scholarly journals Irradiation conditions affect the quality of irradiated painted apple moth

2006 ◽  
Vol 59 ◽  
pp. 119-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.E.A. Stephens ◽  
A.M. Barrington ◽  
N.M. Fletcher ◽  
D.M. Suckling
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Sterile Insect Technique ◽  
Quality Measures ◽  
Flight Performance ◽  
Emergence Rate

Sterile painted apple moths have been released in Auckland in an attempt to assist with the eradication of this species from New Zealand Quality as measured by wind tunnel flight performance of irradiated insects decreased from 66 of unirradiated males in 20032004 to approximately 43 in 20052006 and recapture rates were lower A decrease in quality measures (ie emergence rate wind tunnel flight performance and recapture rate) was related to an increase in the length of pre and posttreatment time that the insects were held in the irradiation container potentially caused by container conditions Altering the irradiation container conditions to improve aeration led to an increase in posttreatment quality The surveillance grid in place for monitoring caught the sterile moths Higher recapture rates have increased confidence in the effectiveness of the sterile insect technique against this insect which is continuing in southeastern Auckland

scholarly journals Chilling, irradiation and transport of male Glossina palpalis gambiensis pupae: effect on the emergence, flight ability and survival.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Souleymane Diallo ◽  
Momar Talla Seck ◽  
Jean Baptiste Rayaissé ◽  
Assane Gueye Fall ◽  
Mireille Djimangali Bassene ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sterile Insect Technique ◽  
Mass Rearing ◽  
Tsetse Flies ◽  
Sterile Male ◽  
Flight Ability ◽  
Glossina Palpalis Gambiensis ◽  
Emergence Rate ◽  
Chilling Period ◽  
Glossina Palpalis

Background The sterile insect technique (SIT) requires mass-rearing of the target species, irradiation to induce sexual sterility and transportation from the mass-rearing facility to the target site. Those treatments require several steps that may affect the biological quality of sterile males. This study has been carried out to evaluate the relative impact of the chilling, irradiation and transport on emergence rate, flight ability and survival of sterile male tsetse flies Glossina palpalis gambiensis. Results Chilling, irradiation and transport all affected the quality control parameters studied. The emergence rate was significantly reduced by long chilling periods and transport, i.e. from 92% at the source insectary to 78% upon arrival in Dakar. Flight ability was affected by all three parameters with 31% operational flies lossed between the source and arrival insectaries. Only survival under stress was not affected by any of the treatments. Conclusion The chilling period and transport were the main treatments which impacted significantly the quality of sterile male pupae. Therefore, the delivery of sterile males was divided over two shipments per week in order to reduce the chilling time and improve the quality of the sterile males. Quality of the male pupae may further be improved by reducing the transport time and vibration during transport. Keys words: Tsetse flies, mass-rearing conditions, sterile insect technique, quality

Co-Design and Open Trial of Starship Rescue, a Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Biofeedback, and Game-Based eHealth Intervention to Treat Anxiety in Children and Young People with Long-Term Physical Conditions (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiran Thabrew ◽  
Karolina Stasiak ◽  
Harshali Kumar ◽  
Tarique Naseem ◽  
Christopher Frampton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Young People ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Physical Conditions ◽  
System Usability Scale ◽  
Ehealth Intervention

