scholarly journals Sustainable City Lighting Impact and Evaluation Methodology of Lighting Quality from a User Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3409
Author(s):  
Melita Rozman Cafuta
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Perception ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Environmental Perception ◽  
Evaluation Methodology ◽  
Sustainable City ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Artificial Lighting ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Spatial Utilization

High quality artificial lighting of public places is one of the necessary functions of sustainable cities. It is much more than just providing sufficient light intensity with reduced energy consumption and low environmental impact. The solution to this challenge is not only technological, but also requires the consideration of the subjective approach, such as psychological, sociological, and aesthetic-functional. The article presents the SEC (Suitable for everyone, Environmentally-accepted, Cost-effective) methodology and model, which are placed in the context of sustainable city lighting. A holistic assessment approach of user environmental perception, priorities, and spatial responses is required to evaluate the impact of artificial night illumination. Lighting efficiency was expressed as the correspondence between environmental perception and spatial utilization during day and night. Ten sites with different urban background and illumination characteristics were selected. It was assumed that artificial night lighting influences the perception, priorities, and responsiveness of users. The validity of this argument was demonstrated at a relevant statistical level of p <0.05. The research results provided useful information about the current state, which is needed to prepare a sustainable lighting strategy, and could be compared between different or similar sites. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that the artificial lighting of urban open spaces is of high quality when the difference in the spatial perception and spatial utilization between day and night is as small as possible.

High Quality Non-Ferrous Die Castings Dependence on Die Design – A Review of the Use of Die Filling and Casting Solidification Simulation Results for Successful, Effective and Practical Die Designs

2014 ◽  
Vol 1019 ◽  
pp. 143-151
Author(s):  
Carl J. Reinhardt ◽  
Morris Murray ◽  
Isaac Bohlken
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Die Design ◽  
Dynamics Simulation ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Design Defect ◽  
Simulation Results ◽  
Die Castings ◽  
Pressure Die Casting ◽  
The Impact

High Quality Cost Effective Die Castings rely to a large extent on successful, effective and practical die design. A review is carried out of some runner and gate designs which resulted in successful high quality castings. Some High Pressure and Gravity cast casting are evaluated. Simulation results for evaluating the impact on the flow during filling due to Runner Geometries, Gate Geometries and positions as well as venting, overflows or risers are discussed. Thermal intervention through the use of internal thermal channels are also evaluated through the use of simulation results. The paper centres on a discussion of analysis of simulation results, predicting defects which impact on some aspects of surface finish and porosity. A case study is presented showing the value of following and taking heed of lessons learnt from simulation results, to carry out die designs with reduced reliance on simulation. Index Terms: South African Foundries, High Pressure Die Casting, Computerised Fluid Dynamics Simulation, Die Design, Defect Reduction.

scholarly journals The impact of personality on the success of prospecting behavior in changing landscapes

2015 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 557-568 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Curtis Burkhalter ◽  
Nina H. Fefferman ◽  
Julie L. Lockwood
Keyword(s):  
Landscape Composition ◽  
Breeding Habitat ◽  
Relative Fitness ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Large Role ◽  
High Quality ◽  
New Strategy ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Very High

Abstract Personality can play a large role in dispersal decisions, influencing how each individual estimates and values expected costs versus benefits of venturing out to explore the unknown. We contrast the impact of persistence on fitness using decision theory models to examine the relative success of prospecting movement (which is a widespread behavior used by animals to explore available breeding habitat before determining where to settle) in different landscapes among individuals with different personalities. While evaluating trends in the costs and benefits of movement we provide a quantifiable measure of the impacts of relative tenacity in prospecting behavior on fitness gains/losses. Our model results predict that, regardless of landscape composition, individuals with greater tenacity in prospecting strategy have reduced fitness gains relative to individuals who are more willing to both initiate novel strategies, but then also abandon the new strategy rapidly if initial search does not seem fruitful. We show that fitness gains from choosing an appropriate prospecting strategy (i.e. abandoning poor habitat or staying in rich habitat) can be very high, indicating a potentially large influence from personality on fitness. Importantly, the model predicts that relative fitness gains are highly dependent on the availability of high quality habitat in the landscape, even if the difference under varying fitness outcomes between poor and rich habitat was substantial.

