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Assessment Criteria (assessment + criterion)
Selected AbstractsConservation diagnosis of reintroducing Mediterranean pond turtles: what is wrong?ANIMAL CONSERVATION, Issue 6 2009A. Bertolero Abstract The presence of the Mediterranean pond turtle Mauremys leprosa in the Ebre Delta (Catalonia, north-east Spain) is well documented after the late 1970s, when the first reptile distribution lists were published. Owing to the fact that the species was considered scarce, a reintroduction programme based on the release of individuals at sites with potential habitat suitability was launched. From 1999 to 2001, 234 turtles of different ages were released and subsequently monitored until 2007, in order to make a conservation diagnosis using five assessment criteria. These criteria were body condition, individual growth, reproduction, survival and population growth rate. Despite the relatively large number of turtles released, no viable population resulted from the programme. Assessment criteria suggested that: (1) released individuals showed good physical condition and satisfactory growth (the only positive results); (2) reproduction was almost absent; (3) local survival was reduced compared with that of Spanish wild populations of the species; (4) temporary emigration was high; (5) the growth rate of the population was negative. In conclusion, the results suggested that the habitat at the Ebre Delta marshes may not be favourable to the species, and that the scarce historical data record may indicate a relatively low-quality habitat; the few records may correspond to individuals dispersing from the river, a more suitable habitat. Thus, we conclude that historically scarce records may be the result of natural patchiness and heterogeneous distributions, and they are not necessarily a good indicator of relict, decimated populations. Good assessment criteria, as those proposed and used here, are necessary tools to assess results in reintroduction projects to recover endangered chelonian populations. [source] Valuing and evaluating student-generated online multimodal texts: rethinking what countsENGLISH IN EDUCATION, Issue 2 2005Associate Professor Claire Wyatt-Smith Abstract Teachers are currently urged to integrate information and communication technologies into classroom learning experiences, and many enthusiastically do so, yet traditional print-based assessment modes still dominate. In this paper we put forward the position that the production of digitally mediated texts cannot be assessed against traditional printbased assessment criteria. In support of this position, we explore the nature of multimodal text production and propose relevant assessment criteria for determining quality. [source] Does mother really know best?ENTOMOLOGIA EXPERIMENTALIS ET APPLICATA, Issue 3 2005Oviposition preference reduces reproductive performance in the generalist parasitoid Aphidius ervi Abstract The reproductive success of female parasitoids is dependent on their ability to accurately assess the suitability of a host for larval development. For generalist parasitoids, which utilize a broad range of species and instars as hosts, a set of assessment criteria determines whether a host is accepted or rejected. The suitability of a host, however, can only be imperfectly assessed by the female parasitoid, which can result in the selection of lesser quality hosts for oviposition. In this study we explored the disparity between host quality and host preference using the generalist koinobiotic parasitoid Aphidius ervi Haliday (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae) and the host Aulacorthum solani (Harris) (Homoptera: Aphididae), the foxglove aphid. The second instar hosts produced the highest level of reproductive success, while third and fourth instars resulted in a substantially reduced reproductive performance. When given a choice of host instars, parasitoids preferred the older hosts for oviposition disregarding their reduced suitability for larval development. Results are discussed in context of mechanisms involved in A. ervi host selection and biases in the criteria used to assess hosts that may arise when parasitoids transfer host species between generations. [source] Improving clinical assessment: evaluating students' ability to identify and apply clinical criteriaEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION, Issue 3 2010C. Redwood Abstract Aim:, There is ongoing concern by health educators over the inability of professionals to accurately self-assess their clinical behaviour and standards, resulting in doubts over a key expectation of effective self-regulation in the health professions. Participation by students in the assessment process has been shown to increase the understanding of assessment criteria in written assessment tasks. How this might transfer to the clinical setting is the focus of this study. This paper is part of an ongoing investigation of the impact on learning of a series of activities that provides students with opportunities to discuss and apply criteria and standards associated with self-assessment in clinical dentistry. Our aim was to evaluate whether participation in these assessment activities improved the ability