BACKGROUND Approximately 10% to 12% of New Zealand children and young people have long-term physical conditions (also known as chronic illnesses) and are more likely to develop psychological problems, particularly anxiety and depression. Delayed treatment leads to worse physical and mental healthcare, school absence, and poorer long-term outcomes. Recently, electronic health (eHealth) interventions, especially those based on the principles of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), have been shown to be as good as face-to-face therapy. Biofeedback techniques have also been shown to enhance relaxation during the treatment of anxiety. However, these modalities have rarely been combined. Young people with long-term physical conditions have expressed a preference for well-designed and technologically-based support to deal with psychological issues, especially anxiety. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to co-design and evaluate the (i) acceptability and (ii) usability of a CBT and biofeedback-based, 5-module eHealth game called ‘Starship Rescue’ and (iii) to provide preliminary evidence regarding its effectiveness in addressing anxiety and quality of life in young people with long-term physical conditions. METHODS Starship Rescue was co-designed with children and young people from a tertiary hospital in Auckland, New Zealand. Following this, 24 young people aged 10 to 17 years were enrolled in an open trial, during which they were asked to use the game for an 8-week period. Acceptability of the game to all participants was assessed using a brief, open-ended questionnaire, and more detailed feedback was obtained from a subset of 10 participants via semi-structured interviews. Usability was evaluated via the System Usability Scale (SUS) and device-recorded frequency and duration of access on completion of the game. Anxiety levels were measured prior to commencement, on completion of the game, and 3 months later using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) and Spence Child Anxiety Scales (SCAS), and at the start of each module and at the end of the game using an embedded Likert/visual analog scale. Quality of life was measured prior to commencement and on completion of the game using the Pediatric Quality of Life Scale (PEDS-QL). RESULTS Users gave Starship Rescue an overall rating of 5.9 out of 10 (range 3-10 and a mean score of 71 out of 100 (SD 11.7; min 47.5; max 90) on the System Usability Scale (SUS). The mean time period for use of the game was just over 11-weeks (78.8 days, 13.5 hours, 40 minutes). Significant reductions in anxiety were noted between the start and end of the game on the GAD-7 (-4.6 (p=0.000)), SCAS (-9.6 (p=0.005)), and the Likert/visual analogue scales (-2.4 (p=0.001)). Quality of life also improved on the PedsQL scale (+4.3 (p=0.042)). All changes were sustained at 3-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS This study provides preliminary evidence for Starship Rescue being an acceptable, usable and effective eHealth intervention for addressing anxiety in young people with long-term physical conditions. Further evaluation is planned via a more formal randomized controlled trial. CLINICALTRIAL Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Network Registry (ANZCTR): ACTRN12616001253493p;https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=371443 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6sYB716lf)

FRI0524 THE ACR’S RHEUMATOLOGY INFORMATICS SYSTEM FOR EFFECTIVENESS (RISE) REGISTRY SUPPORTS SMALL RHEUMATOLOGY PRACTICES FOR FEDERAL QUALITY REPORTING PROGRAM

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 861-862
Author(s):  
Z. Izadi ◽  
T. Johansson ◽  
J. LI ◽  
G. Schmajuk ◽  
J. Yazdany
Keyword(s):  
Quality Measures ◽  
Quality Reporting ◽  
Practice Characteristics ◽  
Informatics System ◽  
Group Practices ◽  
Status Assessment ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Reporting Programs

Background:The Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) Registry was developed by the ACR to help rheumatologists improve quality of care and meet federal reporting requirements. In the current quality program administered by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services, rheumatologists are scored on quality measures, and performance is tied to financial incentives or penalties. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-specific quality measures can only be submitted through RISE to federal programs.Objectives:This study used data from the RISE registry to investigate rheumatologists’ federal reporting patterns on five RA-specific quality measures in 2018 and investigated the effect of practice characteristics on federal reporting of these measures.Methods:We analyzed data on all rheumatologists who continuously participated in RISE between Jan 2017 to Dec 2018 and who had patients eligible for at least one RA-specific measure. Five measures were examined: tuberculosis screening before biologic use, disease activity assessment, functional status assessment, assessment and classification of disease prognosis, and glucocorticoid management. We assessed whether or not rheumatologists reported specific quality measures via RISE. We investigated the effect of practice characteristics (practice structure; number of providers; geographic region) on the likelihood of reporting using adjusted analyses that controlled for measure performance (performance in 2018; change in performance from 2017; and performance relative to national average performance). Analyses accounted for clustering by practice.Results:Data from 799 providers from 207 practices managing 213,757 RA patients was examined. The most common practice structure was a single-specialty group practice (53%), followed by solo (28%) and multi-specialty group practice (12%). Most providers (73%) had patients eligible for all five RA quality measures. Federal reporting of quality measures through RISE varied significantly by provider, ranging from no reporting (60%) to reporting all eligible RA measures (12.2%). Reporting through RISE also varied significantly by quality measure and was highest for functional status assessment (36%) and lowest for assessment and classification of disease prognosis (20%). Small practices (1-4 providers) were more likely to report all eligible RA quality measures compared to larger practices (21%, 6%; p<0.001). In adjusted analyses, solo practices were more likely than single-specialty group practices to report RA measures (42%, 31%; p<0.027) while multispecialty group practices were less likely (18%, 31%; p<0.001). Additionally, higher performance in 2018 and performance ≥ the national average performance was associated with federal reporting of the measures through RISE (p≤0.004).Conclusion:Forty percent of U.S. rheumatologists participating in RISE used the registry for federal quality reporting. Physicians using RISE for reporting were disproportionately in small and solo practices, suggesting that the registry is fulfilling an important role in helping these practices participate in national quality reporting programs. Supporting small practices is especially important given the workforce shortages in rheumatology. We observed that practices reporting through RISE had higher measure performance than other participating practices, which suggests that the registry is facilitating quality improvement. Studies are ongoing to further investigate the impact of federal quality reporting programs and RISE participation on the quality of rheumatologic care in the United States.Disclaimer: This data was supported by the ACR’s RISE Registry. However, the views expressed represent those of the authors, not necessarily those of the ACR.Disclosure of Interests:Zara Izadi: None declared, Tracy Johansson: None declared, Jing Li: None declared, Gabriela Schmajuk Grant/research support from: Pfizer, Jinoos Yazdany Grant/research support from: Pfizer

