Kendall Concordance Research Articles

Construction of an assessment scale for thirst severity in critically ill patients and its reliability and validity.

Developing a severity assessment scale for critically ill patients' thirst and conducting reliability and validity tests, aiming to provide healthcare professionals with a scientific and objective tool for assessing the level of thirst. Based on literature review and qualitative interviews, a pool of items was generated, and a preliminary scale was formed through two rounds of Delphi expert consultation. Convenience sampling was employed to select 178 ICU patients in a top-three hospital from May 2023 to October 2023 as the study subjects to examine the reliability and validity of the severity assessment scale for critically ill patients' thirst. The developed severity assessment scale for critically ill patients' thirst consists of 8 evaluation items and 26 evaluation indicators. The agreement coefficients for two rounds of expert consultation were 100% and 92.6% for the positive coefficient, and the authority coefficients were .900 and .906. Kendall's concordance coefficients were .101 and .120 (all p < .001). The overall Cronbach's α coefficient for the scale was .827. The inter-rater reliability coefficient was .910. The Item-Content Validity Index (I-CVI) ranged from .800 to 1.000, and the Scale-Content Validity Index/Average (S-CVI/Ave) was .950. The critically ill patients' thirst assessment scale is reliable and valid and can be widely used in clinical practice. The AiMi Academic Services (www.aimieditor.com) for English language editing and review services. The scale developed in this study is a simple and ICU-specific scale that can be used to assess the severity of thirst in critically ill patients. As such, the severity of thirst in critically ill patients can be evaluated quickly so that targeted interventions can be implemented according to the patient's specific disease and treatment conditions. Therefore, patient comfort can be improved, and thirst-related health problems can be prevented.

Group decision making model for selection of performance indicators for sustainable supplier evaluation in agro-food supply chain

Sustainable food production is of vital importance to ensure food security, enhanced stability, environmental protection, and economic development for any developing nation. In an Agro- Food Supply Chain (AFSC), joint efforts of all supply chain actors inclined towards sustainability can contribute significantly towards sustainable production. Suppliers, who are intermediaries between Food Processing Firm (FPF) and sub-suppliers or farmers, must follow the FPF's sustainability practices at their own level, and they must monitor the enactment of these activities at their sub-supplier level. In this regard, the study focuses on developing a group consensus mathematical model to derive a broader set of performance indicators to evaluate a supplier's competency in maintaining, monitoring, and tracing sustainable performance in his sub-supplier network. A two-phased group consensus model is presented; it selects performance indicators using the Delphi method and it utilizes a feedback mechanism rooted in Group Analytical Hierarchy Process. This system is based on an iterative algorithm to generate weights that all decision makers accept. The proposed model is illustrated with an analysis of an Indian flour milling company. Kendall's concordance coefficient is employed to understand the degree of agreement among decision makers before and after the application of the proposed model. Increase in its value post-application validates the efficacy of the model. This approach for performance indicator selection for sustainable supplier evaluation research is unique in the field of AFSC. Results of the study indicate that the top ranking indicator is ‘Food Safety’ followed by ‘Payment to Sub-suppliers’. Key policy implications are drawn from the result findings which can be further integrated to support sustainable growth and development of suppliers and sub-suppliers in any AFSC.

MANAGEMENT OF THE SDGs ACHIEVEMENT PROCESS IN LNTU SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES

The article is devoted to considering green standards for scientific research activities, and a system of priority measures and the achievement of key performance indicators reasoning. A self-assessment of SDGs achievement according to Green standards at LNTU in 2023 has been conducted, which includes environmental, social, and economic responsibility, as well as components of education and research. The hypothesis of the consistency of experts' views during the self-assessment of compliance with green standards of scientific activities has been proven by the Kendall concordance coefficient.The results of the self-assessment of compliance with green standards of scientific activities at LNTU are the basis for forming strategic actions to achieve SDGs. A methodology for forming an archetypal scenario of interaction between LNTU and SDGs has been proposed for use: tolerant, uncommitted, paternalistic, or transformational. The implementation of the transformational archetypal scenario of interaction between LNTU contains priorities for improving policies and plans.

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.

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.

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.

