Instrument choice when regulators are concerned about resource extinction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Lars Gårn; Jensen, Frank; Russell, Clifford

2013-01-01

In this paper we undertake a systematic investigation of instrument choice when preventing a population collapse rather than maximizing industry profit is the overriding concern. Contrary to what seems to be the general consensus we find that landing fees do provide more effective insurance again...... the regulators total catch goals are set according to economic or precautionary principles....

Playing a Musical Instrument as a Protective Factor against Dementia and Cognitive Impairment: A Population-Based Twin Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Balbag, M Alison; Pedersen, Nancy L; Gatz, Margaret

2014-01-01

Increasing evidence supports that playing a musical instrument may benefit cognitive development and health at young ages. Whether playing an instrument provides protection against dementia has not been established. In a population-based cotwin control study, we examined the association between playing a musical instrument and whether or not the twins developed dementia or cognitive impairment. Participation in playing an instrument was taken from informant-based reports of twins' leisure activities. Dementia diagnoses were based on a complete clinical workup using standard diagnostic criteria. Among 157 twin pairs discordant for dementia and cognitive impairment, 27 pairs were discordant for playing an instrument. Controlling for sex, education, and physical activity, playing a musical instrument was significantly associated with less likelihood of dementia and cognitive impairment (odds ratio [OR] = 0.36 [95% confidence interval 0.13-0.99]). These findings support further consideration of music as a modifiable protective factor against dementia and cognitive impairment.

Playing a Musical Instrument as a Protective Factor against Dementia and Cognitive Impairment: A Population-Based Twin Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Alison Balbag

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Increasing evidence supports that playing a musical instrument may benefit cognitive development and health at young ages. Whether playing an instrument provides protection against dementia has not been established. In a population-based cotwin control study, we examined the association between playing a musical instrument and whether or not the twins developed dementia or cognitive impairment. Participation in playing an instrument was taken from informant-based reports of twins’ leisure activities. Dementia diagnoses were based on a complete clinical workup using standard diagnostic criteria. Among 157 twin pairs discordant for dementia and cognitive impairment, 27 pairs were discordant for playing an instrument. Controlling for sex, education, and physical activity, playing a musical instrument was significantly associated with less likelihood of dementia and cognitive impairment (odds ratio [OR] = 0.36 [95% confidence interval 0.13–0.99]. These findings support further consideration of music as a modifiable protective factor against dementia and cognitive impairment.

Patient-Specific CT-Based Instrumentation versus Conventional Instrumentation in Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study on Clinical Outcomes and In-Hospital Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrzej Kotela

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Total knee arthroplasty (TKA is a frequently performed procedure in orthopaedic surgery. Recently, patient-specific instrumentation was introduced to facilitate correct positioning of implants. The aim of this study was to compare the early clinical results of TKA performed with patient-specific CT-based instrumentation and conventional technique. A prospective, randomized controlled trial on 112 patients was performed between January 2011 and December 2011. A group of 112 patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled in this study and randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. The experimental group comprised 52 patients who received the Signature CT-based implant positioning system, and the control group consisted of 60 patients with conventional instrumentation. Clinical outcomes were evaluated with the KSS scale, WOMAC scale, and VAS scales to assess knee pain severity and patient satisfaction with the surgery. Specified in-hospital data were recorded. Patients were followed up for 12 months. At one year after surgery, there were no statistically significant differences between groups with respect to clinical outcomes and in-hospital data, including operative time, blood loss, hospital length of stay, intraoperative observations, and postoperative complications. Further high-quality investigations of various patient-specific systems and longer follow-up may be helpful in assessing their utility for TKA.

Comparison of Customized Cutting Block and Conventional Cutting Instrument in Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

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Tammachote, Nattapol; Panichkul, Phonthakorn; Kanitnate, Supakit

2018-03-01

Customized cutting block (CCB) was designed to ensure the accurate alignment of knee prostheses during total knee arthroplasty. Given the paucity of CCB efficacy data, we compare CCB with conventional cutting guide using a randomized controlled trial. One hundred eight osteoarthritic knee patients underwent total knee arthroplasty by one experienced surgeon were randomized to receive CCB (n = 54) or conventional cutting instrument (CCI) surgery (n = 54). The primary outcomes were limb alignment, prostheses position, and operative time. The secondary outcomes were hemodynamic alteration after surgery, functional outcomes (modified Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index) and range of motion at 2 years after surgery. Mean hip-knee-ankle angle in the CCB group was 179.4° ± 1.8° vs 179.1° ± 2.4° in the CCI group, Δ = 0 (95% confidence interval [CI] -0.6 to 1.1, P = .55). Mean operative time was faster in the CCB arm: 93 ± 12 vs 104 ± 12 minutes, Δ = 11 (95% CI -16.7 to -7.2, P < .0001). There were no differences in hemodynamic parameters, mean blood loss (446 [CCB] vs 514 mL [CCI], Δ = -68 [95% CI -138 to 31 mL, P = .21]), postoperative hemoglobin changes, incidence of hypotension (systolic <90 mm Hg), oliguria, and rates of blood transfusion. Functional outcomes and range of motion were also similar. There was no improvement in alignment, hemodynamic changes, blood loss, and knee functional outcomes. CCB reduced surgical time by 11 minutes in our population. CCB cost-effectiveness should be further investigated. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Systematic Review of Measurement Property Evidence for 8 Financial Management Instruments in Populations With Acquired Cognitive Impairment.

Science.gov (United States)

Engel, Lisa; Chui, Adora; Beaton, Dorcas E; Green, Robin E; Dawson, Deirdre R

2018-03-07

To critically appraise the measurement property evidence (ie, psychometric) for 8 observation-based financial management assessment instruments. Seven databases were searched in May 2015. Two reviewers used an independent decision-agreement process to select studies of measurement property evidence relevant to populations with adulthood acquired cognitive impairment, appraise the quality of the evidence, and extract data. Twenty-one articles were selected. This review used the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments review guidelines and 4-point tool to appraise evidence. After appraising the methodologic quality, the adequacy of results and volume of evidence per instrument were synthesized. Measurement property evidence with high risk of bias was excluded from the synthesis. The volume of measurement property evidence per instrument is low; most instruments had 1 to 3 included studies. Many included studies had poor methodologic quality per measurement property evidence area examined. Six of the 8 instruments reviewed had supporting construct validity/hypothesis-testing evidence of fair methodologic quality. There is a dearth of acceptable quality content validity, reliability, and responsiveness evidence for all 8 instruments. Rehabilitation practitioners assess financial management functions in adults with acquired cognitive impairments. However, there is limited published evidence to support using any of the reviewed instruments. Practitioners should exercise caution when interpreting the results of these instruments. This review highlights the importance of appraising the quality of measurement property evidence before examining the adequacy of the results and synthesizing the evidence. Copyright © 2018 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sources of trace elements in total diet. A statistical approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aras, N.K.; Chatt, A.

2004-01-01

Sixteen total diet samples have been collected from two socioeconomic groups in Turkey by duplicate portion techniques. Samples were homogenized with titanium-blade homogenizer, freeze dried and analyzed for their minor and trace elements mostly by neutron activation analysis. Bread and flour samples were also collected from the same regions and analyzed similarly by instrumental neutron activation analysis. Concentrations of more than 25 elements in total diets, bread and flour, and fiber and phytate in total diets have been determined. Daily dietary intakes of these population groups, probable source of elements through correlation coefficients, and enrichment factor calculations have been determined. (author)

Instrumental Approach and Diagnosis of Total Inorganics in a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Typical Carbonaceous matter are often widespread and reveal relatively wide range of dominant organic types. The instrumental diagnosis to subject them to oxidation, combustion and/or incineration serve till date mandatory fundamental requirement in the further pursuance of their mineralogical and wet Chemical ...

Total Diet Study. Mg and Mn content estimation of a Market Basket of Sao Paulo state (Brazil) by Instrumental Neutron Activation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roseane Pagliaro Avegliano; Vera Akiko Maihara

2014-01-01

Total Diet Studies (TDS) have been carried out to estimate dietary intakes of the essential and toxic elements for a large-scale population over a specific period of time. In this study, the TDS was based on the evaluation of food representing a Market Basket (MB), which reflected the dietary habits of the Sao Paulo State population, corresponding to 72 % of the average food consumption for the state of Sao Paulo. In the present Total Diet Study, magnesium and manganese concentrations were determined in 30 of the most consumed food groups of a MB of Sao Paulo State, Brazil. Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) has been successfully used on a regularly basis in several areas of nutrition and foodstuffs. Element concentrations were determined by INAA in freeze-dried samples and ranged in mg kg -1 . Mg 41.4 (fats)-5287 (coffee) and Mn 0.12 (prime grade beef)-32.9 (coffee). The average daily Mg and Mn intake was calculated by multiplying the concentration of each element in each table-ready food group by the respective weight (g day -1 ) of the food group in the MB and adding the products from all food groups. The results of daily dietary intakes in this study were: Mg 174.8 and Mn 1.34 mg day -1 . Theses values were lower than the adequate intake (AI) proposed by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine (USA National Academy) for adults. The low levels of Mg and Mn intakes presented in this TDS are probably due to the fact that MB of this study represented only 72 % of the weight of the most consumed household foods of Sao Paulo State. (author)

[Use of Patient Specific Instruments at Total Knee Arthroplasty. One-Year Results of a Prospective Randomised Study].

Science.gov (United States)

Musil, D; Stehlík, J; Abrman, K; Held, M; Sadovský, P

2016-01-01

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate, at one year of follow-up, radiographic and clinical results of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) performed with use of Zimmer® Patient Specific Instruments (PSIs) which allow for planning and customising each patient's TKA. MATERIAL AND METHODS Of the patients with knee arthritis who were eligible for joint replacement, 23 were randomly selected and included in this study. There were 11 men and 12 women, with 11 right and 12 left knee joints. On the basis of pre-operative CT scans, PSI custom-made pin guides, which conformed to the individual patient's anatomy, were produced and then used in the THA surgery involving a NexGen (CR) system. All patients were examined before surgery and at 1 year after THA. The evaluation at a follow-up visit included standing full-length radiographs (antero-posterior and lateral), Knee Score results, range of motion (ROM), patient's satisfaction report, and post-operative complications. The X-ray views were examined for mechanical leg axis alignment, TKA alignment in antero-posterior and lateral projection and signs of potential loosening. RESULTS At 1 post-operative year, the average Knee Society Score (KSS) was 85.5 points and the average functional score was 82.6 point. The satisfaction rate was 94% and, on a school rating system, the average mark was 1.3. The average postoperative ROM value was 116°. All patients were willing to undergo the surgery again. The only complication was thrombosis in one patient. Radiographic findings of knee alignment were optimal in 18, correct (up to 3° deviation) in three and incorrect (above 3° deviation) in two patients. Radiographic signs of loosening were not recorded. DISCUSSION Correct knee alignment is one of the requirements for achieving a good TKA outcome. Various techniques are used to improve the total knee process (computer-aided surgery, customised guides). Zimmer Patient Specific Instruments provide advanced pre

Economic instruments for population diet and physical activity behaviour change: a systematic scoping review.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ian Shemilt

Full Text Available Unhealthy diet and low levels of physical activity are common behavioural factors in the aetiology of many non-communicable diseases. Recent years have witnessed an upsurge of policy and research interest in the use of taxes and other economic instruments to improve population health.To assemble, configure and analyse empirical research studies available to inform the public health case for using economic instruments to promote dietary and physical activity behaviour change.We conducted a systematic scoping review of evidence for the effects of specific interventions to change, or general exposure to variations in, prices or income on dietary and physical activity behaviours and corollary outcomes. Systematic electronic searches and parallel snowball searches retrieved >1 million study records. Text mining technologies were used to prioritise title-abstract records for screening. Eligible studies were selected, classified and analysed in terms of key characteristics and principal findings, using a narrative, configuring synthesis focused on implications for policy and further research.We identified 880 eligible studies, including 192 intervention studies and 768 studies that incorporated evidence for prices or income as correlates or determinants of target outcomes. Current evidence for the effects of economic instruments and exposures on diet and physical activity is limited in quality and equivocal in terms of its policy implications. Direct evidence for the effects of economic instruments is heavily skewed towards impacts on diet, with a relative lack of evidence for impacts on physical activity.The evidence-based case for using economic instruments to promote dietary and physical activity behaviour change may be less compelling than some proponents have claimed. Future research should include measurement of people's actual behavioural responses using study designs capable of generating reliable causal inferences regarding intervention

Patient specific instrumentation in total knee arthroplasty: a state of the art

Science.gov (United States)

Mattei, Lorenzo; Pellegrino, Pietro; Bistolfi, Alessandro; Castoldi, Filippo

2016-01-01

Patient specific instrumentation (PSI) is a modern technique in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) aiming to facilitate the implant of the prosthesis. The customized cutting blocks of the PSI are generated from pre-operative three-dimensional model, using computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A correct surgical plan is mandatory for a good surgical implant. The PSI guide takes into account any slight deformities or osteophytes and applies preoperative planning for bone resection, using the pre-determined implant size, position, and rotation. The apparent benefits of this technology are that neutral postoperative alignment is more reproducible, surgical time is decreased, and the entire procedure results more efficient and cost-effective. The use of PSI is indicated when advanced osteoarthritis, severe pain, and limited function/walking ability are present, such as in a standard instrumentation TKA. In addition to that, PSI finds its indication when intra-medullary guides cannot be used. For example, when there is a post-traumatic femoral deformity. Large debates have taken place about this topic during the last years and, at the moment, there is no consensus in literature regarding the accuracy and reliability of PSI as many studies have shown controversial and inconsistent results. Literature does not suggest PSI techniques as a gold standard in TKA, and therefore it cannot be recommended as a standard technique in standard, not complicated primary TKA. Moreover, literature does not underline any improvement in components alignment, surgical time, blood loss or functional outcomes. Nevertheless, many patients who underwent TKA suffered a previous trauma. In case of deformities, like femoral or tibial fractures healed with a malalignment, preoperative planning may result difficult, and some intra-operative technical difficulties can occur, such as the use of intra-medullar rod. In these selected cases, PSIs may be very useful to avoid errors in

Total dose tests for the PROMICS-3 instrument

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verkasalo, R.

1991-01-01

The sensitivity of some analog and digital integrated circuits (IC's) to ionizing radiation was tested in order to evaluate their potential usefulness especially in the PROMICS-3 instrument. The PROMICS-3 is a plasma instrument to be flown on the Russian Interball satellites. The radiation tolerance requirement of the auroral Interball satellite is about 45 krad/year inside a shielding of 4 mm Aluminium. The IC's tested were: AD571 A/D- converter, ADDAC80 D/A-converter, LF442A and PM108A operational amplifiers, MPREF0l voltage reference, STC SPXO 6 MHZ oscillator,4N55 optocoupler, MC5lC98 and CY7C164 16k*4 static CMOS RAM. Co-60 was used as the irradiation source. The test methods and results are described in the paper. The RAM-circuits failed between 10 and 20 krad. D/A- and A/D-converters degraded only slightly after 100 krad, but one of the A/D-converters failed functionally at 190 krad. The LF442A began to degrade in the test connection at 100 krad, and PM108A at 30 krad. The output voltage of the voltage reference MPREF01 increased about 20 mV after 100 krad. No change was observed in the output frequency of the STC SPXD oscillator even after 300 krad. The current tansfer ratio of the 4N55 decreased continuously to about 75 % of the initial value after 100 krad

Meta-analysis of relationships between human offtake, total mortality and population dynamics of gray wolves (Canis lupus).

Science.gov (United States)

Creel, Scott; Rotella, Jay J

2010-09-29

Following the growth and geographic expansion of wolf (Canis lupus) populations reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho in 1995-1996, Rocky Mountain wolves were removed from the endangered species list in May 2009. Idaho and Montana immediately established hunting seasons with quotas equaling 20% of the regional wolf population. Combining hunting with predator control, 37.1% of Montana and Idaho wolves were killed in the year of delisting. Hunting and predator control are well-established methods to broaden societal acceptance of large carnivores, but it is unprecedented for a species to move so rapidly from protection under the Endangered Species Act to heavy direct harvest, and it is important to use all available data to assess the likely consequences of these changes in policy. For wolves, it is widely argued that human offtake has little effect on total mortality rates, so that a harvest of 28-50% per year can be sustained. Using previously published data from 21 North American wolf populations, we related total annual mortality and population growth to annual human offtake. Contrary to current conventional wisdom, there was a strong association between human offtake and total mortality rates across North American wolf populations. Human offtake was associated with a strongly additive or super-additive increase in total mortality. Population growth declined as human offtake increased, even at low rates of offtake. Finally, wolf populations declined with harvests substantially lower than the thresholds identified in current state and federal policies. These results should help to inform management of Rocky Mountain wolves.

Meta-analysis of relationships between human offtake, total mortality and population dynamics of gray wolves (Canis lupus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scott Creel

Full Text Available Following the growth and geographic expansion of wolf (Canis lupus populations reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho in 1995-1996, Rocky Mountain wolves were removed from the endangered species list in May 2009. Idaho and Montana immediately established hunting seasons with quotas equaling 20% of the regional wolf population. Combining hunting with predator control, 37.1% of Montana and Idaho wolves were killed in the year of delisting. Hunting and predator control are well-established methods to broaden societal acceptance of large carnivores, but it is unprecedented for a species to move so rapidly from protection under the Endangered Species Act to heavy direct harvest, and it is important to use all available data to assess the likely consequences of these changes in policy. For wolves, it is widely argued that human offtake has little effect on total mortality rates, so that a harvest of 28-50% per year can be sustained. Using previously published data from 21 North American wolf populations, we related total annual mortality and population growth to annual human offtake. Contrary to current conventional wisdom, there was a strong association between human offtake and total mortality rates across North American wolf populations. Human offtake was associated with a strongly additive or super-additive increase in total mortality. Population growth declined as human offtake increased, even at low rates of offtake. Finally, wolf populations declined with harvests substantially lower than the thresholds identified in current state and federal policies. These results should help to inform management of Rocky Mountain wolves.

[Instruments in Brazilian Sign Language for assessing the quality of life of the deaf population].

Science.gov (United States)

Chaveiro, Neuma; Duarte, Soraya Bianca Reis; Freitas, Adriana Ribeiro de; Barbosa, Maria Alves; Porto, Celmo Celeno; Fleck, Marcelo Pio de Almeida

2013-06-01

To construct versions of the WHOQOL-BREF and WHOQOL-DIS instruments in Brazilian sign language to evaluate the Brazilian deaf population's quality of life. The methodology proposed by the World Health Organization (WHOQOL-BREF and WHOQOL-DIS) was used to construct instruments adapted to the deaf community using Brazilian Sign Language (Libras). The research for constructing the instrument took placein 13 phases: 1) creating the QUALITY OF LIFE sign; 2) developing the answer scales in Libras; 3) translation by a bilingual group; 4) synthesized version; 5) first back translation; 6) production of the version in Libras to be provided to the focal groups; 7) carrying out the Focal Groups; 8) review by a monolingual group; 9) revision by the bilingual group; 10) semantic/syntactic analysis and second back translation; 11) re-evaluation of the back translation by the bilingual group; 12) recording the version into the software; 13) developing the WHOQOL-BREF and WHOQOL-DIS software in Libras. Characteristics peculiar to the culture of the deaf population indicated the necessity of adapting the application methodology of focal groups composed of deaf people. The writing conventions of sign languages have not yet been consolidated, leading to difficulties in graphically registering the translation phases. Linguistics structures that caused major problems in translation were those that included idiomatic Portuguese expressions, for many of which there are no equivalent concepts between Portuguese and Libras. In the end, it was possible to create WHOQOL-BREF and WHOQOL-DIS software in Libras. The WHOQOL-BREF and the WHOQOL-DIS in Libras will allow the deaf to express themselves about their quality of life in an autonomous way, making it possible to investigate these issues more accurately.

Density dependence and climate effects in Rocky Mountain elk: an application of regression with instrumental variables for population time series with sampling error.

Science.gov (United States)

Creel, Scott; Creel, Michael

2009-11-01

1. Sampling error in annual estimates of population size creates two widely recognized problems for the analysis of population growth. First, if sampling error is mistakenly treated as process error, one obtains inflated estimates of the variation in true population trajectories (Staples, Taper & Dennis 2004). Second, treating sampling error as process error is thought to overestimate the importance of density dependence in population growth (Viljugrein et al. 2005; Dennis et al. 2006). 2. In ecology, state-space models are used to account for sampling error when estimating the effects of density and other variables on population growth (Staples et al. 2004; Dennis et al. 2006). In econometrics, regression with instrumental variables is a well-established method that addresses the problem of correlation between regressors and the error term, but requires fewer assumptions than state-space models (Davidson & MacKinnon 1993; Cameron & Trivedi 2005). 3. We used instrumental variables to account for sampling error and fit a generalized linear model to 472 annual observations of population size for 35 Elk Management Units in Montana, from 1928 to 2004. We compared this model with state-space models fit with the likelihood function of Dennis et al. (2006). We discuss the general advantages and disadvantages of each method. Briefly, regression with instrumental variables is valid with fewer distributional assumptions, but state-space models are more efficient when their distributional assumptions are met. 4. Both methods found that population growth was negatively related to population density and winter snow accumulation. Summer rainfall and wolf (Canis lupus) presence had much weaker effects on elk (Cervus elaphus) dynamics [though limitation by wolves is strong in some elk populations with well-established wolf populations (Creel et al. 2007; Creel & Christianson 2008)]. 5. Coupled with predictions for Montana from global and regional climate models, our results

Template-Directed Instrumentation Reduces Cost and Improves Efficiency for Total Knee Arthroplasty: An Economic Decision Analysis and Pilot Study.

Science.gov (United States)

McLawhorn, Alexander S; Carroll, Kaitlin M; Blevins, Jason L; DeNegre, Scott T; Mayman, David J; Jerabek, Seth A

2015-10-01

Template-directed instrumentation (TDI) for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) may streamline operating room (OR) workflow and reduce costs by preselecting implants and minimizing instrument tray burden. A decision model simulated the economics of TDI. Sensitivity analyses determined thresholds for model variables to ensure TDI success. A clinical pilot was reviewed. The accuracy of preoperative templates was validated, and 20 consecutive primary TKAs were performed using TDI. The model determined that preoperative component size estimation should be accurate to ±1 implant size for 50% of TKAs to implement TDI. The pilot showed that preoperative template accuracy exceeded 97%. There were statistically significant improvements in OR turnover time and in-room time for TDI compared to an historical cohort of TKAs. TDI reduces costs and improves OR efficiency. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Instrumental approach and diagnosis of total inorganics in a typical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The instrumental diagnosis to subject them to oxidation, combustion and/or incineration serves till date mandatory fundamental requirement in the further pursuance of their mineralogical and wet chemical analysis. The results of the ash content from three (3) carbonaceous coal and shaly coal samples from Northeastern ...

Multi-Institutional Development of a Mastoidectomy Performance Evaluation Instrument.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerwin, Thomas; Hittle, Brad; Stredney, Don; De Boeck, Paul; Wiet, Gregory

A method for rating surgical performance of a mastoidectomy procedure that is shown to apply universally across teaching institutions has not yet been devised. This work describes the development of a rating instrument created from a multi-institutional consortium. Using a participatory design and a modified Delphi approach, a multi-institutional group of expert otologists constructed a 15-element task-based checklist for evaluating mastoidectomy performance. This instrument was further refined into a 14-element checklist focusing on the concept of safety after using it to rate a large and varied population of performances. Twelve otolaryngological surgical training programs in the United States. A total of 14 surgeons from 12 different institutions took part in the construction of the instrument. By using 14 experts from 12 different institutions and a literature review, individual metrics were identified, rated as to the level of importance and operationally defined to create a rating scale for mastoidectomy performance. Initial use of the rating scale showed modest rater agreement. The operational definitions of individual metrics were modified to emphasize "safe" as opposed to "proper" technique. A second rating instrument was developed based on this feedback. Using a consensus-building approach with multiple rounds of communication between experts is a feasible way to construct a rating instrument for mastoidectomy. Expert opinion alone using a Delphi method provides face and content validity evidence, however, this is not sufficient to develop a universally acceptable rating instrument. A continued process of development and experimentation to demonstrate evidence for reliability and validity making use of a large population of raters and performances is necessary to achieve universal acceptance. Copyright © 2017 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development and Validation of an Instrument to Evaluate Perceived Wellbeing Associated with the Ingestion of Water: The Water Ingestion-Related Wellbeing Instrument (WIRWI.

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Juan Espinosa-Montero

Full Text Available Ingestion of water has been associated with general wellbeing. When water intake is insufficient, symptoms such as thirst, fatigue and impaired memory result. Currently there are no instruments to assess water consumption associated with wellbeing. The objective of our study was to develop and validate such an instrument in urban, low socioeconomic, adult Mexican population.To construct the Water Ingestion-Related Wellbeing Instrument (WIRWI, a qualitative study in which wellbeing related to everyday practices and experiences in water consumption were investigated. To validate the WIRWI a formal, five-process procedure was used. Face and content validation were addressed, consistency was assessed by exploratory and confirmatory psychometric factor analyses, repeatability, reproducibility and concurrent validity were assessed by conducting correlation tests with other measures of wellbeing such as a quality of life instrument, the SF-36, and objective parameters such as urine osmolality, 24-hour urine total volume and others.The final WIRWI is composed of 17 items assessing physical and mental dimensions. Items were selected based on their content and face validity. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses yielded Cronbach's alpha of 0.87 and 0.86, respectively. The final confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the model estimates were satisfactory for the constructs. Statistically significant correlations with the SF-36, total liquid consumption and simple water consumption were observed.The resulting WIRWI is a reliable tool for assessing wellbeing associated with consumption of plain water in Mexican adults and could be useful for similar groups.

Development of a cognitive screening instrument for tribal elderly population of Himalayan region in northern India

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Sunil Kumar Raina

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Cognitive impairment, characteristic of dementia, is measured objectively by standard neuropsychological (cognitive tests. Given the diversity of culture and language in India, it is difficult to use a single modified version of MMSE uniformly to Indian population. In this article, we report methods on the development of a cognitive screening instrument suitable for the tribal (Bharmour elderly (60 years and above population of Himachal Pradesh, India. Materials and Methods: We used a systematic, item-by-item, process for development of a modified version of MMSE suitable for elderly tribal population. Results: The modifications made in the English version of MMSE and the pretesting and pilot testing thereof resulted in the development of Bharmouri version of cognitive scale. Discussion: The study shows that effective modifications can be made to existing tests that require reading and writing; and that culturally sensitive modifications can be made to render the test meaningful and relevant, while still tapping the appropriate cognitive domains.

Daily total physical activity level and total cancer risk in men and women: results from a large-scale population-based cohort study in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Inoue, Manami; Yamamoto, Seiichiro; Kurahashi, Norie; Iwasaki, Motoki; Sasazuki, Shizuka; Tsugane, Shoichiro

2008-08-15

The impact of total physical activity level on cancer risk has not been fully clarified, particularly in non-Western, relatively lean populations. The authors prospectively examined the association between daily total physical activity (using a metabolic equivalents/day score) and subsequent cancer risk in the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study. A total of 79,771 general-population Japanese men and women aged 45-74 years who responded to a questionnaire in 1995-1999 were followed for total cancer incidence (4,334 cases) through 2004. Compared with subjects in the lowest quartile, increased daily physical activity was associated with a significantly decreased risk of cancer in both sexes. In men, hazard ratios for the second, third, and highest quartiles were 1.00 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.90, 1.11), 0.96 (95% CI: 0.86, 1.07), and 0.87 (95% CI: 0.78, 0.96), respectively (p for trend = 0.005); in women, hazard ratios were 0.93 (95% CI: 0.82, 1.05), 0.84 (95% CI: 0.73, 0.96), and 0.84 (95% CI: 0.73, 0.97), respectively (p for trend = 0.007). The decreased risk was more clearly observed in women than in men, especially among the elderly and those who regularly engaged in leisure-time sports or physical exercise. By site, decreased risks were observed for cancers of the colon, liver, and pancreas in men and for cancer of the stomach in women. Increased daily physical activity may be beneficial in preventing cancer in a relatively lean population.

Total and Differential Leukocyte Counts in Relation to Incidence of Diabetes Mellitus: A Prospective Population-Based Cohort Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Borné, Yan; Smith, J Gustav; Nilsson, Peter M; Melander, Olle; Hedblad, Bo; Engström, Gunnar

2016-01-01

High concentrations of leukocytes in blood have been associated with diabetes mellitus. This prospective study aimed to explore whether total and differential leukocyte counts are associated with incidence of diabetes. A missense variant R262W in the SH2B3 (SH2B adaptor protein 3) gene, coding for a protein that negatively regulates hematopoietic cell proliferation, was also studied in relation to incidence of diabetes. Leukocyte count and its subtypes (neutrophils, lymphocytes and mixed cells) were analyzed in 26,667 men and women, 45-73 years old, from the population-based Malmö Diet and Cancer study. Information about the R262W polymorphism (rs3184504) in SH2B3 was genotyped in 24,489 subjects. Incidence of diabetes was studied during a mean follow-up of 14 years. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to examine incidence of diabetes by total and differential leukocyte counts. Mendelian randomization analysis using R262W as an instrumental variable was performed with two-stage least squares regression. A total of 2,946 subjects developed diabetes during the follow-up period. After taking several possible confounders into account, concentrations of total leukocyte count, neutrophils and lymphocytes were all significantly associated with incidence of diabetes. The adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence interval; quartile 4 vs quartile 1) were 1.37 (1.22-1.53) for total leukocytes, 1.33 (1.19-1.49) for neutrophils and 1.29 (1.15-1.44) for lymphocytes. The R262W polymorphism was strongly associated with leukocytes (0.11x109 cells/l per T allele, p = 1.14 x10-12), lymphocytes (p = 4.3 x10-16), neutrophils (p = 8.0 x10-6) and mixed cells (p = 3.0 x10-6). However, there was no significant association between R262W and fasting glucose, HbA1c or incidence of diabetes. Concentrations of total leukocytes, neutrophils and lymphocytes are associated with incidence of diabetes. However, the lack of association with the R262W polymorphism suggests that the associations

Adaptation of WHOQOL as health-related quality of life instrument to develop a vision-specific instrument.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dandona Lalit

2000-01-01

Full Text Available The WHOQOL instrument was adapted as a health-related QOL instrument for a population-based epidemiologic study of eye diseases in southern India, the Andhra Pradesh Eye Disease Study (APEDS. A follow-up question was added to each item in WHOQOL to determine whether the decrease in QOL was due to any health reasons including eye-related reasons. Modifications in WHOQOL and translation in local language were done through the use of the focus groups including health professionals and people not related to health care. The modified instrument has 28 items across 6 domains of the WHOQOL and was translated into the local language, Telugu, using the pragmatic approach. It takes 10-20 minutes to be administered by a trained interviewer. Reliability was within acceptable range. This health-related QOL instrument is being used in the population-based study APEDS to develop a vision-specific QOL instrument which could potentially be used to assess the impact of visual impairment on QOL across different cultures and for use in evaluating eye-care interventions. This health-related QOL instrument could also be used to develop other disease-specific instruments as it allows assessment of the extent to which various aspects of QOL are affected by a variety of health problems.

The Ratio of Instrumental and Terminal Values of Work Motivation of the Population (Case Study of Vologda Region

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Popov Andrey, V.

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The paper analyses work motivation of Vologda region’s population with a special focus on defining the role of material needs as the major factor motivating to labor. The study shows that the majority of the population can be characterized by instrumental attitude to work. It is expressed by the predominant position of material needs over non-material in employment, labor, job change and searching for secondary employment, which consequently leads to employees‘ low level of social attitude, unwillingness of increasing labor activity. In conclusion it is stated that under such conditions the value of labor process itself decreases, which undoubtedly leads to losses in labor productivity.

Instrument of self-perception and knowledge of dental erosion: cross-cultural adaptation to the Brazilian population

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Sandro Bertazzo SILVA

2015-01-01

Full Text Available There are few instruments available in Brazil for obtaining data on dental erosion among adults. For this reason, the interview entitled “A Survey on Hong Kong People’s Dietary Behavior in Relations to Acid Erosion”, published in English, was considered for translation. The aim of this study was to perform a cross-cultural adaptation and content validation for the Brazilian population. After obtaining the author’s permission, the interview underwent several stages: translation, back translation, review by a bilingual person and a committee of experts, administration of the English instrument and of the Portuguese version to a bilingual group, and pretesting in a convenience sample of 50 adults. The interview was translated and adapted to the Portuguese language and the Brazilian culture. The analysis of the data revealed that the interview was easy to apply, conduct and understand; therefore, it was considered viable and capable of being used in different studies.

Mechanical reduction of the intracanal Enterococcus faecalis population by Hyflex CM, K3XF, ProTaper Next, and two manual instrument systems: an in vitro comparative study.

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Tewari, Rajendra K; Ali, Sajid; Mishra, Surendra K; Kumar, Ashok; Andrabi, Syed Mukhtar-Un-Nisar; Zoya, Asma; Alam, Sharique

2016-05-01

In the present study, the effectiveness of three rotary and two manual nickel titanium instrument systems on mechanical reduction of the intracanal Enterococcus faecalis population was evaluated. Mandibular premolars with straight roots were selected. Teeth were decoronated and instrumented until 20 K file and irrigated with physiological saline. After sterilization by ethylene oxide gas, root canals were inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis. The specimens were randomly divided into five groups for canal instrumentation: Manual Nitiflex and Hero Shaper nickel titanium files, and rotary Hyflex CM, ProTaper Next, and K3XF nickel titanium files. Intracanal bacterial sampling was done before and after instrumentation. After serial dilution, samples were plated onto the Mitis Salivarius agar. The c.f.u. grown were counted, and log10 transformation was calculated. All instrumentation systems significantly reduced the intracanal bacterial population after root canal preparation. ProTaper Next was found to be significantly more effective than Hyflex CM and manual Nitiflex and Hero Shaper. However, ProTaper Next showed no significant difference with K3XF. Canal instrumentation by all the file systems significantly reduced the intracanal Enterococcus faecalis counts. ProTaper Next was found to be most effective in reducing the number of bacteria than other rotary or hand instruments. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Pancreatitis Quality of Life Instrument: Development of a new instrument

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Wahid Wassef

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Objectives: The goal of this project was to develop the first disease-specific instrument for the evaluation of quality of life in chronic pancreatitis. Methods: Focus groups and interview sessions were conducted, with chronic pancreatitis patients, to identify items felt to impact quality of life which were subsequently formatted into a paper-and-pencil instrument. This instrument was used to conduct an online survey by an expert panel of pancreatologists to evaluate its content validity. Finally, the modified instrument was presented to patients during precognitive testing interviews to evaluate its clarity and appropriateness. Results: In total, 10 patients were enrolled in the focus groups and interview sessions where they identified 50 items. Once redundant items were removed, the 40 remaining items were made into a paper-and-pencil instrument referred to as the Pancreatitis Quality of Life Instrument. Through the processes of content validation and precognitive testing, the number of items in the instrument was reduced to 24. Conclusions: This marks the development of the first disease-specific instrument to evaluate quality of life in chronic pancreatitis. It includes unique features not found in generic instruments (economic factors, stigma, and spiritual factors. Although this marks a giant step forward, psychometric evaluation is still needed prior to its clinical use.

Evaluation of a screening instrument for essential tremor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lorenz, Delia; Papengut, Frank; Frederiksen, Henrik

2008-01-01

To evaluate a screening instrument for essential tremor (ET) consisting of a seven-item questionnaire and a spiral drawing. A total of 2,448 Danish twins aged 70 years or more and a second sample aged 60 years or more (n = 1,684) from a population-based northern German cross-sectional study (Pop....... Definite or probable ET was diagnosed in 104 patients, possible in 86 and other tremors in 98 patients. The sensitivity of the screening instrument was 70.5%, the positive predictive value was 64.9%, the specificity was 68.2%, and the negative predictive value was 73.5%. Tremor severity correlated...... significantly with higher spiral scores and more positive items. More patients were identified by spiral drawing in all tremor groups. The interrater and intrarater reliability for spirals ranged from 0.7 to 0.8 using intraclass coefficient. A cluster analysis revealed that the questionnaire can be reduced...

Validity of Two New Brief Instruments to Estimate Vegetable Intake in Adults

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Janine Wright

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Cost effective population-based monitoring tools are needed for nutritional surveillance and interventions. The aim was to evaluate the relative validity of two new brief instruments (three item: VEG3 and five item: VEG5 for estimating usual total vegetable intake in comparison to a 7-day dietary record (7DDR. Sixty-four Australian adult volunteers aged 30 to 69 years (30 males, mean age ± SD 56.3 ± 9.2 years and 34 female mean age ± SD 55.3 ± 10.0 years. Pearson correlations between 7DDR and VEG3 and VEG5 were modest, at 0.50 and 0.56, respectively. VEG3 significantly (p < 0.001 underestimated mean vegetable intake compared to 7DDR measures (2.9 ± 1.3 vs. 3.6 ± 1.6 serves/day, respectively, whereas mean vegetable intake assessed by VEG5 did not differ from 7DDR measures (3.3 ± 1.5 vs. 3.6 ± 1.6 serves/day. VEG5 was also able to correctly identify 95%, 88% and 75% of those subjects not consuming five, four and three serves/day of vegetables according to their 7DDR classification. VEG5, but not VEG3, can estimate usual total vegetable intake of population groups and had superior performance to VEG3 in identifying those not meeting different levels of vegetable intake. VEG5, a brief instrument, shows measurement characteristics useful for population-based monitoring and intervention targeting.

The influence of instrumental line shape degradation on NDACC gas retrievals: total column and profile

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Y. Sun

2018-05-01

Full Text Available We simulated instrumental line shape (ILS degradations with respect to typical types of misalignment, and compared their influence on each NDACC (Network for Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change gas. The sensitivities of the total column, the root mean square (rms of the fitting residual, the total random uncertainty, the total systematic uncertainty, the total uncertainty, degrees of freedom for signal (DOFs, and the profile with respect to different levels of ILS degradation for all current standard NDACC gases, i.e. O3, HNO3, HCl, HF, ClONO2, CH4, CO, N2O, C2H6, and HCN, were investigated. The influence of an imperfect ILS on NDACC gases' retrieval was assessed, and the consistency under different meteorological conditions and solar zenith angles (SZAs were examined. The study concluded that the influence of ILS degradation can be approximated by the linear sum of individual modulation efficiency (ME amplitude influence and phase error (PE influence. The PE influence is of secondary importance compared with the ME amplitude. Generally, the stratospheric gases are more sensitive to ILS degradation than the tropospheric gases, and the positive ME influence is larger than the negative ME. For a typical ILS degradation (10 %, the total columns of stratospheric gases O3, HNO3, HCl, HF, and ClONO2 changed by 1.9, 0.7, 4, 3, and 23 %, respectively, while the columns of tropospheric gases CH4, CO, N2O, C2H6, and HCN changed by 0.04, 2.1, 0.2, 1.1, and 0.75 %, respectively. In order to suppress the fractional difference in the total column for ClONO2 and other NDACC gases within 10 and 1 %, respectively, the maximum positive ME degradations for O3, HNO3, HCl, HF, ClONO2, CO, C2H6, and HCN should be less than 6, 15, 5, 5, 5, 5, 9, and 13 %, respectively; the maximum negative ME degradations for O3, HCl, and HF should be less than 6, 12, and 12 %, respectively; the influence of ILS degradation on CH4 and N2O can be regarded as being

Pre-validation methods for developing a patient reported outcome instrument

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Castillo Mayret M

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Measures that reflect patients' assessment of their health are of increasing importance as outcome measures in randomised controlled trials. The methodological approach used in the pre-validation development of new instruments (item generation, item reduction and question formatting should be robust and transparent. The totality of the content of existing PRO instruments for a specific condition provides a valuable resource (pool of items that can be utilised to develop new instruments. Such 'top down' approaches are common, but the explicit pre-validation methods are often poorly reported. This paper presents a systematic and generalisable 5-step pre-validation PRO instrument methodology. Methods The method is illustrated using the example of the Aberdeen Glaucoma Questionnaire (AGQ. The five steps are: 1 Generation of a pool of items; 2 Item de-duplication (three phases; 3 Item reduction (two phases; 4 Assessment of the remaining items' content coverage against a pre-existing theoretical framework appropriate to the objectives of the instrument and the target population (e.g. ICF; and 5 qualitative exploration of the target populations' views of the new instrument and the items it contains. Results The AGQ 'item pool' contained 725 items. Three de-duplication phases resulted in reduction of 91, 225 and 48 items respectively. The item reduction phases discarded 70 items and 208 items respectively. The draft AGQ contained 83 items with good content coverage. The qualitative exploration ('think aloud' study resulted in removal of a further 15 items and refinement to the wording of others. The resultant draft AGQ contained 68 items. Conclusions This study presents a novel methodology for developing a PRO instrument, based on three sources: literature reporting what is important to patient; theoretically coherent framework; and patients' experience of completing the instrument. By systematically accounting for all items dropped

Eliminating Survivor Bias in Two-stage Instrumental Variable Estimators.

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Vansteelandt, Stijn; Walter, Stefan; Tchetgen Tchetgen, Eric

2018-07-01

Mendelian randomization studies commonly focus on elderly populations. This makes the instrumental variables analysis of such studies sensitive to survivor bias, a type of selection bias. A particular concern is that the instrumental variable conditions, even when valid for the source population, may be violated for the selective population of individuals who survive the onset of the study. This is potentially very damaging because Mendelian randomization studies are known to be sensitive to bias due to even minor violations of the instrumental variable conditions. Interestingly, the instrumental variable conditions continue to hold within certain risk sets of individuals who are still alive at a given age when the instrument and unmeasured confounders exert additive effects on the exposure, and moreover, the exposure and unmeasured confounders exert additive effects on the hazard of death. In this article, we will exploit this property to derive a two-stage instrumental variable estimator for the effect of exposure on mortality, which is insulated against the above described selection bias under these additivity assumptions.

A New Radiometric Calibration Paradigm for the OMPS Nadir Total Column and Profile Instruments

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Heath, Donald; Georgiew, Georgi

2011-01-01

A fused silica Mie Scattering Diffuser (MSD) has been developed at Ball Aerospace & Technology Corp. that has measured characteristics which could be used to increase the accuracy of the spectral albedo calibration of the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) Nadir ozone total column and profile instrument by almost an order of magnitude. Measurements have been made of the optical characteristics on both natural and synthetic forms of fused silica MSDs. Preliminary measurements suggest that MSDs are useable in the solar reflective wavelength region from 250 nm to 3.7 m. To date synthetic and natural MSDs have been irradiated for 60 hours of UV radiation from a solar simulator, and synthetic MSDs have been irradiated with increasing doses of Co-60 gamma rays at 30, 500 krads up to 1.5 Mrads, and 30 krads of 200 MeV protons. The principal effects have been small loses in transmittance at wavelengths < 350 nm. The high energy particle irradiation measurements were provided by Neal Nickles and Dean Spieth.

The Effect of Patient-Specific Instrumentation Incorporating an Extramedullary Tibial Guide on Operative Efficiency for Total Knee Arthroplasty

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Oh-Ryong Kwon

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This retrospective study was to determine if patient-specific instrumentation (PSI for total knee arthroplasty (TKA leads to shortened surgical time through increased operating room efficiency according to different tibial PSI designs. 166 patients underwent primary TKA and were categorized into three groups as follows: PSI without extramedullary (EM tibial guide (group 1, n=48, PSI with EM tibial guide (group 2, n=68, and conventional instrumentation (CI group (group 3, n=50. Four factors were compared between groups, namely, operative room time, thickness of bone resection, tibial slope, and rotation of the component. The mean surgical time was significantly shorter in the PSI with EM tibial guide group (group 2, 63.9±13.6 min compared to the CI group (group 3, 82.8±24.9 min (P<0.001. However, there was no significant difference in the PSI without EM tibial guide group (group 1, 75.3±18.8 min. This study suggests that PSI incorporating an EM tibial guide may lead to high operative efficiency in TKA compared to CI. This trial is registered with KCT0002384.

Developing of Individual Instrument Performance Anxiety Scale: ValidityReliability Study

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Esra DALKIRAN

2016-07-01

Full Text Available In this study, it is intended to develop a scale unique to our culture, concerning individual instrument performance anxiety of the students who are getting instrument training in the Department of Music Education. In the study, the descriptive research model is used and qualitative research techniques are utilized. The study population consists of the students attending the 23 universities which has Music Education Department. The sample of the study consists of 438 girls and 312 boys, totally 750 students who are studying in the Department of Music Education of randomly selected 10 universities. As a result of the explanatory and confirmatory factor analyses that were performed, a onedimensional structure consisting of 14 items was obtained. Also, t-scores and the coefficient scores of total item correlation concerning the distinguishing power of the items, the difference in the scores of the set of lower and upper 27% was calculated, and it was observed that the items are distinguishing as a result of both analyses. Of the scale, Cronbach's alpha coefficient of internal consistency was calculated as .94, and test-retest reliability coefficient was calculated as .93. As a result, a valid and reliable assessment and evaluation instrument that measures the exam performance anxiety of the students studying in the Department of Music Education, has been developed.

Product analysis and initial reliability testing of the total mesorectal excision-quality assessment instrument.

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Simunovic, Marko R; DeNardi, Franco G; Coates, Angela J; Szalay, David A; Eva, Kevin W

2014-07-01

Product analysis of rectal cancer resection specimens before specimen fixation may provide an immediate and relevant evaluation of surgical performance. We tested the interrater reliability (IRR) of a product analysis tool called the Total Mesorectal Excision-Quality Assessment Instrument (TME-QA). Participants included two gold standard raters, five pathology assistants, and eight pathologists. Domains of the TME-QA reflect total mesorectal excision principles including: (1) completeness of mesorectal margin; (2) completeness of mesorectum; (3) coning of distal mesorectum; (4) physical defects; and (5) overall specimen quality. Specimens were scored independently. We used the generalizability theory to assess the tool's internal consistency and IRR. There were 39 specimens and 120 ratings. Mean overall specimen quality scores for the gold standard raters, pathologists, and assistants were 4.43, 4.43, and 4.50, respectively (p > 0.85). IRR for the first nine items was 0.68 for the full sample, 0.62 for assistants alone, 0.63 for pathologists alone, and 0.74 for gold standard raters alone. IRR for the item overall specimen quality was 0.67 for the full sample, 0.45 for assistants, 0.80 for pathologists, and 0.86 for gold standard raters. IRR increased for all groups when scores were averaged across two raters. Assessment of surgical specimens using the TME-QA may provide rapid and relevant feedback to surgeons about their technical performance. Our results show good internal consistency and IRR when the TME-QA is used by pathologists. However, for pathology assistants, multiple ratings with the averaging of scores may be needed.

Total Body Capacitance for Estimating Human Basal Metabolic Rate in an Egyptian Population

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M. Abdel-Mageed, Samir; I. Mohamed, Ehab

2016-01-01

Determining basal metabolic rate (BMR) is important for estimating total energy needs in the human being yet, concerns have been raised regarding the suitability of sex-specific equations based on age and weight for its calculation on an individual or population basis. It has been shown that body cell mass (BCM) is the body compartment responsible for BMR. The objectives of this study were to investigate the relationship between total body capacitance (TBC), which is considered as an expression for BCM, and BMR and to develop a formula for calculating BMR in comparison with widely used equations. Fifty healthy nonsmoking male volunteers [mean age (± SD): 24.93 ± 4.15 year and body mass index (BMI): 25.63 ± 3.59 kg/m2] and an equal number of healthy nonsmoking females matched for age and BMI were recruited for the study. TBC and BMR were measured for all participants using octopolar bioelectric impedance analysis and indirect calorimetry techniques, respectively. A significant regressing equation based on the covariates: sex, weight, and TBC for estimating BMR was derived (R=0.96, SEE=48.59 kcal, and P<0.0001), which will be useful for nutritional and health status assessment for both individuals and populations. PMID:27127453

A systematic review of instruments that measure attitudes toward homosexual men.

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Grey, Jeremy A; Robinson, Beatrice Bean E; Coleman, Eli; Bockting, Walter O

2013-01-01

Scientific interest in the measurement of homophobia and internalized homophobia has grown over the past 30 years, and new instruments and terms have emerged. To help researchers with the challenging task of identifying appropriate measures for studies in sexual-minority health, we reviewed measures of homophobia published in the academic literature from 1970 to 2012. Instruments that measured attitudes toward male homosexuals/homosexuality or measured homosexuals' internalized attitudes toward homosexuality were identified using measurement manuals and a systematic review. A total of 23 instruments met criteria for inclusion, and their features were summarized and compared. All 23 instruments met minimal criteria for adequate scale construction, including scale development, sampling, reliability, and evidence of validity. Validity evidence was diverse and was categorized as interaction with gay men, HIV/AIDS variables, mental health, and conservative religious or political beliefs. Homophobia was additionally correlated with authoritarianism and bias, gender ideology, gender differences, and reactions to homosexual stimuli. Internalized homophobia was validated by examining relationships with disclosing one's homosexuality and level of homosexual identity development. We hope this review will make the process of instrument selection more efficient by allowing researchers to easily locate, evaluate, and choose the proper measure based on their research question and population of interest.

The positive mental health instrument: development and validation of a culturally relevant scale in a multi-ethnic asian population

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Vaingankar Janhavi

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Instruments to measure mental health and well-being are largely developed and often used within Western populations and this compromises their validity in other cultures. A previous qualitative study in Singapore demonstrated the relevance of spiritual and religious practices to mental health, a dimension currently not included in exiting multi-dimensional measures. The objective of this study was to develop a self-administered measure that covers all key and culturally appropriate domains of mental health, which can be applied to compare levels of mental health across different age, gender and ethnic groups. We present the item reduction and validation of the Positive Mental Health (PMH instrument in a community-based adult sample in Singapore. Methods Surveys were conducted among adult (21-65 years residents belonging to Chinese, Malay and Indian ethnicities. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA, CFA were conducted and items were reduced using item response theory tests (IRT. The final version of the PMH instrument was tested for internal consistency and criterion validity. Items were tested for differential item functioning (DIF to check if items functioned in the same way across all subgroups. Results: EFA and CFA identified six first-order factor structure (General coping, Personal growth and autonomy, Spirituality, Interpersonal skills, Emotional support, and Global affect under one higher-order dimension of Positive Mental Health (RMSEA = 0.05, CFI = 0.96, TLI = 0.96. A 47-item self-administered multi-dimensional instrument with a six-point Likert response scale was constructed. The slope estimates and strength of the relation to the theta for all items in each six PMH subscales were high (range:1.39 to 5.69, suggesting good discrimination properties. The threshold estimates for the instrument ranged from -3.45 to 1.61 indicating that the instrument covers entire spectrums for the six dimensions. The

FINANCING INSTRUMENTS USED IN THE CENTRE DEVELOPMENT REGION

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Hada Teodor

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the main financing instruments (projects used in the Centre Region, approaching aspects regarding the Centre Development Region, such as its features in terms of the geographical profile of employment. In regard to the involvement of the population to the economic life, statistics show relatively low values of the overall activity and employment rates recorded primarily in the rural area. If we consider only the population included in the age group 15 to 64, the active population represent 62.2% of total, and the employment rate is 56.3% of the total active population, both declining in the last 15-20 years. At regional level, in order to implement the regional development policy in accordance with Law no. 315/2004 on regional development in Romania, two institutions are functioning: Regional Development Board and Centru Regional Development Agency. The paper also presents the use dynamics of funds in the Centre Region. Starting with 2007, Centru Regional Development Agency has become an intermediary body within ROP 2007-2013 with the role of promoting and managing the funds allocated to this region. In regard to the stage of implementation of ROP in the Centre Region, starting with February 25th, 2011, all 12 key areas of intervention of the programme were launched and a number of 1.053 projects were submitted in the Centre Region for a total amount of 1.033,99 million euro, the paper showing a diagram of the submitted projects. There is also a diagram of the amounts requested for funding the projects submitted until February 25th, 2011 at the Centru RDA and the available financing budgets on priority axes. Until February 25th, 2011, a number of 174 projects were contracted under ROP for a total value of 1.549.430.419,97 lei. In the end, we review the main indicators of the contracted projects. They belong to rural development, transport infrastructure, social infrastructure, regional and local business environment, tourism

Development of Population-Based Resilience Measures in the Primary School Setting

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Sun, Jing; Stewart, Donald

2007-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the population-based study in the paper is to report on progress in formulating instruments to measure children's resilience and associated protective factors in family, primary school and community contexts. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper a total of 2,794 students, 1,558 parents/caregivers, and 465 staff were…

[Instrument for the assessment of middle-aged and older adults' physical activity: design, eliability and application of the German-PAQ-50+].

Science.gov (United States)

Huy, Christina; Schneider, Sven

2008-06-01

Existing physical activity questionnaires have focused either on young and middle-aged adults or on the elderly. They have mainly assessed only a portion of possible physical activities or contained nation-specific sports. As there is no gold standard for a questionnaire-based assessment of physical activity in the over-50 population, recommendations for such a questionnaire relating to German-speaking countries were developed. This work included a systematic literature research, a survey of experts, and the design of a questionnaire based on validated measuring instruments. Finally, to test its reliability and application in the field, the complete questionnaire, including a retest, was applied by telephone interview (n = 57). The test-retest-correlation was r = 0.60 for the total time of physical activity and r = 0.52 for total energy expenditure. The researchers determined that the instrument is comprehensive in its coverage of all relevant domains of physical activity for the over-50 population; it is economically feasible and showed good acceptance.

The IKARUS instrument

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerster, H.J.; Stein, G.

1994-01-01

When the Federal Government decided on a 25% reduction of CO 2 emissions till 2005 in 1990 the necessity resulted that an instrument has to be developed for the analysis and assessment of the ecological, economic and energetic impact of different reduction strategies. The development task was awarded by the BMFT to the Research Centre Juelich in cooperation with well-known institutions of energy system research. The total instrument is scheduled to be finished by the end of 1994. For the decentral use of the instrument by a wide specialist public the developed models and data banks which are equipped with a user-friendly surface are suited for larger PCs (486, 16 MB RAM/500-1000 MB ROM). (orig.) [de

Characterization of a catalyst-based conversion technique to measure total particulate nitrogen and organic carbon and comparison to a particle mass measurement instrument

Science.gov (United States)

Stockwell, Chelsea E.; Kupc, Agnieszka; Witkowski, Bartłomiej; Talukdar, Ranajit K.; Liu, Yong; Selimovic, Vanessa; Zarzana, Kyle J.; Sekimoto, Kanako; Warneke, Carsten; Washenfelder, Rebecca A.; Yokelson, Robert J.; Middlebrook, Ann M.; Roberts, James M.

2018-05-01

The chemical composition of aerosol particles is a key aspect in determining their impact on the environment. For example, nitrogen-containing particles impact atmospheric chemistry, air quality, and ecological N deposition. Instruments that measure total reactive nitrogen (Nr = all nitrogen compounds except for N2 and N2O) focus on gas-phase nitrogen and very few studies directly discuss the instrument capacity to measure the mass of Nr-containing particles. Here, we investigate the mass quantification of particle-bound nitrogen using a custom Nr system that involves total conversion to nitric oxide (NO) across platinum and molybdenum catalysts followed by NO-O3 chemiluminescence detection. We evaluate the particle conversion of the Nr instrument by comparing to mass-derived concentrations of size-selected and counted ammonium sulfate ((NH4)2SO4), ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), ammonium chloride (NH4Cl), sodium nitrate (NaNO3), and ammonium oxalate ((NH4)2C2O4) particles determined using instruments that measure particle number and size. These measurements demonstrate Nr-particle conversion across the Nr catalysts that is independent of particle size with 98 ± 10 % efficiency for 100-600 nm particle diameters. We also show efficient conversion of particle-phase organic carbon species to CO2 across the instrument's platinum catalyst followed by a nondispersive infrared (NDIR) CO2 detector. However, the application of this method to the atmosphere presents a challenge due to the small signal above background at high ambient levels of common gas-phase carbon compounds (e.g., CO2). We show the Nr system is an accurate particle mass measurement method and demonstrate its ability to calibrate particle mass measurement instrumentation using single-component, laboratory-generated, Nr-containing particles below 2.5 µm in size. In addition we show agreement with mass measurements of an independently calibrated online particle-into-liquid sampler directly coupled to the

Genome-wide association study for levels of total serum IgE identifies HLA-C in a Japanese population.