Age differences in the impact of a Positive Deviance/Hearth programme on the nutritional status of children in rural Bangladesh

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Yunjeong Kim ◽  
Jaganmay Prajesh Biswas ◽  
Md.Iqbal Hossain ◽  
Diane Baik ◽  
Kathryn Reinsma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Data ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Positive Deviance ◽  
Mixed Effect ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
Effect Regression ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Nutritional Status Of Children ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objective: To examine the difference in the rehabilitation rate from underweight by child age at enrolment in the Positive Deviance (PD)/Hearth programme. Design: This secondary data analysis used programme monitoring records of underweight children aged 6–60 months attending a 2-week PD/Hearth session and followed up for 6 months in Sep. 2018–Mar. 2019. Data were analysed using multi-level mixed-effect regression and poisson regression with robust variance. Setting: Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh Participants: A total of 5,227 underweight (weight-for-age z-score [WAZ]<-2) children who attended the PD/Hearth sessions. Results: From enrolment to six months follow-up, the mean WAZ improved from −2.80 to −2.09, and the percentage of underweight children decreased to 54.5%. Compared to the enrolment age of 6-11 months, the estimated monthly change in WAZ at six months of follow-up were 0.05 lower for 12-23 months, 0.06 lower for 24-35 months, and 0.09 lower for 36-60 months of the enrolment age (all p<0.001). The probability of rehabilitation at six months of follow-up were lower by 16.7% for 12-23 months (RR=0.83; 95% CI: 0.77, 0.91), 15.5% for 24-35 months (RR=0.84; 95% CI: 0.78, 0.92), and 34.9% for 36-60 months of the enrolment age (RR=0.65; 95% CI: 0.59, 0.72), compared to the enrolment age of 6-11 months. Conclusions: Enrolment in the PD/Hearth programme at a younger age had the advantage of greater rehabilitation from underweight than older age. Our findings provide a better understanding of the successes and failures of the PD/Hearth programme to achieve more sustainable and cost-effective impacts.

scholarly journals Systematic review of health state utility values used in pharmacoeconomic evaluations for chronic hepatitis C: impact on cost-effectiveness results

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ru Han ◽  
Clément François ◽  
Mondher Toumi
Keyword(s):  
Liver Transplant ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Decompensated Cirrhosis ◽  
Health State ◽  
Health States ◽  
Utility Elicitation ◽  
Compensated Cirrhosis ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Elicitation Studies ◽  
The Impact

