Evaluation Of Current Practice Research Articles

Automated Opal Grading by Imaging and Statistical Learning

Quantitative grading of opals is a challenging task even for skilled opal assessors. Current opal evaluation practices are highly subjective due to the complexities of opal assessment and the limitations of human visual observation. In this paper, we present a novel machine vision system for the automated grading of opals-the gemological digital analyzer (GDA). The grading is based on statistical machine learning with multiple characteristics extracted from opal images. The assessment workflow includes calibration, opal image capture, image analysis, and opal classification and grading. Experimental results show that the GDA-based grading is more consistent and objective compared with the manual evaluations conducted by the skilled opal assessors.

Evaluation and management of bradycardia in neonates and children.

Early diagnosis and appropriate management are critical in many cases in order to prevent sudden death, and this review critically assesses our current practice for evaluation and management of bradycardia in neonates and children. Bradycardia is defined as a heart rate below the lowest normal value for age. Age related changes in the anatomy and physiology of infants and children produce normal ranges for electrocardiogram features that differ from adults and vary with age. Pediatric bradycardia most commonly manifests as sinus bradycardia, junctional bradycardia, or atrioventricular block. Management and eventual prognosis of bradycardia in the young are entirely dependent upon the underlying cause. Bradycardia may occur in a structurally normal heart or in association with congenital heart disease. Genetic variants in multiple genes have been described. Reasons to intervene for bradycardia are the association of related symptoms and/or the downstream risk of heart failure or pause-dependent tachyarrhythmia. Early diagnosis and appropriate management are critical in order to prevent sudden death.

Handoff Practices in Emergency Medicine: Are We Making Progress?

Transitions of care present a risk for communication error and may adversely affect patient care. This study addresses the scope of current handoff practices amongst U.S. emergency medicine (EM) residents. In addition, it evaluates current educational and evaluation practices related to handoffs. Given the ever-increasing emphasis on transitions of care in medicine, we sought to determine if interval changes in resident transition of care education, assessment, and proficiency have occurred. This was a cross-sectional survey study guided by the Kern model for medical curriculum development. The Council of Residency Directors Listserv provided access to 175 programs. The survey focused on elucidating current practices of handoffs from emergency physicians (EPs) to EPs, including handoff location and duration, use of any assistive tools, and handoff documentation in the emergency department (ED) patient's medical record. Multiple-choice questions were the primary vehicle for the response process. A four-point Likert-type scale was used in questions regarding perceived satisfaction and competency. Respondents were not required to answer all questions. Responses were compared to results from a similar 2011 study for interval changes. A total of 127 of 175 programs responded to the survey, making the overall response rate 72.6%. Over half of respondents (72 of 125, 57.6%) indicated that their ED uses a standardized handoff protocol, which is a significant increase from 43.2% in 2011 (p = 0.018). Of the programs that do have a standardized system, a majority (72 of 113, 63.7%) of resident physicians use it regularly. Significant increases were noted in the number of programs offering formal training during orientation (73.2% from 59.2%; p = 0.015), decreases in the number of programs offering no training (2.4% from 10.2%; p = 0.013), and no assessment of proficiency (51.5% from 69.8%; p = 0.006). No significant interval changes were noted in handoffs being documented in the patient's medical record (57.4%), the percentage of computer/electronic signouts, or the level of dissatisfaction with handoff tools (54.1%). Less than two-thirds of respondents (80 of 126, 63.5%) indicated that their residents were "competent" or "extremely competent" in delivering and receiving handoffs. An insufficient level of handoff training is currently mandated or available for EM residents, and their handoff skills appear to be developed mostly informally throughout residency training with varying results. Programs that have created a standardized protocol are not ensuring that the protocol is actually being employed in the clinical arena. Handoff proficiency most often goes unevaluated, although it is improved from 2011.