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Yohei Yatagai

Full Text Available Most of the previously reported loci for total immunoglobulin E (IgE levels are related to Th2 cell-dependent pathways. We undertook a genome-wide association study (GWAS to identify genetic loci responsible for IgE regulation. A total of 479,940 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs were tested for association with total serum IgE levels in 1180 Japanese adults. Fine-mapping with SNP imputation demonstrated 6 candidate regions: the PYHIN1/IFI16, MHC classes I and II, LEMD2, GRAMD1B, and chr13∶60576338 regions. Replication of these candidate loci in each region was assessed in 2 independent Japanese cohorts (n = 1110 and 1364, respectively. SNP rs3130941 in the HLA-C region was consistently associated with total IgE levels in 3 independent populations, and the meta-analysis yielded genome-wide significance (P = 1.07×10(-10. Using our GWAS results, we also assessed the reproducibility of previously reported gene associations with total IgE levels. Nine of 32 candidate genes identified by a literature search were associated with total IgE levels after correction for multiple testing. Our findings demonstrate that SNPs in the HLA-C region are strongly associated with total serum IgE levels in the Japanese population and that some of the previously reported genetic associations are replicated across ethnic groups.

Augmenting traditional instruments with a motion capture system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Götzen, Amalia De; Vidolin, Alvise; Bernardini, Nicola

2013-01-01

This paper describes some composition works where the real instruments have been augmented through a motion capture system (Phasespace). While playing his instrument in the traditional way, the player is also controlling some other sound effects by moving his hands: the instrument becomes totally...

Construct Validity of the SF-12v2 for the Homeless Population with Mental Illness: An Instrument to Measure Self-Reported Mental and Physical Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Chum, Antony; Skosireva, Anna; Tobon, Juliana; Hwang, Stephen

2016-01-01

Self-reported health measures are important indicators used by clinicians and researchers for the evaluation of health interventions, outcome assessment of clinical studies, and identification of health needs to improve resource allocation. However, the application of self-reported health measures relies on developing reliable and valid instruments that are suitable across diverse populations. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the construct validity of the SF-12v.2, an instrument for measuring self-rated physical and mental health, for homeless adults with mental illness. Various interventions have been aimed at improving the health of homeless people with mental illness, and the development of valid instruments to evaluate these interventions is imperative. We measured self-rated mental and physical health from a quota sample of 575 homeless people with mental illness using the SF-12v2, EQ-5D, Colorado Symptoms Index, and physical/mental health visual analogue scales. We examined the construct validity of the SF-12v2 through confirmatory factor analyses (CFA), and using ANOVA/correlation analyses to compare the SF-12v2 to the other instruments to ascertain discriminant/convergent validity. Our CFA showed that the measurement properties of the original SF-12v2 model had a mediocre fit with our empirical data (χ2 = 193.6, df = 43, p physical and mental health status for a homeless population with mental illness.

SEIR Model of Rumor Spreading in Online Social Network with Varying Total Population Size

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong Suyalatu; Deng Yan-Bin; Huang Yong-Chang

2017-01-01

Based on the infectious disease model with disease latency, this paper proposes a new model for the rumor spreading process in online social network. In this paper what we establish an SEIR rumor spreading model to describe the online social network with varying total number of users and user deactivation rate. We calculate the exact equilibrium points and reproduction number for this model. Furthermore, we perform the rumor spreading process in the online social network with increasing population size based on the original real world Facebook network. The simulation results indicate that the SEIR model of rumor spreading in online social network with changing total number of users can accurately reveal the inherent characteristics of rumor spreading process in online social network . (paper)

Adaptation and testing of psychosocial assessment instruments for cross-cultural use: an example from the Thailand Burma border.

Science.gov (United States)

Haroz, Emily E; Bass, Judith K; Lee, Catherine; Murray, Laura K; Robinson, Courtland; Bolton, Paul

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop valid and reliable instruments to assess priority psychosocial problems and functioning among adult survivors of systematic violence from Burma living in Thailand. The process involved four steps: 1) instrument drafting and piloting; 2) reliability and validity testing; 3) instrument revision; and 4) retesting revised instrument. A total of N = 158 interviews were completed. Overall subscales showed good internal consistency (0.73-0.92) and satisfactory combined test-retest/inter rater reliability (0.63-0.84). Criterion validity, was not demonstrated for any scale. The alcohol and functioning scales underperformed and were revised (step 3) and retested (step 4). Upon retesting, the function scale showed good internal consistency reliability (0.91-0.92), and the alcohol scale showed acceptable internal consistency (0.79) and strong test-retest/inter-rater reliability (0.86-0.89). This paper describes the importance and process of adaptation and testing, illustrated by the experiences and results for selected instruments in this population.

Construction and Validation of an Instrument to Measure Taiwanese Elementary Students' Attitudes toward Their Science Class

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Wang, Tzu-Ling; Berlin, Donna

2010-12-01

The main purpose of this study is to develop a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the attitudes toward science class of fourth- and fifth-grade students in an Asian school culture. Specifically, the development focused on three science attitude constructs-science enjoyment, science confidence, and importance of science as related to science class experiences. A total of 265 elementary school students in Taiwan responded to the instrument developed. Data analysis indicated that the instrument exhibited satisfactory validity and reliability with the Taiwan population used. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.93 for the entire instrument indicating a satisfactory level of internal consistency. However, both principal component analysis and parallel analysis showed that the three attitude scales were not unique and should be combined and used as a general "attitudes toward science class" scale. The analysis also showed that there were no gender or grade-level differences in students' overall attitudes toward science class.

Use of total body electrical conductivity (TOBEC) to determine total body water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cochran, W.; Wong, W.; Sheng, H.P.; Klein, P.; Klish, W.

1986-01-01

Total body electrical conductivity (TOBEC) has been introduced as a safe and rapid method to estimate body composition in infants and adults. Recently, a second generation instrument that operates in a scanning mode has been developed. A study was undertaken to calibrate this new instrument and to assess the feasibility of its use in estimating total body water. Six healthy adults, 3 males and 3 females, ranging in age from 25 to 57 years, and in weight from 43.3 to 104.7 kg were analyzed. Simultaneously, determinations of total body water were made by standard dilutional techniques using H 2 18 O. A baseline plasma sample was obtained and 60 mg 18 O/kg was given orally as H 2 18 O. Five hr later, a postdose plasma sample was obtained. The 18 O/ 16 O ratio in the plasma samples was determined as CO 2 by gas-isotope-ratio mass spectrometry and used to calculate the H 2 18 O volume of distribution. The total body water values ranged from 26.35 to 58.02 and represented 51 to 58% of body weight. There was good linear correlation between the total body water measurement and its phase average (TOBEC number) with a linear correlation coefficient of 0.998. The standard error of the estimate was 0.98. In addition to estimating fat and fat-free mass, the TOBEC method also estimates total body water with excellent correlation to physical dilutions methods

Quality of persian addiction websites: a survey based on silberg, discern and wqet instruments (2011).

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Zahedi, Razieh; Taheri, Behjat; Shahrzadi, Leila; Tazhibi, Mehdi; Ashrafi-rizi, Hasan

2013-03-01

Nowadays, World Wide Web is an accessible and widespread resource to attain medical information. So physicians and health institutions try to inform patients about different domains of medicine through Web. Addiction is a noteworthy subject in medicine and a controversial issue among them. However, quality of health information on the internet is doubtful. The objective of this study is to determine the quality of Persian addiction websites to offer recommendation for their improvement. This was survey and an applied study that the study population was all Persian addiction websites. Sample of this study was 28 Persian addiction website which were chosen by searching Persian equivalences of 7 key terms (addiction, addict, addiction center, drug, treatment of addiction, recovery of addiction, addiction withdrawal) into the Google and Yahoo search engines. Finally, the websites were ranked based on the Silberg, DISCERN and WQET instruments. Data were analyzed with Excel software using descriptive statistics. The overall mean of websites in Silberg, DISCERN and WQET instruments were 1.42, 41.89, 64.57. Also the results showed that "Unit of Substance Abuse Treatment" belonging to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences was ranked first based on the Silberg, DISCERN and WQET instruments. 5 (from total of 9), 60 (from total of 80) and 82 (from total of normalized grade 82) were grades for this website for these instruments respectively. It showed that the quality of Persian websites according to Silberg, DISCERN and WQET instruments was "low", "more than half" and "very good" respectively. Not assigning date of entering data, author names, and references of information (authority) were most important missing characteristics of these websites. In addition, lack of interactive opportunities like chat rooms was another problem that leads to dissatisfaction of users.

The dramatic increase in total knee replacement utilization rates in the United States cannot be fully explained by growth in population size and the obesity epidemic.

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Losina, Elena; Thornhill, Thomas S; Rome, Benjamin N; Wright, John; Katz, Jeffrey N

2012-02-01

Total knee replacement utilization in the United States more than doubled from 1999 to 2008. Although the reasons for this increase have not been examined rigorously, some have attributed the increase to population growth and the obesity epidemic. Our goal was to investigate whether the rapid increase in total knee replacement use over the past decade can be sufficiently attributed to changes in these two factors. We used data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample to estimate changes in total knee replacement utilization rates from 1999 to 2008, stratified by age (eighteen to forty-four years, forty-five to sixty-four years, and sixty-five years or older). We obtained data on obesity prevalence and U.S. population growth from federal sources. We compared the rate of change in total knee replacement utilization with the rates of population growth and change in obesity prevalence from 1999 to 2008. In 2008, 615,050 total knee replacements were performed in the United States adult population, 134% more than in 1999. During the same time period, the overall population size increased by 11%. While the population of forty-five to sixty-four-year-olds grew by 29%, the number of total knee replacements in this age group more than tripled. The number of obese and non-obese individuals in the United States increased by 23% and 4%, respectively. Assuming unchanged indications for total knee replacement among obese and non-obese individuals with knee osteoarthritis over the last decade, these changes fail to account for the 134% growth in total knee replacement use. Population growth and obesity cannot fully explain the rapid expansion of total knee replacements in the last decade, suggesting that other factors must also be involved. The disproportionate increase in total knee replacements among younger patients may be a result of a growing number of knee injuries and expanding indications for the procedure.

Comparison of retreatment ability of full-sequence reciprocating instrumentation and 360° rotary instrumentation.

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Capar, Ismail Davut; Gok, Tuba; Orhan, Ezgi

2015-12-01

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the amount of root canal filling material after root canal filling removal with 360° rotary instrumentation or reciprocating motion with the same file sequence. Root canals of the 36 mandibular premolars were shaped with ProTaper Universal instruments up to size F2 and filled with corresponding single gutta-percha cone and sealer. The teeth were assigned to two retreatment groups (n = 18): group 1 360° rotational motion and group 2 reciprocating motion of ATR Tecnika motors (1310° clockwise and 578° counterclockwise). Retreatment procedure was performed with ProTaper Universal retreatment files with a sequence of D1-3 and ProTaper Universal F3 instruments. Total time required to remove filling material were recorded. Remaining filling material was examined under stereomicroscope at ×8 magnification. The data were analysed statistically using the Mann-Whitney U test, and testing was performed at 95 % confidence level (p  0.05) in terms of remaining filling material. The total time required for retreatment was shorter in 360° rotational motion group compared to reciprocating motion group (p instruments with reciprocating motion of ATR motor and conventional rotary motion have similar efficacy in root canal filling removal.

Do health care workforce, population, and service provision significantly contribute to the total health expenditure? An econometric analysis of Serbia.

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Santric-Milicevic, M; Vasic, V; Terzic-Supic, Z

2016-08-15

In times of austerity, the availability of econometric health knowledge assists policy-makers in understanding and balancing health expenditure with health care plans within fiscal constraints. The objective of this study is to explore whether the health workforce supply of the public health care sector, population number, and utilization of inpatient care significantly contribute to total health expenditure. The dependent variable is the total health expenditure (THE) in Serbia from the years 2003 to 2011. The independent variables are the number of health workers employed in the public health care sector, population number, and inpatient care discharges per 100 population. The statistical analyses include the quadratic interpolation method, natural logarithm and differentiation, and multiple linear regression analyses. The level of significance is set at P Total health expenditure increased by 1.21 standard deviations, with an increase in health workforce growth rate by 1 standard deviation. Furthermore, this rate decreased by 1.12 standard deviations, with an increase in (negative) population growth rate by 1 standard deviation. Finally, the growth rate increased by 0.38 standard deviation, with an increase of the growth rate of inpatient care discharges per 100 population by 1 standard deviation (P < 0.001). Study results demonstrate that the government has been making an effort to control strongly health budget growth. Exploring causality relationships between health expenditure and health workforce is important for countries that are trying to consolidate their public health finances and achieve universal health coverage at the same time.

Patient-specific instrumentation for total knee arthroplasty does not match the pre-operative plan as assessed by intra-operative computer-assisted navigation.

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Scholes, Corey; Sahni, Varun; Lustig, Sebastien; Parker, David A; Coolican, Myles R J

2014-03-01

The introduction of patient-specific instruments (PSI) for guiding bone cuts could increase the incidence of malalignment in primary total knee arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to assess the agreement between one type of patient-specific instrumentation (Zimmer PSI) and the pre-operative plan with respect to bone cuts and component alignment during TKR using imageless computer navigation. A consecutive series of 30 femoral and tibial guides were assessed in-theatre by the same surgeon using computer navigation. Following surgical exposure, the PSI cutting guides were placed on the joint surface and alignment assessed using the navigation tracker. The difference between in-theatre data and the pre-operative plan was recorded and analysed. The error between in-theatre measurements and pre-operative plan for the femoral and tibial components exceeded 3° for 3 and 17% of the sample, respectively, while the error for total coronal alignment exceeded 3° for 27% of the sample. The present results indicate that alignment with Zimmer PSI cutting blocks, assessed by imageless navigation, does not match the pre-operative plan in a proportion of cases. To prevent unnecessary increases in the incidence of malalignment in primary TKR, it is recommended that these devices should not be used without objective verification of alignment, either in real-time or with post-operative imaging. Further work is required to identify the source of discrepancies and validate these devices prior to routine use. II.

SEIR Model of Rumor Spreading in Online Social Network with Varying Total Population Size

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Dong, Suyalatu; Deng, Yan-Bin; Huang, Yong-Chang

2017-10-01

Based on the infectious disease model with disease latency, this paper proposes a new model for the rumor spreading process in online social network. In this paper what we establish an SEIR rumor spreading model to describe the online social network with varying total number of users and user deactivation rate. We calculate the exact equilibrium points and reproduction number for this model. Furthermore, we perform the rumor spreading process in the online social network with increasing population size based on the original real world Facebook network. The simulation results indicate that the SEIR model of rumor spreading in online social network with changing total number of users can accurately reveal the inherent characteristics of rumor spreading process in online social network. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 11275017 and 11173028

Early Statin Use and the Progression of Alzheimer Disease: A Total Population-Based Case-Control Study.

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Lin, Feng-Cheng; Chuang, Yun-Shiuan; Hsieh, Hui-Min; Lee, Tzu-Chi; Chiu, Kuei-Fen; Liu, Ching-Kuan; Wu, Ming-Tsang

2015-11-01

The protective effect of statin on Alzheimer disease (AD) is still controversial, probably due to the debate about when to start the use of statin and the lack of any large-scale randomized evidence that actually supports the hypothesis. The purpose of this study was to examine the protective effect of early statin use on mild-to-moderate AD in the total Taiwanese population.This was a total population-based case-control study, using the total population of Taiwanese citizens seen in general medical practice; therefore, the findings can be applied to the general population. The study patients were those with newly diagnosed dementia (ICD-9 290.x) and prescribed any acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI) from the Taiwan National Health Insurance dataset in 1997 to 2008. The newly diagnosed eligible mild-to-moderate AD patients were traced from the dates of their index dates, which was defined as the first day to receive any AChEI treatment, back to 1 year (exposure period) to categorize them into AD with early statin use and without early statin use. Early statin use was defined as patients using statin before AChEI treatment. Alzheimer disease patients with early statin use were those receiving any statin treatment during the exposure period. Then, we used propensity-score-matched strategy to match these 2 groups as 1:1. The matched study patients were followed-up from their index dates. The primary outcome was the discontinuation of AChEI treatment, indicating AD progression.There were 719 mild-to-moderate AD-paired patients with early statin use and without early statin use for analyses. Alzheimer disease progression was statistically lower in AD patients with early statin use than those without (P = 0.00054). After adjusting for other covariates, mild-to-moderate AD patients with early stain use exhibited a 0.85-risk (95% CI = 0.76-0.95, P = 0.0066) to have AD progression than those without.Early statin use was significantly associated with a reduction in AD

Microwave-Assisted Sample Treatment in a Fully Automated Flow-Based Instrument: Oxidation of Reduced Technetium Species in the Analysis of Total Technetium-99 in Caustic Aged Nuclear Waste Samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Egorov, Oleg B.; O'Hara, Matthew J.; Grate, Jay W.

2004-01-01

An automated flow-based instrument for microwave-assisted treatment of liquid samples has been developed and characterized. The instrument utilizes a flow-through reaction vessel design that facilitates the addition of multiple reagents during sample treatment, removal of the gaseous reaction products, and enables quantitative removal of liquids from the reaction vessel for carryover-free operations. Matrix modification and speciation control chemistries that are required for the radiochemical determination of total 99Tc in caustic aged nuclear waste samples have been investigated. A rapid and quantitative oxidation procedure using peroxydisulfate in acidic solution was developed to convert reduced technetium species to pertechnetate in samples with high content of reducing organics. The effectiveness of the automated sample treatment procedures has been validated in the radiochemical analysis of total 99Tc in caustic aged nuclear waste matrixes from the Hanford site

High nitrate to phosphorus regime attenuates negative effects of rising pCO2 on total population carbon accumulation

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S. A. Krug

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The ongoing rise in atmospheric pCO2 and consequent increase in ocean acidification have direct effects on marine calcifying phytoplankton, which potentially alters carbon export. To date it remains unclear, firstly, how nutrient regime, in particular by coccolithophores preferred phosphate limitation, interacts with pCO2 on particulate carbon accumulation; secondly, how direct physiological responses on the cellular level translate into total population response. In this study, cultures of Emiliania huxleyi were full-factorially exposed to two different N:P regimes and three different pCO2 levels. Cellular biovolume and PIC and POC content significantly declined in response to pCO2 in both nutrient regimes. Cellular PON content significantly increased in the Redfield treatment and decreased in the high N:P regime. Cell abundance significantly declined in the Redfield and remained constant in the high N:P regime. We hypothesise that in the high N:P regime severe phosphorous limitation could be compensated either by reduced inorganic phosphorous demand and/or by enzymatic uptake of organic phosphorous. In the Redfield regime we suggest that enzymatic phosphorous uptake to supplement enhanced phosphorous demand with pCO2 was not possible and thus cell abundance declined. These hypothesised different physiological responses of E. huxleyi among the nutrient regimes significantly altered population carrying capacities along the pCO2 gradient. This ultimately led to the attenuated total population response in POC and PIC content and biovolume to increased pCO2 in the high N:P regime. Our results point to the fact that the physiological (i.e. cellular PIC and POC response to ocean acidification cannot be linearly extrapolated to total population response and thus carbon export. It is therefore necessary to consider both effects of nutrient limitation on cell physiology and their consequences for population size when predicting the influence of

The effect of tranexamic acid in unilateral and bilateral total knee arthroplasty in the South Asian population: A retrospective cohort study.

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Mufarrih, Syed Hamza; Malik, Azeem Tariq; Qureshi, Nada Qaisar; Lakdawala, Riaz Hussain; Rabbani, Muhammad Umar; Ali, Arif; Noordin, Shahryar

2018-04-01

Together with evidence of higher bleeding tendencies, the vulnerability of the South-Asian population to anemia secondary to a higher prevalence of hemoglobinopathies and micronutrient deficiencies merits further exploration of the effects of tranexamic acid on this population. Additionally, limited access to self-care facilities and certain sociocultural beliefs and practices may not be conducive to a speedy recovery from surgical complications. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of intraoperative administration of tranexamic acid during total knee arthroplasty when considering the South-Asian population. Medical record files of 355 patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty (2007-2015) were reviewed to collect data regarding patient characteristics, surgical variables and post-operative complications. Unilateral and Bilateral total knee arthroplasty were studied separately. Analysis was done using t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square and Fisher's exact square where appropriate. The threshold for significance was p tranexamic acid caused a significant reduction in estimated blood loss (p-value=0.011), total operative time, calculated blood loss, and hemoglobin change (p-valuetranexamic acid only caused a significant reduction in calculated blood loss (p-value tranexamic acid vs. those who did not, there was a significant increase in length of hospital stay (ptranexamic acid effectively reduces intraoperative blood loss, it does not have an effect on the need for post-operative blood transfusions. The increased length of stay and special care unit admissions associated with tranexamic acid use should be explored further to reveal the complete safety profile of tranexamic acid administration in the South-Asian population during total knee arthroplasty. Copyright © 2018 IJS Publishing Group Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Semiphysiological versus Empirical Modelling of the Population Pharmacokinetics of Free and Total Cefazolin during Pregnancy

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J. G. Coen van Hasselt

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This work describes a first population pharmacokinetic (PK model for free and total cefazolin during pregnancy, which can be used for dose regimen optimization. Secondly, analysis of PK studies in pregnant patients is challenging due to study design limitations. We therefore developed a semiphysiological modeling approach, which leveraged gestation-induced changes in creatinine clearance (CrCL into a population PK model. This model was then compared to the conventional empirical covariate model. First, a base two-compartmental PK model with a linear protein binding was developed. The empirical covariate model for gestational changes consisted of a linear relationship between CL and gestational age. The semiphysiological model was based on the base population PK model and a separately developed mixed-effect model for gestation-induced change in CrCL. Estimates for baseline clearance (CL were 0.119 L/min (RSE 58% and 0.142 L/min (RSE 44% for the empirical and semiphysiological models, respectively. Both models described the available PK data comparably well. However, as the semiphysiological model was based on prior knowledge of gestation-induced changes in renal function, this model may have improved predictive performance. This work demonstrates how a hybrid semiphysiological population PK approach may be of relevance in order to derive more informative inferences.

Validating an instrument for measuring brand equity of CSR driven organizations in Malaysia

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Singh Dara Singh Karpal

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study is to develop and propose a valid and reliable instrument to measure brand equity of CSR driven organizations in Malaysia. An instrument to measure brand equity was constructed with adaptations from two key sources, namely Yew Leh and Lee (2011 and Yoo and Donthu (2001. As such the study only focuses on the development and validation of an instrument to measure brand equity of CSR driven organizations. The usable sample population included 909 respondents from 12 states of West Malaysia which were selected using a quota sampling plan. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA and reliability analysis were carried out to test and validate the proposed brand equity instrument containing four components (brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality and brand loyalty with a total of 13 items. Results from the CFA and reliability analysis indicated that all the items representing the four components were valid and can be used to measure the brand equity of organizations that are practicing CSR. The study tried to set an empirical basis for brand equity and CSR related research which could be used by future researchers in different industries and geographical locations. The study also implies the need for organizations to assess the success of their CSR efforts through the use of the proposed instrument in order to gauge whether all their CSR efforts translate to improved brand equity.

The Impact of Coercive Migrations on the Changes of Total Population Flux in the War-Engulfed Croatian Counties

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Ana Pažanin

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The author deals with the war impact and the impact of coercive migrations on the changes of total population fl ux between two censuses. On the eve of and during the Croatian War of Independence, the migration of population of the Republic of Croatia from the war-engulfed areas to the free areas of the country or to the foreign countries increased. The war in Bosnia and Herzegovina has caused a new wave of refugees from that country and a further migrational fl ux in our country. In the article, the author has established, on the case of the war-engulfed areas of eleven Croatian counties, that the war and coercive migrations have caused a decline of population, the growth of aged population, as well as changes in national and confessional structure.

Recovery of the Erythropoietin-Sensitive Stem-Cell Population following Total-Body X-Irradiation

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Byron, J. W. [Paterson Laboratories, Christie Hospital and Holt Radium Institute, Manchester (United Kingdom)

1968-08-15

Erythropoietin acts upon haemopoietic stem cells to initiate their differentiation into the erythroid series. This effect may be used in polycythaemic mice to estimate changes in the erythropoietin-sensitive stem-cell population following total-body irradiation (TBR). Generally, single doses of erythropoietin, less than that needed for maximum stem-cell response, are used to estimate changes in the stem-cell population. The validity of results using this test is based upon accepting several assumptions regarding erythropoietin kinetics. These are: (a) the contribution of endogenous erythropoietin is always negligible; (b) the origin of the dose-response curve to erythropoietin alters only because of changes in stem-cell numbers; (c) the proportion of stem cells responding to a given concentration of erythropoietin is independent of stem-cell numbers; (d) the slope of the dose-response curve does not alter; and (e) competition between erythropoietin and other factors for the stem cells remains unchanged. The studies to be reported indicate that some of these assumptions m a y not always be valid. Following 150 rad TBR, changes in erythropoietin dose-response curves were not always due to changes in the size of the stem-cell population, but also due to changes in erythropoietin kinetics. Changes in erythropoietin kinetics could be corrected for by using doses of erythropoietin which at any particular time after TBR gave maximum stem-cell response; through full dose-response studies, the nature of changes in erythropoietin kinetics following TBR could be established. These studies appear to explain discrepancies in results obtained in different laboratories using the erythropoietin test. The effect of 150 rad TBR on the erythropoietin-sensitive stem-cell population is an initial depression within 30 min to 20% of normal followed by a second depression (post-irradiation dip) at about 12 h. Twenty-four hours after TBR there is a recovery to the initial depression. This

Exposure to household endotoxin and total and allergen-specific IgE in the US population

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Min, Kyoung-Bok; Min, Jin-Young

2015-01-01

Background: Although endotoxin has strong pro-inflammatory properties, endotoxin-allergy relationship in adults and children have been inconsistent. Objectives: We investigated the association between household endotoxin levels and total immunoglobulin E (IgE) or specific IgE in the US general population, classified into three age ranges: children/adolescent, adults, and older adults. Methods: We analyzed the 2005–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. A total of 5220 participants for whom serum IgE and household endotoxin data were available was included in the analyses. Results: Exposure to endotoxin reduced the risk for allergic sensitization, especially in specific IgE to plants (OR in Quartile 3 = 0.58; 95% CI = 0.44–0.76) and pets (OR in Quartile 3 = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.41–0.92), for children/adolescents. In contrast, the risk among adults and older adults increased with increasing endotoxin levels. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the effect of endotoxin on allergic reaction is likely to depend on age. - Highlights: • Findings regarding the endotoxin-allergy relationship in adults and children are inconsistent. • We investigated the association of endotoxin with total and specific IgE in US population. • The association between endotoxin levels and allergic markers is likely to depend on age. • Exposure to endotoxin reduced the risk for allergic sensitization for children/adolescents. • The risk among adults and older adults increased with increasing endotoxin levels. - Exposure to endotoxin reduced the risk for allergic sensitization for children/adolescents, but decreased the risk among adults and older

Validation of an instrument for mathematics enhancement teaching efficacy of Pacific Northwest agricultural educators

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Jansen, Daniel J.

Teacher efficacy continues to be an important area of study in educational research. This study tested an instrument designed to assess the perceived efficacy of agricultural education teachers when engaged in lessons involving mathematics instruction. The study population of Oregon and Washington agricultural educators utilized in the validation of the instrument revealed important demographic findings and specific results related to teacher efficacy for the study population. An instrument was developed from the assimilation of three scales previously used and validated in efficacy research. Participants' mathematics teaching efficacy was assessed using a portion of the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (MTEBI), and personal mathematics efficacy was evaluated by the mathematics self-belief instrument which was derived from the Betz and Hackett's Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale. The final scale, the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) created by Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk Hoy, examined perceived personal teaching efficacy. Structural equation modeling was used as the statistical analyses tool to validate the instrument and examine correlations between efficacy constructs used to determine potential professional development needs of the survey population. As part of the data required for validation of the Mathematics Enhancement Teaching Efficacy instrument, demographic information defining the population of Oregon and Washington agricultural educators was obtained and reported. A hypothetical model derived from teacher efficacy literature was found to be an acceptable model to verify construct validity and determine strength of correlations between the scales that defined the instrument. The instrument produced an alpha coefficient of .905 for reliability. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to verify construct and discriminate validity. Specifics results related to the survey population of agricultural educators

Test instruments used by Journal of Music Therapy authors from 1984-1997.

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Gregory, D

2000-01-01

Issues of the Journal of Music Therapy from 1984 to 1997 were selected to investigate the application of test instruments in music therapy research. All experimental and descriptive research articles were reviewed to determine if the methodology included test instruments. Other types of measurements-physiological measures, behavioral observations, computerized devices, and self-reports were excluded from the analysis. Test instruments were categorized as either published, unpublished, or researcher-constructed. A test instrument was "published" if, after a search in the "Test Review Locator" of the Buros Mental Measurements Web Site, a reference was found in one or more of the following publications-Mental Measurement Yearbooks, Tests in Print, or Test Critiques. A test was categorized as "unpublished" if the developer was cited in the JMT article but the test was not located in one or more of the above publications. All other test instruments were categorized as researcher-constructed tests designed for the specific study in the article. From 1984-1997, 220 articles were published in JMT. Approximately 83% (n = 183) of the total were experimental or descriptive research studies. Of the 183 articles research studies, 92 (50%) included a test instrument. Reviews of method sections of the 92 articles resulted in a listing of 115 different test instruments. Percentages of researcher-constructed tests, unpublished tests, and published tests were 25%, 35%, and 40% respectively. Lists of tests document the all-encompassing range of client populations and the broad view of human behavior included in the practice of music as therapy. The Journal of Music Therapy, in addition to providing the latest research findings regarding the effectiveness of music as a therapeutic medium, provides an excellent source for updating information about the availability and applicability of test instruments for music therapy clinical practice and training.

Spectroelectrochemical Instrument Measures TOC

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Kounaves, Sam

2011-01-01

A spectroelectrochemical instrument has been developed for measuring the total organic carbon (TOC) content of an aqueous solution. Measurements of TOC are frequently performed in environmental, clinical, and industrial settings. Until now, techniques for performing such measurements have included, various ly, the use of hazardous reagents, ultraviolet light, or ovens, to promote reactions in which the carbon contents are oxidized. The instrument now being developed is intended to be a safer, more economical means of oxidizing organic carbon and determining the TOC levels of aqueous solutions and for providing a low power/mass unit for use in planetary missions.

The Appetitive Aggression Scale—development of an instrument for the assessment of human's attraction to violence.

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Roland Weierstall

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Background : Several instruments, notably Buss and Perry's Aggression Questionnaire, have been developed for the assessment of aggressive behavior. However, in these instruments, the focus has been on reactive rather than instrumental forms of aggression, even though men in particular may find aggressive behavior attractive. A questionnaire or structured interview for the systematic assessment of the attraction to violence is not yet available. Objective : We, therefore, developed a freely available short form for the assessment of a person's attraction to violent and planned forms of aggression based on reports of former combatants on the attraction to violence and the characteristics of instrumental aggression described in the literature. Method : The Appetitive Aggression Scale (AAS was administered to nine samples drawn from different populations, with a total of 1,632 former combatants and participants from war-affected regions (1,193 male and 439 female respondents. Results : From the initial set of 31 items, a selection of 15 items was extracted to improve the scale's psychometric properties and assess the construct of appetitive aggression validly with respect to content. Cronbach's Alpha coefficient of 0.85 was appropriate. All items loaded significantly on a single factor accounting for 32% of the total variance. Further analysis revealed that the scale measures a specific construct that can be distinguished from other concepts of human aggression. Conclusions : With the AAS, we present an easily administrable tool for the assessment of the attraction to violence.

Assessment of the measurement properties of the post stroke motor function instruments available in Brazil: a systematic review.

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Lima, Elaine; Teixeira-Salmela, Luci F; Simões, Luan; Guerra, Ana C C; Lemos, Andrea

2016-03-15

While there are several instruments in Brazil that measure motor function in patients after stroke, it is unknown whether the measurement properties of these instruments are appropriate. To identify the motor function instruments available in Brazil for patients after stroke. To assess the methodological quality of the studies and the results related to the measurement properties of these instruments. Two independent reviewers conducted searches on PubMed, LILACS, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Scopus. Studies that aimed to cross-culturally adapt an existing instrument or create a Brazilian instrument and test at least one measurement property related to motor function in patients after stroke were included. The methodological quality of these studies was checked by the COSMIN checklist with 4-point rating scale and the results of the measurement properties were analyzed by the criteria developed by Terwee et al. A total of 11 instruments were considered eligible, none of which were created in Brazil. The process of cross-cultural adaptation was inadequate in 10 out of 11 instruments due to the lack of back-translation or due to inappropriate target population. All of the instruments presented flaws in the measurement properties, especially reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity. The flaws observed in both cross-cultural adaptation process and testing measurement properties make the results inconclusive on the validity of the available instruments. Adequate procedures of cross-cultural adaptation and measurement properties of these instruments are strongly needed.

Assessment of the measurement properties of the post stroke motor function instruments available in Brazil: a systematic review

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Elaine Lima

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background While there are several instruments in Brazil that measure motor function in patients after stroke, it is unknown whether the measurement properties of these instruments are appropriate. Objective To identify the motor function instruments available in Brazil for patients after stroke. To assess the methodological quality of the studies and the results related to the measurement properties of these instruments. Method Two independent reviewers conducted searches on PubMed, LILACS, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Scopus. Studies that aimed to cross-culturally adapt an existing instrument or create a Brazilian instrument and test at least one measurement property related to motor function in patients after stroke were included. The methodological quality of these studies was checked by the COSMIN checklist with 4-point rating scale and the results of the measurement properties were analyzed by the criteria developed by Terwee et al. Results A total of 11 instruments were considered eligible, none of which were created in Brazil. The process of cross-cultural adaptation was inadequate in 10 out of 11 instruments due to the lack of back-translation or due to inappropriate target population. All of the instruments presented flaws in the measurement properties, especially reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity. Conclusion The flaws observed in both cross-cultural adaptation process and testing measurement properties make the results inconclusive on the validity of the available instruments. Adequate procedures of cross-cultural adaptation and measurement properties of these instruments are strongly needed.

The total energy policy in Flanders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouma, J.W.J.

1994-01-01

The policy of the Flemish region (Belgium) with regard to the total energy principle are presented. An overview of the main policy instruments to support energy saving and environmental-friendly investments as well as the development of new technologies is given. The total energy policy of the Flanders Region forms part of the general Flemish (energy) policy. (A.S.)

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of a Brazilian version of an instrument to assess impairments related to oral functioning of people with Down syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bonanato Karina

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background An instrument was developed in Canada to assess impairments related to oral functioning of individuals with four years of age or older with Down syndrome (DS. The present study attempted to carry out the cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the instrument for the Brazilian Portuguese language and to test its reliability and validity. Findings After translation and cross-cultural adaptation, the instrument was tested on caregivers of people with DS. Clinical examination for malocclusion was carried out in people with DS by two calibrated examiners. Inter and Intra examiner agreement was assessed by Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC and ranged from 0.92 to 0.97 respectively. Total of 157 people with DS and their caregivers were able to compose the sample. They were selected from eight institutions for people with DS in five cities of southeastern Brazil. The mean age of people with DS was 20.7 [±13.1] and for caregivers was 53.1 [±13.7]. The mean instrument score was 18.6 [±9.0]. Internal reliability ranged from 0.49 to 0.80 and external reliability ranged from 0.78 to 0.88. Construct validity was verified by significant correlations identified between malocclusion and the total instrument; and caregivers’ educational level and the instrument (p Conclusions Initial validity tests indicated that the instrument related to the oral health for people with DS may be a valid instrument to this segment of the population in Brazil.

Tropospheric Ozone Pollution from Space: New Views from the TOMS (Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer) Instrument

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Anne M.; Hudson, Robert D.; Frolov, Alexander D.; Witte, Jacquelyn C.; Kucsera, Tom L.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

New products from the TOMS (Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer) >satellite instrument can resolve pollution events in tropical and mid-latitudes, Over the past several years, we have developed tropospheric ozone data sets by two methods. The modified-residual technique [Hudson and Thompson, 1998; Thompson and Hudson, 1999] uses v. 7 TOMS total ozone and is applicable to tropical regimes in which the wave-one pattern in total ozone is observed. The TOMSdirect method [Hudson et at., 2000] represents a new algorithm that uses TOMS radiances to extract tropospheric ozone in regions of constant stratospheric ozone and tropospheric ozone displaying high mixing ratios and variability characteristic of pollution, Absorbing aerosols (dust and smoke; Herman et at., 1997 Hsu et al., 1999), a standard TOMS product, provide transport and/or source marker information to interpret tropospheric ozone. For the Nimbus 7/TOMS observing period (1979-1992), modified-residual TTO (tropical tropospheric ozone) appears as two maps/month at I-degree latitude 2-degree longitude resolution at a homepage and digital data are available (20S to 20N) by ftp at http://metosrv2. umd.edu/tropo/ 14y_data.d. Preliminary modified-residual TTO data from the operational Earth-Probe/TOMS (1996- present) are posted in near-real-time at the same website. Analyses with the new tropospheric ozone and aerosol data are illustrated by the following (I)Signals in tropical tropospheric ozone column and smoke amount during ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation) events, e.g. 1982-1983 and the intense ENSO induced biomass fires of 1997-1998 over the Indonesian region [Thompson et a[, 2000a, Thompson and Hudson, 1999]. (2) Trends in tropospheric ozone and smoke aerosols in various tropical regions (Atlantic, Pacific, Africa, Brazil). No significant trends were found for ozone from1980-1990 [Thompson and Hudson, 19991 although smoke aerosols increased during the period [Hsu et al.,1999]. (3) Temporal and spatial offsets

Association of Coffee Consumption With Total and Cause-Specific Mortality Among Nonwhite Populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Song-Yi; Freedman, Neal D; Haiman, Christopher A; Le Marchand, Loïc; Wilkens, Lynne R; Setiawan, Veronica Wendy

2017-08-15

Coffee consumption has been associated with reduced risk for death in prospective cohort studies; however, data in nonwhites are sparse. To examine the association of coffee consumption with risk for total and cause-specific death. The MEC (Multiethnic Cohort), a prospective population-based cohort study established between 1993 and 1996. Hawaii and Los Angeles, California. 185 855 African Americans, Native Hawaiians, Japanese Americans, Latinos, and whites aged 45 to 75 years at recruitment. Outcomes were total and cause-specific mortality between 1993 and 2012. Coffee intake was assessed at baseline by means of a validated food-frequency questionnaire. 58 397 participants died during 3 195 484 person-years of follow-up (average follow-up, 16.2 years). Compared with drinking no coffee, coffee consumption was associated with lower total mortality after adjustment for smoking and other potential confounders (1 cup per day: hazard ratio [HR], 0.88 [95% CI, 0.85 to 0.91]; 2 to 3 cups per day: HR, 0.82 [CI, 0.79 to 0.86]; ≥4 cups per day: HR, 0.82 [CI, 0.78 to 0.87]; P for trend coffee. Significant inverse associations were observed in 4 ethnic groups; the association in Native Hawaiians did not reach statistical significance. Inverse associations were also seen in never-smokers, younger participants (coffee was associated with lower risk for death in African Americans, Japanese Americans, Latinos, and whites. National Cancer Institute.

The South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS): a new instrument for the identification of pathological gamblers.

Science.gov (United States)

Lesieur, H R; Blume, S B

1987-09-01

The South Oaks Gambling Screen is a 20-item questionnaire based on DSM-III criteria for pathological gambling. It may be self-administered or administered by nonprofessional or professional interviewers. A total of 1,616 subjects were involved in its development: 867 patients with diagnoses of substance abuse and pathological gambling, 213 members of Gamblers Anonymous, 384 university students, and 152 hospital employees. Independent validation by family members and counselors was obtained for the calibration sample, and internal consistency and test-retest reliability were established. The instrument correlates well with the criteria of the revised version of DSM-III (DSM-III-R). It offers a convenient means to screen clinical populations of alcoholics and drug abusers, as well as general populations, for pathological gambling.

Changes in total and differential white cell counts, total lymphocyte ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Published reports on the possible changes in the various immune cell populations, especially the total lymphocyte and CD4 cell counts, during the menstrual cycle in Nigerian female subjects are relatively scarce. Aim: To determine possible changes in the total and differential white blood cell [WBC] counts, ...

Neutron beam instruments at Harwell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baston, A.H.; Harris, D.H.C.

1978-11-01

A list and brief descriptions are given of the neutron beam facilities for U.K. scientists at Harwell and in academic institutions, available under an agreement between the Science Research Council and AERE (Harwell). The list falls under the following headings: reactor instruments (single crystal diffractometers, powder diffractometers, triple axis spectrometers, time-of-flight cold neutron twin rotor spectrometer, beryllium filter spectrometer, MARX spectrometer, Harwell small-angle scattering spectrometer); LINAC instruments (total scattering spectrometer, back scattering spectrometer, active sample spectrometer, inelastic rotor spectrometer, constant Q spectrometer); ancillary equipment (cryostats, superconducting magnets, electromagnets, furnaces). (U.K.)

Monitoring dolphins in an urban marine system: total and effective population size estimates of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in Moreton Bay, Australia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ina C Ansmann

Full Text Available Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia is an area of high biodiversity and conservation value and home to two sympatric sub-populations of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus. These dolphins live in close proximity to major urban developments. Successful management requires information regarding their abundance. Here, we estimate total and effective population sizes of bottlenose dolphins in Moreton Bay using photo-identification and genetic data collected during boat-based surveys in 2008-2010. Abundance (N was estimated using open population mark-recapture models based on sighting histories of distinctive individuals. Effective population size (Ne was estimated using the linkage disequilibrium method based on nuclear genetic data at 20 microsatellite markers in skin samples, and corrected for bias caused by overlapping generations (Ne c. A total of 174 sightings of dolphin groups were recorded and 365 different individuals identified. Over the whole of Moreton Bay, a population size N of 554 ± 22.2 (SE (95% CI: 510-598 was estimated. The southern bay sub-population was small at an estimated N = 193 ± 6.4 (SE (95% CI: 181-207, while the North sub-population was more numerous, with 446 ± 56 (SE (95% CI: 336-556 individuals. The small estimated effective population size of the southern sub-population (Ne c = 56, 95% CI: 33-128 raises conservation concerns. A power analysis suggested that to reliably detect small (5% declines in size of this population would require substantial survey effort (>4 years of annual mark-recapture surveys at the precision levels achieved here. To ensure that ecological as well as genetic diversity within this population of bottlenose dolphins is preserved, we consider that North and South sub-populations should be treated as separate management units. Systematic surveys over smaller areas holding locally-adapted sub-populations are suggested as an alternative method for increasing ability to detect

Trends in disability of instrumental activities of daily living among older Chinese adults, 1997-2006: population based study.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Yajun; Welmer, Anna-Karin; Möller, Jette; Qiu, Chengxuan

2017-08-28

Data on trends for disability in instrumental activity of daily living (IADL) are sparse in older Chinese adults. To assess trends in prevalence and incidence of IADL disability among older Chinese adults and to explore contributing factors. Population based study. 15 provinces and municipalities in China. Participants (age ≥60) were from four waves of the China Health and Nutrition Survey, conducted in 1997 (n=1533), 2000 (n=1581), 2004 (n=2028) and 2006 (n=2256), and from two cohorts constructed within the national survey: cohort 1997-2004 (n=712) and cohort 2000-2006 (n=823). IADL disability was defined as inability to perform one or more of the following: shopping, cooking, using transportation, financing and telephoning. Data were analysed with logistic regression and generalised estimating equation models. The prevalence of IADL disability significantly decreased from 1997 to 2006 in the total sample and in all of the subgroups by age, sex, living region and IADL items (all p trend 0.10). The recovery rate from IADL disability significantly increased over time in those aged 60-69 years (p=0.03). Living in a rural area or access to local clinics for healthcare was less disabling over time (p trend <0.02). The prevalence of IADL disability decreased among older Chinese adults during 1997-2006, whereas the incidence remained stable. The declining prevalence of IADL disability might be partly due to the decreased duration of IADL disability, and to improvements in living conditions and healthcare facilities over time. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

University Reactor Instrumentation Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vernetson, W.G.

1992-11-01

Recognizing that the University Reactor Instrumentation Program was developed in response to widespread needs in the academic community for modernization and improvement of research and training reactors at institutions such as the University of Florida, the items proposed to be supported by this grant over its two year period have been selected as those most likely to reduce foreed outages, to meet regulatory concerns that had been expressed in recent years by Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspectors or to correct other facility problems and limitations. Department of Energy Grant Number DE-FG07-90ER129969 was provided to the University of Florida Training Reactor(UFTR) facility through the US Department of Energy's University Reactor Instrumentation Program. The original proposal submitted in February, 1990 requested support for UFTR facility instrumentation and equipment upgrades for seven items in the amount of $107,530 with $13,800 of this amount to be the subject of cost sharing by the University of Florida and $93,730 requested as support from the Department of Energy. A breakdown of the items requested and total cost for the proposed UFTR facility instrumentation and equipment improvements is presented

Neutron instrumentation for biology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mason, S.A. [Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble (France)

1994-12-31

In the October 1994 round of proposals at the ILL, the external biology review sub- committee was asked to allocate neutron beam time to a wide range of experiments, on almost half the total number of scheduled neutron instruments: on 3 diffractometers, on 3 small angle scattering instruments, and on some 6 inelastic scattering spectrometers. In the 3.5 years since the temporary reactor shutdown, the ILL`s management structure has been optimized, budgets and staff have been trimmed, the ILL reactor has been re-built, and many of the instruments up-graded, many powerful (mainly Unix) workstations have been introduced, and the neighboring European Synchrotron Radiation Facility has established itself as the leading synchrotron radiation source and has started its official user program. The ILL reactor remains the world`s most intense dedicated neutron source. In this challenging context, it is of interest to review briefly the park of ILL instruments used to study the structure and energetics of small and large biological systems. A brief summary will be made of each class of experiments actually proposed in the latest ILL proposal round.

Validation of the "Quality of Life in School" instrument in Canadian elementary school students.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghotra, Satvinder; McIsaac, Jessie-Lee D; Kirk, Sara F L; Kuhle, Stefan

2016-01-01

Background. School is an integral component of the life of a child, and thus quality of school life is an important part of the overall quality of life experienced by a child. There are a few instruments available to measure the quality of school life but they are often not available in English, or they are not appropriate for use alongside other instruments in a survey of young children. The Quality of Life in School (QoLS) instrument is a short, self-report measure to assess elementary school students' perception of their quality of school life in four domains. The instrument was developed in Israel and has been validated among Hebrew-speaking children. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the QoLS measure in Canadian elementary school children. Methods. A total of 629 children attending grades 4-6 were recruited in a population-based cross-sectional study. The QoLS measure was administered to participating children by trained research assistants. In addition, their socio-demographic details and academic data were also obtained. The psychometric testing included exploratory factor analysis and reliability estimation using internal consistency (Cronbach's Alpha). Construct validity was investigated using the known groups comparisons for discriminative validity and via convergent validity. Results. A four-factor structure was generated explaining 39% of the total variance in the model. The results showed good internal consistency and acceptable floor and ceiling effects. Cronbach's Alpha ranged from 0.75 to 0.93. Known groups comparisons showed that the QoLS measure discriminated well between subgroups on the basis of gender, grade, and academic achievement, thus providing evidence of construct validity. The convergent validity was also appropriate with all the four domains demonstrating moderate to strong correlations to each other and to the total QoLS score. Conclusions. QoLS appears to be a valid and reliable measure for

Psychometric Validation of the Parental Bonding Instrument in a U.K. Population-Based Sample: Role of Gender and Association With Mental Health in Mid-Late Life.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Man K; Morin, Alexandre J S; Marsh, Herbert W; Richards, Marcus; Jones, Peter B

2016-08-01

The factorial structure of the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) has been frequently studied in diverse samples but no study has examined its psychometric properties from large, population-based samples. In particular, important questions have not been addressed such as the measurement invariance properties across parental and offspring gender. We evaluated the PBI based on responses from a large, representative population-based sample, using an exploratory structural equation modeling method appropriate for categorical data. Analysis revealed a three-factor structure representing "care," "overprotection," and "autonomy" parenting styles. In terms of psychometric measurement validity, our results supported the complete invariance of the PBI ratings across sons and daughters for their mothers and fathers. The PBI ratings were also robust in relation to personality and mental health status. In terms of predictive value, paternal care showed a protective effect on mental health at age 43 in sons. The PBI is a sound instrument for capturing perceived parenting styles, and is predictive of mental health in middle adulthood. © The Author(s) 2016.

Performance tests for instruments measuring radon activity concentration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beck, T.R.; Buchroeder, H.; Schmidt, V.

2009-01-01

Performance tests of electronic instruments measuring the activity concentration of 222 Rn have been carried out with respect to the standard IEC 61577-2. In total, 9 types of instrument operating with ionization chambers or electrostatic collection have been tested for the influence of different climatic and radiological factors on the measurement characteristics. It is concluded that all types of instrument, which are commercially available, are suitable for indoor radon measurements. Because of the dependence on climatic conditions, the outdoor use is partly limited.

Minimally invasive instrumentation without fusion during posterior thoracic corpectomies: a comparison of percutaneously instrumented nonfused segments with open instrumented fused segments.

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, Darryl; Chou, Dean

2017-07-01

OBJECTIVE During the mini-open posterior corpectomy, percutaneous instrumentation without fusion is performed above and below the corpectomy level. In this study, the authors' goal was to compare the perioperative and long-term implant failure rates of patients who underwent nonfused percutaneous instrumentation with those of patients who underwent traditional open instrumented fusion. METHODS Adult patients who underwent posterior thoracic corpectomies with cage reconstruction between 2009 and 2014 were identified. Patients who underwent mini-open corpectomy had percutaneous instrumentation without fusion, and patients who underwent open corpectomy had instrumented fusion above and below the corpectomy site. The authors compared perioperative outcomes and rates of implant failure requiring reoperation between the open (fused) and mini-open (unfused) groups. RESULTS A total of 75 patients were identified, and 53 patients (32 open and 21 mini-open) were available for followup. The mean patient age was 52.8 years, and 56.6% of patients were male. There were no significant differences in baseline variables between the 2 groups. The overall perioperative complication rate was 15.1%, and there was no significant difference between the open and mini-open groups (18.8% vs 9.5%; p = 0.359). The mean hospital stay was 10.5 days. The open group required a significantly longer stay than the mini-open group (12.8 vs 7.1 days; p open and mini-open groups at 6 months (3.1% vs 0.0%, p = 0.413), 1 year (10.7% vs 6.2%, p = 0.620), and 2 years (18.2% vs 8.3%, p = 0.438). The overall mean follow-up was 29.2 months. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that percutaneous instrumentation without fusion in mini-open transpedicular corpectomies offers similar implant failure and reoperation rates as open instrumented fusion as far out as 2 years of follow-up.

Instruments to measure behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Linde, Rianne M; Stephan, Blossom C M; Dening, Tom; Brayne, Carol

2014-03-01

Reliable and valid measurement of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) is important for research and clinical practice. Here we provide an overview of the different instruments and discuss issues involved in the choice of the most appropriate instrument to measure BPSD in research. A list of BPSD instruments was generated. For each instrument Pubmed and SCOPUS were searched for articles that reported on their use or quality. Eighty-three instruments that are used to measure BPSD were identified. Instruments differ in length and detail, whether the interview is with participants, informants or by observation, the target sample and the time frames for use. Reliability and validity is generally good, but reported in few independent samples. When choosing a BPSD instrument for research the research question should be carefully scrutinised and the symptoms of interest, population, quality, detail, time frame and practical issues should be considered. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

New instruments for radiation protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartos, D.; Ciobanu, M.; Constantin, F.; Petcu, M.; Plostinaru, V.D.; Rusu, Al.; Lupu, A.C.; Lupu, F.

2003-01-01

Though a century old, the radiation protection is actual by its purpose: a dose as low as reasonable achievable is to be received either by involved professionals or population. This threshold is dependent on the technical progress. Some major developments like surface mounted device technology, consumer almost ideal operational amplifiers, microcontrollers and the news signal digital processing techniques, offer the opportunity to design improved instruments for radioprotection. To put in a light portable instrument both the whole measuring system and the 'intelligence' - a microcontroller and the associated software - are the main ideas applied by the authors. The result is presented: a family of eight members, at least, based on two parents. (authors)

Evaluation of the contribution of smoking to total blood polonium-210 in Saudi population

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shabana, E.I. E-mail: eshabana@kacst.edu.sa; Elaziz, M.A. Abd; Al-Arifi, M.N.; Al-Dhawailie, A.A.; Al-Bokari, M.M-A

2000-01-01

A preliminary study of {sup 210}Po concentrations in the blood of some smokers and nonsmokers is presented in order to evaluate the contribution of smoking to total blood {sup 210}Po in Saudi population. Blood samples were collected from 30 volunteers and analyzed by high resolution {alpha}-spectrometry using a radiochemical technique. The technique is based on the separation of polonium from other components of the sample by wet ashing with an HNO{sub 3}/H{sub 2}O{sub 2} oxidizing mixture and spontaneous deposition on a silver disc under the relevant conditions for {alpha}-particle counting. The results indicated that a significant fraction (about 30%) of blood {sup 210}Po is related to smoking.

Mechanical engineers' handbook, design, instrumentation, and controls

CERN Document Server

Kutz, Myer

2015-01-01

Full coverage of electronics, MEMS, and instrumentation andcontrol in mechanical engineering This second volume of Mechanical Engineers' Handbookcovers electronics, MEMS, and instrumentation and control, givingyou accessible and in-depth access to the topics you'll encounterin the discipline: computer-aided design, product design formanufacturing and assembly, design optimization, total qualitymanagement in mechanical system design, reliability in themechanical design process for sustainability, life-cycle design,design for remanufacturing processes, signal processing, dataacquisition and dis

Digital instrumentation system for nuclear research reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aghina, Mauricio A.C.; Carvalho, Paulo Vitor R.

2002-01-01

This work describes a proposal for a system of nuclear instrumentation and safety totally digital for the Argonauta Reactor. The system divides in the subsystems: channel of pulses, channel of current, conventional instrumentation and safety system. The connection of the subsystems is made through redundant double local net, using the protocol modbus/rtu. So much the channel of pulses, the current channel and safety's system use modules operating in triple redundancy. (author)

Beverage Consumption Habits in Italian Population: Association with Total Water Intake and Energy Intake

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lorenza Mistura

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Background: The aim of this study was to investigate total water intake (TWI from water, beverages and foods among Italian adults and the elderly. Methods: Data of 2607 adults and the elderly, aged 18–75 years from the last national food consumption survey, INRAN-SCAI 2005-06, were used to evaluate the TWI. The INRAN-SCAI 2005-06 survey was conducted on a representative sample of 3323 individuals aged 0.1 to 97.7 years. A 3-day semi-structured diary was used for participants to record the consumption of all foods, beverages and nutritional supplements. Results: On average, TWI was 1.8 L for men and 1.7 L for women. More than 75% of women and 90% of men did not comply with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA Adequate Intake. The contribution of beverages to the total energy intake (EI was 6% for the total sample. Water was the most consumed beverage, followed by alcoholic beverages for men and hot beverages for women. Conclusion: According to the present results, adults and elderly Italians do not reach the adequate intake for water as suggested by the EFSA and by the national reference level of nutrient and energy intake. Data on water consumption should also be analyzed in single socio-demographic groups in order to identify sub-groups of the population that need more attention and to plan more targeted interventions.

Time related total lactic acid bacteria population diversity and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The total lactic acid bacterial community involved in the spontaneous fermentation of malted cowpea fortified cereal weaning food was investigated by phenotypically and cultivation independent method. A total of 74 out of the isolated 178 strains were Lactobacillus plantarum, 32 were Pediococcus acidilactici and over 60% ...

