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Objective Indicators (objective + indicator)
Selected AbstractsQUANTIFYING TEXTURE CHANGES IN CORN TORTILLAS DUE TO STALINGJOURNAL OF TEXTURE STUDIES, Issue 1 2002B. LIMANOND ABSTRACT The change in texture of corn tortillas due to staling is described using stress relaxation methods. Tortilla strips (70 × 35 mm) were subject to stress relaxation under tension at 3% strain. Force versus distance values were transformed into the textural indicator of stiffness. Fresh corn tortilla had significantly lower stiffness values than the stale tortilla (up to 10 days old). Stiffness decreased with increasing storage temperature from 6C up to 35C. The stiffness value from stress relaxation tests may be used as an objective indicator of tortilla texture. [source] The application of temperature measurement of the eyes by digital infrared thermal imaging as a prognostic factor of methylprednisolone pulse therapy for Graves' ophthalmopathyACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 5 2010Shyang-Rong Shih Abstract. Purpose:, Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) involves autoimmune process resulting in proptosis, congestion, oedema and diplopia. Werner's NOSPECS classification and clinical activity score (CAS) of GO cannot objectively describe the inflammatory status. Digital infrared thermal imaging (DITI) detects local temperature and may reflect the degree of orbital inflammation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical application of the eye temperature measured by DITI. Methods:, Forty-six patients with GO receiving intravenously methylprednisolone pulse therapy (MPT) were included in this study. Local temperatures of the lateral orbit, upper eyelid, inner caruncle, medial conjunctiva, lateral conjunctiva, lower eyelid and cornea were measured with DITI before and after MPT. CAS, proptosis, eye movement (EOM) and diplopia were also recorded. Improvement of CAS was defined as at least one point decrease at either side of the eye, which was 0.5 score decrease as to the average of bilateral CAS. Results:, Local temperatures of the eyes decreased after MPT. The mean value of temperature (MT) of 12 points including the lateral orbit, upper eyelid, inner caruncle, medial conjunctiva, lateral conjunctiva and lower eyelid of both eyes before MPT was 32.65°. The mean change of MT after MPT (,T) was ,0.22°. ,T significantly negative-correlated with basal MT (correlation coefficient = ,0.54, p = 0.004). Higher baseline MT and CAS before MPT correlated with higher possibility of improvement of CAS after MPT (p = 0.013 and 0.012, respectively). Baseline MT and CAS together correlated with improvement of CAS after MPT better than baseline CAS alone could do (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: 82.81% and 66.63%, respectively). Conclusions:, Basal temperature of the eyes measured by DITI was an objective indicator of inflammation of GO. Combining CAS and MT could better predict the outcome of MPT than CAS alone. [source] Quality of life of male outpatients with personality disorders or psychotic disorders: a comparisonCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 5 2008Yvonne HA Bouman Background,Quality of life (QoL) has become increasingly important as an outcome measure in community-based psychiatry. QoL refers to an individual's sense of well-being and satisfaction with his current life conditions. It is measured both through objective social indicators and life domain-specific subjective indicators. People with a personality disorder (PD) or a major mental disorder (MMD) tend to show poor social adjustment, but their relative subjective QoL is not known. Aim,To compare the QoL of male outpatients in treatment for PD or MMD overall and by means of specific social and subjective indicators. Methods,A sample of 135 men under treatment for PD in Dutch forensic outpatient facilities were compared with 79 men with MMD using the extended Dutch version of the Lancashire Quality of Life Profile (LQoLP). Results,Almost all of the objective indicators of QoL were significantly poorer among men with MMD than those with PD, but the groups did not differ on domain-specific subjective ratings of QoL. Indeed, global subjective QoL was lower in the PD than in the MMD patient group. PD outpatients seemed to have a more complex concept of QoL than the MMD outpatients for whom almost half of the variance in subjective QoL rating was related to their everyday activities and their objective sense of safety. Conclusions and implications for practice,Further study of QoL among PD patients would be warranted to test the extent to which subjective dissatisfaction is intrinsic to PD and to explore the possibility of improving it with targeted treatments. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Personality profiles of cultures: Patterns of ethos,EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 3 2009Robert R. McCrae Abstract Culture and the human mind are deeply interdependent, because they co-evolved. Personality traits were a preexisting feature of the primate mind and must have left an imprint on forms of culture. Trait taxonomies can structure ethnographies, by specifying institutions that reflect the operation of traits. Facets of ethos can be assessed by expert ratings or objective indicators. Ratings of ethos in Japan and the US were reliable and yielded plausible descriptions of culture. However, measures of ethos based on the analysis of stories were not meaningfully correlated with aggregate personality traits or national character stereotypes. Profiles of ethos may provide another