Do we really care about unintended outcomes? An analysis of evaluation theory and practice

The concept of ‘unintended outcomes’ has a long history. Contributions to the topic have appeared under the guise of various disciplinary lenses, including programme evaluation. There is now solid consensus among the international evaluation community regarding the need to consider side effects as a key aspect in any evaluative study. However, this concern often equates to nothing more than false piety. In this article, shortcomings of existing theoretical developments to evaluate unintended outcomes are identified. Current evaluation practices in international development are then analysed to demonstrate ways in which unintended outcomes remain peripheral. Reasons for neglect are discussed and the need for a stronger re-focusing on unintended effects of development interventions is advocated.

Introducing a Simple Guide for the evaluation and expression of the uncertainty of NIST measurement results

The current guidelines for the evaluation and expression of the uncertainty of NIST measurement results were originally published in 1993 as NIST Technical Note 1297, which was last revised in 1994. NIST is now updating its principles and procedures for uncertainty evaluation to address current and emerging needs in measurement science that Technical Note 1297 could not have anticipated or contemplated when it was first conceived. Although progressive and forward-looking, this update is also conservative because it does not require that current practices for uncertainty evaluation be abandoned or modified where they are fit for purpose and when there is no compelling reason to do otherwise. The updated guidelines are offered as a Simple Guide intended to be deployed under the NIST policy on Measurement Quality, and are accompanied by a rich collection of examples of application drawn from many different fields of measurement science.

PRM168 - Survey of Neurologist’s Current Practices in Evaluation of Multiple Sclerosis to Identify Domains for a New Clinician-Reported Measure

PRM168 - Survey of Neurologist’s Current Practices in Evaluation of Multiple Sclerosis to Identify Domains for a New Clinician-Reported Measure

Current practices in coronary artery disease evaluation of renal transplant candidates prior to renal transplantation

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in renal transplant recipients and candidates awaiting transplant. Pre-transplant coronary artery disease evaluation can aid in determining transplant candidacy, identifying patients who may benefit from pre-operative cardiac intervention, and implementing measures to reduce perioperative and post-transplant cardiovascular events. However, the choice of investigations and approach in evaluation has yet to be well defined. This article aims to review the evidence for the use of non-invasive investigations and coronary angiography in prognostication, as well as the evidence for revascularization in reducing future cardiac events. The article will also summarize international recommendations and describe the local practice in coronary artery disease evaluation prior to transplant.

Program Evaluation of Community College Learning Assistance Centers

Objective: This study seeks to determine the nature of current program evaluation practices for learning assistance centers (LACs), the practices being used for program evaluation, and whether LAC directors believe their practices are appropriate for evaluating program effectiveness. Method: We conducted a survey ( n = 61) of community college LAC directors to determine the pervasiveness of program evaluation and use of evaluation practices. In addition to rating the level of use of these practices, we asked directors to rate their agreement as to whether these practices were currently being used and whether these should be used at their institutions. We provide both a descriptive analysis of the responses and an analysis using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test (WSRT). Results: The study yielded several findings. Evaluation of LACs is common at 70.5%. LACs are often small with limited capacity to carry out program evaluation. LACs rely on many part-time and student employees to provide services. Centers lack data on special populations served such as developmental and underrepresented students. LAC directors would appreciate greater faculty involvement in program evaluation. LAC directors have limited control over program evaluation and the measures used in evaluation. Many evaluation best practices are being employed, although LAC directors believed improvements could be made. Survey results include a list of commonly employed data collection measures. Contributions: Despite crucial services provided by LACs at community colleges, little is known about how these centers are evaluated. To address this gap, this study surveys LAC directors about their program evaluation practices and needs.

