Tally Sheets Research Articles

Traffic volume Analysis of Newly Developing semi-urban Road

The purpose of the study and analyze traffic vehicular at peak hours, traffic congestion, determine level of service and provide suitable solution to reduce congestion and improve level of service. Hyderabad is a rapidly urbanizing metropolitan city with a population of 68.1lakhs. The increasing population has led to a tremendous increase in vehicular ownership resulting in high motorization rates. Vehicular population in Hyderabad is about 50lakhs. This increase in vehicular population, congestion and hazardous traffic conditions have resulted in traffic congestions, traffic delays, accidents, environ, noise pollution, air pollution and many more. Traffic volume studies are conducted for the counting number vehicles in th study area . . Data obtained from Nizampet road from the Miyapur useful for the identification of Heavy vehicular flow which studied and number of vehicle movement has studied . The data collected from surveys will be used for determination(PHO) and analysing the traffic volume, passenger car unit (PCU), congestion, Peak hour factor and Directional distribution, volume capacity ratio. A report is to be made on the road of 7km, semi urban road Miyapur X road to Nizampet ,(Hyderabad,INDIA) is studied for vehicles count, road conditions, traffic conditions, peak hour volume, pedestrian count where congestion usually happens, manually using tally sheets and recommend some measures for increasing Level of service of the road. The semi urban road has newly grown village which is immediate vicinity to the developed area. Hence the study of This traffic vehicular moment will help the local authorities to take decisions and finally control over movement of the vehicles.

A Syndrome-Based Surveillance System for Infectious Diseases Among Asylum Seekers in Austrian Reception Centers, 2015-2018: Analysis of Reported Data.

BackgroundAustria has been among the main European countries hosting incoming asylum seekers since 2015. Consequently, there was an urgent need to predict any public health threats associated with the arriving asylum seekers. The Department of Surveillance and Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) was mandated to implement a national syndrome-based surveillance system in the 7 reception centers by the Austrian Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Health.ObjectiveWe aimed to analyze the occurrence and spread of infectious diseases among asylum seekers using data reported by reception centers through the syndrome-based surveillance system from September 2015 through February 2018.MethodsWe deployed a daily data collection system for 13 syndromes: rash with fever; rash without fever; acute upper respiratory tract infection; acute lower respiratory tract infection; meningitis or encephalitis; fever and bleeding; nonbloody gastroenteritis or watery diarrhea; bloody diarrhea; acute jaundice; skin, soft tissue, or bone abnormalities; acute flaccid paralysis; high fever with no other signs; and unexplained death. General practitioners, the first professionals to consult for health problems at reception centers in Austria, sent the tally sheets on identified syndromes daily to the AGES.ResultsWe identified a total of 2914 cases, presenting 8 of the 13 syndromes. A total of 405 signals were triggered, and 6.4% (26/405) of them generated alerts. Suspected acute upper respiratory tract infection (1470/2914, 50.45% of cases), rash without fever (1174/2914, 40.29% of cases), suspected acute lower respiratory tract infection (159/2914, 5.46% of cases), watery diarrhea (73/2914, 2.51% of cases), and skin, soft tissue, or bone abnormalities (32/2914, 1.10% of cases) were the top 5 syndromes.ConclusionsThe cooperation of the AGES with reception center health care staff, supported by the 2 involved ministries, was shown to be useful for syndromic surveillance of infectious diseases among asylum seekers. None of the identified alerts escalated to an outbreak.

