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Important Measure (important + measure)
Selected AbstractsFrequency domain modal analysis of earthquake input energy to highly damped passive control structuresEARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 5 2004Izuru Takewaki Abstract A new complex modal analysis-based method is developed in the frequency domain for efficient computation of the earthquake input energy to a highly damped linear elastic passive control structure. The input energy to the structure during an earthquake is an important measure of seismic demand. Because of generality and applicability to non-linear structures, the earthquake input energy has usually been computed in the time domain. It is shown here that the formulation of the earthquake input energy in the frequency domain is essential for deriving a bound on the earthquake input energy for a class of ground motions and for understanding the robustness of passively controlled structures to disturbances with various frequency contents. From the viewpoint of computational efficiency, a modal analysis-based method is developed. The importance of overdamped modes in the energy computation of specific non-proportionally damped models is demonstrated by comparing the energy transfer functions and the displacement transfer functions. Through numerical examinations for four recorded ground motions, it is shown that the modal analysis-based method in the frequency domain is very efficient in the computation of the earthquake input energy. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Signal modelization for improved precision of assessment of minimum and mean telomere lengthsELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 2 2008Elodie Ponsot Dr. Abstract Telomere length is an important measure of cell and tissue regenerative capacities. The mean telomere length is classically used as global indicator of a tissue telomere length. In skeletal muscle, which is made of postmitotic myonuclei and satellite cells (muscle stem cells), minimum telomere length is also used to assess the telomere length of satellite cells and newly incorporated myonuclei. At present, the estimation of the method reproducibility during the assessment of mean and minimum telomere length using Southern blot analysis has never been documented. The aim of this report is to describe a signal modelization for improved precision of assessment of minimum and mean telomere lengths and to document the method reproducibility. Telomeres are assessed using a Southern technique where the gel is directly hybridized with the specific probe without the membrane-transferring step in order to prevent telomeric low signal loss. We found that the improved signal analysis for determination of telomere length is associated with coefficients of variation ranging from 1.37 to 4.29% for the mean telomeric restriction fragment (TRF) length and from 2.04 to 4.95% for the minimum TRF length. Improved method reproducibility would allow saving time and biological material as duplicate and triplicate measurement of the same sample is no longer required. [source] Fluctuating Asymmetry of Responders Affects Offers in the Ultimatum Game Oppositely According to Attractiveness or Need as Perceived by ProposersETHOLOGY, Issue 7 2009Darine Zaatari The Ultimatum Game (UG) measures cooperative tendencies in humans. A proposer offers to split a given sum of money between self and a responder, who may accept or reject the offer. If accepted, each receives the proposed split; if rejected, nobody receives anything. We studied the effect of the putative responder's degree of facial symmetry (fluctuating asymmetry, FA) on the offer he/she received in opposite-sexed UGs. Symmetry is an important measure of biological quality so subjects were expected to receive higher offers when symmetrical than asymmetrical. In a sample of Jamaicans, individuals played two UGs with opposite-sexed responders, a symmetrical photo of a Lebanese and an asymmetrical one. Individuals do indeed give more to symmetrical responders (p = 0.032). When subjects are asked their motivation, a striking dichotomy emerges: those who cite ,attractiveness' as a motive, give strongly to symmetrical responders while those citing ,need' invariably give more to asymmetrical ones (p < 0.0001). Females also show a nearly significant tendency to cite need as a motive more often than do males. [source] Total Factor Productivity and Monetary Policy: Evidence from Conditional Volatility,INTERNATIONAL FINANCE, Issue 2 2007Nicholas Apergis This paper empirically assesses whether monetary policy and its volatility affect real economic activity through their effect on the aggregate supply side of the macroeconomy. Analysts typically argue that monetary policy either does not affect the real economy (the classical dichotomy) or only affects the real economy in the short run through aggregate demand (new Keynesian or new classical theories). Real business cycle theorists try to explain the business cycle with supply-side productivity shocks. We provide some preliminary evidence about how monetary policy and its volatility affect the aggregate supply side of the macroeconomy through their effect on total factor productivity and its volatility. Total factor productivity provides an important measure of supply-side performance. The results show that monetary policy and its volatility exert a positive and statistically significant effect on the supply side of the macroeconomy. Moreover, the findings