scholarly journals Development of a Consumer-Based Quality Scale for Artisan Textiles: A Study with Scarves/Shawls

Textiles ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 483-503
Author(s):  
Denis Richard Seninde ◽  
Edgar Chambers IV ◽  
Delores H. Chambers ◽  
Edgar Chambers V

Modern textile consumers are increasingly becoming more watchful of the quality of the textiles that they purchase. This has increased the need for textile producers, especially artisan textile makers (e.g., knitters, tailors, dressmakers, seamstresses, and quilters), to improve the quality of their textile products. Information on several analytical tools that are commonly used for assessing the quality of textiles is abundant, but consumer-based tools for evaluating the quality of textiles remain limited. A consumer-based artisan textile-quality scale was developed using data collected from two focus groups (Phase 1) and a consumer quantitative study, n = 196 (Phase 2). Ten scarves and shawls were evaluated in the quantitative study and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the differences between the mean textile ratings for all the statements. Coefficient alpha (final raw alpha = 0.87) was also used to assess if the statements were consistent in the way they measured the quality of the textiles. Pearson correlation tests were used to validate the six-statement quality scale that included statements such as overall attention to detail, the fabric is durable, and stitching is even and consistent. Artisan textile makers in the USA can use this scale to better meet the functional needs of their customers. Additionally, the process that was employed in the development of the six-statement quality scale can be used by researchers in other countries to understand better the key quality characteristics of artisan as well other textile products.

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 61-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Runnacles ◽  
Libby Thomas ◽  
James Korndorffer ◽  
Sonal Arora ◽  
Nick Sevdalis

IntroductionDebriefing is essential to maximise the simulation-based learning experience, but until recently, there was little guidance on an effective paediatric debriefing. A debriefing assessment tool, Objective Structured Assessment of Debriefing (OSAD), has been developed to measure the quality of feedback in paediatric simulation debriefings. This study gathers and evaluates the validity evidence of OSAD with reference to the contemporary hypothesis-driven approach to validity.MethodsExpert input on the paediatric OSAD tool from 10 paediatric simulation facilitators provided validity evidence based on content and feasibility (phase 1). Evidence for internal structure validity was sought by examining reliability of scores from video ratings of 35 postsimulation debriefings; and evidence for validity based on relationship to other variables was sought by comparing results with trainee ratings of the same debriefings (phase 2).ResultsSimulation experts’ scores were significantly positive regarding the content of OSAD and its instructions. OSAD's feasibility was demonstrated with positive comments regarding clarity and application. Inter-rater reliability was demonstrated with intraclass correlations above 0.45 for 6 of the 7 dimensions of OSAD. The internal consistency of OSAD (Cronbach α) was 0.78. Pearson correlation of trainee total score with OSAD total score was 0.82 (p<0.001) demonstrating validity evidence based on relationships to other variables.ConclusionThe paediatric OSAD tool provides a structured approach to debriefing, which is evidence-based, has multiple sources of validity evidence and is relevant to end-users. OSAD may be used to improve the quality of debriefing after paediatric simulations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S915-S916
Author(s):  
Hye Won Chai ◽  
Dylan J Jester ◽  
Soomi Lee ◽  
Susanna Joo

Abstract Death of a significant other is consistently found to have a detrimental effect on cardiovascular functioning, and such relationship may be stronger when loss is accompanied by low-quality sleep. Using data from the Biomarker project of Midlife in the United States study (n=1,310), we examined whether quality-of-sleep has an additive effect on the relationship between loss and heart rate variability (HRV). Loss was measured as losing someone close within a year of data collection, and was categorized based on the respondents’ relationship with the deceased. Relationship was categorized as: immediate family, relative, and friend. Quality-of-sleep was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality scale. Results showed that the associations among loss, sleep, and HRV differed by gender. For women, losing an immediate family was associated with worse HRV and this did not differ by quality-of-sleep. For men, death of an immediate family was associated with worse HRV only among those with poorer quality sleep. These results suggest that low-quality sleep may indicate psychophysical vulnerability for men who experienced loss, which may relate to their lower capacity for physiological adaptation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (119) ◽  
pp. 20160306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Carra ◽  
Ismir Mulalic ◽  
Mogens Fosgerau ◽  
Marc Barthelemy

