Search results for "assessment"

Monod-based ‘single-data’ strategy for biodegradation screening tests

2020

Environmental contextObtaining biodegradation data over time can be difficult, especially when dealing with environmental compartments of increasing complexity. We evaluated the possibility of obtaining a full biodegradation depletion curve from a single biodegradation-time experimental measurement, and found that environmental information related to potential chemical persistence can be derived. The applicability of this ‘single-data’ strategy is illustrated using simulated and experimental data for several compounds. AbstractInformation obtained from biodegradability tests, e.g. half-life (t50) or kinetics parameters, is relevant in environmental risk assessment of new chemicals. In thes…

2020

Background: An adequate level of muscular fitness is related to occupational performance in military personnel, including pilots flying high performance aircraft. The aim of this study was to describe the baseline level and the change in muscular fitness between the first and the second years of the Air Force Academy among fighter pilot cadets. Methods: The muscular strength and endurance test results of 182 male fighter pilot cadets were analyzed during their first year in the Air Force Academy and one year after. Maximal isometric strength tests included trunk flexion, trunk extension and bilateral leg extension tests, whereas muscle endurance was measured with modified a sit-up test and …

Oxidative stability of virgin olive oil: evaluation and prediction with an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS).

2019

Background An adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) was employed to predict the oxidative stability of virgin olive oil (VOO) during storage as a function of time, storage temperature, total polyphenol, α-tocopherol, fatty acid profile, ultraviolet (UV) extinction coefficient (K268 ), and diacylglycerols (DAGs). Results The mean total quantities of polyphenols and DAGs were 1.1 and 1.9 times lower in VOOs stored at 25 °C than in the initial samples, and the mean total quantities of polyphenols and DAGs were 1.3 and 2.26 times lower in VOOs stored at 37 °C than in the initial samples, respectively. In a single sample, α-tocopherol was reduced by between 0.52 and 0.91 times during sto…

A comparison between nine laboratories performing triangle tests

2012

WOS: 000299451400001; International audience; Fifteen groups of participants in nine laboratories performed triangle tests with two pairs of soft drinks. Groups differed in practice level with triangle tests: eight groups of 60 consumers who were not used to triangle test, three groups of qualified assessors who have already performed a few triangle tests, and four groups of trained assessors with a more extensive practice of triangle tests; qualified and trained groups included 9 or 18 assessors. The soft drinks were made from syrups at two levels of dilution in order to achieve about 55% of correct responses to test for difference and about 40% of correct responses to test for similarity.…

Double validation of translated questionnaires in international studies

2018

Background Study questionnaires developed in one country can be translated and used for similar studies in other countries. The main problem of this process is that people speaking different languages can understand the meaning of some questions differently due to disparate mentalities and backgrounds. To avoid a misunderstanding, to perform correct conclusions in accordance to the mentality of each country, and to permit the comparison of results in different countries, the intellectual validation of questionnaires is widely used. The main problem of such a validation is its qualitative nature that can be biased by the subjective approach of the investigator. Therefore, there is a necessit…

Enhancement of Anticipatory Postural Adjustments by Virtual Reality in Older Adults with Cognitive and Motor Deficits: A Randomised Trial.

2021

Background: Postural activities involved in balance control integrate the anticipatory postural adjustments (APA) that stabilize balance and posture, facilitating arm movements and walking initiation and allowing an optimal coordination between posture and movement. Several studies reported the significant benefits of virtual reality (VR) exercises in frail older adults to decrease the anxiety of falling and to induce improvements in behavioural and cognitive abilities in rehabilitation processes. The aim of this study was thus to test the efficiency of a VR system on the enhancement of the APA period, compared to the use of a Nintendo Wii system. Methods: Frail older adults (n = 37) were i…

Does mindfulness affect participants’ response to a vocational rehabilitation program?

2016

Objective: The study aims were to investigate whether mindfulness predicts improved work ability after a multifactorial vocational rehabilitation program in Norway and to examine the mediating influence of mindfulness in the relationship between personal health factors and changes in work ability in response to the program. Methods: Seventy-four participants on long-term sick leave completed questionnaires assessing mindfulness, work ability, functional health, psychological functioning, and demographics before and after a 4–6-week multidisciplinary vocational rehabilitation program. In addition to a standard logistic regression analysis, a bias-corrected bootstrapping technique was used to…

Ensuring Diverse User Experiences and Accessibility While Developing the TeSLA e-Assessment System

2019

The TeSLA project, with its new, innovative approaches for e-assessment, offers a great possibility for increasing the educational equality and making higher education studies available for all. It has been estimated that 10–15% of students in higher education institutions have some disabilities or special educational needs. At online universities or in online programmes, the number is even higher. These numbers emphasise the importance of the universal design for learning as a leading principle while developing the digital learning environments and e-assessment procedures. In this chapter, we describe the key elements of ensuring the accessibility of the TeSLA e-assessment system during th…

2020

Determining disability prevalence is a growing area for population statistics, especially among young adolescents. The Washington Group on Disability Statistics is one source of reporting disabilities through functional difficulties. Yet, young adolescents self-reporting through this measure is in its infancy. The purpose of this study was to carry out an intra-rater test-retest reliability study on a modified set of items for self-reporting functional difficulties. Young adolescents (N = 74; boys = 64%; age M = 13.7, SD = 1.8) with special educational needs in Finland completed a self-reported version of the Child Functioning Module in a supervised classroom. The second administration took…

Standardized on-road tests assessing fitness-to-drive in people with cognitive impairments: A systematic review.

2020

Objective The on-road assessment is the gold standard because of its ecological validity. Yet existing instruments are heterogeneous and little is known about their psychometric properties. This study identified existing on-road assessment instruments and extracted data on psychometric properties and usability in clinical settings. Method A systematic review identified studies evaluating standardized on-road evaluation instruments adapted for people with cognitive impairment. Published articles were searched on PubMed, CINHAL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. Study quality and the level of evidence were assessed using the COSMIN checklist. The collected data were synthetized usi…