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PubMed1983

Medicare program; performance criteria and statistical standards for evaluating intermediary performance during fiscal year 1983--Health Care Financing Administration, HHS. General notice with comment period.

This notice describes performance criteria and statistical standards to be used for evaluating the performance of fiscal intermediaries in the administration of the Medicare program for fiscal year 1983. The results of these evaluations may be considered when we enter into, renew, or terminate an intermediary agreement assign or reassign providers of services to an intermediary; or designate regional or national intermediaries.

Accounting↗

PubMed1983

Medicare program; performance criteria and statistical standards for evaluating intermediary performance during fiscal year 1983--HCFA. Final notice.

This final notice amends and responds to comments on a general notice published in the Federal Register on February 18, 1983 (48 FR 7308). That notice described performance criteria and statistical standards to be used for evaluating the performance of fiscal intermediaries in the administration of the Medicare program for fiscal year 1983.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.↗

PubMed1989

Medicare program; physician performance standard rate of increase for federal fiscal year 1990--HCFA. Announcement of physician performance standard rate of increase.

This notice announces the Federal fiscal year 1990 performance standard rate of increase for expenditures and volume of physician services under the Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance (Part B) program as required by section 0102 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989 (Pub. L. 101-239). The physician performance standard rate of increase for Federal fiscal year 1990 is 9.1 percent.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The characteristics of performing specialized laser keratomileusis after photorefractive keratectomy performed earlier in the correction of myopia].

Ninety-four repeated refraction operations were performed by laser specialized keratomileusis (LASIK) after a previous photorefraction keratectomy in order to correct the complications (undercorrection and regression of the refraction result). LASIK operation can be performed no earlier than 12 months after the first operations if subepithelial corneal fleur develops; the fleur severity is to be about 0.5 points and the optimal thickness of corneal section is 180 mu. Causes of complications of reoperations are discussed. The majority of complications are due to corneal epithelium fixation after photorefraction keratectomy. Refraction and visual results of surgery are presented to characterize its efficiency.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Predicting student performance in preclinical technique courses using the theory of ability determinants of skilled performance.

The purpose of this research was to validate Ackerman's theory of ability determinants of skilled performance using sub-test scores of the Dental Admission Test (DAT) in predicting student performance in preclinical technique courses. The Ackerman theory is a valid, reliable schema in the applied psychology literature used to predict complex skill acquisition. Inconsistent stimulus-response skill acquisition depends primarily on determinants of cognitive ability. The cognitive phase of skill acquisition is associated with demands on general abilities. Task accomplishment requires attentional resources, and inconsistent tasks do not improve with practice. It is theorized that the Perceptual Ability Test (PAT) is a valid cognitive determinant for spatial ability in this schema. Each new procedure learned in the preclinical technique courses is novel, includes a spatial relations component, and reflects inconsistent skill acquisition. The PAT scores of four classes were compared to the final grades in eight preclinical technique courses. Results showed that PAT scores account for a significantly high proportion, approximately 25 percent, of the variance of the final grades in the preclinical technique courses. Based on this strong correlation, dental school admissions committees may consider re-evaluating the weight of the DAT scores in the admissions process.

Achievement↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Genetic analysis of markers of the performance test for herding dogs. 1. Performance traits].

The objective of the present study was to analyse data based on records of sheep dog trials in order to evaluate the importance of genetic and environmental sources of variation and to draw conclusions for breeding purposes. The data analysed consisted of 2745 test results recorded at 48 sheep dog trials carried out in Germany from 1994 to 1998, on which a total of 337 sheep dogs had attended. Tested dogs descended from 147 sires and 201 dams, with a mean inbreeding coefficient of about 2.8%. Variance components of working traits were estimated applying Restricted Maximum Likelihood methods. Additive genetic effects, permanent environmental effects of the animal and the effect of the handler were treated as random factors using multivariate linear models. Additionally, the model included the fixed effects of the age of the dogs at the sheep dog trial, sex, the level of difficulty of the exercises as well as the event itself, the starting number of the dog, the number of the dogs' tests at the particular event and the number of dogs presented on sheep dog trials by their handlers. The inbreeding coefficient was regarded as a linear covariate. Sex of the dog and starting number did not explain a significant proportion of variance for traits analysed, whereas the event of the sheep dog trial and the starting class usually were of significant importance. The analyses were performed using all sheep dog trial classes and for each of the three classes separately. Repeatabilities of herding traits within the same event of sheep dog trial estimated from animal effect mostly varied within a range from w = 0.1 to w = 0.5 whereas repeatabilities estimated over all events of sheep dog trials mostly gave estimates from w = 0.1 to w = 0.3. The estimated heritabilities for the herding performance traits ranged from h2 < or = 0.001 to h2 = 0.13 with standard errors in the range between 0.001 and 0.08. The selection possibilities appear to be rather limited given the heritability estimates and the low number of progeny of parents.