Demographic characteristics and visual status of patients undergoing cataract surgery at a tertiary hospital in Kano, Nigeria

Objective/Purpose:To describe the demographic and baseline ocular characteristics, prevalence of blindness and visual impairment among patients undergoing extracapsular cataract extraction for age related cataract at the study hospital over a one year period.Materials/Patients:All consecutive patients aged 40 years and above identified with age related cataract in one or both eyes who voluntarily agree to participate were included.Methods:The study adhered to the tenets of the Helsinki declaration. Written informed consent was obtained from all eligible patients. All patients underwent basic eye examination by the ophthalmologist. Visual impairment was determined for each eye according to the standard WHO categorizations. Information obtained also included age, sex and history of previous cataract surgery. Data were recorded in manual tally sheets and on modified computer Cataract Surgery Record forms. Analyses were done using SPSS (version 16, SPSS Inc., Chicago, USA).Results:The participation rate was 91.2%. There were 495 eyes of 487 consecutive patients. This include 212 males and 275 females (M:F, 1:1.3). The age range was 40 to 99 years with a mean age of 62.76 ± 10.49 years (61.35 ± 9.75 years in men and 63.85±10.9 years in females). Most of the patients (n = 451; 92.6%, 95% CI: 89.9-94.6%) were aged 50 years and above. Sixty patients (12.3%, 95% CI: 9.6-15.5%) had cataract in both eyes, 427 (87.7%, 95% CI: 84.5-90.3%) were in one eye. Among these, preoperatively 16 (3.3%, 95% CI: 2.0-5.3%) had aphakia, 21 (4.3%, 95% CI: 2.8-6.5%) had uniocular pseudophakia. About 63.2% (95% CI: 58.9-67.4%) of patients had normal vision in the better eye (presenting VA ≥6/18). Overall 9.5% (95% CI: 7.3-12.7%) were bilaterally blind. About 96.8% of eyes (95% CI: 94.5-98.0%) undergoing cataract surgery were blind (presenting VA< 3/60).Conclusion:The study highlights preponderance of females and high incidence of blinding cataract. Education and early disease awareness may play an important role in these patients and could improve cataract surgical services in our hospital.

Software Solution for Planning and Conducting a Transport Survey

In cases when there is no ability to use different intrusive methods for the counting of traffic volume usually a non-intrusive method is used – manual observation using tally sheets. This method of data collection has the following drawbacks: expenses for the decoding of handwritten symbols from the tally sheets; expenses for data input into the database; observers can be irresponsible, etc. In the article a software solution which helps to solve some of the mentioned drawbacks is presented. The requirements for the software solution and software's architecture are presented. The solution consists of three main components: 1) web application – space for project manager for a project configuration, managing observation areas, observers and data exporting; 2) mobile application – application from which an observer can send data about traffic flow volume the system; 3) API – application program interface for communication between the mobile application and the server. The software solution has been implemented and tested for a real problem solution. The paper presents the results of testing, the advantages/disadvantages of the offered solution and directions of future development.

Estimation of free-flow speed

In 2010 Highway Capacity Manual, one preferably determines free-flow speed by deriving it from a speed study involving the existing facility or on a comparable facility if the facility is in the planning stage. Many have used a ‘rule of thumb’ by adding 10 km/h (5 mi/h) above the posted limit to obtain free-flow speed without justification. Two team members using a radar gun and manual tally sheets collected 1668 speed observations at ten sites during several weeks. Each site had a unique posted speed limit sign ranging from 30 km/h (20 mi/h) to 120 km/h (75 mi/h). Five sites were on urban streets. Three sites were on multilane highways, and two on freeways. Goodness-of-fit test results revealed that a Gaussian distribution generally fit the speed distributions at each site at a 5% level of significance. The best-fit model had a correlation coefficient of +0.99. The posted speed limit variable was significant at 5% level of significance. Examining data by highway type revealed that average free-flow speeds are strongly associated with posted speed limits with correlation coefficients of +0.99, +1.00, and +1.00 for urban streets, multilane highways, and freeways, respectively.

