Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Evaluating
Kinds of Evaluating Terms modified by Evaluating Selected AbstractsKNOWING WHEN TO FOLD 'EM: AN ESSAY ON EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF CEASEFIRE, COMPSTAT, AND EXILE,CRIMINOLOGY AND PUBLIC POLICY, Issue 3 2005RICHARD A. BERK [source] A COMPARISON OF METHODS FOR EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE OF A TRAINED SENSORY PANEL,JOURNAL OF SENSORY STUDIES, Issue 6 2001MARJORIE C. KING ABSTRACT Cluster analysis, consonance analysis, principal component analysis (PCA) and the GRAPES program (Schlich 1994) were compared for the evaluation of panel performance. Ten judges evaluated 25 Merlot wines for 24 color, aroma and flavor attributes. Cluster analysis grouped similar judges. PCA identified judges according to their attribute use. Consonance analysis determined a numerical index for attribute agreement and the GRAPES program compared judges in their use of the scale, reliability, discrimination and disagreement. Three of the four techniques provided a graphical representation of similarities and differences between judges. Methodologies were best used in conjunction with one another. Ultimately the application of these tools will serve to improve the quality of sensory evaluations. [source] IMPLICATIONS OF TRAIT-ACTIVATION THEORY FOR EVALUATING THE CONSTRUCT VALIDITY OF ASSESSMENT CENTER RATINGSPERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2002STEPHANIE HAALAND Assessment centers have often been criticized for lacking evidence supporting the construct validity of dimension ratings. This study examines whether the poor convergence of assessment center ratings is a result of correlating ratings from exercises that differ in the extent that behavior relevant to personality traits can be observed. Using data from a promotional assessment center for law enforcement officers (n= 79), the convergence of assessment center ratings was evaluated within the context of the five factor model by comparing the average within-dimension correlation of ratings from exercises that allowed for more opportunity to observe trait-relevant behavior to the average of those involving exercises where there was less opportunity. For each personality trait, ratings from exercises judged by experts to be high in trait-activation potential displayed stronger convergence (mean r= .30) than did ratings from exercises that were low in activation potential for that trait (mean r= .15). Implications for evaluating the construct validity of assessment centers are discussed along with future directions for classifying exercises based on situational similarity. [source] PROVENANCE OF ANCIENT TEXTILES,A PILOT STUDY EVALUATING THE STRONTIUM ISOTOPE SYSTEM IN WOOL*ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 2 2009K. M. FREI Strontium isotopes are used in archaeology to reconstruct human and animal migration routes. We present results of a pilot study applying strontium isotope analyses to modern sheep hair as a basis for its potential use as a provenance tracer for ancient woollen textiles. Our hydrofluoric acid-based, lipid soluble analytical protocol, also tested on a number of ancient textile fibres, allows for contamination-free, low blank strontium isotope analysis of minimal amounts of archaeological material. 87Sr/86Sr ratios of decontaminated sheep hair agree well with the compositions of biologically available (soluble) strontium fractions from the respective feeding ground soils, a translatable requirement for any potentially successful provenance tracing applied to wool textiles. [source] A Framework for Evaluating and Planning Assessments Intended to Improve Student AchievementEDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT: ISSUES AND PRACTICE, Issue 3 2009Paul D. Nichols Assessments labeled as formative have been offered as a means to improve student achievement. But labels can be a powerful way to miscommunicate. For an assessment use to be appropriately labeled "formative," both empirical evidence and reasoned arguments must be offered to support the claim that improvements in student achievement can be linked to the use of assessment information. Our goal in this article is to support the construction of such an argument by offering a framework within which to consider evidence-based claims that assessment information can be used to improve student achievement. We describe this framework and then illustrate its use with an example of one-on-one tutoring. Finally, we explore the framework's implications for understanding when the use of assessment information is likely to improve student achievement and for advising test developers on how to develop assessments that are intended to offer information that can be used to improve student achievement. [source] A Conceptual Framework for a Psychometric Theory for Standard Setting with Examples of Its Use for Evaluating the Functioning of Two Standard Setting MethodsEDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT: ISSUES AND PRACTICE, Issue 2 2006Mark D. Reckase A conceptual framework is proposed for a psychometric theory of standard setting. The framework suggests that participants in a standard setting process (panelists) develop an internal, intended standard as a result of training and the participant's background. The goal of a standard