Evaluation of current practices for trainee exposure to laparoscopic gastric surgery for cancer in a large university center

Evaluation of current practices for trainee exposure to laparoscopic gastric surgery for cancer in a large university center

Environmental Flows in Nepal - An Evaluation of Current Practices and an Analysis of the Upper Trishuli-I Hydroelectric Project

Environmental assessments and environmental flows are important components in modern hydropower development. Various methods employing a combination of hydrology, hydraulics, environmental assessment and ecology have been developed for analysing and setting environmental flows. In the developed countries, detailed assessments are being carried out for setting environmental flows whereas very little attention has been given to this topic in Nepal. However, this trend is changing in recent developments. We discuss current minimum flow practices for a number of hydropower projects in the planning, development and operation phases to observe minimum flows and environmental flow over time. Furthermore, we present an analysis of environmental flows for the Upper Trishuli-I Hydroelectric Project in Nepal that is currently in the planning phase. We base our conclusion using current flow assessment methodologies to study the effects of proposed minimum flows and possible changes to improve the effect of compensatory releases. HYDRO Nepal JournalJournal of Water, Energy and EnvironmentIssue: 17, July 2015

Zur Evaluation von Wissensgenerierung und Wissenstransfer in der Akademie für Raumforschung und Landesplanung (ARL) – Leibniz-Forum für Raumwissenschaften

This paper examines the conditions for transdisciplinary knowledge creation and transfer of knowledge in general using the Academy for Spatial Research and Planning (ARL) as an example. Based on a consideration of differences between practice-oriented and transdisciplinary research the paper discusses the role of science and practice and their relationship. It emphasises the need for a transdisciplinary dialogue including all relevant scientific disciplines and stakeholders for addressing major societal challenges. When scrutinizing the current evaluation practice of the Leibniz Association it can be shown that the tracing of impacts generated in discursive and applied research processes is a challenging task. Subsequently we discuss how the ARL—with its inherent tension between different scientific disciplines and the application-oriented planning practice—and other “non typical scientific institutes” can be evaluated. Based upon this, recommendations are given for further development of mechanisms to evaluate scientific institutions, in particular with regard to knowledge transfer and transdisciplinary research.

Collusion with denial: leadership development and its evaluation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate ways to gain deeper understanding of the evaluation challenge by reporting on insights about the impact of a leadership development program. It focusses on participants’ reflective post-course analysis of their learning, comparing this to a traditional evaluative analysis. Recently there has been a greater focus on programs to develop leaders who have the requisite cognitive and behavioral complexity to lead in challenging environments. However models for the evaluation of such programs often rely on methodologies that assume learning of specific skills rather than assessment of how well participants are able to cognitively and behaviorally adapt to uncertain and complex environments. Design/methodology/approach – The leadership development program was evaluated in two stages and the findings compared. Stage 1 elicited responses to the program using a traditional evaluation approach. Stage 2 involved 30 semi-structured interviews with the participants exploring the connections made between their development experience, work environment and approach to challenge. Findings – Evaluation approaches which focus on assessing reflection about personal learning provide greater detail on learning experience than traditional approaches to evaluation and can increase our understanding of the broader impact of leadership development programs. Current evaluation practices are mostly traditional despite dissatisfaction with outcomes. There are functional and financial benefits flowing from this practice suggesting collusion with denial between the suppliers and purchasers of leadership development and posing a question of causation. Originality/value – This study supports the use of qualitative evaluation techniques and in particular a focus on post-learning reflection to increase understanding of the impact of leadership development programs. The increased understanding provided by this type of evaluation can play a significant role in both the design of leader development programs and the creation of strategic alignment between business strategy, the purpose of leadership development interventions, learning objectives, program design and program evaluation.

EFFECTIVE ORIFICE AREA BY CARDIAC MAGNETIC RESONANCE FOR THE FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF BIOPROSTHETIC AORTIC VALVES

Effective orifice area (EOA) is the current practice for prosthetic valve functional evaluation. We hypothesized that phase contrast (PC) methods could be employed to describe the dynamic EOA, and compared to Doppler-derived EOA in patients with bioprosthetic aortic valves. We retrospectively

Return on Investment (ROI) training evaluation in Malaysian SMEs: factors influencing the adoption process

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to emphasize the importance of return on investment (ROI) within training programs in Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Specifically, this paper focuses on the determinants that may influence the adoption of ROI in the current training evaluation practice. Design/methodology/approach – The paper highlights the internal and external organizational factors that may influence ROI adoption within the Malaysian context. The internal drivers are identified as management support, while the external drivers are policies and regulation, competitive pressure and customer expectation. Findings – Based on a comprehensive review in the human resource field, the main drivers for ROI adoption are identified as management support, policies and regulations, competitive pressure and customer expectation. Practical implications – On the face of fierce national and international competitions, SMEs need to seriously consider investing in higher-level training evaluation, i.e...