Assessment of Health Management Information System Implementation in Ayder Referral Hospital, Mekelle, Ethiopia

Effective Health Management Information System (HMIS) is essential for setting priority for community based problems, for allocation of budget and human resource and decision making in general to managers and stakeholders. In Africa there are many problems in data management in the health sector in relation to missing of data in reports this leads to a picture which could not represent the country health information. A facility based cross sectional study was conducted in Ayder referral and teaching hospital. Six months reports have been assessed including all the data, which were registered in the six month. In addition the tally sheets generated during this six month were also included as part of the assessment. Out of the six-month data used 63.3% was accurate. More than 95% of the reviewed patient cards were complete. Out of the questioned 50 staffs (93%) have good attitude towards HMIS. Data consistency between register and the tally sheets was measured as 72.2% even though the value difference was not largely seen. There was 78.6% an average report completeness measure in the HMIS unit. There was no sign of using the information generated by the facility. Use of accurate data in the facility was low. In addition, information was not still used for action. The original HMIS tallies were not used in the hospital instead minimized and photocopied tallies were used. Refreshing training was not given to staff. Therefore; training should be given to the higher bodies and all staffs about the importance of HMIS and the value of health data in decision making. The performance monitoring team should have to be established. The HMIS unit staffs should have to be trained on basic indicators calculation.

Causes and Occurrences of Interruptions During ED Triage

Interruptions have been shown to cause errors and delays in the treatment of emergency patients and pose a real threat during the triage process. Missteps during the triage assessment can send a patient down the wrong treatment path and lead to delays. The purpose of this project was to identify the types and frequency of interruptions during the ED triage interview process. A focus group of emergency nurses was organized to identify the types of interruptions that commonly occur during the triage interview. These interruptions would be validated through observations in triage. A tally sheet was developed and implemented to determine how often each interruption occurred during an 8-hour shift. Triage nurses completed the tally sheets while working the first shift (7 am to 3 pm). This shift was selected because patient intake in the US Department of Veterans Affairs Emergency Department is highest during this time. The categories of interruptions identified included provision of conveniences to visitors, coworker-related interruptions, patient care-related interruptions, locating of family members in the emergency department, and other miscellaneous interruptions. Tally sheets were completed by the triage nurses during 10 shifts. On average, triage nurses were interrupted 48.2 times during an 8-hour shift (7 interruptions per hour). After reviewing the data, we found that only 22% of interruptions were related to patient care. More frequently, the causes of interruptions were not related to patient care: opening the door (33%), providing conveniences to visitors (21%), waiting patients or family members asking "How much longer?" (14%), and other causes (10%). Frequent interruptions can interfere with concentration and may affect patient care. Non-patient care-related interruptions not only can be frustrating to the triage nurse but also can be offensive to triage patients; they ultimately delay care and may even affect the quality of care. However, because scarce research is available regarding interruptions during ED triage, the effects on patient outcomes are unclear. Additional research needs to be conducted to explore the causes and effects of interruptions to the triage process.

Changes in Fruit and Vegetable Consumption of Third Grade Students in Body Quest: Food of the Warrior

To increase fruit and vegetable (F/V) consumption of third grade students who participated in Body Quest: Food of the Warrior (BQ), a 17-class childhood obesity prevention SNAP-Ed program. Experiential Learning. 2,477 students attending SNAP-Ed eligible schools in Alabama were randomly assigned to treatment (n = 1,674) and control (n = 803) groups. To assess daily F/V consumption, tally sheets customized with school lunch menus were distributed to students and collected weekly by SNAP-Ed educators. Students self-reported foods consumed on individual tally sheets immediately following lunch for each 5-day period during the 17-class program. Between pre- and post-periods, treatment group students received weekly nutrition classes supplemented by weekly F/V tastings. Growth modeling examined patterns of change in F/V consumption at 17 time points. At post-period, there were significant increases in consumption of available school lunch fruit (p<.01) and vegetables (p<.001) in treatment group students compared to control group students. When observing only treatment group students, there were significant increases in fruit (p<.001) and vegetable (p<.001) consumptions from pre to post. Both F/V consumptions increased up to class 10, and then stabilized. F/V intakes of youth can be increased through implementation of SNAP-Ed childhood obesity prevention programs. Long-term programs lasting at least 10 classes are desirable to allow students to adopt new F/V habits.