setting process is to convert panelists' intended standards to points on a test's score scale. Psychometrics is involved in this process because the points on the score scale are estimated from ratings provided by participants. The conceptual framework is used to derive three criteria for evaluating standard setting processes. The use of these criteria is demonstrated by applying them to variations of bookmark and modified Angoff standard setting methods. [source] Evaluating wastewater-induced plant genotoxicity using randomly amplified polymorphic DNAENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY, Issue 1 2008K. M. Swaileh Abstract Wastewater often contains genotoxic substances that can resist different stages of the treatment process. In the present study, randomly amplified polymorphic DNA technology was applied to evaluate the genotoxic effects of wastewater (treated and raw) irrigation on oat plants (Avena sativa). RAPD profiles obtained showed that both treated and raw wastewater (RWW) were having genotoxic effects on oat plants. This was apparent by the appearance/disappearance of bands in the treatments compared with the control plants. From the 15 primers used, 186 bands were obtained with an average of 12.4 bands per primer. Irrigating plants with RWW caused 51 new bands to appear and 19 to disappear. Treated wastewater (TWW) caused only 16 new bands and the loss of 17 bands. This makes TWW less genotoxic than RWW. The Euclidean distances shown on the dendrogram, revealed the presence of two clusters according to dissimilarity values. One cluster contained the control plants and those irrigated with TWW, whereas the second contained the plants irrigated with RWW. Similarity indices calculated between the treatments and the control plants showed that the control and the plants irrigated with TWW had a similarity index of 0.87, the control and plants irrigated with RWW 0.73 and between the treatments 0.75. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2008. [source] Evaluating and expressing the propagation of uncertainty in chemical fate and bioaccumulation modelsENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2002Matthew MacLeod Abstract First-order analytical sensitivity and uncertainty analysis for environmental chemical fate models is described and applied to a regional contaminant fate model and a food web bioaccumulation model. By assuming linear relationships between inputs and outputs, independence, and log-normal distributions of input variables, a relationship between uncertainty in input parameters and uncertainty in output parameters can be derived, yielding results that are consistent with a Monte Carlo analysis with similar input assumptions. A graphical technique is devised for interpreting and communicating uncertainty propagation as a function of variance in input parameters and model sensitivity. The suggested approach is less calculationally intensive than Monte Carlo analysis and is appropriate for preliminary assessment of uncertainty when models are applied to generic environments or to large geographic areas or when detailed parameterization of input uncertainties is unwarranted or impossible. This approach is particularly useful as a starting point for identification of sensitive model inputs at the early stages of applying a generic contaminant fate model to a specific environmental scenario, as a tool to support refinements of the model and the uncertainty analysis for site-specific scenarios, or for examining defined end points. The analysis identifies those input parameters that contribute significantly to uncertainty in outputs, enabling attention to be focused on defining median values and more appropriate distributions to describe these variables. [source] An evaluation of the self-heating hazards of cerium(IV) nitrated treated towels using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysisFIRE AND MATERIALS, Issue 6 2007J. R. Hartman Abstract This study measured the Arrhenius kinetic parameters and heat of reaction using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) for the combustion of untreated towels and towels treated with cerium(IV) nitrate. These parameters were used to calculate the self-heating parameters, M and P (Self-heating: Evaluating and Controlling the Hazard. Her Majesty's Stationery Office: London, 1984) and the critical pile sizes of the towels at several temperatures. The results from the TGA/DSC experiments support the conclusions by Beyler et al. (Fire and Materials 2005; 30:223,240) that the cerium(IV) nitrate treatment of towels significantly enhances the ignitability of the towels but that self-heating is not a hazard for normal temperature storage scenarios other than bulk storage. It was found that the kinetic reaction data measured by TGA and DSC are only useful for predicting the specific reaction hazard for materials stored above 100°C. A comparison of the self-heating parameters measured by oven and kinetic reaction data methods for a number of materials suggests that the kinetic reaction data overestimate the critical pile size at temperatures below 100°C. In addition, it was found that the kinetic reaction data measured by TGA can be used to determine the relative self-heating hazards for modified materials. TGA testing with towels saturated with a 0.5 N solution of cerium(IV) nitrate (Ce(NO3)4) in a 2.0 N solution of nitric acid, a 2.0 N solution of sodium nitrate in 2.0 N nitric acid and simple 2.0 N nitric acid, showed that the sodium nitrate and nitric acid treated samples reacted at the same temperatures as the untreated towels, while cerium(IV) nitrate markedly reduced the reaction temperature. These tests clearly point to the importance of the cerium(IV) ion as an oxidizing agent. Thus, the TGA testing provided in a matter of days, insights that would have required months of oven testing. