Good data quality is crucial for any data-driven system’s effective and safe operation. For critical safety systems, the significance of data quality is even higher since incorrect or low-quality ...data may cause fatal faults. However, there are challenges in identifying and managing data quality. In particular, there is no accepted process to define and continuously test data quality concerning what is necessary for operating the system. This lack is problematic because even safety-critical systems become increasingly dependent on data. Here, we propose a Candidate Framework for Data Quality Assessment and Maintenance (CaFDaQAM) to systematically manage data quality and related requirements based on design science research. The framework is constructed based on an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) case study. The study is based on empirical data from a literature review, focus groups, and design workshops. The proposed framework consists of four components: a
Data Quality Workflow
, a
List of Data Quality Challenges
, a
List of Data Quality Attributes
, and
Solution Candidates
. Together, the components act as tools for data quality assessment and maintenance. The candidate framework and its components were validated in a focus group.
South Nunukan District has a complex ecosystem which has the river, terrestrial, coastal and oceanic ecosystems, and has been demarcated by the Government of The Nunukan Regency for agricultural ...purposes. This research was conducted to determine the preliminary environmental baseline of agricultural activities that have been and will take place in this region. Methods of measuring environmental quality were carried out by (1) measuring water quality by taking water samples at four locations and tested in a laboratory; and also measuring aquatic biota by taking samples in rivers and testing at a laboratory, (2) measuring air quality at three sample locations using an air quality meter, and noise using a sound level meter, (3) measuring soil quality by taking five samples at the study site and conducting soil quality testing in the laboratory. The result of this study concluded that this area is suitable to be used as an agriculture and plantation area by adding various engineering technologies and fertilizing. This is supported by the results of water, air, noise and soil quality tests from several samples showing the average within and bellow the permissible limit (WPL and BPL). For a small number of parameters that do not meet quality standards (APL), environmental engineering efforts need to be done.
Summary High consumption of processed red meat can cause health issues. Therefore, production of high-quality meat-free food alternatives is necessary. The main objective of this study was to use ...hydrocolloids including kappa-carrageenan, konjac mannan and xanthan gum at 0, 0.3, 0.6, 1.0 and 1.5% w/w to improve the quality of meat-free sausages formulated by soy protein isolated, texturised soy protein, corn starch, vegetable oil and spices. With the addition of the tested hydrocolloids, the lightness of the sausages improved. kappa-Carrageenan and konjac mannan significantly improved the water-holding capacity and texture and reduced the cooking loss of the samples, while xanthan gum showed no considerable effect on these parameters. Konjac mannan and kappa-carrageenan (up to 0.6%) improved the general acceptability of the sausages, while inclusion of xanthan gum made no significant difference. Unlike xanthan gum, kappa-carrageenan followed by konjac mannan was highly successful in improving the overall quality of meat-free sausages.
Water quality evaluation is fundamental for water resources management. Water quality index (WQI) is an accurate and easily understandable method for assessing water quality for different purposes. ...In this study, the Iraqi water quality index (Iraq WQI) was constructed to be used to evaluate the Iraqi rivers for drinking. For this purpose, some statistical techniques, experts’ advice, literature reviews, and authors’ experience were used. First, the principal component analysis (PCA) method and the modified Delphi method were used to select the most influential water quality parameters and their relative weights. Second, the quality curves of selected parameters were drawn to calculate the WQI scores basing on the water quality standards. Of twenty-seven parameters, six parameters were chosen to be within the index depending on their effect on water quality in order to reflect the specific characteristics of the Iraqi waters. The Iraq WQI was applied to the Tigris River within Baghdad as a case study and for some sites on other Iraqi rivers, and gave acceptable results. Results revealed that the statistical techniques used in this paper can be applied in all Iraqi rivers considering their specific characteristics. Based on the reliability of the Iraq WQI, there is no longer a need to use Indices designed for water for other countries.
Objective
To study the relationships between the different domains of quality of primary health care for the evaluation of health system performance and for informing policy decision making.
Data ...Sources
A total of 137 quality indicators collected from 7,607 English practices between 2011 and 2012.
Study Design
Cross‐sectional study at the practice level. Indicators were allocated to subdomains of processes of care (“quality assurance,” “education and training,” “medicine management,” “access,” “clinical management,” and “patient‐centered care”), health outcomes (“intermediate outcomes” and “patient‐reported health status”), and patient satisfaction. The relationships between the subdomains were hypothesized in a conceptual model and subsequently tested using structural equation modeling.
Principal Findings
The model supported two independent paths. In the first path, “access” was associated with “patient‐centered care” (β = 0.63), which in turn was strongly associated with “patient satisfaction” (β = 0.88). In the second path, “education and training” was associated with “clinical management” (β = 0.32), which in turn was associated with “intermediate outcomes” (β = 0.69). “Patient‐reported health status” was weakly associated with “patient‐centered care” (β = −0.05) and “patient satisfaction” (β = 0.09), and not associated with “clinical management” or “intermediate outcomes.”