Flight performance monitoring with optimal filtering applications

2019 ◽  
Vol 124 (1272) ◽  
pp. 170-188
Author(s):  
V. A. Deo ◽  
F. Silvestre ◽  
M. Morales
Keyword(s):  
Kalman Filter ◽  
Performance Monitoring ◽  
The Body ◽  
Flight Performance ◽  
Performance Parameters ◽  
Sideslip Angle ◽  
Fuel Flow ◽  
Aircraft Performance ◽  
Lift And Drag

ABSTRACTThis work presents an alternative methodology for monitoring flight performance during airline operations using the available inboard instrumentation system. This method tries to reduce the disadvantages of the traditional specific range monitoring technique where instrumentation noise and cruise stabilisation conditions affect the quality of the performance monitoring results. The proposed method consists of using an unscented Kalman filter for aircraft performance identification using Newton’s flight dynamic equations in the body X, Y and Z axis. The use of the filtering technique reduces the effect of instrumentation and process noise, enhancing the reliability of the performance results. Besides the better quality of the monitoring process, using the proposed technique, additional results that are not possible to predict with the specific range method are identified during the filtering process. An example of these possible filtered results that show the advantages of this proposed methodology are the aircraft fuel flow offsets, as predicted in the specific range method, but also other important aircraft performance parameters as the aircraft lift and drag coefficients (CL and CD), sideslip angle (β) and wind speeds, giving the operator a deeper understanding of its aircraft operational status and the possibility to link the operational monitoring results to aircraft maintenance scheduling. This work brings a cruise stabilisation example where the selected performance monitoring parameters such as fuel flow factors, lift and drag bias, winds and sideslip angle are identified using only the inboard instrumentation such as the GPS/inertial sensors, a calibrated anemometric system and the angle-of-attack vanes relating each flight condition to a specific aircraft performance monitoring result. The results show that the proposed method captures the performance parameters by the use of the Kalman filter without the need of a strict stabilisation phase as it is recommended in the traditional specific range method, giving operators better flexibility when analysing and monitoring fleet performance.

Psychiatric Morbidity among Women in Urban and Rural New Zealand: Psycho-social Correlates

1990 ◽  
Vol 156 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah E. Romans-Clarkson ◽  
Valerie A. Walton ◽  
G. Peter Herbison ◽  
Paul E. Mullen
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Low Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Psychiatric Morbidity ◽  
Low Socioeconomic ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Rural Sample ◽  
Explained Variance ◽  
Child Care Facilities

A random community survey into psychiatric disorder among women in urban and rural New Zealand found urban women to be more often at age extremes, not married, better educated, in more paid employment, and to have better household and child-care facilities. There were no overall urban–rural differences in the GHQ-28 score, total PSE score or PSE case rates. A multiple regression found the same three factors accounted for most of the explained variance in both the urban and the rural total PSE scores: these were the quality of social networks, difficulties with alcohol, and the past experience of childhood sexual abuse. Low socioeconomic status, poor physical health, and adult experiences of sexual and physical abuse were also associated with increased psychiatric morbidity in both samples. Other individual sociodemographic items were correlated with psychiatric morbidity for the urban or rural sample only.

