEMICYUC registry, with a diagnosis of ACS and with available in-hospital mortality data. We tested the predictive power of the GRACE score, calculating the area under the ROC curve. We assessed the calibration of the score and the predictive ability based on type of ACS and the presence of DM. Finally, we evaluated the effect of including the DM variable in the model by calculating the net reclassification improvement. The GRACE score shows good predictive power for hospital mortality in the study population, with a moderate degree of calibration and no significant differences based on ACS type or the presence of DM. Including DM as a variable did not add any predictive value to the GRACE model. The GRACE score has an appropriate predictive power, with good calibration and clinical applicability in the subgroup of diabetic patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. 21 CFR 314.530 - Withdrawal procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... Serious or Life-Threatening Illnesses § 314.530 Withdrawal procedures. (a) For new drugs approved under... benefit; (2) The applicant fails to perform the required postmarketing study with due diligence; (3) Use...

  12. Radiological score for hemorrhage in the patients with portal hypertension.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ge, Wei; Wang, Yi; Cao, Ya-Juan; Xie, Min; Ding, Yi-Tao; Zhang, Ming; Yu, De-Cai

    2015-01-01

    To analyze the risk factors from radiological indices for hemorrhage in the patients with portal hypertension and weight risk factors. We retrospectively analyzed all cases of portal hypertension with hepatitis B from June 2008 to June 2014 in Nanjing Drum Tower hospital. Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, portal vein thrombosis, or portal hypertension with other causes, such as autoimmune hepatitis, pancreatitis, or hematological diseases were excluded. Ninety-eight patients were recruited and divided into hemorrhage and non-hemorrhage groups. There were no statistical differences in clinical indexes such as age, prothrombin time, serum albumin, serum creatinine, serum sodium, hemameba, and blood platelet count. However, the differences were statistically significant in total bilirubin, hemoglobin, and liver function with the p values of 0.023, 0.000, and 0.039 respectively. For radiological indices, hemorrhage was correlated with diameter of inferior mesenteric vein (P=0.0528), posterior gastric vein (P=0.0283), and esophageal varices scores (P=0.0221). Logistic procedure was used to construct the model with stepwise selection and finally inferior mesenteric vein, posterior gastric vein, esophageal varices, and short gastric vein were enrolled into the model. These veins were scored according to the diameters and the rates of hemorrhage were increased with the score. We then validated the model with 26 patents from July 2014 to December 2014. The AUC value was 0.8849 in ROC curves for this radiological model. A risk model was constructed including inferior mesenteric vein, esophageal varices, posterior gastric vein, and short gastric vein. This radiological scoring model may be a valuable indicator for hemorrhage of portal hypertension.

  13. Licensing procedures for Low-Level Waste disposal facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roop, R.D.; Van Dyke, J.W.

    1985-09-01

    This report describes the procedures applicable to siting and licensing of disposal facilities for low-level radioactive wastes. Primary emphasis is placed on those procedures which are required by regulations, but to the extent possible, non-mandatory activities which will facilitate siting and licensing are also considered. The report provides an overview of how the procedural and technical requirements for a low-level waste (LLW) disposal facility (as defined by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Rules 10 CFR Parts 2, 51, and 61) may be integrated with activities to reduce and resolve conflict generated by the proposed siting of a facility. General procedures are described for site screening and selection, site characterization, site evaluation, and preparation of the license application; specific procedures for several individual states are discussed. The report also examines the steps involved in the formal licensing process, including docketing and initial processing, preparation of an environmental impact statement, technical review, hearings, and decisions. It is concluded that development of effective communication between parties in conflict and the utilization of techniques to manage and resolve conflicts represent perhaps the most significant challenge for the people involved in LLW disposal in the next decade. 18 refs., 6 figs

  14. Hand-held electronic data collection and procedure environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kennedy, E.; Doniz, K.

    1996-01-01

    As part of a CANDU Owners Group project, AECL has developed a hand-held electronic data collection and procedure environment. Integral to this environment is the C omputerized Procedure Engine . The development of the CPE allows operators, maintainers, and technical support staff to execute virtually any type of station procedure on a general-purpose PC-compatible hand-held computer. There are several advantages to using the computerized procedures: less paper use and handling, reduction in human error, reduction in rework in the field, an increase in procedural compliance, and immediate availability of data to download to databases and plant information systems. The paper describes: the advantages of using computerized procedures, why early forms of computerized procedures were inadequate, the features that the C omputerized Procedure Engine o ffers to the user, the streamlined life cycle of a computerized procedure, and field experience. The paper concludes that computerized procedures are ready for pilot applications at stations. (author)

  15. Immediate Postoperative Pain Scores Predict Neck Pain Profile up to 1 Year Following Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adogwa, Owoicho; Elsamadicy, Aladine A; Vuong, Victoria D; Mehta, Ankit I; Vasquez, Raul A; Cheng, Joseph; Bagley, Carlos A; Karikari, Isaac O

    2018-05-01

    Retrospective cohort review. To assess whether immediate postoperative neck pain scores accurately predict 12-month visual analog scale-neck pain (VAS-NP) outcomes following Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion surgery (ACDF). This was a retrospective study of 82 patients undergoing elective ACDF surgery at a major academic medical center. Patient reported outcomes measures VAS-NP scores were recorded on the first postoperative day, then at 6-weeks, 3, 6, and 12-months after surgery. Multivariate correlation and logistic regression methods were utilized to determine whether immediate postoperative VAS-NP score accurately predicted 1-year patient reported VAS-NP Scores. Overall, 46.3% male, 25.6% were smokers, and the mean age and body mass index (BMI) were 53.7 years and 28.28 kg/m 2 , respectively. There were significant correlations between immediate postoperative pain scores and neck pain scores at 6 weeks VAS-NP ( P = .0015), 6 months VAS-NP ( P = .0333), and 12 months VAS-NP ( P = .0247) after surgery. Furthermore, immediate postoperative pain score is an independent predictor of 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year VAS-NP scores. Our study suggests that immediate postoperative patient reported neck pain scores accurately predicts and correlates with 12-month VAS-NP scores after an ACDF procedure. Patients with high neck pain scores after surgery are more likely to report persistent neck pain 12 months after index surgery.

