Kendall's Coefficient Of Concordance Research Articles

Impact Evaluation and Adoption of Climate Resilience and Nutrition Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato in Burundi: A Case Study of the Rural Bujumbura Province

The new orange-fleshed sweet potato varieties have been adopted with the aim of increasing production, farmers' welfare, and combating chronic malnutrition. This study analyzed the impact of orange-fleshed sweet potato adoption on production in Gihanga commune using the propensity score matching method. A survey of 385 households was carried out on April 2023, including 161 orange-fleshed sweet potato adopters and 224 non-adopters. The determinants and rate of adoption of orange-fleshed sweet potato were also analyzed using the logit model and the Average Treatment effect on the Treated (ATT) method respectively, while Kendall's Concordance Coefficient was used to determine adoption constraints. Thus, unpredictable weather and climatic conditions, lack of capital, unavailability of PDCO cuttings, insufficient arable land as well as high labor costs are the main constraints to orange-fleshed sweet-potato adoption. The adoption rate for orange-fleshed sweet potatoes is estimated at 42%. Adoption of PDCO was positively and significantly influenced by the household head's level of education, family labor, access to credit, access to extension services and membership of producer organizations, while the household head's age and household size had a negative impact on adoption. The ATT revealed that the adoption of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes increased production per adopter household by an average of 369.88 kg, although the difference was not statistically significant. The government and other players in the agricultural sector should do their part to raise awareness, disseminate, facilitate access and mobilize farmers to adopt sweet potato varieties in order to improve their productivity.

A core competency evaluation index system for the graded use of clinical nurse specialists: A Delphi study.

To describe a grading system that can be used to evaluate core competency of clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) at different levels. Evaluate core competence of CNSs at different levels reflects the quality of nursing and the development of the nursing profession. This research employed the Delphi method. The STROBE checklist for observational cross-sectional studies was followed to report this research study. This study consisted of two main phases: a literature review and semistructured interviews. Individual semistructured interviews were conducted with 11 healthcare experts and two patients. Two rounds of questionnaire surveys were administered to 21 nursing experts using the Delphi method. The CNSs were classified as primary, intermediate or advanced based on their years of work, professional titles and educational qualifications. The graded competency evaluation system consisted of five first-level indicators (clinical practice, consulting guidance and teaching, scientific research innovation, management and discipline development, and ethical decision-making), 15 second level indicators, and 40 third-level indicators. The authority coefficients (Cr) of the experts were .865 and .901. The Kendall's concordance coefficients of the three-level indicators were .417, .289 and .316 for primary CNSs; .384, .294 and .337 for intermediate CNSs; and .489, .289 and .239 for advanced CNSs. The graded use evaluation system in clinical practice initially involves a comprehensive evaluation of the core abilities of CNSs. This is a tool for cultivating and grading the abilities of specialised nurses that can promote a practical upwards spiral. The evaluation system can promote the scientific management and continuous improvement of CNSs in clinical nursing and can serve as a practical and objective reference for the effective management and development of CNSs. Patients participated in the data collection process, during which they shared their health-seeking experience with our research team.

Per-Subject Oculomotor Plant Mathematical Models and the Reliability of Their Parameters

The practical value of oculomotor plant mathematical models (OPMMs) has been demonstrated across various domains, including biometrics and eye movement prediction. To further enhance their utilization, new optimization approaches are commonly developed and introduced within the research community. In this study, we demonstrate a new integration of a previously developed per-subject optimization procedure for an Enderle OPMM and introduce methods to evaluate the reliability of OPMM parameters using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Kendall's Coefficient of Concordance (KCC). We evaluated two per-subject OPMM models, Bahill and Enderle, using the 'GazeBase' eye movement dataset. The models differed in accuracy, expressed as the per-sample error in degrees of visual angle, based on the differences between the actual and predicted saccade trajectories. We found that some of the parameter estimates for both models were quite unreliable. We discuss the importance of addressing low-reliability issues and suggest methods to modify the models to enhance reliability and performance.

