scholarly journals Using Expert Opinion to Quantify Uncertainty in and Cost of Using Nondestructive Evaluation on Bridges

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex A. Hesse ◽  
Rebecca A. Atadero ◽  
Mehmet E. Ozbek
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Nondestructive Evaluation ◽  
Expert Opinion ◽  
Delphi Method ◽  
Bridge Management ◽  
Inspection Planning ◽  
True Response ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Survey Results

A previous literature review indicated that there is little published experimental data that can be used to determine quantities such as bias, accuracy, reliability, and cost of common Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) methods as far as their use on bridges is concerned. This study attempts to quantify these parameters for common bridge NDE methods through a four-round Delphi method survey with experts in the NDE bridge field. The survey results indicate that most commonly used bridge NDE methods tend to be underbiased and relatively reliable. Furthermore, the accuracy of commonly used bridge NDE methods tends to be relatively variable with the average test measuring a true response between 80% and 85% of the time. In general, it was shown by the participant responses that the more expensive the method was, the better the bias, accuracy, and reliability the method had, and vice versa. The information presented in this paper can serve as a starting point for characterizing different NDE methods for use in bridge management and inspection planning and identifies the type of information that is still needed. As such, this research has the potential to promote further research on this subject.

scholarly journals Choosing Wisely: The Canadian Rheumatology Association’s List of 5 Items Physicians and Patients Should Question

2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 682-689 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shirley L. Chow ◽  
J. Carter Thorne ◽  
Mary J. Bell ◽  
Robert Ferrari ◽  
Zarnaz Bagheri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Delphi Method ◽  
Antinuclear Antibodies ◽  
Quality Care ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Potential Effect ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Bone Scans ◽  
Bone Density Testing ◽  
Perceived Relevance

Objective.To develop a list of 5 tests or treatments used in rheumatology that have evidence indicating that they may be unnecessary and thus should be reevaluated by rheumatology healthcare providers and patients.Methods.Using the Delphi method, a committee of 16 rheumatologists from across Canada and an allied health professional generated a list of tests, procedures, or treatments in rheumatology that may be unnecessary, nonspecific, or insensitive. Items with high content agreement and perceived relevance advanced to a survey of Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA) members. CRA members ranked these top items based on content agreement, effect, and item ranking. A methodology subcommittee discussed the items in light of their relevance to rheumatology, potential effect on patients, and the member survey results. Five candidate items selected were then subjected to a literature review. A group of patient collaborators with rheumatic diseases also reviewed these items.Results.Sixty-four unique items were proposed and after 3 Delphi rounds, this list was narrowed down to 13 items. In the member-wide survey, 172 rheumatologists responded (36% of those contacted). The respondent characteristics were similar to the membership at large in terms of sex and geographical distribution. Five topics (antinuclear antibodies testing, HLA-B27 testing, bone density testing, bone scans, and bisphosphonate use) with high ratings on agreement and effect were chosen for literature review.Conclusion.The list of 5 items has identified starting points to promote discussion about practices that should be questioned to assist rheumatology healthcare providers in delivering high-quality care.

An updated management algorithm for incorporating minimally invasive techniques to treat thoracolumbar trauma

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Jacob K. Greenberg ◽  
Stephen Shelby Burks ◽  
Christopher F. Dibble ◽  
Saad Javeed ◽  
Vivek P. Gupta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Minimally Invasive ◽  
Expert Opinion ◽  
Treatment Algorithm ◽  
Interrater Agreement ◽  
Neurological Deficits ◽  
Spine Trauma ◽  
Thoracolumbar Injury ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Neurologically Intact