of first-year dental students to recognise behaviours demonstrated by ,peers' in videos of clinical scenarios and to relate these to the assessment criteria. Materials and methods:, A series of three workshops in conjunction with weekly clinical assessment activities in Semesters 1 and 2 were use to support first-year students' learning of clinical assessment criteria. The design of the workshops was based on the principles of social constructivist theories of learning and the concept of tacit knowledge. Accordingly workshop activities were planned around videos that were specifically constructed to illustrate procedures and behaviours typical of those observed by staff and tutors in the first year of the dental course at The University of Adelaide, Australia. First-year students viewed the videos prior to and after the workshops and recorded observed behaviours that related to the assessment criteria that were used in their clinical practice course. Student learning outcomes were assessed 10,14 weeks after the initial workshop and again up to 42 weeks later. To check whether learning resulted from repeated viewing of the videos without formal discussion, a reference group of third-year students who did not attend the workshops also viewed the videos two times, separated by 12 weeks, and recorded observations in the same way. Results:, There was no consistent evidence that repeat viewing of the videos in isolation resulted in improved recognition of ,peer' behaviours by third-year dental students. Results for the first-year students indicated that the workshops and clinical assessment activities had a significantly positive effect on the ability of students to identify ,peer' behaviours related to the criteria used for clinical assessment. In particular, students' recognition in others of knowledge and professional behaviours improved significantly. This improvement was retained over the year and students were able to recognise these behaviours in other scenarios relevant to their year level. Conclusions:, This early exposure to the process of clinical assessment, coupled with ongoing self-assessment and tutor feedback throughout first year, improved the ability of first-year students to identify and apply some key assessment criteria to observed ,peer' behaviour, and this ability was retained over time. [source] Evaluation of criteria used to assess the quality of aquatic toxicity dataINTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2005Dustin A. Hobbs Abstract Good quality toxicity data underpins robust hazard and risk assessments in aquatic systems and the derivation of water quality guidelines for ecosystems. Hence, an objective scheme to assess the quality of toxicity data forms an important part of this process. The variation of scores from 2 research papers using the Australasian ecotoxicity database (AED) quality assessment scheme was evaluated by 23 ecotoxicologists. The results showed that the quality class that the assessors gave each paper varied by less than 10% when compared with a quality score agreed a priori between the authors of this study. It was determined that the majority of the variation in each assessment was due to ambiguous or poorly written assessment criteria, information that was difficult to find, or information in the paper that was overlooked by the assessor. This led to refinements of the assessment criteria in the AED, which resulted in a 16% improvement (i.e., reduction) in the mean variation of scores for the 2 papers when compared with the a priori scores. The improvement in consensus among different assessors evaluating the same research papers suggests that the data quality assessment scheme proposed in this article provides a more robust scheme for assessing the quality of aquatic toxicity data than methods currently available. [source] Domain Poisoning: The Redundancy of Current Models of Assessment through ArtINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ART & DESIGN EDUCATION, Issue 3 2006Tom Hardy With the National Foundation for Educational Research concluding that schools which include Contemporary Art Practice (CAP) in their curriculum add significant value to their students' art experience, [1] and at a time when much of the discussion around contemporary art questions the value of the art object itself, this article addresses the question: how are we to engage students with the contemporary and, at the same time, make value judgments of their own work? And, while the professional fine art world subscribes increasingly to the ,rhizomatic' [2] template of art processes, how do we square this with current assessment criteria which require that students produce work where the preparation and finished product occupy separate domains and rely on ,procedures and practices that reach back to the nineteenth century'? [3] By way of a postscript to the inconclusive findings of the Eppi-centre art and design review group [4], this article will also address what we have lost in the drive for domain-based assessment and how to regain some of the ground lost since the introduction of Curriculum 2000. [source] A Systematic Review of Dowel (Post) and Core Materials and SystemsJOURNAL OF PROSTHODONTICS, Issue 6 2009Joanna N. Theodosopoulou DDS Abstract