Development of A New Tool to Analyze Injury Risk: Turkish Get Up Injury Risk Tool

Injury risk analysis is critical to preventing injuries' physical and psychological impact. The purpose of this study was to develop a new tool to evaluate the risk of injury particular to the Turkish get up (TGU) exercise. According to expert opinions, the Turkish Get Up Injury Risk Tool (TUGIR) is a biomechanical assessment tool developed based on the Turkish Get Up (TGU) movement. It evaluates the alignment and quality of movement during the exercise to assess the risk of injury. The upper and lower quarter Y balance tests (YBTs) and Functional Movement Screening (FMS) were performed to determine construct validity. A total of thirty- three wrestlers performed all the tests. Reliability was assessed by internal consistency determined with Cronbach's alpha coefficients and inter-rater reliability determined with Kendall's coefficient of concordance. The injury risk cut-off value was calculated according to the Angoff method. The internal consistency of the TUGIR was found to be 0.77 and 0.76, respectively, quite reliable for the right and left sides. Kendall's concordance coefficient of the total score was determined to be 0.998 for both sides. The injury risk cut-off value was found to be %72 for the overall TUGIR score. A low to moderate association was observed between TUGIR and YBTs—FMS. The TUGIR is a novel, reliable, and valid tool for assessing injury risk in sports. This tool offers several advantages, including being an easy-to-use, low- cost, and comprehensive method that can reflect sports-specific biomechanical characteristics. This research could lead to the use of this tool to assess the risk of injury in other sports branches.

FACTORS PERSUADING THE SAMBALPURI WEAVING COMMUNITY TO WORK FOR A MASTER WEAVER: A CASE STUDY OF SUBARNAPUR DISTRICT, ODISHA

The country was recently hit by COVID-19, which left the informal handloom workers completely stranded, with the lockdown imposed putting lakhs of handloom weavers lives and livelihoods at risk. In this context, the current study aims to investigate the impact of pandemics and lockdown on the income level of the Sambalpuri weaving community. The field research is being conducted in ten villages in Odishas Subarnapur district. It is found that as there are no cooperative societies, weavers are reliant on master weavers, who pay meagre wages and find it difficult to feed their families and attend to medical emergencies. Using Henry Garrett Ranking and Kendall coefficient of Concordance, we attempt to investigate the dominance factor that forced them to work under the master weavers control. The most significant reasons, according to the findings, are a lack of working capital and loans obtained from the informal sector. KEYWORDS: Handloom, Garrett Ranking and Kendalls Concordance, Income. Subject classification codes: C14, E26

Immunohistochemical assessment of HER2 low breast cancer: interobserver reproducibility and correlation with digital image analysis.

The recent findings from the DESTINY-Breast04 trial highlighted the clinical importance of distinguishing between HER2 immunohistochemistry (IHC) scores 0 and 1 + in metastatic breast cancer (BC). However, pathologist interpretation of HER2 IHC scoring is subjective, and standardized methodology is needed. We evaluated the consistency of HER2 IHC scoring among pathologists and the accuracy of digital image analysis (DIA) in interpreting HER2 IHC staining in cases of HER2-low BC. Fifty whole-slide biopsies of BC with HER2 IHC staining were evaluated, comprising 25 cases originally reported as IHC score 0 and 25 as 1 +. These slides were digitally scanned. Six pathologists with breast expertise independently reviewed and scored the scanned images, and DIA was applied. Agreement among pathologists and concordance between pathologist scores and DIA results were statistically analyzed using Kendall coefficient of concordance (W) tests. Substantial agreement among at least five of the six pathologists was found for 18 of the score 0 cases (72%) and 15 of the score 1 + cases (60%), indicating excellent interobserver agreement (W = 0.828). DIA scores were highly concordant with pathologist scores in 96% of cases (47/49), indicating excellent concordance (W = 0.959). Although breast subspecialty pathologists were relatively consistent in evaluating BC with HER2 IHC scores of 0 and 1 +, DIA may be a reliable supplementary tool to enhance the standardization and quantification of HER2 IHC assessment, especially in challenging cases where results may be ambiguous (i.e., scores 0-1 +). These findings hold promise for improving the accuracy and consistency of HER2 testing.