Animal Husbandry↗

PubMed2005

Performance anxiey. Is it too late for physicians to set their own rules on pay-for-performance?

As the buzz keeps growing around pay-for-performance, physicians are grudgingly accepting that they'll have to deal with it. And they want to make sure they help set the rules of the game, with doctor groups issuing policies on the issue. "Pay-for-performance is now seen as something that physicians need to be protected against," says Bruce Bagley, left, of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed1985

Efforts to improve AME performance through CME and annual performance reports.

Continuing medical education (CME) serves to maintain or increase the knowledge, interpretive proficiencies, and technical skills that a physician uses in his/her practice of medicine. Resulting improvement is frequently difficult to measure, particularly in aerospace medicine, but CME is required for relicensure and/or for medical society membership in 70% of states. The Civil Aeromedical Institute first received American Medical Association approval for Category I CME credit for attendance at FAA seminars in January 1973. We began preparing annual performance reports for each aviation medical examiner (AME) in 1979 to attempt to isolate the causes of, and to reduce, computer rejection of about one-fourth of all medical certification input because of omissions or procedural errors. A special analysis of 1983 AME performance data found that errors were significantly reduced with recent and frequent seminar attendance, larger volume of exams, and pilot and military flight surgeon experience.

Aerospace Medicine↗

PubMed1981

Pre- and post-weaning performance of artificially reared calves. II. The effects of milk substitute and milk substitute-whey diets on the performance of calves with particular reference to the selection of calves with improved growth potential from their blood composition a week after birth.

Sixteen Friesland bull calves were divided into two groups and raised artificially in an early weaning system. The liquid feeding of one group consisted of a commercial milk substitute and that of the other group of a 50:50 milk substitute-whey mixture. Blood samples were taken at regular intervals, starting one week after birth, and analysed for packed cell volume (PCV), blood glucose and haemoglobin (Hb); serum albumin, total protein, urea, inorganic phosphate (Pi), Ca, Mg, Na and K. The liquid portion of the diet had no significant effect on either the blood composition of the calves or on their performance (mass gain, dry matter intake and feed conversion) at the end of the experimental period (week 13). The only significant difference (P less than 0,05) between the two groups was the body mass of the calves at weaning. There were significant changes in the concentrations of most blood constituents with age (P less than 0,001 for Hb, PCV, albumin, globulin, Pi and K; P less than 0,01 for urea and Ca). A significant correlation (P less than 0,05) was also found between the calves' growth rates from 1 to 13 weeks and the concentration of globulin at one week of age. The regression of growth rate from 1 to 13 weeks with the blood constituents, globulin, Hb, PCV, Pi, Mg and Ca at one week of age accounted for 67,4% of the variance among calves. The evidence suggests that the above types of liquid feeding in an early weaning system would not significantly affect the composition of the blood of calves when sampled approximately six weeks or more after weaning, provided a predictive assessment of subsequent growth performance.

Animal Feed↗

PubMed1996

Performance appraisal and women's "performance" in a Trust hospital.

Reports that performance appraisal (PA) has become an important tool in "controlling" employees in modern public industries. Little work, however, has focused on its mediation or actual practice in relation to different groups, such as women and ethnic groups. Examines the changing nature of employee management under PA in relation to how it affects the role of women in organizations. Illustrates with research, gathered from a case study in the midlands. Moves analysis beyond the individual-collectivist tradition towards assessing the subtle control strategies now employed in the contemporary form of 1990s management. More specifically, illustrates the requirement for women to make the correct self-presentation as a means of "getting on" and, from a managerial stance, of subordinating them. The use of a hospital case study highlights some of these issues in relation to the changes taking place in the public service sector, which faces fundamental transformations to its concept of service. Concludes that PA has seriously affected the role of women in public health organizations and that PA has seriously failed to meet the needs of women.