Overestimation of Vitamin A Supplementation Coverage from District Tally Sheets Demonstrates Importance of Population-Based Surveys for Program Improvement: Lessons from Tanzania

BackgroundTanzania has conducted a national twice-yearly Vitamin A supplementation (VAS) campaign since 2001. Administrative coverage rates based on tally sheets consistently report >90% coverage; however the accuracy of these rates are uncertain due to potential errors in tally sheets and their aggregation, incomplete or inaccurate reporting from distribution sites, and underestimating the target population.ObjectivesThe post event coverage survey in Mainland Tanzania sought to validate tally-sheet based national coverage estimates of VAS and deworming for the June 2010 mass distribution round, and to characterize children missed by the national campaign.MethodsWHO/EPI randomized cross-sectional cluster sampling methodology was adapted for this study, using 30 clusters by 40 individuals (n = 1200), in addition to key informant interviews. Households with children 6–59 months of age were included in the study (12–59 months for deworming analysis). Chi-squared tests and logistic regression analysis were used to test differences between children reached and not reached by VAS. Data was collected within six weeks of the June 2010 round.ResultsA total of 1203 children, 58 health workers, 30 village leaders and 45 community health workers were sampled. Preschool VAS coverage was 65% (95% CI: 62.7–68.1), approximately 30% lower than tally-sheet coverage estimates. Factors associated with not receiving VAS were urban residence [OR = 3.31; p = 0.01], caretakers who did not hear about the campaign [OR = 48.7; p<0.001], and Muslim households [OR<3.25; p<0.01]. There were no significant differences in VAS coverage by child sex or age, or maternal age or education.ConclusionCoverage estimation for vitamin A supplementation programs is one of most powerful indicators of program success. National VAS coverage based on a tally-sheet system overestimated VAS coverage by ∼30%. There is a need for representative population-based coverage surveys to complement and validate tally-sheet estimates.

Por um novo paradigma científico? Políticas de Estado e financiamento de pesquisas

The article’s purpose is to discuss the changes in the universities in the context of consolidating of the National System of Science, Technology and Innovation (S, T &amp;I) as the state policy. The objective is to show the movement of the commodification of their academic practice and its scientific production, as well as the role of CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development) in the induction process of applied investigation. The research literature and documentary used as primary sources consist in relevant legislation, especially the laws 11.196/05 and 10.973/04, the Master Plan for Reform of the apparatus of the State, the tally sheets in support of CNPq research published between 2003-2004, and the transcription of the 4th National Conference of (S, T &amp;I). The analyzes indicate that changes in the design of the economy consolidated in Brazil from state reform engender changes in public universities, demanding her new rules. The CNPq becomes then one of the main agencies inducing university research requiring growth, with the decrease in its budget in close relations with the productive sector, strongly with the submission of their research agendas. Key words: CNPq, Science, Technology and Innovation, State Reform.

Effect of Education of Primary Health Care Workers on HIV-related Oral Lesions in Nairobi East District.