Application of Decision Support Expert Systems for Improved gasoline yield in Refinery Catalytic Cracking

The Catalytic Cracking Unit (CCU) stands out as the primary factor responsible for enhancing gasoline production in the refinery. This paper provides a deep insight on the complexity of the factors within this unit, explore their broader implications, and offer a rationale for their technical significance. A survey approach involving the use of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) facilitated by StatistiXL software package and Kendall Coefficient of Concordance (KCC) to measure agreement among the respondents was employed. A total of 32 variables were identified, and questionnaires were developed using Rensis Likert's 5-point scale. These questionnaires were then administered to 100 respondents. Prior to this step, the Kendall Coefficient of Concordance was utilized to establish the sequential order of importance among these identified factors. The results obtained showed an index of agreement among the judges in ranking the variables W, as 0.54, the null hypothesis of disconcordance among the judges was rejected at a p-value of 0.01. The study identified 14 significant variables based on the KCC results, including Catalytic Cracking Charge, Mid Riser Temperature, Riser Inlet Temperature, Riser Outlet Temperature, and Stripper Level. Additionally, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) effectively condensed the set of 32 variables into four manageable clusters. The integration of data analytics techniques, such as KCC and PCA, alongside expert opinions and collected data enabled the assessment of the influence of independent variables on gasoline yield and the categorization of these variables. This study offers valuable insights for both academia and the industry, especially in the context of the Catalytic Cracking Unit.

Comparing shopping communities by statistical methods

The shopping community is a widely popular form of shopping in Hungary in the second decade of the 21st century. While the literature identifies the shopping community as an element of the short supply chain, shopping communities present themselves as a "link", a form of shopping, a tool for local economic development, among other things. Based on the number of products offered in the shopping communities by product group, the shopping communities with webshops were compared using Kendall's concordance coefficient. My aim was to visualise the relative offerings of the shopping communities. The shopping community with the highest number of products ranked by product group was given the highest ranking. Using the various rankings, the ranking of the overall offerings of the shopping communities was determined by applying Kendall's concordance coefficient.

Водозаборное сооружение для целей орошения земель в горных условиях Северного Кавказа

Purpose: to develop a water intake structure for land reclamation purpose under the conditions of water withdrawal from mountainous natural water sources. Materials and methods. The paper is based on the theoretical analysis of the river hydrological and geological characteristics, which made it possible to calculate the minimum flow required for the stable operation of water intake structure and guaranteed water withdrawal during the growing seasons. The design parameters of the water intake structure were developed using the method of expert assessment with non-parametric statistics by comparing several dependent variables. Having determined the required qualities for a water intake structure, the design of a reclamation facility adapted for the conditions of the mountain and foothill zones of the North Caucasus was developed. Results. To achieve this goal, a static method for analyzing water intake structures was adapted, and statements with a factorial rating scale for expert assessment were developed. Kendall's concordance coefficient was 0.726, the data were consistent, the significance level P was less than 0.05, the differences between the factors were significant. The layer-by-layer latticed type of water intake structure has maximum efficiency. The design of a bottom-type water intake structure has been developed on the basis of the river hydrological regime and the method of water supply to the system. This type of structure demonstrates high efficiency in conditions of difficult terrain and unstable water source regimes during the growing seasons, ensuring stable water intake with minimal impact on the ecosystem. Conclusions. The proposed design of a water intake structure can be adapted to different types of water resources and their fluctuations, which makes it acceptable for mountainous areas with variable water levels in natural water sources. Minimal impact on the ecosystem is ensured by a high degree of water purification without significant changes in river channels.