buttress the importance of reducing short-run swings in monetary policy variables as well as support the adoption of an optimal money supply rule. Our results also prove consistent with the effective role of monetary policy during the so-called ,Great Moderation' in US gross domestic product volatility beginning in the early 1980s. [source] Investigation of risk factors for tonsillopharyngitis with macrolide resistant Streptococcus pyogenes in Turkish childrenPEDIATRICS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 6 2002Abstract Background: Streptococcus pyogenes is the most important causative agent of tonsillopharyngitis. Although penicillin is the drug of choice in streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis, macrolides are recommended drugs in patients who have an allergy to penicillin. However, resistance to macrolides is an important problem in some regions of the world. Risk factors for resistance development have not been investigated sufficiently. Objectives: To investigate the risk factors for the development of tonsillopharyngitis with macrolide resistant S. pyogenes. Methods: Three hundred and forty-five children with tonsillopharyngitis caused by S. pyogenes were investigated for various risk factors. Streptococcus pyogenes isolated from children's throat culture were examined for erythromycin, clarithromycin and azithromycin susceptibility. Results: Two hundred and sixty-three children were found eligible for the analysis of risk factors. Resistances to erythromycin, clarithromycin and azithromycin were detected as 3.8, 4.2 and 4.2%, respectively. Macrolide use of the family members in the last 3 months (odds ratio = 7.04, P = 0.005) has been determined to be a risk factor for the development of tonsillopharyngitis with macrolide resistant S. pyogenes. Conclusion: Restriction of macrolide antibiotic use appears to be the most important measure to prevent the development of tonsillopharyngitis with resistant S. pyogenes. [source] Design of electronic systems based on functional capabilityQUALITY AND RELIABILITY ENGINEERING INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2008James M. Gilbert Abstract An important measure of design quality is the extent to which a circuit design is able to meets its specification in the presence of component parameter variations. Of equal importance is knowing how to improve this capability most effectively. This paper presents an analysis technique and visualization method which give the designer information about design quality and possible routes to improved quality. The paper introduces two new measures of functional capability, based on the process capability measure Cpk, and shows how these may be linked to the statistical variations in individual component parameters. It then shows how this information may be used to assess the effectiveness of altering the nominal value and variability in each of the component parameters in order to improve circuit performance capability. The analysis required is straightforward and the information is presented in a clear manner which can readily be interpreted by the designer. The effectiveness of the technique has been evaluated through analysis of a number of printed circuit board level analogue and mixed signal circuits and the results of a case study are shown. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Wealth Distributions of Migrant and Australian-born Households,THE ECONOMIC RECORD, Issue 268 2009DENISE DOIRON Wealth is an important measure of overall economic well-being and a crucial factor in migrants' ability to integrate into their new country. Using data from the 2002 HILDA survey, this study explores the disparity between the wealth distributions of native-born and foreign-born households in Australia. Using quantile regressions the results reveal that migrants have significantly less wealth than their Australian-born counterparts throughout the wealth distribution. This is despite the greater wealth-generating characteristics of the foreign-born. The wealth differentials are reduced but still negative for the migrant cohorts who have been in Australia for over 25 years. [source] Company Competencies as a Network: The Role of Product DevelopmentTHE JOURNAL OF PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2000Hanne Harmsen Product development managers and academics like to assure themselves and each other that new product development is one of the most critical areas of company competence and contributes positively to company success. But does top management agree? Because if they do not, the consequences will heavily influence the resource allocation to product development and career possibilities of new product developments manager. This study examines how top managers view the importance of product development relative to other central competence areas. Although asking managers about their perception is one way of evaluating the importance, its contribution to company success is another important measure. In this study, the impact of product development, relative to other important competence areas, is measured to assess further how critical product development is for overall company success. The authors investigate these matters in a survey of top managers in 513 Danish production companies. Ten areas important for achieving company objectives are identified. These are product development, market intelligence, production management, strategy and vision, sales, market responsiveness, promotion, internal co-operation, image, and