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Adequacy of Household Survey Data for Evaluating the Nongroup Health Insurance MarketHEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 4 2007Joel C. Cantor Objective. To evaluate the accuracy of household survey estimates of the size and composition of the nonelderly population covered by nongroup health insurance. Data Sources/Study Setting. Health insurance enrollment statistics reported to New Jersey insurance regulators. Household data from the following sources: the 2002 Current Population Survey (CPS)-March Demographic Supplement, the 1997 and 1999 National Surveys of America's Families (NSAF), the 2001 New Jersey Family Health Survey (NJFHS), a 2002 survey of known nongroup health insurance enrollees, a small 2004 survey testing alternative health insurance question wording. Study Design. To assess the extent of bias in estimates of the size of the nongroup health insurance market in New Jersey, enrollment trends are compared between official enrollment statistics reported by insurance carriers to state insurance regulators with estimates from three general population household surveys. Next, to evaluate possible bias in the demographic and socioeconomic composition of the New Jersey nongroup market, distributions of characteristics of the enrolled population are contrasted among general household surveys and a survey of known nongroup subscribers. Finally, based on inferences drawn from these comparisons, alternative health insurance question wording was developed and tested in a local survey to test the potential for misreporting enrollment in nongroup coverage in a low-income population. Data Collection/Extraction Methods. Data for nonelderly New Jersey residents from the 2002 CPS (n=5,028) and the 1997 and 1999 NSAF (n=6,467 and 7,272, respectively) were obtained from public sources. The 2001 NJFHS (n=5,580 nonelderly) was conducted for a sample drawn by random digit dialing and employed computer-assisted telephone interviews and trained, professional interviewers. Sampling weights are used to adjust for under-coverage of households without telephones and other factors. In addition, a modified version of the NJFHS was administered to a 2002 sample of known nongroup subscribers (n=1,398) using the same field methods. These lists were provided by four of the five largest New Jersey nongroup insurance carriers, which represented 95 percent of all nongroup enrollees in the state. Finally, a modified version of the NJFHS questionnaire was fielded using similar methods as part of a local health survey in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 2004 (n=1,460 nonelderly). Principal Findings. General household sample surveys, including the widely used CPS, yield substantially higher estimates of nongroup enrollment compared with administrative totals and yield estimates of the characteristics of the nongroup population that vary greatly from a survey of known nongroup subscribers. A small survey testing a question about source of payment for direct-purchased coverage suggests than many public coverage enrollees report nongroup coverage. Conclusions. Nongroup health insurance has been subject to more than a decade of reform and is of continuing policy interest. Comparisons of unique data from a survey of known nongroup subscribers and administrative sources to household surveys strongly suggest that the latter overstates the number and misrepresent the composition of the nongroup population. Research on the nongroup market using available sources should be interpreted cautiously and survey methods should be reexamined. [source] Evaluation of an automated screening assay for von Willebrand Disease Type 2NINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LABORATORY HEMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2002S. L. Taylor Summary Evaluating the factor VIII (FVIII) binding activity of von Willebrand factor (VWF) is an important step in the diagnostic work-up of families affected by apparent mild haemophilia A. In von Willebrand's disease (VWD) type 2N (Normandy), mutations at the N-terminal end of the mature VWF subunit gene prevent the binding of FVIII. Individuals heterozygous for type 2N VWD are generally asymptomatic. Homozygotes and compound heterozygotes present with a clinical picture which mimics haemophilia A, with a markedly reduced FVIII : C activity and VWF within the normal range, but instead of exhibiting X-linked inheritance they show an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. The distinction between haemophilia A and VWD type 2N has important implications for therapy and genetic counselling. We present a highly specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay screening method for the Normandy variant, which measures VWF : FVIII binding activity in parallel with VWF