OBJECTIVE Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques can effectively stabilize and decompress many thoracolumbar injuries with decreased morbidity and tissue destruction compared with open approaches. Nonetheless, there is limited direction regarding the breadth and limitations of MIS techniques for thoracolumbar injuries. Consequently, the objectives of this study were to 1) identify the range of current practice patterns for thoracolumbar trauma and 2) integrate expert opinion and literature review to develop an updated treatment algorithm. METHODS A survey describing 10 clinical cases with a range of thoracolumbar injuries was sent to 12 surgeons with expertise in spine trauma. The survey results were summarized using descriptive statistics, along with the Fleiss kappa statistic of interrater agreement. To develop an updated treatment algorithm, the authors used a modified Delphi technique that incorporated a literature review, the survey results, and iterative feedback from a group of 14 spine trauma experts. The final algorithm represented the consensus opinion of that expert group. RESULTS Eleven of 12 surgeons contacted completed the case survey, including 8 (73%) neurosurgeons and 3 (27%) orthopedic surgeons. For the 4 cases involving patients with neurological deficits, nearly all respondents recommended decompression and fusion, and the proportion recommending open surgery ranged from 55% to 100% by case. Recommendations for the remaining cases were heterogeneous. Among the neurologically intact patients, MIS techniques were typically recommended more often than open techniques. The overall interrater agreement in recommendations was 0.23, indicating fair agreement. Considering both literature review and expert opinion, the updated algorithm indicated that MIS techniques could be used to treat most thoracolumbar injuries. Among neurologically intact patients, percutaneous instrumentation without arthrodesis was recommended for those with AO Spine Thoracolumbar Classification System subtype A3/A4 (Thoracolumbar Injury Classification and Severity Score [TLICS] 4) injuries, but MIS posterior arthrodesis was recommended for most patients with AO Spine subtype B2/B3 (TLICS > 4) injuries. Depending on vertebral body integrity, anterolateral corpectomy or mini-open decompression could be used for patients with neurological deficits. CONCLUSIONS Spine trauma experts endorsed a range of strategies for treating thoracolumbar injuries but felt that MIS techniques were an option for most patients. The updated treatment algorithm may provide a foundation for surgeons interested in safe approaches for using MIS techniques to treat thoracolumbar trauma.

scholarly journals Evaluating Conscious Consumption: A Discussion of a Survey Development Process

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3339
Author(s):  
Madhavi Venkatesan ◽  
Fenner Dreyfuss-Wells ◽  
Anjali Nair ◽  
Astrid Pedersen ◽  
Vishnu Prasad
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Coffee Consumption ◽  
Consumer Good ◽  
Survey Instrument ◽  
Survey Development ◽  
Behavioral Bias ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Single Use ◽  
Questions And Responses

This paper is the outcome of a course project for Economics of Sustainability (Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts). Facilitated and under the direction of the instructor, course participants designed a survey instrument where questions and responses were developed to be indicators of behavioral bias related to the environment. The consumer good targeted in the survey was convenience-based coffee consumption, and convenience was defined by the use of single-use disposable coffee cups. The discussion highlights the survey development process including literature review-based expectations specific to each question. The paper concludes with next steps, which involve the administration of the instrument and evaluation of the survey results.

scholarly journals A CONTROL LIST FOR THE SYSTEMATIC IDENTIFICATION OF DISTURBANCE FACTORS

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 51-60
Author(s):  
Peter Welzbacher ◽  
Gunnar Vorwerk-Handing ◽  
Eckhard Kirchner
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Product Development ◽  
Model Theory ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Product Development Process ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Disturbance Factor ◽  
Systematic Identification

AbstractThe importance of considering disturbance factors in the product development process is often emphasized as one of the key factors to a functional and secure product. However, there is only a small number of tools to support the developer in the identification of disturbance factors and none of them yet ensures that the majority of occurring disturbance factors is considered. Thus, it is the aim of this contribution to provide a tool in form of a control list for the systematic identification of disturbance factors. At the beginning of this contribution, the terms “disturbance factor” and “uncertainty” are defined based on a literature review and different approaches for the classification of uncertainty are presented. Subsequently, the fundamentals of multipole based model theory are outlined. Moreover, a first approach in terms of a control list for a systematic identification of disturbance factors is discussed. Based on the discussed approach and taking the identified weaknesses as a starting point, a control list is presented that combines the existing basic concept of the control list with the fundamentals of multipole based model theory.