We discuss the distribution of commuting distances and its relation to income. Using data from Denmark, the UK and the USA, we show that the commuting distance is (i) broadly distributed with a slow decaying tail that can be fitted by a power law with exponent γ ≈ 3 and (ii) an average growing slowly as a power law with an exponent less than one that depends on the country considered. The classical theory for job search is based on the idea that workers evaluate the wage of potential jobs as they arrive sequentially through time, and extending this model with space, we obtain predictions that are strongly contradicted by our empirical findings. We propose an alternative model that is based on the idea that workers evaluate potential jobs based on a quality aspect and that workers search for jobs sequentially across space. We also assume that the density of potential jobs depends on the skills of the worker and decreases with the wage. The predicted distribution of commuting distances decays as 1/ r 3 and is independent of the distribution of the quality of jobs. We find our alternative model to be in agreement with our data. This type of approach opens new perspectives for the modelling of mobility.


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 755
Author(s):  
Emily Chia-Yu Su ◽  
Cheng-Hsing Hsiao ◽  
Yi-Tui Chen ◽  
Shih-Heng Yu

The purpose of this paper was to compare the relative efficiency of COVID-19 transmission mitigation among 23 selected countries, including 19 countries in the G20, two heavily infected countries (Iran and Spain), and two highly populous countries (Pakistan and Nigeria). The mitigation efficiency for each country was evaluated at each stage by using data envelopment analysis (DEA) tools and changes in mitigation efficiency were analyzed across stages. Pearson correlation tests were conducted between each change to examine the impact of efficiency ranks in the previous stage on subsequent stages. An indicator was developed to judge epidemic stability and was applied to practical cases involving lifting travel restrictions and restarting the economy in some countries. The results showed that Korea and Australia performed with the highest efficiency in preventing the diffusion of COVID-19 for the whole period covering 105 days since the first confirmed case, while the USA ranked at the bottom. China, Japan, Korea, and Australia were judged to have recovered from the attack of COVID-19 due to higher epidemic stability.


2020 ◽  
pp. jech-2020-214267
Author(s):  
Emma Zang ◽  
Scott M Lynch ◽  
Jessica West

BackgroundTo evaluate regional disparities in the influence of diabetes on population health, we examine life expectancies at age 50 between population with diabetes and healthy population and life quality among the population with diabetes among native-born Americans by birth region and current residence.MethodsUsing data on a cohort of 17 686 native-born individuals from the Health and Retirement Survey (1998–2014), we applied a Bayesian multistate life table method to estimate life expectancies at age 50 between population with diabetes and healthy population by each birth/current region combination. We further estimate the proportion of life remaining without either chronic conditions or disabilities as a quality of life measure and the probabilities that one region is worse than the other in terms of different health outcomes.ResultsAt age 50, persons with diabetes (PWD) were expected to live on average 5.8–10.8 years less than their healthy equivalents across regions. Diabetes had the greatest influence on life expectancy (LE) for older adults who lived in the South at the time of interviews. PWD born in the South were more likely to have developed chronic conditions or disabilities and spent greater proportions of life with these two issues compared to other regions.ConclusionDiabetes is a significant threat to LE and healthy LE in the USA, particularly for people born or living in the South.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Tui Chen ◽  
Shih-Heng Yu ◽  
Emily Chia-Yu Su

The purpose of this paper is to compare the relative mitigation efficiency of COVID-19 transmission among 23 selected countries, including 19 countries in the G20, two heavily infected countries (Iran and Spain), and two highly populous countries (Pakistan and Nigeria). This paper evaluated the mitigation efficiency for each country at each stage by using data envelopment analysis (DEA) tools and analyzed changes in mitigation efficiency across stages. Pearson correlation tests were conducted between each change to examine the impact of efficiency ranks in the previous stage on subsequent stages. An indicator was developed to judge epidemic stability and was applied to practical cases involving lifting travel restrictions and restarting the economy in some countries. The results showed that Korea and Australia performed with the highest efficiency in preventing the diffusion of COVID-19 for the whole period covering 120 days since the first confirmed case, while the USA ranked at the bottom. China, Japan, Korea and Australia were judged to have recovered from the attack of COVID-19 due to higher epidemic stability.


