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Testing Practices (testing + practice)
Selected AbstractsVariation in cyclic oxidation testing practice and data: The European situation before COTESTMATERIALS AND CORROSION/WERKSTOFFE UND KORROSION, Issue 1 2006S. Osgerby Abstract A survey of existing testing practice and pre-existing data was conducted to provide a starting point for the COTEST project on cyclic oxidation testing. The main parameters within the test that need to be controlled were identified as: control of test environment; temperature stability during hold periods; heating and cooling rates; specimen preparation; and post test evaluation. Existing experimental facilities were surveyed to establish the full range of variability within these parameters. [source] Nomenclature and Definitions for Emergency Department Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Testing: Report from the 2007 Conference of the National Emergency Department HIV Testing ConsortiumACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 2 2009Michael S. Lyons MD Abstract Early diagnosis of persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) through diagnostic testing and screening is a critical priority for individual and public health. Emergency departments (EDs) have an important role in this effort. As EDs gain experience in HIV testing, it is increasingly apparent that implementing testing is conceptually and operationally complex. A wide variety of HIV testing practice and research models have emerged, each reflecting adaptations to site-specific factors and the needs of local populations. The diversity and complexity inherent in nascent ED HIV testing practice and research are associated with the risk that findings will not be described according to a common lexicon. This article presents a comprehensive set of terms and definitions that can be used to describe ED-based HIV testing programs, developed by consensus opinion from the inaugural meeting of the National ED HIV Testing Consortium. These definitions are designed to facilitate discussion, increase comparability of future reports, and potentially accelerate wider implementation of ED HIV testing. [source] Innovation zur Bestimmung der Erdstoff-Geokunststoff-Wechselwirkung , Pullout-, Scher- und ReibungsversucheBAUTECHNIK, Issue 9 2004Taner Aydogmus Dipl.-Ing. Der Einsatz des ökonomischen und ökologischen Baumaterials "Geokunststoff" hat sich in den letzten Jahren in der Geotechnik für das Bauwesen, den Bergbau und den Umweltschutz stark verbreitet. In Form von Geotextilien, Geogittern, Geomembranen und verwandten Produkten ermöglichen sie technisch einfache, preisgünstige alternative Lösungsmöglichkeiten. Für die Berechnung der Standsicherheit von Konstruktionen mit Geokunststoffen, die für Bewehrungszwecke verwendet werden, ist die Ermittlung der "Reibungseigenschaften" in den Schichtgrenzen zwischen verschiedenen Geokunststoffen sowie zwischen Geokunststoffen und Erdstoffen unerläßlich. Zur Einschätzung der Hauptversagensmechanismen eines kunststoffbewehrten Erdkörpers werden üblicherweise Scher- und Reibungsversuche sowie nun auch verstärkt Pullout-Versuche durchgeführt. In diesem Beitrag wird ein neu entwickeltes und gebautes vollautomatisches Großrahmenschergerät mit integrierter Herausziehversuchseinrichtung vorgestellt, welches die Durchführung von vielfältigen innovativen Versuchen, mit leicht reproduzierbaren , den in-situ-Verhältnissen anpaßbaren , Randbedingungen, dem aktuellen Stand der Versuchstechnik entsprechend und nach den Vorgaben der neuen Normen (z. B. DIN 18137-3) ermöglicht. Innovation for the determination of the soil-geosynthetic interaction , pullout-, shear- and friction tests. The use of the economical and ecological construction material "geosynthetic" plays a rapidly increasing role in a variety of civil engineering, mining and environmental protection applications. Geosynthetics captured their own place as construction material due to their diversity and their specific characteristics. The applications of geosynthetics are many-sided. In the form of geotextiles, geogrids, geomembranes and related products, they make technically simple and low-priced alternative solution concepts possible. For the stability analysis of geosynthetic constructions knowledge of the friction behaviour in the geosynthetic interfaces is essential. For the assessment of the main failure mechanisms of a geosynthetic reinforced construction shear- and friction tests are usually performed as well as now also Pullout tests. In the following, a novel experimental apparatus for the examination of the interaction behaviour of soil-geosynthetic compound systems capable of performing both pullout and direct shear tests is described. In comparison with known geosynthetic testing practice, the novel testing apparatus offers the special advantage that a wide range of innovative shear and pullout test procedures can be carried out in the same device with negligible influence of test device configurations on friction test results. [source] Improving Construct Validity With Cognitive Psychology PrinciplesJOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT, Issue 4 2001Susan Embretson Cognitive psychology principles have been heralded as possibly central to construct validity. In this paper, testing practices are examined in three stages: (a) the past, in which the traditional testing research paradigm left little role for cognitive psychology principles, (b) the present, in which testing research is enhanced by cognitive psychology principles, and (c) the future, for which we