Single-incision total laparoscopic hysterectomy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sinha Rakesh

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Single-incision laparoscopic surgery is an alternative to conventional multiport laparoscopy. Single-access laparoscopy using a transumbilical port affords maximum cosmetic benefits because the surgical incision is hidden in the umbilicus. The advantages of single-access laparoscopic surgery may include less bleeding, infection, and hernia formation and better cosmetic outcome and less pain. The disadvantages and limitations include longer surgery time, difficulty in learning the technique, and the need for specialized instruments. Ongoing refinement of the surgical technique and instrumentation is likely to expand its role in gynecologic surgery in the future. We perform single-incision total laparoscopic hysterectomy using three ports in the single transumbilical incision.

Influence of turbidity and clouds on satellite total ozone data over Madrid (Spain)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Camacho, J.L. [Agencia Estatal de Meteorologia (AEMET), Madrid (Spain); Anton, M. [Granada Univ. (Spain). Dept. de Fisica Aplicada; Loyola, D. [German Aerospace Center (DLR), Wessling (DE). Remote Sensing Technology Inst. (IMF); Hernandez, E. [Madrid Univ. Complutense (Spain). Dept. Fisica de la Tierra II

2010-07-01

This article focuses on the comparison of the total ozone column data from three satellite instruments; Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometers (TOMS) on board the Earth Probe (EP), Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on board AURA and Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) on board ERS/2, with ground-based measurement recorded by a well calibrated Brewer spectrophotometer located in Madrid during the period 1996-2008. A cluster classification based on solar radiation (global, direct and diffuse), cloudiness and aerosol index allow selecting hazy, cloudy, very cloudy and clear days. Thus, the differences between Brewer and satellite total ozone data for each cluster have been analyzed. The accuracy of EP-TOMS total ozone data is affected by moderate cloudiness, showing a mean absolute bias error (MABE) of 2.0%. In addition, the turbidity also has a significant influence on EP-TOMS total ozone data with a MABE {proportional_to}1.6%. Those data are in contrast with clear days with MABE {proportional_to}1.2%. The total ozone data derived from the OMI instrument show clear bias at clear and hazy days with small uncertainties ({proportional_to}0.8%). Finally, the total ozone observations obtained with the GOME instrument show a very smooth dependence with respect to clouds and turbidity, showing a robust retrieval algorithm over these conditions. (orig.)

Dietary determinants of serum total cholesterol among middle-aged and older adults: a population-based cross-sectional study in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Science.gov (United States)

Kakarmath, Sujay S; Zack, Rachel M; Leyna, Germana H; Fahimi, Saman; Liu, Enju; Fawzi, Wafaie W; Lukmanji, Zohra; Killewo, Japhet; Sacks, Frank; Danaei, Goodarz

2017-06-06

To assess the dietary determinants of serum total cholesterol. Cross-sectional population-based study. Peri-urban region of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 347 adults aged 40 years and older from the Dar es Salaam Urban Cohort Hypertension Study. Serum total cholesterol measured using a point-of-care device. Mean serum total cholesterol level was 204 mg/dL (IQR 169-236 mg/dL) in women and 185 mg/dL (IQR 152-216 mg/dL) in men. After adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle and dietary factors, participants who reported using palm oil as the major cooking oil had serum total cholesterol higher by 15 mg/dL (95% CI 1 to 29 mg/dL) compared with those who reported using sunflower oil. Consumption of one or more servings of meat per day (p for trend=0.017) and less than five servings of fruits and vegetables per day (p for trend=0.024) were also associated with higher serum total cholesterol. A combination of using palm oil for cooking, eating more than one serving of meat per day and fewer than five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, was associated with 46 mg/dL (95% CI 16 to 76 mg/dL) higher serum total cholesterol. Using palm oil for cooking was associated with higher serum total cholesterol levels in this peri-urban population in Dar es Salaam. Reduction of saturated fat content of edible oil may be considered as a population-based strategy for primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Determining the Cost-Savings Threshold and Alignment Accuracy of Patient-Specific Instrumentation in Total Ankle Replacements.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamid, Kamran S; Matson, Andrew P; Nwachukwu, Benedict U; Scott, Daniel J; Mather, Richard C; DeOrio, James K

2017-01-01

Traditional intraoperative referencing for total ankle replacements (TARs) involves multiple steps and fluoroscopic guidance to determine mechanical alignment. Recent adoption of patient-specific instrumentation (PSI) allows for referencing to be determined preoperatively, resulting in less steps and potentially decreased operative time. We hypothesized that usage of PSI would result in decreased operating room time that would offset the additional cost of PSI compared with standard referencing (SR). In addition, we aimed to compare postoperative radiographic alignment between PSI and SR. Between August 2014 and September 2015, 87 patients undergoing TAR were enrolled in a prospectively collected TAR database. Patients were divided into cohorts based on PSI vs SR, and operative times were reviewed. Radiographic alignment parameters were retrospectively measured at 6 weeks postoperatively. Time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) was used to derive direct costs. Cost vs operative time-savings were examined via 2-way sensitivity analysis to determine cost-saving thresholds for PSI applicable to a range of institution types. Cost-saving thresholds defined the price of PSI below which PSI would be cost-saving. A total of 35 PSI and 52 SR cases were evaluated with no significant differences identified in patient characteristics. Operative time from incision to completion of casting in cases without adjunct procedures was 127 minutes with PSI and 161 minutes with SR ( P cost-savings threshold range at our institution of $863 below which PSI pricing would provide net cost-savings. Two-way sensitivity analysis generated a globally applicable cost-savings threshold model based on institution-specific costs and surgeon-specific time-savings. This study demonstrated equivalent postoperative TAR alignment with PSI and SR referencing systems but with a significant decrease in operative time with PSI. Based on TDABC and associated sensitivity analysis, a cost-savings threshold

Intrajudge and Interjudge Reliability of the Stuttering Severity Instrument-Fourth Edition.

Science.gov (United States)

Davidow, Jason H; Scott, Kathleen A

2017-11-08

The Stuttering Severity Instrument (SSI) is a tool used to measure the severity of stuttering. Previous versions of the instrument have known limitations (e.g., Lewis, 1995). The present study examined the intra- and interjudge reliability of the newest version, the Stuttering Severity Instrument-Fourth Edition (SSI-4) (Riley, 2009). Twelve judges who were trained on the SSI-4 protocol participated. Judges collected SSI-4 data while viewing 4 videos of adults who stutter at Time 1 and 4 weeks later at Time 2. Data were analyzed for intra- and interjudge reliability of the SSI-4 subscores (for Frequency, Duration, and Physical Concomitants), total score, and final severity rating. Intra- and interjudge reliability across the subscores and total score concurred with the manual's reported reliability when reliability was calculated using the methods described in the manual. New calculations of judge agreement produced different values from those in the manual-for the 3 subscores, total score, and final severity rating-and provided data absent from the manual. Clinicians and researchers who use the SSI-4 should carefully consider the limitations of the instrument. Investigation into the multitasking demands of the instrument may provide information on whether separating the collection of data for specific variables will improve intra- and interjudge reliability of those variables.

The dog and cat population on Maio Island, Cape Verde: characterisation and prediction based on household survey and remotely sensed imagery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lopes Antunes, Ana Carolina; Ducheyne, Els; Bryssinckx, Ward

2015-01-01

a global positioning system instrument. Linear statistical models were applied to predict the dog and cat populations based on the number of houses found and according to various levels of data aggregation. In the surveyed localities, a total of 457 dogs and 306 cats were found. The majority of animals had...

Advances in Miniaturized Instruments for Genomics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cihun-Siyong Alex Gong

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years, a lot of demonstrations of the miniaturized instruments were reported for genomic applications. They provided the advantages of miniaturization, automation, sensitivity, and specificity for the development of point-of-care diagnostics. The aim of this paper is to report on recent developments on miniaturized instruments for genomic applications. Based on the mature development of microfabrication, microfluidic systems have been demonstrated for various genomic detections. Since one of the objectives of miniaturized instruments is for the development of point-of-care device, impedimetric detection is found to be a promising technique for this purpose. An in-depth discussion of the impedimetric circuits and systems will be included to provide total consideration of the miniaturized instruments and their potential application towards real-time portable imaging in the “-omics” era. The current excellent demonstrations suggest a solid foundation for the development of practical and widespread point-of-care genomic diagnostic devices.

The Friedrich-Lively Instrument to Assess the Impact of Schizophrenia on Siblings (FLIISS): Part I--instrument construction.

Science.gov (United States)

Friedrich, Rose Marie; Lively, Sonja; Rubenstein, Linda; Buckwalter, Kathleen

2002-01-01

Siblings of persons with schizophrenia may provide primary or secondary care for their sibling and support to parents who are primary care givers. These siblings experience stress and the accompanying sequelae of decreased quality of life, grief, chronic illness, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Comprehensive measures of sibling stress have not been published. Before interventions to help siblings can be created, health professionals need such an assessment. The Friedrich-Lively Instrument to Assess the Impact of Schizophrenia on Siblings (FLIISS) has been developed to meet the needs of both health workers and siblings. The instrument has a strong conceptual basis adapted from Pearlin's model of stress in caregiving and was preceded by pilot work that evaluated both quantitative and qualitative data. In this article, (Part I), the development of the instrument and its relationships to the conceptual model are described. Health professionals can use the instrument for collecting information that will increase their ability to identify sources of stress faced by siblings of persons with schizophrenia, and from this assessment they may develop interventions for this underserved population.

[Evaluation of Medical Instruments Cleaning Effect of Fluorescence Detection Technique].

Science.gov (United States)

Sheng, Nan; Shen, Yue; Li, Zhen; Li, Huijuan; Zhou, Chaoqun

2016-01-01

To compare the cleaning effect of automatic cleaning machine and manual cleaning on coupling type surgical instruments. A total of 32 cleaned medical instruments were randomly sampled from medical institutions in Putuo District medical institutions disinfection supply center. Hygiena System SUREII ATP was used to monitor the ATP value, and the cleaning effect was evaluated. The surface ATP values of the medical instrument of manual cleaning were higher than that of the automatic cleaning machine. Coupling type surgical instruments has better cleaning effect of automatic cleaning machine before disinfection, the application is recommended.

[Application of the data from China Total Diet Study to assess the distribution of lead exposure in different age-gender population groups].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiaowei; Liu, Qing; Liu, Liping; Wu, Yongning

2012-05-01

To assess the distribution of dietary lead exposure in different age-gender groups of Chinese residents by using the data from China Total Diet Study, and combining the new risk assessment and the PTWI withdrawn by JECFA. Methods Combining the lead concentrations of dietary samples with the food consumption data from China Total Diet Study in 2007 to obtain the distribution of dietary intake and dietary source of lead in different age-gender population groups. Dietary lead exposure of different age-gender population groups in China was in the range of 48.7 -116.7 microg/d. The status of higher lead exposure in younger age groups was not optimistic, as the mean and median margins of exposure (MOE) have been less than 1.0 (0.1 - 0.3). The main sources of dietary lead were cereals and vegetables, which covering 57% of total lead exposure. Lowering the dietary lead exposure of Chinese residents is necessary, especially of infants and children.

Essential element contents in food groups from the second Brazilian total diet study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ambrogi, J.B.; Avegliano, R.P.; Maihara, V.A.

2016-01-01

Total diet study (TDS) has been considered as one of the most appropriate approaches to estimate dietary exposure of essential elements. This paper presents preliminary results of concentrations and average dietary daily intakes of Ca, Co, Cr, Fe, K, Na, Se and Zn from the 2nd Brazilian TDS. Nineteen groups from a Food List which represents the daily intake of the population from the Brazilian southeastern region were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The dietary daily intake values for Ca (641 mg), Fe (19.6 mg), K (2738 mg), Na (2466 mg), Se (56.4 μg), and Zn (15.3 mg) were higher than the 1st Brazilian TDS. (author)

A portable luminescence dating instrument

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kook, M.H.; Murray, A.S.; Lapp, Torben

2011-01-01

We describe a portable luminescence reader suitable for use in remote localities in the field. The instrument weighs about 8kg and is based around a 30mm bialkali photomultiplier detecting signals through a glass filter centered on 340nm. Stimulation is by 470nm blue LEDs (24W in total) operating...

Investigation of Stability of Precise Geodetic Instruments Used in Deformation Monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Woźniak, Marek; Odziemczyk, Waldemar

2017-12-01

Monitoring systems using automated electronic total stations are an important element of safety control of many engineering objects. In order to ensure the appropriate credibility of acquired data, it is necessary that instruments (total stations in most of the cases) used for measurements meet requirements of measurement accuracy, as well as the stability of instrument axis system geometry. With regards to the above, it is expedient to conduct quality control of data acquired using electronic total stations in the context of performed measurement procedures. This paper presents results of research conducted at the Faculty of Geodesy and Cartography at Warsaw University of Technology investigating the stability of "basic" error values (collimation, zero location for V circle, inclination), for two types of automatic total stations: TDA 5005 and TCRP 1201+. Research provided also information concerning the influence of temperature changes upon the stability of investigated instrument's optical parameters. Results are presented in graphical analytic technique. Final conclusions propose methods, which allow avoiding negative results of measuring tool-set geometry changes during conducting precise deformation monitoring measurements.

Development of a totally computer-controlled triple quadrupole mass spectrometer system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, C.M.; Crawford, R.W.; Barton, V.C.; Brand, H.R.; Neufeld, K.W.; Bowman, J.E.

1983-01-01

A totally computer-controlled triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (TQMS) is described. It has a number of unique features not available on current commercial instruments, including: complete computer control of source and all ion axial potentials; use of dual computers for data acquisition and data processing; and capability for self-adaptive control of experiments. Furthermore, it has been possible to produce this instrument at a cost significantly below that of commercial instruments. This triple quadrupole mass spectrometer has been constructed using components commercially available from several different manufacturers. The source is a standard Hewlett-Packard 5985B GC/MS source. The two quadrupole analyzers and the quadrupole CAD region contain Balzers QMA 150 rods with Balzers QMG 511 rf controllers for the analyzers and a Balzers QHS-511 controller for the CAD region. The pulsed-positive-ion-negative-ion-chemical ionization (PPINICI) detector is made by Finnigan Corporation. The mechanical and electronics design were developed at LLNL for linking these diverse elements into a functional TQMS as described. The computer design for total control of the system is unique in that two separate LSI-11/23 minicomputers and assorted I/O peripherals and interfaces from several manufacturers are used. The evolution of this design concept from totally computer-controlled instrumentation into future self-adaptive or ''expert'' systems for instrumental analysis is described. Operational characteristics of the instrument and initial results from experiments involving the analysis of the high explosive HMX (1,3,5,7-Tetranitro-1,3,5,7-Tetrazacyclooctane) are presented

Evaluation of multivariate calibration models transferred between spectroscopic instruments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eskildsen, Carl Emil Aae; Hansen, Per W.; Skov, Thomas

2016-01-01

In a setting where multiple spectroscopic instruments are used for the same measurements it may be convenient to develop the calibration model on a single instrument and then transfer this model to the other instruments. In the ideal scenario, all instruments provide the same predictions for the ......In a setting where multiple spectroscopic instruments are used for the same measurements it may be convenient to develop the calibration model on a single instrument and then transfer this model to the other instruments. In the ideal scenario, all instruments provide the same predictions...... for the same samples using the transferred model. However, sometimes the success of a model transfer is evaluated by comparing the transferred model predictions with the reference values. This is not optimal, as uncertainties in the reference method will impact the evaluation. This paper proposes a new method...... for calibration model transfer evaluation. The new method is based on comparing predictions from different instruments, rather than comparing predictions and reference values. A total of 75 flour samples were available for the study. All samples were measured on ten near infrared (NIR) instruments from two...

THE TOTAL SOLAR IRRADIANCE CLIMATE DATA RECORD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dewitte, Steven; Nevens, Stijn [Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium, Ringlaan 3, B-1180 Brussels (Belgium)

2016-10-10

We present the composite measurements of total solar irradiance (TSI) as measured by an ensemble of space instruments. The measurements of the individual instruments are put on a common absolute scale, and their quality is assessed by intercomparison. The composite time series is the average of all available measurements. From 1984 April to the present the TSI shows a variation in phase with the 11 yr solar cycle and no significant changes of the quiet-Sun level in between the three covered solar minima.

Validity and reliability of the Mastication Observation and Evaluation (MOE) instrument.

Science.gov (United States)

Remijn, Lianne; Speyer, Renée; Groen, Brenda E; van Limbeek, Jacques; Nijhuis-van der Sanden, Maria W G

2014-07-01

The Mastication Observation and Evaluation (MOE) instrument was developed to allow objective assessment of a child's mastication process. It contains 14 items and was developed over three Delphi rounds. The present study concerns the further development of the MOE using the COSMIN (Consensus based Standard for the Selection of Measurement Instruments) and investigated the instrument's internal consistency, inter-observer reliability, construct validity and floor and ceiling effects. Consumption of three bites of bread and biscuit was evaluated using the MOE. Data of 59 healthy children (6-48 mths) and 38 children (bread) and 37 children (biscuit) with cerebral palsy (24-72 mths) were used. Four items were excluded before analysis due to zero variance. Principal Components Analysis showed one factor with 8 items. Internal consistency was >0.70 (Chronbach's alpha) for both food consistencies and for both groups of children. Inter-observer reliability varied from 0.51 to 0.98 (weighted Gwet's agreement coefficient). The total MOE scores for both groups showed normal distribution for the population. There were no floor or ceiling effects. The revised MOE now contains 8 items that (a) have a consistent concept for mastication and can be scored on a 4-point scale with sufficient reliability and (b) are sensitive to stages of chewing development in young children. The removed items are retained as part of a criterion referenced list within the MOE. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS) Project Status

Science.gov (United States)

Carlisle, Candace

2018-01-01

TSIS-1 studies the Sun's energy input to Earth and how solar variability affects climate. TSIS-1 will measure both the total amount of light that falls on Earth, known as the total solar irradiance (TSI), and how that light is distributed among ultraviolet, visible and infrared wavelengths, called solar spectral irradiance (SSI). TSIS-1 will provide the most accurate measurements of sunlight and continue the long-term climate data record. TSIS-1 includes two instruments: the Total Irradiance Monitor (TIM) and the Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SIM), integrated into a single payload on the International Space Station (ISS). The TSIS-1 TIM and SIM instruments are upgraded versions of the two instruments that are flying on the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) mission launched in January 2003. NASA Goddard's TSIS project responsibilities include project management, system engineering, safety and mission assurance, and engineering oversight for TSIS-1. TSIS-1 was installed on the International Space Station in December 2017. At the end of the 90-day commissioning phase, responsibility for TSIS-1 operations transitions to the Earth Science Mission Operations (ESMO) project at Goddard for its 5-year operations. NASA contracts with the University of Colorado Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) for the design, development and testing of TSIS-1, support for ISS integration, science operations of the TSIS-1 instrument, data processing, data evaluation, calibration and delivery to the Goddard Earth Science Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC).

A new type industrial total station based on target automatic collimation

Science.gov (United States)

Lao, Dabao; Zhou, Weihu; Ji, Rongyi; Dong, Dengfeng; Xiong, Zhi; Wei, Jiang

2018-01-01

In the case of industrial field measurement, the present measuring instruments work with manual operation and collimation, which give rise to low efficiency for field measurement. In order to solve the problem, a new type industrial total station is presented in this paper. The new instrument can identify and trace cooperative target automatically, in the mean time, coordinate of the target is measured in real time. For realizing the system, key technology including high precision absolutely distance measurement, small high accuracy angle measurement, target automatic collimation with vision, and quick precise controlling should be worked out. After customized system assemblage and adjustment, the new type industrial total station will be established. As the experiments demonstrated, the coordinate accuracy of the instrument is under 15ppm in the distance of 60m, which proved that the measuring system is feasible. The result showed that the total station can satisfy most industrial field measurement requirements.

Development of photoacoustic water vapor and total water measuring instrument with a long term objective of becoming part of the IAGOS project

Science.gov (United States)

Tatrai, David; Bors, Noemi; Gulyas, Gabor; Szabo, Gabor; Smit, Herman G. J.; Petzold, Andreas; Bozoki, Zoltan

2016-04-01

Airborne hygrometry is one of the key topics in atmospheric and climate research that is why airborne hygrometers are almost always included in aircraft based measurement campaigns (see e.g. MOZAIC and CARIBIC). However for its successful application an airborne hygrometer has to be able to measure humidity in a wide range (1 60000 ppmV) at various total pressures with high accuracy and short response time. In addition, an instrument capable of measuring water vapor and condensed water selectively has considerable added value as the water content of clouds seems to be a very uncertain parameter in climate models. At the University of Szeged, a dual channel, photoacoustic spectroscopy based hygrometer system had been developed, that measures water vapor concentration and total water content simultaneously from the ground level up to cruising altitude [1, 2]. An early version of this system is the core hygrometer of the CARIBIC project. In the past few years efforts were made to improve further the performance and long term reliability of the system [3] while also reducing its size and weight. Most important of the recent achievements is a new data acquisition and control system with more precise control performance [4]. Many of these results have been proved by various laboratory (AquaVIT2a-b) and in-flight (DANCHAR-IFCC, AIRTOSS I-II) measurement campaigns. Based on these results the system received invitation into the IAGOS ESFRI project to become one of its core instruments. The presented work was funded by EUFAR contract no. 227159, by the Hungarian Research and Technology Innovation Fund (OTKA), project no. NN109679 and by the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n° 312311. [1] Szakáll, M et.al: Infrared Physics & Technology. 2006. 48, (3) 192-201 [2] Szakáll, M. et.al: Infrared Physics & Technology, 2007. 51, (2) 113-121 [3] Tátrai, D. et.al: Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 33-42, 2015 [4] Tátrai, D. et

Digital readout alpha survey instrument

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacobs, M.E.

1976-01-01

A prototype solid-state digital readout alpha particle survey instrument has been designed and constructed. The meter incorporates a Ludlum alpha scintillator as a detector, digital logic circuits for control and timing, and a Digilin counting module with reflective liquid crystal display. The device is used to monitor alpha radiation from a surface. Sample counts are totalized over 10-second intervals and displayed digitally in counts per minute up to 19,999. Tests over source samples with counts to 15,600 cpm have shown the device to be rapid, versatile and accurate. The instrument can be fabricated in one man-week and requires about $835 in material costs. A complete set of drawings is included

National Incidence of Patient Safety Indicators in the Total Hip Arthroplasty Population.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanenbaum, Joseph E; Knapik, Derrick M; Wera, Glenn D; Fitzgerald, Steven J

2017-09-01

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services use the incidence of patient safety indicators (PSIs) to determine health care value and hospital reimbursement. The national incidence of PSI has not been quantified in the total hip arthroplasty (THA) population, and it is unknown if patient insurance status is associated with PSI incidence after THA. All patients in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) who underwent THA in 2013 were identified using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. The incidence of PSI was determined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, diagnosis code algorithms published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The association of insurance status and the incidence of PSI during the inpatient episode was determined by comparing privately insured and Medicare patients with Medicaid/self-pay patients using a logistic regression model that controlled for patient demographics, patient comorbidities, and hospital characteristics. In 2013, the NIS included 68,644 hospitalizations with primary THA performed during the inpatient episode. During this period, 429 surgically relevant PSI were recorded in the NIS. The estimated national incidence rate of PSI after primary THA was 0.63%. In our secondary analysis, the privately insured cohort had significantly lower odds of experiencing one or more PSIs relative to the Medicaid/self-pay cohort (odds ratio, 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.29-0.76). The national incidence of PSI among THA patients is relatively low. However, primary insurance status is associated with the incidence of one or more PSIs after THA. As value-based payment becomes more widely adopted in the United States, quality benchmarks and penalty thresholds need to account for these differences in risk-adjustment models to promote and maintain access to care in the underinsured population. Copyright �

Diagnosing Total Quality Management. Part I

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bossink, B.A.G.; Gieskes, J.F.B.; Pas, T.N.M.

1992-01-01

From extensive literature research a total quality management (TQM) model is developed. This model describes the basic elements of the concept of TQM. It also provides the way in which the basic elements can be made operational in practice. Based on this model a quality-diagnostical instrument is

Diagnosing Total Quality Management - part 2

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bossink, B.A.G.; Gieskes, J.F.B.; Pas, T.N.M.

1993-01-01

From extensive literature research a total quality management (TQM) model is developed. This model describes the basic elements of the concept of TQM. It also provides the way in which the basic elements can be made operational in practice. Based on this model a quality-diagnostical instrument is

Determination of total mercury and methylmercury in human head hair by radiochemical methods of analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasconcellos, M.B.A.; Saiki, M.; Paletti, G.; Baruzzi, R.G.; Rodrigues, D.A.; Cuten, J.

1995-01-01

Total mercury has been determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis in the hair of several Indian tribes living in the Xingu Park, located in the Amazonic region of Brazil. Methylmercury and total mercury have been determined in selected samples using cold vapour atomic absorption spectroscopy, at the Nuclear Chemistry Department, Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubliana, Slovenia. Mercury levels were found to be much higher in the Indian hair samples as compared to the samples from the control population. The arithmetic and geometric means for total mercury in the Indian hair samples ranged from 10 to 20 ppm, compared to values of about 1 ppm for the means of the control group. The results obtained for methylmercury have shown that the majority of the mercury is present in the hair of the Indians as the organic form. The Indian study populations living in the Xingu Park can thus be considered as being at risk with regards to contamination by mercury. With the aim of applying neutron activation analysis for the determination of methylmercury in hair, experiments were done at the IEA-R1 nuclear research reactor irradiating cysteine- and also thioacetamide- impregnated filter papers, on which a methylmercury solution was pipetted. The results obtained have shown that all the mercury was lost from the cysteine-impregnated paper and about 90 % of the mercury remained on the paper impregnated with thioacetamide. (author)

Time related total lactic acid bacteria population diversity and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

2011-02-07

Feb 7, 2011 ... the diversity and dynamics of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) population in fresh ..... combining morphological, biochemical and molecular data are important for ..... acid bacteria from fermented maize (Kenkey) and their interactions.

Farm Population of the United States: 1972. Current Population Reports: Farm Population.

Science.gov (United States)

Bureau of the Census (DOC), Suitland, MD. Population Div.

Based on data derived from the Current Population Survey of the Bureau of Census, this statistical report presents demographic and labor force characteristics of the U.S. farm population and comparisons of the farm and nonfarm populations. Tabular data are presented as follows: (1) U.S. Population, Total and Farm: April 1960 to 1972; (2) Persons…

Farm Population of the United States: 1971. Current Population Reports: Farm Population.

Science.gov (United States)

Bureau of the Census (DOC), Suitland, MD. Population Div.

Based on data derived from the Current Population Survey of the Bureau of the Census, this statistical report presents demographic and labor force characteristics of the U.S. farm population and comparisons of the farm and nonfarm populations. Tabular data are presented as follows: (1) U.S. Population, Total and Farm: April 1960 and 1971; (2)…

The 50/50 cc Total Artificial Heart Trial: Extending the Benefits of the Total Artificial Heart to Underserved Populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Wells, Dennis; Villa, Chet R; Simón Morales, David Luís

2017-01-01

While use of the total artificial heart (TAH) is growing, the use of the device is not uniform across the gender and age spectrum because the vast majority of implants are in adult males. SynCardia has recently developed a smaller 50 cc TAH that was designed to accommodate patients with a body surface area as low as 1.2 m 2 (potentially even lower using virtual implantation). Herein, we describe the early use of the 50 cc TAH (10 implants in the US and 18 outside the US). Twenty-eight devices have been implanted worldwide. Nineteen (68%) patients were female, 4 (14%) were 21 years of age or younger, and 2 (7%) had a diagnosis of congenital heart disease (1 Fontan). The smallest patient, by body surface area, was 1.35 m 2 . Six patients (21%) have been placed on the Freedom Driver, all of whom have survived. Fourteen patients (50%) have had a positive outcome to date. The development of the 50 cc TAH has expanded the population of patients who may benefit from TAH support and thus may help improve outcomes for patients who have had limited biventricular support options to date. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Geographical differences in the relationship between total dissolved ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

on the Department of Water Affairs water quality database. ... Keywords: conversion factors, electrical conductivity, field instruments, rivers, total dissolved solids, water quality ... of a number of TDS:EC ratios in samples where both measure-.

Comparing a disease-specific and a generic health-related quality of life instrument in subjects with asthma from the general population

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rochat Thierry

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Few epidemiologic studies have assessed health-related quality of life (HRQL of asthma patients from a general population and it is unclear which instrument is best suitable for this purpose. We investigated the validity of the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ and the SF-36 completed by individuals with asthma from the population-based SAPALDIA (Swiss study on air pollution and lung diseases in adults cohort. Methods The study included 258 participants with a physician-diagnosed asthma who had completed the AQLQ and SF-36. We assessed floor and ceiling effects, internal consistency reliability and cross-sectional validity with a priori hypotheses that correlations between the specific HRQL domains (e.g. "symptoms" or "physical functioning" and the corresponding external validation measures (respiratory symptoms, need for doctor visits, limitation in activities due to asthma and lung function would capture similar aspects and be correlated moderately (≥ 0.3 to strongly (≥ 0.5, whereas non-corresponding domains be correlated weakly with each other ( Results The AQLQ showed pronounced ceiling effects with all median domain scores above 6 (scores varied from 1–7. For the SF-36, ceiling effects were present in 5 out of 8 domains. Cronbach's alpha was >0.7 for all AQLQ and SF-36 domains. Correlations between the AQLQ domains "respiratory symptoms", "activity limitation" and "environmental exposure", and the validation measures ranged from 0.29–0.57. Correlations between the "emotional function" domain and the validation measures were also in this range (0.31–0.55 and not as low as we hypothesized. For the SF-36, correlations between "physical functioning" and "role physical", and the validation measures ranged from 0.25–0.56, whereas "role emotional" and "mental health" correlated with these measures from 0.01–0.23. Conclusion The AQLQ and the SF-36 showed fairly good internal consistency. Both instruments

Testing EDM of Total Stations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cirbus Ján

2001-03-01

Full Text Available The paper is devoted to testing electrooptical distance measuring devices (EDM built in total stations, than can be used for various tasks in the contemporary geodetic works. A rich market offer and availability of these universal measuring systems with satisfying distance range, excellent accuracy and other parameters, make total stations as dominant terrestrial geodetic instruments.For succesfully applying these instruments, above all for relliable distance measurements, the stability of the modulation frequency is the most important pre-condition. In the article, therefore, there are given some methods to verify the modulation frequency stability. In addition, some ways for determining the EDM distance constant and periodical corrections of the phase measuring unit are introduced for 4 types of EDM : LEICA 1700L, TOPCON GTS6A, TOPCON GTS2, C.ZEISS ELTA50. It were also investigated their possibilities for precise distance survey. Values of the determined constants and periodical corrections are presented in Tab. 2.Based on the investigation results of the 4 EDM types and using the values m obtained for different distances S, equations of the a posteriori standard deviations in form : m = (a+b.S were derived too.

Inspector-instrument interface in portable NDA instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halbig, J.K.; Klosterbuer, S.F.

1981-01-01

Recent electronics technology advances make it possible to design sophisticated instruments in small packages for convenient field implementation. An inspector-instrument interface design that allows communication of procedures, responses, and results between the instrument and user is presented. This capability has been incorporated into new spent-fuel instrumentation and a battery-powered multichannel analyzer

Inspector-instrument interface in portable NDA instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halbig, J.K.; Klosterbuer, S.F.

1981-01-01

Recent electronics technology advances make it possible to design sophisticated instruments in small packages for convenient field implementation. This report describes an inspector-instrument interface design which allows communication of procedures, responses, and results between the instrument and user. The interface has been incorporated into new spent-fuel instrumentation and a battery-powered multichannel analyzer

Models and error analyses of measuring instruments in accountability systems in safeguards control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dattatreya, E.S.

1977-05-01

Essentially three types of measuring instruments are used in plutonium accountability systems: (1) the bubblers, for measuring the total volume of liquid in the holding tanks, (2) coulometers, titration apparatus and calorimeters, for measuring the concentration of plutonium; and (3) spectrometers, for measuring isotopic composition. These three classes of instruments are modeled and analyzed. Finally, the uncertainty in the estimation of total plutonium in the holding tank is determined

Systematic review of measurement properties of self-reported instruments for evaluating self-care in adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Matarese, Maria; Lommi, Marzia; De Marinis, Maria Grazia

2017-06-01

The aims of this study were as follows: to identify instruments developed to assess self-care in healthy adults; to determine the theory on which they were based; their validity and reliability properties and to synthesize the evidence on their measurement properties. Many instruments have been developed to assess self-care in many different populations and conditions. Clinicians and researchers should select the most appropriate self-care instrument based on the knowledge of their measurement properties. Systematic review of measurement instruments according to the protocol recommended by the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) panel. PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Scopus and CINAHL databases were searched from inception to December 2015. Studies testing measurement properties of self-report instruments assessing self-care in healthy adults, published in the English language and in peer review journals were selected. Two reviewers independently appraised the methodological quality of the studies with the COSMIN checklist and the quality of results using specific quality criteria. Twenty-six articles were included in the review testing the measurement properties of nine instruments. Seven instruments were based on Orem's Self-care theory. Not all the measurement properties were evaluated for the identified instruments. No self-care instrument showed strong evidence supporting the evaluated measurement properties. Despite the development of several instruments to assess self-care in the adult population, no instrument can be fully recommended to clinical nurses and researchers. Further studies of high methodological quality are needed to confirm the measurement properties of these instruments. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Economic policy instruments for the control of air pollution in Poland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bates, R.W.

1993-01-01

The World Bank is analyzing the role of economic policy instruments for the control of air pollution in Poland, in cooperation with Polish and international experts. The first stage, covering Poland as a whole, was recently completed, jointly financed with the U.S. E.P.A. and the Government of the Netherlands. The second stage, now under way, will extend the analysis into a specific regional framework. Stage 2 is financed by the World Bank, the Polish Government, and the U.K. Environment Know-How Fund. Air Pollution in Poland is overwhelmingly caused by energy production and uses, due to the fact that the Polish economy depends heavily on coal and lignite. At present, vehicles contribute less to total emissions than do coal burning and industrial processes, although they account for 25-35% of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and lead; and the concentrated in areas of high population density. The paper shows how economic, technical and meteorological modelling can be used, to reach conclusions about cost-effective strategies for the control of emissions and the improvement of ambient air quality. A simulation approach is presented, to compare alternative policy instruments, in terms of their impact on emissions and control costs for Poland as a whole. The main instruments considered are open-quotes command-and-controlclose quotes regimes (C ampersand C) and economic incentives, namely fuel taxes, emissions taxes and emissions trading. Next, the paper describes how the analysis is being extended, to link emissions with ambient air quality, using air dispersion modelling, based on a case study for Krakow. Finally, some conclusions are drawn on the importance of sound economic policies for air quality management, the costs of alternative standards, C ampersand C approaches versus economic incentives, a practical strategy to develop an effective role for emissions taxes and trading, and the regional differentiation of policy instruments

Qualità totale e mobilità totale Total Quality and Total Mobility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giuseppe Trieste

2010-05-01

individual in its totality, with all its needs. For this reason it is necessary to focus on output of public and private transports which must be totally and globally accessible. Metropolitan and suburban transports need to have modern buses, and it has been calculated that it is possible to provide a total replacement of the fleet in a period from five to ten years. Total Quality must become the goal of every Local Government. FIABA suggests that a Total Quality Manager be always present in the institutional environment, as a guarantor of quality perceived by people living in their city for tourism, work, and leisure. It is essential to establish a favorable environment for all, to ensure the comfort of 100% of the population to give some definite and reliable answers.FIABA ONLUS (Italian Fund for Elimination of Architectural Barriers was founded in 2000 with the aim of promoting a culture of equal opportunities and, above all, it has as its main goal to involve public and private institutions to create a really accessible and usable environment for everyone. Total accessibility, Total usability and Total mobility are key indicators to define quality of life within cities. A supportive environment that is free of architectural, cultural and psychological barriers allows everyone to live with ease and universality. In fact, people who access to goods and services in the urban context can use to their advantage time and space, so they can do their activities and can maintain relationships that are deemed significant for their social life. The main aim of urban accessibility is to raise the comfort of space for citizens, eliminating all barriers that discriminate people, and prevent from an equality of opportunity. “FIABA FUND - City of ... for the removal of architectural barriers” is an idea of FIABA that has already affected many regions of Italy as Lazio, Lombardy, Campania, Abruzzi and Calabria. It is a National project which provides for opening a bank account in the

Predictors of Instrumental Music Teacher Job Satisfaction

Science.gov (United States)

Bryant, Robert Louis, III

2012-01-01

Previous research studies related to teacher quality have found that teacher attrition rates are at an all-time high. Although much research has been conducted in the area of job satisfaction within the general teaching population, few studies of job satisfaction exist for instrumental music teachers. The purpose of this correlational study was to…

Dietary acrylamide exposure of the French population: results of the second French Total Diet Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sirot, Véronique; Hommet, Frédéric; Tard, Alexandra; Leblanc, Jean-Charles

2012-03-01

Acrylamide is a heat-induced carcinogen compound that is found in some foods consequently to cooking or other thermal processes. In the second French Total Diet Study (TDS), acrylamide was analysed in 192 food samples collected in mainland France to be representative of the population diet and prepared "as consumed". Highest mean concentrations were found in potato chips/crisps (954 μg/kg), French fries and other fried potatoes (724 μg/kg), and salted biscuits other than potato chips (697 μg/kg). Exposure of general adult and child populations was assessed by combining analytical results with national consumption data. Mean acrylamide exposure was assessed to be 0.43±0.33 μg/kg of body weight (bw) per day for adults and 0.69±0.58 μg/kg bw/day for children. Although the exposure assessed is lower than in previous evaluations, the calculated margins of exposure, based on benchmark dose limits defined for carcinogenic effects, remain very low especially for young children (below 100 at the 95th percentile of exposure), indicating a health concern. It is therefore advisable to continue efforts in order to reduce dietary exposure to acrylamide. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Instruments to assess self-care among healthy children: A systematic review of measurement properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Urpí-Fernández, Ana-María; Zabaleta-Del-Olmo, Edurne; Montes-Hidalgo, Javier; Tomás-Sábado, Joaquín; Roldán-Merino, Juan-Francisco; Lluch-Canut, María-Teresa

2017-12-01

To identify, critically appraise and summarize the measurement properties of instruments to assess self-care in healthy children. Assessing self-care is a proper consideration for nursing practice and nursing research. No systematic review summarizes instruments of measurement validated in healthy children. Psychometric review in accordance with the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) panel. MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Open Grey were searched from their inception to December 2016. Validation studies with a healthy child population were included. Search was not restricted by language. Two reviewers independently assessed the methodological quality of included studies using the COSMIN checklist. Eleven studies were included in the review assessing the measurement properties of ten instruments. There was a maximum of two studies per instrument. None of the studies evaluated the properties of test-retest reliability, measurement error, criterion validity and responsiveness. Internal consistency and structural validity were rated as "excellent" or "good" in four studies. Four studies were rated as "excellent" in content validity. Cross-cultural validity was rated as "poor" in the two studies (three instruments) which cultural adaptation was carried out. The evidence available does not allow firm conclusions about the instruments identified in terms of reliability and validity. Future research should focus on generate evidence about a wider range of measurement properties of these instruments using a rigorous methodology, as well as instrument testing on different countries and child population. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Developing a new instrument to assess the impact of cancer in young adult survivors of childhood cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Zebrack, Brad

2009-09-01

Thirty years of psychosocial oncology research have detailed issues having significant impact in both pediatric and adult populations; yet, few studies have captured the subtle and unique ways in which cancer impacts, disrupts and in some instances promotes the growth and development of adolescents and young adults with a cancer history. This paper reports the initiation of an effort to assess the impact of cancer in this young survivor population through the development of a new Impact of Cancer (IOC) instrument. 64 young adults aged 18-39 years and treated for a pediatric malignancy participated in face-to-face interviews and responded to questions prompting them to describe the impact of cancer on their physical, psychological, social and spiritual/existential well-being. Intent of analysis was to organize data into meaningful sub-categories from which to develop a set of candidate survey items that assess a range of problems, issues and changes that long-term survivors ascribe to their cancer experience. A total of 82 candidate survey items represented content across 11 topical domains including Body, Health and Body image, Treatment and Health Care, Having Children, Identity, Talking and Thinking About Cancer, Meaning of Cancer, Memory and Thinking, Finances, Family and Relationships, Socializing, and Life Goals. Assessing the instrument's psychometric properties in a large representative group of young cancer survivors is the next step for further development of such a measure. Once established, a valid and reliable Impact of Cancer instrument has the potential for identifying salient survivorship issues in a clinical setting.

Determination of total mercury and methylmercury in the head hair of pregnant Vietnamese women

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen Tac Anh; Ho Manh Dung; Pham Hoang Ha; Nguyen Thuy Sy; Le Tat Mua

1995-01-01

Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA), including both the non-destructive (Instrumental NAA) and destructive (Radiochemical NAA) forms, is used as the principal technique to determine total mercury (T-Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in samples of human head hair. Head hair samples taken from pregnant women has been the focus for sample collection in this project. In addition, a special population group (Buddhist monks) and a normal population (control) group have also been selected for study. The defined population groups are residing in distinct regions which represent highland, coastal and industrial areas in Vietnam. Preliminary results from the determination of T-Hg and MeHg in hair samples from the defined groups indicate that the consumption of fish and seafood products is the main source of intake of MeHg; this agrees with the results from other investigators. The mean T-Hg in human hair samples from Ho Chi Minh City (an industrial region) was statistically higher than the corresponding mean values from samples taken in Dalat and Nha Trang cities, which suggest that industrial activities may be discharging an appreciable amount of mercury into the environment around Ho Chi Minh City. (author)

Instruments to assess stigmatization in dermatology.

Science.gov (United States)

Dimitrov, Dimitre; Szepietowski, Jacek C

2017-11-03

Stigmatization is the assignment of negative perceptions to an individual because of a perceived difference from the population at large. Skin conditions are frequently the reason of social rejection with a consequent negative influence on the personal and social life of patients. The aim of the current study was to review the available instruments that can be successfully utilized to measure the stigmatization level among dermatological patients. We performed our search on PubMed up to November 2016 and utilized combinations of key phrases containing such words as stigmatization, skin, dermatology, names of various skin conditions (psoriasis, vitiligo, acne, etc.), measurement. The search found a considerable number of articles - 548. After filtering them through a precise selection process, 58 articles remained. We concentrated only on the methodological aspects to assess stigmatization in various dermatoses. The review ascertained that there exist numerous instruments in the form of questionnaires. They were utilized in various researches in order to assess the stigmatization level in patients with skin problems. We divided them into two main groups: dermatology specific instruments (6 questionnaires) and dermatosis/disease specific ones (8 questionnaires). It is recommended to use dermatology-specific instruments to compare the stigmatization level in various skin conditions. They can be utilized as well as a first line tools to study the feeling of stigmatization in specific skin diseases; however, where it is possible, they should be supplemented with the disease-specific instrument for deeper analysis of both qualities of life and stigmatization.

The effect of intermittent passive ultrasonic irrigation and rotary instruments on microbial colonies of infected root canals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

AlMadi, Ebtissam M; Balto, Hanan A

2008-01-01

To study the effectiveness of reduction of E. faecalis in root canals with passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI) of 2.25% NaOCl for 1.5 min intermittently during hand instrumentation and continuously after rotary instrumentation. Forty-eight extracted single rooted teeth were filled with E. faecalis suspension and divided into 4 groups. They were either hand instrumented alone using the stepback technique, hand instrumented with PUI of the 2.25% NaOCl intermittently for a total of 1.5 min during the instrumentation, rotary instrumented with ProFile 0.04 alone, or rotary instrumented with PUI of the irrigant for 1.5 min. There was significantly more bacterial growth in the hand instrumented group than in the hand instrumented group with PUI, and marginal significant difference in the hand instrumented group with PUI compared to the rotary instrumented group. No differences were found between the rotary instrumented groups. It was concluded that intermittent use of PUI of 2.25% NaOCl for a total of 1.5 min (half of the current recommended time) during hand instrumentation reduced bacterial colonies significantly. There was no difference in bacterial reduction when rotary instrumentation was used with or without PUI. (author)

WaveOne Rotary Instruments after Clinical Use.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Ya; Coil, Jeffrey M; Mo, Anthony John; Wang, Zhejun; Hieawy, Ahmed; Yang, Yan; Haapasalo, Markus

2016-02-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence and mode of WaveOne (Dentsply Tulsa Dental Specialties, Tulsa, OK) instrument defects after single use at different endodontic clinics. A total of 438 WaveOne instruments were collected after clinical use from the 4 specialist clinics over a 12-month period and from 1 graduate program over a 20-month period. The incidence and type of instrument defects were analyzed. The lateral surfaces of part of the defective instruments and fracture surfaces of fractured files were examined using scanning electron microscopy. Unused and clinically used files were examined by a nanoindentation test. Of the 438 WaveOne instruments collected, 42 (9.6%) had defects: 40 (9.1%) were distorted and 2 (0.5%) files had fractured, 1 Small and 1 Primary file. Clear differences in the frequency of defects were found among the 3 file sizes; the occurrence of distortion and fracture were highest with the Small file (21.2% and 0.7%, respectively) followed by the Primary file (4.4% and 0.4%, respectively) (P Instruments from various clinics showed no significantly different occurrence of instrument deformation. Unwinding occurred at 1.2-3.1 mm from the tip. No significant difference in nanohardness was detected among unused and used instruments. The risk of WaveOne fracture is very low when files are singly used by endodontists and residents. Unwinding of the files occurred most frequently in the Small file. The frequency of defects of WaveOne instruments were not influenced by the operator. Copyright © 2016 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Psychometric properties of an instrument for assessing cyber-sex addiction].

Science.gov (United States)

Ballester Arnal, Rafael; Gil Llario, Ma Dolores; Gómez Martínez, Sandra; Gil Juliá, Beatriz

2010-11-01

Psychometric properties of an instrument for assessing cyber-sex addiction. Cyber-sex addiction is a «new pathology» whose prevalence has grown rapidly in recent years. Therefore, it is important to have validated assessment instruments. The aim of this study was the adaptation and validation of the Internet Sex Screening Test (ISST) for its use in a Spanish population. The instrument was administered to 1239 Spanish college students. The results yielded five components that account for 47.5% of the variance. Internal consistency was .88 and temporal stability was .84. Moreover, the instrument had adequate convergent and discriminant validity and was related to other behaviors such as the use of pornography, internet addiction, number of hours online and sexual frequency. Therefore, this tool is proposed as an appropriate measure to assess cyber-sex addiction.

Gamma ray NDA assay system for total plutonium and isotopics in plutonium product solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cowder, L.R.; Hsue, S.T.; Johnson, S.S.; Parker, J.L.; Russo, P.A.; Sprinkle, J.K.; Asakura, Y.; Fukuda, T.; Kondo, I.

1979-01-01

A LASL-designed gamma-ray NDA instrument for assay of total plutonium and isotopics of product solutions at Tokai-Mura is currently installed and operating. The instrument is, optimally, a densitometer that uses radioisotopic sources for total plutonium measurements at the K absorption edge. The measured transmissions of additional gamma-ray lines from the same radioisotopic sources are used to correct for self-attenuation of passive gamma rays from plutonium. The corrected passive data give the plutonium isotopic content of freshly separated to moderately aged solutions. This off-line instrument is fully automated under computer control, with the exception of sample positioning, and operates routinely in a mode designed for measurement control. A one-half percent precision in total plutonium concentration is achieved with a 15-minute measurement

Total quality accounting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrijašević Maja

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The focus of competitive "battle" shifted from the price towards non-price instruments, above all, towards quality that became the key variable for profitability increase and achievement of better comparative position of a company. Under such conditions, management of a company, which, according to the established and certified system of total quality, strives towards achieving of a better market position, faces the problem of quality cost measurement and determination. Management, above all, cost accounting can help in solving of this problem, but the question is how much of its potential is being used for that purpose.

Absorption coefficient instrument for turbid natural waters

Science.gov (United States)

Friedman, E.; Cherdak, A.; Poole, L.; Houghton, W.

1980-01-01

The paper presents an instrument that directly measures multispectral absorption coefficient of turbid natural water. Attention is given to the design, which is shown to incorporate methods for the compensation of variation in the internal light source intensity, correction of the spectrally dependent nature of the optical elements, and correction for variation in the background light level. In addition, when used in conjunction with a spectrally matched total attenuation instrument, the spectrally dependent scattering coefficient can also be derived. Finally, it is reported that systematic errors associated with multiple scattering have been estimated using Monte Carlo techniques.

Comparative analysis of three screening instruments for autism spectrum disorder in toddlers at high risk.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oosterling, I.J.; Swinkels, S.H.N.; Gaag, R.J. van der; Visser, J.C.; Dietz, C.; Buitelaar, J.K.

2009-01-01

Several instruments have been developed to screen for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in high-risk populations. However, few studies compare different instruments in one sample. Data were gathered from the Early Screening of Autistic Traits Questionnaire, Social Communication Questionnaire,

Instrument calls and real-time code for laboratory automation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taber, L.; Ames, H.S.; Yamauchi, R.K.; Barton, G.W. Jr.

1978-01-01

These programs are the result of a joint Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and Environmental Protection Agency project to automate water quality laboratories. They form the interface between the analytical instruments and the BASIC language programs for data reduction and analysis. They operate on Data General NOVA 840's at Cincinnati and Chicago and on a Data General ECLIPSE C330 at Livermore. The operating system consists of unmodified RDOS, Data General's disk operating system, and Data General's multiuser BASIC modified to provide the instrument CALLs and other functions described. Instruments automated at various laboratories include Technicon AutoAnalyzers, atomic absorption spectrophotometers, total organic carbon analyzers, an emission spectrometer, an electronic balance, sample changers, and an optical spectrophotometer. Other instruments may be automated using these same CALLs, or new CALLs may be written as described

Improvement in quality of lifesix months after primary total hip arthroplasty in a Pakistani population.

Science.gov (United States)

Zubairi, Akbar Jaleel; Bin Mahmood, Syed Usman; Ali, Moiz; Noordin, Shahryar

2016-10-01

This prospective, cohort study was carried out to assess the improvement in quality of life of patients undergoing elective primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). It was conducted at the orthopaedic department of the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from June 2014 to May 2015, and comprised patients who had undergone THA. A total of 89 patients having a mean age of 41.5±12.0 years with a baseline core outcomes measure index (COMI)-hip score of > 3.5 were included. A decrease in COMI-hip score by >3 points six months post-operatively was considered improvement in quality of life. Patient satisfaction with restriction to squatting was assessed separately. The mean reduction in COMI-hip was 4.9±1.3 with 83(93%) patients experiencing significant improvement in quality of life. Age >50 years and American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) level >III was significantly associated with no improvement in quality of life. Most patients were satisfied with their disability to squat irrespective of COMI-hip score. THA was found to be associated with significant improvement in quality of life and COMI-hip score was applicable in our population despite its inability to assess disability with restriction in squatting.

Instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prieur, G.; Nadi, M.; Hedjiedj, A.; Weber, S.

1995-01-01

This second chapter on instrumentation gives little general consideration on history and classification of instrumentation, and two specific states of the art. The first one concerns NMR (block diagram of instrumentation chain with details on the magnets, gradients, probes, reception unit). The first one concerns precision instrumentation (optical fiber gyro-meter and scanning electron microscope), and its data processing tools (programmability, VXI standard and its history). The chapter ends with future trends on smart sensors and Field Emission Displays. (D.L.). Refs., figs

Pictorial instrument of food and nutrition education for promoting healthy eating

OpenAIRE

MICALI,Flávia Gonçalves; DIEZ-GARCIA,Rosa Wanda

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT To trace the course of building a pictorial instrument that explores semiotic resources about food and nutrition education. The instrument is directed at the treatment and prevention of obesity, considering the food and nutrition problems of the Brazilian population. The criteria for photo production were: images that could cause visual impact and transmit applied nutrition information, insinuating positive and negative eating practices for promoting healthy eating, and preventing an...

Increased Science Instrumentation Funding Strengthens Mars Program

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, Lee D.; Graff, T. G.

2012-01-01

As the strategic knowledge gaps mature for the exploration of Mars, Mars sample return (MSR), and Phobos/Deimos missions, one approach that becomes more probable involves smaller science instrumentation and integrated science suites. Recent technological advances provide the foundation for a significant evolution of instrumentation; however, the funding support is currently too small to fully utilize these advances. We propose that an increase in funding for instrumentation development occur in the near-term so that these foundational technologies can be applied. These instruments would directly address the significant knowledge gaps for humans to Mars orbit, humans to the Martian surface, and humans to Phobos/ Deimos. They would also address the topics covered by the Decadal Survey and the Mars scientific goals, objectives, investigations and priorities as stated by the MEPAG. We argue that an increase of science instrumentation funding would be of great benefit to the Mars program as well as the potential for human exploration of the Mars system. If the total non-Earth-related planetary science instrumentation budget were increased 100% it would not add an appreciable amount to the overall NASA budget and would provide the real potential for future breakthroughs. If such an approach were implemented in the near-term, NASA would benefit greatly in terms of science knowledge of the Mars, Phobos/Deimos system, exploration risk mitigation, technology development, and public interest.

Academic Training Lectures | Instrumentation | 12-14 November

CERN Multimedia

2014-01-01

Instrumentation (1, 2 & 3) by Rhodri Jones (CERN)   Wednesday 12, Thursday 13 and Friday 14 November from 11:00 to 12:00 at CERN (40-S2-A01 - Salle Anderson) Description: The LHC is equipped with a full suite of sophisticated beam instrumentation which has been essential for rapid commissioning, the safe increase in total stored beam power and the understanding of machine optics and accelerator physics phenomena. These lectures will introduce these systems and comment on their contributions to the various stages of beam operation. They will include details on: the beam position system and its use for real-time global orbit feedback; the beam loss system and its role in machine protection; total and bunch by bunch intensity measurements; tune measurement and feedback; diagnostics for transverse beam size measurements, abort gap monitoring and longitudinal density measurements. Issues and problems encountered along the way will also be discussed together with the prospect for future upgrades. ...

Integrating Nephelometer Instrument Handbook

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uin, J. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

2016-03-01

The Integrating Nephelometer (Figure 1) is an instrument that measures aerosol light scattering. It measures aerosol optical scattering properties by detecting (with a wide angular integration – from 7 to 170°) the light scattered by the aerosol and subtracting the light scattered by the carrier gas, the instrument walls and the background noise in the detector (zeroing). Zeroing is typically performed for 5 minutes every day at midnight UTC. The scattered light is split into red (700 nm), green (550 nm), and blue (450 nm) wavelengths and captured by three photomultiplier tubes. The instrument can measure total scatter as well as backscatter only (from 90 to 170°) (Heintzenberg and Charlson 1996; Anderson et al. 1996; Anderson and Ogren 1998; TSI 3563 2015) At ARM (Atmospheric Radiation Measurement), two identical Nephelometers are usually run in series with a sample relative humidity (RH) conditioner between them. This is possible because Nephelometer sampling is non-destructive and the sample can be passed on to another instrument. The sample RH conditioner scans through multiple RH values in cycles, treating the sample. This kind of setup allows to study how aerosol particles’ light scattering properties are affected by humidification (Anderson et al. 1996). For historical reasons, the two Nephelometers in this setup are labeled “wet” and “dry”, with the “dry” Nephelometer usually being the one before the conditioner and sampling ambient air (the names are switched for the MAOS measurement site due to the high RH of the ambient air).

Instrument choice when regulators are concerned about resource extinction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Lars Gårn; Jensen, Frank; Russell, Clifford

In this paper we undertake a systematic investigation of instrument choice when preventing a population collapse rather than maximizing industry profit is the overriding concern. Contrary to what seems to be the general consensus we find that landing fees do provide more effective insurance against...... extinction than quotas under more or less the same conditions as those implying that landing fees are better at maximising industry profit. Thus, the efficiency of the regulatory instrument mainly depends on the basic information asymmetries characterizing the fishery, and is not sensitive to whether...