BackgroundAn estimated 90% of HIV-infected people are likely to develop oral lesions in the course of HIV infection. Oro-pharyngeal candidiasis (OPC), an early marker for HIV-infection, can be diagnosed during an oral examination (OE). Primary healthcare (PHC) providers in Kenya are neither trained nor sufficiently equipped to perform this simple, cheap and non-invasive examination. The PHC system in Kenya offers an opportunity to integrate early recognition and management of oral lesions into general health care. This study aims to estimate the effect of a multifaceted intervention for PHC providers in training them to perform an OE. Specifically, our primary objective is to establish whether the intervention is effective in increasing: i) the frequency of early detection of HIV-related oral lesions; and ii) referral rates for HIV-testing.Design and methodsThe study has been designed in two parts: a retrospective clinical data record study and a prospective cohort study with pre-post control group design, carried out in 2 administrative divisions in Nairobi East district. The intervention group will receive one day of training on recognition of HIV-related oral lesions and other common oral conditions. Reminder sessions will be held at individual health facilities. Routine tally sheets will be used to record all patients with HIV-related oral lesions, dental caries and periodontal disease. A convenience sample of all the PHC in a division will be used. It will not be possible to blind investigators or assessors. Expected impact of the study for Public Health. Early recognition and treatment of HIV infection influences long-term survival rates and will reduce healthcare expenditure.AcknowledgmentsThe project is funded by the Netherlands organisation for international cooperation in higher education (NUFFIC). We would like to thank all participating health facilities and health care workers for their willingness to take part in this study. LNK also thanks the Kenya Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation for permission to carry out this study. We also thank Mr. J Mulder from Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Department of Methodology, Information Management and Statistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands for statistical advice.Fundingthis study is funded by a research grant from The Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education (NUFFIC, Grant nr: C&B-NFP-PHD.10/110), The Hague, The Netherlands.Trial registrationNetherlands Trial Register NTR2627 (date registered 22nd November 2010).Ethics approvalKenyatta National Hospital/University of Nairobi Ethics and Research Committee (approval number KNH-ERC/A/474), and The Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation (Ref. N. MPHS/IB/1/14 Vol. III).

Estimating Free-flow Speed from Posted Speed Limit Signs

In 2010 Highway Capacity Manual, one preferably determines free-flow speed (FFS) by deriving it from a speed study involving the existing facility or on a comparable facility if the facility is in the planning stage. Many have used a ‘rule of thumb’ by adding 5 mi/h (10km/h) above the posted limit to obtain FFS without justification. Two team members using a radar gun and manual tally sheets collected 1668 speed observations at ten sites during several weeks. Each site had a unique posted speed limit sign ranging from 20 mi/h (30km/h) to 75 mi/h (120km/h). Five sites were on urban streets. Three sites were on multilane highways, and two on freeways. Goodness-of-fit test results revealed that a Gaussian distribution generally fit the speed distributions at each site at a 5% level of significance. The best-fit model had a correlation coefficient of +0.99. The posted speed limit variable was significant at 5% level of significance. Examining data by highway type revealed that average free-flow speeds are strongly associated with posted speed limits with correlation coefficients of +0.99, +1.00, and +1.00 for urban streets, multilane highways, and freeways, respectively.

Influencia de la turbidez en el efecto antimicrobiano de la luz ultravioleta y de los pulsos luminosos de luz blanca en néctar de naranja (citrus sinensis)

This investigation aimed to determine the influence of the level of turbidity in the antimicrobial effect of ultraviolet light on orange nectar (Citrus sinensis L.). The investigation was conducted in a chamber treatment UVC light with walls of mirror and a lamp ultraviolet light of 15 watts. The nectar, subjected to a process of pasteurization (90 °C, 10 minutes), were inoculated with freeze-dried yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), strain MIT L51, until concentrations of 1.0, 0.1 and 0.01% (w/p) and determine the turbidity of the dilutions, reporting turbidity values of 10564, 1304 and 813 NTU respectively. The samples were exposed to three different doses, 0.57, 1.14 and 1.71 J/cm2 taking a sample witness called "0" minutes, for purposes of initial analysis of microorganisms. Subsequent to the implementation of treatment took place in the tally sheets, amid Sabouraud agar. Obtained data in the reading of the resulting colonies determined the survival rate in each treatment and value the constant decimal reduction "D" in J/cm2 . These data showed that the turbidity, due to the dissolved solids, adversely influence the antimicrobial activity of UVC light. We concluded that antimicrobial activity expressed in terms of constant decimal reduction "D", under these conditions treatment in the nectar of orange, depends directly and indirectly of the turbidity of the total energy transmitted.