Ultrasonic Evaluation of Compressive Residual Stress of Surface Treated Metals

2005 ◽  
Vol 490-491 ◽  
pp. 184-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farid Belahcene ◽  
Xiaolai Zhou ◽  
Jian Lu
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Residual Stresses ◽  
Nondestructive Evaluation ◽  
Subsurface Layer ◽  
Surface Mechanical Attrition Treatment ◽  
Shallow Subsurface ◽  
Ultrasonic Evaluation ◽  
Mechanical Attrition ◽  
Machine Parts ◽  
Compressive Residual Stresses

Shot peening is an effective method of improving fatigue performance of machine parts in the industry by producing a thin surface layer of compressive residual stresses that prevents crack initiation and retards crack growth during service. Nondestructive evaluation of the prevailing compressive residual stresses in the shallow subsurface layer is realized by the critically refracted longitudinal (Lcr) waves. This paper presents experimental data obtained on SMAT (surface mechanical attrition treatment) steel alloy S355 sample. Comparative travel-time shows that there are statistically significant differences in treated and untreated specimen. With knowledge of the acoustoelastic constants which are obtained by a test calibration, the experimental data indicates that compressive residual stresses are distributed near subsurface (hundreds of micron). These stress results show that the Lcr technique is efficient for evaluation of residual stresses after the surface treatment.

Theoretical determination of the structures of CaSiO3 perovskites

2006 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 1025-1030 ◽  
Author(s):  
Razvan Caracas ◽  
Renata M. Wentzcovitch
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Structure ◽  
Experimental Data ◽  
Density Functional Theory ◽  
Density Functional ◽  
Theoretical Determination ◽  
Functional Theory ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Atomic Coordinates ◽  
The Ideal

Density functional theory is used to determine the possible crystal structure of the CaSiO3 perovskites and their evolution under pressure. The ideal cubic perovskite is considered as a starting point for studying several possible lower-symmetry distorted structures. The theoretical lattice parameters and the atomic coordinates for all the structures are determined, and the results are discussed with respect to experimental data.

scholarly journals Quality and Operations Management in Food Supply Chains: A Literature Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong He ◽  
Hongfu Huang ◽  
Dong Li ◽  
Chunming Shi ◽  
Sarah J. Wu
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Operations Research ◽  
Operations Management ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
The Past ◽  
Starting Point

We present a literature review on quality and operations management problems in food supply chains. In food industry, the quality of the food products declines over time and should be addressed in the supply chain operations management. Managing food supply chains with operations management methods not only generates economic benefit, but also contributes to environmental and social benefits. The literature on this topic has been burgeoning in the past few years. Since 2005, more than 100 articles have been published on this topic in major operations research and management science journals. In this literature review, we concentrate on the quantitative models in this research field and classify the related articles into four categories, that is, storage problems, distribution problems, marketing problems, and food traceability and safety problems. We hope that this review serves as a reference for interested researchers and a starting point for those who wish to explore it further.

scholarly journals EVALUATION OF CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS FOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS – AN EMPIRICAL STUDY IN LITHUANIA

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neringa Gudienė ◽  
Audrius Banaitis ◽  
Nerija Banaitienė
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Critical Success Factors ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Management Team ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
Survey Results

This paper aims to identify a comprehensive list of critical success factors for construction projects in Lithuania. Based on the available literature review, this paper identified 71 success factors under 7 broad groups. Based on the survey results, ten factors including project manager competence, project management team members' competence, project manager coordinating skills, client clear and precise goals/objectives, project value, project management team members' relevant past experience, project manager organising skills, project manager effective and timely conflict resolution, client ability to make timely decision, and project manager experience were determined as the most important success factors for construction projects. These critical success factors are of great significance both to researchers and industry practitioners.

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