AbstractBackgroundHealth state utility values (HSUVs) identified from utility elicitation studies are widely used in pharmacoeconomic evaluations for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and are particularly instrumental in health technology assessment (HTA) evaluation like the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to identify HSUVs used in cost-utility analyses (CUAs) for CHC in Europe and evaluate the impact of HSUVs selection on cost-effectiveness results in terms of incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained (ICER).MethodsA systematic search of pharmacoeconomic evaluations for CHC was updated in Medline and Embase from the period of 2012-2017 to the period of 2017-2020. Data on health states, HSUVs and utility elicitation studies were extracted. The difference in HSUVs of the same health state in different CUAs and the difference between HSUVs of one health state and of the interlink health state in the same CUAs were calculated. A quality assessment was performed to evaluate the selection of HSUVs in CUAs. Sets of HSUVs identified were used in a re-constructed CUA model to assess the impact on ICER.ResultsTwenty-six CUAs conducted in European countries and referring to 17 utility elicitation studies were included. The difference in HSUVs of the same health states in different CUAs ranged from 0.021 (liver transplant) to 0.468 (decompensated cirrhosis). The difference between HSUVs of one health state and of the interlink health state of next disease severity level was calculated between health state of F0-F1/mild and F2-F3/moderate (n=11, 0.040 to 0.110), F2-F3/moderate and F4/compensated cirrhosis (n=18, 0.027 to 0.130), compensated cirrhosis and decompensated cirrhosis (n=22, 0.020 to 0.100), decompensated cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (n=24, 0.000 to 0.200), hepatocellular carcinoma and liver transplant in the first year (n=17, −0.329 to 0.170) and liver transplant in the first year and in subsequent years (n=17, −0.340 to 0.000). The utility elicitation study selected by most CUAs (n=11)was recommended as the source of HSUVs, as least for the CUAs conducted in the UK, based on the results of quality assessment. Seven sets of HSUVs were generated to fit the re-constructed model and changed the results of incremental analysis from being cost-effective to not cost-effective (ICER raging from £2,460 to £24,954 per QALY gained), and to dominated in the UK setting.ConclusionsThe CUAs for CHC were found to apply various HSUVs from different utility elicitation studies in the same health state. This variability of HSUVs has the potential to significantly affect ICER and ICER-based reimbursement decision. A rigorous selection of HSUVs in CUAs to inform healthcare resource allocation is suggested for future studies of CUAs and guideline development.

scholarly journals High-quality thermodynamic data on the stability changes of proteins upon single-site mutations

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabrizio Pucci ◽  
Raphaël Bourgeas ◽  
Marianne Rooman
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Stability ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
Experimental Information ◽  
Thermodynamic Quantities ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Melting Temperatures ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Stability ◽  
The Impact

We have set up and manually curated a dataset containing experimental information on the impact of amino acid substitutions in a protein on its thermal stability. It consists of a repository of experimentally measured melting temperatures (Tm) and their changes upon point mutations (∆Tm) for proteins having a well-resolved X-ray structure. This high-quality dataset is designed for being used for the training or benchmarking of in silico thermal stability prediction methods. It also reports other experimentally measured thermodynamic quantities when available,i.e.the folding enthalpy (∆H) and heat capacity (∆CP) of the wild type proteins and their changes upon mutations (∆∆H and ∆∆CP), as well as the change in folding free energy (∆∆G) at a reference temperature. These data are analyzed in view of improving our insights into the correlation between thermal and thermodynamic stabilities, the asymmetry between the number of stabilizing and destabilizing mutations, and the difference in stabilization potential of thermostable versus mesostable proteins.

Standards Certifications and Exports Performance

2016 ◽  
pp. 382-401
Author(s):  
Cristina Robledo-Ardila ◽  
Sara Aguilar-Barrientos ◽  
Kelly Gonzalez-Tapias ◽  
Ana María Gomez-Trujillo ◽  
Camila Uribe-Villa
Keyword(s):  
Food Industry ◽  
Export Performance ◽  
Processed Food ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
High Quality ◽  
The World ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Impact

The integration of the world economy and the internationalization of companies have resulted in consumers' demand for high quality goods. Standards have emerged as a way of reducing the information asymmetries that consumers face when purchasing a product, and have gained importance in the processed food industry as they allow them to assess the quality of goods and may influence the export performance of certified firms (An & Maskus, 2009). Certifications may act as promoters of international trade, but they can also constitute a barrier when the costs associated with the certification process exceed the potential benefits (Jarasueiya et al., 2006). The present study aims to compare the export performance of certified vs. non-certified firms in the Colombian processed food industry. A Mann-Whitney Test was used to analyze the difference of exports value for the selected companies, and then, non-structured interviews to the quality managers of these companies were conducted to gain greater understanding about the impact of standards certifications on their export performance.

scholarly journals P054: The effectiveness of emergency department-based interventions for patients with advanced or end-stage illness: a systematic review