supply management. Product development is rated a fairly important competence as it ranks number four, with sales, market responsiveness, and production management ranking numbers one to three. Yet a distressing negative impact on overall company success is found for product development proficiency, whereas success is positively related to production management, image, and differentiation of products. Further analysis reveals that product development contributes positively to success by enabling product differentiation and enhancing promotion proficiency. Influenced by and influencing many other competencies, product development is found to be a central competence. Results support a nonfunctional and broad perspective of how bundles of competences interact and impact on success and establish a positive overall contribution to product development. [source] Comparison of steady system availability with imperfect repairAPPLIED STOCHASTIC MODELS IN BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY, Issue 1 2004Ji Hwan Cha Abstract Availability is a very important measure of performance for a repairable system which can be in one of two states: operational and non-operational. In this paper we compare steady system availabilities of two different systems which are subject to imperfect repair policy. Comparisons of the measure are made based on failure rate orderings, usual stochastic orderings, repair policy orderings and classifications of life distributions. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Knowledge, use and attitudes towards emergency contraceptive pills among swedish women presenting for induced abortionBJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 2 2002Gunilla Aneblom Objective To investigate the knowledge, experiences and attitudes towards emergency contraceptive pills (ECP) among women presenting for induced abortion. Design Survey by self-administered waiting room questionnaires. Setting Three large hospitals in the cities of Uppsala, Västerås and Örebro in Sweden. Population 591 Swedish-speaking women consecutively attending the clinics for an induced abortion during a four-month period in 2000. Results The response rate was 88% (n= 518). As many as 43% had a history of one or more previous abortions and 43% were daily smokers. Four out of five women, 83%, were aware of ECP, but only 15 women used it to prevent this pregnancy. Fewer, 38%, knew the recommended timeframes for use and 54% had knowledge of the mode of action. The two most common sources of information about ECP were media and friends. One out of five, 22%, had previously used the method, and at the time of conception, 55% would have taken ECP if it had been available at home, and 52% were positive to having ECP available over the counter. Conclusions Emergency contraception is well known but is still underused. Lack of awareness of pregnancy risk may be one limiting factor for its use. Making ECP available over the counter may be an important measure towards better availability. Information strategies to the public are needed before ECP will be a widely used back-up method. [source] 13 Knowledge Translation ShiftACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 2008Rawle Seupaul Health care providers have demonstrated difficulty in adopting the latest information into their clinical practice patterns. This gap in "Knowledge Translation" (KT) is currently under broad discussion within the medical community and was the focus of SAEM's Consensus Conference in 2007. In an effort to bridge this gap, we implemented a novel "KT shift" for our PGY-2 residents. PGY-2 emergency medicine (EM) residents are required to work a nine hour KT shift during their scheduled EM rotation at one of two large urban training emergency departments (EDs). This shift has reduced patient responsibilities to allow for the development of clinical queries that are answered by searching for the best evidence to be applied to patient care. This process is summarized on a "KT Shift Log" that records the PICO question, databases searched, and level of evidence found to answer clinical questions. KT shift log sheets and search strategies are reviewed by EM faculty with expertise in evidence-based medicine and KT principles. We believe that the implementation of a KT shift will improve residents' ability to obtain high quality evidence to answer real-time clinical questions. This may serve as an important measure in closing the knowledge to practice gap. [source] Evaluating high-performance computers,CONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 10 2005Jeffrey S. Vetter Abstract Comparisons of high-performance computers based on their peak floating point performance are common but seldom useful when comparing performance on real workloads. Factors that influence sustained performance extend beyond a system's floating-point units, and real applications exercise machines in complex and diverse ways. Even when it is possible to compare systems based on their performance, other considerations affect which machine is best for a given organization. These include the cost, the facilities requirements (power, floorspace, etc.), the programming model, the existing code base, and so on. This paper describes some of the important measures for evaluating high-performance computers. We present data for many of these metrics based on our experience at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and we compare them with published information on the Earth Simulator. We argue that