Numerical and Experimental Study of Turbulent Flows Around Clark Y-14 Aerofoil

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kshitij Vadake ◽  
Jie Cui
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Real World ◽  
Force Measurement ◽  
Test Model ◽  
Wind Tunnel Testing ◽  
Cfd Simulations ◽  
Measurement Device ◽  
Tunnel Testing

Experimental Fluid Dynamics (EFD) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) have been instrumental in Fluid Mechanics to help solve scientific and engineering problems. This research attempts to use both techniques to perform a parametric study of turbulence flow around airfoil ClarkY-14 at various velocity and angle of attack (AoA). Clark Y-14 airfoil was designed in the 1920’s. It demonstrated good overall performance at low and moderate Reynolds numbers. With the progress in the aviation field, its performance was sub-optimal for newer aircraft designs. However, with the advent of RC airplanes and model aircrafts, there is a renewed interest in this airfoil. Various research projects have been conducted using this airfoil, but there hasn’t been a combined EFD and CFD study of the performance characteristics of the airfoil itself, which still finds real world applications today. One important aspect of this research included the investigation of the effects of a Force Measurement Device/Sensor, which is typically used in scaled/full-size wind tunnels to mount the test model as well as measure the forces/moments acting on it during the testing. The presence of such a device could affect the quality of the data obtained from the wind tunnel testing when compared to a real world application scenario where the aforementioned device may not be present. To the best of the author’s knowledge, no detailed study has been published on the effects of such devices. In this study, the results with and without the measuring device were generated by using CFD simulations. The results were then compared to see to what extent the inclusion of these devices will affect the results. The methodology used for this research was experimental as well as computational. In the present research, a commercially available CFD software STAR-CCM+ was employed to simulate the flows around airfoil Clark Y-14. The experimental data was obtained from wind tunnel tests using AEROLAB Educational Wind Tunnel (EWT) and compared with the simulation data from the CFD. The two data sets were in good agreement. Both experimental and simulation results were used to understand the effects of the measurement device/sensor used in the scaled wind tunnel on the lift and drag coefficients of the airfoil. Two separate CFD simulation setups were designed to model the presence and absence of the measurement device/sensor. These setups replicated the wind tunnel setup. The airfoil was tested and simulated at different speeds as well as different AoA. The comparative study gave a useful insight on the accuracy of the CFD simulations in relation to the actual testing. The analysis of results concluded that the force measurement device/sensor had insignificant effects on the accuracy and quality of data collected through wind tunnel testing.

National benchmarks and practice level variation on eight cross cutting quality measures.

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (28_suppl) ◽  
pp. 255-255
Author(s):  
Tracy E. Spinks ◽  
Lindsey Bandini ◽  
Amie Cook ◽  
Hong Gao ◽  
Nicholas Jennings ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Performance Status ◽  
Gynecologic Oncology ◽  
Quality Measures ◽  
Surgical Oncology ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Prior Authorization ◽  
Level Variation ◽  
Practice Level

255 Background: While there is increased attention on the importance of quality measurement in oncology, especially with the rise of value-based payment, limited data exist on national averages and practice level variation for proposed quality measures to establish benchmarks and targets for quality improvement initiatives or value-based contracts. Methods: UnitedHealthcare (UHC) developed peer comparison reports for eight cross cutting quality measures for practices with an active contract for at least one of its commercial, Medicare or Medicaid health plans and ≥1 provider from the following specialties: gynecologic oncology, hematology/oncology, pediatric hematology/oncology, radiation oncology, or surgical oncology. Adherence to the quality measures below was calculated using a mix of claims data, clinical data from a prior authorization for cancer therapy, and CMS MIPS data. Patients were attributed through an algorithm that selected the most probable physician responsible for the patient’s care - responsible prior authorization provider, servicing provider or most recent visited provider prior to the treatment, varying by each measure. Dates of service differ by measure, ranging from 1/1/2019 through 12/31/2020. Results: We identified 5,828 unique tax identification numbers (TINs) with UHC members with cancer attributed to them during 2019-20. The number of practices included in the measurement cohort per measure varied significantly from 301 to 4,120 (tobacco screening and performance status, respectively). 2,422 TINs met the minimum patient count for at least one measure (≥10 patients or events). Overall performance ranged from 13.5% to 77.3% (hospice admission and PS documented) for measures where higher adherence reflects better quality of care. For measures where lower scores represent higher quality of care the range was 11.4% to 22.6% (hospice < 3 days and ED admission, respectively). Observed adherence was statistically better than expected for 0.5%-5.8% and statistically less than expected for 0.9%-5.6% of TINs in UHC’s network; however, more than half of the practices had insufficient sample size to make a determination. Conclusions: We observed substantial variation in quality across a national cohort of oncology practices. However, even for a large national payer, small sample sizes limited the assessment of a substantial number of practices.[Table: see text]