antigen, using monoclonal capture and detection antibodies. The assay is fully automated using a robotic microtitre plate processor, requiring minimal user intervention and providing the capacity to screen large numbers of patients. [source] The School Health Portfolio System: A New Tool for Planning and Evaluating Coordinated School Health ProgramsJOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, Issue 9 2004Robert M. Weiler ABSTRACT: The School Health Portfolio System (SHPS), developed originally to evaluate the Florida Coordinated School Health Program Pilot Schools Project, offers a new and innovative system for planning and evaluating a coordinated school health program at the individual school level. The SHPS provides practitioners a detailed but easy-to-use system that enables schools to create new programs or modify existing programs across all eight components of the CSHP model, as well as administrative support critical to sustainability. The System comes packaged as a self-contained, notebook-style manual divided into 15 sections. It includes electronic templates of key documents to guide school teams in creating a customized portfolio, and a list of sample goals and artifacts that confirm achievement of a goal related to the school's coordinated school health program. An evaluation rubric provides a structured method to assess a program portfolio's contents, and the extent to which the contents document achievement of program goals. The rubric produces both a qualitative assessment, such as a narrative summary of program strengths and areas for improvement, and a quantitative assessment, such as a numerical score (0,100), letter grade (A-F), or 5-star system (* - *****). The physical structure, function, and scoring of the rubric depend on the method of assessment. The SHPS enables schools to set goals based on individual school needs, and incorporate CSHP goals into school improvement plans - a critical factor in sustainability and accountability. The System also offers teams the option of coordinating their efforts with CDC's School Health Index as a companion assessment measure. This article outlines the process a team would follow in developing a portfolio, and includes a sample assessment for the area of School Health Education. (J Sch Health. 2004;74(9):359,364) [source] Small Retailer and Service Company Accuracy in Evaluating the Legality of Specified PracticesJOURNAL OF SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2001Robin T. Peterson This study examined the degree to which small retail and service company managers were familiar with important federal laws. Further, it assessed differences between these two types of firms in managerial cognizance of the regulations. The findings revealed reasonable knowledge of the federal restrictions, accompanied by some important inaccuracies. Generally, small retail managers were found to be more knowledgeable than small service company managers. [source] Evaluating and Applying Clinical Practice GuidelinesJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS, Issue 1 2001APRN-C, Mary Jo Goolsby EdD Clinical practice guidelines (CPG) hold great potential for providing a summary of large volumes of clinical evidence and a related set of practical recommendations. Nurse practitioners should become aware of the range of available CPGs and methods by which they can be evaluated for use. Appropriate evaluation of CPGs should include their overall reliability and validity, as well as their applicability in specific situations. This article provides an overview of an appropriate evaluation method and serves as an introduction to future columns presenting individual CPGs. [source] A Practical Approach to Evaluating and Improving Juvenile Justice ProgramsJUVENILE AND FAMILY COURT JOURNAL, Issue 1 2004JAMES C. HOWELL ABSTRACT For more than a decade, the juvenile justice field in the United States has been dominated by the seventh "moral panic" over juvenile delinquency. This panic led to an overreaction to juvenile delinquency by legislators and juvenile justice officials. The main consequence is a "crisis of overload" in many state and local juvenile justice systems across the country. Tools are available to help juvenile courts effectively manage the overload of court clients. Most important, a new method has been developed for evaluating existing programs against research-based standards that have been synthesized from juvenile justice program evaluations. This tool enables states and localities to take a practical approach to improving juvenile justice system programs. [source] Evaluating, Comparing and Combining Density Forecasts Using the KLIC with an Application to the Bank of England and NIESR ,Fan' Charts of Inflation,OXFORD BULLETIN OF ECONOMICS & STATISTICS, Issue 2005James Mitchell Abstract This paper proposes and analyses the Kullback,Leibler information criterion (KLIC) as a unified statistical tool to evaluate, compare and combine density forecasts. Use of the KLIC is particularly attractive, as well as operationally convenient, given its equivalence with the widely used Berkowitz likelihood ratio test for the evaluation of individual density forecasts that exploits the probability integral transforms. Parallels with the comparison and combination of point forecasts are made. This and related Monte Carlo experiments