predict that cognitive psychology's potential will be fully realized through item design. An extended example of item design by cognitive theory is given to illustrate the principles. A spatial ability test that consists of an object assembly task highlights how cognitive design principles can lead to item generation. [source] PATHOGEN DETECTION IN FOOD MICROBIOLOGY LABORATORIES: AN ANALYSIS OF QUALITATIVE PROFICIENCY TEST DATA, 1999,2007JOURNAL OF FOOD SAFETY, Issue 4 2009DANIEL C. EDSON ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to assess laboratories' ability to detect or rule out the presence of four common food pathogens: Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes and Campylobacter spp. To do this, qualitative proficiency test data provided by one proficiency test provider from 1999 to 2007 were examined. The annual and cumulative 9-year percentages of false-negative and false-positive responses were calculated. The cumulative 9-year false-negative rates were 7.8% for E. coli O157:H7, 5.9% for Salmonella spp., 7.2% for L. monocytogenes and 13.6% for Campylobacter spp. Atypical strains and low concentrations of bacteria were more likely to be missed, and the data showed no trend of improving performance over time. Percentages of false-positive results were below 5.0% for all four pathogens. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The results imply that food testing laboratories often fail to detect the presence of these four food pathogens in real food specimens. To improve pathogen detection, supervisors should ensure that testing personnel are adequately trained, that recommended procedures are followed correctly, that samples are properly prepared, that proper conditions (temperature, atmosphere and incubation time) are maintained for good bacterial growth and that recommended quality control procedures are followed. Supervisors should also always investigate reasons for unsatisfactory proficiency test results and take corrective action. Finally, more research is needed into testing practices and proficiency test performance in food testing laboratories. [source] Ethnic differences in anemia among patients with diabetes mellitus: The Diabetes Study of Northern California (DISTANCE),AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2010Ameena T. Ahmed To examine ethnic differences in hemoglobin testing practices and to test the hypothesis that ethnicity is an independent predictor of anemia among patients with diabetes mellitus. We conducted a panel study to assess the rate of hemoglobin testing during 1999,2001 and the period prevalence and incidence of anemia among 79,985 adults with diabetes mellitus receiving care within Kaiser Permanente of Northern California. Anemia was defined as hemoglobin <13.0 g/dL in men or < 12.0 g/dL in women. Overall, 82.1% of the cohort was tested for anemia at least once during the 3-year study period. Mixed ethnicity patients were most likely to be tested, followed by whites, blacks, Latinos, and Asians (P < 0.0001). Fifteen percent of the cohort had prevalent anemia at baseline, and an additional 22% of those tested developed anemia during the study period. Anemia was more prevalent among blacks and mixed ethnicity persons compared with other racial/ethnic groups. Anemia was also more prevalent among those ,70 years of age or with estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 ml/min/1.73 m2. In multivariable models, blacks had higher and Asians had lower odds of prevalent anemia and hazard ratios of incident anemia compared with whites. Within a large, diverse cohort with diabetes, ethnicity was predictive of anemia, even after adjustment for age, level of kidney function, and other potential confounders. Blacks with diabetes are at increased risk of anemia relative to whites. These differences may account for some of the observed ethnic disparities in diabetes complications. Am. J. Hematol., 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Training for innovation in India: Cultural considerations and strategic ImplicationsPERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT QUARTERLY, Issue 2 2008L. Roxanne Russell Global organizations with personnel in India rank innovation as a primary workforce development objective to stay competitive in the global market (NASSCOM, 2007). This analysis reviews relevant literature for evidence of cultural factors that stand in the way of innovative performance in Indian personnel and discusses implications for the design of interventions. Findings in the literature indicate possible knowledge gaps resulting from higher education quality assurance problems and high turnover in the job market, underrecognition of creative and practical intellectual abilities owing to testing practices, and restrictions on creative tendencies stemming from hierarchical structures and external pressures. Instructional design implications include the use of diagnostics, transformational learning strategies, and systemic reinforcement initiatives. [source] Legal and ethical considerations for genetic clinical researchQUALITY ASSURANCE JOURNAL, Issue 1 2003Judith E. Beach Abstract From the trend in modern medicine toward the study of genes and their contribution to the development of disease has evolved an increased awareness of ,the diversity of genetic fingerprints among individuals' [1]. The incorporation of this knowledge into the technologies of the pharmaceutical industry has led to the emerging field of ,pharmacogenomics'; that is, the process of identifying the differences in genetic sequences between individuals and