Vision-Based Precision Deburring and Edge Breaking Process Quality Control

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kartik Gupta ◽  
Cindy Grimm ◽  
Burak Sencer ◽  
Ravi Balasubramanian
Keyword(s):  
Computer Vision ◽  
Quality Control ◽  
Vision System ◽  
Quality Measures ◽  
Cad Model ◽  
Computer Vision System ◽  
Part Geometry ◽  
Specialized Hardware ◽  
Original Part

Abstract This paper presents a computer vision system for evaluating the quality of deburring and edge breaking on aluminum and steel blocks. This technique produces both quantitative (size) and qualitative (quality) measures of chamfering operation from images taken with an off-the-shelf camera. We demonstrate that the proposed computer vision system can detect edge chamfering geometry within a 1–2mm range. The proposed technique does not require precise calibration of the camera to the part nor specialized hardware beyond a macro lens. Off-the-shelf components and a CAD model of the original part geometry are used for calibration. We also demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed technique on edge breaking quality control.

Abstract 3023: The Association of Insurance Status, Quality of Care, and In-Hospital Outcomes among Patients Hospitalized with Intracerebral Hemorrhage: Findings from GWTG-Stroke

Stroke ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 43 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael L James ◽  
Julian P Yand ◽  
Maria Grau-Sepulveda ◽  
DaiWai M Olson ◽  
Deepak L Bhatt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Intracerebral Hemorrhage ◽  
Reference Group ◽  
Private Insurance ◽  
Quality Measures ◽  
Geographic Region ◽  
Insurance Status ◽  
Hospital Outcomes

Introduction Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) can be a devastating condition, requiring intensive intervention. Yet, few studies have examined whether patient insurance status is associated with ICH care or acute outcomes. Methods Using data from 1,711 sites participating in GWTG-Stroke database from April 2003 to April 2011, we identified 156,848 non-transferred subjects with ICH who had known discharge status. Insurance status was categorized as private, Medicaid, Medicare or none. We explored associations between lack of insurance (using private insurance status as the reference group) and in-hospital outcomes (mortality, ambulatory status, & length of stay) and quality of care measures (DVT prophylaxis, smoking cessation, dysphagia screening, stroke education, imaging times, & rehabilitation). We utilized multiple individual (including demographics and medical history) and hospital (including size, geographic region and academic teaching status)lcharacteristics as covariates. Results Subjects without insurance (n=10647) were younger (54.4 v. 71 years), more likely men (60.6 v. 50.8%), more likely black (33.2 v. 17.4%) or Hispanic (15.8 v. 7.9%), from the South (50.6 v. 38.9%), and had fewer vascular risk factors with the exception of smoking when compared with the overall subject population. Further, subjects without insurance were more likely to experience in-hospital mortality (25.9 v. 23.9%; adjusted OR 1.29) and longer length of stay (11.4 v. 7.8 days), but were more likely to receive all quality measures of care, be discharged home (52.1 v. 36.1%), and ambulate independently (47.5 v. 38.5%) at discharge compared with subjects with private insurance (n=40033). Conclusions Among GWTG-Stroke participating hospitals, ICH patients without insurance were more likely to die while in the hospital but experienced higher quality measures of care and were more likely to ambulate independently at discharge should they survive.

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