help draw out properties of combined density forecasts. We illustrate the uses of the KLIC in an application to two widely used published density forecasts for UK inflation, namely the Bank of England and NIESR ,fan' charts. [source] Development of a Competitive Quantitative PCR Strategy for Evaluating the Expression Stability of 18s rRNA during In Vitro Maturation of Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Follicular OocytesREPRODUCTION IN DOMESTIC ANIMALS, Issue 2 2007APS Aswal Contents The present work describes the development of a quantitative competitive PCR strategy for quantifying the relative abundance of 18s rRNA transcripts in buffalo oocytes during in vitro maturation (IVM). As a method, the competitive PCR overcomes some of the shortcomings of conventional reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) procedure making it a more authentic quantitative method. A composite primer based approach was used to generate the competitor cDNA to be used as external control. Validity of the method for its efficiency was demonstrated by quantitative analysis of the competition parameters. Using this method the relative abundance of buffalo oocyte 18s rRNA transcript over the period of IVM was found to vary within a narrow range of 0.93,1.06 folds which establishes the accuracy of the method and reflects the stability of its expression during IVM. This qualifies the use of this house keeping gene as a valid internal control in studies investigating the gene expression pattern in buffalo oocytes. The competitive PCR approach described in this study could be used for quantification of other transcripts from a limited number of oocytes where a conventional RT-PCR method is either difficult to use or multiplexing it with highly abundant house keeping genes is apparently problematic. [source] Sexual Function and Obstructive Sleep Apnea,Hypopnea: A Randomized Clinical Trial Evaluating the Effects of Oral-Appliance and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure TherapyTHE JOURNAL OF SEXUAL MEDICINE, Issue 4ii 2007Aarnoud Hoekema DMD ABSTRACT Introduction., The obstructive sleep apnea,hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is associated with sexual dysfunction. Although successful treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has been demonstrated to improve sexual function, the effects of oral-appliance therapy are unknown. Aim., The aims of this study were to determine to what extent untreated male OSAHS patients experience sexual dysfunctions compared with control subjects, and second, to evaluate the effects of oral-appliance and CPAP therapy on sexual functioning. Methods., Sexual functioning was determined in 48 OSAHS patients with the Golombok Rust inventory of sexual satisfaction (GRISS) and a testosterone measurement. GRISS outcomes were compared with 48 age-matched male controls without any sexual problems. Patients were randomized for either oral-appliance or CPAP therapy. After 2,3 months of treatment, the GRISS and testosterone measurements were repeated. Main Outcome Measure., The outcomes on the GRISS were used as the main outcome measure. Results., Compared with controls, OSAHS patients had significantly more erectile dysfunction (mean ± standard deviation; OSAHS 8.7 ± 3.8 vs. controls 6.8 ± 2.6) and sexual dissatisfaction (mean ± standard deviation; OSAHS 9.7 ± 4.2 vs. controls 8.1 ± 2.6) as indicated by the GRISS. No significant changes in the GRISS or testosterone levels were observed in the 20 and 27 patients completing the follow-up review for oral-appliance and CPAP therapy. A correlation was demonstrated between the extent of erectile dysfunction at baseline and improvements in erectile function following treatment (r = ,0.547, P = 0.000). Conclusions., This study confirms that male OSAHS patients show more sexual dysfunctions compared with age-matched control subjects. Although significant improvements in sexual functioning in neither the oral-appliance nor CPAP-treated group could be established, our findings suggest that untreated OSAHS patients with pronounced erectile dysfunction experience some improvement following treatment. Hoekema A, Stel A-L, Stegenga B, van der Hoeven JH, Wijkstra PJ, van Driel MF, and de Bont LGM. Sexual function and obstructive sleep apnea,hypopnea: A randomized clinical trial evaluating the effects of oral-appliance and continuous positive airway pressure therapy. J Sex Med 2007;4:1153,1162. [source] Evaluating Living Kidney Donors: Relationship Types, Psychosocial Criteria, and Consent Processes at US Transplant ProgramsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 10 2007J. R. Rodrigue We conducted a survey of 132 US kidney transplant programs to examine how they evaluate and select potential living kidney donors, focusing on donor-recipient relationships, psychosocial criteria, and consent processes. There is heterogeneity in donor-recipient relationships that are considered acceptable, although most programs (70%) will not consider publicly solicited donors. Most programs (75%) require a psychosocial evaluation for all potential living donors. Most programs agree that knowledge of financial reward (90%), active substance abuse (86%), and active mental health problems (76%) are absolute contraindications to donation. However, there is greater variability in how other psychosocial