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Measures Available (measure + available)
Selected AbstractsHow to safely compost Cameraria ohridella -infested horse chestnut leaf litter on private compost heapsJOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 9-10 2004P. Kehrli Abstract:, The horse chestnut leafminer Cameraria ohridella (Lep., Gracillariidae) is a recently introduced invasive pest, which frequently defoliates horse chestnut trees Aesculus hippocastanum already in summer. Currently, the removal of leaf litter, in which pupae of C. ohridella hibernate, is the only effective short-term control measure available. In the past the deposition of pest-infested litter on private compost heaps was dissuaded because of the risk of leafminer emergence in the following spring. Thus, the aim of this study was to test safe ways to compost pest-infested horse chestnut leaf litter on small heaps so that private gardeners can save the costs for leaf disposal. The number of C. ohridella adults emerging from heaps covered with either soil or uninfested foliage was reduced by 96% compared with controls. Only single leafminers emerged from the top covered heaps and there was no difference between the use of soil or uninfested foliage as cover. However, cover did not prevent the emergence of a few leafminers over the sides of the heaps. Overall, we conclude that it is relatively safe to compost C. ohridella -infested A. hippocastanum leaf litter on small compost heaps provided they are properly covered. [source] Workplace performance: a comparison of subjective and objective measures in the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations SurveyINDUSTRIAL RELATIONS JOURNAL, Issue 2 2008John Forth ABSTRACT Understanding what determines workplace performance is important for a variety of reasons. In the first place, it can inform the debate about the UK's low productivity growth. It also enables researchers to determine the efficacy of different organisational practices, policies and payment systems. In this article, we examine not the determinants of performance but how it is measured. Specifically, we assess the alternative measures of productivity and profitability that are available in the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey (WERS). Previous WERS have been an important source of data in research into workplace performance. However, the subjective nature of the performance measures available in WERS prior to 2004 has attracted criticism. In the 2004 WERS, data were again collected on the subjective measure but, in addition, objective data on profitability and productivity were also collected. This allows a comparison to be made between the two types of measures. A number of validity tests are undertaken and the main conclusion is that subjective and objective measures of performance are weakly equivalent but that differences are also evident. Our findings suggest that it would be prudent to give most weight to results supported by both types of measure. [source] A Review of Outcome Measures in Early Childhood ProgramsJOURNAL OF POLICY AND PRACTICE IN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, Issue 4 2006Hasheem Mannan Abstract, The authors undertook a review of measures available for assessing outcomes of early childhood services for children with disabilities and their families. With principles of family-centered practice mandating the inclusion of both family and child outcome measures in effective evaluation plans, the review examined measures with established psychometric properties for (a) documenting the effectiveness of partnerships with families, and (b) documenting the effectiveness of services and supports for families. Constructs and their associated measures related to partnerships include satisfaction with the overall program and empowerment. The constructs for outcomes of supports and services include social support, parenting, and family quality of life. The authors reviewed measures for each of the five constructs. They note that the selection of appropriate measures to assess the outcomes of family support and services depends on the specific configuration of support services provided by the program and that each program may have to be explicit about the outcomes it wants to impact and therefore measure. [source] Validation of a new measure of protective footcare behaviour: the Nottingham Assessment of Functional Footcare (NAFF)PRACTICAL DIABETES INTERNATIONAL (INCORPORATING CARDIABETES), Issue 4 2007NB Lincoln PhD Abstract There are no measures available to document footcare practice among people with diabetes and yet such measures are needed as a surrogate marker in studies designed to determine the effectiveness of footcare education. We have therefore developed such a measure, the Nottingham Assessment of Functional Footcare (NAFF), and have assessed its reliability and validity. A pilot questionnaire was distributed to people with diabetes and healthy controls, before being revised and shortened. The revised version was assessed for internal consistency and reliability. The pilot 51-item questionnaire was determined in 100 out-patients with diabetes and 61 healthy controls. The internal consistency was 0.46 in people with diabetes and 0.39 in healthy volunteers. Twenty-eight items showed significant differences between those with and without diabetes. The internal consistency and test,retest reliability of a revised version were determined in people with diabetes. The measure was further refined to a 29-item version, which had an internal consistency of 0.53. There was a significant correlation (rs 0.83; p<0.001) and no significant difference (p = 0.85) between scores in the test,retest study. Respondents with neuropathy scored significantly higher than those without (p<0.01). We conclude that the NAFF could act as an outcome measure in the prospective trials which are needed to establish the place of education programmes in clinical practice. The measure could also be used in routine care to identify those whose usual foot care might put their feet at risk of future ulceration. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons. [source] | ||||||||||