  16. 75 FR 68022 - Air Traffic Procedures Advisory Committee

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-11-04

    ...The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public that a new charter has been issued for the Federal Aviation Administration Air Traffic Procedures Advisory Committee (ATPAC). The duties of this advisory committee include: 1. To make recommendations for standardizing, clarifying, and upgrading terminology and procedures, as a result of its review of present ATC procedures and practices. 2. To provide advice and make recommendations concerning: a. New or significantly revised ATC procedural concepts. b. The adequacy of charts, diagrams, and illustrations used to convey information concerning the application of ATC procedures and their relevance to current, revised, or proposed ATC procedures and concepts. c. Aviation regulations that have an impact on present, new, or significantly revised ATC procedures and concepts. 3. To act solely in an advisory capacity to accomplish its duties.

  17. Lossy compression of quality scores in genomic data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cánovas, Rodrigo; Moffat, Alistair; Turpin, Andrew

    2014-08-01

    Next-generation sequencing technologies are revolutionizing medicine. Data from sequencing technologies are typically represented as a string of bases, an associated sequence of per-base quality scores and other metadata, and in aggregate can require a large amount of space. The quality scores show how accurate the bases are with respect to the sequencing process, that is, how confident the sequencer is of having called them correctly, and are the largest component in datasets in which they are retained. Previous research has examined how to store sequences of bases effectively; here we add to that knowledge by examining methods for compressing quality scores. The quality values originate in a continuous domain, and so if a fidelity criterion is introduced, it is possible to introduce flexibility in the way these values are represented, allowing lossy compression over the quality score data. We present existing compression options for quality score data, and then introduce two new lossy techniques. Experiments measuring the trade-off between compression ratio and information loss are reported, including quantifying the effect of lossy representations on a downstream application that carries out single nucleotide polymorphism and insert/deletion detection. The new methods are demonstrably superior to other techniques when assessed against the spectrum of possible trade-offs between storage required and fidelity of representation. An implementation of the methods described here is available at https://github.com/rcanovas/libCSAM. rcanovas@student.unimelb.edu.au Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  18. Estimating prognosis at the time of repeat whole brain radiation therapy for multiple brain metastases: The reirradiation score

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natalie Logie, MD

    2017-07-01

    Conclusions: In the largest reported cohort to receive repeat WBRT, application of the RPA score was not predictive of MS. The new ReRT score is a simple tool based on readily available clinical information.

  19. 75 FR 54020 - Federal Housing Administration Risk Management Initiatives: New Loan-to-Value and Credit Score...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-09-03

    ... Housing Administration Risk Management Initiatives: New Loan-to-Value and Credit Score Requirements AGENCY... acceptable risks of financial loss, not unacceptable risks.\\2\\ \\2\\ While the Federal Credit Reform Act of..., specific to each applicant. Lower credit scores indicate greater risk of default on any new credit extended...

  20. Credit scoring analysis using weighted k nearest neighbor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukid, M. A.; Widiharih, T.; Rusgiyono, A.; Prahutama, A.

    2018-05-01

    Credit scoring is a quatitative method to evaluate the credit risk of loan applications. Both statistical methods and artificial intelligence are often used by credit analysts to help them decide whether the applicants are worthy of credit. These methods aim to predict future behavior in terms of credit risk based on past experience of customers with similar characteristics. This paper reviews the weighted k nearest neighbor (WKNN) method for credit assessment by considering the use of some kernels. We use credit data from a private bank in Indonesia. The result shows that the Gaussian kernel and rectangular kernel have a better performance based on the value of percentage corrected classified whose value is 82.4% respectively.

  1. Analysis of the IEA-R1 reactor start-up procedures - an application of the HazOp method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sauer, Maria Eugenia Lago Jacques

    2000-01-01

    An analysis of technological catastrophic events that took place in this century shows that human failure and vulnerability of risk management programs are the main causes for the occurrence of accidents. As an example, plants and complex systems where the interface man-machine is close, the frequency of failures tends to be higher. Thus, a comprehensive knowledge of how a specific process can be potentially hazardous is a sine qua non condition to the operators training, as well as to define and implement more efficient plans for loss prevention and risk management. A study of the IEA-R1 research reactor start-up procedures was carried out, based upon the methodology Hazard and Operability Study (HazOp). The analytical and qualitative multidisciplinary HazOp approach provided means to a comprehensive review of the reactor start-up procedures, contributing to improve the understanding of the potential hazards associated to deviations on performing this routine. The present work includes a historical summary and a detailed description of the HazOp technique, as well as case studies in the process industries and the use of expert systems in the application of the method. An analysis of 53 activities of the IEA-R1 reactor start-up procedures was made, resulting in 25 recommendations of changes covering aspects of the project, operation and safety of the reactor. Eleven recommendations have been implemented. (author)

  2. E-recruitment: a study into applicant perceptions of an online application system

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sylva, H.; Mol, S.T.

    2009-01-01

    Little is known about applicant reactions to web-based recruitment and selection procedures. This study examines applicant perceptions of web-based procedures, based on a field study among 1360 applicants to a multinational financial services organization applying for jobs in the United Kingdom, the

  3. On the assessment of extremely low breakdown probabilities by an inverse sampling procedure [gaseous insulation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thyregod, Poul; Vibholm, Svend

    1991-01-01

    the flashover probability function and the corresponding distribution of first breakdown voltages under the inverse sampling procedure, and show how this relation may be utilized to assess the single-shot flashover probability corresponding to the observed average first breakdown voltage. Since the procedure......First breakdown voltages obtained under the inverse sampling procedure assuming a double exponential flashover probability function are discussed. An inverse sampling procedure commences the voltage application at a very low level, followed by applications at stepwise increased levels until...... is based on voltage applications in the neighbourhood of the quantile under investigation, the procedure is found to be insensitive to the underlying distributional assumptions...

  4. Same But Different: FIM Summary Scores May Mask Variability in Physical Functioning Profiles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fisher, Steve R; Middleton, Addie; Graham, James E; Ottenbacher, Kenneth J

    2018-02-08

    To examine how similar summary scores of physical functioning using the FIM can represent different patient clinical profiles. Retrospective cohort study. Inpatient rehabilitation facilities. Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries (N=765,441) discharged from inpatient rehabilitation. Not applicable. We used patients' scores on items of the FIM to quantify their level of independence on both self-care and mobility domains. We then identified patients as requiring "no physical assistance" at discharge from inpatient rehabilitation by using a rule and score-based approach. In those patients with FIM self-care and mobility summary scores suggesting no physical assistance needed, we found that physical assistance was in fact needed frequently in bathroom-related activities (eg, continence, toilet and tub transfers, hygiene, clothes management) and with stairs. It was not uncommon for actual performance to be lower than what may be suggested by a summary score of those domains. Further research is needed to create clinically meaningful descriptions of summary scores from combined performances on individual items of physical functioning. Copyright © 2018 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Standardized error severity score (ESS) ratings to quantify risk associated with child restraint system (CRS) and booster seat misuse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rudin-Brown, Christina M; Kramer, Chelsea; Langerak, Robin; Scipione, Andrea; Kelsey, Shelley