Purpose: The aim of this systematic review was to determine which dowel (post) and core system is the most successful when used in vivo to restore endodontically treated teeth. Materials and Methods: A MEDLINE, a Cochrane, and an EMBASE search (three specified searches) were conducted to identify randomized (RCT) and nonrandomized controlled clinical trials (CCT), cohort (CS), and case control studies (CCS) until January 2008, conducted on humans, and published in English, German, and French, relating to dowel and core systems for restoring endodontically treated teeth. Also, a hand search was conducted, along with contact with the authors when needed. Results: The MEDLINE, Cochrane, and EMBASE searches identified 997, 141, and 25 published articles, respectively. Ten articles from the MEDLINE and seven articles from the Cochrane search (that were also identified in the MEDLINE search) met the inclusion and validity assessment criteria. Six out of the ten studies were RCTs, two were CCTs, and two CSs. The RCT studies suggest that carbon fiber in resin matrix dowels are significantly better than precious alloy cast dowels (number needed to treat, NNT = 8.30). Tapered gold alloy cast dowels are better than ParaPost® gold alloy cast dowels (NNT = 13.15). ParaPost® prefabricated dowels are slightly better than ParaPost® cast dowels (NNT = 175.4). Glass fiber dowels are significantly better than metal screw dowels (NNT = 5.46), but worse than titanium (NNT =,21.73) (moderately). Carbon fiber dowels are worse than gold alloy cast dowels (significantly) (NNT =,5.81) and than amalgam dowels (NNT =,125) (slightly). The CCT studies suggest that metal dowels are better (NNT = 21.73) but also worse than cast dowels (NNT =,33.33) depending on the remaining amount of coronal hard tissue. Quartz fiber dowels show success rates similar to and worse than glass fiber-reinforced dowels (NNT =,37.03). The results from the CS studies suggest that carbon fiber in resin matrix dowels are better (moderately) than carbon fiber + quartz and quartz fiber dowels. Titanium dowels with a composite build-up are better (moderately) than gold alloy cast dowels. Conclusions: According to the studies of the highest levels of evidence, carbon fiber in resin matrix dowels are significantly better than precious alloy cast dowels (RCT). Glass fiber dowels are significantly better than metal screw dowels (RCT) and moderately better than quartz fiber dowels (CCT). Carbon fiber dowels are significantly worse than metal dowels (of precious alloy) (RCT). Prefabricated metal dowels are slightly better than cast dowels (RCT), but moderately worse when no collar of the dentin above the gingiva could be achieved (CCT). [source] Medico-legal assessment of disability in narcolepsy: an interobserver reliability studyJOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH, Issue 1 2008FRANCESCA INGRAVALLO Summary Impairment because of narcolepsy strongly limits job performance, but there are no standard criteria to assess disability in people with narcolepsy and a scale of disease severity is still lacking. We explored: (1) the interobserver reliability among Italian Medical Commissions making disability and handicap benefit decisions for people with narcolepsy, searching for correlations between the recognized disability degree and patients' features; (2) the willingness to report patients to the driving licence authority and (3) possible sources of variance in judgement. Fifteen narcoleptic patients were examined by four Medical Commissions in simulated sessions. Raw agreement and interobserver reliability among Commissions were calculated for disability and handicap benefit decisions and for driving licence decisions. Levels of judgement differed on percentage of disability (P < 0.001), severity of handicap (P = 0.0007) and the need to inform the driving licence authority (P = 0.032). Interobserver reliability ranged from Kappa = ,0.10 to 0.35 for disability benefit decision and from Kappa = ,0.26 to 0.36 for handicap benefit decision. The raw agreement on driving licence decision ranged from 73% to 100% (Kappa not calculable). Spearman's correlation between percentages of disability and patients' features showed correlations with age, daytime naps, sleepiness, cataplexy and quality of life. This first interobserver reliability study on social benefit decisions for narcolepsy shows the difficulty of reaching an agreement in this field, mainly because of variance in interpretation of the assessment criteria. The minimum set of indicators of disease severity correlating with patients' self assessments encourages a disability classification of narcolepsy. [source] Supplier Selection and Assessment: Their Impact on Business PerformanceJOURNAL OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2002Vijay R. Kannan SUMMARY Increasingly, firms are allocating more resources to their core competencies and encouraging the outsourcing of non-core activities, which increases their reliance and dependence on suppliers. This increases the importance of effective supplier selection and assessment. Sparse evidence exists regarding the impact of supplier selection and assessment on a buying firm's business performance. This research describes an empirical