Scale Reliability Evaluation with Heterogeneous Populations

Science.gov (United States)

Raykov, Tenko; Marcoulides, George A.

2015-01-01

A latent variable modeling approach for scale reliability evaluation in heterogeneous populations is discussed. The method can be used for point and interval estimation of reliability of multicomponent measuring instruments in populations representing mixtures of an unknown number of latent classes or subpopulations. The procedure is helpful also…

Instrumentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Decreton, M

2001-04-01

SCK-CEN's research and development programme on instrumentation involves the assessment and the development of sensitive measurement systems used within a radiation environment. Particular emphasis is on the assessment of optical fibre components and their adaptability to radiation environments. The evaluation of ageing processes of instrumentation in fission plants, the development of specific data evaluation strategies to compensate for ageing induced degradation of sensors and cable performance form part of these activities. In 2000, particular emphasis was on in-core reactor instrumentation applied to fusion, accelerator driven and water-cooled fission reactors. This involved the development of high performance instrumentation for irradiation experiments in the BR2 reactor in support of new instrumentation needs for MYRRHA, and for diagnostic systems for the ITER reactor.

Instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Decreton, M.

2001-01-01

SCK-CEN's research and development programme on instrumentation involves the assessment and the development of sensitive measurement systems used within a radiation environment. Particular emphasis is on the assessment of optical fibre components and their adaptability to radiation environments. The evaluation of ageing processes of instrumentation in fission plants, the development of specific data evaluation strategies to compensate for ageing induced degradation of sensors and cable performance form part of these activities. In 2000, particular emphasis was on in-core reactor instrumentation applied to fusion, accelerator driven and water-cooled fission reactors. This involved the development of high performance instrumentation for irradiation experiments in the BR2 reactor in support of new instrumentation needs for MYRRHA, and for diagnostic systems for the ITER reactor

Development of an instrument designed to measure employees' perceptions of workplace breastfeeding support.

Science.gov (United States)

Greene, Sally W; Olson, Beth H

2008-09-01

Breastfeeding rates remain low in the United States, especially among working women. Unfortunately, no quantitative instrument exists to facilitate the examination of why women who return to work discontinue breastfeeding sooner than the general population. The objective of this study was to develop an instrument to measure female employees' perceptions of breastfeeding support in the workplace, which would be suitable for piloting with the target population. Examination of the literature, reviews with experts, and one-on-one interviews with women who had experience combining breastfeeding and work were used to create the instrument subscales and items. Examination of the literature was used to develop four subscales: company policies/work culture, manager support, co-worker support, and workflow. Expert review resulted in the addition of a fifth subscale, the physical environment of the breastfeeding space. One-on-one interviews were used to ensure that the item wording was appropriate for the target population. Eighteen items were added, and 15 were reworded based on comments from the expert review and from the interviews. The resulting survey contained 54 items that required either categorical yes/no or Likert scale responses. Results from this process indicate the survey subscales and items adequately reflect women's perceptions of breastfeeding support in the workplace and the instrument is appropriate for piloting with new mother employees.

Development and Validation of a Quality-of-Life Instrument for Infantile Hemangiomas.

Science.gov (United States)

Chamlin, Sarah L; Mancini, Anthony J; Lai, Jin-Shei; Beaumont, Jennifer L; Cella, David; Adams, Denise; Drolet, Beth; Baselga, Eulalia; Frieden, Ilona J; Garzon, Maria; Holland, Kristin; Horii, Kimberly A; Lucky, Anne W; McCuaig, Catherine; Metry, Denise; Morel, Kimberly D; Newell, Brandon D; Nopper, Amy J; Powell, Julie; Siegel, Dawn; Haggstrom, Anita N

2015-06-01

Infantile hemangiomas (IH) are common tumors for which there is no validated disease-specific instrument to measure the quality of life in infants and their parents/caregivers during the critical first months of life. This study prospectively developed and validated a quality-of-life instrument for patients with IH and their parents/caregivers and correlated demographic and clinical features to the effects on the quality of life. A total of 220 parents/caregivers completed the 35-item Infantile Hemangioma Quality-of-Life (IH-QoL) instrument and provided demographic information. The dimensionality of the items was evaluated using factor analysis, with results suggesting four factors: child physical symptoms, child social interactions, parent emotional functioning, and parent psychosocial functioning. Each factor fit the Rasch measurement model with acceptable fit index (mean square instrument consists of four scales with a total of 29 items. Content validity was verified by analyzing parents' responses to an open-ended question. Test-retest reliability at a 48-hour interval was supported by a total IH-QoL intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.84. Certain clinical characteristics of hemangioma, including those located on the head and neck, in the proliferative stage, and requiring treatment, are associated with a greater impact on QoL.

Tropical intercontinental optical measurement network of aerosol, precipitable water and total column ozone

Science.gov (United States)

Holben, B. N.; Tanre, D.; Reagan, J. A.; Eck, T. F.; Setzer, A.; Kaufman, Y. A.; Vermote, E.; Vassiliou, G. D.; Lavenu, F.

1992-01-01

A new generation of automatic sunphotometers is used to systematically monitor clear sky total column aerosol concentration and optical properties, precipitable water and total column ozone diurnally and annually in West Africa and South America. The instruments are designed to measure direct beam sun, solar aureole and sky radiances in nine narrow spectral bands from the UV to the near infrared on an hourly basis. The instrumentation and the algorithms required to reduce the data for subsequent analysis are described.

Adolescent Populations Research Needs - NCS Dietary Assessment Literature Review

Science.gov (United States)

As with school age children, it is difficult to make conclusions about the validity of available dietary assessment instruments for adolescents because of the differences in instruments, research designs, reference methods, and populations in the validation literature.

Development of a computer-adaptive physical function instrument for Social Security Administration disability determination.

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Pengsheng; McDonough, Christine M; Jette, Alan M; Bogusz, Kara; Marfeo, Elizabeth E; Rasch, Elizabeth K; Brandt, Diane E; Meterko, Mark; Haley, Stephen M; Chan, Leighton

2013-09-01

To develop and test an instrument to assess physical function for Social Security Administration (SSA) disability programs, the SSA-Physical Function (SSA-PF) instrument. Item response theory (IRT) analyses were used to (1) create a calibrated item bank for each of the factors identified in prior factor analyses, (2) assess the fit of the items within each scale, (3) develop separate computer-adaptive testing (CAT) instruments for each scale, and (4) conduct initial psychometric testing. Cross-sectional data collection; IRT analyses; CAT simulation. Telephone and Internet survey. Two samples: SSA claimants (n=1017) and adults from the U.S. general population (n=999). None. Model fit statistics, correlation, and reliability coefficients. IRT analyses resulted in 5 unidimensional SSA-PF scales: Changing & Maintaining Body Position, Whole Body Mobility, Upper Body Function, Upper Extremity Fine Motor, and Wheelchair Mobility for a total of 102 items. High CAT accuracy was demonstrated by strong correlations between simulated CAT scores and those from the full item banks. On comparing the simulated CATs with the full item banks, very little loss of reliability or precision was noted, except at the lower and upper ranges of each scale. No difference in response patterns by age or sex was noted. The distributions of claimant scores were shifted to the lower end of each scale compared with those of a sample of U.S. adults. The SSA-PF instrument contributes important new methodology for measuring the physical function of adults applying to the SSA disability programs. Initial evaluation revealed that the SSA-PF instrument achieved considerable breadth of coverage in each content domain and demonstrated noteworthy psychometric properties. Copyright © 2013 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

School Age Populations Research Needs - NCS Dietary Assessment Literature Review

Science.gov (United States)

Drawing conclusions about the validity of available dietary assessment instruments in school age children is hampered by the differences in instruments, research design, reference methods, and populations in the validation literature.

Total phenolic content, radical scavenging properties, and essential oil composition of Origanum species from different populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Dambolena, José S; Zunino, María P; Lucini, Enrique I; Olmedo, Rubén; Banchio, Erika; Bima, Paula J; Zygadlo, Julio A

2010-01-27

The aim of this work was to compare the antiradical activity, total phenol content (TPC), and essential oil composition of Origanum vulgare spp. virens, Origanum x applii, Origanum x majoricum, and O. vulgare spp. vulgare cultivated in Argentina in different localities. The experiment was conducted in the research station of La Consulta (INTA-Mendoza), the research station of Santa Lucia (INTA-San Juan), and Agronomy Faculty of National University of La Pampa, from 2007 to 2008. The composition of the essential oils of oregano populations was independent of cultivation conditions. In total, 39 compounds were identified in essential oils of oregano from Argentina by means of GC-MS. Thymol and trans-sabinene hydrate were the most prominent compounds, followed by gamma-terpinene, terpinen-4-ol, and alpha-terpinene. O. vulgare vulgare is the only Origanum studied which is rich in gamma-terpinene. Among tested oregano, O. x majoricum showed the highest essential oil content, 3.9 mg g(-1) dry matter. The plant extract of O. x majoricum had greater total phenol content values, 19.36 mg/g dry weight, than the rest of oregano studied. To find relationships among TPC, free radical scavenging activity (FRSA), and climate variables, canonical correlations were calculated. The results obtained allow us to conclude that 70% of the TPC and FRSA variability can be explained by the climate variables (R(2) = 0.70; p = 8.3 x 10(-6)), the temperature being the most important climatic variable.

Pulsed neutron source and instruments at neutron facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Teshigawara, Makoto; Aizawa, Kazuya; Suzuki, Jun-ichi; Morii, Yukio; Watanabe, Noboru [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

1997-11-01

We report the results of design studies on the optimal target shape, target - moderator coupling, optimal layout of moderators, and neutron instruments for a next generation pulsed spallation source in JAERI. The source utilizes a projected high-intensity proton accelerator (linac: 1.5 GeV, {approx}8 MW in total beam power, compressor ring: {approx}5 MW). We discuss the target neutronics, moderators and their layout. The sources is designed to have at least 30 beam lines equipped with more than 40 instruments, which are selected tentatively to the present knowledge. (author)

Build of virtual instrument laboratory related to nuclear species specialized

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shan Jian; Zhao Guizhi; Zhao Xiuliang; Tang Lingzhi

2009-01-01

As rapid development of specialized related to nuclear science,the requirement of laboratory construct is analyzed in this article at first, One total conceive, One scheme deploy soft and hardware,three concrete characteristics targets and five different phases of put in practice of virtual instrument laboratory of specialized related to nuclear science are suggest in the paper,the concrete hardware structure and the headway of build of virtual instrument laboratory are described,and the first step effect is introduced.Lastly,the forward target and the further deliberateness that the virtual instrument laboratory construct are set forth in the thesis. (authors)

A multicenter study analyzing the relationship of a standardized radiographic scoring system of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and the Scoliosis Research Society outcomes instrument.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Philip L; Newton, Peter O; Wenger, Dennis R; Haher, Thomas; Merola, Andrew; Lenke, Larry; Lowe, Thomas; Clements, David; Betz, Randy

2002-09-15

outcomes instrument. Stepwise regression analysis of these radiographic measures as predictors of Scoliosis Research Society scores resulted in adjusted R2 values of 0.03-0.07 (P Society outcomes scores, the low R2 values indicate that variables other than the radiographic appearance of the deformity (e.g., psychosocial, functional) must also be affecting these scores. The Cobb angle measure of the major deformity has a small, but statistically significant, correlation with the reported Total Pain, General Self-Image, and General Function as measured by the Scoliosis Research Society outcomes instrument. None of the radiographic measures in this population correlated with postoperative domain scores of the Scoliosis Research Society outcomes tool.

TOTAL PERFORMANCE SCORECARD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anca ȘERBAN

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to present the evolution of the Balanced Scorecard from a measurement instrument to a strategic performance management tool and to highlight the advantages of implementing the Total Performance Scorecard, especially for Human Resource Management. The study has been accomplished using the methodology of bibliographic study and various secondary sources. Implementing the classical Balanced Scorecard indicated over the years, repeatedly failure. It can be indicated that the crucial level is determined by the learning and growth perspective. It has been developed from a human perspective, which focused on staff satisfaction, innovation perspective with focus on future developments. Integrating the Total Performance Scorecard in an overall framework assures the company’s success, by keeping track of the individual goals, the company’s objectives and strategic directions. Like this, individual identity can be linked to corporate brand, individual aspirations to business goals and individual learning objectives to needed organizational capabilities.

Validation of an instrument to measure tutor performance in promoting self-directed learning by using confirmatory factor analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Genoveva Amador Fierros

Full Text Available Objective.This work sought to validate and propose an instrument to measure the performance of tutors in promoting self-directed learning in students involved in processes of problem-based learning. Methods. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA was applied to validate the instrument composed of 60 items and six factors (self-assessment of learning gaps within the United Nations specific context: self-assessment, reflexion, critical thinking, administration of information, group skills, using a sample of 207 students from a total of 279, which comprise the student population of the Faculty of Nursing at Universidad de Colima in Mexico. (2007. Results. The CFA results demonstrated that the instrument is acceptable to measure performance of tutors in promoting self-directed learning, given that all the indicators, variances, covariances, and thresholds are statistically significant. Conclusion. The instrument permits obtaining students' opinions on how much professors contribute for them to develop each of the 60 skills described in the scale. Lastly, the results could report if professors are placing more emphasis in some areas than in other areas they should address during the problem-based learning (PBL process, or if definitely their actions are removed from the premises of PBL, information that will be useful for school management in decision making on the direction of teaching as a whole.

Ex vivo study on root canal instrumentation of two rotary nickel-titanium systems in comparison to stainless steel hand instruments.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaudt, J; Bitter, K; Neumann, K; Kielbassa, A M

2009-01-01

To investigate instrumentation time, working safety and the shaping ability of two rotary nickel-titanium (NiTi) systems (Alpha System and ProTaper Universal) in comparison to stainless steel hand instruments. A total of 45 mesial root canals of extracted human mandibular molars were selected. On the basis of the degree of curvature the matched teeth were allocated randomly into three groups of 15 teeth each. In group 1 root canals were prepared to size 30 using a standardized manual preparation technique; in group 2 and 3 rotary NiTi instruments were used following the manufacturers' instructions. Instrumentation time and procedural errors were recorded. With the aid of pre- and postoperative radiographs, apical straightening of the canal curvature was determined. Photographs of the coronal, middle and apical cross-sections of the pre- and postoperative canals were taken, and superimposed using a standard software. Based on these composite images the portion of uninstrumented canal walls was evaluated. Active instrumentation time of the Alpha System was significantly reduced compared with ProTaper Universal and hand instrumentation (P < 0.05; anova). No instrument fractures occurred in any of the groups. The Alpha System revealed significantly less apical straightening compared with the other instruments (P < 0.05; Mann-Whitney U test). In the apical cross-sections Alpha System resulted in significantly less uninstrumented canal walls compared with stainless steel files (P < 0.05; chi-squared test). Despite the demonstrated differences between the systems, an apical straightening effect could not be prevented; areas of uninstrumented root canal wall were left in all regions using the various systems.

IMU-based Real-time Pose Measurement system for Anterior Pelvic Plane in Total Hip Replacement Surgeries.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhe Cao; Shaojie Su; Hao Tang; Yixin Zhou; Zhihua Wang; Hong Chen

2017-07-01

With the aging of population, the number of Total Hip Replacement Surgeries (THR) increased year by year. In THR, inaccurate position of the implanted prosthesis may lead to the failure of the operation. In order to reduce the failure rate and acquire the real-time pose of Anterior Pelvic Plane (APP), we propose a measurement system in this paper. The measurement system includes two parts: Initial Pose Measurement Instrument (IPMI) and Real-time Pose Measurement Instrument (RPMI). IPMI is used to acquire the initial pose of the APP, and RPMI is used to estimate the real-time pose of the APP. Both are composed of an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and magnetometer sensors. To estimate the attitude of the measurement system, the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) is adopted in this paper. The real-time pose of the APP could be acquired together with the algorithm designed in the paper. The experiment results show that the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) is within 1.6 degrees, which meets the requirement of THR operations.

Comparison of the Multiattribute Utility Instruments EQ-5D and SF-6D in a Europe-Wide Population-Based Cohort of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease 10 Years after Diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Huppertz-Hauss, Gert; Aas, Eline; Lie Høivik, Marte; Langholz, Ebbe; Odes, Selwyn; Småstuen, Milada; Stockbrugger, Reinhold; Hoff, Geir; Moum, Bjørn; Bernklev, Tomm

2016-01-01

Background. The treatment of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is costly, and limited resources call for analyses of the cost effectiveness of therapeutic interventions. The present study evaluated the equivalency of the Short Form 6D (SF-6D) and the Euro QoL (EQ-5D), two preference-based HRQoL instruments that are broadly used in cost-effectiveness analyses, in an unselected IBD patient population. Methods. IBD patients from seven European countries were invited to a follow-up visit ten years after their initial diagnosis. Clinical and demographic data were assessed, and the Short Form 36 (SF-36) was employed. Utility scores were obtained by calculating the SF-6D index values from the SF-36 data for comparison with the scores obtained with the EQ-5D questionnaire. Results. The SF-6D and EQ-5D provided good sensitivities for detecting disease activity-dependent utility differences. However, the single-measure intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.58, and the Bland-Altman plot indicated numerous values beyond the limits of agreement. Conclusions. There was poor agreement between the measures retrieved from the EQ-5D and the SF-6D utility instruments. Although both instruments may provide good sensitivity for the detection of disease activity-dependent utility differences, the instruments cannot be used interchangeably. Cost-utility analyses performed with only one utility instrument must be interpreted with caution.

Systematic review: Do patient expectations influence treatment outcomes in total knee and total hip arthroplasty?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haanstra Tsjitske M

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Objective This systematic review aims to summarise all the available evidence related to the association between pre-operative patient expectations (outcome expectations, process expectations and self efficacy expectations and 5 different treatment outcomes (overall improvement, pain, function, stiffness and satisfaction in patients with total knee or total hip arthroplasty at three different follow-op periods (>6 weeks; >6 weeks- ≤6 months; >6 months. Methods English and Dutch language articles were identified through PubMed, EMBASE.com, PsycINFO, CINAHL and The Cochrane Library from inception to September 2012. Articles assessing the association between pre-operative patient expectations and treatment outcomes for TKA/THA in either adjusted or unadjusted analysis were included. Two reviewers, working independently, determined eligibility, rated methodological quality and extracted data on study design, population, expectation measurements, outcome measurements and strength of the associations. Methodological quality was rated by the same reviewers on a 19 item scale. The scores on the quality assessment were taken into account when drawing final conclusions. Results The search strategy generated 2252 unique references, 18 articles met inclusion criteria. Scores on the methodological quality assessment ranged between 6% and 79%. Great variety was seen in definitions and measurement methods of expectations. No significant associations were found between patient expectations and overall improvement, satisfaction and stiffness. Both significant positive and non-significant associations were found for the association between expectations and pain and function. Conclusions There was no consistency in the association between patients’ pre-operative expectations and treatment outcomes for TKA and THA indentified in this systematic review. There exists a need for a sound theoretical framework underlying the construct of �

The Mystery and Beauty of Total Solar Eclipses

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

ARTICLE. The Mystery and Beauty of Total Solar Eclipses. T Chandrasekhar is with the Astronomy and ..... Specialized instruments called coronagraphs, lo- cated at mountaintop ... Scientific studies of the solar eclipses began with the eclipse of. 1842 which ... a method simultaneously evolved by English spectroscopist.

Instrumentation and measurement method for the ATLAS test facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yun, Byong Jo; Chu, In Chul; Eu, Dong Jin; Kang, Kyong Ho; Kim, Yeon Sik; Song, Chul Hwa; Baek, Won Pil

2007-03-15

An integral effect test loop for pressurized water reactors (PWRs), the ATLAS is constructed by thermal-hydraulic safety research division in KAERI. The ATLAS facility has been designed to have the length scale of 1/2 and area scale of 1/144 compared with the reference plant, APR1400 which is a Korean evolution type nuclear reactors. A total 1300 instrumentations is equipped in the ATLAS test facility. In this report, the instrumentation of ATLAS test facility and related measurement methods were introduced.

OGJ300 population shrinks, but assets total grows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beck, R.J.; Bell, L.

1995-01-01

Publicly traded oil and gas companies in the US are declining in population but growing in financial terms. The Oil and Gas Journal 300, the annual list of publicly traded companies with oil production in the US, includes only 281 companies this year. As of the data compilation deadline, only that number of companies had filed annual financial results with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The OGJ300 ranks companies by assets without regard to whether the companies use the successful efforts or full cost accounting method. Normally, assets for a given set of properties are higher under full cost than under successful efforts accounting

Measurements of the Ice Water Content of Cirrus in the Tropics and Subtropics. I; Instrument Details and Validation

Science.gov (United States)

Weinstock, E. M.; Smith, J. B.; Sayres, D.; Pittman, J. V.; Allen, N.; Demusz, J.; Greenberg, M.; Rivero, M.; Anderson, J. G.

2003-01-01

We describe an instrument mounted in a pallet on the NASA WB-57 aircraft that is designed to measure the sum of gas phase and solid phase water, or total water, in cirrus clouds. Using an isokinetic inlet, a 600-watt heater mounted directly in the flow, and Lyman-alpha photofragment fluorescence technique for detection, accurate measurements of total water have been made over almost three orders of magnitude. Isokinetic flow is achieved with an actively controlled roots pump by referencing aircraft pressure, temperature, and true air speed, together with instrument flow velocity, temperature, and pressure. During CRYSTAL FACE, the instrument operated at duct temperatures sufficiently warm to completely evaporate particles up to 150 microns diameter. In flight diagnostics, intercomparison with water measured by absorption in flight, as well as intercomparisons in clear air with water vapor measured by the Harvard water vapor instrument and the JPL infrared tunable diode laser hygrometer validate the detection sensitivity of the instrument and illustrate minimal hysteresis from instrument surfaces. The simultaneous measurement of total water and water vapor in cirrus clouds yields their ice water content.

A comparison of two reciprocating instruments using bending stress and cyclic fatigue tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Scelza, Pantaleo; Harry, Davidowicz; Silva, Licinio Esmeraldo da; Barbosa, Igor Bastos; Scelza, Miriam Zaccaro

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate the bending resistance at 45º, the static and dynamic cyclic fatigue life, and the fracture type of the WaveOne (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland) 25-08 and Reciproc (VDW, Munich, Germany) 25-08 instruments. A total of 60 nickel-titanium (NiTi) instruments (30 Reciproc and 30 WaveOne) from three different lots, each of which was 25 mm in length, were tested. The bending resistance was evaluated through the results of a cantilever-bending test conducted using a universal testing machine. Static and dynamic cyclic fatigue testing was conducted using a custom-made device. For the static and dynamic tests, a cast Ni-Cr-Mo-Ti alloy metal block with an artificial canal measuring 1.77 mm in diameter and 20.00 mm in total length was used. A scanning electron microscope was used to determine the type of fracture. Statistical analyses were performed on the results. The WaveOne instrument was less flexible than the Reciproc (p fatigue tests (p ductile-type fracture characteristics. It can be concluded that the Reciproc 25-08 instrument was more resistant to static and dynamic cyclic fatigue than the WaveOne 25-08 instrument, while the WaveOne 25-08 instrument was less flexible. Bending and resistance to cyclic fracture were influenced by the instruments' geometries and transverse cross-sections. Both of the instruments showed ductile-type fracture characteristics.

Total phenolic content, consumer acceptance, and instrumental analysis of bread made with grape seed flour.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoye, Clifford; Ross, Carolyn F

2011-09-01

Grape seed flour (GSF) from grape pomace, a waste product generated during winemaking, was explored for use in bread production due to its potential health benefits. This study evaluated the consumer acceptance and physical properties of bread, including total phenolic content (TPC), made with varying levels of GSF. Dough and breads were prepared using different levels of replacement of hard red spring wheat flour (HRS) with GSF (0 to 10 g GSF/100 g HRS) and stored for 0, 2, or 6 wk at -20 °C. Replacement of 10 g GSF/100 g HRS increased the bread TPC from 0.064 mg tannic acid/g dry weight to 4.25 mg tannic acid/g dry weight. Consumer acceptance and instrumental analyses were used to investigate changes in sensory and texture properties due to GSF replacement. Replacement above 5 g GSF/100 g HRS decreased the loaf brightness and volume, with an increase in the bread hardness and porosity. Generally, breads containing ≥ 7.5 g GSF/100 g HRS were characterized by lower consumer acceptance. A reduction in overall and bitterness acceptance was observed in bread at 10 g GSF/100 g HRS, with decreased acceptance of astringency and sweetness at 7.5 and 10 g GSF/100 g HRS. Based on these results, the replacement of 5 g GSF/100 g HRS is recommended for the production of fortified breads with acceptable physical and sensory properties and high TPC activity compared to refined bread. This study shows that grape seed flour (GSF) can be used to replace hard red spring wheat flour (HRS) in bread production, with moderate impact on the physical and sensory properties of the bread. Replacement of up to 10 g GSF/100 g HRS significantly decreased overall consumer acceptance of the bread, with lower consumer acceptance of sweetness and astringency at 7.5 and 10 g GSF/100 g HRS. Thus, a replacement value of 5 g GSF/100 g HRS is recommended for the production of fortified breads. © 2011 Institute of Food Technologists®

Radioisotope instruments

CERN Document Server

Cameron, J F; Silverleaf, D J

1971-01-01

International Series of Monographs in Nuclear Energy, Volume 107: Radioisotope Instruments, Part 1 focuses on the design and applications of instruments based on the radiation released by radioactive substances. The book first offers information on the physical basis of radioisotope instruments; technical and economic advantages of radioisotope instruments; and radiation hazard. The manuscript then discusses commercial radioisotope instruments, including radiation sources and detectors, computing and control units, and measuring heads. The text describes the applications of radioisotop

Mobile Instruments Measure Atmospheric Pollutants

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

As a part of NASA's active research of the Earth s atmosphere, which has included missions such as the Atmospheric Laboratory of Applications and Science (ATLAS, launched in 1992) and the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS, launched on the Earth Probe satellite in 1996), the Agency also performs ground-based air pollution research. The ability to measure trace amounts of airborne pollutants precisely and quickly is important for determining natural patterns and human effects on global warming and air pollution, but until recent advances in field-grade spectroscopic instrumentation, this rapid, accurate data collection was limited and extremely difficult. In order to understand causes of climate change and airborne pollution, NASA has supported the development of compact, low power, rapid response instruments operating in the mid-infrared "molecular fingerprint" portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. These instruments, which measure atmospheric trace gases and airborne particles, can be deployed in mobile laboratories - customized ground vehicles, typically - to map distributions of pollutants in real time. The instruments must be rugged enough to operate rapidly and accurately, despite frequent jostling that can misalign, damage, or disconnect sensitive components. By measuring quickly while moving through an environment, a mobile laboratory can correlate data and geographic points, revealing patterns in the environment s pollutants. Rapid pollutant measurements also enable direct determination of pollutant sources and sinks (mechanisms that remove greenhouse gases and pollutants), providing information critical to understanding and managing atmospheric greenhouse gas and air pollutant concentrations.

Development and Validation of a Novel Generic Health-related Quality of Life Instrument With 20 Items (HINT-20

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Min-Woo Jo

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives Few attempts have been made to develop a generic health-related quality of life (HRQoL instrument and to examine its validity and reliability in Korea. We aimed to do this in our present study. Methods After a literature review of existing generic HRQoL instruments, a focus group discussion, in-depth interviews, and expert consultations, we selected 30 tentative items for a new HRQoL measure. These items were evaluated by assessing their ceiling effects, difficulty, and redundancy in the first survey. To validate the HRQoL instrument that was developed, known-groups validity and convergent/discriminant validity were evaluated and its test-retest reliability was examined in the second survey. Results Of the 30 items originally assessed for the HRQoL instrument, four were excluded due to high ceiling effects and six were removed due to redundancy. We ultimately developed a HRQoL instrument with a reduced number of 20 items, known as the Health-related Quality of Life Instrument with 20 items (HINT-20, incorporating physical, mental, social, and positive health dimensions. The results of the HINT-20 for known-groups validity were poorer in women, the elderly, and those with a low income. For convergent/discriminant validity, the correlation coefficients of items (except vitality in the physical health dimension with the physical component summary of the Short Form 36 version 2 (SF-36v2 were generally higher than the correlations of those items with the mental component summary of the SF-36v2, and vice versa. Regarding test-retest reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficient of the total HINT-20 score was 0.813 (p<0.001. Conclusions A novel generic HRQoL instrument, the HINT-20, was developed for the Korean general population and showed acceptable validity and reliability.

Instrument Remote Control via the Astronomical Instrument Markup Language

Science.gov (United States)

Sall, Ken; Ames, Troy; Warsaw, Craig; Koons, Lisa; Shafer, Richard

1998-01-01

The Instrument Remote Control (IRC) project ongoing at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center's (GSFC) Information Systems Center (ISC) supports NASA's mission by defining an adaptive intranet-based framework that provides robust interactive and distributed control and monitoring of remote instruments. An astronomical IRC architecture that combines the platform-independent processing capabilities of Java with the power of Extensible Markup Language (XML) to express hierarchical data in an equally platform-independent, as well as human readable manner, has been developed. This architecture is implemented using a variety of XML support tools and Application Programming Interfaces (API) written in Java. IRC will enable trusted astronomers from around the world to easily access infrared instruments (e.g., telescopes, cameras, and spectrometers) located in remote, inhospitable environments, such as the South Pole, a high Chilean mountaintop, or an airborne observatory aboard a Boeing 747. Using IRC's frameworks, an astronomer or other scientist can easily define the type of onboard instrument, control the instrument remotely, and return monitoring data all through the intranet. The Astronomical Instrument Markup Language (AIML) is the first implementation of the more general Instrument Markup Language (IML). The key aspects of our approach to instrument description and control applies to many domains, from medical instruments to machine assembly lines. The concepts behind AIML apply equally well to the description and control of instruments in general. IRC enables us to apply our techniques to several instruments, preferably from different observatories.

Psychometric Properties of a Screening Instrument for Domestic Violence in a Sample of Iranian Women

Science.gov (United States)

Azadarmaki, Taghi; Kassani, Aziz; Menati, Rostam; Hassanzadeh, Jafar; Menati, Walieh

2016-01-01

Background Domestic violence against women is regarded as an important health problem among women and a serious concern in issues related to human rights. To date, a few screening tools for domestic violence exist for Iranian married women, but they assess only some of the domestic violence components. Objectives The present study aimed to design and determine the validity and reliability of a screening instrument for domestic violence in a sample of Iranian women. Materials and Methods The present study was a cross-sectional psychometric evaluation conducted on 350 married women in Ilam, Iran, in 2014. The samples were selected through multistage sampling and the main method was cluster sampling. A 20-item, self-administered questionnaire was validated by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). An Eigen value > 1 and a loading factor > 0.3 for each component were considered as indices for extracting domestic violence components. Reliability was calculated by test-retest and Cronbach’s alpha. Also, the content validity index (CVI) and content validity ratio (CVR) were used to measure content validity. The data were analyzed using SPSS-13 and LISREL 8.8 software programs. Results The self-administered instrument was completed by 334 women. The CFA and EFA methods confirmed embedding items and the three-factor structure of the instrument including psychological, physical, and sexual violence, which explained 66% of the total variance of the domestic violence. The ICC and Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were > 0.7 for the components of the questionnaire. The test-retest also revealed strong correlations for each of the domestic violence components (r > 0.6). Conclusions The used instrument for measuring domestic violence had desirable validity and reliability and can be used as a suitable instrument in health and social researches in the local population. PMID:27331052

Allogeneic blood transfusion and prognosis following total hip replacement: a population-based follow up study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Alma B; Mehnert, Frank; Overgaard, Søren

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: Allogeneic red blood cell transfusion is frequently used in total hip replacement surgery (THR). However, data on the prognosis of transfused patients are sparse. In this study we compared the risk of complications following THR in transfused and non-transfused patients. METHODS......: A population-based follow-up study was performed using data from medical databases in Denmark. We identified 28,087 primary THR procedures performed from 1999 to 2007, from which we computed a propensity score for red blood cell transfusion based on detailed data on patient-, procedure-, and hospital......-related characteristics. We were able to match 2,254 transfused with 2,254 non-transfused THR patients using the propensity score. RESULTS: Of the 28,087 THR patients, 9,063 (32.3%) received at least one red blood cell transfusion within 8 days of surgery. Transfused patients had higher 90-day mortality compared...

Instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Umminger, K.

2008-01-01

A proper measurement of the relevant single and two-phase flow parameters is the basis for the understanding of many complex thermal-hydraulic processes. Reliable instrumentation is therefore necessary for the interaction between analysis and experiment especially in the field of nuclear safety research where postulated accident scenarios have to be simulated in experimental facilities and predicted by complex computer code systems. The so-called conventional instrumentation for the measurement of e. g. pressures, temperatures, pressure differences and single phase flow velocities is still a solid basis for the investigation and interpretation of many phenomena and especially for the understanding of the overall system behavior. Measurement data from such instrumentation still serves in many cases as a database for thermal-hydraulic system codes. However some special instrumentation such as online concentration measurement for boric acid in the water phase or for non-condensibles in steam atmosphere as well as flow visualization techniques were further developed and successfully applied during the recent years. Concerning the modeling needs for advanced thermal-hydraulic codes, significant advances have been accomplished in the last few years in the local instrumentation technology for two-phase flow by the application of new sensor techniques, optical or beam methods and electronic technology. This paper will give insight into the current state of instrumentation technology for safety-related thermohydraulic experiments. Advantages and limitations of some measurement processes and systems will be indicated as well as trends and possibilities for further development. Aspects of instrumentation in operating reactors will also be mentioned.

Electronic instrument for radon daughter dosimetry. Report of investigations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Durkin, J.

1977-01-01

Due to the daily exposures of uranium mining personnel to 222Rn daughters, a device is needed which will continually monitor the individual's exposure. Such a device has been built and tested and is known as the Radon Daughter Dosimeter. This is an electronic instrument using a solid-state detector and circuitry. The system permits the evaluation of cumulative exposures to airborne radon progeny, expressed in units of Working Level Hours (WL-HRS). The instrument is a personal device worn by the individual throughout the working shift. Since the instrument is in close proximity to the miner and measures continual exposure, it provides an accurate account of total cumulative exposure, thus avoiding the errors caused by the present technique of spot checking of the environment

Renal function after elective total hip replacement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Perregaard, Helene; Damholt, Mette B; Solgaard, Søren

2016-01-01

Background and purpose - Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with increased short-term and long-term mortality in intensive care populations and in several surgical specialties, but there are very few data concerning orthopedic populations. We have studied the incidence of AKI and the prevale......Background and purpose - Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with increased short-term and long-term mortality in intensive care populations and in several surgical specialties, but there are very few data concerning orthopedic populations. We have studied the incidence of AKI...... and the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in an elective population of orthopedic patients undergoing primary total hip replacement, hypothesizing that chronic kidney disease predisposes to AKI. Patients and methods - This was a single-center, population-based, retrospective, registry-based cohort study...... involving all primary elective total hip replacements performed from January 2003 through December 2012. Patient demographics and creatinine values were registered. We evaluated the presence of CKD and AKI according to the international guidelines for kidney disease (KDIGO Acute Kidney Injury Workgroup 2013...

Comparison of the Multiattribute Utility Instruments EQ-5D and SF-6D in a Europe-Wide Population-Based Cohort of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease 10 Years after Diagnosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gert Huppertz-Hauss

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background. The treatment of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD is costly, and limited resources call for analyses of the cost effectiveness of therapeutic interventions. The present study evaluated the equivalency of the Short Form 6D (SF-6D and the Euro QoL (EQ-5D, two preference-based HRQoL instruments that are broadly used in cost-effectiveness analyses, in an unselected IBD patient population. Methods. IBD patients from seven European countries were invited to a follow-up visit ten years after their initial diagnosis. Clinical and demographic data were assessed, and the Short Form 36 (SF-36 was employed. Utility scores were obtained by calculating the SF-6D index values from the SF-36 data for comparison with the scores obtained with the EQ-5D questionnaire. Results. The SF-6D and EQ-5D provided good sensitivities for detecting disease activity-dependent utility differences. However, the single-measure intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.58, and the Bland-Altman plot indicated numerous values beyond the limits of agreement. Conclusions. There was poor agreement between the measures retrieved from the EQ-5D and the SF-6D utility instruments. Although both instruments may provide good sensitivity for the detection of disease activity-dependent utility differences, the instruments cannot be used interchangeably. Cost-utility analyses performed with only one utility instrument must be interpreted with caution.

Revising the WHO verbal autopsy instrument to facilitate routine cause-of-death monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Leitao, Jordana; Chandramohan, Daniel; Byass, Peter; Jakob, Robert; Bundhamcharoen, Kanitta; Choprapawon, Chanpen; de Savigny, Don; Fottrell, Edward; França, Elizabeth; Frøen, Frederik; Gewaifel, Gihan; Hodgson, Abraham; Hounton, Sennen; Kahn, Kathleen; Krishnan, Anand; Kumar, Vishwajeet; Masanja, Honorati; Nichols, Erin; Notzon, Francis; Rasooly, Mohammad Hafiz; Sankoh, Osman; Spiegel, Paul; AbouZahr, Carla; Amexo, Marc; Kebede, Derege; Alley, William Soumbey; Marinho, Fatima; Ali, Mohamed; Loyola, Enrique; Chikersal, Jyotsna; Gao, Jun; Annunziata, Giuseppe; Bahl, Rajiv; Bartolomeus, Kidist; Boerma, Ties; Ustun, Bedirhan; Chou, Doris; Muhe, Lulu; Mathai, Matthews

2013-01-01

Objective Verbal autopsy (VA) is a systematic approach for determining causes of death (CoD) in populations without routine medical certification. It has mainly been used in research contexts and involved relatively lengthy interviews. Our objective here is to describe the process used to shorten, simplify, and standardise the VA process to make it feasible for application on a larger scale such as in routine civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems. Methods A literature review of existing VA instruments was undertaken. The World Health Organization (WHO) then facilitated an international consultation process to review experiences with existing VA instruments, including those from WHO, the Demographic Evaluation of Populations and their Health in Developing Countries (INDEPTH) Network, InterVA, and the Population Health Metrics Research Consortium (PHMRC). In an expert meeting, consideration was given to formulating a workable VA CoD list [with mapping to the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) CoD] and to the viability and utility of existing VA interview questions, with a view to undertaking systematic simplification. Findings A revised VA CoD list was compiled enabling mapping of all ICD-10 CoD onto 62 VA cause categories, chosen on the grounds of public health significance as well as potential for ascertainment from VA. A set of 221 indicators for inclusion in the revised VA instrument was developed on the basis of accumulated experience, with appropriate skip patterns for various population sub-groups. The duration of a VA interview was reduced by about 40% with this new approach. Conclusions The revised VA instrument resulting from this consultation process is presented here as a means of making it available for widespread use and evaluation. It is envisaged that this will be used in conjunction with automated models for assigning CoD from VA data, rather than involving physicians. PMID

A comparison of two reciprocating instruments using bending stress and cyclic fatigue tests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pantaleo SCELZA

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate the bending resistance at 45º, the static and dynamic cyclic fatigue life, and the fracture type of the WaveOne (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland 25-08 and Reciproc (VDW, Munich, Germany 25-08 instruments. A total of 60 nickel-titanium (NiTi instruments (30 Reciproc and 30 WaveOne from three different lots, each of which was 25 mm in length, were tested. The bending resistance was evaluated through the results of a cantilever-bending test conducted using a universal testing machine. Static and dynamic cyclic fatigue testing was conducted using a custom-made device. For the static and dynamic tests, a cast Ni-Cr-Mo-Ti alloy metal block with an artificial canal measuring 1.77 mm in diameter and 20.00 mm in total length was used. A scanning electron microscope was used to determine the type of fracture. Statistical analyses were performed on the results. The WaveOne instrument was less flexible than the Reciproc (p < 0.05. The Reciproc instrument showed better resistance in the static and dynamic cyclic fatigue tests (p < 0.05. The transverse cross-section and geometry of the instruments were important factors in their resistance to bending and cyclic fracture. Both of the instruments showed ductile-type fracture characteristics. It can be concluded that the Reciproc 25-08 instrument was more resistant to static and dynamic cyclic fatigue than the WaveOne 25-08 instrument, while the WaveOne 25-08 instrument was less flexible. Bending and resistance to cyclic fracture were influenced by the instruments’ geometries and transverse cross-sections. Both of the instruments showed ductile-type fracture characteristics.

Farm Population of the United States: 1975. Current Population Reports: Farm Population.

Science.gov (United States)

Banks, Vera J.; And Others

Presented via narrative and tabular data, this report includes: Population of the U.S., Total and Farm: 1960-1975; Metropolitan-Nonmetropolitan Residence of the Farm and Nonfarm Population, by Race: 1975; Fertility Characteristics of Farm and Nonfarm Women, by Race: 1975; Persons 14 Years Old and Over Employed in Agriculture, by Farm-Nonfarm…

Total Water Management - Report

Science.gov (United States)

There is a growing need for urban water managers to take a more holistic view of their water resource systems as population growth, urbanization, and current operations put different stresses on the environment and urban infrastructure. Total Water Management (TWM) is an approac...

Evaluation of the measurement properties of self-reported health-related work-functioning instruments among workers with common mental disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Abma, Femke I; van der Klink, Jac J L; Terwee, Caroline B; Amick, Benjamin C; Bültmann, Ute

2012-01-01

During the past decade, common mental disorders (CMD) have emerged as a major public and occupational health problem in many countries. Several instruments have been developed to measure the influence of health on functioning at work. To select appropriate instruments for use in occupational health practice and research, the measurement properties (eg, reliability, validity, responsiveness) must be evaluated. The objective of this study is to appraise critically and compare the measurement properties of self-reported health-related work-functioning instruments among workers with CMD. A systematic review was performed searching three electronic databases. Papers were included that: (i) mainly focused on the development and/or evaluation of the measurement properties of a self-reported health-related work-functioning instrument; (ii) were conducted in a CMD population; and (iii) were fulltext original papers. Quality appraisal was performed using the consensus-based standards for the selection of health status measurement instruments (COSMIN) checklist. Five papers evaluating measurement properties of five self-reported health-related work-functioning instruments in CMD populations were included. There is little evidence available for the measurement properties of the identified instruments in this population, mainly due to low methodological quality of the included studies. The available evidence on measurement properties is based on studies of poor-to-fair methodological quality. Information on a number of measurement properties, such as measurement error, content validity, and cross-cultural validity is still lacking. Therefore, no evidence-based decisions and recommendations can be made for the use of health-related work functioning instruments. Studies of high methodological quality are needed to properly assess the existing instruments' measurement properties.

Use of the scoliosis research society outcomes instrument to evaluate patient outcome in untreated idiopathic scoliosis patients in Japan: part I: comparison with nonscoliosis group: preliminary/limited review in a Japanese population.

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Kei; Hasegawa, Kazuhiro; Hirano, Toru; Uchiyama, Seiji; Endo, Naoto

2005-05-15

This preliminary study evaluates untreated Japanese patients with idiopathic scoliosis using the Scoliosis Research Society Outcomes Instrument (SRS-24). To determine the baseline patient outcome score using the SRS-24 for untreated Japanese scoliosis patients compared with a nonscoliosis group. The SRS instrument with 24 questions was developed to help evaluate patient-perceived outcomes of idiopathic scoliosis treatment. Evaluation of untreated Japanese idiopathic scoliosis patients using the SRS instrument has not been reported. Japanese idiopathic scoliosis patients (n = 141) (mean age, 13.6 years; range, 10-17 years) with a Cobb angle of more than 20 degrees who were not treated with a brace or surgery, were evaluated in comparison with a nonscoliosis group (healthy junior high school students; n = 72) using the SRS-24. The scoliosis group was categorized as mild deformity group with a major curve Cobb angle of less than 30 degrees, moderate deformity group with 30 degrees to 49 degrees, and severe deformity group with more than 50 degrees. The patients were evaluated using section 1 (15 questions) of the SRS-24, which was divided into four domains: total pain, general self-image, general function, and activity. Reliability, as determined by internal consistency, was validated using Cronbach's alpha for these domain scales. The severe deformity group had the lowest scores compared with the other deformity groups and the nonscoliosis group in pain (P self-image (P self-image of back appearance, were significantly lower in the scoliosis group than those in the nonscoliosis group. This tendency was more significant in the patients with greater curve magnitude. Scores for questions 14 and 15, evaluation of general self-image, in the scoliosis group were, however, higher than those in the nonscoliosis group. Internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha was 0.57 (pain), 0.27 (general self-image), -0.08 (general function), and 0.15 (overall level of activity

Instrumental interaction

OpenAIRE

Luciani , Annie

2007-01-01

International audience; The expression instrumental interaction as been introduced by Claude Cadoz to identify a human-object interaction during which a human manipulates a physical object - an instrument - in order to perform a manual task. Classical examples of instrumental interaction are all the professional manual tasks: playing violin, cutting fabrics by hand, moulding a paste, etc.... Instrumental interaction differs from other types of interaction (called symbolic or iconic interactio...

Geographical differences in the relationship between total dissolved ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The practical application of these findings is that users of EC meters should not simply apply a blanket conversion factor, but need to select an applicable factor for the river system in which they are measuring. Keywords: conversion factors, electrical conductivity, field instruments, rivers, total dissolved solids, water quality ...

Intercomparison of preliminary MFR, SBUV, TOMS, and TOVS total ozone data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luther, F.M.

1992-01-01

The High Altitude Pollution Program of the Federal Aviation Administration is sponsoring a comparative study of total ozone data derived from various satellite instruments. The instruments included in the study are the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program's Multichannel Filter Radiometer (MFR), the NASA Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet Ozone Experiment (SBUV), the NASA Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS), and the NOAA Tiros Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS). The two periods chosen for data intercomparison are January 1 - February 15, 1979 and June 1-30, 1979. These two data periods cover summer and winter regimes in both hemispheres. The January 1 - February 15, 1979 period includes a significant stratospheric warming event that began about January 15. Each of the satellite instruments has its own strengths and weaknesses. No instrument is universally better than or worse than any other in terms of accuracy, although they appear to have definite biases in certain geographical areas. The differences between the satellite systems is greatest at high latitudes where cloudiness and ozone variabilities are greatest. The Dobson data show a bias and differing degrees of ozone variability between nearby Dobson stations, which indicates there may be problems with using the Dobson data as a standard for comparison. The data used in this comparative study are preliminary in nature

Instrumentation development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ubbes, W.F.; Yow, J.L. Jr.

1988-01-01

Instrumentation is developed for the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Program to meet several different (and sometimes conflicting) objectives. This paper addresses instrumentation development for data needs that are related either directly or indirectly to a repository site, but does not touch on instrumentation for work with waste forms or other materials. Consequently, this implies a relatively large scale for the measurements, and an in situ setting for instrument performance. In this context, instruments are needed for site characterization to define phenomena, develop models, and obtain parameter values, and for later design and performance confirmation testing in the constructed repository. The former set of applications is more immediate, and is driven by the needs of program design and performance assessment activities. A host of general technical and nontechnical issues have arisen to challenge instrumentation development. Instruments can be classed into geomechanical, geohydrologic, or other specialty categories, but these issues cut across artificial classifications. These issues are outlined. Despite this imposing list of issues, several case histories are cited to evaluate progress in the area

Instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Decreton, M.

2002-01-01

SCK-CEN's R and D programme on instrumentation involves the development of advanced instrumentation systems for nuclear applications as well as the assessment of the performance of these instruments in a radiation environment. Particular emphasis is on the use of optical fibres as umbilincal links of a remote handling unit for use during maintanance of a fusion reacor, studies on the radiation hardening of plasma diagnostic systems; investigations on new instrumentation for the future MYRRHA accelerator driven system; space applications related to radiation-hardened lenses; the development of new approaches for dose, temperature and strain measurements; the assessment of radiation-hardened sensors and motors for remote handling tasks and studies of dose measurement systems including the use of optical fibres. Progress and achievements in these areas for 2001 are described

Instrumentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Decreton, M

2002-04-01

SCK-CEN's R and D programme on instrumentation involves the development of advanced instrumentation systems for nuclear applications as well as the assessment of the performance of these instruments in a radiation environment. Particular emphasis is on the use of optical fibres as umbilincal links of a remote handling unit for use during maintanance of a fusion reacor, studies on the radiation hardening of plasma diagnostic systems; investigations on new instrumentation for the future MYRRHA accelerator driven system; space applications related to radiation-hardened lenses; the development of new approaches for dose, temperature and strain measurements; the assessment of radiation-hardened sensors and motors for remote handling tasks and studies of dose measurement systems including the use of optical fibres. Progress and achievements in these areas for 2001 are described.

Assessment of the Swedish EQ-5D experience-based value sets in a total hip replacement population.

Science.gov (United States)

Nemes, Szilárd; Burström, Kristina; Zethraeus, Niklas; Eneqvist, Ted; Garellick, Göran; Rolfson, Ola

2015-12-01

All patients undergoing elective total hip replacement (THR) in Sweden are asked to complete a survey, including the EQ-5D. Thus far, EQ-5D values have been presented using the UK TTO value set based on hypothetical values. Shift to the use of the recently introduced Swedish experience-based value set, derived from a representative Swedish population, is an appealing alternative. To investigate how accurate the Swedish experience-based VAS value set predicts observed EQ VAS values and to compare correlations between Swedish and UK value sets including two provisional value sets derived from the THR population. Pre- and one-year postoperative data from 56,062 THR patients from the Swedish Hip Arthroplasty Register were used. Agreement between the observed and the predicted EQ VAS values was assessed with correlation. Based on pre- and postoperative data, we constructed two provisional VAS value sets. Correlations between observed and calculated values using the Swedish VAS value set were moderate (r = 0.46) in preoperative data and high (r = 0.72) in postoperative data. Correlations between UK and register-based value sets were constantly lower compared to Swedish value sets. Register-based values and Swedish values were highly correlated. The Swedish value sets are more accurate in terms of representation of the Swedish THR patients than the currently used UK TTO value set. We find it feasible to use the experience-based Swedish value sets for further presentation of EQ-5D values in the Swedish THR population.

The Sound Access Parent Outcomes Instrument (SAPOI): Construction of a new instrument for children with severe multiple disabilities who use cochlear implants or hearing aids.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayward, Denyse V; Ritter, Kathryn; Mousavi, Amin; Vatanapour, Shabnam

2016-01-01

To report on the Phase 2 development of the Sound Access Parent Outcomes Instrument (SAPOI), a new instrument focused on formalizing outcomes that parents of children with severe multiple disabilities (SMD) who use amplification prioritize as important. Phase 2 of this project involved item selection and refinement of the SAPOI based on (a) Phase 1 study participant input, (b) clinical specialist feedback, and (c) test-retest instrument reliability. Phase 1 participant responses were utilized to construct a draft version of the SAPOI. Next, clinical specialists examined the instrument for content validity and utility and instrument reliability was examined through a test-retest process with parents of children with SMD. The draft SAPOI was constructed based on Phase 1 participant input. Clinical specialists supported content validity and utility of the instrument and the inclusion of 19 additional items across four categories, namely Child Affect, Child Interaction, Parent Well-being, and Child's Device Use. The SAPOI was completed twice at one-month intervals by parents of children with SMD to examine instrument reliability across the four categories (Child Affect, Child Interaction, Parent Well-being, and Child's Device Use). Instrument reliability was strong-to-excellent across all four sections. The SAPOI shows promise as a much-needed addition to the assessment battery currently used for children with SMD who use cochlear implants and hearing aids. It provides valuable information regarding outcomes resulting from access to sound in this population that currently used assessments do not identify.

The Choice of Screening Instrument Matters: The Case of Problematic Cannabis Use Screening in Spanish Population of Adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

Domingo-Salvany, Antónia; Barrio Anta, Gregorio; Sánchez Mañez, Amparo; Llorens Aleixandre, Noelia; Brime Beteta, Begoña; Vicente, Julián

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility of problem cannabis use screening instruments administration within wide school surveys, their psychometric properties, overlaps, and relationships with other variables. Students from 7 Spanish regions, aged 14–18, who attended secondary schools were sampled by two-stage cluster sampling (net sample 14,589). Standardized, anonymous questionnaire including DSM-IV cannabis abuse criteria, Cannabis Abuse Screening Test (CAST), and Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) was self-completed with paper and pencil in the selected classrooms. Data was analysed using classical psychometric theory, bivariate tests, and multinomial logistic regression analysis. Not responding to instruments' items (10.5–12.3%) was associated with reporting less frequent cannabis use. The instruments overlapped partially, with 16.1% of positives being positive on all three. SDS was more likely to identify younger users with lower frequency of use who thought habitual cannabis use posed a considerable problem. CAST positivity was associated with frequent cannabis use and related problems. It is feasible to use short psychometric scales in wide school surveys, but one must carefully choose the screening instrument, as different instruments identify different groups of users. These may correspond to different types of problematic cannabis use; however, measurement bias seems to play a role too. PMID:25969832

Reliability of Instruments Measuring At-Risk and Problem Gambling Among Young Individuals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Edgren, Robert; Castrén, Sari; Mäkelä, Marjukka

2016-01-01

This review aims to clarify which instruments measuring at-risk and problem gambling (ARPG) among youth are reliable and valid in light of reported estimates of internal consistency, classification accuracy, and psychometric properties. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Medline, and Psyc......Info covering the years 2009–2015. In total, 50 original research articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria: target age under 29 years, using an instrument designed for youth, and reporting a reliability estimate. Articles were evaluated with the revised Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool....... Reliability estimates were reported for five ARPG instruments. Most studies (66%) evaluated the South Oaks Gambling Screen Revised for Adolescents. The Gambling Addictive Behavior Scale for Adolescents was the only novel instrument. In general, the evaluation of instrument reliability was superficial. Despite...

Content validity--establishing and reporting the evidence in newly developed patient-reported outcomes (PRO) instruments for medical product evaluation: ISPOR PRO good research practices task force report: part 1--eliciting concepts for a new PRO instrument.

Science.gov (United States)

Patrick, Donald L; Burke, Laurie B; Gwaltney, Chad J; Leidy, Nancy Kline; Martin, Mona L; Molsen, Elizabeth; Ring, Lena

2011-12-01

The importance of content validity in developing patient reported outcomes (PRO) instruments is stressed by both the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency. Content validity is the extent to which an instrument measures the important aspects of concepts that developers or users purport it to assess. A PRO instrument measures the concepts most significant and relevant to a patient's condition and its treatment. For PRO instruments, items and domains as reflected in the scores of an instrument should be important to the target population and comprehensive with respect to patient concerns. Documentation of target population input in item generation, as well as evaluation of patient understanding through cognitive interviewing, can provide the evidence for content validity. Developing content for, and assessing respondent understanding of, newly developed PRO instruments for medical product evaluation will be discussed in this two-part ISPOR PRO Good Research Practices Task Force Report. Topics include the methods for generating items, documenting item development, coding of qualitative data from item generation, cognitive interviewing, and tracking item development through the various stages of research and preparing this tracking for submission to regulatory agencies. Part 1 covers elicitation of key concepts using qualitative focus groups and/or interviews to inform content and structure of a new PRO instrument. Part 2 covers the instrument development process, the assessment of patient understanding of the draft instrument using cognitive interviews and steps for instrument revision. The two parts are meant to be read together. They are intended to offer suggestions for good practices in planning, executing, and documenting qualitative studies that are used to support the content validity of PRO instruments to be used in medical product evaluation. Copyright © 2011 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR

A decrease in total bilirubin predicted hyper-LDL cholesterolemia in a health screening population.