    2017-11-17

    Although numerous research studies have reported high levels of error and misuse of child restraint systems (CRS) and booster seats in experimental and real-world scenarios, conclusions are limited because they provide little information regarding which installation issues pose the highest risk and thus should be targeted for change. Beneficial to legislating bodies and researchers alike would be a standardized, globally relevant assessment of the potential injury risk associated with more common forms of CRS and booster seat misuse, which could be applied with observed error frequency-for example, in car seat clinics or during prototype user testing-to better identify and characterize the installation issues of greatest risk to safety. A group of 8 leading world experts in CRS and injury biomechanics, who were members of an international child safety project, estimated the potential injury severity associated with common forms of CRS and booster seat misuse. These injury risk error severity score (ESS) ratings were compiled and compared to scores from previous research that had used a similar procedure but with fewer respondents. To illustrate their application, and as part of a larger study examining CRS and booster seat labeling requirements, the new standardized ESS ratings were applied to objective installation performance data from 26 adult participants who installed a convertible (rear- vs. forward-facing) CRS and booster seat in a vehicle, and a child test dummy in the CRS and booster seat, using labels that only just met minimal regulatory requirements. The outcome measure, the risk priority number (RPN), represented the composite scores of injury risk and observed installation error frequency. Variability within the sample of ESS ratings in the present study was smaller than that generated in previous studies, indicating better agreement among experts on what constituted injury risk. Application of the new standardized ESS ratings to installation

  6. Long-term clinical and radiographic outcome of patello-femoral realignment procedures: a minimum of 15-year follow-up.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vivod, Gregor; Verdonk, Peter; Drobnič, Matej

    2014-11-01

    A retrospective single-centre study was focused on the long-term outcome after different patello-femoral (PF) realignment procedures. Thirty-nine patients treated for recurrent PF instability were examined after a mean post-operative time of 22.5 years. Their 78 knees were divided into: non-operated knees (NON-OPERATED)-N = 24, isolated proximal procedures (PROXIMAL)-N = 22, isolated distal procedures (DISTAL)-N = 10, and combined procedures (COMBINED)-N = 22. PF-related medical history together with clinical, subjective (KOOS and Kujala scores), and radiographic (Caton-Deschamps PF height index, Kellgren-Lawrence scale for tibio-femoral OA, and Iwano classification for PF OA) evaluation was conducted. PF re-dislocation rate was comparable between PROXIMAL (36%), DISTAL (20%), and COMBINED (32%). Isolated proximal procedures revealed less central patella positions (PROXIMAL 64%; DISTAL 90%; COMBINED 95%) and more frequent PF apprehension test (PROXIMAL 82%; DISTAL 40%, COMBINED 50%). KOOS and Kujala scores were similar in all three surgical subgroups, but significantly lower than in NON-OPERATED. Patellas were positioned lower after DISTAL, 0.8 (0.5-1.0) or COMBINED, 0.9 (0.4-1.3). Kellgren-Lawrence scores ≥2 were found in 42% NON-OPERATED, 37% PROXIMAL, 70% DISTAL, and 59% COMBINED, whereas Iwano classification ≥2 was confirmed in 46% NON-OPERATED, 64% PROXIMAL, 80% DISTAL, and 86% COMBINED. High PF re-dislocation rates together with a very high incidence of PF OA indicate that PF realignment strategies used traditionally had failed to reach their long-term expectations. The transfer of tibial tuberosity resulted in more constrained PF joints than isolated proximal procedures which allowed for more residual PF instability. Distal procedures additionally increased the likelihood for tibio-femoral OA. III.

  7. Ripasa score: a new diagnostic score for diagnosis of acute appendicitis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Butt, M.Q.

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To determine the usefulness of RIPASA score for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis using histopathology as a gold standard. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of General Surgery, Combined Military Hospital, Kohat, from September 2011 to March 2012. Methodology: A total of 267 patients were included in this study. RIPASA score was assessed. The diagnosis of appendicitis was made clinically aided by routine sonography of abdomen. After appendicectomies, resected appendices were sent for histopathological examination. The 15 parameters and the scores generated were age (less than 40 years = 1 point; greater than 40 years = 0.5 point), gender (male = 1 point; female = 0.5 point), Right Iliac Fossa (RIF) pain (0.5 point), migration of pain to RIF (0.5 point), nausea and vomiting (1 point), anorexia (1 point), duration of symptoms (less than 48 hours = 1 point; more than 48 hours = 0.5 point), RIF tenderness (1 point), guarding (2 points), rebound tenderness (1 point), Rovsing's sign (2 points), fever (1 point), raised white cell count (1 point), negative urinalysis (1 point) and foreign national registration identity card (1 point). The optimal cut-off threshold score from the ROC was 7.5. Sensitivity analysis was done. Results: Out of 267 patients, 156 (58.4%) were male while remaining 111 patients (41.6%) were female with mean age of 23.5 +- 9.1 years. Sensitivity of RIPASA score was 96.7%, specificity 93.0%, diagnostic accuracy was 95.1%, positive predictive value was 94.8% and negative predictive value was 95.54%. Conclusion: RIPASA score at a cut-off total score of 7.5 was a useful tool to diagnose appendicitis, in equivocal cases of pain. (author)

  8. On the general procedure for modelling complex ecological systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He Shanyu.

    1987-12-01

    In this paper, the principle of a general procedure for modelling complex ecological systems, i.e. the Adaptive Superposition Procedure (ASP) is shortly stated. The result of application of ASP in a national project for ecological regionalization is also described. (author). 3 refs

  9. Development and validation of a risk score to predict the probability of postoperative vomiting in pediatric patients: the VPOP score.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bourdaud, Nathalie; Devys, Jean-Michel; Bientz, Jocelyne; Lejus, Corinne; Hebrard, Anne; Tirel, Olivier; Lecoutre, Damien; Sabourdin, Nada; Nivoche, Yves; Baujard, Catherine; Nikasinovic, Lydia; Orliaguet, Gilles A