Conclusions
This is the first empirical model to simultaneously provide evidence on the independence of intermediate health care outcomes, patient satisfaction, and health status. The explanatory paths via technical quality clinical management and patient centeredness offer specific opportunities for the development of quality improvement initiatives.
Water plays a critical role in securing the mine production and domestic consumption in mining areas. This research was carried out to assess the water quality status and to identify the ...hydrochemical processes contributing to the dissolved constituents of the water in the Guohua phosphorite mine, Guizhou Province, China. Multivariate statistical techniques and correlation analysis were employed to gain a better understanding of the hydrogeochemical processes, and water quality for domestic and irrigation purposes was also assessed. The results indicate that groundwater and surface water quality in the phosphorite mine area is currently excellent with low concentrations of major ions, salinity, and trace metals. Whereas,
E. coli
is excessive in groundwater and surface water, and treatment is required before the water is used for drinking purpose. Groundwater and surface water are, however, suitable for agricultural purposes. The major ions are Ca
2+
, Mg
2+
, and HCO
3
−
, and all water samples are predominantly of the HCO
3
–Ca·Mg type. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) indicates that the water chemistry in the mining area is regulated by natural processes that are controlled by the different geological formations and different hydrogeological settings. Carbonate dissolution/precipitation is the key factor controlling the concentrations of Ca
2+
, Mg
2+
, and HCO
3
–
. Pyrite oxidation is an important factor influencing the concentration of SO
4
2–
, whereas evaporation is a minor factor regulating the water chemistry in the mining area. The study results are beneficial for sustainable water quality management in the mining area, and they will also interest mine hydrogeologists and practitioners of the world as a reference for relevant studies in other regions.
Despite increasing interest in research on how to translate knowledge into practice and improve healthcare, the accumulation of scientific knowledge in this field is slow. Few substantial new ...insights have become available in the last decade.
Various problems hinder development in this field. There is a frequent misfit between problems and approaches to implementation, resulting in the use of implementation strategies that do not match with the targeted problems. The proliferation of concepts, theories and frameworks for knowledge transfer - many of which are untested - has not advanced the field. Stakeholder involvement is regarded as crucial for successful knowledge implementation, but many approaches are poorly specified and unvalidated. Despite the apparent decreased appreciation of rigorous designs for effect evaluation, such as randomized trials, these should remain within the portfolio of implementation research. Outcome measures for knowledge implementation tend to be crude, but it is important to integrate patient preferences and the increased precision of knowledge.
We suggest that the research enterprise be redesigned in several ways to address these problems and enhance scientific progress in the interests of patients and populations. It is crucially important to establish substantial programmes of research on implementation and improvement in healthcare, and better recognize the societal and practical benefits of research.
The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) method is widely used in quality improvement (QI) strategies. However, previous studies have indicated that methodological problems are frequent in PDSA-based QI ...projects. Furthermore, it has been difficult to establish an association between the use of PDSA and improvements in clinical practices and patient outcomes. The aim of this systematic review was to examine whether recently published PDSA-based QI projects show self-reported effects and are conducted according to key features of the method.
A systematic literature search was performed in the PubMed, Embase and CINAHL databases. QI projects using PDSA published in peer-reviewed journals in 2015 and 2016 were included. Projects were assessed to determine the reported effects and the use of the following key methodological features; iterative cyclic method, continuous data collection, small-scale testing and use of a theoretical rationale.
Of the 120 QI projects included, almost all reported improvement (98%). However, only 32 (27%) described a specific, quantitative aim and reached it. A total of 72 projects (60%) documented PDSA cycles sufficiently for inclusion in a full analysis of key features. Of these only three (4%) adhered to all four key methodological features.
Even though a majority of the QI projects reported improvements, the widespread challenges with low adherence to key methodological features in the individual projects pose a challenge for the legitimacy of PDSA-based QI. This review indicates that there is a continued need for improvement in quality improvement methodology.
A multimetric water quality standards (WQS) attainment indicator (MMI) was created to assess the habitat quality of the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries. The indicator uses metrics of ...dissolved oxygen concentrations, water clarity assessments, underwater bay grass acreages, and season-specific chlorophyll
a
distributions. This suite of metrics is recognized as symptomatic of eutrophication and responsive to nutrient and sediment management actions. Habitat criteria for these metrics were established by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to protect the survival, growth, and reproduction of tidal bay living resources. The criteria were adopted into state WQS used to define outcome targets of the regulatory 2010 Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). Direct accounting of monitoring results compared with state standards would be the most direct measure of water quality status related to achieving habitat health goal conditions under the TMDL. However, the Chesapeake Bay Program long-term water quality monitoring program that supports Clean Water Act 303d water quality impairment assessments does not provide sufficient measurement resolution across all temporal scales represented in these TMDL-related WQS. Recognizing data and analysis gaps, we developed the indicator to provide estimates of WQS attainment for the Chesapeake Bay. The structure of the indicator uses metrics that have been measured consistently with the historical Chesapeake Bay tidal water quality data collections since 1985. The ability to compute scores on contemporary and historical data will provide for bay-wide and spatially explicit long-term trend evaluations of habitat quality.
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