study of the importance of supplier selection and assessment criteria of American manufacturing companies for items to be used in products already in production. Moreover, it identifies relationships between criteria and a buying firm's business performance. Results indicate that soft, non-quantifiable selection criteria, such as a supplier's strategic commitment to a buyer, have a greater impact on performance than hard, more quantifiable criteria such as supplier capability, yet are considered to be less important. Assessment of a supplier's willingness and ability to share information also has a significant impact on the buying firm's performance, yet is again considered to be relatively unimportant. [source] The acceptability of 360-degree judgements as a method of assessing undergraduate medical students' personal and professional behavioursMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 1 2005Charlotte Rees Introduction, Medical students' personal and professional behaviours have been assessed poorly in medical schools. No research exists exploring the acceptability of 360-degree judgements as a method of assessing such behaviours. This study aims to explore students' and assessors' views and experiences of 360-degree judgements. Methods, Eighteen students and 12 assessors participated in 4 focus group discussions in spring 2003. Discussions were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim and the transcripts were theme analysed independently by 2 analysts. Results, Although 360-degree judgements were felt to drive students' behaviour positively, they were also thought to influence learning and behaviour adversely. Various factors were thought to influence assessors' abilities to make good quality judgements, such as situational factors like the length of time spent with students, characteristics relating to the assessment criteria and characteristics of the assessor, such as apathy. Discussion, Additional research using qualitative and quantitative methods is needed to explore these issues further. [source] Quality-assessment of disease-specific quality of life questionnaires for rhinitis and rhinosinusitis: a systematic reviewALLERGY, Issue 12 2007C. M. Van Oene The aim of this systematic review was to give a quality-assessed review of the existing disease-specific health related quality of life (QOL) questionnaires concerning rhinitis and rhinosinusitis for adults. The quality is assessed by defining the characteristics of a QOL questionnaire with assessment criteria. The results of the construction, description, feasibility, and the psychometric performance of the instruments are provided. We finally provide a clinician's guide to choose a questionnaire based on the measurement goals, the discriminant validity, responsiveness and the points obtained in the quality assessment. Of the top scoring instruments regarding the overall quality assessment, only four health related QOL questionnaires for rhinitis and rhinosinusitis met our criteria for the discriminant validity and responsiveness. [source] Prevalence of overweight among children in EuropeOBESITY REVIEWS, Issue 4 2003T. Lobstein Summary Estimates of the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity have been made in several European countries during the last decade. The methods used and the assessment criteria differ from survey to survey. The present paper reports the prevalence data from 21 surveys in Europe using a single, internationally accepted definition of overweight in childhood, allowing direct comparisons to be made. A tendency for a higher prevalence of overweight among children in western and especially southern Europe is shown and some possible reasons for this are discussed. [source] How well can the accuracy of comparative protein structure models be predicted?PROTEIN SCIENCE, Issue 11 2008David Eramian Comparative structure models are available for two orders of magnitude more protein sequences than are experimentally determined structures. These models, however, suffer from two limitations that experimentally determined structures do not: They frequently contain significant errors, and their accuracy cannot be readily assessed. We have addressed the latter limitation by developing a protocol optimized specifically for predicting the C, root-mean-squared deviation (RMSD) and native overlap (NO3.5Å) errors of a model in the absence of its native structure. In contrast to most traditional assessment scores that merely predict one model is more accurate than others, this approach quantifies the error in an absolute sense, thus helping to determine whether or not the model is suitable for intended applications. The assessment relies on a model-specific scoring function constructed by a support vector machine. This regression optimizes the weights of up to nine features, including various sequence similarity measures and statistical potentials, extracted from a tailored training set of models unique to the model being assessed: If possible, we use similarly sized models with the same fold; otherwise, we use similarly sized models with the same secondary structure composition. This protocol predicts the RMSD and NO3.5Å errors for a diverse set of 580,317 comparative models of 6174 sequences