    2014-09-01

    Few data are available in the literature on risk factors for postoperative vomiting (POV) in children. The aim of the study was to establish independent risk factors for POV and to construct a pediatric specific risk score to predict POV in children. Characteristics of 2392 children operated under general anesthesia were recorded. The dataset was randomly split into an evaluation set (n = 1761), analyzed with a multivariate analysis including logistic regression and backward stepwise procedure, and a validation set (n = 450), used to confirm the accuracy of prediction using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROCAUC ), to optimize sensitivity and specificity. The overall incidence of POV was 24.1%. Five independent risk factors were identified: stratified age (>3 and 13 years: adjusted OR 2.46 [95% CI 1.75-3.45]; ≥6 and ≤13 years: aOR 3.09 [95% CI 2.23-4.29]), duration of anesthesia (aOR 1.44 [95% IC 1.06-1.96]), surgery at risk (aOR 2.13 [95% IC 1.49-3.06]), predisposition to POV (aOR 1.81 [95% CI 1.43-2.31]), and multiple opioids doses (aOR 2.76 [95% CI 2.06-3.70], P risk score ranged from 0 to 6. The model yielded a ROCAUC of 0.73 [95% CI 0.67-0.78] when applied to the validation dataset. Independent risk factors for POV were identified and used to create a new score to predict which children are at high risk of POV. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Correlation of USMLE Step 1 scores with performance on dermatology in-training examinations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fening, Katherine; Vander Horst, Anthony; Zirwas, Matthew

    2011-01-01

    Although United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 was not designed to predict resident performance, scores are used to compare residency applicants. Multiple studies have displayed a significant correlation among Step 1 scores, in-training examination (ITE) scores, and board passage, although no such studies have been performed in dermatology. The purpose of this study is to determine if this correlation exists in dermatology, and how much of the variability in ITE scores is a result of differences in Step 1 scores. This study also seeks to determine if it is appropriate to individualize expectations for resident ITE performance. This project received institutional review board exemption. From 5 dermatology residency programs (86 residents), we collected Step 1 and ITE scores for each of the 3 years of dermatology residency, and recorded passage/failure on boards. Bivariate Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess correlation between USMLE and ITE scores. Ordinary least squares regression was computed to determine how much USMLE scores contribute to ITE variability. USMLE and ITE score correlations were highly significant (P ITE in years 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Variability in ITE scores caused by differences in USMLE scores were: ITE first-year residency = 21.8%, ITE second-year residency = 29.3%, and ITE third-year residency = 27.8%. This study had a relatively small sample size, with data from only 5 programs. There is a moderate correlation between USMLE and ITE scores, with USMLE scores explaining ∼26% of the variability in ITE scores. Copyright © 2009 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Probabilistic consensus scoring improves tandem mass spectrometry peptide identification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nahnsen, Sven; Bertsch, Andreas; Rahnenführer, Jörg; Nordheim, Alfred; Kohlbacher, Oliver

    2011-08-05

    Database search is a standard technique for identifying peptides from their tandem mass spectra. To increase the number of correctly identified peptides, we suggest a probabilistic framework that allows the combination of scores from different search engines into a joint consensus score. Central to the approach is a novel method to estimate scores for peptides not found by an individual search engine. This approach allows the estimation of p-values for each candidate peptide and their combination across all search engines. The consensus approach works better than any single search engine across all different instrument types considered in this study. Improvements vary strongly from platform to platform and from search engine to search engine. Compared to the industry standard MASCOT, our approach can identify up to 60% more peptides. The software for consensus predictions is implemented in C++ as part of OpenMS, a software framework for mass spectrometry. The source code is available in the current development version of OpenMS and can easily be used as a command line application or via a graphical pipeline designer TOPPAS.

  12. The effectiveness of the Spanish banking reform application of Altman’s Z-Score

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ntoung A. T. Lious

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The recent financial crisis which causes bankruptcy around the world, Spain was placed at the top list because of the crucial state of its banking. This lead to a call to ensure adequate bank capitalization and reduce uncertainty regarding the strength of their balance sheets. In the light of recent event, the important of knowing the financial position of banks is imperative to shareholders. Thus, the aim of this study is to affirm the validity of Altman Z”-Score model as a predictors of the uncertainty regarding financial sector in Spain. This study takes into consideration two periods: before the banking reform and after the banking reform. It requires 30 financial institutions in Spain both big as well as small. Ratio analysis was carried out on the 30 banks before and after the reforms for five years prior to their bankruptcy or nationalisation as the Z” Score model has predictive power of up to five years before the reforms

  13. [Evaluation of ergonomic load of clinical nursing procedures].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, P; Zhang, L; Li, F Y; Yang, Y; Wang, Y N; Huang, A M; Dai, Y L; Yao, H

    2017-08-20

    Objective: To evaluate the ergonomic load of clinical nursing procedures and to provide evidence for the prevention and management of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in nurses. Methods: Based on the nursing unit characteristics and the common departments involving patient-turning procedures, 552 nurses were selected from 6 clinical departments from July to September, 2016. The ergonomic load of four types of patient-turning procedures, i.e., turning the patient's body, changing the bed linen of in-bed patients, moving patients, and chest physiotherapy, was evaluated by the on-site inspectors and self-evaluated by the operators using the Quick Exposure Check. The exposure value, exposure level, and exposure rate of WMSDs were assessed based on the procedure-related physical loads on the back, shoulders/arms, wrists/hands and neck, as well as the loads from work rhythm and work pressure. Results: All surveyed subjects were females who were aged mostly between 26-30 years (49.46%) , with a mean age of 29.66±5.28 years. These nurses were mainly from the Department of Infection (28.99%) and Spine Surgery (21.56%) . There were significant differences in the back, shoulders/arms, neck, work rhythm, and work pressure scores between different nursing procedures ( F =16.613, 5.884, 3.431, 3.222, and 5.085, respectively; P nursing procedures resulted in high to intermediate physical load in nurses. Procedures with high to low level of WMSDs exposure were patient turning (72.69%) , bed linen changing (67.15%) , patient transfer (65.82%) , and chest physiotherapy (58.34%) . In particular, patient turning was considered as very high-risk procedure, whereas others were considered as high-risk procedures. Conclusion: Patient-turning nursing procedures result in high ergonomic load in the operators. Therefore, more focus should be placed on the ergonomics of the caretakers and nurses.

  14. The International Bleeding Risk Score

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Laursen, Stig Borbjerg; Laine, L.; Dalton, H.

    2017-01-01

    The International Bleeding Risk Score: A New Risk Score that can Accurately Predict Mortality in Patients with Upper GI-Bleeding.......The International Bleeding Risk Score: A New Risk Score that can Accurately Predict Mortality in Patients with Upper GI-Bleeding....