Assessing immunization data quality from routine reports in Mozambique

BackgroundWorldwide immunization coverage shows an increase in the past years but the validity of the official reports for measuring change over time has been questioned. Facing this problem, donor supported initiatives like the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunizations, have been putting a lot of effort into assessing the quality of data used, since accurate immunization information is essential for the Expanded Program on Immunization managers to track and improve program performance. The present article, discusses the practices on record keeping, reporting and the support mechanism to ensure data quality in Mozambique.MethodsA process evaluation study was carried out in Mozambique in one district (Cuamba) in Niassa Province, between January and March 2003. The study was based on semi-structured interviews, participant observation and review of the data collection materials.ResultsDifferences were found for all vaccine types when comparing facility reports with the tally sheets. The same applies when comparing facility reports with district reports. The study also showed that a routine practice during supervision visits was data quality assessment for the outpatient services but none related to data consistency between the tally sheets and the facility report. For the Expanded Program on Immunization, supervisors concentrated more on the consistency checks between data in the facility reports and the number of vaccines received during the same period. Meetings were based on criticism, for example, why health workers did not reach the target. Nothing in terms of data quality was addressed nor validation rules.ConclusionIn this paper we have argued that the quality of data, and consequently of the information system, must be seen in a broader perspective not focusing only on technicalities (data collection tools and the reporting system) but also on support mechanisms. Implications of a poor data quality system will be reflected in the efficiency of health services facing increased demands, with stagnant or decreasing resources.

What Do You Mean “Think Before I Act”?: Conflict Resolution With Choices

Twenty 1st-grade students participated in an eight-week action research study. Students participated in class meetings where they discussed problem-solving solutions, particularly positive forms of conflict resolution. The “Wheel of Choice” provided the students with the choices for solutions that included 1) make an apology, 2) tell the other person to stop, 3) walk away, and 4) give an “I” message. Data was collected through 1) student pre- and post-surveys, 2) student conflict-resolution journals, 3) behavior tally sheets, 4) observational notes, and 5) teacher reflective journal. Pre- and post-surveys indicated that the students developed more positive strategies for solving conflicts. The student conflict-resolution journals demonstrated that students were able to write down positive forms of conflict resolution after thinking about the problem. Analysis of the tally sheets indicated that physical and verbal aggression decreased from the first week (22 incidents) to the eighth week (4 incidents) of the study. The teacher reflection journal and observational notes also documented that students used the “Wheel of Choice” when given the opportunity and time to think about the problem.

Testing Alternative Record Keeping Formats Not Requiring Literacy Skills: Onchocerciasis Control at the Village Level

Keeping accurate health records at the village level is a challenge since many rural dwellers have low or no literacy skills. The African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) is distributing the drug ivermectin at the village level by villagers themselves, and requires an accounting of drugs dispensed and villagers treated. Recently, pictorial tally sheets were developed for Community Directed Distributors (CDDs) of ivermectin. At that same time a question arose concerning indigenous record keeping methods and whether such methods could also be adapted to ivermectin distribution. This study identified two indigenous methods, counting beans/pebbles and chalk/charcoal marks on walls and compared them with the pictorial tally sheets in three clusters of onchocerciasis-endemic villages in Kajola Local Government Area (LGA) of Oyo State, Nigeria. Field staff trained the CDDs using standard APOC procedures and after distribution, collected their treatment records. A household survey was then conducted for comparison with CDD records. The tally sheet users scored the lowest mean and median percentage point difference between reported and surveyed coverage (6.6 and 4.8) compared to chalk boards (19.0, 5.6) and pebbles (15.2, 9.2), but since the village was the unit of analysis, the differences observed were of only boarderline significance ( p = 0.08). Because the tally sheets proved to be both cheaper and easier to use, they are recommended for community ivermectin programs as well as other primary health care activities at the village level.

Portable Magnetic-Tape Encoders for Computer Data

Experiments are outlined in which portable tape‐recording devices have been used successfully by the Forestry Commission to record computer data for later copy punching, instead of the usual tally sheets and field forms. Some promising new equipment is noted.