Science.gov (United States)

Oda, Eiji

2014-08-01

To investigate cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between serum total bilirubin (TB) and LDL cholesterol. It is a retrospective observational study. Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between TB and hyper-LDL cholesterolemia were investigated in a health screening population. Odds ratios (ORs) of coexisting hyper-LDL cholesterolemia for TB were calculated in 3,866 subjects, Spearman's correlation coefficients between baseline TB and LDL cholesterol at baseline and after 4 years were calculated in 1,735 subjects who did not use antihyperlipidemic drugs and hazard ratios (HRs) of incident hyper-LDL cholesterolemia for TB were calculated in 1,992 followed subjects. The ORs (p values) of coexisting hyper-LDL cholesterolemia for each 1 SD increase in TB was 1.04 (0.998) adjusted for sex, age, smoking, LDL cholesterol and other confounders. Spearman's correlation coefficients (p values) between baseline TB and LDL cholesterol at baseline and after 4 years and changes in LDL cholesterol were -0.026 (0.271), -0.078 (0.001) and -0.062 (0.010), respectively. Among 1,992 followed subjects, 481 developed hyper-LDL cholesterolemia during 4 years (60.4 per 1,000 person-years). The HRs (95% confidence intervals; p values) of incident hyper-LDL cholesterolemia for each 1 SD increase in TB was 0.86 (0.77-0.96; 0.006) adjusted for sex, age, smoking, LDL cholesterol, body mass index, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, fasting glucose and other confounders. The quintiles of TB were significantly associated with the incident hyper-LDL cholesterolemia adjusted for the above covariates (p for trend = 0.008). A decrease in TB predicted incident hyper-LDL cholesterolemia in a health screening population. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predicted osteotomy planes are accurate when using patient-specific instrumentation for total knee arthroplasty in cadavers: a descriptive analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kievit, A J; Dobbe, J G G; Streekstra, G J; Blankevoort, L; Schafroth, M U

2018-06-01

Malalignment of implants is a major source of failure during total knee arthroplasty. To achieve more accurate 3D planning and execution of the osteotomy cuts during surgery, the Signature (Biomet, Warsaw) patient-specific instrumentation (PSI) was used to produce pin guides for the positioning of the osteotomy blocks by means of computer-aided manufacture based on CT scan images. The research question of this study is: what is the transfer accuracy of osteotomy planes predicted by the Signature PSI system for preoperative 3D planning and intraoperative block-guided pin placement to perform total knee arthroplasty procedures? The transfer accuracy achieved by using the Signature PSI system was evaluated by comparing the osteotomy planes predicted preoperatively with the osteotomy planes seen intraoperatively in human cadaveric legs. Outcomes were measured in terms of translational and rotational errors (varus, valgus, flexion, extension and axial rotation) for both tibia and femur osteotomies. Average translational errors between the osteotomy planes predicted using the Signature system and the actual osteotomy planes achieved was 0.8 mm (± 0.5 mm) for the tibia and 0.7 mm (± 4.0 mm) for the femur. Average rotational errors in relation to predicted and achieved osteotomy planes were 0.1° (± 1.2°) of varus and 0.4° (± 1.7°) of anterior slope (extension) for the tibia, and 2.8° (± 2.0°) of varus and 0.9° (± 2.7°) of flexion and 1.4° (± 2.2°) of external rotation for the femur. The similarity between osteotomy planes predicted using the Signature system and osteotomy planes actually achieved was excellent for the tibia although some discrepancies were seen for the femur. The use of 3D system techniques in TKA surgery can provide accurate intraoperative guidance, especially for patients with deformed bone, tailored to individual patients and ensure better placement of the implant.

Real-time web-based assessment of total population risk of future emergency department utilization: statewide prospective active case finding study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Zhongkai; Jin, Bo; Shin, Andrew Y; Zhu, Chunqing; Zhao, Yifan; Hao, Shiying; Zheng, Le; Fu, Changlin; Wen, Qiaojun; Ji, Jun; Li, Zhen; Wang, Yong; Zheng, Xiaolin; Dai, Dorothy; Culver, Devore S; Alfreds, Shaun T; Rogow, Todd; Stearns, Frank; Sylvester, Karl G; Widen, Eric; Ling, Xuefeng B

2015-01-13

An easily accessible real-time Web-based utility to assess patient risks of future emergency department (ED) visits can help the health care provider guide the allocation of resources to better manage higher-risk patient populations and thereby reduce unnecessary use of EDs. Our main objective was to develop a Health Information Exchange-based, next 6-month ED risk surveillance system in the state of Maine. Data on electronic medical record (EMR) encounters integrated by HealthInfoNet (HIN), Maine's Health Information Exchange, were used to develop the Web-based surveillance system for a population ED future 6-month risk prediction. To model, a retrospective cohort of 829,641 patients with comprehensive clinical histories from January 1 to December 31, 2012 was used for training and then tested with a prospective cohort of 875,979 patients from July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2013. The multivariate statistical analysis identified 101 variables predictive of future defined 6-month risk of ED visit: 4 age groups, history of 8 different encounter types, history of 17 primary and 8 secondary diagnoses, 8 specific chronic diseases, 28 laboratory test results, history of 3 radiographic tests, and history of 25 outpatient prescription medications. The c-statistics for the retrospective and prospective cohorts were 0.739 and 0.732 respectively. Integration of our method into the HIN secure statewide data system in real time prospectively validated its performance. Cluster analysis in both the retrospective and prospective analyses revealed discrete subpopulations of high-risk patients, grouped around multiple "anchoring" demographics and chronic conditions. With the Web-based population risk-monitoring enterprise dashboards, the effectiveness of the active case finding algorithm has been validated by clinicians and caregivers in Maine. The active case finding model and associated real-time Web-based app were designed to track the evolving nature of total population risk, in a

Taking spiritual history in clinical practice: a systematic review of instruments.

Science.gov (United States)

Lucchetti, Giancarlo; Bassi, Rodrigo M; Lucchetti, Alessandra L Granero

2013-01-01

To facilitate the addressing of spirituality in clinical practice, several authors have created instruments for obtaining a spiritual history. However, in only a few studies have authors compared these instruments. The aim of this study was to compare the most commonly used instruments for taking a spiritual history in a clinical setting. A systematic review of spiritual history assessment was conducted in five stages: identification of instruments used in the literature (databases searching); relevant articles from title and initial abstract review; exclusion and Inclusion criteria; full text retrieval and final analysis of each instrument. A total of 2,641 articles were retrieved and after the analysis, 25 instruments were included. The authors independently evaluated each instrument on 16 different aspects. The instruments with the greatest scores in the final analysis were FICA, SPIRITual History, FAITH, HOPE, and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Concerning all 25 instruments, 20 of 25 inquire about the influence of spirituality on a person's life and 17 address religious coping. Nevertheless, only four inquire about medical practices not allowed, six deal with terminal events, nine have mnemonics to facilitate their use, and five were validated. FICA, SPIRITual History, FAITH, HOPE, and Royal College of Psychiatrists scored higher in our analysis. The use of each instrument must be individualized, according to the professional reality, time available, patient profile, and settings. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A preliminary study of the mini-mental state examination in a Spanish child population.

Science.gov (United States)

Rubial-Alvarez, Sandra; Machado, María-Clara; Sintas, Elena; de Sola, Susana; Böhm, Peter; Peña-Casanova, Jordi

2007-11-01

The Mini-Mental State Examination is one of the most widely used screening tests for the adult population in daily neurologic practice. The aim of this study was to describe and to analyze the results of the Mini-Mental State Examination administered to Spanish children and to assess the relationship between Mini-Mental State Examination scores and the child's mental age/intelligence quotient. The study population included 181 children whose ages ranged between 4 and 12 years. The neuropsychologic battery consisted of the Mini-Mental State Examination and Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test. Percentiles were obtained for the Mini-Mental State Examination total score according to age ranges. Performance gradually increased from 4 to 10 years of age when a plateau in the total Mini-Mental State Examination score was reached. At the age of 6 years, results exceeded 24 on average. Pairwise mean comparisons showed statistically significant differences between the age groups (P Mini-Mental State Examination score correlated significantly with the child's chronologic (r = 0.80, P mental (r = 0.76, P Mini-Mental State Examination in a Spanish child population as well as a first step for the assessment of the usefulness of this instrument as a cognitive screening tool for children's development.

Vision though afocal instruments: generalized magnification and eye-instrument interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, William F.; Evans, Tanya

2018-04-01

In Gaussian optics all observers experience the same magnification, the instrument's angular magnification, when viewing distant objects though a telescope or other afocal instruments. However, analysis in linear optics shows that this is not necessarily so in the presence of astigmatism. Because astigmatism may distort and rotate images it is appropriate to work with generalized angular magnification represented by a 2 × 2 matrix. An expression is derived for the generalized magnification for an arbitrary eye looking through an arbitrary afocal instrument. With afocal instruments containing astigmatic refracting elements not all eyes experience the same generalized magnification; there is interaction between eye and instrument. Eye-instrument interaction may change as the instrument is rotated about its longitudinal axis, there being no interaction in particular orientations. A simple numerical example is given. For sake of completeness, expressions for generalized magnification are also presented in the case of instruments that are not afocal and objects that are not distant.

Chemical Composition of the Essential Oil, Total Phenolics, Total Flavonoids and Antioxidant Activity of Methanolic Extracts of Satureja montana L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Avni Hajdari

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Aerial parts of Satureja montana L. (Lamiaceae were collected from seven growing wild populations (four populations in Kosovo, two in Albania and one in Montenegro in 2013 with the aim of assessing the natural variation in the chemical composition of the essential oils, total flavonoids, total phenolics and the antioxidant activity of their methanolic extracts. Essential oils were obtained by steam distillation and analysed using GC-FID and GC-MS, whereas total flavonoids, total phenolics and antioxidant activities were determined using spectrophotometric methods. Sixty-one volatile constituents were identified. The main constituents were myrcene, p-cymene, γ-terpinene, linalool, thymol, carvacrol and viridiflorol. Total phenolics ranged from 68.1 to 102.6 mg/g dry mass, the total flavonoid content ranged from 38.3 to 67.0 mg/g dm, and the antioxidant activity according to the DPPH assay ranged from 253.3 to 342.9 mg TE/g dm and according to the FRAP assay ranged from 8.9 to 11.4 mg TE/g dm. Hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analyses were used to assess the geographical variations in the essential oil composition. Statistical analysis revealed that the analysed populations are grouped into four main clusters that appear to reflect the environmental impact on the chemical composition, which is influenced by differences in habitat composition, altitude and microclimatic conditions.

Preparation of severely curved simulated root canals using engine-driven rotary and conventional hand instruments.

Science.gov (United States)

Szep, S; Gerhardt, T; Leitzbach, C; Lüder, W; Heidemann, D

2001-03-01

This in vitro study evaluated the efficacy and safety of six different nickel-titanium engine-driven instruments used with a torque-controlled engine device and nickel-titanium hand and stainless steel hand instruments in preparation of curved canals. A total of 80 curved (36 degrees) simulated root canals were prepared. Images before and after were superimposed, and instrumentation areas were observed. Time of instrumentation, instrument failure, change in working length and weight loss were also recorded. Results show that stainless steel hand instruments cause significantly less transportation towards the inner wall of the canal than do nickel-titanium hand instruments. No instrument fracture occurred with hand instruments, but 30-60% breakage of instruments was recorded during instrumentation with the engine-driven devices. The working length was maintained by all types of instruments. Newly developed nickel-titanium rotary files were not able to prevent straightening of the severely curved canals when a torque-controlled engine-driven device was used.

Upgrade of Dhruva fuel channel flow instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gadgil, Kaustubh; Awale, P.K.; Sengupta, C.; Sumanth, P.; Roy, Kallol

2014-01-01

Dhruva, a 100 MW Heavy Water moderated and cooled, vertical tank-type Research Reactor, using metallic natural Uranium fuel has flow instrumentation for all the 144 fuel channels, consisting of venturi and triplicate DP gauges for each fuel channel. These gauges provide contacts for generation of reactor trip on low flow through fuel channel. These DP gauges were facing numerous generic and ageing related failures over the years and was also difficult to maintain owing to obsolescence. While considering an upgrade for these DP gauges, it was also planned to replace the existing Coolant Low Flow Trip (CLFT) system with a computer based Reactor Trip Logic System (RTLS). Being a retrofit job, the existing panels for mounting the gauges, cable layout, impulse tubing layout, etc. were retained, thereby simplifying the site execution, reducing reactor down time and also reducing person-milli-Sievert consumption. A customized Electronic DP Indicating Switch (EDPIS) was conceptualized for achieving these objectives. Such a design, utilizing a standard DP transmitter with customized electronic circuitry, was developed, evaluated and finalized after a series of factory trials, field trials and prototyping. The instrument design included contact input for existing CLFT system and also provision for 4-20 mA current output for the proposed computer based RTLS. The display and form factor of the instrument remained identical to older one and ensures familiarity of O and M personnel. Since EDPIS is classified as Safety Class IA, stringent type tests, hardware FMEA and V and V of the micro-controller software were carried out as per the requirements laid down by relevant standards for qualification of these instruments. Being a customized instrument, the manufacturing process was closely monitored and was followed by stringent QA plan and acceptance tests. A total of 396 gauges were replaced in a phased manner during scheduled fuelling outages and thereby did not affect reactor

Total and cause-specific mortality by elevated transferrin saturation and hemochromatosis genotype in individuals with diabetes - two general population studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ellervik, Christina; Mandrup-Poulsen, Thomas; Tybjærg-Hansen, Anne

2013-01-01

ObjectiveMortality is increased in patients with hereditary hemochromatosis, in individuals from the general population with increased transferrin saturation(TS), and also in patients with diabetes type 1 and increased TS from a highly specialised diabetes clinic. Thus, we have recommended targeted...... and hemochromatosis genotype(HFE) C282Y/C282Y in individuals with diabetes(type 1,N=118;type 2,N=3228;total,N=3346).ResultsThe cumulative survival was reduced in individuals with diabetes with TS≥50% vs....

Optimal fetal growth for the Caucasian singleton and assessment of appropriateness of fetal growth: an analysis of a total population perinatal database

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lawrence David M

2005-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The appropriateness of an individual's intra uterine growth is now considered an important determinant of both short and long term outcomes, yet currently used measures have several shortcomings. This study demonstrates a method of assessing appropriateness of intrauterine growth based on the estimation of each individual's optimal newborn dimensions from routinely available perinatal data. Appropriateness of growth can then be inferred from the ratio of the value of the observed dimension to that of the optimal dimension. Methods Fractional polynomial regression models including terms for non-pathological determinants of fetal size (gestational duration, fetal gender and maternal height, age and parity were used to predict birth weight, birth length and head circumference from a population without any major risk factors for sub-optimal intra-uterine growth. This population was selected from a total population of all singleton, Caucasian births in Western Australia 1998–2002. Births were excluded if the pregnancy was exposed to factors known to influence fetal growth pathologically. The values predicted by these models were treated as the optimal values, given infant gender, gestational age, maternal height, parity, and age. Results The selected sample (N = 62,746 comprised 60.5% of the total Caucasian singleton birth cohort. Equations are presented that predict optimal birth weight, birth length and head circumference given gestational duration, fetal gender, maternal height, age and parity. The best fitting models explained 40.5% of variance for birth weight, 32.2% for birth length, and 25.2% for head circumference at birth. Conclusion Proportion of optimal birth weight (length or head circumference provides a method of assessing appropriateness of intrauterine growth that is less dependent on the health of the reference population or the quality of their morphometric data than is percentile position on a birth weight

Validity and Reliability of Turkish Male Breast Self-Examination Instrument.

Science.gov (United States)

Erkin, Özüm; Göl, İlknur

2018-04-01

This study aims to measure the validity and reliability of Turkish male breast self-examination (MBSE) instrument. The methodological study was performed in 2016 at Ege University, Faculty of Nursing, İzmir, Turkey. The MBSE includes ten steps. For validity studies, face validity, content validity, and construct validity (exploratory factor analysis) were done. For reliability study, Kuder Richardson was calculated. The content validity index was found to be 0.94. Kendall W coefficient was 0.80 (p=0.551). The total variance explained by the two factors was found to be 63.24%. Kuder Richardson 21 was done for reliability study and found to be 0.97 for the instrument. The final instrument included 10 steps and two stages. The Turkish version of MBSE is a valid and reliable instrument for early diagnose. The MBSE can be used in Turkish speaking countries and cultures with two stages and 10 steps.

Stability and alignment do not improve by using patient-specific instrumentation in total knee arthroplasty: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Kosse, Nienke M; Heesterbeek, Petra J C; Schimmel, Janneke J P; van Hellemondt, Gijs G; Wymenga, Ate B; Defoort, Koen C

2018-06-01

The primary aim of the study was to examine stability and alignment after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) using patient-specific instrumentation (PSI) and conventional instrumentation (CI). The hypothesis was that stability and alignment would be better using PSI than CI, 12 months postoperatively. The secondary aim included the evaluation of clinical outcomes after TKA. In this prospective randomized controlled trial, 42 patients with knee osteoarthritis received a Genesis II PS prosthesis with either PSI or CI. Patients visited the hospital preoperatively and postoperatively after 6 weeks and 3 and 12 months. To evaluate stability, varus-valgus laxity was determined in extension and flexion using stress radiographs 12 months postoperatively. Three months postoperatively, a long-leg radiograph and CT scan were obtained to measure hip-knee-ankle (HKA) alignment and component rotation. Furthermore, frontal and sagittal alignment of the components, the Knee Society Score, VAS Pain, VAS Satisfaction, Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome score, Patella score (Kujala), University of California Los Angeles activity score, anterior-posterior laxity, (serious) adverse device-related events, and intraoperative complications were reported. The clinical outcomes were compared using independent t tests or non-parametric alternatives, and repeated measurements ANOVA with a significance level of p stability, HKA angle, and rotational alignment. In four patients, the PSI did not fit correctly on the tibia and/or femur requiring intraoperative modifications. Both groups improved significantly over time on all clinical outcomes, with no significant differences between the groups 12 months postoperatively. The PSI group showed less tibial slope than the patients in the CI group [PSI 2.6° versus CI 4.8° (p = 0.02)]. Finally, the PSI group more frequently received a thinner insert size than the CI group (p = 0.03). Patients operated with PSI did not differ from CI in

Hidden ion population: Revisited

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olsen, R.C.; Chappell, C.R.; Gallagher, D.L.; Green, J.L.; Gurnett, D.A.

1985-01-01

Satellite potentials in the outer plasmasphere range from near zero to +5 to +10 V. Under such conditions ion measurements may not include the low energy core of the plasma population. In eclipse, the photoelectron current drops to zero, and the spacecraft potential can drop to near zero volts. In regions where the ambient plasma density is below 100 cm -3 , previously unobserved portions of the ambient plasma distribution function can become visible in eclipse. A survey of the data obtained from the retarding ion mass spectrometer (RIMS) on Dynamics Explorer 1 shows that the RIMS detector generally measured the isotropic background in both sunlight and eclipse in the plasma-sphere. Absolute density measurements for the ''hidden'' ion population are obtained for the first time using the plasma wave instrument observations of the upper hybrid resonance. Agreement in total density is found in sunlight and eclipse measurements at densities above 80 cm -3 . In eclipse, agreement is found at densities as low as 20 cm -3 . The isotropic plasma composition is primarily H + , with approx.10% He + , and 0.1 to 1.0% O + . A low energy field-aligned ion population appears in eclipse measurements outside the plasmasphere, which is obscured in sunlight. These field-aligned ions can be interpreted as field-aligned flows with densities of a few particles per cubic centimeter, flowing at 5-20 km/s. The problem in measuring these field-aligned flows in sunlight is the masking of the high energy tail of the field-aligned distribution by the isotropic background. Effective measurement of the core of the magnetospheric plasma distribution awaits satellites with active means of controlling the satellite potential

THE STRUCTRUE PRINCIPLE AND DEVELOPMENT ANALYSIS OF TOTAL STATION%全站仪结构原理与发展分析

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

王刚

2013-01-01

全站仪作为当前最常用的测量仪器，在测量工作中有着不可或缺的地位。为了更好地掌握全站仪，使用全站仪，有必要了解全站仪的结构及其发展方向，在工程许可下进一步提高全站仪的利用率。本文在介绍全站仪的特点、功能、精度等级划分及结构原理的基础上，重点研究了全站仪在当今测量工作中的现状、前景及发展方向。%The total station as the most commonly used measuring instrument,plays an indispensable role in the measurement work. In order to grasp the total station instrument better,using total station,we need to understand the structure and development direction of total station instrument,in which further improve the utilization of the total station instrument engineering approval rate.In this paper,the characteristics of the function of total station instrument,the accuracy of classification and structure principle and so on,current situation,focus on the total station in the surveying work in the future and developing direction.

A comparative review of measurement instruments to inform and evaluate effectiveness of disability inclusive development.

Science.gov (United States)

Goujon, Nicolas; Devine, Alexandra; Baker, Sally M; Sprunt, Beth; Edmonds, Tanya J; Booth, Jennifer K; Keeffe, Jill E

2014-01-01

A review of existing measurement instruments was conducted to examine their suitability to measure disability prevalence and assess quality of life, protection of disability rights and community participation by people with disabilities, specifically within the context of development programs in low and middle-income countries. From a search of PubMed and the grey literature, potentially relevant measurement instruments were identified and examined for their content and psychometric properties, where possible. Criteria for inclusion were: based on the WHO's International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF), used quantitative methods, suitable for population-based studies of disability inclusive development in English and published after 1990. Characteristics of existing instruments were analysed according to components of the ICF and quality of life domains. Ten instruments were identified and reviewed according to the criteria listed above. Each version of instruments was analysed separately. Only three instruments included a component on quality of life. Domains from the ICF that were addressed by some but not all instruments included the environment, technology and communication. The measurement instruments reviewed covered the range of elements required to measure disability-inclusion within development contexts. However no single measurement instrument has the capacity to measure both disability prevalence and changes in quality of life according to contemporary disability paradigms. The review of measurement instruments supports the need for developing an instrument specifically intended to measure disability inclusive practice within development programs. Implications for Rehabilitation Surveys and tools are needed to plan disability inclusive development. Existing measurement tools to determine prevalence of disability, wellbeing, rights and access to the community were reviewed. No single validated tool exists for population

Population Trends and the Status of Population Policy in Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Rogge, John R.

1982-01-01

The major trend towards worldwide easing of the birthrate does not include the current population patterns in Africa. The population policies of African nations range along a continuum from totally pronatal to strongly antinatal. However, even antinatal policies have had little effect on the overall spiralling upward population trend. (JA)

POPULATION Total Population NMHD 2000

Data.gov (United States)

Earth Data Analysis Center, University of New Mexico — The 2006 Second Edition TIGER/Line files are an extract of selected geographic and cartographic information from the Census TIGER database. The geographic coverage...

POPULATION Total Population CTs 2000

Data.gov (United States)

Earth Data Analysis Center, University of New Mexico — TIGER, TIGER/Line, and Census TIGER are registered trademarks of the Bureau of the Census. The Redistricting Census 2000 TIGER/Line files are an extract of selected...

POPULATION Total Population BGs 2000

Data.gov (United States)

Earth Data Analysis Center, University of New Mexico — TIGER, TIGER/Line, and Census TIGER are registered trademarks of the Bureau of the Census. The Redistricting Census 2000 TIGER/Line files are an extract of selected...

POPULATION Total Population COS 2000

Data.gov (United States)

Earth Data Analysis Center, University of New Mexico — TIGER, TIGER/Line, and Census TIGER are registered trademarks of the Bureau of the Census. The Redistricting Census 2000 TIGER/Line files are an extract of selected...

POPULATION Total Population NMSD 2000

Data.gov (United States)

Earth Data Analysis Center, University of New Mexico — The 2006 Second Edition TIGER/Line files are an extract of selected geographic and cartographic information from the Census TIGER database. The geographic coverage...

Psychometric properties of assessment instruments for autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review of Brazilian studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bárbara Backes

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Objective To systematically review the scientific literature on the psychometric properties of international instruments for the assessment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD in the Brazilian population. Methods A search of bibliographic references was conducted in six electronic databases: PsycINFO, PubMed, IndexPsi, Lilacs, Capes (theses and dissertations and SciELO. The studies were selected by two independent researchers. Results The procedure identified 11 studies of the Brazilian population that encompassed six ASD assessment tools. Given the information provided, the adaptation of the M-CHAT, a screening instrument, was the best conducted. All steps of the adaptation process were described and the changes made to the final version of the instrument were presented, which was not addressed in other studies. In terms of reliability, all of the instruments that assessed internal consistency showed adequate values. In addition, the ADI-R and the CARS adaptations also satisfactorily contemplated inter-rater reliability and test-retest indices, respectively. Finally, all studies aiming to validate instruments showed evidence of validity and sensitivity, and specificity values above 0.90 were observed in the ASQ, ADI-R and ABC. Conclusion Considering both the psychometric aspects and the copyright information, the screening instrument that currently appears to be best indicated for clinical and research use is the M-CHAT. It was also noticed that there are still no specific ASD diagnostic tools available for use in Brazil. This lack of diagnostic instruments consists in a critical situation for the improvement of clinical practice and the development of research in this area.

Intercomparison of two comparative reactivity method instruments inf the Mediterranean basin during summer 2013

Science.gov (United States)

Zannoni, N.; Dusanter, S.; Gros, V.; Sarda Esteve, R.; Michoud, V.; Sinha, V.; Locoge, N.; Bonsang, B.

2015-09-01

The hydroxyl radical (OH) plays a key role in the atmosphere, as it initiates most of the oxidation processes of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and can ultimately lead to the formation of ozone and secondary organic aerosols (SOAs). There are still uncertainties associated with the OH budget assessed using current models of atmospheric chemistry and direct measurements of OH sources and sinks have proved to be valuable tools to improve our understanding of the OH chemistry. The total first order loss rate of OH, or total OH reactivity, can be directly measured using three different methods, such as the following: total OH loss rate measurement, laser-induced pump and probe technique and comparative reactivity method. Observations of total OH reactivity are usually coupled to individual measurements of reactive compounds in the gas phase, which are used to calculate the OH reactivity. Studies using the three methods have highlighted that a significant fraction of OH reactivity is often not explained by individually measured reactive compounds and could be associated to unmeasured or unknown chemical species. Therefore accurate and reproducible measurements of OH reactivity are required. The comparative reactivity method (CRM) has demonstrated to be an advantageous technique with an extensive range of applications, and for this reason it has been adopted by several research groups since its development. However, this method also requires careful corrections to derive ambient OH reactivity. Herein we present an intercomparison exercise of two CRM instruments, CRM-LSCE (Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement) and CRM-MD (Mines Douai), conducted during July 2013 at the Mediterranean site of Ersa, Cape Corsica, France. The intercomparison exercise included tests to assess the corrections needed by the two instruments to process the raw data sets as well as OH reactivity observations. The observation was divided in three parts: 2 days of plant

Mark-resight approach as a tool to estimate population size of one of the world’s smallest goose populations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clausen, Kevin Kuhlmann; Fælled, Casper Cæsar; Clausen, Preben

2013-01-01

The present study investigates the use of a mark–resight procedure to estimate total population size in a local goose population. Using colour-ring sightings of the increasingly scattered population of Light-bellied Brent Geese Branta bernicla hrota from their Danish staging areas, we estimate...... a total population size of 7845 birds (95% CI: 7252–8438). This is in good agreement with numbers obtained from total counts, emphasizing that this population, although steadily increasing, is still small compared with historic numbers....

A new fully automated FTIR system for total column measurements of greenhouse gases

Science.gov (United States)

Geibel, M. C.; Gerbig, C.; Feist, D. G.

2010-10-01

This article introduces a new fully automated FTIR system that is part of the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON). It will provide continuous ground-based measurements of column-averaged volume mixing ratio for CO2, CH4 and several other greenhouse gases in the tropics. Housed in a 20-foot shipping container it was developed as a transportable system that could be deployed almost anywhere in the world. We describe the automation concept which relies on three autonomous subsystems and their interaction. Crucial components like a sturdy and reliable solar tracker dome are described in detail. The automation software employs a new approach relying on multiple processes, database logging and web-based remote control. First results of total column measurements at Jena, Germany show that the instrument works well and can provide parts of the diurnal as well as seasonal cycle for CO2. Instrument line shape measurements with an HCl cell suggest that the instrument stays well-aligned over several months. After a short test campaign for side by side intercomaprison with an existing TCCON instrument in Australia, the system will be transported to its final destination Ascension Island.

Selected nondestructive assay instrumentation for an international safeguards system at uranium enrichment plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tape, J.W.; Baker, M.P.; Strittmatter, R.; Jain, M.; Evans, M.L.

1979-01-01

A selected set of nondestructive assay instruments for an international safeguards system at uranium enrichment plants is currently under development. These instruments are of three types: in-line enrichment meters for feed, product, and tails streams; area radiation monitors for direct detection of high-enriched uranium production, and an enrichment meter for spent alumina trap material. The current status of the development of each of these instruments is discussed, with supporting data, as well as the role each would play in a total international safeguards system. 5 figures

Development and Validation of Mechanical Engineering Trade Skills Assessment Instrument for Sustainable Job Security in Yobe State

Science.gov (United States)

Adamu, Gishua Garba; Dawha, Josphine Musa; Kamar, Tiamiyu Salihu

2015-01-01

Mechanical Engineering Trade Skills Assessment Instrument (METSAI) is aimed at determining the extent to which students have acquired practical skills before graduation that will enable them get employment for sustainable job security in Yobe state. The study employed instrumentation research design. The populations of the study were 23 mechanical…

OECD/CSNI specialist meeting on advanced instrumentation and measurements techniques: summary and conclusions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

This specialist meeting on Advanced Instrumentation and Measurements Techniques was held in Santa Barbara (USA) in 1997 and attracted some 70 participants in ten technical sessions and a session of the round table discussions, with a total of 41 papers. It was intended to bring together the international experts in multi-phase flow instrumentation, experiment and modeling to review the state-of-the-art of the two-phase flow instrumentation methods and to discuss the relation between modeling needs and instrumentation capabilities. The following topics were included: Modeling needs and future direction for improved constitutive relations, interfacial area transport equation, and multi-dimensional two-fluid model formulation; local instrumentation developments for void fraction, interfacial area, phase velocities, turbulence, entrainment, particle size, thermal non-equilibrium, shear stress, nucleation, condensation and boiling; global instrumentation developments for void fraction, mass flow, two-phase level, non-condensable concentration, flow regimes, low flow and break flow; relation between modeling needs and instrumentation capabilities, future directions for experiments focused on modeling needs and for instrumentation developments

Quality of Work: Validation of a New Instrument in Three Languages.

Science.gov (United States)

Steffgen, Georges; Kohl, Diane; Reese, Gerhard; Happ, Christian; Sischka, Philipp

2015-11-26

A new instrument to measure quality of work was developed in three languages (German, French and Luxembourgish) and validated in a study of employees working in Luxembourg. A representative sample (n = 1529) was taken and exploratory factor analysis revealed a six-factor solution for the 21-item instrument (satisfaction and respect, mobbing, mental strain at work, cooperation, communication and feedback, and appraisal). Reliability analysis showed satisfying reliability for all six factors and the total questionnaire. In order to examine the construct validity of the new instrument, regression analyses were conducted to test whether the instrument predicted work characteristics’ influence on three components of well-being -- burnout, psychological stress and maladaptive coping behaviors. The present validation offers a trilingual inventory for measuring quality of work that may be used, for example, as an assessment tool or for testing the effectiveness of interventions.

Assessment on Hybrid E-Learning Instrument

OpenAIRE

Intan Farahana Kamsin; Rosseni Din

2015-01-01

This study aims to improve Hybrid e-Learning 9.3. A total of 233 students of International Islamic University Malaysia, Gombak who have the experience in hybrid teaching and learning were involved as respondents. Rasch Measurement Model was used for this study. Validity analyses conducted were on (i) the compatibility of the items, (ii) mapping of items and respondents, (iii) scaling of instruments, and (iv) unidimentional items. The findings of the study show that (i) the items developed cor...

WATCH: Warwick Assessment insTrument for Clinical teacHing: Development and testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Haider, Sonia Ijaz; Johnson, Neil; Thistlethwaite, Jill Elizabeth; Fagan, Gay; Bari, Muhammad Furqan

2015-03-01

Medical education and teaching skills are core competencies included in the generic curriculum for specialty training. To support the development of these skills, there is need for a validated instrument. This study aims to develop and test an instrument to measure the attributes of specialty trainees as effective teachers. The study was conducted in two phases. In first phase, the content of the instrument was generated from the literature and tested using the Delphi technique. In second phase, the instrument was field tested for validity and reliability using factor analysis and generalizability study. Feasibility was calculated by the time taken to complete the instrument. Acceptability and educational impact were determined by qualitative analysis of written feedback. Attributes of specialty trainees were assessed by clinical supervisors, peers, and students. The Delphi study produced consensus on 15 statements which formed the basis of the instrument. In field study, a total of 415 instruments were completed. Factor analysis demonstrated a three-factor solution ('learning-teaching milieu', 'teaching skills', and 'learner-orientated'). A generalizability coefficient was 0.92. Mean time to complete the instrument was five minutes. Feedback indicated that it was an acceptable and useful method of assessment. This new instrument provides valid, reliable, feasible, and acceptable assessment of clinical teaching.

Multi point of care instrument evaluation for use in anti-retroviral clinics in South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Gounden, Verena; George, Jaya

2012-01-01

South Africa has the largest prevalence of HIV infected individuals in the world. The introduction of point of care testing to anti-retroviral (ARV) clinic sites is hoped to fast track initiation of patients on ARVs and to allow for earlier recognition of adverse effects such as dyslipidaemia, renal and hepatic dysfunction. We evaluated six instruments for the following analytes: glucose, lactate, creatinine, cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, alanine transaminase (ALT), and glycated haemoglobin. Comparisons with the central laboratory analyser were performed as well as precision studies. A scoring system was developed by the authors to evaluate the instruments in terms of analytical performance, cost, ease of use, and other operational characteristics. As one of the goals of the placement of these instruments was that their operation was simple enough to be used by non-laboratory staff, ease of use contributed a large proportion to the final scoring. Analytical performance of the POC analysers were generally similar, however, there were significant differences in operational characteristics and ease of use. Bias for the different analytes when compared to the laboratory analyser ranged from -27% to 14%. Calculated total errors for all analytes except for HDL cholesterol were within total allowable error recommendations. The two instruments (Roche Reflotron and Cholestech LDX) with the highest overall total points achieved the highest scores for ease of use. This pilot study has led to the development of a scoring system for the evaluation of POC instruments.

DEVELOPING OF INDIVIDUAL INSTRUMENT PERFORMANCE ANXIETY SCALE: VALIDITY - RELIABILITY STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esra DALKIRAN

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to develop a scale unique to our culture, concerning  individual instrument performance anxiety of the students  who are getting instrument training  in the Department of Music Education. In the study, the descriptive research model is used and qualitative research techniques are utilized. The study population consists of the students attending the 23 universities which has Music Education Department. The sample of the study consists of 438 girls and 312 boys, totally 750 students  who are studying in the Department of Music Education of randomly selected 10 universities. As a result of the explanatory and confirmatory factor analyses that were performed, a one-dimensional structure consisting of 14 items was obtained. Also, t-scores and  the coefficient scores of total item correlation concerning the distinguishing power of the items, the difference in the scores of the set of lower and upper 27% was calculated, and it was observed that the items are distinguishing as a result of both analyses. Of the scale, Cronbach's alpha coefficient of internal consistency was calculated as .94, and test-retest reliability coefficient was calculated as .93. As a result, a valid and reliable assessment and evaluation instrument that measures the exam performance anxiety of the students studying in the Department of Music Education, has been developed.Extended AbstractsIntroductionAnxiety is a universal phenomenon which people experience once or a few times during lives. It was accepted as concern for the future or as an unpleasant emotional experience regarding probable hitches of the events (Di Tomasso & Gosch, 2002.In general, the occasions on which negative feelings are experienced cause anxiety to arise (Baltaş and Baltaş, 2000. People also feel anxious in dangerous situations. Anxiety may lead a person to be creative, while it may have hindering characteristics. Anxiety is that an individual considers him

Prediction of wood mechanical and chemical properties in the presence and absence of blue stain using two near infrared instruments

Science.gov (United States)

Brian K. Via; Chi-Leung So; Todd F. Shupe; Lori G. Eckhardt; Michael Stine; Leslie H. Groom

2005-01-01

The objective of this research was to (a) determine if blue stain in solid wood influenced calibration equations developed from a nonstained wood population, (b) assess the bias introduced when scanning was performed by the slave instrument without calibration transfer from the master instrument and (c) partition absorbance-based variation by instrument, stain and...

Social life factors affecting the mortality, longevity, and birth rate of total Japanese population: effects of rapid industrialization and urbanization.

Science.gov (United States)

Araki, S; Uchida, E; Murata, K

1990-12-01

employment were positively related to the birth rate. The birth rate is higher in rural areas. Mortality of professional, engineering, and administrative workers was slightly lower than the total working population, while sales workers, those in farming, fishing, and forestry, and in personal and domestic service had significantly higher mortality. The mortality of the nonworking population was 6-8 times higher than sales, transportation, and communication, and personal and domestic service as well as the total population.

Development and Validation of the Spanish Numeracy Understanding in Medicine Instrument.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobs, Elizabeth A; Walker, Cindy M; Miller, Tamara; Fletcher, Kathlyn E; Ganschow, Pamela S; Imbert, Diana; O'Connell, Maria; Neuner, Joan M; Schapira, Marilyn M

2016-11-01

The Spanish-speaking population in the U.S. is large and growing and is known to have lower health literacy than the English-speaking population. Less is known about the health numeracy of this population due to a lack of health numeracy measures in Spanish. we aimed to develop and validate a short and easy to use measure of health numeracy for Spanish-speaking adults: the Spanish Numeracy Understanding in Medicine Instrument (Spanish-NUMi). Items were generated based on qualitative studies in English- and Spanish-speaking adults and translated into Spanish using a group translation and consensus process. Candidate items for the Spanish NUMi were selected from an eight-item validated English Short NUMi. Differential Item Functioning (DIF) was conducted to evaluate equivalence between English and Spanish items. Cronbach's alpha was computed as a measure of reliability and a Pearson's correlation was used to evaluate the association between test scores and the Spanish Test of Functional Health Literacy (S-TOFHLA) and education level. Two-hundred and thirty-two Spanish-speaking Chicago residents were included in the study. The study population was diverse in age, gender, and level of education and 70 % reported Mexico as their country of origin. Two items of the English eight-item Short NUMi demonstrated DIF and were dropped. The resulting six-item test had a Cronbach's alpha of 0.72, a range of difficulty using classical test statistics (percent correct: 0.48 to 0.86), and adequate discrimination (item-total score correlation: 0.34-0.49). Scores were positively correlated with print literacy as measured by the S- TOFHLA (r = 0.67; p Spanish NUMi is a reliable and valid measure of important numerical concepts used in communicating health information.

Effects of diffusion on total biomass in heterogeneous continuous and discrete-patch systems

Science.gov (United States)

DeAngelis, Donald L.; Ming Ni, Wei; Zhang, Bo

2016-01-01

Theoretical models of populations on a system of two connected patches previously have shown that when the two patches differ in maximum growth rate and carrying capacity, and in the limit of high diffusion, conditions exist for which the total population size at equilibrium exceeds that of the ideal free distribution, which predicts that the total population would equal the total carrying capacity of the two patches. However, this result has only been shown for the Pearl-Verhulst growth function on two patches and for a single-parameter growth function in continuous space. Here, we provide a general criterion for total population size to exceed total carrying capacity for three commonly used population growth rates for both heterogeneous continuous and multi-patch heterogeneous landscapes with high population diffusion. We show that a sufficient condition for this situation is that there is a convex positive relationship between the maximum growth rate and the parameter that, by itself or together with the maximum growth rate, determines the carrying capacity, as both vary across a spatial region. This relationship occurs in some biological populations, though not in others, so the result has ecological implications.

Instrument intercomparison in the high-energy mixed field at the CERN-EU reference field (CERF) facility

CERN Document Server

Caresana, Marco; Manessi, Giacomo; Ott, Klaus; Scherpelz, Robert; Silari, Marco

2014-01-01

This paper discusses an intercomparison campaign performed in the mixed radiation field at the CERN-EU (CERF) reference field facility. Various instruments were employed: conventional and extended-range rem counters including a novel instrument called LUPIN, a bubble detector using an active counting system (ABC 1260) and two tissue-equivalent proportional counters (TEPCs). The results show that the extended range instruments agree well within their uncertainties and within 1σ with the H*(10) FLUKA value. The conventional rem counters are in good agreement within their uncertainties and underestimate H*(10) as measured by the extended range instruments and as predicted by FLUKA. The TEPCs slightly overestimate the FLUKA value but they are anyhow consistent with it when taking the comparatively large total uncertainties into account, and indicate that the non-neutron part of the stray field accounts for ∼30 % of the total H*(10).

Validation of online psychometric instruments for common mental health disorders: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

van Ballegooijen, Wouter; Riper, Heleen; Cuijpers, Pim; van Oppen, Patricia; Smit, Johannes H

2016-02-25

Online questionnaires for measuring common mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders are increasingly used. The psychometrics of several pen-and-paper questionnaires have been re-examined for online use and new online instruments have been developed and tested for validity as well. This study aims to review and synthesise the literature on this subject and provide a framework for future research. We searched Medline and PsycINFO for psychometric studies on online instruments for common mental health disorders and extracted the psychometric data. Studies were coded and assessed for quality by independent raters. We included 56 studies on 62 online instruments. For common instruments such as the CES-D, MADRS-S and HADS there is mounting evidence for adequate psychometric properties. Further results are scattered over different instruments and different psychometric characteristics. Few studies included patient populations. We found at least one online measure for each of the included mental health disorders and symptoms. A small number of online questionnaires have been studied thoroughly. This study provides an overview of online instruments to refer to when choosing an instrument for assessing common mental health disorders online, and can structure future psychometric research.

Psychometric evaluation of a new instrument to measure disease self-management of the early stage chronic kidney disease patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Chiu-Chu; Wu, Chia-Chen; Wu, Li-Min; Chen, Hsing-Mei; Chang, Shu-Chen

2013-04-01

This study aims to develop a valid and reliable chronic kidney disease self-management instrument (CKD-SM) for assessing early stage chronic kidney disease patients' self-management behaviours. Enhancing early stage chronic kidney disease patients' self-management plays a key role in delaying the progression of chronic kidney disease. Healthcare provider understanding of early stage chronic kidney disease patients' self-management behaviours can help develop effective interventions. A valid and reliable instrument for measuring chronic kidney disease patients' self-management behaviours is needed. A cross-sectional descriptive study collected data for principal components analysis with oblique rotation. Mandarin- or Taiwanese-speaking adults with chronic kidney disease (n=252) from two medical centres and one regional hospital in Southern Taiwan completed the CKD-SM. Construct validity was evaluated by exploratory factor analysis. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were estimated by Cronbach's alpha and Pearson correlation coefficients. Four factors were extracted and labelled self-integration, problem-solving, seeking social support and adherence to recommended regimen. The four factors accounted for 60.51% of the total variance. Each factor showed acceptable internal reliability with Cronbach's alpha from 0.77-0.92. The test-retest correlations for the CKD-SM was 0.72. The psychometric quality of the CKD-SM instrument was satisfactory. Research to conduct a confirmatory factor analysis to further validate this new instrument's construct validity is recommended. The CKD-SM instrument is useful for clinicians who wish to identify the problems with self-management among chronic kidney disease patients early. Self-management assessment will be helpful to develop intervention tailored to the needs of the chronic kidney disease population. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

EQ-5D-3L as a health measure of Brazilian adult population.

Science.gov (United States)

Menezes, Renata de Miranda; Andrade, Mônica Viegas; Noronha, Kenya Valéria Micaela de Souza; Kind, Paul

2015-11-01

This study explores the use of EQ-5D-3L as a measure of population health status in a Brazilian region with significant socioeconomic, demographic, and epidemiological heterogeneity. Data came from a study of 3363 literate individuals aged between 18 and 64 years living in urban areas of the state of Minas Gerais. Descriptive analysis and logistic and OLS regression models were performed to analyze the relationship between EQ-5D-3L (descriptive system and EQ VAS) and other health (self-assessed health status and 8 self-reported diagnosed chronic diseases), socioeconomic (educational level and economic class), and demographic (gender and age) measures. Additionally, a grade of membership (GoM) analysis was performed to identify multidimensional health profiles. A total of 76 health statuses were identified in the Brazilian population. The most prevalent one is full health (44 % of the sample). Elderly people, women, and individuals with poor health and lower socioeconomic conditions generally report more health problems in the EQ-5D-3L dimensions. The GoM analysis demonstrated that health status of older individuals is associated with the socioeconomic condition. Arthritis exhibited the strongest association with the EQ-5D-3L instrument. The results indicate that EQ-5D-3L is a good measure of health status for the Brazilian population. The instrument has a good discriminatory capacity in terms of demographic, socioeconomic, and health measures. The high prevalence of individuals with full health may indicate the presence of ceiling effect. However, this prevalence is smaller than that in other countries.

Response of Nuclear Power Plant Instrumentation Cables Exposed to Fire Conditions.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muna, Alice Baca [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); LaFleur, Chris Bensdotter [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Brooks, Dusty Marie [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-09-01

This report presents the results of instrumentation cable tests sponsored by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research and performed at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). The goal of the tests was to assess thermal and electrical response behavior under fire-exposure conditions for instrumentation cables and circuits. The test objective was to assess how severe radiant heating conditions surrounding an instrumentation cable affect current or voltage signals in an instrumentation circuit. A total of thirty-nine small-scale tests were conducted. Ten different instrumentation cables were tested, ranging from one conductor to eight-twisted pairs. Because the focus of the tests was thermoset (TS) cables, only two of the ten cables had thermoplastic (TP) insulation and jacket material and the remaining eight cables were one of three different TS insulation and jacket material. Two instrumentation cables from previous cable fire testing were included, one TS and one TP. Three test circuits were used to simulate instrumentation circuits present in nuclear power plants: a 4–20 mA current loop, a 10–50 mA current loop and a 1–5 VDC voltage loop. A regression analysis was conducted to determine key variables affecting signal leakage time.

Biomechanical demands on posterior fusion instrumentation during lordosis restoration procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, Calvin C; Martin, Audrey; Telles, Connor; Leasure, Jeremi; Iezza, Alex; Ames, Christopher; Kondrashov, Dimitriy

2016-09-01

OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to investigate the forces placed on posterior fusion instrumentation by 3 commonly used intraoperative techniques to restore lumbar lordosis: 1) cantilever bending; 2) in situ bending; and 3) compression and/or distraction of screws along posterior fusion rods. METHODS Five cadaveric torsos were instrumented with pedicle screws at the L1-5 levels. Specimens underwent each of the 3 lordosis restoration procedures. The pedicle screw pullout force was monitored in real time via strain gauges that were mounted unilaterally at each level. The degree of correction was noted through fluoroscopic imaging. The peak loads experienced on the screws during surgery, total demand on instrumentation, and resting loads after corrective maneuvers were measured. RESULTS A mean overall lordotic correction of 10.9 ± 4.7° was achieved. No statistically significant difference in lordotic correction was observed between restoration procedures. In situ bending imparted the largest loads intraoperatively with an average of 1060 ± 599.9 N, followed by compression/distraction (971 ± 534.1 N) and cantilever bending (705 ± 413.0 N). In situ bending produced the largest total demand and postoperative loads at L-1 (1879 ± 1064.1 and 487 ± 118.8 N, respectively), which were statistically higher than cantilever bending and compression/distraction (786 ± 272.1 and 138 ± 99.2 N, respectively). CONCLUSIONS In situ bending resulted in the highest mechanical demand on posterior lumbar instrumentation, as well as the largest postoperative loads at L-1. These results suggest that the forces generated with in situ bending indicate a greater chance of intraoperative instrumentation failure and postoperative proximal pedicle screw pullout when compared with cantilever bending and/or compression/distraction options. The results are aimed at optimizing correction and fusion strategies in lordosis restoration cases.

Instrument performance evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swinth, K.L.

1993-03-01

Deficiencies exist in both the performance and the quality of health physics instruments. Recognizing the implications of such deficiencies for the protection of workers and the public, in the early 1980s the DOE and the NRC encouraged the development of a performance standard and established a program to test a series of instruments against criteria in the standard. The purpose of the testing was to establish the practicality of the criteria in the standard, to determine the performance of a cross section of available instruments, and to establish a testing capability. Over 100 instruments were tested, resulting in a practical standard and an understanding of the deficiencies in available instruments. In parallel with the instrument testing, a value-impact study clearly established the benefits of implementing a formal testing program. An ad hoc committee also met several times to establish recommendations for the voluntary implementation of a testing program based on the studies and the performance standard. For several reasons, a formal program did not materialize. Ongoing tests and studies have supported the development of specific instruments and have helped specific clients understand the performance of their instruments. The purpose of this presentation is to trace the history of instrument testing to date and suggest the benefits of a centralized formal program

Development and validation of a trustworthy multisource feedback instrument to support nurse appraisals.

Science.gov (United States)

Crossley, James G M

2015-01-01

Nurse appraisal is well established in the Western world because of its obvious educational advantages. Appraisal works best with many sources of information on performance. Multisource feedback (MSF) is widely used in business and in other clinical disciplines to provide such information. It has also been incorporated into nursing appraisals, but, so far, none of the instruments in use for nurses has been validated. We set out to develop an instrument aligned with the UK Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) and to evaluate its reliability and feasibility across a wide hospital-based nursing population. The KSF framework provided a content template. Focus groups developed an instrument based on consensus. The instrument was administered to all the nursing staff in 2 large NHS hospitals forming a single trust in London, England. We used generalizability analysis to estimate reliability, response rates and unstructured interviews to evaluate feasibility, and factor structure and correlation studies to evaluate validity. On a voluntary basis the response rate was moderate (60%). A failure to engage with information technology and employment-related concerns were commonly cited as reasons for not responding. In this population, 11 responses provided a profile with sufficient reliability to inform appraisal (G = 0.7). Performance on the instrument was closely and significantly correlated with performance on a KSF questionnaire. This is the first contemporary psychometric evaluation of an MSF instrument for nurses. MSF appears to be as valid and reliable as an assessment method to inform appraisal in nurses as it is in other health professional groups. © 2015 The Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions, the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education, and the Council on Continuing Medical Education, Association for Hospital Medical Education.

Quality of Work: Validation of a New Instrument in Three Languages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Georges Steffgen

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Introduction and objective: A new instrument to measure quality of work was developed in three languages (German, French and Luxembourgish and validated in a study of employees working in Luxembourg. Methods and results: A representative sample (n = 1529 was taken and exploratory factor analysis revealed a six-factor solution for the 21-item instrument (satisfaction and respect, mobbing, mental strain at work, cooperation, communication and feedback, and appraisal. Reliability analysis showed satisfying reliability for all six factors and the total questionnaire. In order to examine the construct validity of the new instrument, regression analyses were conducted to test whether the instrument predicted work characteristics’ influence on three components of well-being—burnout, psychological stress and maladaptive coping behaviors. Conclusion: The present validation offers a trilingual inventory for measuring quality of work that may be used, for example, as an assessment tool or for testing the effectiveness of interventions.

Quality of Work: Validation of a New Instrument in Three Languages

Science.gov (United States)

Steffgen, Georges; Kohl, Diane; Reese, Gerhard; Happ, Christian; Sischka, Philipp

2015-01-01

Introduction and objective: A new instrument to measure quality of work was developed in three languages (German, French and Luxembourgish) and validated in a study of employees working in Luxembourg. Methods and results: A representative sample (n = 1529) was taken and exploratory factor analysis revealed a six-factor solution for the 21-item instrument (satisfaction and respect, mobbing, mental strain at work, cooperation, communication and feedback, and appraisal). Reliability analysis showed satisfying reliability for all six factors and the total questionnaire. In order to examine the construct validity of the new instrument, regression analyses were conducted to test whether the instrument predicted work characteristics’ influence on three components of well-being—burnout, psychological stress and maladaptive coping behaviors. Conclusion: The present validation offers a trilingual inventory for measuring quality of work that may be used, for example, as an assessment tool or for testing the effectiveness of interventions. PMID:26703634

Food-related life styles in Singapore: Testing a Western European research instrument in Southeast Asia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Askegaard, Søren; Brunsø, Karen; Crippen, Kaye

The food-related life style instrument developed by the MAPP research group has, up til now, been applied mainly in the context of European cultures. The purpose of the present study is to apply the food-related life style instrument in a new and very different cultural setting, to compare results......, and to interpret similarities and differences found. For this purpose, data have been collected in Singaporean families using the food-related life style instrument. A total of 89 questionnaires form the basis of the analysis. First, the cross-cultural validity of the instrument is tested, and secondly...

Cross-cultural adaptation, validation, and reliability of the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire among Persian population.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebrahimzadeh, Mohammad H; Birjandinejad, Ali; Kachooei, Amir Reza

2015-01-01

We aimed to validate a cross-culturally adapted version of the Persian Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (MHOQ). We followed the Beaton's guideline to translate the questionnaire to Persian. We administered the final version to 223 patients among which 79 patients returned 3 days later to respond to the Persian MHOQ for the second time. In the first visit, respondents also filled the Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand (DASH) and rated the pain based on the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Cronbach's alpha for the total MHOQ was 0.79 which showed good internal consistency. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for the total MHOQ was 0.84 which demonstrated good reliability between test and retest. The absolute correlation coefficient between total MHOQ and the DASH was as high as 0.74. Persian version of the MHOQ proved to be a reliable and valid instrument to be implemented among Persian population with the hand and wrist disorders.

Development, reliability and validity of the psychosocial adaptation scale for Parkinson's disease in Chinese population.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Tingting; Yin, Anchun; Sun, Xiaohong; Liu, Qigui; Song, Guirong; Li, Lianhong

2015-01-01

To develop psychosocial adaptation scale for Parkinson's disease (PD) in Chinese population and evaluate its reliability and validity. The items were designed by literature review, expert consultation and semi-structured interview. The methods of corrected item-total correlation, discrimination analysis and exploratory factor analysis were used for items selection. 427 valid scales from PD patients were collected in the study to test the reliability and validity. The scale incorporated six dimensions: anxiety, self-esteem, attitude, self-acceptance, self-efficacy and social support, a total of 32 items. The scale possessed good internal consistency. The test-retest correlation coefficient was 0.99 and average content validation rate was 0.97. The Hoehn and Yahr stage were correlated with total score of the scale. The psychosocial adaptation scale in this study showed good reliability and validity, it can be used as a reliable and valid instrument to evaluate the psychosocial adaptation of PD objectively and effectively.

Analysis of defects in ProTaper hand-operated instruments after clinical use.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Ya; Bian, Zhuan; Cheung, Gary Shun-pan; Peng, Bin

2007-03-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the type and location of defects observed in ProTaper for Hand Use (PHU) instruments after routine clinical use. We analyzed a total of 401 PHUs discarded from an endodontic clinic over a 17-month period. Those failed instruments were examined on the lateral and fractographic surface by scanning electron microscope. Of the 86 PHUs that showed discernible defects, 28 were intact but partially unwound, and 58 were fractured (36 because of shear and 22 from fatigue failure). The primary characteristic of shear failure was the presence of a skewed dimple and/or tear ridge, a typical pattern developed because of a combination of various loads. Nearly 74% of the instruments with defects exhibited shear damage. About three-quarters of the instrument fractures occurred in the apical one-third of the canal, mostly in molars. The results of this study indicated that most PHU instruments fail because of either shear or fatigue.

Nuclear instrumentation system for the integrated digital I and C system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isobe, Yuji; Nakamura, Shingo

2005-01-01

Development of a new nuclear instrumentation (NI) system has been done. The new system is suitable for the digital instrumentation and control (I and C) systems. Higher reliability and lower development costs have been achieved by applying good performance circuits with sufficient experience of the conventional NI system. Human-system interface (HSI) and maintainability have been improved comparing with the conventional NI system because of the partial digitalisation. The new NI system has been manufactured and validated. We are finally verifying the total performance now

Nuclear instrumentation system for the integrated digital I and C system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Isobe, Yuji [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Tokyo (Japan); Nakamura, Shingo [Mitsubishi, Electric Corporation, Tokyo (Japan)

2005-11-15

Development of a new nuclear instrumentation (NI) system has been done. The new system is suitable for the digital instrumentation and control (I and C) systems. Higher reliability and lower development costs have been achieved by applying good performance circuits with sufficient experience of the conventional NI system. Human-system interface (HSI) and maintainability have been improved comparing with the conventional NI system because of the partial digitalisation. The new NI system has been manufactured and validated. We are finally verifying the total performance now.

Instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Decreton, M.

2000-01-01

SCK-CEN's research and development programme on instrumentation aims at evaluating the potentials of new instrumentation technologies under the severe constraints of a nuclear application. It focuses on the tolerance of sensors to high radiation doses, including optical fibre sensors, and on the related intelligent data processing needed to cope with the nuclear constraints. Main achievements in these domains in 1999 are summarised

Derivative financial instruments and nonprofit health care providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Louis J; Owhoso, Vincent

2004-01-01

This article examines the extent of derivative financial instrument use among US nonprofit health systems and the impact of these financial instruments on their cash flows, reported operating results, and financial risks. Our examination is conducted through a case study of New Jersey hospitals and health systems. We review the existing literature on interest rate derivative instruments and US hospitals and health systems. This literature describes the design of these derivative financial instruments and the theoretical benefits of their use by large health care provider organizations. Our contribution to the literature is to provide an empirical evaluation of derivative financial instruments usage among a geographically limited sample of US nonprofit health systems. We reviewed the audited financial statements of the 49 community hospitals and multi-hospital health systems operating in the state of New Jersey. We found that 8 percent of New Jersey's nonprofit health providers utilized interest rate derivatives with an aggregate principle value of $229 million. These derivative users combine interest rate swaps and caps to lower the effective interest costs of their long-term debt while limiting their exposure to future interest rate increases. In addition, while derivative assets and liabilities have an immaterial balance sheet impact, derivative related gains and losses are a material component of their reported operating results. We also found that derivative usage among these four health systems was responsible for generating positive cash flows in the range of 1 percent to 2 percent of their total 2001 cash flows from operations. As a result of our admittedly limited samples we conclude that interest rate swaps and caps are effective risk management tools. However, we also found that while these derivative financial instruments are useful hedges against the risks of issuing long-term financing instruments, they also expose derivative users to credit, contract

Instrument intercomparison in the high-energy mixed field at the CERN-EU reference field (CERF) facility.

Science.gov (United States)

Caresana, Marco; Helmecke, Manuela; Kubancak, Jan; Manessi, Giacomo Paolo; Ott, Klaus; Scherpelz, Robert; Silari, Marco

2014-10-01

This paper discusses an intercomparison campaign performed in the mixed radiation field at the CERN-EU (CERF) reference field facility. Various instruments were employed: conventional and extended-range rem counters including a novel instrument called LUPIN, a bubble detector using an active counting system (ABC 1260) and two tissue-equivalent proportional counters (TEPCs). The results show that the extended range instruments agree well within their uncertainties and within 1σ with the H*(10) FLUKA value. The conventional rem counters are in good agreement within their uncertainties and underestimate H*(10) as measured by the extended range instruments and as predicted by FLUKA. The TEPCs slightly overestimate the FLUKA value but they are anyhow consistent with it when taking the comparatively large total uncertainties into account, and indicate that the non-neutron part of the stray field accounts for ∼30 % of the total H*(10). © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Performing the Super Instrument

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kallionpaa, Maria

2016-01-01

can empower performers by producing super instrument works that allow the concert instrument to become an ensemble controlled by a single player. The existing instrumental skills of the performer can be multiplied and the qualities of regular acoustic instruments extended or modified. Such a situation......The genre of contemporary classical music has seen significant innovation and research related to new super, hyper, and hybrid instruments, which opens up a vast palette of expressive potential. An increasing number of composers, performers, instrument designers, engineers, and computer programmers...... have become interested in different ways of “supersizing” acoustic instruments in order to open up previously-unheard instrumental sounds. Super instruments vary a great deal but each has a transformative effect on the identity and performance practice of the performing musician. Furthermore, composers...

Neutron beam-line shield design for the protein crystallography instrument at the Lujan Center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Russell, G.J.; Pitcher, E.J.; Muhrer, G.; Ferguson, P.D.

2001-01-01

We have developed a very useful methodology for calculating absolute total (neutron plus gamma-ray) dose equivalent rates for use in the design of neutron beam line shields at a spallation neutron source. We have applied this technique to the design of beam line shields for several new materials science instruments being built at the Manuel Lujan Jr. Neutron Scattering Center. These instruments have a variety of collimation systems and different beam line shielding issues. We show here some specific beam line shield designs for the Protein Crystallography Instrument. (author)

A new fully automated FTIR system for total column measurements of greenhouse gases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. C. Geibel

2010-10-01

Full Text Available This article introduces a new fully automated FTIR system that is part of the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON. It will provide continuous ground-based measurements of column-averaged volume mixing ratio for CO₂, CH₄ and several other greenhouse gases in the tropics.

Housed in a 20-foot shipping container it was developed as a transportable system that could be deployed almost anywhere in the world. We describe the automation concept which relies on three autonomous subsystems and their interaction. Crucial components like a sturdy and reliable solar tracker dome are described in detail. The automation software employs a new approach relying on multiple processes, database logging and web-based remote control.

First results of total column measurements at Jena, Germany show that the instrument works well and can provide parts of the diurnal as well as seasonal cycle for CO₂. Instrument line shape measurements with an HCl cell suggest that the instrument stays well-aligned over several months.

After a short test campaign for side by side intercomaprison with an existing TCCON instrument in Australia, the system will be transported to its final destination Ascension Island.

Validity and reliability of a dental operator posture assessment instrument (PAI).

Science.gov (United States)

Branson, Bonnie G; Williams, Karen B; Bray, Kimberly Krust; Mcllnay, Sandy L; Dickey, Diana

2002-01-01

Basic operating posture is considered an important occupational health issue for oral health care clinicians. It is generally agreed that the physical posture of the operator, while providing care, should be such that all muscles are in a relaxed, well-balanced, and neutral position. Postures outside of this neutral position are likely to cause musculoskeletal discomfort. To date, the range of the neutral operator position has not been well-defined; nor have any specific instruments been identified that can quantitatively or semi-quantitatively assess dental operator posture. This paper reports on the development of an instrument that can be used to semi-quantitatively evaluate postural components. During the first phase of the study, an expert panel defined the basic parameters for acceptable, compromised, and harmful operator postures and established face validity of a posture assessment instrument (PAI). During the second phase, the PAI was tested for reliability using generalizability theory. Four raters tested the instrument for reliability. Overall, total PAI scores were similar amongst three of the raters, with the fourth rater's scores being slightly greater than the other three. The main effect of the rater on individual postural components was moderate, indicating that rater variance contributed to 11.9% of total variance. The PAI measures posture as it occurs and will have numerous applications when evaluating operator performance in the dental and dental hygiene education setting. Also, the PAI will prove useful when examining the effects of operator posture and musculoskeletal disorders.

Instrumentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Decreton, M

2000-07-01

SCK-CEN's research and development programme on instrumentation aims at evaluating the potentials of new instrumentation technologies under the severe constraints of a nuclear application. It focuses on the tolerance of sensors to high radiation doses, including optical fibre sensors, and on the related intelligent data processing needed to cope with the nuclear constraints. Main achievements in these domains in 1999 are summarised.

VIRUS instrument enclosures

Science.gov (United States)

Prochaska, T.; Allen, R.; Mondrik, N.; Rheault, J. P.; Sauseda, M.; Boster, E.; James, M.; Rodriguez-Patino, M.; Torres, G.; Ham, J.; Cook, E.; Baker, D.; DePoy, Darren L.; Marshall, Jennifer L.; Hill, G. J.; Perry, D.; Savage, R. D.; Good, J. M.; Vattiat, Brian L.

2014-08-01

The Visible Integral-Field Replicable Unit Spectrograph (VIRUS) instrument will be installed at the Hobby-Eberly Telescope† in the near future. The instrument will be housed in two enclosures that are mounted adjacent to the telescope, via the VIRUS Support Structure (VSS). We have designed the enclosures to support and protect the instrument, to enable servicing of the instrument, and to cool the instrument appropriately while not adversely affecting the dome environment. The system uses simple HVAC air handling techniques in conjunction with thermoelectric and standard glycol heat exchangers to provide efficient heat removal. The enclosures also provide power and data transfer to and from each VIRUS unit, liquid nitrogen cooling to the detectors, and environmental monitoring of the instrument and dome environments. In this paper, we describe the design and fabrication of the VIRUS enclosures and their subsystems.

How the degree of instrumental practice in music increases perceptual sensitivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Proverbio, Alice Mado; Bellini, Eleonora

2018-04-20

Literature has shown that playing a musical instrument is associated with the formation of multimodal audio visuomotor representations that are strongly instrument-specific. Here, we investigated the effect of increased motor practice on perceptual sensitivity in 32 professional musicians of comparable expertise but with different amounts of instrumental practice with piano (10,000 vs. 3,000 estimated hours). Stimuli consisted of images of pianists' hands and piano arpeggio sounds. In half of the cases, the piano fingering and piano sounds were congruent, while they were incongruent in the other cases. ERPs were recorded from 128 sites while musicians performed a congruent vs. incongruent discrimination task. A fronto-central error-related negativity (ERN), mainly generated within the anterior cingulate cortex, was observed in response to incongruent videos only in pianists. Non-pianist musicians were able to carry out the task (with a worse performance) but exhibited a smaller response-related N400 to incongruent stimuli. Source reconstruction applied to ERP responses to incongruent stimuli indicated a less automatic mechanism for detecting sensory-motor deviance and a greater emphasis on visual rather than on acoustic features in non-pianists. Overall the data suggest a profound difference between the two populations of musicians and advise against considering "expert" populations to include those that undertook only a few weeks/months of training in a new discipline. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

NCTM workshop splinter session, IR thermal measurement instruments

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplan, Herbert

1989-06-01

The splinter session dealing with commercial industrial thermal measurement state-of-the-hardware had a total attendance of 15. Two papers were presented in the splinter session as follows: (1) Development of an Infrared Imaging System for the Surface Tension Driven Convection Experiment, Alexander D. Pline, NASA LeRC; (2) A Space-qualified PtSi Thermal Imaging System, Robert W. Astheimer, Barnes Engineering Div., EDO Corp. In addition a brief description of SPRITE detector technology was presented by Richard F. Leftwich of Magnovox. As anticipated, the discussions were concerned mainly with thermal imaging figures of merit rather than those for point measurement instruments. The need for uniform guidelines whereby infrared thermal imaging instruments could be specified and evaluated was identified as most important, particularly where temperature measurements are required. Presently there are differences in the way different manufacturers present significant performance parameters in their instrument data sheets. Furthermore, the prospective user has difficulty relating these parameters to actual measurement needs, and procedures by which performance can be verified are poorly defined. The current availability of powerful thermal imaging diagnostic software was discussed.

Informal caregiving in COPD: A systematic review of instruments and their measurement properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Cruz, Joana; Marques, Alda; Machado, Ana; O'Hoski, Sachi; Goldstein, Roger; Brooks, Dina

2017-07-01

Increasing symptoms and activity restriction associated with COPD progression greatly impact on the lives of their informal caregivers, who play a vital role in maintaining their health. An understanding of this impact is important for clinicians to support caregivers and maintain a viable patient environment at home. This systematic review aimed to identify the instruments commonly used to assess informal caregiving in COPD and describe their measurement properties in this population. Searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL and PsycINFO and in references of key articles, until November 2016 (PROSPERO: CRD42016041401). Instruments used to assess the impact of COPD on caregivers were identified and their properties described. Quality of studies was rated using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist. Quality of the measurement properties of instruments was rated as 'positive', 'negative' or 'indeterminate'. Patients cared for, had moderate to very severe COPD and the sample of caregivers ranged from 24 to 406. Thirty-five instruments were used in fifty studies to assess caregivers' psychological status and mood (9 instruments), burden/distress (12 instruments), quality of life (5 instruments) or other (9 instruments). Eighteen studies assessed the measurement properties of 21 instruments, most commonly hypothesis testing (known validity) and internal consistency. Study quality varied from 'poor' to 'fair' and with many properties rated as 'indeterminate'. Although several instruments have been used to assess the impact of COPD on caregivers, an increased understanding of their properties is needed before their widespread implementation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Health physics instrument manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupton, E.D.

1978-08-01

The purpose of this manual is to provide apprentice health physics surveyors and other operating groups not directly concerned with radiation detection instruments a working knowledge of the radiation detection and measuring instruments in use at the Laboratory. The characteristics and applications of the instruments are given. Portable instruments, stationary instruments, personnel monitoring instruments, sample counters, and miscellaneous instruments are described. Also, information sheets on calibration sources, procedures, and devices are included. Gamma sources, beta sources, alpha sources, neutron sources, special sources, a gamma calibration device for badge dosimeters, and a calibration device for ionization chambers are described

The quality of systematic reviews of health-related outcome measurement instruments.

Science.gov (United States)

Terwee, C B; Prinsen, C A C; Ricci Garotti, M G; Suman, A; de Vet, H C W; Mokkink, L B

2016-04-01

Systematic reviews of outcome measurement instruments are important tools for the selection of instruments for research and clinical practice. Our aim was to assess the quality of systematic reviews of health-related outcome measurement instruments and to determine whether the quality has improved since our previous study in 2007. A systematic literature search was performed in MEDLINE and EMBASE between July 1, 2013, and June 19, 2014. The quality of the reviews was rated using a study-specific checklist. A total of 102 reviews were included. In many reviews the search strategy was considered not comprehensive; in only 59 % of the reviews a search was performed in EMBASE and in about half of the reviews there was doubt about the comprehensiveness of the search terms used for type of measurement instruments and measurement properties. In 41 % of the reviews, compared to 30 % in our previous study, the methodological quality of the included studies was assessed. In 58 %, compared to 55 %, the quality of the included instruments was assessed. In 42 %, compared to 7 %, a data synthesis was performed in which the results from multiple studies on the same instrument were somehow combined. Despite a clear improvement in the quality of systematic reviews of outcome measurement instruments in comparison with our previous study in 2007, there is still room for improvement with regard to the search strategy, and especially the quality assessment of the included studies and the included instruments, and the data synthesis.

Association of coffee intake with total and cause-specific mortality in a Japanese population: the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Saito, Eiko; Inoue, Manami; Sawada, Norie; Shimazu, Taichi; Yamaji, Taiki; Iwasaki, Motoki; Sasazuki, Shizuka; Noda, Mitsuhiko; Iso, Hiroyasu; Tsugane, Shoichiro

2015-05-01

Despite the rising consumption of coffee worldwide, few prospective cohort studies assessed the association of coffee intake with mortality including total and major causes of death. We aimed to investigate the association between habitual coffee drinking and mortality from all causes, cancer, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, respiratory disease, injuries, and other causes of death in a large-scale, population-based cohort study in Japan. We studied 90,914 Japanese persons aged between 40 and 69 y without a history of cancer, cerebrovascular disease, or ischemic heart disease at the time of the baseline study. Subjects were followed up for an average of 18.7 y, during which 12,874 total deaths were reported. The association between coffee intake and risk of total and cause-specific mortality was assessed by using a Cox proportional hazards regression model with adjustment for potential confounders. We showed an inverse association between coffee intake and total mortality in both men and women. HRs (95% CIs) for total death in subjects who consumed coffee compared with those who never drank coffee were 0.91 (0.86-0.95) for 5 cups/d (P-trend Coffee was inversely associated with mortality from heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and respiratory disease. With this prospective study, we suggest that the habitual intake of coffee is associated with lower risk of total mortality and 3 leading causes of death in Japan. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

Instrumenting a pressure suppression experiment for a Mark I boiling water reactor: another measurements engineering challenge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shay, W.M.; Brough, W.G.; Miller, T.B.

1978-01-01

A 1 / 5 -scale test facility of a pressure-suppression system from a Mark I boiling water reactor was instrumented with seven types of transducers to obtain high-accuracy, dynamic loading data during a hypothetical loss-of-coolant accident. A total of 27 air tests have been completed with an average of 175 transducers recorded for each test. An end-to-end calibration of the total measurement system was run to establish accuracy of the data. The instrumentation verified the analysis of the dynamic loading of the pressure-suppression system

Kinetic characteristics of the gait of a musician carrying or not his instrument

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Bolli Mota

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The integrity of the locomotor system can be compromised by the transport of certain objects, especially when done in an inadequate manner. Due to their weight and size, the transport of musical instruments can contribute to body dysfunctions in musicians who frequently have to carry their instruments, influencing balance andbody posture. Thus, the soil reaction force was investigated during the gait of a musician carrying or not his instrument. Two AMTI (Advanced Mechanical Technologies, Inc. platforms were used for kinetic data acquisition. A total of 40 measurements were obtainedfor gait and balance: 20 without carrying the instrument and 20 while carrying the instrument. The t test showed significant differences between the two situations for all variables analyzed. The results suggest that the locomotor system suffers alterationswhen carrying any kind of load, as was the case here in which the subject carried 7.75% of his own weight.

Problems in instrumentation for S-odorant emissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, H.J.

1974-01-01

Instrumentation to measure sulfur-containing odorants in stack emissions is much more difficult than in the ambient atmosphere, and must be matched to the specific source: key components aside from H 2 S are methyl mercaptan in paper mills, COS/CS 2 in a refinery Claus plant, and SO 2 /SO 3 in a combustion stack. Satisfactory operation for a period of six months was not achieved by any instrument in this service, in a lab and field evaluation of eight instruments of three types commercially available as of 1971. The effects of interferent gases H 2 O, SO 2 , CO 2 /CO and particulates which are diluted in ambient samples are greatly aggravated in stack gases, where the ratio of odorant to interferent may be 1:1000 or less, due to the very great sensitivity of human receptors to S-odorants. The most serious problem proved to be the analysis for odorless carbonyl sulfide, which is commonly formed where S compounds are oxidized in a reducing atmosphere. This COS has been undetected or mistaken for odorous H 2 S in most analyses. A field instrument for the general case would provide exactly simultaneous readings at five minute intervals or less for the five components H 2 S, SO 2 , COS, CSH, and total S, or their equivalent. This may be simplified to four components or less only when the composition of the sample gas is positively known

Digibaro pressure instrument onboard the Phoenix Lander

Science.gov (United States)

Harri, A.-M.; Polkko, J.; Kahanpää, H. H.; Schmidt, W.; Genzer, M. M.; Haukka, H.; Savijarv1, H.; Kauhanen, J.

2009-04-01

The Phoenix Lander landed successfully on the Martian northern polar region. The mission is part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Scout program. Pressure observations onboard the Phoenix lander were performed by an FMI (Finnish Meteorological Institute) instrument, based on a silicon diaphragm sensor head manufactured by Vaisala Inc., combined with MDA data processing electronics. The pressure instrument performed successfully throughout the Phoenix mission. The pressure instrument had 3 pressure sensor heads. One of these was the primary sensor head and the other two were used for monitoring the condition of the primary sensor head during the mission. During the mission the primary sensor was read with a sampling interval of 2 s and the other two were read less frequently as a check of instrument health. The pressure sensor system had a real-time data-processing and calibration algorithm that allowed the removal of temperature dependent calibration effects. In the same manner as the temperature sensor, a total of 256 data records (8.53 min) were buffered and they could either be stored at full resolution, or processed to provide mean, standard deviation, maximum and minimum values for storage on the Phoenix Lander's Meteorological (MET) unit.The time constant was approximately 3s due to locational constraints and dust filtering requirements. Using algorithms compensating for the time constant effect the temporal resolution was good enough to detect pressure drops associated with the passage of nearby dust devils.

Boundary curves of individual items in the distribution of total depressive symptom scores approximate an exponential pattern in a general population.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomitaka, Shinichiro; Kawasaki, Yohei; Ide, Kazuki; Akutagawa, Maiko; Yamada, Hiroshi; Furukawa, Toshiaki A; Ono, Yutaka

2016-01-01

Previously, we proposed a model for ordinal scale scoring in which individual thresholds for each item constitute a distribution by each item. This lead us to hypothesize that the boundary curves of each depressive symptom score in the distribution of total depressive symptom scores follow a common mathematical model, which is expressed as the product of the frequency of the total depressive symptom scores and the probability of the cumulative distribution function of each item threshold. To verify this hypothesis, we investigated the boundary curves of the distribution of total depressive symptom scores in a general population. Data collected from 21,040 subjects who had completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) questionnaire as part of a national Japanese survey were analyzed. The CES-D consists of 20 items (16 negative items and four positive items). The boundary curves of adjacent item scores in the distribution of total depressive symptom scores for the 16 negative items were analyzed using log-normal scales and curve fitting. The boundary curves of adjacent item scores for a given symptom approximated a common linear pattern on a log normal scale. Curve fitting showed that an exponential fit had a markedly higher coefficient of determination than either linear or quadratic fits. With negative affect items, the gap between the total score curve and boundary curve continuously increased with increasing total depressive symptom scores on a log-normal scale, whereas the boundary curves of positive affect items, which are not considered manifest variables of the latent trait, did not exhibit such increases in this gap. The results of the present study support the hypothesis that the boundary curves of each depressive symptom score in the distribution of total depressive symptom scores commonly follow the predicted mathematical model, which was verified to approximate an exponential mathematical pattern.

Boundary curves of individual items in the distribution of total depressive symptom scores approximate an exponential pattern in a general population

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shinichiro Tomitaka

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Background Previously, we proposed a model for ordinal scale scoring in which individual thresholds for each item constitute a distribution by each item. This lead us to hypothesize that the boundary curves of each depressive symptom score in the distribution of total depressive symptom scores follow a common mathematical model, which is expressed as the product of the frequency of the total depressive symptom scores and the probability of the cumulative distribution function of each item threshold. To verify this hypothesis, we investigated the boundary curves of the distribution of total depressive symptom scores in a general population. Methods Data collected from 21,040 subjects who had completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D questionnaire as part of a national Japanese survey were analyzed. The CES-D consists of 20 items (16 negative items and four positive items. The boundary curves of adjacent item scores in the distribution of total depressive symptom scores for the 16 negative items were analyzed using log-normal scales and curve fitting. Results The boundary curves of adjacent item scores for a given symptom approximated a common linear pattern on a log normal scale. Curve fitting showed that an exponential fit had a markedly higher coefficient of determination than either linear or quadratic fits. With negative affect items, the gap between the total score curve and boundary curve continuously increased with increasing total depressive symptom scores on a log-normal scale, whereas the boundary curves of positive affect items, which are not considered manifest variables of the latent trait, did not exhibit such increases in this gap. Discussion The results of the present study support the hypothesis that the boundary curves of each depressive symptom score in the distribution of total depressive symptom scores commonly follow the predicted mathematical model, which was verified to approximate an

Nuclear reactor instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duncombe, E.; McGonigal, G.

1975-01-01

A liquid metal cooled nuclear reactor is described which has an equal number of fuel sub-assemblies and sensing instruments. Each instrument senses temperature and rate of coolant flow of a coolant derived from a group of three sub-assemblies so that an abnormal value for one sub-assembly will be indicated on three instruments thereby providing for redundancy of up to two of the three instruments. The abnormal value may be a precurser to unstable boiling of coolant

Reference Proteome Extracts for Mass Spec Instrument Performance Validation and Method Development

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenblatt, Mike; Urh, Marjeta; Saveliev, Sergei

2014-01-01

Biological samples of high complexity are required to test protein mass spec sample preparation procedures and validate mass spec instrument performance. Total cell protein extracts provide the needed sample complexity. However, to be compatible with mass spec applications, such extracts should meet a number of design requirements: compatibility with LC/MS (free of detergents, etc.)high protein integrity (minimal level of protein degradation and non-biological PTMs)compatibility with common sample preparation methods such as proteolysis, PTM enrichment and mass-tag labelingLot-to-lot reproducibility Here we describe total protein extracts from yeast and human cells that meet the above criteria. Two extract formats have been developed: Intact protein extracts with primary use for sample preparation method development and optimizationPre-digested extracts (peptides) with primary use for instrument validation and performance monitoring

Instrument validation project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reynolds, B.A.; Daymo, E.A.; Geeting, J.G.H.; Zhang, J.

1996-06-01

Westinghouse Hanford Company Project W-211 is responsible for providing the system capabilities to remove radioactive waste from ten double-shell tanks used to store radioactive wastes on the Hanford Site in Richland, Washington. The project is also responsible for measuring tank waste slurry properties prior to injection into pipeline systems, including the Replacement of Cross-Site Transfer System. This report summarizes studies of the appropriateness of the instrumentation specified for use in Project W-211. The instruments were evaluated in a test loop with simulated slurries that covered the range of properties specified in the functional design criteria. The results of the study indicate that the compact nature of the baseline Project W-211 loop does not result in reduced instrumental accuracy resulting from poor flow profile development. Of the baseline instrumentation, the Micromotion densimeter, the Moore Industries thermocouple, the Fischer and Porter magnetic flow meter, and the Red Valve Pressure transducer meet the desired instrumental accuracy. An alternate magnetic flow meter (Yokagawa) gave nearly identical results as the baseline fischer and Porter. The Micromotion flow meter did not meet the desired instrument accuracy but could potentially be calibrated so that it would meet the criteria. The Nametre on-line viscometer did not meet the desired instrumental accuracy and is not recommended as a quantitative instrument although it does provide qualitative information. The recommended minimum set of instrumentation necessary to ensure the slurry meets the Project W-058 acceptance criteria is the Micromotion mass flow meter and delta pressure cells

Astronomical Instruments in India

Science.gov (United States)

Sarma, Sreeramula Rajeswara

The earliest astronomical instruments used in India were the gnomon and the water clock. In the early seventh century, Brahmagupta described ten types of instruments, which were adopted by all subsequent writers with minor modifications. Contact with Islamic astronomy in the second millennium AD led to a radical change. Sanskrit texts began to lay emphasis on the importance of observational instruments. Exclusive texts on instruments were composed. Islamic instruments like the astrolabe were adopted and some new types of instruments were developed. Production and use of these traditional instruments continued, along with the cultivation of traditional astronomy, up to the end of the nineteenth century.

Cross-cultural adaptation of instruments assessing breastfeeding determinants: a multi-step approach

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Cross-cultural adaptation is a necessary process to effectively use existing instruments in other cultural and language settings. The process of cross-culturally adapting, including translation, of existing instruments is considered a critical set to establishing a meaningful instrument for use in another setting. Using a multi-step approach is considered best practice in achieving cultural and semantic equivalence of the adapted version. We aimed to ensure the content validity of our instruments in the cultural context of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Methods The Iowa Infant Feeding Attitudes Scale, Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form and additional items comprise our consolidated instrument, which was cross-culturally adapted utilizing a multi-step approach during August 2012. Cross-cultural adaptation was achieved through steps to maintain content validity and attain semantic equivalence in the target version. Specifically, Lynn’s recommendation to apply an item-level content validity index score was followed. The revised instrument was translated and back-translated. To ensure semantic equivalence, Brislin’s back-translation approach was utilized followed by the committee review to address any discrepancies that emerged from translation. Results Our consolidated instrument was adapted to be culturally relevant and translated to yield more reliable and valid results for use in our larger research study to measure infant feeding determinants effectively in our target cultural context. Conclusions Undertaking rigorous steps to effectively ensure cross-cultural adaptation increases our confidence that the conclusions we make based on our self-report instrument(s) will be stronger. In this way, our aim to achieve strong cross-cultural adaptation of our consolidated instruments was achieved while also providing a clear framework for other researchers choosing to utilize existing instruments for work in other cultural, geographic and population

Population and development.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramana, D V

1977-10-01

Between 1950-1976 world population increased by 1.5 billion and was accompanied by unprecedented levels of poverty, unemployment, and inequality. Additional problems associated with this marked population increase are related to food supply, human resource development, the infrastructure component of human organization - housing, water supply, and lighting - and environment. Consequently, it becomes apparent that for purposes of development over the next generation or so, it is the absolute population size and its built-in momentum for increase that becomes relevant rather than the declaration of the population growth rate. Necessary is a model of development in which both consumption and investment expenditures are planned in such a way as to yield the highest possible social rate of return. Investment and consumption planning is required as instrumentalities for making income accrue directly to as great a section of the poor as possible. Simultaneously, the following action should be initiated for decreasing the fertility rate to replacement levels: provision of family planning services, education of all social groups regarding the effects of large families and rapid population growth, provision of alternative careers to motherhood, equal rights for women, and reshaping economic and social policies to encourage small families.

An assessment of the stray light in 25 years of Dobson total ozone data at Athens, Greece

Science.gov (United States)

Christodoulakis, J.; Varotsos, C.; Cracknell, A. P.; Tzanis, C.; Neofytos, A.

2015-07-01

In this study, we investigated the susceptibility of the Dobson spectrophotometer No. 118 to stray light interference. In this regard, a series of total ozone content measurements were carried out in Athens, Greece for air-mass values (μ) extending up to μ = 5. The monochromatic-heterochromatic stray light derived by Basher's model was used in order to evaluate the specific instrumental parameters which determine if this instrument suffers from this problem or not. The results obtained indicate that the measurements made by the Dobson instrument of the Athens station for air mass values up to 2.5, underestimates the total ozone content by 3.5 DU in average, or about 1 % of the station's mean total ozone content (TOC). The comparison of the values of the same parameters measured 15 years ago with the present ones indicates the good maintenance of the Dobson spectrophotometer No. 118. This fact is of crucial importance because the variability of the daily total ozone observations collected by the Athens Dobson Station since 1989 has proved to be representative to the variability of the mean total ozone observed over the whole mid-latitude zone of the Northern Hemisphere. This stresses the point that the Athens total ozone station, being the unique Dobson station in south-eastern Europe, may be assumed as a ground truth station for the reliable conversion of the satellite radiance observations to total ozone measurements.

Development, reliability and validity of the psychosocial adaptation scale for Parkinson’s disease in Chinese population

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Tingting; Yin, Anchun; Sun, Xiaohong; Liu, Qigui; Song, Guirong; Li, Lianhong

2015-01-01

Objective: To develop psychosocial adaptation scale for Parkinson’s disease (PD) in Chinese population and evaluate its reliability and validity. Methods: The items were designed by literature review, expert consultation and semi-structured interview. The methods of corrected item-total correlation, discrimination analysis and exploratory factor analysis were used for items selection. 427 valid scales from PD patients were collected in the study to test the reliability and validity. Results: The scale incorporated six dimensions: anxiety, self-esteem, attitude, self-acceptance, self-efficacy and social support, a total of 32 items. The scale possessed good internal consistency. The test-retest correlation coefficient was 0.99 and average content validation rate was 0.97. The Hoehn and Yahr stage were correlated with total score of the scale. Conclusions: The psychosocial adaptation scale in this study showed good reliability and validity, it can be used as a reliable and valid instrument to evaluate the psychosocial adaptation of PD objectively and effectively. PMID:26770638

[Validated Instruments for the Psychological Assessment of Unaccompanied Refugee Minors - a Systematic Review].

Science.gov (United States)

Rassenhofer, Miriam; Fegert, Jörg Michael; Plener, Paul L; Witt, Andreas

2016-01-01

The German care system faces a growing number of unaccompanied refugee minors (URM). URM show high levels of traumatization, a variety of psychological symptoms and lack important resilience factors. Therefore an early and valid psychological assessment is important for intervention and service planning. Yet, no systematic review on validated instruments for the assessment of this group exists. Literature search revealed one study about translators in the assessment of URM and five validated instruments for proxy and self-report. These instruments are available in several languages and showed good psychometric properties. It has to be critically stated that all instruments have been validated by a single work group within a single population. Especially with regards to changing definitions of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder within the new (and upcoming) classification systems ICD-11 and DSM-5, increased awareness for diagnostic procedures is necessary. Additionally, more validated instruments for specific psychological disorders in multiple languages are needed. Under an economic perspective the use of open access questionnaires that are available in different languages seems useful, even if they are not especially validated for URM.

Instruments to assess and measure personal and environmental radiofrequency-electromagnetic field exposures.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhatt, Chhavi Raj; Redmayne, Mary; Abramson, Michael J; Benke, Geza

2016-03-01

Radiofrequency-electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure of human populations is increasing due to the widespread use of mobile phones and other telecommunication and broadcasting technologies. There are ongoing concerns about potential short- and long-term public health consequences from RF-EMF exposures. To elucidate the RF-EMF exposure-effect relationships, an objective evaluation of the exposures with robust assessment tools is necessary. This review discusses and compares currently available RF-EMF exposure assessment instruments, which can be used in human epidemiological studies. Quantitative assessment instruments are either mobile phone-based (apps/software-modified and hardware-modified) or exposimeters. Each of these tool has its usefulness and limitations. Our review suggests that assessment of RF-EMF exposures can be improved by using these tools compared to the proxy measures of exposure (e.g. questionnaires and billing records). This in turn, could be used to help increase knowledge about RF-EMF exposure induced health effects in human populations.

Instruments to assess and measure personal and environmental radiofrequency-electromagnetic field exposures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhatt, Chhavi R.; Redmayne, Mary; Abramson, Michael J.; Benke, Geza

2016-01-01

Radiofrequency-electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure of human populations is increasing due to the widespread use of mobile phones and other telecommunication and broadcasting technologies. There are ongoing concerns about potential short- and long-term public health consequences from RF-EMF exposures. To elucidate the RF-EMF exposure-effect relationships, an objective evaluation of the exposures with robust assessment tools is necessary. This review discusses and compares currently available RF-EMF exposure assessment instruments, which can be used in human epidemiological studies. Quantitative assessment instruments are either mobile phone-based (apps/software-modified and hardware-modified) or exposimeters. Each of these tool has its usefulness and limitations. Our review suggests that assessment of RF-EMF exposures can be improved by using these tools compared to the proxy measures of exposure (e.g. questionnaires and billing records). This in turn, could be used to help increase knowledge about RF-EMF exposure induced health effects in human populations.

Fatigue resistance of rotary ProTaper Universal instruments after use with and without lateral pressure motion

OpenAIRE

Vieira, Evandro Pires; Pereira, Érika Sales Joviano; Peixoto, Isabella Faria da Cunha; Buono, Vicente Tadeu Lopes; Bahia, Maria Guiomar de Azevedo

2016-01-01

Aim: To evaluate the fatigue resistance of rotary ProTaper Universal instruments after multiple clinical uses with and without lateral pressure motion. Methods: Thirty sets of ProTaper Universal (PTU) instruments (Dentsply-Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland), types S1, S2, F1 and F2, totaling 120 files, were analyzed and divided into three groups, as follows: Control Group (CG), with 10 sets of new instruments, which were fatigue tested until rupture to determine their fatigue resistance; Lat...

Instrumentation a reader

CERN Document Server

Pope, P

1990-01-01

This book contains a selection of papers and articles in instrumentation previously pub­ lished in technical periodicals and journals of learned societies. Our selection has been made to illustrate aspects of current practice and applications of instrumentation. The book does not attempt to be encyclopaedic in its coverage of the subject, but to provide some examples of general transduction techniques, of the sensing of particular measurands, of components of instrumentation systems and of instrumentation practice in two very different environments, the food industry and the nuclear power industry. We have made the selection particularly to provide papers appropriate to the study of the Open University course T292 Instrumentation. The papers have been chosen so that the book covers a wide spectrum of instrumentation techniques. Because of this, the book should be of value not only to students of instrumen­ tation, but also to practising engineers and scientists wishing to glean ideas from areas of instrumen...

Development of a radiology faculty appraisal instrument by using critical incident interviewing.

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, J; Albanese, M A; Thakor, S K; Propeck, P A; Scanlan, K A

1997-12-01

To develop a valid and reliable radiology faculty appraisal instrument based on scientific methods. Fifteen radiology residents participated in critical incident interviewing. During a 1-hour interview, a resident was asked to describe five incidents each of effective and ineffective faculty behavior. Two investigators independently listened to the tape-recorded interviews, and two different investigators sorted the incidents into broad categories. A faculty appraisal instrument was developed by listing similar incidents under broad categories. A five-point rating scale was applied to each item. Content validity was assessed by resident and faculty critique of the appraisal instrument. A total of 168 incidents of faculty behavior were generated. The frequency with which similar incidents were reported was recorded. The most common behaviors reported were related to staff expertise and teaching. Interjudge reliability was good, as determined by computing K indices of agreement (overall K = 0.59). There was good agreement regarding instrument content validity among residents but not among faculty. Residents supported the use of the new appraisal instrument, but further tests of validity and reliability and faculty acceptance of the instrument will determine its usefulness as a tool for monitoring faculty teaching performance and making decisions regarding faculty promotion.

Radiation Budget Instrument (RBI) for JPSS-2

Science.gov (United States)

Georgieva, Elena; Priestley, Kory; Dunn, Barry; Cageao, Richard; Barki, Anum; Osmundsen, Jim; Turczynski, Craig; Abedin, Nurul

2015-01-01

Radiation Budget Instrument (RBI) will be one of five instruments flying aboard the JPSS-2 spacecraft, a polar-orbiting sun-synchronous satellite in Low Earth Orbit. RBI is a passive remote sensing instrument that will follow the successful legacy of the Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) instruments to make measurement of Earth's short and longwave radiation budget. The goal of RBI is to provide an independent measurement of the broadband reflected solar radiance and Earth's emitted thermal radiance by using three spectral bands (Shortwave, Longwave, and Total) that will have the same overlapped point spread function (PSF) footprint on Earth. To ensure precise NIST-traceable calibration in space the RBI sensor is designed to use a visible calibration target (VCT), a solar calibration target (SCT), and an infrared calibration target (ICT) containing phase change cells (PCC) to enable on-board temperature calibration. The VCT is a thermally controlled integrating sphere with space grade Spectralon covering the inner surface. Two sides of the sphere will have fiber-coupled laser diodes in the UV to IR wavelength region. An electrical substitution radiometer on the integrating sphere will monitor the long term stability of the sources and the possible degradation of the Spectralon in space. In addition the radiometric calibration operations will use the Spectralon diffusers of the SCT to provide accurate measurements of Solar degradation. All those stable on-orbit references will ensure that calibration stability is maintained over the RBI sensor lifetime. For the preflight calibration the RBI will view five calibration sources - two integrating spheres and three CrIS (Cross-track Infrared Sounder ) -like blackbodies whose outputs will be validated with NIST calibration approach. Thermopile are the selected detectors for the RBI. The sensor has a requirement to perform lunar calibration in addition to solar calibration in space in a way similar to CERES

Total mortality by transferrin saturation levels: two general population studies and a metaanalysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ellervik, Christina; Tybjærg-Hansen, Anne; Nordestgaard, Børge G

2011-01-01

There is evidence for increased mortality in patients with clinically overt hereditary hemochromatosis. Whether increased transferrin saturation (TS), as a proxy for iron overload is associated with increased mortality in the general population is largely unknown.......There is evidence for increased mortality in patients with clinically overt hereditary hemochromatosis. Whether increased transferrin saturation (TS), as a proxy for iron overload is associated with increased mortality in the general population is largely unknown....

Total process surveillance: (TOPS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Millar, J.H.P.

1992-01-01

A Total Process Surveillance system is under development which can provide, in real-time, additional process information from a limited number of raw measurement signals. This is achieved by using a robust model based observer to generate estimates of the process' internal states. The observer utilises the analytical reduncancy among a diverse range of transducers and can thus accommodate off-normal conditions which lead to transducer loss or damage. The modular hierarchical structure of the system enables the maximum amount of information to be assimilated from the available instrument signals no matter how diverse. This structure also constitutes a data reduction path thus reducing operator cognitive overload from a large number of varying, and possibly contradictory, raw plant signals. (orig.)

Instrument lance for boiling water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Proell, N.; Bertz, S.; Graebener, K.H.

1980-01-01

The instrument lance contains in the lance cover pipe a thimble as part of the drive chamber system. Other thimbles serve to carry neutron detectors. Detectors can be exchanged without opening the reactor pressure vessel and without removing the fuel elements. Furthermore the detector exchange is independent from the fuel element cycle. The measurement lance passes from the bottom of the pressure vessel over the total hight of the core in the water ducts between the fuel elements and can thus determine the neutron flux distribution. (DG) [de

Juveniles' Miranda comprehension: Understanding, appreciation, and totality of circumstances factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Zelle, Heather; Romaine, Christina L Riggs; Goldstein, Naomi E S

2015-06-01

This study examined juvenile justice-involved youths' understanding and appreciation of the Miranda warnings' rights to silence and legal counsel using the Miranda Rights Comprehension Instruments (Goldstein, Zelle, & Grisso, 2012). It also examined the relationships between totality of circumstances factors and understanding and appreciation of rights. Data were collected from 183 youths (140 boys) in pre- and postadjudication facilities in 2 states. Overall, youths demonstrated greater difficulty on measures of appreciation than understanding, with particular deficits in their abilities to comprehend the abstract concept of the right to silence. Results varied slightly by instrument, highlighting the importance of a multimodal assessment of these complex abilities. Examination of totality of circumstances factors identified relationships between some factors (e.g., age, verbal IQ, academic achievement) and Miranda comprehension, but revealed that other factors (e.g., gender, number of previous arrests) were not significantly related to Miranda understanding or appreciation. The findings support a nuanced conceptualization of Miranda rights comprehension that acknowledges the complexity of understanding and appreciating the warnings. Empirical analyses also support the continued use of some totality of circumstances factors and abandonment of others. Findings underscore the necessity of multimodal assessment and interpretation when conducting capacity to waive Miranda rights evaluations. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

CAMEX-4 DC-8 NEVZOROV TOTAL CONDENSED WATER CONTENT SENSOR V1

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Nevzorov probe is an instrument that measures the total water content of the sample of air which passes through it. It flew on the NASA DC-8 during the CAMEX-4...

Six years of total ozone column measurements from SCIAMACHY nadir observations

Science.gov (United States)

Lerot, C.; van Roozendael, M.; van Geffen, J.; van Gent, J.; Fayt, C.; Spurr, R.; Lichtenberg, G.; von Bargen, A.

2009-04-01

Total O3 columns have been retrieved from six years of SCIAMACHY nadir UV radiance measurements using SDOAS, an adaptation of the GDOAS algorithm previously developed at BIRA-IASB for the GOME instrument. GDOAS and SDOAS have been implemented by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in the version 4 of the GOME Data Processor (GDP) and in version 3 of the SCIAMACHY Ground Processor (SGP), respectively. The processors are being run at the DLR processing centre on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA). We first focus on the description of the SDOAS algorithm with particular attention to the impact of uncertainties on the reference O3 absorption cross-sections. Second, the resulting SCIAMACHY total ozone data set is globally evaluated through large-scale comparisons with results from GOME and OMI as well as with ground-based correlative measurements. The various total ozone data sets are found to agree within 2% on average. However, a negative trend of 0.2-0.4%/year has been identified in the SCIAMACHY O3 columns; this probably originates from instrumental degradation effects that have not yet been fully characterized.

Six years of total ozone column measurements from SCIAMACHY nadir observations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Lichtenberg

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Total O₃ columns have been retrieved from six years of SCIAMACHY nadir UV radiance measurements using SDOAS, an adaptation of the GDOAS algorithm previously developed at BIRA-IASB for the GOME instrument. GDOAS and SDOAS have been implemented by the German Aerospace Center (DLR in the version 4 of the GOME Data Processor (GDP and in version 3 of the SCIAMACHY Ground Processor (SGP, respectively. The processors are being run at the DLR processing centre on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA. We first focus on the description of the SDOAS algorithm with particular attention to the impact of uncertainties on the reference O₃ absorption cross-sections. Second, the resulting SCIAMACHY total ozone data set is globally evaluated through large-scale comparisons with results from GOME and OMI as well as with ground-based correlative measurements. The various total ozone data sets are found to agree within 2% on average. However, a negative trend of 0.2–0.4%/year has been identified in the SCIAMACHY O₃ columns; this probably originates from instrumental degradation effects that have not yet been fully characterized.

Instruments evaluating the quality of the clinical learning environment in nursing education: A systematic review of psychometric properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Mansutti, Irene; Saiani, Luisa; Grassetti, Luca; Palese, Alvisa

2017-03-01

The clinical learning environment is fundamental to nursing education paths, capable of affecting learning processes and outcomes. Several instruments have been developed in nursing education, aimed at evaluating the quality of the clinical learning environments; however, no systematic review of the psychometric properties and methodological quality of these studies has been performed to date. The aims of the study were: 1) to identify validated instruments evaluating the clinical learning environments in nursing education; 2) to evaluate critically the methodological quality of the psychometric property estimation used; and 3) to compare psychometric properties across the instruments available. A systematic review of the literature (using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines) and an evaluation of the methodological quality of psychometric properties (using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments guidelines). The Medline and CINAHL databases were searched. Eligible studies were those that satisfied the following criteria: a) validation studies of instruments evaluating the quality of clinical learning environments; b) in nursing education; c) published in English or Italian; d) before April 2016. The included studies were evaluated for the methodological quality of the psychometric properties measured and then compared in terms of both the psychometric properties and the methodological quality of the processes used. The search strategy yielded a total of 26 studies and eight clinical learning environment evaluation instruments. A variety of psychometric properties have been estimated for each instrument, with differing qualities in the methodology used. Concept and construct validity were poorly assessed in terms of their significance and rarely judged by the target population (nursing students). Some properties were rarely considered (e.g., reliability, measurement error

Instruments to measure anxiety in children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Lazor, Tanya; Tigelaar, Leonie; Pole, Jason D; De Souza, Claire; Tomlinson, Deborah; Sung, Lillian

2017-09-01

The primary objective was to describe anxiety measurement instruments used in children and adolescents with cancer or undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and summarize their content and psychometric properties. We conducted searches of MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, HAPI, and CINAHL. We included studies that used at least one instrument to measure anxiety quantitatively in children or adolescents with cancer or undergoing HSCT. Two authors independently identified studies and abstracted study demographics and instrument characteristics. Twenty-seven instruments, 14 multi-item and 13 single-item, were used between 78 studies. The most commonly used instrument was the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory in 46 studies. Three multi-item instruments (Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale-Mandarin version, PROMIS Pediatric Anxiety Short Form, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) and two single-item instruments (Faces Pain Scale-Revised and 10-cm Visual Analogue Scale, both adapted for anxiety) were found to be reliable and valid in children with cancer. We identified 14 different multi-item and 13 different single-item anxiety measurement instruments that have been used in pediatric cancer or HSCT. Only three multi-item and two single-item instruments were identified as being reliable and valid among pediatric cancer or HSCT patients and would therefore be appropriate to measure anxiety in this population.

Total body and regional bone mineral content in hemodialysis patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hagiwara, Satoshi; Aratani, Hideyui; Miki, Takami; Nishizawa, Yoshiki; Okamura, Terue; Koizumi, Yoshiko; Ochi, Hironobu; Morii, Hirotoshi

1994-01-01

Bone mineral content (BMC) in the total body and lumbar spine was evaluated in 126 hemodialysis patients (60 males, 66 females) by dual photon absorptiometry with the Norland DBD 2600. Measurements of: 1) total body BMC divided by lean body mass (BMC TB /LBM), 2) bone mineral density (BMD) of total body, 3) BMD of four regional sections (head, trunk, pelvis, and legs), and 4) BMD of lumbar spine, generally showed a significant decrease in the hemodialysis patients compared to the reference population. However, arm BMD did not show a significant difference between patients and control populations. The z-score of BMC TB /LBM declined significantly throughout the duration of hemodialysis, although that of the lumbar spine BMD did not. It should be noted that the degree of decrease in BMC was more prominent in the total body measurement than in the lumbar spine measurement. There was preferential osteopenia of the total body in the hemodialysis patients. Although the lumbar spine BMD showed a lower value than the control population, the lumbar spine is not the recommended region to monitor the BMD change in hemodialysis patients. (author)

IOT Overview: IR Instruments

Science.gov (United States)

Mason, E.

In this instrument review chapter the calibration plans of ESO IR instruments are presented and briefly reviewed focusing, in particular, on the case of ISAAC, which has been the first IR instrument at VLT and whose calibration plan served as prototype for the coming instruments.

Evaluation of surface characteristics of rotary nickel-titanium instruments produced by different manufacturing methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Inan, U; Gurel, M

2017-02-01

Instrument fracture is a serious concern in endodontic practice. The aim of this study was to investigate the surface quality of new and used rotary nickel-titanium (NiTi) instruments manufactured by the traditional grinding process and twisting methods. Total 16 instruments of two rotary NiTi systems were used in this study. Eight Twisted Files (TF) (SybronEndo, Orange, CA, USA) and 8 Mtwo (VDW, Munich, Germany) instruments were evaluated. New and used of 4 experimental groups were evaluated using an atomic force microscopy (AFM). New and used instruments were analyzed on 3 points along a 3 mm. section at the tip of the instrument. Quantitative measurements according to the topographical deviations were recorded. The data were statistically analyzed with paired samples t-test and independent samples t-test. Mean root mean square (RMS) values for new and used TF 25.06 files were 10.70 ± 2.80 nm and 21.58 ± 6.42 nm, respectively, and the difference between them was statistically significant (P instruments produced by twisting method (TF 25.06) had better surface quality than the instruments produced by traditional grinding process (Mtwo 25.06 files).

Troubleshooting in nuclear instruments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-06-01

This report on troubleshooting of nuclear instruments is the product of several scientists and engineers, who are closely associated with nuclear instrumentation and with the IAEA activities in the field. The text covers the following topics: Preamplifiers, amplifiers, scalers, timers, ratemeters, multichannel analyzers, dedicated instruments, tools, instruments, accessories, components, skills, interfaces, power supplies, preventive maintenance, troubleshooting in systems, radiation detectors. The troubleshooting and repair of instruments is illustrated by some real examples

Assessment of annual intake of thorium from animal origin food consumed by population residing in monazite rich area of southern India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sathyapriya, R.S.; Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai; Prabhath, R.K.; Rao, D.D.; Acharya, R.

2017-01-01

Thorium ( 232 Th) concentration was determined by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) in animal origin food groups widely consumed by population residing in monazite rich area of Tamil Nadu, India. The annual intake was evaluated based on market basket study method for female and male population for different age groups. Annual committed effective dose due to 232 Th intake from the ingestion was evaluated for different age groups of individuals, using the ICRP ingestion dose coefficients and annual consumption rate obtained from National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau (NNMB). Annual intake values of 232 Th for adult members of the population were obtained from food items as, fish from 0.2 to 0.8; flesh food (meat, beef and chicken), from 0.03 to 0.12; and milk from 0.2 to 0.3 Bq year -1 . The total annual internal dose resulting from ingestion of radioisotope in these food groups was 0.2 µSv year -1 for male adult population. (author)

Rapidly Adaptable Instrumentation Tester (RAIT)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vargo, Timothy D.

1999-01-01

Emerging technologies in the field of ''Test ampersand Measurement'' have recently enabled the development of the Rapidly Adaptable Instrumentation Tester (RAIT). Based on software developed with LabVIEW, the RAIT design enables quick reconfiguration to test and calibrate a wide variety of telemetry systems. The consequences of inadequate testing could be devastating if a telemetry system were to fail during an expensive flight mission. Supporting both open-bench testing as well as automated test sequences, the RAIT has significantly lowered total time required to test and calibrate a system. This has resulted in an overall lower per unit testing cost than has been achievable in the past

A pumped, two-phase flow heat transport system for orbiting instrument payloads

Science.gov (United States)

Fowle, A. A.

1981-01-01

A pumped two-phase (heat absorption/heat rejection) thermal transport system for orbiting instrument payloads is investigated. The thermofluid characteristics necessary for the system design are discussed. A preliminary design with a series arrangement of four instrument heat stations and six radiators in a single loop is described in detail, and the total mass is estimated to be 134 kg, with the radiators, instrument heat stations, and fluid reservoir accounting for approximately 86, 24, and 12 kg, respectively. The evaluation of preliminary test results shows that the system has potential advantages; however, further research is necessary in the areas of one-g and zero-g heat transfer coefficients/fluid regimes, fluid by-pass temperature control, and reliability of small pumps.

A ball diameter-measuring instrument in a gauge block interferometer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kotte, G.J.W.L.; Haitjema, H.; Decker, J.E.; Brown, N.

1998-01-01

An instrument for the measurement of ball diameters in the 0.5-20 mm range in a gauge block interferometer is realized. The measurement principle is that the ball is positioned between an optical flat and a calibrated gauge block. The total length is measured in a gauge block relative to the optical

Total Vaginal NOTES Hysterectomy: A New Approach to Hysterectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Baekelandt, Jan

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of a total hysterectomy performed entirely by transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (vNOTES). Conventional, reusable laparoscopic instruments were used, inserted through an inexpensive, self-constructed single-port device. Ten total vaginal NOTES hysterectomies (TVNHs) were performed by a single surgeon. The self-constructed single-port device was made by assembling a surgical glove, a wound protector or modified laryngeal mask airway, 1 reusable 10-mm trocar, and 4 reusable 5-mm trocars. This gloveport was inserted into the vagina to create a pneumovagina. The conventional steps of a vaginal hysterectomy were followed, but performed endoscopically with standard reusable endoscopic instruments. The patient and perioperative data were analyzed. No conversion to standard laparoscopy or laparotomy was necessary in any of the 10 patients who underwent a TVNH. Mean operation time was 97 min (range: 60-120); mean drop in hemoglobin level was 1.5 g/dL (range: 0.5-2.4). There were no operative complications, and postoperative pain scores were very low. This first report on a small number of patients demonstrates that TVNH is possible. By incorporating the advantages of endoscopic surgery, TVNH broadens the indications for vaginal hysterectomy and helps overcome its limitations. At the same time, the NOTES approach avoids abdominal wall wounds and trocar-related complications. TVNH is feasible, even when performed with reusable, conventional laparoscopic instruments. This frugally innovative technique also enables surgeons to perform hysterectomies by vNOTES in low resource settings. Copyright © 2015 AAGL. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Instrumentation for Kinetic-Inductance-Detector-Based Submillimeter Radio Astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Ran

A substantial amount of important scientific information is contained within astronomical data at the submillimeter and far-infrared (FIR) wavelengths, including information regarding dusty galaxies, galaxy clusters, and star-forming regions; however, these wavelengths are among the least-explored fields in astronomy because of the technological difficulties involved in such research. Over the past 20 years, considerable efforts have been devoted to developing submillimeter- and millimeter-wavelength astronomical instruments and telescopes. The number of detectors is an important property of such instruments and is the subject of the current study. Future telescopes will require as many as hundreds of thousands of detectors to meet the necessary requirements in terms of the field of view, scan speed, and resolution. A large pixel count is one benefit of the development of multiplexable detectors that use kinetic inductance detector (KID) technology. This dissertation presents the development of a KID-based instrument including a portion of the millimeter-wave bandpass filters and all aspects of the readout electronics, which together enabled one of the largest detector counts achieved to date in submillimeter-/millimeter-wavelength imaging arrays: a total of 2304 detectors. The work presented in this dissertation has been implemented in the MUltiwavelength Submillimeter Inductance Camera (MUSIC), a new instrument for the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO).

Total uncertainty of low velocity thermal anemometers for measurement of indoor air movements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, F.; Popiolek, Z.; Melikov, Arsen Krikor

2004-01-01

For a specific thermal anemometer with omnidirectional velocity sensor the expanded total uncertainty in measured mean velocity Û(Vmean) and the expanded total uncertainty in measured turbulence intensity Û(Tu) due to different error sources are estimated. The values are based on a previously...... developed mathematical model of the anemometer in combination with a large database of representative room flows measured with a 3-D Laser Doppler anemometer (LDA). A direct comparison between measurements with a thermal anemometer and a 3-D LDA in flows of varying velocity and turbulence intensity shows...... good agreement not only between the two instruments but also between the thermal anemometer and its mathematical model. The differences in the measurements performed with the two instruments are all well within the measurement uncertainty of both anemometers....