CJEM ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (S1) ◽  
pp. S82
Author(s):  
A. Ghalab ◽  
M. Kruhlak ◽  
S. Kirkland ◽  
H. Ruske ◽  
S. Campbell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Quality Care ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Third Party ◽  
High Quality ◽  
End Stage ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: Patients with advanced or end-stage illness frequently present to emergency departments (EDs), many of whom are in need of palliative care (PC). Emergency physicians have struggled in providing high quality care to these patients and there is a need to identify cost-effective PC interventions delivered in the ED to improve patient outcomes. The objective of this systematic review was to examine the effectiveness of ED-based PC interventions. Methods: A comprehensive search of nine electronic databases and grey literature sources was conducted to identify any comparative studies assessing the effectiveness of ED-based PC interventions to improve health outcomes of patients with advanced or end-stage illness. Two independent reviewers completed study selection, quality assessment, and data extraction. Differences were mediated via third-party adjudication. Relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random effects model and heterogeneity (I2) was reported. Results: From 5882 potentially eligible citations, 12 studies were included. Two studies are currently on-going clinical trials, and as such, 10 studies were included in this analysis. The studies consisted of before-after studies (n = 5), RCTs (n = 4), and an observational cohort (n = 1). Interventions assessed among the included studies consisted primarily of ED-directed PC consultations (n = 6), while other studies assessed screening of patients with advanced or end-stage illness and PC needs (n = 2), education on PC for ED-staff (n = 1), and an ED-based critical care unit (n = 1). Infrequent reporting of important outcomes (e.g., Mortality, ED relapse) limited the ability of this review to conduct meaningful meta-analysis. There was no difference in patient mortality between two studies assessing ED-directed PC consultations (RR = 0.89; 95% CI: 0.71, 1.13; I2 = 0%). One before-after study (RR = 0.73; 95% CI: 0.47, 1.13) and two RCTs (RR = 2.19; 95% CI: 0.40, 11.92; I2 = 96%) did not identify significant differences in PC consultations intervention (implementation of ED-directed PC consultations) and control (usual care) patients. Conclusion: This review found limited evidence to support the recommendation of any particular ED-based intervention for patients presenting to the ED with advanced or end-stage illness. High quality studies and standardized outcome reporting are needed to better understand the impact of PC interventions in the ED setting.

Evaluation of Applied Materials' Rapid Thermal Processor Using SEMATECH Methodologies for 0.25 m Technology Thermal Applications-Part I

1996 ◽  
Vol 429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terrence J. Riley ◽  
Arun K. Nanda ◽  
Gary Miner ◽  
Michael F. Pas ◽  
Sylvia Hossain-Pas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sheet Resistance ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Evaluation Methodology ◽  
Effect Of Temperature ◽  
Process Window ◽  
Joint Development ◽  
Screening Experiments ◽  
Small Increments ◽  
The Impact

AbstractUnder a joint development contract with Applied Materials (AMAT) and Texas Instruments (TI), SEMATECH undertook a project (Joint Development Project J100) with a goal of delivering a cost effective, technically advanced Rapid Thermal Processor (RTP). The RTP tool was specified to meet the present and future manufacturing needs of SEMATECH's member companies. The J100 results contained here will focus on the temperature and control performance of the AMAT RTP tool. The evaluation methodology included passive data collection (PDC) to check the tool stability, screening experiments to isolate the variable interaction and to define the process window, broad range and narrow range sensitivity studies to determine the sheet resistance dependence on thermal budget for small increments in temperature set point, perturbation experiments to determine localized control, and stability experiments to check for drift and process repeatability. The impact of wafer emissivity on source/drain rapidthermal annealing was evaluated by processing wafers with varying backside films. The PDC experiments demonstrated the tool to be stable. Screening experiments revealed the strong effect of temperature, followed by time, and time-temperature interaction on sheet resistance. Boron implanted (p+/n) wafers were found to be sensitive at a temperature of 1025 °C or less for a 10 second anneal whereas arsenic implanted wafers (n+/p) showed greater sensitivity at temperatures ranging from 1025 °C to 1100 °C for a 10 second anneal.