Product quality for nanomaterials: current U.S. experience and perspective.

In recent years, there has been an increased focus on developing novel drug delivery systems and targeted therapies through the use of nanotechnology and nanomaterials. Such focus is translating to an increasing number of investigational new drug (IND) applications, new drug applications (NDAs), and abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) for drug products containing nanomaterials to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Although subject to the same rigorous regulatory standards and regulatory pathways as any drug product, unique properties that arise from the small size, large surface area, and polydispersity of nanomaterials may lead to additional scientific considerations when following current FDA guidelines and practices for drug evaluation. This review article will discuss these scientific considerations based on the experience with FDA-approved drug products containing nanomaterials.

Estimating Dietary Energy and Protein Requirements for Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease: An Evaluation of Current Practice Amongst Dietitians

Aims: To (i) identify current practice of dietitians in determining energy and protein requirements for patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD); and (ii) explore the magnitude and implications of the variability in estimates with reference to typical patients at each stage of PAD. Methods: An invitation to complete an online 26-item questionnaire was distributed electronically by the Dietitians Association of Australia to all members. Each method used by participants for estimation of energy and protein requirements across the stages of PAD was applied to the relevant typical patient and the range of estimates reported. Results: Twenty-two dietitians completed the questionnaire and reported caseloads inclusive of all stages of PAD and with relatively equal frequency. For estimation of energy requirements, the Schofield equations in addition to 120-125kJ/kg and 125-145kJ/kg were most frequently used. When applied to the typical patient, the estimates of requirements varied by over 5000kJ/day within each stage of PAD. For estimation of protein requirements it was common to apply the RDI (0.8-1g/kg/day) or account for minor surgery or sepsis (up to 1.5g/kg/day) for patients with rest pain or tissue loss. The estimates of protein requirements varied by up to 55g/day depending on the method used. Conclusions: There was significant variation in energy and protein estimates both within and across the stages of PAD, which is possibly due to the little evidence available to inform dietitians on how to best treat patients with PAD. Further work is required to acquire a solid evidence base and subsequently communicate this for translation into practice.

Globalization of the social sciences in Eastern Europe: genuine breakthrough or a slippery slope of the research evaluation practice?

The introduction of new research evaluation policies in most of the Eastern European (EE) countries was followed by the substantial growth in their (international) scientific productivity. The article starts with a brief review of the current research evaluation practice in EE countries and then explores the pattern of changes in international scientific production of 20 EE countries in the field of social sciences and humanities during 2004---2013. A new indicator named Journal Diversity Index (JDI) is suggested as a possible measure of sustainability and genuineness of the globalization of social sciences in EE countries. JDI represents the number of journals that account for 50 % of country's published articles, corrected for the total number of unique journals in which articles by the authors from all EE countries appear. The analysis has shown that EE countries with the lower JDI largely base their international scientific production on national journals covered by Web of Science (WoS). Those countries also have a lower average citation rate of articles. With the exception of Hungary and Poland, the "globalization" of EE social sciences still rely strongly on language, regional and cultural proximities. This is potentially harmful given the unstable status of EE journals in WoS. EE science policy institutions should take more responsibility in controlling the quality of national journals indexed in international databases. They should also be aware of significant differences in the coverage policies of Thomson Reuters and Elsevier and possible implications of those differences for the science evaluation practice.