axis that can be used with aggregate personality trait levels to predict behaviour and understand the operation of culture. Published in 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Ultrasound parameters of bone health and related physical measurement indicators for the community-dwelling elderly in JapanGERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2007Wei Sun Deteriorated bone strength, which approaches osteoporosis, increases the likelihood that an elderly person will not able to live independently. However, few data are available pertaining to bone health and various physical objective indicators. The aim of the present study was to objectively assess bone health by quantitative ultrasound (QUS) and identify related physical measurement indicators among the elderly to aid the health promotion strategies in Japan. A cross-sectional study was performed at five welfare centers for the aged in the suburban area of Takatsuki city, Japan. Subjects comprised community-dwelling persons (134 men, 240 women) aged ,60 years and registered at welfare centers. QUS of the right-heel was conducted and recorded as stiffness index (SI). Physical factors including body components (fat and muscle mass), handgrip strength, daily physical activity, daily walking steps, maximum and usual walking speed and maximum bite force were examined objectively during the period May,June 2005. SI in women was lower than that in men (P < 0.01) and decreased significantly with age (P < 0.01). The SI correlated with six physical items in men and with all items in women. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that muscle mass, usual walking speed and maximum bite force were the strongest physical indicators of male SI; and muscle mass, maximum walking speed and maximum bite force were the strongest indicators of female SI. Muscle training, daily walking exercise and oral health care should be included in health promotion programs for the bone health of elderly women and men in Japan. [source] Healthy, wealthy and insured?HEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 3 2008The role of self-assessed health in the demand for private health insurance Abstract Both adverse selection and moral hazard models predict a positive relationship between risk and insurance; yet the most common finding in empirical studies of insurance is that of a negative correlation. In this paper, we investigate the relationship between ex ante risk and private health insurance using Australian data. The institutional features of the Australian system make the effects of asymmetric information more readily identifiable than in most other countries. We find a strong positive association between self-assessed health and private health cover. By applying the Lokshin and Ravallion (J. Econ. Behav. Organ 2005; 56:141,172) technique we identify the factors responsible for this result and recover the conventional negative relationship predicted by adverse selection when using more objective indicators of health. Our results also provide support for the hypothesis that self-assessed health captures individual traits not necessarily related to risk of health expenditures, in particular, attitudes towards risk. Specifically, we find that those persons who engage in risk-taking behaviours are simultaneously less likely to be in good health and less likely to buy insurance. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Emotional outcome after intensive care: literature reviewJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 1 2008Janice E. Rattray Abstract Title., Emotional outcome after intensive care: literature review. Aim., This paper is a report of a literature review to identify (a) the prevalence of emotional and psychological problems after intensive care, (b) associated factors and (c) interventions that might improve this aspect of recovery. Background., Being a patient in intensive care has been linked to both short- and long-term emotional and psychological consequences. Data sources., The literature search was conducted during 2006. Relevant journals and databases were searched, i.e. Medline and CINAHL, between the years 1995 and 2006. Review methods., The search terms were ,anxiety', ,depression', posttraumatic stress', ,posttraumatic stress disorder' and ,intensive care'. Results., Fifteen papers were reviewed representing research studies of anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress, and seven that represented intensive care follow-up clinics and patient diaries. Being in intensive care can result in significant emotional and psychological problems for a number of patients. For the majority of patients, symptoms of distress will decrease over time but for a number these will endure for some years. Current evidence indicates that emotional problems after intensive care are related to both subjective and objective indicators of a patient's intensive care experience. Evidence suggests some benefit in an early rehabilitation programme, daily sedation withdrawal and the use of patient diaries. However, additional research is required to support such findings. Conclusion., Our understanding of the consequences of intensive care is improving. Psychological care for intensive care patients has lagged behind care for physical problems. We now need to focus on developing and evaluating appropriate interventions to improve psychological outcome in this patient group. [source] Attitudinal organizational commitment and job performance: a meta-analysisJOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, Issue 3 2002Michael Riketta A meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the true correlation between attitudinal organizational commitment and job performance and to identify moderators of this correlation. One-hundred and eleven samples from 93 published studies were included. The corrected mean correlation was 0.20. The correlation was at least marginally significantly stronger for: (a) extra-role performance as opposed to in-role performance; (b) white-collar workers as opposed to blue-collar workers; and (c) performance assessed by self ratings as opposed to supervisor ratings or objective indicators. Four other assumed moderators (commitment measure: Affective Commitment Scale versus Organizational Commitment Questionnaire, job level, age, and tenure) did not have at least marginally significant effects. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] LOW-INCOME HOMEOWNERSHIP: DOES IT NECESSARILY MEAN SACRIFICING NEIGHBORHOOD QUALITY TO BUY A HOME?JOURNAL OF URBAN AFFAIRS, Issue 2 2010ANNA M. SANTIAGO ABSTRACT:,Questions have been raised about the wisdom of low-income homeownership policies for many reasons. One potential reason to be skeptical: low-income homebuyers perhaps may be constrained to purchase homes in disadvantaged neighborhoods. This is a potential problem because home purchases in such neighborhoods: (1) may limit appreciation; (2) may reduce quality of life for adults; and (3) may militate against reputed advantages of homeownership for children. Our study examines the neighborhood conditions of a group of 126 low-income homebuyers who purchased their first home with assistance from the Home Ownership Program (HOP) operated by the Denver Housing Authority. Our approach is distinguished by its use of a comprehensive set of objective and subjective indicators measuring the neighborhood quality of pre-move and post-move neighborhoods. Do low-income homebuyers sacrifice neighborhood quality to buy their homes? Our results suggest that the answer to this question is more complex than it might at first appear. On the one hand, HOP homebuyers purchased in a wide variety of city and suburban neighborhoods. Nonetheless, a variety of neighborhood quality indicators suggest that these neighborhoods, on average, were indeed inferior to those of Denver homeowners overall and to those in the same ethnic group. However, our analyses also revealed that their post-move neighborhoods were superior to the ones they lived in prior to homeownership. Moreover, very few HOP destination neighborhoods evinced severe physical, environmental, infrastructural, or socioeconomic problems, as measured by a wide variety of objective indicators or by the homebuyers' own perceptions. Indeed, only 10% of HOP homebuyers perceived that their new neighborhoods were worse than their prior ones, and only 8% held pessimistic expectations about their new neighborhoods' quality of life. Finally, we found that Black homebuyers fared less well than their Latino counterparts, on average, in both objective and subjective measures. [source] Relationship between various clinical outcome assessments in patients with blepharospasm,MOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 3 2009Joseph Jankovic MD Abstract The objective was to analyze the metric properties of the Jankovic Rating Scale (JRS) and a self-rating patient response outcome scale, the Blepharospasm Disability Index (BSDI©), in blepharospasm patients. Data from a randomized, double-blind, active-control clinical trial in 300 patients with blepharospasm treated with either botulinum toxin type A (Botox®) or NT201 (Xeomin®) were used to evaluate the metric properties of the JRS and the BSDI compared with the Patient Evaluation of Global Response (PEGR) and Global Assessment Scale (GAS). The internal consistency of the BSDI was high, Cronbach's Alpha = 0.88, and the retest reliability of the BSDI single items was adequate, Spearman's rank coefficient = 0.453 < r < 0.595. The correlation between JRS sum score and BSDI weighted mean score was r = 0.487 (baseline) and r = 0.737 (control visit), respectively. Using the GAS and PEGR, the results suggest that a change of 2 points in the JRS and of 0.7 points in the BSDI are clinically meaningful. JRS and BSDI are objective indicators of clinical efficacy as suggested by their good validity when compared with physicians' and patients' rating scales. Both, JRS and BSDI, can be used to reliably assess blepharospasm in treatment trials. © 2008 Movement Disorder Society [source] Linking intrinsic motivation, risk taking, and employee creativity in an R&D environmentR & D MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2007Todd Dewett Intrinsic motivation is thought to spur risk taking and creativity. Nonetheless, the relationship between common creativity antecedents and intrinsic motivation is seldom clarified and the assertion that intrinsic motivation spurs risk taking and creativity has rarely been addressed. The current study adopts an individual level of analysis and attempts to link several common creativity antecedents, intrinsic motivation, and one's willingness to take risks to employee creativity. Using survey data collected from 165 research and development personnel and their supervisors, evidence is provided showing that intrinsic motivation mediates the relationship between certain antecedents and one's willingness to take risks and that this willingness mediates the effect of intrinsic motivation on employee creativity. However, starkly different findings emerge when using subjective versus objective indicators of employee creativity, suggesting that further theoretical development is in order to explain the differences. [source] | ||||||||||||||||