with correlation coefficients (r) of 0.84 and 0.86, respectively, to the actual errors. This scoring function achieves the best correlation compared to 13 other tested assessment criteria that achieved correlations ranging from 0.35 to 0.71. [source] Conservation diagnosis of reintroducing Mediterranean pond turtles: what is wrong?ANIMAL CONSERVATION, Issue 6 2009A. Bertolero Abstract The presence of the Mediterranean pond turtle Mauremys leprosa in the Ebre Delta (Catalonia, north-east Spain) is well documented after the late 1970s, when the first reptile distribution lists were published. Owing to the fact that the species was considered scarce, a reintroduction programme based on the release of individuals at sites with potential habitat suitability was launched. From 1999 to 2001, 234 turtles of different ages were released and subsequently monitored until 2007, in order to make a conservation diagnosis using five assessment criteria. These criteria were body condition, individual growth, reproduction, survival and population growth rate. Despite the relatively large number of turtles released, no viable population resulted from the programme. Assessment criteria suggested that: (1) released individuals showed good physical condition and satisfactory growth (the only positive results); (2) reproduction was almost absent; (3) local survival was reduced compared with that of Spanish wild populations of the species; (4) temporary emigration was high; (5) the growth rate of the population was negative. In conclusion, the results suggested that the habitat at the Ebre Delta marshes may not be favourable to the species, and that the scarce historical data record may indicate a relatively low-quality habitat; the few records may correspond to individuals dispersing from the river, a more suitable habitat. Thus, we conclude that historically scarce records may be the result of natural patchiness and heterogeneous distributions, and they are not necessarily a good indicator of relict, decimated populations. Good assessment criteria, as those proposed and used here, are necessary tools to assess results in reintroduction projects to recover endangered chelonian populations. [source] INTEGRATION OF PROSPECTIVE QUALITY OF LIFE AND NUTRITIONAL ASSESSMENT AS ROUTINE COMPONENTS OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY CARE OF PATIENTS WITH HEAD AND NECK CANCERANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 1-2 2008Justine Oates Background: Quality of life (QOL) and nutritional assessment of patients with head and neck cancer can provide additional information about the effects of treatment beyond the standard measures of disease control and survival. Integrating a prospective evaluation program into a multidisciplinary service may ensure that a more holistic model of care is developed. Methods: Prospective evaluation of QOL and nutrition before and after treatment for head and neck cancer was implemented in 2001. All patients enrolled in the program were treated with curative intent. Patients completed the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core QOL Questionnaire and Head and Neck Specific Module before treatment and at 3, 6 and 12 months after completion of therapy. In conjunction, patients underwent nutritional assessment by body mass index, biochemical parameters and the patient-generated subjective global assessment tool. Results: Among 288 patients who consented to participate in this study, 134 patients completed the QOL assessment criteria and were eligible for evaluation. Examples of QOL and nutritional data for patients with cancers of the oral cavity, oropharynx, nasopharynx, larynx, hypopharynx, parotid gland and paranasal sinus, and also unknown primary cancers are given. Implementation of this prospective assessment program required appropriate resources and was hampered by time constraints, logistics with blood tests and patient compliance. Conclusions: Despite difficulties with implementation, the information concerning QOL and nutritional status obtained in this study provided an appreciation of the long-term functional effects of treatment for head and neck cancer. Prospective QOL assessment and nutritional evaluation should become integral components of the care of patients with cancers of the head and neck. [source] The birth rate of hypospadias in the Turku area in Finland,APMIS, Issue 2 2001H. E. VIRTANEN Reports based on national registers of congenital malformations have suggested that the birth rate of hypospadias has increased during the last few decades. Register-based information may, however, have pitfalls because of changes in diagnostics, reporting accuracy and registration system. The aim of this study was to determine the current birth rate of hypospadias in Turku University Central Hospital (TUCH) in Finland. This was a prospective study on live-born boys born in TUCH from 1997 to 1999. In the total birth cohort (n=5,798) as well as in a special subcohort group (n=1,505) 0.3% of boys had hypospadias. Only one scrotal hypospadias was found in a boy who had a chromosomal anomaly. Other hypospadias were glandular or coronal. No increase was found in the birth rate of hypospadias when comparing our result with register-based data of boys