Measuring the success of scaleable open online courses

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose measures of online open course success for non-commercial institutional providers of massive open online courses (MOOCs) and other scaleable open online courses (SOOCs). Design/methodology/approach – The measures are derived from the characteristics of open online courses, existing knowledge about open online course providers and users and their motivations, and current practice in MOOC evaluation and data analytics. Findings – Current practices for evaluation of open online courses are dominated by MOOC analytics which provide insights into user demographics and behaviour with some implications for evaluation of reach and course design but leaving many unknowns. Measures for evaluation of success at the institutional level can be derived from institutional goals for open online courses. Success from the point of view of teachers and technical teams involved in design, development and delivery of open online courses can be derived from team members’ expectations, resources and satisfaction as well as measures of cost and effort compared to budget and benchmarks. Users are classified as registrants (information seekers, window shoppers, samplers), downloaders and participants (starters, partial participants and full participants who are further divided into auditing, active and certificate takers); different measures are appropriate for each group. Practical implications – Practitioners and researchers must consider a variety of levels and indicators of success to adequately evaluate open online courses. Tables in the text propose measures, methods, timing and roles. Originality/value – This is the first published paper to take a holistic view of open online course evaluation and propose detailed measures.

Survey of current physiotherapy practice for patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion in the United Kingdom.

Descriptive survey methodology employed a SurveyMonkey online questionnaire. To evaluate UK National Health Service physiotherapy practice for lumbar spinal fusion surgery. An increasing rate of surgery and high level of patient dis-satisfaction focus attention to rehabilitation of patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion. Inconclusive, very low-quality evidence for the effectiveness of physiotherapy management after lumbar spinal fusion exists. Best practice, therefore, remains unclear. Limited comparability of outcomes and retrieval of only 2 trials reflected a lack of research and considerable heterogeneity. An evaluation of current practice is required, to inform a future trial to evaluate a best practice physiotherapy intervention. Eligible participants were all physiotherapists working with patients undergoing spinal fusion. A previous survey and recent systematic review informed questions. Statistical analyses included responder characteristics and preplanned descriptive analyses. Thematic analysis was conducted on open-ended question data. The 83.5% response rate was good. Findings illustrated varied provision relating to assessment and management of patients pre- and postoperatively. Physiotherapists employed limited use of protocols or guidelines, partly attributed to the poor evidence base for this surgery. Scope of practice included exercise, advice, listing for surgery, and ordering investigations. Patient education played an important role. Patient-centered practice was important, although constraints owing to limited resources (staffing, poor evidence, base/lack of protocols) were evident. Current UK pre- and postoperative physiotherapy practice for lumbar spinal fusion is described. It is not clear whether patients who are seen by physiotherapists have improved outcomes, owing to variability of practice, physiotherapy being delivered in a range of locations at a range of times postoperatively, and limited use of outcome measures. The findings support the need for a randomized clinical trial evaluating effectiveness of a best practice physiotherapy management intervention. 3.

Using evaluation to prove or to improve? An international, mixed-method investigation into zoos' formal education evaluation practices.

This study was a mixed-method investigation into zoos’ education evaluation practices. The first phase of the research involved an online questionnaire in which 176 zoos across 48 countries reported their evaluation practices. The second phase comprised nine case studies, enabling direct, in-depth observation of each site within its context, including face-to-face zoo education staff interviews. Taken together, the two phases of this research offer a revealing analysis of current evaluation practice within zoos. The research indicates that zoo education staff understand evaluation and its application within formal zoo education programmes. However, zoo staff noted several barriers to regular evaluation including time, cost and know-how. The majority of case study zoos indicated that their education programmes are guided primarily by school curriculum to be attractive to teachers and link with student learning. The research also suggests that educational programme evaluations in zoos focus mostly on participant satisfaction to ensure teacher expectations are met; educational outcomes for students are rarely addressed. Rather, informal measures including observations and anecdotes are heavily utilised within zoos across all regions, and zoos noted that information gained through formal satisfaction surveys and more informal evaluation processes was used to inform current and future programmes. School return visits and participation rates were also considered important indicators of programme success. However, whilst some case study sites had conducted formal satisfaction surveys, the results had not been analysed or utilised for programme revision or development. Thus, whilst there is a general understanding of evaluation, a strong focus on visitor satisfaction and participation seems to dominate evaluation practice within zoos. There seemed to be little evaluation focused on programme success in terms of the extent to which educational goals are achieved. The implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.