A Development of the Evaluation Indicator for the Sustainable Development of Elementary School Basketball in Anhui Province

Background and Aim: School basketball in Anhui Province is one of the earliest provinces approved by the Ministry of Education. Given the important role of school basketball in Anhui Province in the reform of physical education and the fundamental role of school basketball in the selection of competitive basketball reserves, it is crucial to guide the scientific and sustainable development of school basketball in Anhui Province. Thus, the research aimed to develop a comprehensive and scientific evaluation indicator system for the sustainable development of school basketball in Anhui Province. Materials and Methods: The main research instrument of this research was expert questionnaires. The population is 31 experts. The Delphi technique was used to select 19 experts in the field of school basketball to determine the final indicator system. Using the AHP method, the researchers calculated the weights for each indicator in the evaluation indicator system based on the experts' judgments. This process contributed to an objective and quantitative determination of the indicators' importance. Results: The scientificity and applicability of the research process and results were validated through a focus group. Data analysis uses the mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, frequency statistics, and Kendall's concordance coefficient test work. The research determined the evaluation indicator system through two rounds of expert consultation, resulting in four first-level indicators, 11 second-level indicators, and 35 third-level indicators. In this research, the hierarchical analysis method (AHP) was used to determine the weights of the indicators at all levels. The research findings indicated that the developed evaluation indicator system received recognition and support from the experts in terms of its scientificity, rationality of evaluation standards, and comprehensiveness. Conclusion: The system provided an effective evaluation tool for assessing the sustainable development of school basketball in Anhui Province, guiding relevant decision-making processes, and offering reference points for improvements.

Electricity Theft Detection Based on Contrastive Learning and Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring

Electricity theft has caused enormous damage to grids safety and economy globally, bringing plentiful attention to electricity theft detection. However, the inherent problems of data imbalance, data sparsity, and data shift due to the residents will or the seasons remain challenges. Besides, there is a lack of appliance-level information provided by non-intrusive load monitoring to improve the data graininess in electricity theft detection. To address these problems, an electricity theft detection algorithm based on contrastive learning and non-intrusive load monitoring is proposed. Firstly, a semi-supervised learning architecture composed of Gramian angular field encoding for sequence visualization and contrastive learning architecture featuring few-shot learning is established for load monitoring and initial detection considering the inherent operating characteristics of appliances. Furthermore, after the filtration of typical regular-switched appliances by Kendalls coefficient of concordance, in-depth detection of abnormal operation routines of appliances is conducted for suspicious residents, aiming to improve the fault-tolerant ability and resist the emergence of unknown electricity theft methods. Finally, the electricity theft probability is computed to confirm fraudulent users. Both the public and practical datasets are utilized to verify the effectiveness of the proposed study, and the results show an overall better performance compared to other state-of-the-art algorithms.

Methodological Approach to Assessing the Quality of Public Health

Introduction: The article describes a methodological approach to elaborating the public health quality index used to reflect the true size of the medical and social resource of the society. The method of calculation takes into account both social and medical components. The public health quality index is calculated in accordance with the idea that a certain category of people has more opportunities to perform a social function. The proposed approach makes it possible to move from general assessments of public health to true ones. Objective: To develop a methodological approach to calculating the public health quality index. Materials and methods: To calculate the public health quality index, age ranges of people were selected, considering their physical fitness to perform social functions. To improve the accuracy of the assessment, each social function was weighted by systematizing expert assessments. The calculated Kendall concordance coefficient (0.7) demonstrated a high degree of expert consistency. The index was calculated considering recommendations of “The Urban Health Index: A Handbook for its Calculation and Use” (2014) by the World Health Organization. Results: According to expert opinions, the most significant social function is the ability of fertile women to realize their reproductive function while the least significant is the ability of elderly people to continue working in the next 5 years after retirement. The aspect related to the ability of men to reproduce has been also considered of great importance. Conclusion: During the study, the question was raised about the possibility of clarifying the methodology for calculating the public health index given the goals of public administration. This index should be considered as a monitoring tool available in the current period to counter emerging public health challenges.

Clinical Reproducibility of the Stone Volume Measurement: A "Kidney Stone Calculator" Study.