born in Finland during the years 1970 to 1986 and surgically treated for hypospadias by the age of 8 years. No difference was found either from malformation register-based data concerning the nationwide birth rate of hypospadias during the years 1993 to 1998. Due to differences in national registration systems between countries, prospective studies with equal assessment criteria are needed in order to make reliable international comparisons. [source] Equitable access to dental care for an at-risk group: a review of services for Australian refugeesAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 1 2007Natasha Davidson Objective: Despite the poor dental health of refugees, few specific services are available. This review maps public dental services for refugees across Australian jurisdictions, identifies gaps in provision, identifies barriers to accessing dental care, and provides recommendations for improving access and oral health promotion for this group. Methods: Data were sought from the State and Territory services for: a) the survivors of torture; b) oral health care units; and c) auditors-general reports of dental services. Eligibility criteria and estimated waiting times for general dental services, criteria for access to emergency care and availability of interpreter services were reviewed. Results: Marked variation exists across Australian jurisdictions in available dental services and criteria for access to public dental care for refugees. There is limited priority access to general dental services for refugees. Waiting times for public dental treatment in most, if not all, jurisdictions are unacceptably long (range 13,58 months). Few interpreter services exist for refugees seeking to access dental services. Conclusions: Access to dental services for refugees across Australia remains fragmented and limited, particularly in rural and regional areas. Refugees are not using services because of several barriers, including long waiting times, variation in assessment criteria, different eligibility criteria and limited interpreter services. Consequently, their pattern of service use does not accurately reflect their needs. Implications: Australia needs better co-ordinated, more extensive dental services that are easily accessible for this very high risk group. Identification of refugees as a special needs group and provision of targeted interventions addressing barriers to care are needed to establish adequate dental care. [source] Criteria for extramural perineural invasion as a prognostic factor in rectal cancerBRITISH JOURNAL OF SURGERY (NOW INCLUDES EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY), Issue 7 2001Dr H. Ueno Background: An abundant extramural autonomic nerve network is an anatomical feature of the rectum. Extramural perineural invasion (PNI) may influence the prognosis after resection of rectal cancer, however, few assessment criteria exist. Methods: PNI was investigated in 364 patients who underwent curative surgery for rectal cancer penetrating the muscular layer. A grading system was established based on the ,intensity' (number of PNI foci in a 20-power field) and ,depth' (distance from the muscularis propria) of PNI. PNI-0 was defined as without PNI, PNI-1 as ,intensity' of less than five foci and ,depth' less than 10 mm, and PNI-2 as five or more foci or 10 mm or greater ,depth' of invasion. Results: PNI was observed in 52 patients (14 per cent) and strongly correlated with pathological tumour node metastasis (pTNM) stage. Five-year survival was related to PNI grade (74 per cent in PNI-0, 50 per cent in PNI-1 and 22 per cent in PNI-2). The rate of local recurrence was also related to PNI stage: 43 per cent in PNI-2 and 9 per cent in both PNI-0 and PNI-1. Multivariate analyses showed that graded PNI was associated both with local recurrence and long-term survival, independent of tumour depth (pTNM T) and nodal involvement (pTNM N). Conclusion: The PNI grading system may be useful in prognosis and allow case selection for intensive postoperative adjuvant therapy. © 2001 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd [source] Constraints to organizational change processes regarding the introduction of organic products: case findings from the Swiss food industryBUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 2 2001Simone Maier The combination of the power dimension with the cognitive dimension on the basis of Giddens' theory of structuration provides a powerful concept for analysing constraints to organizational change. In the case of the introduction of organic products to Swiss food processing companies, four interacting and mutually re-enforcing factors could be identified to constrain organizational change for a successful introduction of organic products: the organic products' low share of overall turnover (resources), missing top management support (power), missing adjustment of the collaborators' performance assessment criteria (norms) and missing collaborators' acceptance for the organic ideology (interpretative schemes). The strategies to overcome these constraints must be designed carefully according to the specific situation of the organization. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment [source] | |||||||||||||||||||