2012 ◽  
Vol 153 (45) ◽  
pp. 1787-1792 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mária Horváth ◽  
Endre Czeizel

Introduction: There is a decline in male fertility thus new treatments are needed. Aims: To test the efficacy of a new dietary supplement developed in the USA and registered as a curing drug in Hungary (OGYI). Methods: In a clinical trial 100 men with low sperm quality (spermium count 5–20 M/ml, good motility 10–40%, and adverse shape 30–50%) were examined. Results: Sperm parameters were measured before and after a 3-month treatment and after another 3-month without treatment. This dietary supplement statistically and clinically significantly improved sperm count and motility. In 74 cases this dietary supplement demonstrated a beneficial effect on sperm quality (more than 10% increase in sperm count, or quality of motility, or shape); in 16 cases the improvement exceeded 30%. No adverse effect could be accounted for this treatment. Conclusions: This new dietary supplement may contribute to the treatment of male infertility. Orv. Hetil., 2012, 153, 1787–1792.


2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurul Indarti ◽  
Theo Postma

Innovative companies generally establish linkages with other actors and access external knowledge in order to benefit from the dynamic effects of interactive processes. Using data from 198 furniture and software firms in Indonesia, this study shows that the quality of interaction (i.e. multiplexity) as indicated by the depth of knowledge absorbed from various external parties and intensity of interaction (i.e., tie intensity) are better predictors of product innovation than the diversity of interaction.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-214
Author(s):  
Joko Krismanto Harianja

Abstrak: Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk meningkatkan keterampilan berpikir kreatif dan komunikasi matematis siswa SMP kelas VII dengan menerapkan model pembelajaran Project Based Learning (PjBL) serta untuk mengetahui apakah keterampilan berpikir kreatif siswa memiliki hubungan positif terhadap komunikasi matematis siswa. Penelitian ini dilakukan di SMP XYZ kota Bogor. Adapun kegiatan pada proses pembelajaran ini adalah merancang mathematics board games. Mix method merupakan jenis metode penelitian yang dilakukan dengan teknik pengambilan data dengan wawancara terhadap 5 orang responden, kuesioner dan observasi. Analisa kualitatif dilakukan secara triangulasi. Sedangkan untuk analisa kualitatif dengan menggunakan data yang diperoleh dari instrumen rubrik indikator keterampilan berpikir kreatif dan komunikasi matematis. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa implementasi PjBL dapat meningkatkan keterampilan berpikir kreatif dan komunikasi matematis siswa. Secara kuantitatif dengan menggunakan uji statistik korelasi Pearson, diketahui keterampilan berpikir kreatif memiliki hubungan positif dengan keterampilan berpikir kreatif. Abstract: The purpose of this study is to improve the creative thinking skills and mathematical communication of VII grade junior high school students by applying the Project Based Learning (PjBL) learning model and to find out whether students 'creative thinking skills have a positive correlation with students' mathematical communication skill. This research was conducted at SMP XYZ in Bogor. The activities in this learning process are designing mathematics board games. Mix method as the research methodology that is used with data collection techniques by interviewing 5 respondents, questionnaires and observations. Qualitative analysis is done by triangulation. Whereas for quanitative analysis using data obtained from the rubric instrument of creative thinking skills and mathematical communication indicators. The implementation of PjBL could improve students' creative thinking skills and mathematical communication. Quantitatively using the Pearson correlation statistical test, it is known that creative thinking skills have a positive relationship with creative thinking skills.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Armbrecht

This study focuses on the perceived quality of participatory event experiences by addressing the following question: What are the important aspects of the event experience? The aim of this research is to develop and refine a scale to measure the quality of the event experience for runners at a participatory event. The objective is to combine, apply, test, and refine the existing scales to increase our understanding of the perceived quality of events among amateur running athletes. Both affective and cognitive dimensions are included in the scale. Based on seven dimensions and 36 items, a formal scale development process is adopted. The data consist of 1,923 observations collected during a participatory event with approximately 60,000 registered participants. The seven-factor model, including immersion, surprise, participation, fun, social aspects, hedonic aspects, and service quality, was gradually revised in favor of a four-factor solution: service quality, hedonic aspects, fun, and immersion. As a result, 73.1% of the variance is extracted. This study contributes to a refined scale measuring the perceived event quality of participatory events. Service quality accounts for more than half of the variance extracted. Researchers should continue to develop research on the critical experiential dimensions in an event context. Furthermore, the links between the constructs need attention. The results suggest that event organizers should evaluate their events and event portfolios based on the scale and take actions to increase the perceived quality of these events.


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