Hanford Area 2000 Population

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elliott, Douglas B.; Scott, Michael J.; Antonio, Ernest J.; Rhoads, Kathleen

2004-01-01

This report was prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Richland Operations Office, Surface Environmental Surveillance Project, to provide demographic data required for ongoing environmental assessments and safety analyses at the DOE Hanford Site near Richland, Washington. This document includes 2000 Census estimates for the resident population within an 80-kilometer (50-mile) radius of the Hanford Site. Population distributions are reported relative to five reference points centered on meteorological stations within major operating areas of the Hanford Site - the 100 F, 100 K, 200, 300, and 400 Areas. These data are presented in both graphical and tabular format, and are provided for total populations residing within 80 km (50 mi) of the reference points, as well as for Native American, Hispanic and Latino, total minority, and low-income populations

University of Houston Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Bering, E. A., III; Talbot, R. W.; Hampton, D. L.; Molders, N.; Millan, R. M.; Halford, A. J.; Dunbar, B.; Morris, G. A.; Prince, J.; Gamblin, R.; Ehteshami, A.; Lehnen, J. N.; Greer, M.; Porat, I.; Alozie, M.; Behrend, C. C.; Bias, C.; Fenton, A.; Gunawan, B.; Harrison, W.; Martinez, A.; Mathur, S.; Medillin, M.; Nguyen, T.; Nguyen, T. V.; Nowling, M.; Perez, D.; Pham, M.; Pina, M.; Thomas, G.; Velasquez, B.; Victor, L.

2017-12-01

The Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Project (USIP) is a NASA program to engage undergraduate students in rigorous scientific research, for the purposes of innovation and developing the next generation of professionals for an array of fields. The program is student led and executed from initial ideation to research to the design and deployment of scientific payloads. The University of Houston has been selected twice to participate in the USIP programs. The first program (USIP_UH I) ran from 2013 to 2016. USIP_UH II started in January of 2016, with funding starting at the end of May. USIP_UH I (USIP_UH II) at the University of Houston was (is) composed of eight (seven) research teams developing six (seven), distinct, balloon-based scientific instruments. These instruments will contribute to a broad range of geophysical sciences from Very Low Frequency recording and Total Electron Content to exobiology and ozone profiling. USIP_UH I had 12 successful launches with 9 recoveries from Fairbanks, AK in March 2015, and 4 piggyback flights with BARREL 3 from Esrange, Kiruna, Sweden in August, 2015. USIP_UH II had 8 successful launches with 5 recoveries from Fairbanks, AK in March 2017, 3 piggyback flights with BARREL 4 from Esrange, Kiruna, Sweden in August, 2016, and 1 flight each from CSBF and UH. The great opportunity of this program is capitalizing on the proliferation of electronics miniaturization to create new generations of scientific instruments that are smaller and lighter than ever before. This situation allows experiments to be done more cheaply which ultimately allows many more experiments to be done.

Population Estimates and Projections: Projections of the Population of the United States, 1975 to 2050. Current Population Reports, Series P-25, No. 601.

Science.gov (United States)

Gibson, Campbell; Wetrogan, Signe

This report presents population projections of the United States by age, sex, and the components of population changes, births, deaths, and net immigration. These projections are shown annually by race--white and black--from 1975 to 2000 and in less detail for the total population from 2000 to 2050. In 1974, the population of the United States,…

Comparison of defects in ProTaper hand-operated and engine-driven instruments after clinical use.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, G S P; Bian, Z; Shen, Y; Peng, B; Darvell, B W

2007-03-01

To compare the type of defects and mode of material failure of engine-driven and hand-operated ProTaper instruments after clinical use. A total of 401 hand-operated and 325 engine-driven ProTaper instruments were discarded from an endodontic clinic over 17 months. Those that had fractured were examined for plastic deformation in lateral view and remounted for fractographical examination in scanning electron microscope. The mode of fracture was classified as 'fatigue' or 'shear' failure. The lengths of fractured segments in both instruments were recorded. Any distortion in hand instrument was noted. Data were analysed using chi-square, Fisher's exact or Student's t-test, where appropriate. Approximately 14% of all discarded hand-operated instruments and 14% of engine-driven instruments were fractured. About 62% of hand instruments failed because of shear fracture, compared with approximately 66% of engine-driven instruments as a result of fatigue (P hand instruments were affected by shear, and either remained intact or was fractured, compared with 5% of engine-driven instruments (P hand versus engine-driven group (P hand instruments were discarded intact but distorted (rarely for engine-driven instruments); all were in the form of unscrewing of the flutes. The location of defects in hand Finishing instruments was significantly closer to the tip than that for Shaping instruments (P ProTaper engine-driven and hand-operated instruments appeared to be different, with shear failure being more prevalent in the latter.

CLOUDCLOUD : general-purpose instrument monitoring and data managing software

Science.gov (United States)

Dias, António; Amorim, António; Tomé, António

2016-04-01

An effective experiment is dependent on the ability to store and deliver data and information to all participant parties regardless of their degree of involvement in the specific parts that make the experiment a whole. Having fast, efficient and ubiquitous access to data will increase visibility and discussion, such that the outcome will have already been reviewed several times, strengthening the conclusions. The CLOUD project aims at providing users with a general purpose data acquisition, management and instrument monitoring platform that is fast, easy to use, lightweight and accessible to all participants of an experiment. This work is now implemented in the CLOUD experiment at CERN and will be fully integrated with the experiment as of 2016. Despite being used in an experiment of the scale of CLOUD, this software can also be used in any size of experiment or monitoring station, from single computers to large networks of computers to monitor any sort of instrument output without influencing the individual instrument's DAQ. Instrument data and meta data is stored and accessed via a specially designed database architecture and any type of instrument output is accepted using our continuously growing parsing application. Multiple databases can be used to separate different data taking periods or a single database can be used if for instance an experiment is continuous. A simple web-based application gives the user total control over the monitored instruments and their data, allowing data visualization and download, upload of processed data and the ability to edit existing instruments or add new instruments to the experiment. When in a network, new computers are immediately recognized and added to the system and are able to monitor instruments connected to them. Automatic computer integration is achieved by a locally running python-based parsing agent that communicates with a main server application guaranteeing that all instruments assigned to that computer are

Gambling Problems in the General Danish Population

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harrison, Glenn W.; Jessen, Lasse J.; Lau, Morten

We compare several popular survey instruments for measuring gambling behavior and gambling propensity to assess if they differ in their classification of individuals in the general adult Danish population. We also examine correlations with standard survey instruments for alcohol use, anxiety......, depression and impulsivity. A feature of our design is that nobody was excluded on the basis of their response to a “trigger,” “gateway” or “diagnostic item” question about previous gambling history. Our sample consists of 8,405 adult Danes. We administered the Focal Adult Gambling Screen to all subjects...... and estimate prevalence of gambling problems using sample weights and controlling for sample selection. We find that 95.4% of the population has no detectable risk, 2.9% has an early risk, 0.8% has an intermediate risk, 0.7% has an advanced risk, and 0.2% can be classified as problem gamblers...

Prevalence of Total Hip and Knee Replacement in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Maradit Kremers, Hilal; Larson, Dirk R; Crowson, Cynthia S; Kremers, Walter K; Washington, Raynard E; Steiner, Claudia A; Jiranek, William A; Berry, Daniel J

2015-09-02

Descriptive epidemiology of total joint replacement procedures is limited to annual procedure volumes (incidence). The prevalence of the growing number of individuals living with a total hip or total knee replacement is currently unknown. Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of total hip and total knee replacement in the United States. Prevalence was estimated using the counting method by combining historical incidence data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey and the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) State Inpatient Databases from 1969 to 2010 with general population census and mortality counts. We accounted for relative differences in mortality rates between those who have had total hip or knee replacement and the general population. The 2010 prevalence of total hip and total knee replacement in the total U.S. population was 0.83% and 1.52%, respectively. Prevalence was higher among women than among men and increased with age, reaching 5.26% for total hip replacement and 10.38% for total knee replacement at eighty years. These estimates corresponded to 2.5 million individuals (1.4 million women and 1.1 million men) with total hip replacement and 4.7 million individuals (3.0 million women and 1.7 million men) with total knee replacement in 2010. Secular trends indicated a substantial rise in prevalence over time and a shift to younger ages. Around 7 million Americans are living with a hip or knee replacement, and consequently, in most cases, are mobile, despite advanced arthritis. These numbers underscore the substantial public health impact of total hip and knee arthroplasties. Copyright © 2015 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.

Patient-Specific Instruments Based on Knee Joint Computed Tomography and Full-Length Lower Extremity Radiography in Total Knee Replacement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hua Tian

2018-01-01

Conclusions: The use of PSIs based on knee joint CT and standing full-length lower extremity radiography in TKR resulted in acceptable alignment compared with the use of conventional instruments, although the marginal advantage was not statistically different. Surgical time and clinical results were also similar between the two groups. However, the PSI group had less postoperative drainage.

Instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muehllehner, G.; Colsher, J.G.

1982-01-01

This chapter reviews the parameters which are important to positron-imaging instruments. It summarizes the options which various groups have explored in designing tomographs and the methods which have been developed to overcome some of the limitations inherent in the technique as well as in present instruments. The chapter is not presented as a defense of positron imaging versus single-photon or other imaging modality, neither does it contain a description of various existing instruments, but rather stresses their common properties and problems. Design parameters which are considered are resolution, sampling requirements, sensitivity, methods of eliminating scattered radiation, random coincidences and attenuation. The implementation of these parameters is considered, with special reference to sampling, choice of detector material, detector ring diameter and shielding and variations in point spread function. Quantitation problems discussed are normalization, and attenuation and random corrections. Present developments mentioned are noise reduction through time-of-flight-assisted tomography and signal to noise improvements through high intrinsic resolution. Extensive bibliography. (U.K.)

Measuring decision quality: psychometric evaluation of a new instrument for breast cancer surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sepucha Karen R

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The purpose of this paper is to examine the acceptability, feasibility, reliability and validity of a new decision quality instrument that assesses the extent to which patients are informed and receive treatments that match their goals. Methods Cross-sectional mail survey of recent breast cancer survivors, providers and healthy controls and a retest survey of survivors. The decision quality instrument includes knowledge questions and a set of goals, and results in two scores: a breast cancer surgery knowledge score and a concordance score, which reflects the percentage of patients who received treatments that match their goals. Hypotheses related to acceptability, feasibility, discriminant validity, content validity, predictive validity and retest reliability of the survey instrument were examined. Results We had responses from 440 eligible patients, 88 providers and 35 healthy controls. The decision quality instrument was feasible to implement in this study, with low missing data. The knowledge score had good retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.70 and discriminated between providers and patients (mean difference 35%, p  Conclusions The decision quality instrument met the criteria of feasibility, reliability, discriminant and content validity in this sample. Additional research to examine performance of the instrument in prospective studies and more diverse populations is needed.

An Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Project (USIP) to Develop New Instrument Technology to Study the Auroral Ionosphere and Stratospheric Ozone Layer Using Ultralight Balloon Payloads

Science.gov (United States)

Nowling, M.; Ahmad, H.; Gamblin, R.; Guala, D.; Hermosillo, D.; Pina, M.; Marrero, E.; Canales, D. R. J.; Cao, J.; Ehteshami, A.; Bering, E. A., III; Lefer, B. L.; Dunbar, B.; Bias, C.; Shahid, S.

2015-12-01

This project is currently engaging twelve undergraduate students in the process of developing new technology and instrumentation for use in balloon borne geospace investigations in the auroral zone. Motivation stems from advances in microelectronics and consumer electronic technology. Given the technological innovations over the past 20 years it now possible to develop new instrumentation to study the auroral ionosphere and stratospheric ozone layer using ultralight balloon payloads for less than 6lbs and $3K per payload. The University of Houston Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Project (USIP) team has built ten such payloads for launch using 1500 gm latex weather balloons deployed in Houston, TX, Fairbanks, AK, and as well as zero pressure balloons launched from northern Sweden. The latex balloon project will collect vertical profiles of wind velocity, temperature, electrical conductivity, ozone, and odd nitrogen. This instrument payload will also produce profiles of pressure, electric field, and air-earth electric current. The zero pressure balloons will obtain a suite of geophysical measurements including: DC electric field, electric field and magnetic flux, optical imaging, total electron content of ionosphere via dual-channel GPS, X-ray detection, and infrared/UV spectroscopy. Students flew payloads with different combinations of these instruments to determine which packages are successful. Data collected by these instruments will be useful in understanding the nature of electrodynamic coupling in the upper atmosphere and how the global earth system is changing. Twelve out of the launched fifteen payloads were successfully launched and recovered. Results and best practices learned from lab tests and initial Houston test flights will be discussed.

Translation, cross-cultural adaptation and validation of an HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudinal instrument.

Science.gov (United States)

Zometa, Carlos S; Dedrick, Robert; Knox, Michael D; Westhoff, Wayne; Siri, Rodrigo Simán; Debaldo, Ann

2007-06-01

An instrument developed in the United States by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to assess HIV/AIDS knowledge and four attitudinal dimensions (Peer Pressure, Abstinence, Drug Use, and Threat of HIV Infection) and an instrument developed by Basen-Engquist et al. (1999) to measure abstinence and condom use were translated, cross-culturally adapted, and validated for use with Spanish-speaking high school students in El Salvador. A back-translation of the English version was cross-culturally adapted using two different review panels and pilot-tested with Salvadorian students. An expert panel established content validity, and confirmatory factor analysis provided support for construct validity. Results indicated that the methodology was successful in cross-culturally adapting the instrument developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the instrument developed by Basen-Engquist et al. The psychometric properties of the knowledge section were acceptable and there was partial support for the four-factor attitudinal model underlying the CDC instrument and the two-factor model underlying the Basen-Engquist et al. instrument. Additional studies with Spanish-speaking populations (either in the United States or Latin America) are needed to evaluate the generalizability of the present results.

Temporal and spectral contributions to musical instrument identification and discrimination among cochlear implant users.

Science.gov (United States)

Prentiss, Sandra M; Friedland, David R; Fullmer, Tanner; Crane, Alison; Stoddard, Timothy; Runge, Christina L

2016-09-01

To investigate the contributions of envelope and fine-structure to the perception of timbre by cochlear implant (CI) users as compared to normal hearing (NH) listeners. This was a prospective cohort comparison study. Normal hearing and cochlear implant patients were tested. Three experiments were performed in sound field using musical notes altered to affect the characteristic pitch of an instrument and the acoustic envelope. Experiment 1 assessed the ability to identify the instrument playing each note, while experiments 2 and 3 assessed the ability to discriminate the different stimuli. Normal hearing subjects performed better than CI subjects in all instrument identification tasks, reaching statistical significance for 4 of 5 stimulus conditions. Within the CI population, acoustic envelope modifications did not significantly affect instrument identification or discrimination. With envelope and pitch cues removed, fine structure discrimination performance was similar between normal hearing and CI users for the majority of conditions, but some specific instrument comparisons were significantly more challenging for CI users. Cochlear implant users perform significantly worse than normal hearing listeners on tasks of instrument identification. However, cochlear implant listeners can discriminate differences in envelope and some fine structure components of musical instrument sounds as well as normal hearing listeners. The results indicated that certain fine structure cues are important for cochlear implant users to make discrimination judgments, and therefore may affect interpretation toward associating with a specific instrument for identification.

Pressure loss characteristics of LSTF steam generator heat-transfer tubes. Pressure loss increase due to tube internal instruments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Mitsuhiro

1994-11-01

The steam generator of the Large-Scale Test Facility (LSTF) includes 141 heat-transfer U-tubes with different lengths. Six U-tubes among them are furnished with 15 or 17 probe-type instruments (conduction probe with a thermocouple; CPT) protuberant into the primary side of the U-tubes. Other 135 U-tubes are not instrumented. This results in different hydraulic conditions between the instrumented and non-instrumented U-tubes with the same length. A series of pressure loss characteristics tests was conducted at a test apparatus simulating both types of U-tube. The following pressure loss coefficient (K CPT ) was reduced as a function of Reynolds number (Re) from these tests under single-phase water flow conditions. K CPT =0.16 5600≤Re≤52820, K CPT =60.66xRe -0.688 2420≤Re≤5600, K CPT =2.664x10 6 Re -2.06 1371≤Re≤2420. The maximum uncertainty is 22%. By using these results, the total pressure loss coefficients of full length U-tubes were estimated. It is clarified that the total pressure loss of the shortest instrumented U-tube is equivalent to that of the middle-length non-instrumented U-tube and also that a middle-length instrumented U-tube is equivalent to the longest non-instrumented U-tube. Concludingly. it is important to take account of the CPT pressure loss mentioned above in estimation of fluid behavior at the non-instrumented U-tubes either by using the LSTF experiment data from the CPT-installed U-tubes or by using any analytical codes. (author)

USB port compatible virtual instrument based automation for x-ray diffractometer setup

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jayapandian, J.; Sheela, O.K.; Mallika, R.; Thiruarul, A.; Purniah, B.

2004-01-01

Windows based virtual instrument (VI) programs in graphic language simplify the design automation in R and D laboratories. With minimal hardware and maximum support of software, the automation becomes easier and user friendly. A novel design approach for the automation of SIEMENS make x-ray diffractometer setup is described in this paper. The automation is achieved with an indigenously developed virtual instrument program in labVIEW ver.6.0 and with a simple hardware design using 89C2051 micro-controller compatible with PC's USB port for the total automation of the experiment. (author)

Dynamic and cyclic fatigue of engine-driven rotary nickel-titanium endodontic instruments.

Science.gov (United States)

Haïkel, Y; Serfaty, R; Bateman, G; Senger, B; Allemann, C

1999-06-01

The absence of adequate testing standards for engine-driven nickel-titanium (NiTi) instruments necessitates further study of these instruments in all areas. This study examined three groups of engine-driven rotary NiTi endodontic instruments (Profile, Hero, and Quantec) and assessed the times for dynamic fracture in relation to the radius of curvature to which the instruments were subjected during preparation, with the instrument diameter determined by size and taper and the mode by which the fracture occurred. Ten instruments were randomly selected representing each size and taper for each group and for each radius of curvature: 600 in total. The instruments were rotated at 350 rpm and introduced into a tempered steel curve that simulated a canal. Two radii of curvature of canals were used: 5 and 10 mm. Time at fracture was noted for all files, and the fracture faces of each file were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy. Radius of curvature was found to be the most significant factor in determining the fatigue resistance of the files. As radius of curvature decreased, fracture time decreased. Taper of files was found to be significant in determining fracture time. As diameter increased, fracture time decreased. In all cases, fracture was found to be of a ductile nature, thus implicating cyclic fatigue as a major cause of failure and necessitating further analyses and setting of standards in this area.

Circulating Total Bilirubin and Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Disease in the General Population

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kunutsor, Setor K.; Bakker, Stephan J. L.; Gansevoort, Ronald T.; Chowdhury, Rajiv; Dullaart, Robin P. F.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of circulating total bilirubin and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in a new prospective study and to determine whether adding information on total bilirubin values to established cardiovascular risk factors is associated with improvement in prediction of CVD

Problems with radiological surveillance instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swinth, K.L.; Tanner, J.E.; Fleming, D.M.

1984-09-01

Many radiological surveillance instruments are in use at DOE facilities throughout the country. These instruments are an essential part of all health physics programs, and poor instrument performance can increase program costs or compromise program effectiveness. Generic data from simple tests on newly purchased instruments shows that many instruments will not meet requirements due to manufacturing defects. In other cases, lack of consideration of instrument use has resulted in poor acceptance of instruments and poor reliability. The performance of instruments is highly variable for electronic and mechanical performance, radiation response, susceptibility to interferences and response to environmental factors. Poor instrument performance in these areas can lead to errors or poor accuracy in measurements

Problems with radiological surveillance instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swinth, K.L.; Tanner, J.E.; Fleming, D.M.

1985-01-01

Many radiological surveillance instruments are in use at DOE facilities throughout the country. These instruments are an essential part of all health physics programs, and poor instrument performance can increase program costs or compromise program effectiveness. Generic data from simple tests on newly purchased instruments shows that many instruments will not meet requirements due to manufacturing defects. In other cases, lack of consideration of instrument use has resulted in poor acceptance of instruments and poor reliability. The performance of instruments is highly variable for electronic and mechanical performance, radiation response, susceptibility to interferences and response to environmental factors. Poor instrument performance in these areas can lead to errors or poor accuracy in measurements

Exile and demographic population growth in Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stevanović Radoslav

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The data of the 2002 population census on refugee population are analyzed in this paper with a basic aim to determine the significance (contribution of refugee corpus in demographic development of the Republic of Serbia. By analyzing the data, it has been determined that the refugee corpus does not significantly differ from the domicile population in the basic, above all demographic and other qualitative characteristics. The differences which can be noticed with certain (primarily socio-economic characteristics, due to the proportionally small participation of refugee persons in relation to the total (domicile population, could not significantly influence the total demographic, socio-economic and other characteristics of the population of central Serbia and Vojvodina. The most significant contribution of refugee (classifying the refugee corpus in the country's total population is reflected in the mitigation of the depopulation trend, namely population growth, not only both micro-entities, but also lower administrative-territorial entities (districts depending on the enumerated refugee population in them. However, population projections indicate that by the middle of this century (2050 the positive effects of the basically larger number of inhabitants will be lost caused by the inflow of refugee population.

Use of vitamin supplements and risk of total cancer and cardiovascular disease among the Japanese general population: A population-based survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ishihara Junko

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite the popular use of vitamin supplements and several prospective cohort studies investigating their effect on cancer incidence and cardiovascular disease (CVD, scientific data supporting their benefits remain controversial. Inconsistent results may be partly explained by the fact that use of supplements is an inconsistent behavior in individuals. We examined whether vitamin supplement use patterns affect cancer and CVD risk in a population-based cohort study in Japan. Methods A total of 28,903 men and 33,726 women in the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study cohort, who answered questions about vitamin supplement use in the first survey from 1990-1994 and the second survey from 1995-1998, were categorized into four groups (never use, past use, recent use, and consistent use and followed to the end of 2006 for cancer and 2005 for CVD. Sex-specific hazard ratios (HRs and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs were used to describe the relative risks of cancer and CVD associated with vitamin supplement use. Results During follow-up, 4501 cancer and 1858 CVD cases were identified. Multivariate adjusted analysis revealed no association of any pattern of vitamin supplement use with the risk of cancer and CVD in men. In women, consistent use was associated with lower risk of CVD (HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.41-0.89, whereas past (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.02-1.33 and recent use (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.01-1.52 were associated with higher risk of cancer. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first prospective cohort study to examine simultaneously the associations between vitamin supplement use patterns and risk of cancer and CVD. This prospective cohort study demonstrated that vitamin supplement use has little effect on the risk of cancer or CVD in men. In women, however, consistent vitamin supplement use might reduce the risk of CVD. Elevated risk of cancer associated with past and recent use of vitamin supplements in women may be partly

Neuraxial anesthesia improves long-term survival after total joint replacement: a retrospective nationwide population-based study in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wei-Hung; Hung, Kuo-Chuan; Tan, Ping-Heng; Shi, Hon-Yi

2015-04-01

This study explored the effects of general (GA) and neuraxial (NA) anesthesia on the outcomes of primary total joint replacement (TJR) in terms of postoperative mortality, length of stay (LOS), and hospital treatment costs. From 1997 to 2010, this nationwide population-based study retrospectively evaluated 7,977 patients in Taiwan who underwent primary total hip or knee replacement. We generated two propensity-score-matched subgroups, each containing an equal number of patients who underwent TJR with either GA or NA. Of the 7,977 patients, 2,990 (37.5%) underwent GA and 4,987 (62.5%) underwent NA. Propensity-score matching was used to create comparable GA and NA groups adjusted for age, sex, comorbidities, surgery type, hospital volume, and surgeon volume. Survival over the first three years following surgery was similar. The proportion of patients alive up to 14 years postoperatively for those undergoing NA was 58.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 50.4 to 66.0), and for those undergoing GA it was 57.3% (95% CI 51.4 to 63.2). Neuraxial anesthesia was associated with lower median [interquartile range; IQR] hospital treatment cost ($4,079 [3,805-4,444] vs $4,113 [3,812-4,568]; P anesthesia costs are removed. The mechanism underlying the association between NA and long-term survival is unknown.

Mental Health Services Use Predicted by Number of Mental Health Problems and Gender in a Total Population Study

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Maj-Britt Posserud

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We examined the relationship between service use and the number of problem areas as reported by parents and teachers on questionnaires among children aged 7–9 years old in the Bergen Child Study, a total population study including more than 9000 children. A problem area was counted as present if the child scored above the 95th percentile on parent and/or teacher questionnaire. A total number of 13 problem areas were included. Odd ratios (ORs for contact with child and adolescent mental health services (CAMH, school psychology services (SPS, health visiting nurse/physician, and school support were calculated with gender as covariate. The number of symptom areas was highly predictive of service use, showing a dose-response relationship for all services. Children scoring on ≥4 problem areas had a more than hundredfold risk of being in contact with CAMH services compared to children without problems. The mean number of problem areas for children in CAMH and SPS was 6.1 and 4.4 respectively, strongly supporting the ESSENCE model predicting multisymptomatology in children in specialized services. Even after controlling for number of problem areas, boys were twice as likely as girls to be in contact with CAMH, replicating previous findings of female gender being a strong barrier to mental health services.

Total Effective Xenoestrogen Burden in Serum Samples and Risk for Breast Cancer in a Population-Based Multicase–Control Study in Spain

Science.gov (United States)

Pastor-Barriuso, Roberto; Fernández, Mariana F.; Castaño-Vinyals, Gemma; Whelan, Denis; Pérez-Gómez, Beatriz; Llorca, Javier; Villanueva, Cristina M.; Guevara, Marcela; Molina-Molina, José-Manuel; Artacho-Cordón, Francisco; Barriuso-Lapresa, Laura; Tusquets, Ignasi; Dierssen-Sotos, Trinidad; Aragonés, Nuria; Olea, Nicolás; Kogevinas, Manolis; Pollán, Marina

2016-01-01

Background: Most studies on endocrine-disrupting chemicals and breast cancer have focused on single compounds and have produced inconclusive findings. Objectives: We assessed the combined estrogenic effects of mixtures of xenoestrogens in serum and their relationship to breast cancer risk. Methods: A total of 186 incident pretreatment breast cancer cases and 196 frequency-matched controls were randomly sampled from a large population-based multicase–control study in Spain. The total effective xenoestrogen burden attributable to organohalogenated xenoestrogens (TEXB-α) and endogenous hormones and more polar xenoestrogens (TEXB-β) was determined in serum samples using high-performance liquid chromatography and E-Screen bioassay. Odds ratios for breast cancer comparing tertiles of serum TEXB-α and TEXB-β were estimated using logistic models, and smooth risk trends were obtained using spline models. Results: Cases had higher geometric mean TEXB-α and TEXB-β levels (8.32 and 9.94 Eeq pM/mL, respectively) than controls (2.99 and 5.96 Eeq pM/mL, respectively). The fully adjusted odds ratios for breast cancer (95% confidence intervals) comparing the second and third tertiles of TEXB-α with the first tertile were 1.77 (0.76, 4.10) and 3.45 (1.50, 7.97), respectively, and those for TEXB-β were 2.35 (1.10, 5.03) and 4.01 (1.88, 8.56), respectively. A steady increase in risk was evident across all detected TEXB-α levels and a sigmoidal trend was observed for TEXB-β. Individual xenoestrogens showed weak and opposing associations with breast cancer risk. Conclusions: This is the first study to show a strong positive association between serum total xenoestrogen burden and breast cancer risk, highlighting the importance of evaluating xenoestrogen mixtures, rather than single compounds, when studying hormone-related cancers. Citation: Pastor-Barriuso R, Fernández MF, Castaño-Vinyals G, Whelan D, Pérez-Gómez B, Llorca J, Villanueva CM, Guevara M, Molina-Molina JM

Can Optimism, Pessimism, Hope, Treatment Credibility and Treatment Expectancy Be Distinguished in Patients Undergoing Total Hip and Total Knee Arthroplasty?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tsjitske M Haanstra

Full Text Available The constructs optimism, pessimism, hope, treatment credibility and treatment expectancy are associated with outcomes of medical treatment. While these constructs are grounded in different theoretical models, they nonetheless show some conceptual overlap. The purpose of this study was to examine whether currently available measurement instruments for these constructs capture the conceptual differences between these constructs within a treatment setting.Patients undergoing Total Hip and Total Knee Arthroplasty (THA and TKA (Total N = 361; 182 THA; 179 TKA, completed the Life Orientation Test-Revised for optimism and pessimism, the Hope Scale, the Credibility Expectancy Questionnaire for treatment credibility and treatment expectancy. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine whether the instruments measure distinct constructs. Four theory-driven models with one, two, four and five latent factors were evaluated using multiple fit indices and Δχ2 tests, followed by some posthoc models.The results of the theory driven confirmatory factor analysis showed that a five factor model in which all constructs loaded on separate factors yielded the most optimal and satisfactory fit. Posthoc, a bifactor model in which (besides the 5 separate factors a general factor is hypothesized accounting for the commonality of the items showed a significantly better fit than the five factor model. All specific factors, except for the hope factor, showed to explain a substantial amount of variance beyond the general factor.Based on our primary analyses we conclude that optimism, pessimism, hope, treatment credibility and treatment expectancy are distinguishable in THA and TKA patients. Postdoc, we determined that all constructs, except hope, showed substantial specific variance, while also sharing some general variance.

Can Optimism, Pessimism, Hope, Treatment Credibility and Treatment Expectancy Be Distinguished in Patients Undergoing Total Hip and Total Knee Arthroplasty?

Science.gov (United States)

Haanstra, Tsjitske M; Tilbury, Claire; Kamper, Steven J; Tordoir, Rutger L; Vliet Vlieland, Thea P M; Nelissen, Rob G H H; Cuijpers, Pim; de Vet, Henrica C W; Dekker, Joost; Knol, Dirk L; Ostelo, Raymond W

2015-01-01

The constructs optimism, pessimism, hope, treatment credibility and treatment expectancy are associated with outcomes of medical treatment. While these constructs are grounded in different theoretical models, they nonetheless show some conceptual overlap. The purpose of this study was to examine whether currently available measurement instruments for these constructs capture the conceptual differences between these constructs within a treatment setting. Patients undergoing Total Hip and Total Knee Arthroplasty (THA and TKA) (Total N = 361; 182 THA; 179 TKA), completed the Life Orientation Test-Revised for optimism and pessimism, the Hope Scale, the Credibility Expectancy Questionnaire for treatment credibility and treatment expectancy. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine whether the instruments measure distinct constructs. Four theory-driven models with one, two, four and five latent factors were evaluated using multiple fit indices and Δχ2 tests, followed by some posthoc models. The results of the theory driven confirmatory factor analysis showed that a five factor model in which all constructs loaded on separate factors yielded the most optimal and satisfactory fit. Posthoc, a bifactor model in which (besides the 5 separate factors) a general factor is hypothesized accounting for the commonality of the items showed a significantly better fit than the five factor model. All specific factors, except for the hope factor, showed to explain a substantial amount of variance beyond the general factor. Based on our primary analyses we conclude that optimism, pessimism, hope, treatment credibility and treatment expectancy are distinguishable in THA and TKA patients. Postdoc, we determined that all constructs, except hope, showed substantial specific variance, while also sharing some general variance.

1979-1999 satellite total ozone column measurements over West Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Di Carlo

2000-06-01

Full Text Available Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS instruments have been flown on NASA/GSFC satellites for over 20 years. They provide near real-time ozone data for Atmospheric Science Research. As part of preliminary efforts aimed to develop a Lidar station in Nigeria for monitoring the atmospheric ozone and aerosol levels, the monthly mean TOMS total column ozone measurements between 1979 to 1999 have been analysed. The trends of the total column ozone showed a spatial and temporal variation with signs of the Quasi Biennial Oscillation (QBO during the 20-year study period. The values of the TOMS total ozone column, over Nigeria (4-14°N is within the range of 230-280 Dobson Units, this is consistent with total ozone column data, measured since April 1993 with a Dobson Spectrophotometer at Lagos (3°21¢E, 6°33¢N, Nigeria.

First years experience of LHC Beam Instrumentation

CERN Document Server

Jones, O R

2011-01-01

The LHC is equipped with a full suite of sophisticated beam instrumentation which has been essential for rapid commissioning, the safe increase in total stored beam power and the understanding of machine optics and accelerator physics phenomena. This paper will comment on all of these systems and on their contributions to the various stages of beam commissioning. It will include details on: the beam position system and its use for realtime global orbit feedback; the beam loss system and its role in machine protection; total and bunch by bunch intensity measurements; tune measurement and feedback; synchrotron light diagnostics for transverse beam size measurements, abort gap monitoring and longitudinal density measurements. Issues and problems encountered along the way will also be discussed together with the prospect for future upgrades.

[Determination of Total Iron and Fe2+ in Basalt].

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jian-xun; Chen, Mei-rong; Jian, Zheng-guo; Wu, Gang; Wu, Zhi-shen

2015-08-01

Basalt is the raw material of basalt fiber. The content of FeO and Fe2O3 has a great impact on the properties of basalt fibers. ICP-OES and dichromate method were used to test total Fe and Fe(2+) in basalt. Suitable instrument parameters and analysis lines of Fe were chosen for ICP-OES. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of ICP-OES is 2.2%, and the recovery is in the range of 98%~101%. The method shows simple, rapid and highly accurate for determination of total Fe and Fe(2+) in basalt. The RSD of ICP-OES and dichromate method is 0.42% and 1.4%, respectively.

CONCEPTUAL AND DESIGN ISSUES IN INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT FOR RESEARCH WITH BEREAVED PARENTS*

Science.gov (United States)

Briller, Sherylyn H.; Schim, Stephanie Myers; Thurston, Celia S.; Meert, Kathleen L.

2013-01-01

Many childhood deaths in the United States occur in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) and parents have special needs in this death context. As an interdisciplinary research team, we discuss conceptual and design issues encountered in creating a new instrument, the Bereaved Parent Needs Assessment–PICU, for assessing parents’ needs in this setting. Using a qualitative approach, our team previously explored how the culture and related ways of providing care in one urban Midwestern children’s hospital PICU affected parents’ bereavement needs and experiences. We describe using this qualitative foundation in the development of a new quantitative instrument to more widely validate and measure bereaved parents’ needs around the time of a child’s death across multiple PICUs. We highlight a series of issues that warrant consideration in designing a research instrument for this vulnerable population including setting and context, format and content, temporality, recruitment, and content expertise. PMID:22953511

Changes in the Total Fecal Bacterial Population in Individual Horses Maintained on a Restricted Diet Over 6 Weeks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kirsty Dougal

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Twelve mature (aged 5–16 years horses and ponies of mixed breed and type were fed restricted (1.25% BM Dry matter quantities of one of two fiber based diets formulated to be iso-caloric. Diet 1 comprised of 0.8% body mass (BM of chaff based complete feed plus 0.45% BM low energy grass hay (the same hay used for both diets. Diet 2 comprised 0.1% BM of a nutrient balancer plus 1.15% BM grass hay. Fecal samples were collected at week 10 and week 16. DNA was extracted and the V1-V2 regions of 16SrDNA were 454-pyrosequenced to investigate the bacterial microbiome of the horse. The two most abundant phyla found in both diets and sampling periods were the Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. There was a clear reduction in Bacteroidetes with a concordant increase in Firmicutes over time. There was a limited degree of stability within the bacterial community of the hindgut of horses, with 65% of bacteria retained, over a 6 week period whilst on a uniform diet. The presence of a core community defined by being present in all samples (each animal/diet combination included in the study and being present at 0.1% relative abundance (or greater was identified. In total 65 operational taxonomic units (OTUs were identified that fit the definition of core making up 21–28% of the total sequences recovered. As with total population the most abundant phyla were the Bacteroidetes followed by the Firmicutes, however there was no obvious shift in phyla due to period. Indeed, when the relative abundance of OTUs was examined across diets and periods there was no significant effect of diet or period alone or in combination on the relative abundance of the core OTUs.

The dog and cat population on Maio Island, Cape Verde: characterisation and prediction based on household survey and remotely sensed imagery.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopes Antunes, Ana Carolina; Ducheyne, Els; Bryssinckx, Ward; Vieira, Sara; Malta, Manuel; Vaz, Yolanda; Nunes, Telmo; Mintiens, Koen

2015-11-04

The objective was to estimate and characterise the dog and cat population on Maio Island, Cape Verde. Remotely sensed imagery was used to document the number of houses across the island and a household survey was carried out in six administrative areas recording the location of each animal using a global positioning system instrument. Linear statistical models were applied to predict the dog and cat populations based on the number of houses found and according to various levels of data aggregation. In the surveyed localities, a total of 457 dogs and 306 cats were found. The majority of animals had owners and only a few had free access to outdoor activities. The estimated population size was 531 dogs [95% confidence interval (CI): 453-609] and 354 cats (95% CI: 275-431). Stray animals were not a concern on the island in contrast to the rest of the country.

OPTION(5) versus OPTION(12) instruments to appreciate the extent to which healthcare providers involve patients in decision-making.

Science.gov (United States)

Stubenrouch, Fabienne E; Pieterse, Arwen H; Falkenberg, Rijan; Santema, T Katrien B; Stiggelbout, Anne M; van der Weijden, Trudy; Aarts, J Annemijn W M; Ubbink, Dirk T

2016-06-01

The 12-item "observing patient involvement" (OPTION(12))-instrument is commonly used to assess the extent to which healthcare providers involve patients in health-related decision-making. The five-item version (OPTION(5)) claims to be a more efficient measure. In this study we compared the Dutch versions of the OPTION-instruments in terms of inter-rater agreement and correlation in outpatient doctor-patient consultations in various settings, to learn if we can safely switch to the shorter OPTION(5)-instrument. Two raters coded 60 audiotaped vascular surgery and oncology patient consultations using OPTION(12) and OPTION(5). Unweighted Cohen's kappa was used to compute inter-rater agreement on item-level. The association between the total scores of the two OPTION-instruments was investigated using Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) and a Bland & Altman plot. After fine-tuning the OPTION-manuals, inter-rater agreement for OPTION(12) and OPTION(5) was good to excellent (kappa range 0.69-0.85 and 0.63-0.72, respectively). Mean total scores were 23.7 (OPTION(12); SD=7.8) and 39.3 (OPTION(5); SD=12.7). Correlation between the total scores was high (r=0.71; p=0.01). OPTION(5) scored systematically higher with a wider range than OPTION(12). Both OPTION-instruments had a good inter-rater agreement and correlated well. OPTION(5) seems to differentiate better between various levels of patient involvement. The OPTION(5)-instrument is recommended for clinical application. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Status of safeguards instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higinbotham, W.A.

The International Atomic Energy Agency is performing safeguards at some nuclear power reactors, 50 bulk processing facilities, and 170 research facilities. Its verification activities require the use of instruments to measure nuclear materials and of surveillance instruments to maintain continuity of knowledge of the locations of nuclear materials. Instruments that are in use and under development to measure weight, volume, concentration, and isotopic composition of nuclear materials, and the major surveillance instruments, are described in connection with their uses at representative nuclear facilities. The current status of safeguards instrumentation and the needs for future development are discussed

Early modern mathematical instruments.

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, Jim

2011-12-01

In considering the appropriate use of the terms "science" and "scientific instrument," tracing the history of "mathematical instruments" in the early modern period is offered as an illuminating alternative to the historian's natural instinct to follow the guiding lights of originality and innovation, even if the trail transgresses contemporary boundaries. The mathematical instrument was a well-defined category, shared across the academic, artisanal, and commercial aspects of instrumentation, and its narrative from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century was largely independent from other classes of device, in a period when a "scientific" instrument was unheard of.

Instrumental Capital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriel Valerio

2007-07-01

Full Text Available During the history of human kind, since our first ancestors, tools have represented a mean to reach objectives which might otherwise seemed impossibles. In the called New Economy, where tangibles assets appear to be losing the role as the core element to produce value versus knowledge, tools have kept aside man in his dairy work. In this article, the author's objective is to describe, in a simple manner, the importance of managing the organization's group of tools or instruments (Instrumental Capital. The characteristic conditions of this New Economy, the way Knowledge Management deals with these new conditions and the sub-processes that provide support to the management of Instrumental Capital are described.

The Client Satisfaction Questionnaire: psychometric properties in a Dutch addict population.

Science.gov (United States)

De Wilde, Eveline F; Hendriks, Vincent M

2005-01-01

The aim of this study is to investigate psychometric properties of the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8) in a Dutch substance abuse population. The CSQ-8 and the Mental Health Thermometer (the standard Dutch satisfaction instrument) were sent to 927 patients of a Dutch substance abuse treatment centre. (response rate 28.3%; n = 262). Data were compared on several variables (i.e., age, gender, ethnicity, treatment type). For a subgroup of responders (n = 84), data were compared with pre-treatment problem severity and treatment need (the European Addiction Severity Index). Both internal consistency and concurrent validity were found to be high. Only treatment type had significant effects on CSQ-8 satisfaction scores. Scores were negatively skewed. The CSQ-8 is as suitable an instrument to be used in addict populations, as it is in other populations. (c) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel

Total ozone column derived from GOME and SCIAMACHY using KNMI retrieval algorithms: Validation against Brewer measurements at the Iberian Peninsula

Science.gov (United States)

Antón, M.; Kroon, M.; López, M.; Vilaplana, J. M.; Bañón, M.; van der A, R.; Veefkind, J. P.; Stammes, P.; Alados-Arboledas, L.

2011-11-01

This article focuses on the validation of the total ozone column (TOC) data set acquired by the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) and the Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Chartography (SCIAMACHY) satellite remote sensing instruments using the Total Ozone Retrieval Scheme for the GOME Instrument Based on the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (TOGOMI) and Total Ozone Retrieval Scheme for the SCIAMACHY Instrument Based on the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (TOSOMI) retrieval algorithms developed by the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute. In this analysis, spatially colocated, daily averaged ground-based observations performed by five well-calibrated Brewer spectrophotometers at the Iberian Peninsula are used. The period of study runs from January 2004 to December 2009. The agreement between satellite and ground-based TOC data is excellent (R2 higher than 0.94). Nevertheless, the TOC data derived from both satellite instruments underestimate the ground-based data. On average, this underestimation is 1.1% for GOME and 1.3% for SCIAMACHY. The SCIAMACHY-Brewer TOC differences show a significant solar zenith angle (SZA) dependence which causes a systematic seasonal dependence. By contrast, GOME-Brewer TOC differences show no significant SZA dependence and hence no seasonality although processed with exactly the same algorithm. The satellite-Brewer TOC differences for the two satellite instruments show a clear and similar dependence on the viewing zenith angle under cloudy conditions. In addition, both the GOME-Brewer and SCIAMACHY-Brewer TOC differences reveal a very similar behavior with respect to the satellite cloud properties, being cloud fraction and cloud top pressure, which originate from the same cloud algorithm (Fast Retrieval Scheme for Clouds from the Oxygen A-Band (FRESCO+)) in both the TOSOMI and TOGOMI retrieval algorithms.

Flux Gain for Next-Generation Neutron-Scattering Instruments Resulting From Improved Supermirror Performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rehm, C.

2001-01-01

Next-generation spallation neutron source facilities will offer instruments with unprecedented capabilities through simultaneous enhancement of source power and usage of advanced optical components. The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), already under construction at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and scheduled to be completed by 2006, will provide greater than an order of magnitude more effective source flux than current state-of-the-art facilities, including the most advanced research reactors. An additional order of magnitude gain is expected through the use of new optical devices and instrumentation concepts. Many instrument designs require supermirror (SM) neutron guides with very high critical angles for total reflection. In this contribution, they discuss how the performance of modern neutron scattering instruments depends on the efficiency of these supermirrors. They outline ideas for enhancing the performance of the SM coatings, particularly for improving the reflectivity at the position of the critical wave vector transfer. A simulation program has been developed which allows different approaches for SM designs to be studied. Possible instrument performance gains are calculated for the example of the SNS reflectometer

Disability in society-medical and non-medical determinants for disability pension in a Norwegian total county population study.

Science.gov (United States)

Krokstad, Steinar; Westin, Steinar

2004-05-01

The objective of this study was to describe sociomedical determinants and developments for the medically based disability pension in Norway by linking individual based data from a county health survey to data on disability from the National Insurance Administration. Two cross-sectional total population health surveys with an approximate 10-year interval were conducted in Nord-Trøndelag county, HUNT I (1984-86) and HUNT II (1995-97), which allows for analyses of changes over time, supplied with official incidence data on disability pension. The large-scale variations and overall increasing incidence rates of disability pension in Norway during the last 20 years also applied to the county of Nord-Trøndelag. The prevalence of disability pension generally increased in the population from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. A striking finding was a consistent pattern of increasing prevalence of disability pension with decreasing socio-economic status and education. A geographic pattern for disability pension prevalence on a municipality level suggested that structural and cultural factors were important in determining the level of disability in society. Medical determinants alone cannot explain either the dramatic variations or the overall increased incidence rates of disability pension in the last two decades in Norway. The results demonstrate the importance of social, non-medical and contextual determinants for disability pension, how these determinants result in important prevalence differences by socio-economic status, and their impact on the level of disability in society.

Deformation and fracture of K3 rotary nickel-titanium endodontic instruments after clinical use.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, S M; Deng, M; Wang, P P; Chen, X M; Zheng, L W; Li, H L

2016-11-01

The aim was to evaluate the incidence and type of defects that occurred with K3 rotary nickel-titanium instruments during routine clinical use. A total of 2397 K3 (G-PACKS, SybronEndo, West Collins, Orange, CA, USA) instruments were collected from a graduate endodontic clinic over 21 months. All the instruments were limited to a maximum use of 30 canal preparations. The collected instruments were measured by a digital caliper to determine whether any fractures had occurred and then were visually inspected for deformation and fracture under a stereomicroscope. The surfaces of fractured instruments were further evaluated under a scanning electron microscope. Data were analysed using chi-square test and Kruskal-Wallis test. The incidence of instrument defect was 5.63%, consisting of 3.59% fractures and 2.05% deformations. The defect rates of 0.04 and 0.06 files were statistically higher than the other taper groups (P  0.05). For the fractured instruments, 63.95% failed from flexural fatigue, whilst 36.05% failed from torsion. Flexural fracture was the major mode of fracture for instruments with larger taper. A routine check for instrument integrity particularly for 0.04 and 0.06 files at high magnification is recommended after each clinical use. © 2015 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Genetic variation in total number and locations of GnRH neurons identified using in situ hybridization in a wild-source population.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaugars, Katherine E; Rivers, Charlotte I; Saha, Margaret S; Heideman, Paul D

2016-02-01

The evolution of brain function in the regulation of physiology may depend in part upon the numbers and locations of neurons. Wild populations of rodents contain natural genetic variation in the inhibition of reproduction by winter-like short photoperiod, and it has been hypothesized that this functional variation might be due in part to heritable variation in the numbers or location of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons. A naturally variable wild-source population of white-footed mice was used to develop lines artificially selected for or against mature gonads in short, winter-like photoperiods. We compared a selection line that is reproductively inhibited in short photoperiod (Responsive) to a line that is weakly inhibited by short photoperiod (Nonresponsive) for differences in counts of neurons identified using in situ hybridization for GnRH mRNA. There was no effect of photoperiod, but there were 60% more GnRH neurons in total in the Nonresponsive selection line than the Responsive selection line. The lines differed specifically in numbers of GnRH neurons in more anterior regions, whereas numbers of GnRH neurons in posterior areas were not statistically different between lines. We compare these results to those of an earlier study that used immunohistochemical labeling for GnRH neurons. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the selection lines and natural source population contain significant genetic variation in the number and location of GnRH neurons. The variation in GnRH neurons may contribute to functional variation in fertility that occurs in short photoperiods in the laboratory and in the wild source population in winter. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Vertical Population Gradients in NGC 891. I. ∇Pak Instrumentation and Spectral Data

Science.gov (United States)

Eigenbrot, Arthur; Bershady, Matthew A.

2018-02-01

We have measured vertical and radial stellar population gradients in NGC 891. We compare these gradients to those known for the Milky Way from studies of resolved stars. Optical spectroscopic measurements extend spatially from the disk midplane up to 2.6 {kpc} in height and out to a radius of 12 {kpc} on both sides of the galaxy. Data were acquired with ∇Pak, a variable-pitch fiber integral field unit (IFU) on the WIYN telescope. We describe the laboratory and on-sky performance of ∇Pak, as well as modifications to the standard observational and analysis procedures necessary to calibrate data taken with this unique IFU. ∇Pak has a mean throughput of 80% at 5500 \\mathringA . To achieve an estimated precision of 10% in light-weighted mean age and metallicity, we define a set of spatial apertures in radius and height in which spectra are binned to achieve a signal-to-noise ratio of ∼20 Å‑1. We use spectral indices to measure age, metallicity, and abundance, indicating that NGC 891's stellar populations have 0.2 7 {Gyr}) stellar populations at 0.4 {kpc}, roughly the scale height of the thin disk. We also find a slight trend toward younger populations at larger radii, consistent with flaring in an inside-out disk formation scenario. The vertical age gradient in NGC 891 is in remarkable qualitative agreement with a model for disk heating tuned to studies of the Milk Way’s solar cylinder.

Evaluating musical instruments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, D. Murray

2014-01-01

Scientific measurements of sound generation and radiation by musical instruments are surprisingly hard to correlate with the subtle and complex judgments of instrumental quality made by expert musicians

SM Higgs decay branching ratios and total Higgs width

CERN Multimedia

Daniel Denegri

2001-01-01

Upper: Higgs decay ratios as a function of Higgs mass. The largest branching ratio is not necessarily the most usefull one. The most usefull ones are gamma gamma bbar ZZ and WW as in those modes latter signal to background ratios can be achieved. Lower: Total Higgs decay width versus Higgs mass. At low masses the natural width is extremely small, thus observability depends on instrumental resolution primarily.

Instrumentation and process control development for in situ coal gasification. Fourth quarterly report, September--November 1975

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Northrop, D.A. (ed.)

1976-01-01

The instrumentation effort for Phases 2 and 3 of the Second Hanna In Situ Coal Gasification Experiment was fielded and background data obtained prior to the initiation of Phase 2 on November 25, 1975. A total of over 600 channels of instrumentation in 15 instrumentation wells and two surface arrays was fielded for the instrumentation techniques under evaluation. The feasibility of the passive acoustic technique to locate the source of process-related noises has been demonstrated; its utility is presently hampered by the inexact definition of signal arrivals and the lack of automated signal monitoring and analysis systems. A revised mathematical model for the electrical techniques has been developed which demonstrates the potential for remote monitoring. (auth)

Electrical Bioimpedance-Controlled Surgical Instrumentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Brendle, Christian; Rein, Benjamin; Niesche, Annegret; Korff, Alexander; Radermacher, Klaus; Misgeld, Berno; Leonhardt, Steffen

2015-10-01

A bioimpedance-controlled concept for bone cement milling during revision total hip replacement is presented. Normally, the surgeon manually removes bone cement using a hammer and chisel. However, this procedure is relatively rough and unintended harm may occur to tissue at any time. The proposed bioimpedance-controlled surgical instrumentation improves this process because, for example, most risks associated with bone cement removal are avoided. The electrical bioimpedance measurements enable online process-control by using the milling head as both a cutting tool and measurement electrode at the same time. Furthermore, a novel integrated surgical milling tool is introduced, which allows acquisition of electrical bioimpedance data for online control; these data are used as a process variable. Process identification is based on finite element method simulation and on experimental studies with a rapid control prototyping system. The control loop design includes the identified process model, the characterization of noise as being normally distributed and the filtering, which is necessary for sufficient accuracy ( ±0.5 mm). Also, in a comparative study, noise suppression is investigated in silico with a moving average filter and a Kalman filter. Finally, performance analysis shows that the bioimpedance-controlled surgical instrumentation may also performs effectively at a higher feed rate (e.g., 5 mm/s).

ProFile Vortex and Vortex Blue Nickel-Titanium Rotary Instruments after Clinical Use.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Ya; Zhou, Huimin; Coil, Jeffrey M; Aljazaeri, Bassim; Buttar, Rene; Wang, Zhejun; Zheng, Yu-feng; Haapasalo, Markus

2015-06-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence and mode of ProFile Vortex and Vortex Blue instrument defects after clinical use in a graduate endodontic program and to examine the impact of clinical use on the instruments' metallurgical properties. A total of 330 ProFile Vortex and 1136 Vortex Blue instruments from the graduate program were collected after each had been used in 3 teeth. The incidence and type of instrument defects were analyzed. The lateral surfaces and fracture surfaces of the fractured files were examined by using scanning electron microscopy. Unused and used instruments were examined by full and partial differential scanning calorimetry. No fractures were observed in the 330 ProFile Vortex instruments, whereas 20 (6.1%) revealed bent or blunt defects. Only 2 of the 1136 Vortex Blue files fractured during clinical use. The cause of fracture was shear stress. The fractures occurred at the tip end of the spirals. Only 1.8% (21 of 1136) of the Vortex Blue files had blunt tips. Austenite-finish temperatures were very similar for unused and used ProFile Vortex files and were all greater than 50°C. The austenite-finish temperatures of used and unused Vortex Blue files (38.5°C) were lower than those in ProFile Vortex instruments (P Vortex Blue files had an obvious 2-stage transformation, martensite-to-R phase and R-to-austenite phase. The trends of differential scanning calorimetry plots of unused Vortex Blue instruments and clinically used instruments were very similar. The risk of ProFile Vortex and Vortex Blue instrument fracture is very low when instruments are discarded after clinical use in the graduate endodontic program. The Vortex Blue files have metallurgical behavior different from ProFile Vortex instruments. Copyright © 2015 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bioaccumulation of trace metals and total petroleum and genotoxicity responses in an edible fish population as indicators of marine pollution.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Costa, Avelyno; Shyama, S K; Praveen Kumar, M K

2017-08-01

The present study reports the genetic damage and the concentrations of trace metals and total petroleum hydrocarbons prevailing in natural populations of an edible fish, Arius arius in different seasons along the coast of Goa, India as an indicator of the pollution status of coastal water. Fish were collected from a suspected polluted site and a reference site in the pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. Physico-chemical parameters as well as the concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and trace metals in the water and sediment as well as the tissues of fish collected from these sites were recorded. The genotoxicity status of the fish was assessed employing the micronucleus test and comet assay. A positive correlation (p<0.001) was observed between the tail DNA and micronuclei in all the fish collected. Multiple regression analysis revealed that tissue and environmental pollutant concentrations and genotoxicity were positively associated and higher in the tissues of the fish collected from the polluted site. Pollution indicators and genotoxicity tests, combined with other physiological or biochemical parameters represent an essential integrated approach for efficient monitoring of aquatic ecosystems in Goa. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Self-administered health literacy instruments for people with diabetes: systematic review of measurement properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Eun-Hyun; Kim, Chun-Ja; Lee, Jiyeon; Moon, Seung Hei

2017-09-01

The aims of this study were to identify all available self-administered instruments measuring health literacy in people with diabetes and to determine the current instrument that is the most appropriate for applying to this population in both practice and research. A systematic review of measurement properties. MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL electronic databases from their inception up to 28 March 2016. The methodological quality of each included study was assessed using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments checklist. The reported results for measurement properties in the studies were assessed according to Terwee's quality criteria. Thirteen self-administered instruments measuring health literacy in people with diabetes were identified, of which six (44%) were diabetes-specific instruments. The instruments that covered the broadest contents of health literacy were the Health Literacy Scale and Health Literacy Questionnaire. The (test-retest) reliability, measurement error and responsiveness were not evaluated for any instrument, while internal consistency and hypothesis testing validity were the most frequently assessed measurement properties. With the current evidence, the Health Literacy Scale may be the most appropriate instrument for patients with diabetes in practice and research. However, the structural validity of this scale needs to be further established, particularly in other language versions. It is also recommended to use the Diabetes Numeracy Test-15 along with the Health Literacy Scale to complement the lack of numeracy measures in the Health Literacy Scale. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Temporal and spectral contributions to musical instrument identification and discrimination among cochlear implant users

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Sandra M. Prentiss; David R. Friedland; Tanner Fullmer; Alison Crane; Timothy Stoddard; Christina L. Runge

2016-01-01

Objective:To investigate the contributions of envelope and fine-structure to the perception of timbre by cochlear implant (CI) users as compared to normal hearing (NH) lis-teners. Methods: This was a prospective cohort comparison study. Normal hearing and cochlear implant patients were tested. Three experiments were performed in sound field using musical notes altered to affect the characteristic pitch of an instrument and the acoustic envelope. Experiment 1 assessed the ability to identify the instrument playing each note, while experi-ments 2 and 3 assessed the ability to discriminate the different stimuli. Results:Normal hearing subjects performed better than CI subjects in all instrument identifi-cation tasks, reaching statistical significance for 4 of 5 stimulus conditions. Within the CI pop-ulation, acoustic envelope modifications did not significantly affect instrument identification or discrimination. With envelope and pitch cues removed, fine structure discrimination perfor-mance was similar between normal hearing and CI users for the majority of conditions, but some specific instrument comparisons were significantly more challenging for CI users. Conclusions:Cochlear implant users perform significantly worse than normal hearing listeners on tasks of instrument identification. However, cochlear implant listeners can discriminate differences in envelope and some fine structure components of musical instrument sounds as well as normal hearing listeners. The results indicated that certain fine structure cues are important for cochlear implant users to make discrimination judgments, and therefore may affect interpretation toward associating with a specific instrument for identification.