Comparison of the Property Players’ Preferences on Housing Prices in Surabaya

A landed house is a real estate product that is used to fulfill consumption or investment motives. This study was conducted to compare the preferences of developers, consumers, and investors for housing prices in Surabaya on both motives. Respondents were selected by purposive sampling and obtained 417 respondents. Data collection through questionnaires was conducted offline to developers and online to consumers and investors. Test data used Kendall concordance and Kruskal Wall test to analyze the comparison of developer, consumer, and investor preferences. The results showed that the three players had different preference variables on house prices in Surabaya related to physical quality, brand, location concept, location environment, financial condition, and livability. Developers focus on products (physical quality and housing concept) and brands. Consumers prioritize physical quality, location environment, and financial condition. Furthermore, investors prioritize the physical and environmental quality of the location. Physical quality is a key preference among developers, consumers, and investors. These findings indicate that each party has their own prioritized interests, so their preferences differ according to their motives.

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.

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.

A novel spherical decision-making model for measuring the separateness of preferences for drivers’ behavior factors associated with road traffic accidents

Enhancing road safety through a more effective understanding of drivers' behavior is a viable approach to curbing traffic collisions. When evaluating driving behavior, the selection of methodologies is diverse, often facing scrutiny. This study aims to detect, compare and quantify critical drivers' behavior factors concerning road safety in Budapest, Hungary. Employing the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) within a spherical fuzzy framework, based on Spherical Fuzzy Sets (SFS), we assess driver preferences. Kendall's test gauges’ agreement levels among hierarchical driver groups. At Level 1, our Spherical Fuzzy AHP (SFAHP) identifies 'Lapses' as crucial, followed by 'Errors' for experienced and young drivers. However, foreign drivers prioritize 'Errors' and 'Violations.' At Level 2, “Aggressive violations” prevails across all groups, contrasting with “Ordinary violations.” At Level 3, “Driving with alcohol use” reigns supreme. Kendall's concordance demonstrates low similarity at Level 1, while strong agreement surfaces for Levels 2 and 3. Our insights can empower transportation authorities to bolster road safety strategies by addressing these pivotal behavior factors.

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.

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%.

Gender gap in perspectives of the impacts of degradation and restoration on ecosystem services in Ethiopia

AbstractThe importance of land restoration has garnered increasing attention on the global stage through large‐scale initiatives such as the Bonn Challenge. However, policies and strategies are often gender‐blind and designed in compliance with entrenched social hierarchies, exacerbating pre‐existing social inequalities that affect restoration initiatives. The challenge of developing gender‐responsive policies and initiatives is accentuated by a persistent lack of sex‐disaggregated data concerning men's and women's differing perceptions and experiences. This study aims to help fill this gap by capturing the differences in men and women's perceptions of ecosystem services before and after restoration interventions in Ethiopia. Towards that end, in October 2021, we collected data from fifty‐nine (59) paired husband‐wife households and six gender‐segregated focus group discussions in two regions of Ethiopia: Amhara and Southern Nations, and Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP). Kendall's concordance analysis established a strong degree of disagreement between men's and women's ratings of restoration outcomes for most indicators. Men attributed degradation to landscape conditions and natural forces, while women considered the lack of appropriate restoration strategies as a precursor for accelerated degradation. The study also reveals that men tended to benefit more than women from enhanced ecosystem services post‐restoration, with increased labour and land management burdens often falling on the shoulders of women. Based on these findings, we argue that including men's and women's perspectives from the earliest planning phases of restoration initiatives is essential to ensure greater equity in benefit‐sharing, mitigate trade‐offs for women, and build more nuanced, just and successful approaches to restoration.

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.

Investigating the impact of gender and work profile on attribute importance for mode choice: A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making approach

In the recent years, there has been an increase in research exploring the factors that influence mode choice for commuting. Yet, the impact of gender (female vs. male) and work profile (formal vs. informal) on mode choice for decision-making is not well-known, especially in the Indian context. In this study, a multi-criteria decision-making tool was utilized to bridge this gap, exploring which attributes are most important to respondents from different genders and work backgrounds while choosing a mode of transportation for commuting. Focus group discussions were conducted at six selected locations. Using Fuzzy-AHP (analytical hierarchy process), it was determined that female respondents and formal workers place the greatest importance on travel time and safety, while male respondents and informal workers place the greatest importance on travel cost. In terms of their influence on mode selection, comfort and privacy were the least weighted factors for all four groups. Also, among the four categories, formal workers attributed the significant weight to hygiene and cleanliness (10%). In addition, it was revealed using Kendall's Concordance test that gender and work profiles are associated with the mode of transportation chosen by respondents for commuting. By examining the factors influencing intercity travel for commuting, traffic departments can gain insight into passengers' travel decision structures and develop an effective policy for travel demand management.

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.