Employee Performance Appraisal↗

PubMed2005

Randomized phase II study of two gemcitabine schedules for patients with impaired performance status (Karnofsky performance status </= 70) and advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: This randomized phase II study compared two treatment schedules of gemcitabine in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and impaired Karnofsky performance status (KP). Primary objectives were to record changes from baseline KP and to assess symptom palliation. Secondary objectives were overall survival, tumor response, and toxicity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with stage IIIb and IV NSCLC and KP </= 70 were randomly assigned to receive gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m(2) on days 1, 8, and 15 of each 28-day cycle (3w4) or gemcitabine 1,500 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 8 of each 21-day cycle (2w3), both for up to six cycles. KP, toxicity, and SS14 lung cancer specific questions were recorded before each cycle of treatment. Response was evaluated 4 weeks after the last cycle. RESULTS: One hundred seventy-four patients were enrolled. There was significant early attrition due to disease progression; only 61.5% of patients were alive at 2 months. There was a significant improvement in KP from baseline to pre-cycle 3 in both arms, with a trend in favor of the 3w4 regimen for duration and faster onset of improvement. Eight of the 17 quality-of-life (QOL) variables assessed showed an improvement of more than 10% between baseline and the start of the third cycle of treatment. Response rate, survival, and duration were similar in both arms. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference between the two schedules examined in terms of improvement in KP or QOL, but there seemed to be a trend in favor of the 3w4 schedule.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Framing of task performance strategies: effects on performance in a multiattribute dynamic decision making environment.

It is well documented that the way a static choice task is "framed" can dramatically alter choice behavior, often leading to observable preference reversals. This framing effect appears to result from perceived changes in the nature or location of a person's initial reference point, but it is not clear how framing effects might generalize to performance on dynamic decision making tasks that are characterized by high workload, time constraints, risk, or stress. A study was conducted to examine the hypothesis that framing can introduce affective components to the decision making process and can influence, either favorably (positive frame) or adversely (negative frame), the implementation and use of decision making strategies in dynamic high-workload environments. Results indicated that negative frame participants were significantly impaired in developing and employing a simple optimal decision strategy relative to a positive frame group. Discussion focuses on implications of these results for models of dynamic decision making.

Cognition↗

PubMed2005

The effect of lemon fragrance on simple mental performance and psychophysiological parameters during task performance.

The purpose of this study is to effectively utilize fragrance in order to form a comfortable working environment, for which we obtained necessary data. The subjects were 14 female students. We made them do addition work in laboratories with and without lemon fragrance, and investigated their task performances, physiological changes and mood conditions. Our results showed that, although the existence or nonexistence of fragrance did not affect their work efficiency, it was revealed that fragrance mitigated exhaustion and maintained vigor.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Performance evaluation, part 2: developing performance standards.

In the first of three articles (MPM2005; Vol. 20#5: 229-232), the author reviewed the broad concept of performance evaluation, defined the term validity in the evaluation process as a standard derived from court decisions, and detailed objective criteria that managers should follow in rating employees. This second article stresses the development of standards, cites examples applicable to daily practice, and details errors that are commonly made in rating personnel.

Efficiency, Organizational↗

PubMed1998

Molecular species of sphingomyelin: determination by high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry with electrospray and high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization.