An accurate estimation of the stone burden is the key factor for predicting retrograde intra-renal surgical outcomes. Volumetric calculations better stratify stone burden than linear measurements. We developed a free software to assess the stone volume and estimate the lithotrity duration according to 3D-segmented stone volumes, namely the Kidney Stone Calculator (KSC). The present study aimed to validate the KSC's reproducibility in clinical cases evaluating its inter-observer and intra-observer correlations. Fifty patients that harbored renal stones were retrospectively selected from a prospective cohort. For each patient, three urologists with different experience levels in stone management made five measurements of the stone volume on non-contrast-enhanced computed tomography (NCCT) images using the KSC. the overall inter-observer correlation (Kendall's concordance coefficient) was 0.99 (p < 0.0001). All three paired analyses of the inter-observer reproducibility were superior to 0.8. The intra-observer variation coefficients varied from 4% to 6%, and Kendall's intra-observer concordance coefficient was found to be superior to 0.98 (p < 0.0001) for each participant. Subgroup analyses showed that the segmentation of complex stones seems to be less reproductible. The Kidney Stone Calculator is a reliable tool for the stone burden estimation. Its extension for calculating the lithotrity duration is of major interest and could help the practitioner in surgical planning.

Patients’ expectancy scale of acupuncture: Development and clinical performance test

PurposeThis study aims to develop and validate a concise tool for evaluating acupuncture expectancy that is easy to understand and conforms to acupuncture characteristics. Materials and methodsA draft was created using the Delphi consensus method. Reliability, validity, discrimination, and feasibility tests were conducted at the item and scale levels. ResultsThe scale themes were defined as disease-related, treatment-related, process-related, and outcome-related. After two rounds of Delphi surveys with good experts' reliability (authority coefficients of experts were 0.86 and 0.87 in the two rounds) and agreement (Kendall's concordance coefficient of the participants were 0.33 and 0.15 in the two rounds, P < 0.05), 11 items (the mean score for item importance, full mark ratios, and coefficient of variation of items were ≥3.5, ≥25%, and ≤0.30, respectively) were included in the draft. A total of 145 individuals were recruited to test the draft. Reliability was assessed by Cronbach's α coefficient (0.90), split-half reliability coefficient (0.89), and test–retest reliability (Pearson's coefficient = 0.74, P < 0.05). Content validity was assessed by the content validity index (Item-CVI ≥ 0.78 and Scale-CVI/Ave = 0.92), and a confirmatory factor analysis was performed to assess the construct validity. The discrimination of scale items was evaluated by the critical ratio (CR > 3.00) and the homogeneity test (item-total correlations >0.40). Feasibility was assessed through the acceptance rate (recovery rate = 98.60%, response rate = 100%), completion rate (100%), and completion time (4.99 ± 6.80 min). ConclusionThe patients’ expectancy scale of acupuncture (PESA) consists of 11 items with four themes, disease-related, treatment-related, process-related, and outcome-related. It has great reliability, validity, discrimination, and feasibility and has the potential to evaluate acupuncture expectancy in clinical trials.

The Influence of Social Factors on Consumer Buying Behaviour of Female Sanitary Ware in Gwarinpa District of Abuja, Nigeria

No matter the type of products that are introduced into a market, there has to be analysis of the target market and how consumers will react to those products. Anyone going into a venture or starting a business must have knowledge on consumer buying behaviour, while this does not guarantee sales; it gives entrepreneurs and marketers insight on how to understand the buying behaviour of consumers. The main objective of this study was to assess the influence of social factors on consumer buying behaviour of female sanitary ware in Gwarinpa District of Abuja, with particular emphasis on Molped Sanitary ware. The study is a survey research sampling the opinion of three hundred and twenty three women in the District. Their opinions were collected using a structured questionnaire. The data collected were analysed by tabulations, percentages and formulated hypotheses tested using Kendall coefficient of concordance. The findings reveal that family plays a significant role in influencing consumer buying behaviour of Molped female sanitary ware in Gwarinpa District of Abuja; also reference groups, role and status influences consumer buying behaviour of female sanitary ware in the District. The study concluded that social factors are significantly relevant in influencing consumer buying behaviour of female sanitary ware in Gwarinpa District of Abuja. And therefore recommended amongst others that family members should learn about the most comfortable and environmentally friendly sanitary wares they purchase in order to set an exemplary role for the younger ones; equally friends and colleagues should encourage each other and promote awareness on good sanitary wares available to them like Molped products to promote good hygiene among young women.