  15. Derivation and validation of a diagnostic score based on case-mix groups to predict 30-day death or urgent readmission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Walraven, Carl; Wong, Jenna; Forster, Alan J

    2012-01-01

    Between 5% and 10% of patients die or are urgently readmitted within 30 days of discharge from hospital. Readmission risk indexes have either excluded acute diagnoses or modelled them as multiple distinct variables. In this study, we derived and validated a score summarizing the influence of acute hospital diagnoses and procedures on death or urgent readmission within 30 days. From population-based hospital abstracts in Ontario, we randomly sampled 200 000 discharges between April 2003 and March 2009 and determined who had been readmitted urgently or died within 30 days of discharge. We used generalized estimating equation modelling, with a sample of 100 000 patients, to measure the adjusted association of various case-mix groups (CMGs-homogenous groups of acute care inpatients with similar clinical and resource-utilization characteristics) with 30-day death or urgent readmission. This final model was transformed into a scoring system that was validated in the remaining 100 000 patients. Patients in the derivation set belonged to 1 of 506 CMGs and had a 6.8% risk of 30-day death or urgent readmission. Forty-seven CMG codes (more than half of which were directly related to chronic diseases) were independently associated with this outcome, which led to a CMG score that ranged from -6 to 7 points. The CMG score was significantly associated with 30-day death or urgent readmission (unadjusted odds ratio for a 1-point increase in CMG score 1.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.49-1.56). Alone, the CMG score was only moderately discriminative (C statistic 0.650, 95% CI 0.644-0.656). However, when the CMG score was added to a validated risk index for death or readmission, the C statistic increased to 0.759 (95% CI 0.753-0.765). The CMG score was well calibrated for 30-day death or readmission. In this study, we developed a scoring system for acute hospital diagnoses and procedures that could be used as part of a risk-adjustment methodology for analyses of postdischarge

  16. 34 CFR 668.149 - Special provisions for the approval of assessment procedures for special populations for whom no...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... procedure or instrument measures both basic verbal and quantitative skills at the secondary school level. (2... recommended by the test developer, provided that the test administrator— (i) Uses those procedures or... verbal and quantitative skills at the secondary school level; and (4) The passing scores and the methods...

  17. Do Multiple Mini-Interview and Traditional Interview Scores Differ in Their Associations With Acceptance Offers Within and Across Five California Medical Schools?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jerant, Anthony; Henderson, Mark C; Griffin, Erin; Hall, Theodore R; Kelly, Carolyn J; Peterson, Ellena M; Wofsy, David; Franks, Peter

    2018-03-20

    In single-school studies, multiple mini-interview (MMI) and traditional interview (TI) scores are associated with acceptance offers. Unexamined is whether scores at one school are associated with acceptance at other schools; such analyses would mitigate single-school design biases and better estimate how well interviews capture desired applicant attributes. Using data from the five California Longitudinal Evaluation of Admissions Practices (CA-LEAP) public medical schools, the authors examined associations of MMI and TI scores with acceptance offers within and across schools. The analyses included applicants who interviewed at ≥1 CA-LEAP school during the 2011-2013 admissions cycles, when three CA-LEAP schools employed TIs and two employed MMIs. Interview scores were standardized (z-scores: mean = 0, SD = 1) and associations with acceptance offers were examined within and across schools in analyses stratified by school, adjusting for applicant sociodemographics, academic metrics, year, and total number of interviews. Of 4,993 applicants interviewed, 428 (8.6%) interviewed at both MMI schools, 681 (13.6%) at ≥2 TI schools, and 1,327 (26.6%) at ≥1 MMI and ≥1 TI school. For each school, acceptance was associated with interview score at that school and also with interview scores at the other four schools. Cross-school associations of MMI versus TI scores with acceptance did not differ statistically. Interview score at a given CA-LEAP school was associated with acceptance at the other four schools, with no significant differences in associations for MMIs versus TIs. The findings suggest both MMIs and TIs captured attributes valued by admissions teams across CA-LEAP schools.

  18. Use of a paper-cut as an adjunct to teaching the Whipple procedure by video.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mann, B D; Heath, C M; Gracely, E; Seidman, A; Nieman, L Z; Sachdeva, A K

    1998-10-01

    Medical students often experience difficulty comprehending anatomic relationships of complex operations to which they are exposed during surgical clerkship. Pancreaticoduodenectomy, the Whipple procedure, is one such operation. Although video recordings are available to facilitate the learning of the Whipple procedure, commercially available tapes are not self-explanatory to the uninitiated. Since we have previously demonstrated that third-year medical students could learn the operative steps of inguinal herniorraphy by a paper-cutting exercise, we set out to determine whether an exercise of similar design could enhance a student's comprehension of the Whipple procedure. Using Adobe Illustrator 5.5 for MacIntosh, an exercise was developed on a 8.5 x 11-inch paper that could be distributed to students for self-administration. The exercise was performed using a #15 scalpel or an iris scissors. Thirty-seven students were randomized into two groups. Each student received a pretest of questions focusing on the Whipple procedure. Group I was shown an 18-minute commercially available teaching video on the Whipple procedure. Group II was given the Whipple origami exercise, which required 20 minutes to complete. A first posttest was administered to each group. Next, the groups switched exercises, and a second posttest was administered. There was no significant difference between the groups' pretest scores (two-tailed t test, P = 0.290). Group I improved its score from an average of 64.21 (SD 14.27) to 67.89 (SD 13.16) after watching the video, and further to 77.89 (SD 14.37) after completing the paper-cut exercise. Group II improved from 60.00 (SD 9.43) to 78.95 (SD 11.00) after performing the paper-cut, but derived no additional measurable benefit from watching the video, average score 74.74 (SD 18.37). After the first exercise, students who performed the paper-cut showed a significantly greater improvement in test scores compared with students who saw the video (P = 0

  19. HUMAN RELIABILITY ANALYSIS FOR COMPUTERIZED PROCEDURES, PART TWO: APPLICABILITY OF CURRENT METHODS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ronald L. Boring; David I. Gertman

    2012-10-01

    Computerized procedures (CPs) are an emerging technology within nuclear power plant control rooms. While CPs have been implemented internationally in advanced control rooms, to date no U.S. nuclear power plant has implemented CPs in its main control room. Yet, CPs are a reality of new plant builds and are an area of considerable interest to existing plants, which see advantages in terms of easier records management by omitting the need for updating hardcopy procedures. The overall intent of this paper is to provide a characterization of human reliability analysis (HRA) issues for computerized procedures. It is beyond the scope of this document to propose a new HRA approach or to recommend specific methods or refinements to those methods. Rather, this paper serves as a review of current HRA as it may be used for the analysis and review of computerized procedures.