The contextual effects of social capital on health: a cross-national instrumental variable analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Daniel; Baum, Christopher F; Ganz, Michael L; Subramanian, S V; Kawachi, Ichiro

2011-12-01

Past research on the associations between area-level/contextual social capital and health has produced conflicting evidence. However, interpreting this rapidly growing literature is difficult because estimates using conventional regression are prone to major sources of bias including residual confounding and reverse causation. Instrumental variable (IV) analysis can reduce such bias. Using data on up to 167,344 adults in 64 nations in the European and World Values Surveys and applying IV and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, we estimated the contextual effects of country-level social trust on individual self-rated health. We further explored whether these associations varied by gender and individual levels of trust. Using OLS regression, we found higher average country-level trust to be associated with better self-rated health in both women and men. Instrumental variable analysis yielded qualitatively similar results, although the estimates were more than double in size in both sexes when country population density and corruption were used as instruments. The estimated health effects of raising the percentage of a country's population that trusts others by 10 percentage points were at least as large as the estimated health effects of an individual developing trust in others. These findings were robust to alternative model specifications and instruments. Conventional regression and to a lesser extent IV analysis suggested that these associations are more salient in women and in women reporting social trust. In a large cross-national study, our findings, including those using instrumental variables, support the presence of beneficial effects of higher country-level trust on self-rated health. Previous findings for contextual social capital using traditional regression may have underestimated the true associations. Given the close linkages between self-rated health and all-cause mortality, the public health gains from raising social capital within and across

Hearing Health in College Instrumental Musicians and Prevention of Hearing Loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Olson, Anna D; Gooding, Lori F; Shikoh, Fara; Graf, Julie

2016-03-01

College musicians exhibit greater declines in hearing than the general population and are at particular risk because they rehearse and perform daily in loud environments. Also, they engage in use of personal listening devices which increases the amount of "exposure" time. Despite increased risk, many do not use hearing protection devices (HPD). The purpose of this study was to (1) to identify the present level of education about hearing health, (2) identify the perceived advantages and disadvantages of using HPD, and (3) evaluate results among different musical instrument groups. A mixed-methods group design was used including both quantitative and qualitative instruments. SPSS was used to generate descriptive statistics, and non-parametric statistical analysis was performed on quantitative data. NVivo software was used to evaluate qualitative responses. Of the 90 college instrumental music students who participated, 12% reported a history of hearing loss, and over one-third reported tinnitus. Seventy-seven percent of participants had never received any training about hearing health and only a small percentage of students used HPD. The most cited reason for lack of protection use was its negative impact on sound quality. However, group differences were noted between brass, woodwind, and percussion musicians in terms of HPD uptake. Improving the type of information disseminated to college musicians may reduce the risk of ear-related deficits. Noise dosage information, HPD information, and prevention education grounded in theories like the Health Belief Model may increase awareness and promote greater use of HPDs in this population.

Identifying Promising Items: The Use of Crowdsourcing in the Development of Assessment Instruments

Science.gov (United States)

Sadler, Philip M.; Sonnert, Gerhard; Coyle, Harold P.; Miller, Kelly A.

2016-01-01

The psychometrically sound development of assessment instruments requires pilot testing of candidate items as a first step in gauging their quality, typically a time-consuming and costly effort. Crowdsourcing offers the opportunity for gathering data much more quickly and inexpensively than from most targeted populations. In a simulation of a…

Articulated dental cast analysis of asymptomatic and symptomatic populations

Science.gov (United States)

Cordray, Frank E

2016-01-01

Dental instrumentation has long provided insight into the mechanism of musculo-skeletal function of the gnathic system. While large population studies associate dental arch displacement (DAD), especially laterally, with symptoms, mandibular condyle displacement (CD) resulting from DAD has not been targeted as possibly etiologic in the production of common muscle contraction headache (CMCH) and temporo-mandibular dysfunction (TMD). The objective was to evaluate the three-dimensional nature of DAD and CD between the seated condylar position (SCP) and the intercuspal position (ICP) and to compare results derived from large deprogrammed asymptomatic and symptomatic populations. A total of 1 192 sets of dental casts collected from asymptomatic and symptomatic populations were articulated in the SCP. The initial occlusal contact, DAD, and condylar displacement were evaluated for frequency, direction, and magnitude of displacement between the SCP and ICP. The data revealed significant displacement between the SCP and ICP of the condyles (displaced most frequently inferior (down) and posterior (distal)) and substantially increased frequency and magnitude of displacement of the dental arches (with posterior premature occlusal contacts, increased overjet, decreased overbite, midline differences, and occlusal classification changes) in symptomatic subjects. These discrepancies were statistically significant and clinically significant. The data support the concept of increased DAD and CD with dysfunction. Transverse condylar displacement, commonly presenting with dental cross bite, may be associated with CMCH and TMD. Displacement of the mandibular condyle may be an etiologic factor in CMCH and dysfunction of the temporo-mandibular joint. PMID:27357324

The transmission of stress to grafted bone inside a titanium mesh cage used in anterior column reconstruction after total spondylectomy: a finite-element analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Akamaru, Tomoyuki; Kawahara, Norio; Sakamoto, Jiro; Yoshida, Akira; Murakami, Hideki; Hato, Taizo; Awamori, Serina; Oda, Juhachi; Tomita, Katsuro

2005-12-15

A finite-element study of posterior alone or anterior/posterior combined instrumentation following total spondylectomy and replacement with a titanium mesh cage used as an anterior strut. To compare the effect of posterior instrumentation versus anterior/posterior instrumentation on transmission of the stress to grafted bone inside a titanium mesh cage following total spondylectomy. The most recent reconstruction techniques following total spondylectomy for malignant spinal tumor include a titanium mesh cage filled with autologous bone as an anterior strut. The need for additional anterior instrumentation with posterior pedicle screws and rods is controversial. Transmission of the mechanical stress to grafted bone inside a titanium mesh cage is important for fusion and remodeling. To our knowledge, there are no published reports comparing the load-sharing properties of the different reconstruction methods following total spondylectomy. A 3-dimensional finite-element model of the reconstructed spine (T10-L4) following total spondylectomy at T12 was constructed. A Harms titanium mesh cage (DePuy Spine, Raynham, MA) was positioned as an anterior replacement, and 3 types of the reconstruction methods were compared: (1) multilevel posterior instrumentation (MPI) (i.e., posterior pedicle screws and rods at T10-L2 without anterior instrumentation); (2) MPI with anterior instrumentation (MPAI) (i.e., MPAI [Kaneda SR; DePuy Spine] at T11-L1); and (3) short posterior and anterior instrumentation (SPAI) (i.e., posterior pedicle screws and rods with anterior instrumentation at T11-L1). The mechanical energy stress distribution exerted inside the titanium mesh cage was evaluated and compared by finite-element analysis for the 3 different reconstruction methods. Simulated forces were applied to give axial compression, flexion, extension, and lateral bending. In flexion mode, the energy stress distribution in MPI was higher than 3.0 x 10 MPa in 73.0% of the total volume inside

Instrument Modeling and Synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Horner, Andrew B.; Beauchamp, James W.

During the 1970s and 1980s, before synthesizers based on direct sampling of musical sounds became popular, replicating musical instruments using frequency modulation (FM) or wavetable synthesis was one of the “holy grails” of music synthesis. Synthesizers such as the Yamaha DX7 allowed users great flexibility in mixing and matching sounds, but were notoriously difficult to coerce into producing sounds like those of a given instrument. Instrument design wizards practiced the mysteries of FM instrument design.

LHC Beam Instrumentation: Beam Profile Measurements (2/3)

CERN Document Server

CERN. Geneva

2014-01-01

The LHC is equipped with a full suite of sophisticated beam instrumentation which has been essential for rapid commissioning, the safe increase in total stored beam power and the understanding of machine optics and accelerator physics phenomena. These lectures will introduce these systems and comment on their contributions to the various stages of beam operation. They will include details on: the beam position system and its use for real-time global orbit feedback; the beam loss system and its role in machine protection; total and bunch by bunch intensity measurements; tune measurement and feedback; diagnostics for transverse beam size measurements, abort gap monitoring and longitudinal density measurements. Issues and problems encountered along the way will also be discussed together with the prospect for future upgrades.

Instrumentation for Nuclear Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

The objective of this project was to develop and coordinate nuclear instrumentation standards with resulting economies for the nuclear and radiation fields. There was particular emphasis on coordination and management of the Nuclear Instrument Module (NIM) System, U.S. activity involving the CAMAC international standard dataway system, the FASTBUS modular high-speed data acquisition and control system and processing and management of national nuclear instrumentation and detector standards, as well as a modest amount of assistance and consultation services to the Pollutant Characterization and Safety Research Division of the Office of Health and Environmental Research. The principal accomplishments were the development and maintenance of the NIM instrumentation system that is the predominant instrumentation system in the nuclear and radiation fields worldwide, the CAMAC digital interface system in coordination with the ESONE Committee of European Laboratories, the FASTBUS high-speed system and numerous national and international nuclear instrumentation standards

The Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised, Second Edition (MIQ-RS Is a Reliable and Valid Tool for Evaluating Motor Imagery in Stroke Populations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew J. Butler

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Mental imagery can improve motor performance in stroke populations when combined with physical therapy. Valid and reliable instruments to evaluate the imagery ability of stroke survivors are needed to maximize the benefits of mental imagery therapy. The purposes of this study were to: examine and compare the test-retest intra-rate reliability of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised, Second Edition (MIQ-RS in stroke survivors and able-bodied controls, examine internal consistency of the visual and kinesthetic items of the MIQ-RS, determine if the MIQ-RS includes both the visual and kinesthetic dimensions of mental imagery, correlate impairment and motor imagery scores, and investigate the criterion validity of the MIQ-RS in stroke survivors by comparing the results to the KVIQ-10. Test-retest analysis indicated good levels of reliability (ICC range: .83–.99 and internal consistency (Cronbach α: .95–.98 of the visual and kinesthetic subscales in both groups. The two-factor structure of the MIQ-RS was supported by factor analysis, with the visual and kinesthetic components accounting for 88.6% and 83.4% of the total variance in the able-bodied and stroke groups, respectively. The MIQ-RS is a valid and reliable instrument in the stroke population examined and able-bodied populations and therefore useful as an outcome measure for motor imagery ability.

On Representative Spaceflight Instrument and Associated Instrument Sensor Web Framework

Science.gov (United States)

Kizhner, Semion; Patel, Umeshkumar; Vootukuru, Meg

2007-01-01

Sensor Web-based adaptation and sharing of space flight mission resources, including those of the Space-Ground and Control-User communication segment, could greatly benefit from utilization of heritage Internet Protocols and devices applied for Spaceflight (SpaceIP). This had been successfully demonstrated by a few recent spaceflight experiments. However, while terrestrial applications of Internet protocols are well developed and understood (mostly due to billions of dollars in investments by the military and industry), the spaceflight application of Internet protocols is still in its infancy. Progress in the developments of SpaceIP-enabled instrument components will largely determine the SpaceIP utilization of those investments and acceptance in years to come. Likewise SpaceIP, the development of commercial real-time and instrument colocated computational resources, data compression and storage, can be enabled on-board a spacecraft and, in turn, support a powerful application to Sensor Web-based design of a spaceflight instrument. Sensor Web-enabled reconfiguration and adaptation of structures for hardware resources and information systems will commence application of Field Programmable Arrays (FPGA) and other aerospace programmable logic devices for what this technology was intended. These are a few obvious potential benefits of Sensor Web technologies for spaceflight applications. However, they are still waiting to be explored. This is because there is a need for a new approach to spaceflight instrumentation in order to make these mature sensor web technologies applicable for spaceflight. In this paper we present an approach in developing related and enabling spaceflight instrument-level technologies based on the new concept of a representative spaceflight Instrument Sensor Web (ISW).

Total quality at source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiandone, A.C.

1990-01-01

The Total Quality at Source philosophy is based on optimizing the effectiveness of people in achieving ZERO-DEFECT results. In this paper a philosophy of what, I have come to perceive, it takes to get people to perform to the very best of their abilities and thereby achieve the best results they can, is presented. In the examples I shall describe I have played an instrumental role since it has become my belief that any job can always be done better provided that the people doing it can themselves become convinced that they can do better. Clearly there are many ideas on how to do this. The philosophy that I am presenting in this paper is based on my own experience, where I have both participated and observed it being applied; its effectiveness may be judged by the results. (author)

Burden of diabetes mellitus estimated with a longitudinal population-based study using administrative databases.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luciana Scalone

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To assess the epidemiologic and economic burden of diabetes mellitus (DM from a longitudinal population-based study. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Lombardy Region includes 9.9 million individuals. Its DM population was identified through a data warehouse (DENALI, which matches with a probabilistic linkage demographic, clinical and economic data of different Healthcare Administrative databases. All individuals, who, during the year 2000 had an hospital discharge with a IDC-9 CM code 250.XX, and/or two consecutive prescriptions of drugs for diabetes (ATC code A10XXXX within one year, and/or an exemption from co-payment healthcare costs specific for DM, were selected and followed up to 9 years. We calculated prevalence, mortality and healthcare costs (hospitalizations, drugs and outpatient examinations/visits from the National Health Service's perspective. RESULTS: We identified 312,223 eligible subjects. The study population (51% male had a mean age of 66 (from 0.03 to 105.12 years at the index date. Prevalence ranged from 0.4% among subjects aged ≤45 years to 10.1% among those >85 years old. Overall 43.4 deaths per 1,000 patients per year were estimated, significantly (p<0.001 higher in men than women. Overall, 3,315€/patient-year were spent on average: hospitalizations were the cost driver (54.2% of total cost. Drugs contributed to 31.5%, outpatient claims represented 14.3% of total costs. Thirty-five percent of hospital costs were attributable to cerebro-/cardiovascular reasons, 6% to other complications of DM, and 4% to DM as a main diagnosis. Cardiovascular drugs contributed to 33.5% of total drug costs, 21.8% was attributable to class A (16.7% to class A10 and 4.3% to class B (2.4% to class B01 drugs. CONCLUSIONS: Merging different administrative databases can provide with many data from large populations observed for long time periods. DENALI shows to be an efficient instrument to obtain accurate estimates of burden of

Virtual instrumentation: a new approach for control and instrumentation - application in containment studies facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gole, N.V.; Shanware, V.M.; Sebastian, A.; Subramaniam, K.

2001-01-01

PC based data-acquisition has emerged as a rapidly developing area particularly with respect to process instrumentation. Computer based data acquisition in process instrumentation combined with Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software has introduced extensive possibilities with respect to formats for presentation of information. The concept of presenting data using any instrument format with the help of software tools to simulate the instrument on screen, needs to be understood, in order to be able to make use of its vast potential. The purpose of this paper is to present the significant features of the Virtual Instrumentation concept and discuss its application in the instrumentation and control system of containment studies facility (CSF). Factors involved in the development of the virtual instrumentation based I and C system for CSF are detailed and a functional overview of the system configuration is given. (author)

SuperAGILE onboard electronics and ground test instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pacciani, Luigi; Morelli, Ennio; Rubini, Alda; Mastropietro, Marcello; Porrovecchio, Geiland; Costa, Enrico; Del Monte, Ettore; Donnarumma, Immacolata; Evangelista, Yuri; Feroci, Marco; Lazzarotto, Francesco; Rapisarda, Massimo; Soffitta, Paolo

2007-01-01

In this paper we describe the electronics of the SuperAGILE X-ray imager on-board AGILE satellite and the instrumentation developed to test and improve the Front-End and digital electronics of the flight model of the imager. Although the working principle of the instrument is very well established, and the conceptual scheme simple, the budget and mechanical constraints of the AGILE small mission made necessary the introduction of new elements in SuperAGILE, regarding both the mechanics and the electronics. In fact the instrument is contained in a ∼44x44x16cm 3 volume, but the required performance is quite ambitious, leading us to equip a sensitive area of ∼1350cm 2 with 6144 Silicon μstrips detectors with a pitch of 121μm and a total length of ∼18.2cm. The result is a very light and power-cheap imager with a good sensitivity (∼15mCrab in 1 day in 15-45keV), high angular resolution (6arcmin) and gross spectral resolution. The test-equipment is versatile, and can be easily modified to test FEE based on self-triggered, data-driven and sparse-readout ASICs such as XA family chips

Cyclic fatigue resistance of 3 different nickel-titanium reciprocating instruments in artificial canals.

Science.gov (United States)

Higuera, Oscar; Plotino, Gianluca; Tocci, Luigi; Carrillo, Gabriela; Gambarini, Gianluca; Jaramillo, David E

2015-06-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cyclic fatigue resistance of 3 different nickel-titanium reciprocating instruments. A total of 45 nickel-titanium instruments were tested and divided into 3 experimental groups (n = 15): group 1, WaveOne Primary instruments; group 2, Reciproc R25 instruments; and group 3, Twisted File (TF) Adaptive M-L1 instruments. The instruments were then subjected to cyclic fatigue test on a static model consisting of a metal block with a simulated canal with 60° angle of curvature and a 5-mm radius of curvature. WaveOne Primary, Reciproc R25, and TF Adaptive instruments were activated by using their proprietary movements, WaveOne ALL, Reciproc ALL, and TF Adaptive, respectively. All instruments were activated until fracture occurred, and the time to fracture was recorded visually for each file with a 1/100-second chronometer. Mean number of cycles to failure and standard deviations were calculated for each group, and data were statistically analyzed (P fatigue resistance of Reciproc R25 and TF Adaptive M-L1 was significantly higher than that of WaveOne Primary (P = .009 and P = .002, respectively). The results showed no statistically significant difference between TF Adaptive M-L1 and Reciproc R25 (P = .686). Analysis of the fractured portion under scanning electron microscopy indicated that all instruments showed morphologic characteristics of ductile fracture that were due to accumulation of metal fatigue. No statistically significant differences were found between the instruments tested except for WaveOne Primary, which showed the lowest resistance to cyclic fatigue. Copyright © 2015 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

LOFT instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bixby, W.W.

1979-01-01

A description of instrumentation used in the Loss-of-Fluid Test (LOFT) large break Loss-of-Coolant Experiments is presented. Emphasis is placed on hydraulic and thermal measurements in the primary system piping and components, reactor vessel, and pressure suppression system. In addition, instrumentation which is being considered for measurement of phenomena during future small break testing is discussed. (orig.) 891 HP/orig. 892 BRE [de

Instrumentation for environmental monitoring: biomedical

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-05-01

An update is presented to Volume four of the six-volume series devoted to a survey of instruments useful for measurements in biomedicine related to environmental research and monitoring. Results of the survey are given as descriptions of the physical and operating characteristics of available instruments, critical comparisons among instrumentation methods, and recommendations of promising methodology and development of new instrumentation. Methods of detection and analysis of gaseous organic pollutants and metals, including Ni and As are presented. Instrument techniques and notes are included on atomic spectrometry and uv and visible absorption instrumentation

Generic System for Remote Testing and Calibration of Measuring Instruments: Security Architecture

Science.gov (United States)

Jurčević, M.; Hegeduš, H.; Golub, M.

2010-01-01

Testing and calibration of laboratory instruments and reference standards is a routine activity and is a resource and time consuming process. Since many of the modern instruments include some communication interfaces, it is possible to create a remote calibration system. This approach addresses a wide range of possible applications and permits to drive a number of different devices. On the other hand, remote calibration process involves a number of security issues due to recommendations specified in standard ISO/IEC 17025, since it is not under total control of the calibration laboratory personnel who will sign the calibration certificate. This approach implies that the traceability and integrity of the calibration process directly depends on the collected measurement data. The reliable and secure remote control and monitoring of instruments is a crucial aspect of internet-enabled calibration procedure.

A simple diabetes vascular severity staging instrument and its application to a Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal adult cohort of north Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gibson Odette R

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To develop an instrument that predicts diabetes-related vascular disease severity using routinely collected data on Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults with type 2 diabetes, in the absence of diabetes duration. Methods A complex diabetes severity classification system was simplified and adapted for use with an Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adult population with type 2 diabetes in north Queensland. Detailed vascular health risks and morbidities were mapped to routinely collected measures. Individual–level health screening, hospital separation and mortality data were linked and used to plot mean monthly in-patient hospital cost and percent mortality by disease severity as defined by the newly developed instrument, to test construct validity. Results The revised instrument consists of four combined diabetes-related microvascular and macrovascular stages that range from least severe (stage 1 to severe irreversible vascular impairment (stage 4. When applied to data of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian population the instrument showed good construct validity, predicting higher hospital cost and mortality as vascular disease severity increased. Conclusions This instrument discriminates between levels of diabetes-related vascular disease severity, displays good construct validity by predicting increased hospital cost and mortality with worsening severity and can be populated with routinely collected data. It may assist with future health service research and its use could be extended to practice settings for health care planning for diabetes management programs and monitoring vascular disease progression.

Validation of a Novel Instrument to Measure Elements of Franciscan-Inspired Spirituality in a General Population and in Religious Persons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arndt Büssing

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Today there are several approaches for bringing mindfulness, which conceptually refers to the Buddhist Vipassana tradition, into organizations. Programs referring to value-based attitudes and behaviors derived from specific Christian contexts are rarely evaluated. A prerequisite are reliable instruments for measuring the respective outcomes. We therefore performed a cross-sectional study among 418 participants to validate an instrument measuring specific aspects of Franciscan-inspired spirituality (FraSpir, particularly the core dimensions and transformative outcomes. Exploratory factor analysis of this FraSpir questionnaire with 26 items pointed to four main factors (i.e., “Live from Faith/Search for God”; “Peaceful attitude/Respectful Treatment”; “Commitment to Disadvantaged and Creation”; “Attitude of Poverty”. Their internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha ranged from 0.79 to 0.97. With respect to convergent validity, there were sound correlations with engagement in religious practices, gratitude and awe, and prosocial-humanistic practices. The 26-item instrument was found to be a reliable and valid instrument for use in training and education programs. Interestingly, nuns and monks scored significantly higher on the Faith and Poverty subscales than others, but similarly on the two subscales addressing considerate action in the world. These attitudes and behaviors are not exclusively valued by those of religious faith, but by all.

Cone-beam computed tomography analysis of curved root canals after mechanical preparation with three nickel-titanium rotary instruments

Science.gov (United States)

Elsherief, Samia M.; Zayet, Mohamed K.; Hamouda, Ibrahim M.

2013-01-01

Cone beam computed tomography is a 3-dimensional high resolution imaging method. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of 3 different NiTi rotary instruments used to prepare curved root canals on the final shape of the curved canals and total amount of root canal transportation by using cone-beam computed tomography. A total of 81 mesial root canals from 42 extracted human mandibular molars, with a curvature ranging from 15 to 45 degrees, were selected. Canals were randomly divided into 3 groups of 27 each. After preparation with Protaper, Revo-S and Hero Shaper, the amount of transportation and centering ability that occurred were assessed by using cone beam computed tomography. Utilizing pre- and post-instrumentation radiographs, straightening of the canal curvatures was determined with a computer image analysis program. Canals were metrically assessed for changes (surface area, changes in curvature and transportation) during canal preparation by using software SimPlant; instrument failures were also recorded. Mean total widths and outer and inner width measurements were determined on each central canal path and differences were statistically analyzed. The results showed that all instruments maintained the original canal curvature well with no significant differences between the different files (P = 0.226). During preparation there was failure of only one file (the protaper group). In conclusion, under the conditions of this study, all instruments maintained the original canal curvature well and were safe to use. Areas of uninstrumented root canal wall were left in all regions using the various systems. PMID:23885273

Pregnant & Lactating Populations Research - NCS Dietary Assessment Literature Review

Science.gov (United States)

Identifying and studying additional biomarkers of energy and nutrient intake will advance validation efforts and lead to a better understanding of the biases and sources of measurement error in dietary assessment instruments in pregnant or lactating populations.

Impact of population growth and population ethics on climate change mitigation policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Scovronick, Noah; Budolfson, Mark B; Dennig, Francis; Fleurbaey, Marc; Siebert, Asher; Socolow, Robert H; Spears, Dean; Wagner, Fabian

2017-11-14

Future population growth is uncertain and matters for climate policy: higher growth entails more emissions and means more people will be vulnerable to climate-related impacts. We show that how future population is valued importantly determines mitigation decisions. Using the Dynamic Integrated Climate-Economy model, we explore two approaches to valuing population: a discounted version of total utilitarianism (TU), which considers total wellbeing and is standard in social cost of carbon dioxide (SCC) models, and of average utilitarianism (AU), which ignores population size and sums only each time period's discounted average wellbeing. Under both approaches, as population increases the SCC increases, but optimal peak temperature decreases. The effect is larger under TU, because it responds to the fact that a larger population means climate change hurts more people: for example, in 2025, assuming the United Nations (UN)-high rather than UN-low population scenario entails an increase in the SCC of 85% under TU vs. 5% under AU. The difference in the SCC between the two population scenarios under TU is comparable to commonly debated decisions regarding time discounting. Additionally, we estimate the avoided mitigation costs implied by plausible reductions in population growth, finding that large near-term savings ($billions annually) occur under TU; savings under AU emerge in the more distant future. These savings are larger than spending shortfalls for human development policies that may lower fertility. Finally, we show that whether lowering population growth entails overall improvements in wellbeing-rather than merely cost savings-again depends on the ethical approach to valuing population. Copyright © 2017 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

Aeroacoustics of Musical Instruments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fabre, B.; Gilbert, J.; Hirschberg, Abraham; Pelorson, X.

2012-01-01

We are interested in the quality of sound produced by musical instruments and their playability. In wind instruments, a hydrodynamic source of sound is coupled to an acoustic resonator. Linear acoustics can predict the pitch of an instrument. This can significantly reduce the trial-and-error process

Isotope-equipped measuring instruments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyagawa, Kazuo; Amano, Hiroshi

1980-01-01

In the steel industry, though the investment in isotope-equipped measuring instruments is small as compared with that in machinery, they play important role in the moisture measurement in sintering and blast furnaces, the thickness measurement in rolling process and others in automatic control systems. The economic aspect of the isotope-equipped measuring instruments is described on the basis of the practices in Kimitsu Works of Nippon Steel Corporation: distribution of such instruments, evaluation of economic effects, usefulness evaluation in view of raising the accuracy, and usefulness evaluation viewed from the failure of the isotope instruments. The evaluation of economic effects was made under the premise that the isotope-equipped measuring instruments are not employed. Then, the effects of raising the accuracy are evaluated for a γ-ray plate thickness gauge and a neutron moisture gauge for coke in a blast furnace. Finally, the usefulness was evaluated, assuming possible failure of the isotope-equipped measuring instruments. (J.P.N.)

Population-level associations between preschool vulnerability and grade-four basic skills.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amedeo D'Angiulli

2009-11-01

Full Text Available This is a predictive validity study examining the extent to which developmental vulnerability at kindergarten entry (as measured by the Early Development Instrument, EDI is associated with children's basic skills in 4th grade (as measured by the Foundation Skills Assessment, FSA.Relative risk analysis was performed on a large database linking individual-level EDI ratings to the scores the same children obtained on a provincial assessment of academic skills (FSA--Foundation Skills Assessment four years later. We found that early vulnerability in kindergarten is associated with the basic skills that underlie populations of children's academic achievement in reading, writing and math, indicating that the Early Development Instrument permits to predict achievement-related skills four years in advance.The EDI can be used to predict children's educational trends at the population level and can help select early prevention and intervention programs targeting pre-school populations at minimum cost.

Can we forget the Mini-Mental State Examination? A systematic review of the validity of cognitive screening instruments within one month after stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Heugten, Caroline M; Walton, L; Hentschel, U

2015-07-01

To review systematically studies investigating the convergent, criterion, and predictive validity of multi-domain cognitive screening instruments in the first four weeks after stroke. Electronic databases (Pubmed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Embase) were searched until June 2014. Studies concerning screening for cognitive dysfunction in stroke patients using multi-domain instruments, within four weeks postinfarct or haemorrhagic stroke, using tests taking no longer than one hour. Convergent, criterion, and predictive validity were examined. A total of 51 studies investigating 16 cognitive screening instruments were identified. None of the instruments covered all of the most affected cognitive domains. Only one study investigated the convergent validity of a multi-domain test during the (sub)acute phase after stroke. A total of 15 studies examined the criterion validity of cognitive measurements during the acute phase after stroke. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Higher Cortical Function Deficit Test had good criterion validity. A total of 24 studies examined the predictive ability of multi-domain cognitive instruments applied in the acute phase after stroke. The Cognistat, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Functional Independence Measure-cognitive showed good predictive validity. The Mini-Mental State Examination is the most widely used cognitive screening instrument, but shows insufficient criterion validity. None of the existing instruments fulfils all criteria. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment is the best candidate at present, provided items measuring speed of information processing are added, and further studies investigating the optimal cut-offs are conducted. © The Author(s) 2014.

Intercomparison of the comparative reactivity method (CRM) and pump-probe technique for measuring total OH reactivity in an urban environment

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, R. F.; Blocquet, M.; Schoemaecker, C.; Léonardis, T.; Locoge, N.; Fittschen, C.; Hanoune, B.; Stevens, P. S.; Sinha, V.; Dusanter, S.

2015-10-01

The investigation of hydroxyl radical (OH) chemistry during intensive field campaigns has led to the development of several techniques dedicated to ambient measurements of total OH reactivity, which is the inverse of the OH lifetime. Three techniques are currently used during field campaigns, including the total OH loss rate method, the pump-probe method, and the comparative reactivity method. However, no formal intercomparison of these techniques has been published so far, and there is a need to ensure that measurements of total OH reactivity are consistent among the different techniques. An intercomparison of two OH reactivity instruments, one based on the comparative reactivity method (CRM) and the other based on the pump-probe method, was performed in October 2012 in a NOx-rich environment, which is known to be challenging for the CRM technique. This study presents an extensive description of the two instruments, the CRM instrument from Mines Douai (MD-CRM) and the pump-probe instrument from the University of Lille (UL-FAGE), and highlights instrumental issues associated with the two techniques. It was found that the CRM instrument used in this study underestimates ambient OH reactivity by approximately 20 % due to the photolysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) inside the sampling reactor; this value is dependent on the position of the lamp within the reactor. However, this issue can easily be fixed, and the photolysis of VOCs was successfully reduced to a negligible level after this intercomparison campaign. The UL-FAGE instrument may also underestimate ambient OH reactivity due to the difficulty to accurately measure the instrumental zero. It was found that the measurements are likely biased by approximately 2 s-1, due to impurities in humid zero air. Two weeks of ambient sampling indicate that the measurements performed by the two OH reactivity instruments are in agreement, within the measurement uncertainties for each instrument, for NOx mixing ratios

Instrumentation reference book

CERN Document Server

Boyes, Walt

2002-01-01

Instrumentation is not a clearly defined subject, having a 'fuzzy' boundary with a number of other disciplines. Often categorized as either 'techniques' or 'applications' this book addresses the various applications that may be needed with reference to the practical techniques that are available for the instrumentation or measurement of a specific physical quantity or quality. This makes it of direct interest to anyone working in the process, control and instrumentation fields where these measurements are essential.* Comprehensive and authoritative collection of technical information* Writte

Jones' instrument technology

CERN Document Server

Jones, Ernest Beachcroft; Kingham, Edward G; Radnai, Rudolf

1985-01-01

Jones' Instrument Technology, Volume 5: Automatic Instruments and Measuring Systems deals with general trends in automatic instruments and measuring systems. Specific examples are provided to illustrate the principles of such devices. A brief review of a considerable number of standards is undertaken, with emphasis on the IEC625 Interface System. Other relevant standards are reviewed, including the interface and backplane bus standards. This volume is comprised of seven chapters and begins with a short introduction to the principles of automatic measurements, classification of measuring system

An Instrument to Measure Dental Students' Communication Skills With Patients in Six Specific Circumstances: An Exploratory Factor Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Aalboe, Joanna A; Schumacher, Mitzi M

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore the internal structure of an instrument assessing dental students' confidence in their ability to communicate with patients in six specific circumstances (anxious, in pain, etc.) using exploratory factor analysis. In a Communication in the Dental Health Care Setting course at a U.S. dental school, second-year dental students in two years (2013 and 2014) responded to the six items on a survey instrument. Of the total 123 students, 122 fully completed the instrument, for a response rate of 99%. Analysis of the results identified a unidimensional scale with regards to patient-specific communication self-efficacy and explained 74% of the total variance. The scale had good internal consistency reflected by high Cronbach's alpha (α=0.929, 95% CI [0.907, 0.947]). These findings suggest the instrument may be a useful tool in assessing the development of patient communication skills in second-year dental students following a course in communication. Further exploration utilizing confirmatory analysis, determining predictive validity, and assessing convergent and discriminant evidence is warranted.

Variation in Use of Pediatric Cardiology Subspecialty Care: A Total Population Study in California, 1983 to 2011.

Science.gov (United States)

Chamberlain, Lisa J; Fernandes, Susan M; Saynina, Olga; Grady, Stafford; Sanders, Lee; Staves, Kelly; Wise, Paul H

2015-07-07

American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines emphasize regionalized systems of care for pediatric chronic illness. There remains a paucity of information on the status of regionalized systems of care for pediatric congenital heart disease (CHD). This study evaluated variations in use of pediatric cardiology specialty care centers (PCSCC) for pediatric patients with CHD in California between 1983 and 2011. We performed a retrospective, total population analysis of pediatric CHD patients using the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development unmasked database. PCSCCs were identified by California's Title V program. There were 164,310 discharges meeting inclusion criterion. Discharges from PCSCCs grew from 58% to 88% between 1983 and 2011. Regionalized care was highest for surgical (96%) versus nonsurgical (71%) admissions. Admissions with a public payer increased from 42% (1983) to 61% (2011). Total bed days nearly doubled, and median length of stay increased from 2 to 3 days (nonspecialty care) and from 4 to 5 days (specialty care). There was a decrease in the pediatric CHD in-hospital death rate from 5.1 to 2.3 per 100,000 between 1983 and 2011, and a shift toward a larger percent of deaths occurring in the newborn period. California's inpatient regionalized specialty care of pediatric CHD has increased substantially since 1983, especially for surgical CHD discharges. The death rate has decreased, the number of bed days has increased, and a large proportion of these discharges now have public payers. Health care reform efforts must consider these shifts while protecting advances in regionalization of pediatric CHD care. Copyright © 2015 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Astronomical Instrumentation System Markup Language

Science.gov (United States)

Goldbaum, Jesse M.

2016-05-01

The Astronomical Instrumentation System Markup Language (AISML) is an Extensible Markup Language (XML) based file format for maintaining and exchanging information about astronomical instrumentation. The factors behind the need for an AISML are first discussed followed by the reasons why XML was chosen as the format. Next it's shown how XML also provides the framework for a more precise definition of an astronomical instrument and how these instruments can be combined to form an Astronomical Instrumentation System (AIS). AISML files for several instruments as well as one for a sample AIS are provided. The files demonstrate how AISML can be utilized for various tasks from web page generation and programming interface to instrument maintenance and quality management. The advantages of widespread adoption of AISML are discussed.

Reference intervals for serum total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Reference intervals of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol concentrations were determined on 309 blood donors from an urban and peri-urban population of Botswana. Using non-parametric methods to establish 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles of the distribution, the intervals were: total cholesterol 2.16 ...

A Light-Weight Instrumentation System Design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kidner, Ronald

1999-01-01

To meet challenging constraints on telemetry system weight and volume, a custom Light-Weight Instrumentation System was developed to collect vehicle environment and dynamics on a short-duration exo-atmospheric flight test vehicle. The total telemetry system, including electronics, sensors, batteries, and a 1 watt transmitter weighs about 1 kg. Over 80 channels of measurement, housekeeping, and telemetry system diagnostic data are transmitted at 128 kbps. The microcontroller-based design uses the automotive industry standard Controller Area Network to interface with and support in-flight control fimctions. Operational parameters are downloaded via a standard asynchronous serial communications intefiace. The basic design philosophy and functionality is described here

A comparison of three rotary systems and hand instrumentation technique for the elimination of Enterococcus faecalis from the root canal.

Science.gov (United States)

Gorduysus, Melahat; Nagas, Emre; Torun, Ozgur Yildirim; Gorduysus, Omer

2011-12-01

The aim of this study was to compare the in vitro reduction of a bacterial population in a root canal by mechanical instrumentation using three rotary systems and hand instrumentation technique. The root canals contaminated with a suspension of Enterococcus faecalis were instrumented using ProTaper, K3, HeroShaper and K-file hand instrumentation technique. Later the root canals were sampled. After serial dilutions, samples were incubated in culture media for 24 h. Bacterial colonies were counted and the results were given as number of colony-forming units per millilitre. The results showed that all the canal instrumentation systems reduced the number of bacterial cells in the root canals. Statistically, ProTaper instruments were more effective in reducing the number of bacteria than the other rotary files or hand instruments. © 2010 The Authors. Australian Endodontic Journal © 2010 Australian Society of Endodontology.

Adaption of an array spectroradiometer for total ozone column retrieval using direct solar irradiance measurements in the UV spectral range

Science.gov (United States)

Zuber, Ralf; Sperfeld, Peter; Riechelmann, Stefan; Nevas, Saulius; Sildoja, Meelis; Seckmeyer, Gunther

2018-04-01

A compact array spectroradiometer that enables precise and robust measurements of solar UV spectral direct irradiance is presented. We show that this instrument can retrieve total ozone column (TOC) accurately. The internal stray light, which is often the limiting factor for measurements in the UV spectral range and increases the uncertainty for TOC analysis, is physically reduced so that no other stray-light reduction methods, such as mathematical corrections, are necessary. The instrument has been extensively characterised at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Germany. During an international total ozone measurement intercomparison at the Izaña Atmospheric Observatory in Tenerife, the high-quality applicability of the instrument was verified with measurements of the direct solar irradiance and subsequent TOC evaluations based on the spectral data measured between 12 and 30 September 2016. The results showed deviations of the TOC of less than 1.5 % from most other instruments in most situations and not exceeding 3 % from established TOC measurement systems such as Dobson or Brewer.

Knowledge and attitude towards total knee arthroplasty among the public in Saudi Arabia: a nationwide population-based study.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Mohrej, Omar A; Alshammari, Faris O; Aljuraisi, Abdulrahman M; Bin Amer, Lujain A; Masuadi, Emad M; Al-Kenani, Nader S

2018-04-01

Studies on total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in Saudi Arabia are scarce, and none have reported the knowledge and attitude of the procedure in Saudi Arabia. Our study aims to measure the knowledge and attitude of TKA among the adult Saudi population. To encompass a representative sample of this cross-sectional survey, all 13 administrative areas were used as ready-made geographical clusters. For each cluster, stratified random sampling was performed to maximize participation in the study. In each area, random samples of mobile phone numbers were selected with a probability proportional to the administrative area population size. Sample size calculation was based on the assumption that 50% of the participants would have some level of knowledge, with a 2% margin of error and 95% confidence level. To reach our intended sample size of 1540, we contacted 1722 participants with a response rate of 89.4%. The expected percentage of public knowledge was 50%; however, the actual percentage revealed by this study was much lower (29.7%). A stepwise multiple logistic regression was used to assess the factors that positively affected the knowledge score regarding TKA. Age [P = 0.016 with OR of 0.47], higher income [P = 0.001 with OR of 0.52] and participants with a positive history of TKA or that have known someone who underwent the surgery [P Saudi Arabia concerning TKA, its indications and results. We recommend that doctors use the results of our survey to assess their conversations with their patients, and to determine whether the results of the procedure are adequately clarified.

Deformation and fracture of Mtwo rotary nickel-titanium instruments after clinical use.

Science.gov (United States)

Inan, Ugur; Gonulol, Nihan

2009-10-01

In recent years, a number of rotary nickel titanium (NiTi) systems have been developed to provide better, faster, and easier cleaning and shaping of the root canal system. Although the NiTi instruments are more flexible than the stainless steel files, the main problem with the rotary NiTi instruments is the failure of the instruments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the deformation and fracture rate of Mtwo rotary nickel-titanium instruments (VDW, Munich, Germany) discarded after routine clinical use. A total of 593 Mtwo rotary NiTi instruments were collected after clinical use from the clinic of endodontics over 12 months. The length of the files was measured using a digital caliper to determine any fracture, and then all the files were evaluated under a stereomicroscope for defects such as unwinding, curving, or bending and fracture. The fracture faces of separated files were also evaluated under a scanning electron microscope. The data were analyzed using a chi-square and z test. A percentage of all files (25.80%) showed defects, and the major defect was fracture (16.02%). The most frequently fractured file was #10.04 (30.39%). Deformations without fracture were mostly observed on #15.05 files (25.47%). A higher rate of deformation was observed for #10.04 and #15.05 files. Therefore, these files should be considered as single-use instruments. Because cyclic fatigue was the cause of 71.58% of the instrument fractures, it is also important not to exceed the maximum number of usage recommended by the manufacturer and discard the instruments on a regular basis.

Soil monitoring instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Umbarger, C.J.

1981-01-01

The Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) has an extensive program for the development of nondestructive assay instrumentation for the quantitative analysis of transuranic (TRU) materials found in bulk solid wastes generated by Department of Energy facilities and by the commercial nuclear power industry. Included are wastes generated in decontamination and decommissioning of outdated nuclear facilities, as well as from old waste-burial-ground exhumation programs. The assay instrumentation is designed to have detection limits below 10 nCi/g wherever practicable. The assay instrumentation that is applied specifically to soil monitoring is discussed

The use of adaptive equipment following total knee replacement

OpenAIRE

McNaught, Jamie; Paul, Lorna

2015-01-01

Introduction: This study evaluates the need for adaptive equipment following total knee replacement. There are no recent studies to guide occupational therapists in the optimum time adaptive equipment is required following total knee replacement.\\ud \\ud Method: A non-experimental, concurrent mixed methods approach was used. The study population was patients attending for total knee replacement at a large general hospital. Outcome measures were the Oxford Knee Score, the United Kingdom Functio...

Instruments to assess integrated care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lyngsø, Anne Marie; Godtfredsen, Nina Skavlan; Høst, Dorte

2014-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Although several measurement instruments have been developed to measure the level of integrated health care delivery, no standardised, validated instrument exists covering all aspects of integrated care. The purpose of this review is to identify the instruments concerning how to mea...... was prevalent. It is uncertain whether development of a single 'all-inclusive' model for assessing integrated care is desirable. We emphasise the continuing need for validated instruments embedded in theoretical contexts.......INTRODUCTION: Although several measurement instruments have been developed to measure the level of integrated health care delivery, no standardised, validated instrument exists covering all aspects of integrated care. The purpose of this review is to identify the instruments concerning how...... to measure the level of integration across health-care sectors and to assess and evaluate the organisational elements within the instruments identified. METHODS: An extensive, systematic literature review in PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, Web of Science for the years 1980-2011. Selected...

Functional assessment of chronic illness therapy—the fatigue scale exhibits stronger associations with clinical parameters in chronic dialysis patients compared to other fatigue-assessing instruments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chia-Ter Chao

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Background. Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD have a high symptom burden, among which fatigue is highly prevalent. Many fatigue-assessing instruments exist, but comparisons among instruments in this patient population have yet to be investigated. Methods. ESRD patients under chronic hemodialysis were prospectively enrolled and seven types of fatigue instruments were administered: Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy–Fatigue (FACIT-F, Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS, Lee Fatigue Scale (LFS, Fatigue Questionnaire (FQ, Fatigue Symptom Inventory (FSI, and Short-Form 36-Vitality (SF36-V. Using these instruments, we investigated the correlation between fatigue severity and clinical/biochemical parameters, including demographic/comorbidity profile, dialysis-related complications, and frailty severity. We used regression analysis with serum albumin and frailty severity as the dependent variables to investigate the independent correlations. Results. A total of 46 ESRD patients were enrolled (average age of 67 ± 11.6 years, and 50% of them had type 2 diabetes mellitus. Results from the seven tested instruments showed high correlation with each other. We found that the fatigue severity by FACIT-F was significantly associated with age (p = 0.03, serum albumin (p = 0.003 and creatinine (p = 0.02 levels, while SF36-V scores were also significantly associated with age (p = 0.02 and serum creatinine levels (p = 0.04. However, the fatigue severity measured by the FSS, FSI, FQ, BFI, and LFS did not exhibit these associations. Moreover, regression analysis showed that only FACIT-F scores were independently associated with serum albumin levels and frailty severity in ESRD patients. Conclusion. Among the seven fatigue-assessing instruments, only the FACIT-F yielded results that demonstrated significant and independent associations with important outcome-related features in ESRD patients.

[Application of hand-use ProTaper instruments in endodontic treatment of molar canals].

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Sui-qi; Xie, Qian; Zhou, Yin-feng

2010-07-01

To evaluate the application of hand-use ProTaper instruments in endodontic treatment of molar canals. A total of 203 permanent molars were randomly divided into the experimental group (99 molars) and control group (104 molars) prepared by hand-use ProTaper instruments and standard stainless steel K-file, respectively. The molars in the two groups were obturated by cold lateral condensation technique. The root canal preparation and obturation were evaluated by radiograph, and the working time of preparation and post-operative emergencies were analyzed. The preparation time in the experimental group was obviously shorter than that in the control group (Phand-use ProTaper instruments may improve the effect of root canal treatment of the molars and shorten the working time and reduce the post-operative emergencies.

Analysis on detection accuracy of binocular photoelectric instrument optical axis parallelism digital calibration instrument

Science.gov (United States)

Ying, Jia-ju; Yin, Jian-ling; Wu, Dong-sheng; Liu, Jie; Chen, Yu-dan

2017-11-01

Low-light level night vision device and thermal infrared imaging binocular photoelectric instrument are used widely. The maladjustment of binocular instrument ocular axises parallelism will cause the observer the symptom such as dizziness, nausea, when use for a long time. Binocular photoelectric equipment digital calibration instrument is developed for detecting ocular axises parallelism. And the quantitative value of optical axis deviation can be quantitatively measured. As a testing instrument, the precision must be much higher than the standard of test instrument. Analyzes the factors that influence the accuracy of detection. Factors exist in each testing process link which affect the precision of the detecting instrument. They can be divided into two categories, one category is factors which directly affect the position of reticle image, the other category is factors which affect the calculation the center of reticle image. And the Synthesize error is calculated out. And further distribute the errors reasonably to ensure the accuracy of calibration instruments.

Improved instrumentation for intensity-, wavelength-, temperature-, and magnetic field-resolved photoconductivity spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cottingham, Patrick; Morey, Jennifer R.; Lemire, Amanda; Lemire, Penny; McQueen, Tyrel M.

2016-01-01

We report instrumentation for photovoltage and photocurrent spectroscopy over a larger continuous range of wavelengths, temperatures, and applied magnetic fields than other instruments described in the literature: 350 nm≤λ≤1700 nm, 1.8 K≤T≤300 K, and B≤9 T. This instrument uses a modulated monochromated incoherent light source with total power<30 μW in combination with an LED in order to probe selected regions of non-linear responses while maintaining low temperatures and avoiding thermal artifacts. The instrument may also be used to measure a related property, the photomagnetoresistance. We demonstrate the importance of normalizing measured responses for variations in light power and describe a rigorous process for performing these normalizations. We discuss several circuits suited to measuring different types of samples and provide analysis for converting measured values into physically relevant properties. Uniform approaches to measurement of these photoproperties are essential for reliable quantitative comparisons between emerging new materials with energy applications. - Highlights: • A novel instrument for measuring photoconductivity and photocurrents of materials and devices. • Continuous parameter space: 350 nm≤λ≤1700, 1.8 K≤T≤300 K, and B≤9 T. • Methodology for treating non-linear responses and variable lamp intensity. • Mathematical detail for extracting properties of materials from measured values is provided.

Comparison of ultraviolet Bi-directional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) measurements of diffusers used in the calibration of the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS)

OpenAIRE

Butler, J.J.; Park, H.; Barnes, P.Y.; Early, E.A.; Eijk-Olij, C. van; Zoutman, A.E.; Buller-Leeuwen, S. van; Groote Schaarsberg, J.

2002-01-01

The measurement and long-term monitoring of global total ozone by ultraviolet albedo measuring satellite instruments require accurate and precise determination of the Bi-directional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) of laboratory-based diffusers used in the pre-launch calibration of those instruments. To assess the ability of laboratories to provide accurate Ultra Violet (UV) diffuse BRDF measurements, a BRDF measurement comparison was initiated by the NASA Total Ozone Mapping Spectrom...

Mechanical Description of the Mars Climate Sounder Instrument

Science.gov (United States)

Jau, Bruno M.

2008-01-01

This paper introduces the Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) Instrument of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spacecraft. The instrument scans the Martian atmosphere almost continuously to systematically acquire weather and climate observations over time. Its primary components are an optical bench that houses dual telescopes with a total of nine channels for visible and infrared sensing, and a two axis gimbal that provides pointing capabilities. Both rotating joints consist of an integrated actuator with a hybrid planetary/harmonic transmission and a twist cap section that enables the electrical wiring to pass through the rotating joint. Micro stepping is used to reduce spacecraft disturbance torques to acceptable levels while driving the stepper motors. To ensure survivability over its four year life span, suitable mechanical components, lubrication, and an active temperature control system were incorporated. Some life test results and lessons learned are provided to serve as design guidelines for actuator parts and flex cables.

Assessing Social Networks in Patients with Psychotic Disorders: A Systematic Review of Instruments.

Science.gov (United States)

Siette, Joyce; Gulea, Claudia; Priebe, Stefan

2015-01-01

Evidence suggests that social networks of patients with psychotic disorders influence symptoms, quality of life and treatment outcomes. It is therefore important to assess social networks for which appropriate and preferably established instruments should be used. To identify instruments assessing social networks in studies of patients with psychotic disorders and explore their properties. A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted to identify studies that used a measure of social networks in patients with psychotic disorders. Eight instruments were identified, all of which had been developed before 1991. They have been used in 65 studies (total N of patients = 8,522). They assess one or more aspects of social networks such as their size, structure, dimensionality and quality. Most instruments have various shortcomings, including questionable inter-rater and test-retest reliability. The assessment of social networks in patients with psychotic disorders is characterized by a variety of approaches which may reflect the complexity of the construct. Further research on social networks in patients with psychotic disorders would benefit from advanced and more precise instruments using comparable definitions of and timescales for social networks across studies.

The de Morton Mobility Index: Normative Data for a Clinically Useful Mobility Instrument

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. M. Macri

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Determining mobility status is an important component of any health assessment for older adults. In order for a mobility measure to be relevant and meaningful, normative data are required for comparison to a healthy reference population. The DEMMI is the first mobility instrument to measure mobility across the spectrum from bed bound to functional levels of independent mobility. In this cross-sectional observational study, normative data were obtained for the DEMMI from a population of 183 healthy, community-dwelling adults age 60+ who resided in Vancouver, Canada and Melbourne, Australia. Older age categories had significantly lower DEMMI mobility mean scores (P<0.05, as did individuals who walked with a mobility aid or lived in semi-independent living (assisted living or retirement village, whereas DEMMI scores did not differ by sex (P=0.49 or reported falls history (P=0.21. Normative data for the DEMMI mobility instrument provides vital reference scores to facilitate its use across the mobility spectrum in clinical, research, and policymaking settings.

Introducing the Body-QoL®: A New Patient-Reported Outcome Instrument for Measuring Body Satisfaction-Related Quality of Life in Aesthetic and Post-bariatric Body Contouring Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Danilla, Stefan; Cuevas, Pedro; Aedo, Sócrates; Dominguez, Carlos; Jara, Rocío; Calderón, María E; Al-Himdani, Sarah; Rios, Marco A; Taladriz, Cristián; Rodriguez, Diego; Gonzalez, Rolando; Lazo, Ángel; Erazo, Cristián; Benitez, Susana; Andrades, Patricio; Sepúlveda, Sergio

2016-02-01

To develop a new patient-reported outcome instrument (PRO) to measure body-related satisfaction quality of life (QoL). Standard 3-phase PRO design was followed; in the first phase, a qualitative design was used in 45 patients to develop a conceptual framework and to create preliminary scale domains and items. In phase 2, large-scale population testing on 1340 subjects was performed to reduce items and domains. In phase 3, final testing of the developed instrument on 34 patients was performed. Statistics used include Factor, RASCH, and multivariate regression analysis. Psychometric properties measured were internal reliability, item-rest, item-test, and test-retest correlations. The PRO-developed instrument is composed of four domains (satisfaction with the abdomen, sex life, self-esteem and social life, and physical symptoms) and 20 items in total. The score can range from 20 (worst) to 100 (best). Responsiveness was 100 %, internal reliability 93.3 %, and test-retest concordance 97.7 %. Body image-related QoL was superior in men than women (p instrument (p measured reliably with the Body-QoL instrument. It can be used to quantify the improvement in cosmetic and post-bariatric patients including non- or minimally invasive procedures, suction assisted lipectomy, abdominoplasty, lipoabdominoplasty, and lower body lift and to give an evidence-based approach to standard practice. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.

Designing hunting regulation under population uncertainty and self-reporting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Frank; Jacobsen, Jette Bredahl; Thorsen, Bo Jellesmark

2016-01-01

A number of methods exist for estimating the size of animal populations. All methods generate an uncertain estimate of population size, and have different properties, which can be taken into account when designing regulation. We consider hunting regulation when the population size is uncertain...... and when the self-reported bag is used to estimate the population size. The properties of a population tax and a tax on self-reported bag are analyzed and we begin by considering a baseline situation with full certainty and no use of self-reporting for population size estimation. Here individual hunters...... self-report a bag on zero and a population tax alone can secure an optimum. Next we show that when facing uncertain population size, a risk-averse hunter will self-report part of the bag to reduce the uncertain population tax payment, making both tax instruments necessary for reaching an optimum...

Evaluation of Dentin Defect Formation during Retreatment with Hand and Rotary Instruments: A Micro-CT Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Yilmaz, Ayca; Helvacioglu-Yigit, Dilek; Gur, Cansu; Ersev, Handan; Kiziltas Sendur, Gullu; Avcu, Egemen; Baydemir, Canan; Abbott, Paul Vincent

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the incidence and longitudinal propagation of dentin defects after gutta-percha removal with hand and rotary instruments using microcomputed tomography. Twenty mandibular incisors were prepared using the balanced-force technique and scanned in a 19.9  μ m resolution. Following filling with the lateral compaction technique, gutta-percha was removed with ProTaper Universal Retreatment (PTUR) or hand instruments. After rescanning, a total of 24,120 cross-sectional images were analyzed. The numbers, types, and longitudinal length changes of defects were recorded. Defects were observed in 36.90% of the cross sections. A total of 73 defects were comprised of 87.67% craze lines, 2.73% partial cracks, and 9.58% fractures. No significant difference in terms of new defect formation was detected between the retreatment groups. The apical and middle portions of the roots had more dentin defects than the coronal portions. Defects in three roots of the PTUR instrument group increased in length. Under the conditions of this in vitro study, gutta-percha removal seemed to not increase the incidence of dentin defect formation, but the longitudinal defect propagation finding suggests possible cumulative dentinal damage due to additional endodontic procedures. Hand and rotary instrumentation techniques caused similar dentin defect formation during root canal retreatment.