The Impact of the Hairdressing Profession on Practising Hairdressers: A Gozitan Perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-89
Author(s):  
Amanda Bonnici
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Management Training ◽  
Professional Service ◽  
Depth Information ◽  
High Quality ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Secondary Information ◽  
Environment Sustainability ◽  
The Impact

This study investigates the hairdressing service quality being enjoyed by clients in Gozo and the difference in the way clients are affected by a hairdresser who has a hairdressing warrant and a hairdresser who does not. When clients pay high prices to have a high-quality service at the salon, they expect truly professional service which rests on performance quality which in turn depends on tasks completion quality, interaction, and deliverables. Hairdressers must use technological devices and time in an innovative way. The researcher aims to focus on how much hairdressers in Gozo can deliver high-quality hairdressing services based on the principles and good practices mentioned above, to what extent the possession of a warrant is affecting client’s satisfaction, and if hairdressers are educated in delivering hairdressing services or are just drilled in foundational skills. This study aims to explore what attention is being given to health and safety, electrical devices handling, environment sustainability, good postures, clear and intelligent consultations and advice, and if there is a leap in quality in hairdressing through recognized qualified courses and appropriate warrants. Since qualitative in-depth information is needed about the hairdressing service in Gozo, the researcher held a focus group with the Federation of Hairdressing and the clients’ opinions will be collected quantitatively through a questionnaire. The primary information gathered was compared with that collected about hairdressing abroad through online interviews with foreign hairdressers and secondary information gleaned from related literature review. It was expected that the study would demonstrate beyond doubt the best people management practices which are the most important differentiating factor in a small services business-like hairdressing together with management training and formal communication with clients. The author also expected that these principles and practices are not being respected in Gozo as most hairdressers do not possess the necessary qualification that is the key for teaching the best practices.

The Impact of Backboard Placement on Chest Compression Quality: A Mannequin Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (02) ◽  
pp. 182-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erkman Sanri ◽  
Sinan Karacabey
Keyword(s):  
Chest Compression ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Control Group ◽  
High Survival ◽  
Undergraduate Medical Students ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

Introduction:High-quality chest compressions (CCs) are associated with high survival rates and good neurological outcomes in cardiac arrest patients. The 2015 American Heart Association (AHA; Dallas, Texas USA) Guidelines for Resuscitation defined and recommended high-quality CCs during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). However, CPR providers struggle to achieve high-quality CCs. There is a debate about the use of backboards during CPR in literature. Some studies suggest backboards improve CC quality, whereas others suggest that backboards can cause delays. This is the first study to evaluate all three components of high-quality CCs: compression depth, recoil depth, and rate, at the same time with a high number of subjects. This study evaluated the impact of backboards on CC quality during CPR. The primary outcome was the difference in successful CC rates between two groups.Methods:This was a randomized, controlled, single-blinded study using a high-fidelity mannequin. The successful CC rates, means CC depths, recoil depths, and rates achieved by 6th-grade undergraduate medical students during two minutes of CPR were compared between two randomized groups: an experimental group (backboard present) and a control group (no backboard).Results:Fifty-one of all 101 subjects (50.5%) were female, and the mean age was 23.9 (SD = 1.01) years. The number and the proportion of successful CCs were significantly higher in the experimental group (34; 66.7%) when compared to the control group (19; 38.0%; P = .0041). The difference in mean values of CC depth, recoil depth, and CC rate was significantly higher in the experiment group.Conclusion:The results suggest that using a backboard during CPR improves the quality of CCs in accordance with the 2015 AHA Guidelines.Sanri E, Karacabey S. The impact of backboard placement on chest compression quality: a mannequin study. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2019;34(2):182–187

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document