  20. Time Savings and Surgery Task Load Reduction in Open Intraperitoneal Onlay Mesh Fixation Procedure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanjoy Roy

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. This study assessed the reduction in surgeon stress associated with savings in procedure time for mechanical fixation of an intraperitoneal onlay mesh (IPOM compared to a traditional suture fixation in open ventral hernia repair. Study Design. Nine general surgeons performed 36 open IPOM fixation procedures in porcine model. Each surgeon conducted two mechanical (using ETHICON SECURESTRAPTM Open and two suture fixation procedures. Fixation time was measured using a stopwatch, and related surgeon stress was assessed using the validated SURG-TLX questionnaire. T-tests were used to compare between-group differences, and a two-sided 95% confidence interval for the difference in stress levels was established using nonparametric methodology. Results. The mechanical fixation group demonstrated an 89.1% mean reduction in fixation time, as compared to the suture group (p<0.00001. Surgeon stress scores measured using SURG-TLX were 55.5% lower in the mechanical compared to the suture fixation group (p<0.001. Scores in five of the six sources of stress were significantly lower for mechanical fixation. Conclusions. Mechanical fixation with ETHICON SECURESTRAPTM Open demonstrated a significant reduction in fixation time and surgeon stress, which may translate into improved operating efficiency, improved performance, improved surgeon quality of life, and reduced overall costs of the procedure.

  1. Credit risk assessment model for Jordanian commercial banks: Neural scoring approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hussain Ali Bekhet

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Despite the increase in the number of non-performing loans and competition in the banking market, most of the Jordanian commercial banks are reluctant to use data mining tools to support credit decisions. Artificial neural networks represent a new family of statistical techniques and promising data mining tools that have been used successfully in classification problems in many domains. This paper proposes two credit scoring models using data mining techniques to support loan decisions for the Jordanian commercial banks. Loan application evaluation would improve credit decision effectiveness and control loan office tasks, as well as save analysis time and cost. Both accepted and rejected loan applications, from different Jordanian commercial banks, were used to build the credit scoring models. The results indicate that the logistic regression model performed slightly better than the radial basis function model in terms of the overall accuracy rate. However, the radial basis function was superior in identifying those customers who may default.

  2. 22 CFR 61.7 - Review and appeal procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Review and appeal procedures. 61.7 Section 61.7 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND EXCHANGES WORLD-WIDE FREE FLOW OF AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIALS § 61.7 Review and appeal procedures. (a) An applicant may request a formal review of any adverse...

  3. 46 CFR 184.702 - Pollution prevention equipment and procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Pollution prevention equipment and procedures. 184.702 Section 184.702 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) SMALL PASSENGER VESSELS... Pollution prevention equipment and procedures. A vessel must comply with the applicable design, equipment...

  4. The Impact of Correction for Guessing Formula on MC and Yes/No Vocabulary Tests' Scores

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    abdollah baradaran

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available A standard correction for random guessing (cfg formula on multiple-choice and Yes/Noexaminations was examined retrospectively in the scores of the intermediate female EFL learners in an English language school. The correctionwas a weighting formula for points awarded for correct answers,incorrect answers, and unanswered questions so that the expectedvalue of the increase in test score due to guessing was zero. The researcher compared uncorrected and corrected scores on examinationsusing multiple-choice and Yes/No formats. These short-answer formats eliminatedor at least greatly reduced the potential for guessing the correctanswer. The expectation for students to improve their grade by guessingon multiple-choice and Yes/No format examinations is well known. The researcher examined a method for correcting for random guessing (cfg " no knowledge" on multiple- choice and Yes/No vocabulary examinations by comparing application and non-application of correction for guessing (cfg formula on scores on these examinations. It was done to determine whether the test takers really knew the correct answer, or they had resorted to a kind of guessing. This study represented a unique opportunity to compare scores from multiple-choice and Yes/No examinations in a settingin which students were given the same number of questions ineach of the two format types testing their knowledge over thesame subject matter. The results of this study indicated that the significant differences were highlighted between the subjects' scores when cfg formula was applied and when it was not.

  5. National Drug Formulary review of statin therapeutic group using the multiattribute scoring tool

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramli A

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Azuana Ramli,1,3 Syed Mohamed Aljunid,1,2 Saperi Sulong,2 Faridah Aryani Md Yusof31United Nations University International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 2International Centre for Casemix and Clinical Coding (ITCC, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 3Pharmaceutical Services Division, Ministry of Health, Petaling Jaya, MalaysiaPurpose: HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins are extensively used in treating hypercholesterolemia. The statins available in Malaysia include atorvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin, simvastatin, and fluvastatin. Over the years, they have accumulated in the National Drug Formulary; hence, the need for review. Effective selection of the best drugs to remain in the formulary can become complex due to the multiple drug attributes involved, and is made worse by the limited time and resources available. The multiattribute scoring tool (MAST systematizes the evaluation of the drug attributes to facilitate the drug selection process. In this study, a MAST framework was developed to rank the statins based on their utilities or benefits.Methods: Published literature on multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA were studied and five sessions of expert group discussions were conducted to build the MAST framework and to review the evidence. The attributes identified and selected for analysis were efficacy (clinical efficacy, clinical endpoints, safety (drug interactions, serious side effects and documentation, drug applicability (drug strength/formulation, indications, dose frequency, side effects, food–drug interactions, and dose adjustments, and cost. The average weights assigned by the members for efficacy, safety, drug applicability and cost were 32.6%, 26.2%, 24.1%, and 17.1%, respectively. The utility values of the attributes were scored based on the published evidence or/and agreements during the group discussions. The attribute scores were added up

  6. The revised FLACC score: Reliability and validation for pain assessment in children with cerebral palsy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Line Kjeldgaard; Rahbek, Ole; Nikolajsen, Lone

    2015-01-01

    AbstractBackground and aims Pain in children with cerebral palsy (CP) is difficult to assess and is therefore not sufficiently recognized and treated. Children with severe cognitive impairments have an increased risk of neglected postoperative, procedural and chronic pain resulting in decreased...... quality of life. The r-FLACC (revised Face, Legs, Activity, Cry and Consolability) pain score is an internationally acclaimed tool for assessing pain in children with CP because of its ease to use and its use of core pain behaviours. In addition the r-FLACC pain score may be superior to other pain...... of the r-FLACC pain score for use in Danish children with CP. Methods Twenty-seven children aged 3–15 years old with CP were included after orthopaedic surgery. Two methods for assessment of postoperative pain were used. Pain intensity was assessed by r-FLACC, with a 2 min standardized video recording...