issues are considered in the selection process. Consent processes are highly variable across programs: donor and recipient consent for the donor evaluation is presumed in 57% and 76% of programs, respectively. The use of 13 different informed consent elements varied from 65% (alternative donation procedures) to 86% (description of evaluation, surgery and recuperative period) of programs. Forty-three percent use a ,cooling off' period. Findings demonstrate high variability in current practice regarding acceptable donor-recipient relationships, psychosocial criteria, and consent processes. Whether greater consensus should be reached on these donor evaluation practices, especially in the context of more expansive use of living donor kidney transplantation, is discussed. [source] Green Footstep: A Tool for Evaluating a Building's Life-Cycle Carbon Footprint and Informing Carbon Decisions During the Building Design ProcessARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, Issue 3 2010Michael Bendewald Abstract The Green Footstep model provides a valuable set of metrics for ecodesign and masterplanning. Here Michael Bendewald and Victor Olgyay of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), with Ken Yeang, describe the significance of this new online tool. In addition to supplying the basis for balancing the built environment's engineering systems, the Green Footstep enables efficiency with the use of renewable energy systems, such as photovoltaics (illustrated here). By presenting the critical case for increasing the percentage of new vegetation and trees in new developments, it enhances local biodiversity. Carbon emissions are offset from: on-site clearance of vegetation, the disturbance of the many constituents of the local ecosystem and the removal of organic rich soil by new construction. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Evaluating combined land conservation benefits from perennial pasture: lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) for management of dryland salinity and herbicide resistance in Western Australia,AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL & RESOURCE ECONOMICS, Issue 2 2009Graeme J. Doole The inclusion of perennial pasture phases in cropping rotations has been widely promoted throughout Australia for reducing the incidence of dryland salinity. To a lesser extent, they have also been promoted to enhance the management of herbicide-resistant weeds. No previous economic analysis of perennial pasture has considered both of these benefits. This study combines a dynamic linear programming model to estimate the magnitude of salinity-related benefits and a complex simulation model to assess the economics of herbicide-resistance management. We present a case study of the perennial pasture lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) in the Wheatbelt of Western Australia, where the weed annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum Gaudin) is resistant to multiple herbicide groups. Sequences incorporating lucerne are the most profitable land use at the standard set of parameter values if (i) annual ryegrass is resistant to all selective herbicides, (ii) the water table is so shallow (approximately < 3.5 m deep) that frequent rotation with perennials is required to avert soil salinisation, (iii) sheep production is highly profitable, or (iv) there is a combination of less extreme cases. The value of perennial pasture is sufficient under these circumstances to overcome its high establishment cost and the displacement of multiple years of crop. Consideration of dryland salinity and herbicide resistance are about equally important in evaluating the economics of lucerne; neither should be neglected. [source] Emerging trends in the treatment of rapid cycling bipolar disorder: a selected reviewBIPOLAR DISORDERS, Issue 4 2000Robert M Post Recent evidence suggests that lithium therapy (even as supplemented by antidepressants and neuroleptics) is inadequate for the majority of patients with bipolar illness, and particularly those with rapid cycling. Valproate and carbamazepine have emerged as adjuncts and alternatives, but they, too, often require additional approaches with lithium, thyroid hormones, and other putative mood stabilizers, including nimodipine (and related dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers), lamotrigine, gabapentin, topiramate, and the atypical neuroleptics. Evaluating how these agents and the unimodal antidepressants are optimally applied and sequenced in the treatment of bipolar illness with its multiple subtypes, patterns and comorbidities will require much future investigation and the development of new methodological clinical trial approaches. [source] Evaluating and grading cystographic leakage: correlation with clinical outcomes in patients undergoing robotic prostatectomyBJU INTERNATIONAL, Issue 8 2009Nilesh Patil OBJECTIVE To classify cystographically detected urinary leaks in patients undergoing computer-assisted (robotic) radical prostatectomy (RP) and to evaluate its effect on postoperative outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between October 2001 and October 2007, 3327 patients had a RP using a technique described previously. The data were entered prospectively into an approved database. Before catheter removal, all patients had a gravity cystogram taken 