A comparison of absolute, ratio standard and allometric approaches for bench press performance assessment in men over 60

Body mass is known to affect muscle strength and the outcome of some functional tests, so that heavier and taller people will be stronger than lighter and smaller ones. Ratio standard (RS) has been widely used to remove the body mass effect, despite long date criticism due to its inadequacy. Allometry (ALLO), in turn, has been applied as an efficient method for normalizing muscular strength. As the bench press (BP) is a well-recognized strength and conditioning exercise for older adults, the aim of the present study was to verify the influence of body mass on the performance assessment of a group of older men in the BP, by comparing the absolute, RS and ALLO approaches. Sixteen healthy old men (65.5±5.13 years old; 75.42±9.78Kg; 1.73±5.98m; 25.11±2.71 kg/m2; 24.76±4.10 %fat) volunteered to participate in the study. Maximum dynamic load was verified by individual one-repetition maximum (1-RM) tests. Comparisons of means revealed that significant 1-RM difference between lighter (54.9±8.85Kg) and heavier (66.2±8.86Kg) participants was identified only in absolute approach (p&lt;0.05; ES=0.57). RS failed in completely remove the body mass effect, allowing correlation between normalized muscular strength and BM (r=0.23), in contraire of ALLO (r=0.03 and 0.06). Kendall's concordance coefficient revealed an absolute lack of agreement between approaches when compared their respective ordinal classifications (kw=0.003; p&gt;0.05). In line with previous research, ALLO has shown to be the only suitable method to remove adequately the body mass effect and to provide appropriated performance scores for the older men evaluated in this study.

Optimal industry tax rate adjustment for investors in Denmark

The paper considers the possibility of setting differentiated corporate profit rates on foreign direct investment in various industries in Denmark in order to increase the country's economic growth. The development of one of the authors regarding the determination of equilibrium prices in retail trade was taken as the main method. According to this method, prices were raised for those goods that sold better. On the contrary, the prices of low-demand goods decreased. A test of that technique in the retail trade proved that customers who bought goods that went up in price did not abandon those goods. On the other hand, the sales of low-demand goods increased, as a result of which the traders' incomes increased. The adaptation of this principle for the reorganization of the taxation system was based on the idea that if the tax on a certain branch of the economy, which gives the largest income to the budget, is increased, investors will not refuse to invest it in the future, and a decrease in the tax on the branch that gives small deductions to the budget of the country, on the contrary , will attract additional investments. In order to limit the possible changes in tax rates for various sectors of the Danish economy, five Danish economists were involved, who expressed their opinion on the permissible limits of tax rate changes. The level of agreement between experts' opinions, determined by the Kendall concordance coefficient, was sufficient. The problem of mathematical programming was formulated in such a way that the total percentage of tax changes was equal to zero and that the tax change did not exceed the limits determined in advance by the experts. The optimal calculation of corporate tax rates for each industry in Denmark was performed using 2022 data, showing the following results: Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries 20.96%, Mining 20.92%, Manufacturing 22.2%, Utilities 22 ,44%, Construction 21.93%, Trade and transport 22.25% , Information and communication 22.62%, Finance and insurance 22.93%, Real estate transactions and lease of non-residential buildings 22.13%, Residential houses 22.11%, Other business services 22.25%, Government, education and health care 21.01%, Arts, entertainment and other services 22.25%.

Photon-Counting Versus Energy-Integrating Detector CT Angiography of the Lower Extremity in a Human Cadaveric Model With Continuous Extracorporeal Perfusion.