  7. The application of transcatheter closure procedure in congenital heart diseases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo Haoxue; Liu Shuyong; Jiang Rutong; Bai Hongcan; Wang Yanwei; Du Yuying; Yang Qiaoji; Qin Yongwen

    2003-01-01

    Objective: To explore and evaluate the value of transcatheter closure procedure in congenital heart diseases. Methods: Transcatheter closure was performed in 12 patients with congenital heart diseases including 6 ventricular septal defect (VSD), 4 atrial septal defect (ASD), 2 patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), by the Amplatzer occlusion device under local or general anesthesia. Results: The procedure was successful in all patients outcoming with the disappearance of cardiac murmur. All of them could get out of the bed within 6 to 12 hours postoperatively, and were discharged from hospital after 4 to 6 days. Conclusions: Transcatheter treatment of congenital cardiac defects by Amplatzer occlusion device is less traumatic, with good effect, simultaneously

  8. The application of transcatheter closure procedure in congenital heart diseases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haoxue, Guo; Shuyong, Liu; Rutong, Jiang; Hongcan, Bai; Yanwei, Wang; Yuying, Du; Qiaoji, Yang; Yongwen, Qin [Henan Provincial Corps Hospital, Chinese People' s Police Forces, Zhengzhou (China). Dept. of Surgery

    2003-10-01

    Objective: To explore and evaluate the value of transcatheter closure procedure in congenital heart diseases. Methods: Transcatheter closure was performed in 12 patients with congenital heart diseases including 6 ventricular septal defect (VSD), 4 atrial septal defect (ASD), 2 patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), by the Amplatzer occlusion device under local or general anesthesia. Results: The procedure was successful in all patients outcoming with the disappearance of cardiac murmur. All of them could get out of the bed within 6 to 12 hours postoperatively, and were discharged from hospital after 4 to 6 days. Conclusions: Transcatheter treatment of congenital cardiac defects by Amplatzer occlusion device is less traumatic, with good effect, simultaneously.

  9. 12 CFR 516.180 - What procedures govern the conduct of the meeting?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false What procedures govern the conduct of the meeting? 516.180 Section 516.180 Banks and Banking OFFICE OF THRIFT SUPERVISION, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY APPLICATION PROCESSING PROCEDURES Meeting Procedures § 516.180 What procedures govern the conduct...

  10. SF-36 total score as a single measure of health-related quality of life: Scoping review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lins, Liliane; Carvalho, Fernando Martins

    2016-01-01

    According to the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey questionnaire developers, a global measure of health-related quality of life such as the "SF-36 Total/Global/Overall Score" cannot be generated from the questionnaire. However, studies keep on reporting such measure. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency and to describe some characteristics of articles reporting the SF-36 Total/Global/Overall Score in the scientific literature. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses method was adapted to a scoping review. We performed searches in PubMed, Web of Science, SCOPUS, BVS, and Cochrane Library databases for articles using such scores. We found 172 articles published between 1997 and 2015; 110 (64.0%) of them were published from 2010 onwards; 30.0% appeared in journals with Impact Factor 3.00 or greater. Overall, 129 (75.0%) out of the 172 studies did not specify the method for calculating the "SF-36 Total Score"; 13 studies did not specify their methods but referred to the SF-36 developers' studies or others; and 30 articles used different strategies for calculating such score, the most frequent being arithmetic averaging of the eight SF-36 domains scores. We concluded that the "SF-36 Total/Global/Overall Score" has been increasingly reported in the scientific literature. Researchers should be aware of this procedure and of its possible impacts upon human health.

  11. Cardiovascular disease risk score prediction models for women and its applicability to Asians

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Goh LGH

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Louise GH Goh,1 Satvinder S Dhaliwal,1 Timothy A Welborn,2 Peter L Thompson,2–4 Bruce R Maycock,1 Deborah A Kerr,1 Andy H Lee,1 Dean Bertolatti,1 Karin M Clark,1 Rakhshanda Naheed,1 Ranil Coorey,1 Phillip R Della5 1School of Public Health, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia; 2Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Perth, WA, Australia; 3School of Population Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia; 4Harry Perkins Institute for Medical Research, Perth, WA, Australia; 5School of Nursing and Midwifery, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia Purpose: Although elevated cardiovascular disease (CVD risk factors are associated with a higher risk of developing heart conditions across all ethnic groups, variations exist between groups in the distribution and association of risk factors, and also risk levels. This study assessed the 10-year predicted risk in a multiethnic cohort of women and compared the differences in risk between Asian and Caucasian women. Methods: Information on demographics, medical conditions and treatment, smoking behavior, dietary behavior, and exercise patterns were collected. Physical measurements were also taken. The 10-year risk was calculated using the Framingham model, SCORE (Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation risk chart for low risk and high risk regions, the general CVD, and simplified general CVD risk score models in 4,354 females aged 20–69 years with no heart disease, diabetes, or stroke at baseline from the third Australian Risk Factor Prevalence Study. Country of birth was used as a surrogate for ethnicity. Nonparametric statistics were used to compare risk levels between ethnic groups. Results: Asian women generally had lower risk of CVD when compared to Caucasian women. The 10-year predicted risk was, however, similar between Asian and Australian women, for some models. These findings were

  12. 18 CFR 348.2 - Procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Procedures. 348.2 Section 348.2 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY REGULATIONS UNDER THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE ACT OIL PIPELINE APPLICATIONS FOR MARKET POWER...

  13. 48 CFR 22.608 - Procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... APPLICATION OF LABOR LAWS TO GOVERNMENT ACQUISITIONS Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act 22.608 Procedures. (a) Award. When a contract subject to the Act is awarded, the contracting officer, in accordance with... to the contractor DOL publication WH-1313, Notice to Employees Working on Government Contracts. (b...

  14. The effect of formal training of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR skills on medical students perceived self-sufficiency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shaghaghi A

    2004-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: Experience of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR in real clinical setting is not easily possible for all medical students. Purpose: To assess medical student perceived self-sufficiency on three procedural skill on internship courses after they had taken a training course in clerkship period. Methods: Forty three medical students who had attended a workshop on CPR, tracheal intubations and venopuncture answered the questionnaires on their perceived self-sufficiency in performing these procedures after serving a few months as interns. Results: The mean score for perceived self-sufficiency (PSS was 75.84 (±18.63.Thre were a high correlation between the score given for the applicability of training in real life situation and the stress reduction scores on first time performing the procedure. Conclusion: The high degree of correlation between PSS scores and applicability scores, may warrant the consideration of new methods in procedural skills. Keywords: SKILL TRAINING, CPR TRAINING, PERCEIVED SELF-SUFFICIENCY