7 days after RP. All patients who had a detectable urinary leak on cystography were stratified into three groups by two independent radiologists using a previously described grading system. Patients were evaluated with a validated International Prostate Symptom Score at 3-, 6-, 9- and 12-month intervals after RP. The continence status was determined based on a patient-reported questionnaire. Medical records in these patients were reviewed for the presence of complications requiring secondary interventions. RESULTS In all, 287 patients (8.6%) had a detectable leak on cystography, of which 179 (62.4%), 84 (29.3%) and 24 (8.4%) were grades I, II and III, respectively. Of the patients with a detectable leak 70% were continent within 3 months and 94% had no involuntary urinary leakage at 1 year. Eight of 287 (2.8%) patients required a secondary intervention to correct bladder neck contracture. All eight of these patients had a grade II or III leak on cystography. CONCLUSION The presence of a urinary leak might delay the time to continence, but has no adverse effect on long-term urinary control. Quantifying the gradation of leakage according to the described classification might provide the clinician with prognostic information about patients at risk for future interventions. [source] Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection of the Brain: Pitfalls in Evaluating Infected/Affected Cell PopulationsBRAIN PATHOLOGY, Issue 1 2004Stephanie J. Bissel Monocyte/macrophages and CD4 T-cells are the primary hematopoietic targets of productive HIV infection. In the brain, potential cellular targets for HIV infection include perivascular and parenchymal macrophages/microglia, oligodendrocytes, endothelia, neurons, and astrocytes. We examine evidence of productive and non-productive infection for each cell type in the brains of HIV-infected patients with and without HIV encephalitis. Despite the voluminous literature and substantial experimental effort over the past two decades, evidence for productive infection of any brain cell other than macrophages is left wanting. [source] A Double-blind Randomized Clinical Trial Evaluating the Analgesic Efficacy of Ketorolac versus Butorphanol for Patients with Suspected Biliary Colic in the Emergency DepartmentACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 8 2008Jon C. Olsen MD Abstract Objectives:, Patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with suspected biliary colic often require intravenous (IV) analgesia. The choice of IV analgesia typically includes opioids and ketorolac. Although ultrasound (US) is the initial diagnostic study in these patients, nondiagnostic scans and a high clinical suspicion may require the patient to undergo hepatobiliary scintigraphy (HIDA). Opioids such as morphine interfere with the HIDA scan and thus may limit its value as an analgesic in the ED for these patients. Analgesics that do not interfere with HIDA scanning include ketorolac and butorphanol, an opioid agonist,antagonist. This study evaluates the efficacy of IV ketorolac compared to butorphanol for the treatment of biliary colic pain in the ED. Methods:, Between June 2005 and February 2007, a convenience sample of patients presenting to the ED with abdominal pain suspected to be biliary colic were randomized to receive either 30 mg of IV ketorolac or 1 mg of IV butorphanol. Pain level was assessed using a 1 to 10 "faces" visual analog pain scale initially, as well as 15 and 30 minutes after medication infusion. Side effect profiles and the need for rescue analgesia were also assessed. Patients and clinicians were blinded to the study drug given. Results:, Forty-six patients were enrolled in the study. Both groups had similar demographics and baseline pain scores. The mean (±standard deviation [SD]) pain score in the butorphanol group decreased from 7.1 (±1.7) to 2.1 (±2.2) after 30 minutes. The mean (±SD) pain score in the ketorolac group decreased from 7.4 (±2.0) to 3.1 (±3.3) after 30 minutes. Both groups had similar needs for rescue analgesia. Side effects included dizziness and sedation with butorphanol and nausea with ketorolac. Conclusions:, Although limited by small sample size and convenience sample, this study demonstrates that both ketorolac and butorphanol provide pain relief in biliary colic. Both agents should be considered reasonable options in the ED treatment of biliary colic, especially in patients that may undergo HIDA. [source] The good, the bad and the wiki: Evaluating student-generated content for collaborative learningBRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, Issue 6 2008Steve Wheeler This paper explores the potential for wiki-type open architecture software to promote and support collaborative learning through the use of student-created content. It delineates some of the affordances and constraints of wiki software as an open architecture that has the potential to facilitate collaborative learning through community-focused enquiry. It seeks to promote debate in this key area of development, and highlights some recent key contributions to the developing discourse on social software in what has been termed ,the architecture of participation'. [source] Increasing the pool of academically oriented African-American medical and surgical oncologists,,§CANCER, Issue S1 2003Lisa A. Newman M.D., M.P.H. Abstract BACKGROUND In