Detailed visualization of the arterial runoff is mandatory for the assessment of peripheral arterial occlusive disease. This study aims to compare the performance of a first-generation photon-counting detector computed tomography (PCD-CT) to a third-generation energy-integrating detector CT (EID-CT). Computed tomography angiographies of 8 upper leg arterial runoffs were performed on human cadaveric models with continuous extracorporeal perfusion. For both PCD-CT and EID-CT, radiation dose-equivalent 120 kVp acquisition protocols (low-/medium-/high-dose: CTDI Vol = 3/5/10 mGy) were used. All scans were performed with standard collimation (PCD-CT: 144 × 0.4 mm; EID-CT: 96 × 0.6 mm), a pitch factor of 0.4, and a gantry rotation time of 1.0 second. Reformatting of data included the use of comparable vascular kernels (Bv 48/49), a slice thickness and increment of 1.0 mm, and a field of view of 150 × 150 mm. Eight radiologists evaluated image quality independently using a browser-based pairwise forced-choice comparison setup. Kendall concordance coefficient ( W ) was calculated to estimate interrater agreement. Signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were compared based on 1-way analyses of variance and linear regression analysis. Low-dose PCD-CT achieved superior signal-to-noise ratio/CNR values compared with high-dose EID-CT ( P < 0.001). Linear regression analysis suggested that an EID-CT scan with a CTDI Vol of at least 15.5 mGy was required to match the CNR value of low-dose PCD-CT. Intraluminal contrast attenuation was higher in PCD-CT than EID-CT, irrespective of dose level (415.0 ± 31.9 HU vs 329.2 ± 29.4 HU; P < 0.001). Subjective image quality of low-dose PCD-CT was considered superior to high-dose EID-CT ( P < 0.001). Interrater agreement was high ( W = 0.989). Using cadaveric models with continuous extracorporeal perfusion allows for intraindividual image quality comparisons between PCD-CT and EID-CT on variable dose levels. With superior luminal contrast attenuation and denoising in angiographies of the peripheral arterial runoff, PCD-CT displayed potential for radiation saving of up to 83% compared with EID-CT.

The Role of Managerial Skills on the Performance of Small and Medium Enterprise (SMES) in Jabi District, Abuja, Nigeria

The objective of this study was to access the role of managerial skills on SME performance in Jabi District, Abuja, Nigeria. The study is a survey research, sampling the opinion of 240 business owners in the District. Their opinion was collected using a structured questionnaire and data collected were analyzed by tabulation, percentages and the formulated hypotheses tested using Kendall coefficient of concordance. The study discovered that these managerial skills: technical skills, conceptual skills, interpersonal relation skills, and budgeting skills had a substantial effect on the performance of SMEs. The study concluded that insufficient managerial skills are factors militating against SME performance and recommended among others that SME managers should try to understand, lead, change and regulate the behavior of the individuals and organization they manages to achieve greater performance; the government, Non-Governmental Organizations, and SME owners' unions provide adequate training.

On Selecting, Ranking, and Quantifying Features for Building a Liver CT Diagnosis Aiding Computational Intelligence Method

The liver is one of the most common locations for incidental findings during abdominal CT scans. There are multiple types of disease that can arise within the liver and many of them are nodular. The ultimate goal of our research is to develop an expert knowledge-based system using fuzzy signatures, to support decisions during diagnosis of the most frequent of these nodular lesions. Since the literature contains limited information about the graphical properties of CT images that must be taken into consideration and their relationship to one another, in this paper we focused on selecting and ranking the input parameters using expert knowledge and determining their importance. Six visual attributes of lesions (size, shape, density, homogeneity contour, and other features) were selected based on textbooks of radiology and expert opinion. The importance of these attributes was ranked by radiologist experts using questionnaires and a pairwise comparison technique. The most important feature was found to be the density of the lesion on the various CT phases, and the least important was the size, the order of the other attributes was other features, contour, homogeneity, and shape, with a Kendall concordance coefficient of 0.612. Weights for the attributes, to be used in the future fuzzy signatures, were also determined. As a last step, several statistical parameter-based quantities were generated to represent the above abstract attributes and evaluated by comparing them to expert opinions.