developing therapies [2] as ,personal medicines' [3]. For example, a drug used as a muscle relaxant during surgery, suxamethonium, was found to be lethal to patients who possessed a rare version of a gene involved in nerve transmission so that now those who receive this drug are tested for this specific gene [4]. Although pharmacogenomics promises great possibilities for the future of medicine, it does involve ethical and legal considerations that must be considered. Indeed, potential misuses of genetic information, such as discrimination in obtaining health insurance and in the workplace, need to be addressed. Genetic testing practices remain more advanced than the national and international laws governing the appropriate use of genetics. Although there is no national law in the United States that specifically addresses DNA and genetic privacy, several federal regulations would apply indirectly to the protection of this information and state legislators have successfully passed numerous state laws. Professional associations and private organizations have issued several guidelines for genetic testing practices. The purpose of this report is to provide a picture of the legal and ethical ramifications of genetic testing in clinical research. The genetic testing issue is presented herein in the categories of national, international, and state laws, policies, regulations and guidelines. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Obesity and prostate cancer screening among african-american and caucasian men,THE PROSTATE, Issue 13 2006Jay H. Fowke Abstract BACKGROUND Differential prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing practices according to obesity-related comorbid conditions may contribute to inconsistent results in studies of obesity and prostate cancer. We investigated the relationship between obesity and PSA testing, and evaluated the role of prior diagnoses and disease screening on PSA testing patterns. METHODS Men, 40 and 79 years old and without prior prostate cancer were recruited from 25 health centers in the Southern US (n,=,11,558, 85% African-American). An extensive in-person interview measured medical and other characteristics of study participants, including PSA test histories, weight, height, demographics, and disease history. Odds ratios (OR) and (95% confidence intervals) from logistic regression summarized the body mass index (BMI) and PSA test association while adjusting for socio-economic status (SES). RESULTS BMI between 25 and 40 was significantly associated with recent PSA testing (past 12 months) (OR25.0,29.9,=,1.23 (1.09, 1.39); OR30,34.9,=,1.36 (1.18, 1.57); OR35.0,39.9,=,1.44 (1.18, 1.76); OR,40,=,1.15 (0.87, 1.51)). Prior severe disease diagnoses, such as heart disease, did not influence the obesity and PSA test association. However, adjustment for prior high blood pressure or high cholesterol diagnoses reduced the BMI-PSA testing associations. Physician PSA test recommendations were not associated with BMI, and results did not appreciably vary by race. CONCLUSIONS Overweight and obese men were preferentially PSA tested within the past 12 months. BMI was not associated with physician screening recommendations. Data suggest that clinical diagnoses related to obesity increase clinical encounters that lead to preferential selection of obese men for prostate cancer diagnosis. This detection effect may bias epidemiologic investigations of obesity and prostate cancer incidence. Prostate 66: 1371,1380, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Availability of Rapid Human Immunodeficiency Virus Testing in Academic Emergency DepartmentsACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 2 2008Peter D. Ehrenkranz MD Abstract Objectives:, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends routine human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening of emergency department (ED) patients aged 13 to 64 years. The study objectives were to determine the accessibility of rapid HIV testing in academic EDs, to identify factors that influence an ED's adoption of testing, and to describe current HIV testing practices. Methods:, Online surveys were sent to EDs affiliated with emergency medicine (EM) residency programs (n = 128), excluding federal hospitals and facilities in U.S. territories. Eighty percent (n = 102) responded. Most e-mail recipients (n = 121) were Emergency Medicine Network (EMNet) investigators; remaining contacts were obtained from residency-related Web sites. Results:, Most academic EDs (n = 58; 57%; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 47% to 66%) offer rapid HIV testing. Among this group, 26 (45%) allow providers to order tests without restrictions. Of the other 32 EDs, 100% have policies allowing for rapid HIV testing following occupational exposures, but less than 10% have guidelines for testing in other clinical situations. Forty-seven percent expect to routinely offer HIV testing in the next 2 to 3 years. Only 59% of the EDs that offered rapid tests in any situation could link an HIV-positive patient to subspecialty care. The facility characteristic most important to availability of rapid HIV testing was the presence of on-site HIV counselors. Conclusions:, Most academic EDs now offer rapid HIV testing (57%), but few use it in situations other than occupational exposure. Less than half of academic EDs expect to implement CDC guidelines regarding routine screening within the next few years. The authors identified facility characteristics (e.g., counseling, ability to refer) that may influence adoption of rapid HIV testing. [source] | |||||||||||||