the United States, breast cancer mortality rates are significantly higher among African-American women than among women of other ethnic backgrounds. Research efforts to evaluate the socioeconomic, environmental, biologic, and genetic mechanisms explaining this disparity are needed. METHODS Data regarding patterns in the ethnic distribution of physicians and oncologists were accumulated from a review of the literature and by contacting cancer-oriented professional societies. This information was evaluated by participants in a national meeting, "Summit Meeting Evaluating Research on Breast Cancer in African American Women." Results of the data collection and the conference discussion are summarized. RESULTS Ethnic minority specialists are underrepresented in academic medicine in general, and in the field of oncology in particular. This fact is unfortunate because ethnic minority students are more likely to express a commitment to providing care to medically underserved communities and, thus, they need to be better represented in these professions. Correcting these patterns of underrepresentation may favorably influence the design and implementation of culturally and ethnically sensitive research. CONCLUSIONS Efforts to improve the ethnic diversity of oncology specialists should begin at the level of recruiting an ethnically diverse premed and medical student population. These recruitment efforts should place an emphasis on the value of mentoring. Cancer 2003;97(1 Suppl):329,34. Published 2003 by the American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.11027 [source] Glycaemic variability and complications in patients with diabetes mellitus: evidence from a systematic review of the literatureDIABETES OBESITY & METABOLISM, Issue 4 2010L. Nalysnyk Aim: The objective of this review was to assess the published evidence for an association between glycaemic variability and the development of chronic micro- and macrovascular complications in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: A systematic review of English-language literature published from January 1990 through November 2008 was performed. Interventional and observational studies in patients with type 1 or type 2 DM reporting a measure of glycaemic variability and its impact on the development or progression of micro- and macrovascular diabetic complications were assessed. Results: A total of 18 studies ,8 on type 1 DM and 10 on type 2 DM patients,meeting the inclusion criteria were identified. Studies in patients with type 1 DM revealed that glucose variability has little impact on the development of diabetic complications. Only in two of the eight type 1 DM studies did glucose variability have a significant association with microvascular complications, but not with macrovascular complications. Among type 2 DM studies, a significant positive association between glucose variability and the development or progression of diabetic retinopathy, cardiovascular events and mortality was reported in 9 of 10 studies. Only one type 2 DM study reported no association between glucose variability and progression of retinopathy. Conclusions: Based on this overview of the available evidence, there appears to be a signal suggesting that glucose variability, characterized by extreme glucose excursions, could be a predictor of diabetic complications, independent of HbA1c levels, in patients with type 2 DM. Better daily control of blood glucose excursions, especially in the postprandial period, may reduce the risk of these complications. Future prospective trials evaluating and comparing the effect of the control of glycaemic variability on the development of diabetic micro- and macrovascular complications are needed to further strengthen the evidence base. [source] Developmental dyslexia and explicit long-term memoryDYSLEXIA, Issue 3 2010Deny Menghini Abstract The reduced verbal long-term memory capacities often reported in dyslexics are generally interpreted as a consequence of their deficit in phonological coding. The present study was aimed at evaluating whether the learning deficit exhibited by dyslexics was restricted only to the verbal component of the long-term memory abilities or also involved visual-object and visual-spatial domain. A further goal of the present study was to investigate the predictive value of non-verbal long-term memory abilities with respect to word and non-word reading in dyslexic children. In accordance with these aims, performances of 60 dyslexic children were compared with that of 65 age-matched normal readers on verbal, visual-spatial and visual-object task. Results documented a generalized impairment of episodic long-term memory capacities in dyslexic children and the results did not vary as a function of children's age. Furthermore, in addition to verbal measures, also individual differences in non-verbal long-term memory tasks turn out to be good predictors of reading difficulties in dyslexics. Our findings indicate that the long-term memory deficit in dyslexia is not limited to the dysfunction of phonological components but also involves visual-object and visual-spatial aspect, thus suggesting that dyslexia is associated to multiple cognitive deficits. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [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] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||