  15. The New York State risk score for predicting in-hospital/30-day mortality following percutaneous coronary intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hannan, Edward L; Farrell, Louise Szypulski; Walford, Gary; Jacobs, Alice K; Berger, Peter B; Holmes, David R; Stamato, Nicholas J; Sharma, Samin; King, Spencer B

    2013-06-01

    This study sought to develop a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) risk score for in-hospital/30-day mortality. Risk scores are simplified linear scores that provide clinicians with quick estimates of patients' short-term mortality rates for informed consent and to determine the appropriate intervention. Earlier PCI risk scores were based on in-hospital mortality. However, for PCI, a substantial percentage of patients die within 30 days of the procedure after discharge. New York's Percutaneous Coronary Interventions Reporting System was used to develop an in-hospital/30-day logistic regression model for patients undergoing PCI in 2010, and this model was converted into a simple linear risk score that estimates mortality rates. The score was validated by applying it to 2009 New York PCI data. Subsequent analyses evaluated the ability of the score to predict complications and length of stay. A total of 54,223 patients were used to develop the risk score. There are 11 risk factors that make up the score, with risk factor scores ranging from 1 to 9, and the highest total score is 34. The score was validated based on patients undergoing PCI in the previous year, and accurately predicted mortality for all patients as well as patients who recently suffered a myocardial infarction (MI). The PCI risk score developed here enables clinicians to estimate in-hospital/30-day mortality very quickly and quite accurately. It accurately predicts mortality for patients undergoing PCI in the previous year and for MI patients, and is also moderately related to perioperative complications and length of stay. Copyright © 2013 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Prediction of surgical outcome in compressive cervical myelopathy: A novel clinicoradiological prognostic score

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rishi Anil Aggarwal

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Context: Preoperative severity of myelopathy, age, and duration of symptoms have been shown to be highly predictive of the outcome in compressive cervical myelopathy (CCM. The role of radiological parameters is still controversial. Aims: Define the prognostic factors in CCM and formulate a prognostic score to predict the outcome following surgery in CCM. Settings and Design: Retrospective. Materials and Methods: This study included 78 consecutive patients with CCM treated surgically. The modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA scale was used to quantify severity of myelopathy at admission and at 12-month follow-up. The outcome was defined as "good" if the patient had mJOA score ≥16 and "poor" if the score was <16. Age, sex, duration of symptoms, comorbidities, intrinsic hand muscle wasting (IHMW, diagnosis, surgical technique, Torg ratio, instability on dynamic radiographs, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI signal intensity changes were assessed. Statistics: Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS (version 20.0 was used for statistical analysis. The association was assessed amongst variables using logistic regression analysis. Parameters having a statistically significant correlation with the outcome were included in formulating a prognostic score. Results: Severity of myelopathy, IHMW, age, duration, diabetes, and instability on radiographs were predictive of the outcome with a P value <0.01. Genders, diagnosis, surgical procedure, Torg ratio, and intensity changes on MRI were not significantly related to the outcome. A 8-point scoring system was devised incorporating the significant clinicoradiological parameters, and it was found that nearly all patients (97.82% with a score below 5 had good outcome and all patients (100% with a score above 5 had poor outcome. The outcome is difficult to predict with a score of 5. Conclusions: Clinical parameters are better predictors of the outcome as compared to radiological findings

  17. Visualisation of Proficiency Test Exercise by Means of Kiri Plots. Informatics Application; Metodo de Visualizacion de los Resultados de las Pruebas de Capacitacion por medio de la Grafica de Kiri. Aplicacion Informatica

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gasco, C.; Trinidad, J. A.

    2012-09-13

    This report describes the visualisation procedure of the proficiency tests by means of Kiri Plots, based on three tests: z-score, zeta-score and the relative uncertainty outlier. The results assessment of the intercomparison exercises and proficiency tests among Spanish environmental radioactivity laboratories and Spanish Nuclear Power Plants Laboratories is performed by Environmental Radioactivity and Radiological Surveillance Unit following the ISO-43 e ISO/ IUPAC standards and applying the z-score test. The application of new graphics methods and tests to a better evaluation of uncertainties reported by Labs is described in this paper. An informatics programme has been developed in Visual Basic for applications that allows the graphic representation of Tables and Figures automatically in an excel-sheet and later statistical simulations changing the ratios between the reference value uncertainties and the concentration activities values from the participants laboratories. (Author) 26 refs.

  18. Reference levels in PTCA as a function of procedure complexity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peterzol, A.; Quai, E.; Padovani, R.; Bernardi, G.; Kotre, C. J.; Dowling, A.

    2005-01-01

    The multicentre assessment of a procedure complexity index (CI) for the introduction of reference levels (RLs) in percutaneous transluminal coronary angio-plasties (PTCA) is presented here. PTCAs were investigated based on methodology proposed by Bernardi et al. Multiple linear stepwise regression analysis, including clinical, anatomical and technical factors, was performed to obtain fluoroscopy time predictors. Based on these regression coefficients, a scoring system was defined and CI obtained. CI was used to classify dose values into three groups: low, medium and high complexity procedures, since there was good correlation (r = 0.41; P 2 , and 12, 20 and 27 min for fluoroscopy time, for the three CI groups. (authors)

  19. Nonparametric Estimation of ATE and QTE: An Application of Fractile Graphical Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabriel V. Montes-Rojas

    2011-01-01

    characteristics. The proposed method has two steps: first, the propensity score is estimated, and, second, a blocking estimation procedure using this estimate is used to compute treatment effects. In both cases, the estimators are proved to be consistent. Monte Carlo results show a better performance than other procedures based on the propensity score. Finally, these estimators are applied to a job training dataset.

  20. [Prognosis of acute pancreatitis by PANC 3 score].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukuda, James Ken; Franzon, Orli; Resende-Filho, Fernando de Oliveira; Kruel, Nicolau Fernandes; Ferri, Thiago Alessandro

    2013-06-01

    Acute pancreatitis is a disease of great importance in clinical practice, defined as an inflammatory process of the pancreas that may involve local tissues or affect other organs in a systemic manner, requiring, in such cases, an intensive care. To analyze the simplified stratification system of the PANC 3 score, correlating it with the Ranson score, for the prognostic definition of cases of acute pancreatitis. Was conducted a prospective, observational study in which were evaluated 65 patients who were diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. PANC 3 showed sensitivity, 31.25%; specificity,100%; positive predictive value, 100%; negative predictive value, 81.66% and accuracy, 83.07%. The PANC 3 criteria are applicable to define the severity and the prognosis of acute pancreatitis, and are not a substitute method, but rather a method to be associated with the Ranson criteria, mainly due to its high accuracy, positive predictive value and specificity.