evaluating systems involves far more than comparing benchmarks and acquisition costs. We show that evaluating systems often involves complex choices among a variety of factors that influence the value of a supercomputer to an organization, and that the high-end computing community should view cost/performance comparisons of different architectures with skepticism. Published in 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] REDUCING THE RISK OF PERISTOMAL INFECTION AFTER PEG PLACEMENTDIGESTIVE ENDOSCOPY, Issue 4 2005Iruru Maetani Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) was first described in 1980 as an effective means of enteral nutrition where oral intake is not possible. PEG placement is safe and has now replaced the nasogastric tube in patients who need long-term feeding. Although it is relatively safe with a very low associated mortality, minor complications, especially local and systemic infection, remain a problem. Of these, peristomal wound infections are the most common complication of PEG. In patients indicated for this procedure who are aged and/or frail, this complication may pose a critical problem. In the commonly used pull or push methods for PEG placement, the PEG tube is readily colonized by oropharyngeal bacteria. Infection of the PEG site is considered to be associated with contamination of the PEG catheter. There are important measures that should be taken to prevent peristomal infection. A number of rigorous studies have shown that prophylactic antibiotics are effective in reducing the risk of peristomal infection. As methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or other resistant organisms are emerging as a major pathogen in peristomal infection, however, currently recommended antibiotic prophylaxis regimens might be inappropriate. Alternative regimens and other approaches to prevent contamination of the PEG tube during the procedure are required. [source] A tutorial on using genetic algorithms for the design of network topologyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NETWORK MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2006Bassam Al-Bassam The design of network topology is an important part of network design, since network topology is directly associated with network operational behavior, capacity, reliability, and cost. This paper is a tutorial paper concerned with illustrating how the optimization capabilities of genetic algorithms can be used to design suitable network topologies considering basic topology problems. Simple genetic algorithms have been developed for the topology problem of mesh networks, considering single node and single link failure tolerance. The algorithms are based on criteria of two important measures: minimizing the length of communication links; and minimizing traffic flow through these links for given traffic loads. The first measure contributes to minimizing the cost of cabling, while the second measure contributes to minimizing the cost of link capacity. The work provides a useful approach and tools to network students and professionals concerned with the topology design of backbone networks. The developed software is made available on the Internet.,Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Curriculum development: The venous thromboembolism quality improvement resource roomJOURNAL OF HOSPITAL MEDICINE, Issue 2 2006Sylvia McKean MD Abstract BACKGROUND The role of the hospitalist has evolved over the last decade, with hospitalists increasingly being asked to lead systems-based initiatives to improve the quality of inpatient care. The educational strategy of the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) includes development of practice-based resources to support hospitalist-led improvement in clinically important measures of hospital care quality. OBJECTIVE To develop a resource at the SHM Web site to present quality improvement (QI) principles for systems-based care in the hospital and to help individual hospitalists improve specific patient outcomes. DESIGN The SHM defined the role of the hospitalist in QI, performed an assessment of the educational needs of hospitalists, and executed a Web-based educational strategy to address these needs. The organization identified the most common cause of preventable inpatient deaths, hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism (VTE), and prioritized the need to improve prophylaxis. RESULTS This new resource at the SHM Web site presents principles for conducting QI in the hospital. To enable learning that is practice based, the VTE Quality Improvement Resource Room (QI RR) features Ask the Expert, an interactive discussion community, and an original Improvement Workbook, a downloadable project outline and tutorial that hospitalists can use to guide and document steps in an effort aimed at reducing hospital-acquired VTE. CONCLUSIONS This QI resource serves as a template for the development of subsequent hospital-based resources. User feedback will refine the QI RR and its format so that similar offerings can target other significant inpatient problems. Additional research is needed to evaluate learning and the clinical impact of this quality improvement resource on hospital performance measures and patient outcomes. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2006;1:124,132. © 2006 Society of Hospital Medicine. [source] Fluoride Intake and Prevalence of Dental Fluorosis: Trends in Fluoride Intake with Special Attention to Infants: REVIEW & COMMENTARYJOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH DENTISTRY, Issue 3 2000Samuel J. Fomon MD ABSTRACT Background : Although the predominant beneficial effect of fluoride occurs locally in the mouth, the adverse effect, dental fluorosis, occurs by the systemic route. The caries attack rate in industrialized countries, including the United States and Canada, has decreased dramatically over the past 40 years. However, the prevalence of dental fluorosis in the United States has increased during the last 30 years both in communities with fluoridated water and in communities with nonfluoridated water. Dental fluorosis is closely associated with fluoride intake during the period of tooth development. Methods: We reviewed the major changes in infant feeding practices that have occurred since 1930 and the changes in fluoride intakes by infants and young children associated with changes in feeding practices. Results and Conclusions: Based on this review, we conclude that fluoride intakes of infants and children have shown a rather steady increase since 1930, are likely to continue to increase, and will be associated with further increase in the prevalence of enamel fluorosis unless intervention measures are instituted. Recommendations: We believe the most important measures that should be undertaken are (1) use, when feasible, of water low in fluoride for dilution of infant formulas; (2) adult supervision of toothbrushing by children younger than 5 years of age; and (3) changes in recommendations for administration of fluoride supplements so that such supplements are not given to infants and more stringent criteria are applied for administration to children. [source] Kernel estimation of quantile sensitivitiesNAVAL RESEARCH LOGISTICS: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 6 2009Guangwu Liu Abstract Quantiles, also known as value-at-risks in the financial industry, are important measures of random performances. Quantile sensitivities provide information on how changes in input parameters affect output quantiles. They are very useful in risk management. In this article, we study the estimation of quantile sensitivities using stochastic simulation. We propose a kernel estimator and prove that it is consistent and asymptotically normally distributed for outputs from both terminating and steady-state simulations. The theoretical analysis and numerical experiments both show that the kernel estimator is more efficient than the batching estimator of Hong 9. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 2009 [source] Social inequality in premature mortality among polish urban adults during economic transitionAMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2007Halina Ko, odziej Rates of premature mortality among adults are important measures of the economic and psychosocial well-being of human populations. In many countries, such rates are, as a rule, inversely related to the level of attained education. We examined changes in educational group-specific mortality rates among urban adults in Poland during the country's rapid transition in the 1990s from a socialist command economy to a free market system. Two census-based analyses of individual death records of urban dwellers aged 35,64 years were compared. We utilized all records of death, which occurred during the 2-year periods 1988,89 and 2001,02. Population denominators were taken from the censuses of 1988 and 2002. The age-specific mortality rates were used to evaluate absolute differences in mortality. To assess relative differences between educational levels, mortality rate ratios (MRRs) with 95% CI (confidence interval) were calculated using Poisson regression. A regular educational gradient in mortality persisted in each 10-year age group throughout the period covered by our data. Moreover, age-specific mortality rates declined steadily in all educational groups, and this decline was most marked in the two oldest age groups (45,54 and 55,64 years). The trend was accompanied by widening of educational differences in mortality as expressed by MRRs. Systemic political transformation in Poland has brought a mixture of beneficial and detrimental effects on the well-being of society. With regard to the changes in rates of premature mortality among adults, the benefits have prevailed, although individuals with the lowest educational level benefited less than those with the highest education. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Splitting the S&P 500 futuresTHE JOURNAL OF FUTURES MARKETS, Issue 12 2004Jianli Chen In this paper we investigate the consequences of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange's 1997 redesign of the S&P 500 futures contract. The focus is on two important measures of exchange efficacy: member proprietary income and outside customer volume. Floor traders did not appear to benefit in their proprietary trading from the redesign,revenue fell after the contract split and doubling of the minimum tick. On the other hand, looking at relative volumes, it appears that customer volume was relatively constant, showing little sensitivity to the increase in tick size, possibly due to an increased use of limit orders by customers, bypassing floor traders. Through this redesign the futures exchange was apparently interested in preserving customer volume in an increasingly competitive index trading environment, not enhancing member noncompetitive proprietary trading revenue. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 24:1147,1163, 2004 [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||