In a sphingomyelin-enriched sample of polar lipids from bovine milk, molecular species of intact sphingomyelin were separated by normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and detected by mass spectrometry (MS) for structural information. First, by using electrospray with positive ionization (ESI), protonated molecules ([M + H]+) were detected. Second, in atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation (APCI+), in-source fragmentation of sphingomyelin ions led to the formation of ceramide ions. With the ceramide ions as precursors, ions representative of both the long-chain base (LCB) parts and the fatty acid (FA) parts were detected in APCI-MS/MS via collision-induced decomposition (CID). Using this procedure, it was possible to determine the sphingomyelin molecular masses using ESI+ and then their respective LCB-FA combinations(s) using APCI+(-)MS/MS. At least 36 protonated molecules of intact sphingomyelin were detected in the bovine milk sample. The combinations found covered a range of molecular masses from 673 to 815 Da. The 12 most common protonated molecules (constituting approximately 90% of the total ion current in ESI) were composed of at least 25 different LCB-FA combinations. Saturated and unsaturated LCBs and FAs were detected in addition to hydroxy fatty acids. The most common LCBs were 16:1, 17:1, 18:1 and 19:1, whereas the most common FAs were 16:0, 22:0, 23:0 and 24:0. LCB-FA combinations of sphingomyelin from bovine brian, bovine erythrocytes and chicken egg yolk are also presented.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

High performance liquid chromatography mobile phase composition optimization for the quantitative determination of a carboxylic acid compound in human plasma by negative ion electrospray high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

A systematic investigation was undertaken to study the effects of varying concentrations of additives in the acetonitrile/water high performance liquid chromatography mobile phase, especially formic acid and ammonium formate, on the negative ion electrospray response of a carboxylic acid compound. The study showed that the response progressively decreased with increase in the formic acid concentration. While such a decrease in the response could be qualitatively explained by the decrease in the concentration of the ionized form of the carboxylic acid compound due to the lower pH of the mobile phase, the change in response was not as large as expected from the change of the concentration of the ionized form. The response also progressively decreased with increase in the ammonium formate concentration but the decrease cannot be explained by the change in the pH of the mobile phase. Although the best negative ion electrospray response was obtained with a water/acetonitrile mobile phase that contained no additives at all, the retention time of the analyte was not found to be adequately reproducible on repeated injections. Thus, this mobile phase was deemed unacceptable for practical, routine use. Comparing formic acid against ammonium formate, the former was preferable since it caused a smaller attenuation of the negative ion response. Equally important was the fact that addition of formic acid had the desirable effect of maintaining a reasonably high capacity factor (k') for the analyte even at a relatively high acetonitrile concentration. A concentration of 1 mM formic acid in the mobile phase was large enough to achieve the reproducible elongated retention time for the analyte, with a loss in the analyte response of about 60% only. It should be noted that the sensitivity achieved with the 1 mM formic acid mobile phase, in which the carboxylic acid is expected to be about 10% in the ionized form, is about 9 times better than the sensitivity achieved in the 1 mM ammonium formate mobile phase, in which the carboxylic acid is expected to be about 99% in the ionized form.

Carboxylic Acids↗

PubMed1999

A simple two-dimensional high performance liquid chromatography/high performance capillary electrophoresis set-up for the separation of complex mixtures.

A two-dimensional high performance liquid chromatography/capillary electrophoresis (HPLC/CE) instrumental set-up was assembled from commercially available equipment. Fractions of the effluent from the HPLC system are collected into microtiter plates with a microfraction collector. The fractions are then dried under vacuum at room temperature, reconstituted, and analyzed by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). This method allows the collection of samples by time, drops, or external signal (peaks). Any size or type of HPLC or CE column can be used with no limitation on the amount of sample injected into the HPLC. Any CE detection, laser-induced fluorescence (LIF), mass spectrometry (MS), ultraviolet (UV) or other, can be used. This set-up is practical, simple, robust and allows the separation of complex mixtures. Preliminary results show the utility of this system for the analysis of protein digest.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

PubMed2005

Comparison of column performances in direct high-performance liquid chromatographic enantioseparation of 1- or 3-methyl-substituted tetrahydroisoquinoline analogs. Application of direct and indirect methods.

The enantioseparability of 1- or 3-methyl-substituted tetrahydroisoquinolines was investigated by direct and indirect high-performance liquid chromatography. Alpha- and beta-cyclodextrin-, macrocyclic glycopeptide- and cellulose-based chiral columns and isothiocyanate- and Sanger-type chiral derivatizing agents (CDAs) were applied to attain satisfactory enantioseparation. Of the chiral columns, beta-cyclodextrin-, vancomycin- and teicoplanin-containing macrocyclic glycopeptide-based columns appeared to be most suitable; of the CDAs, (1S,2R)-1-acetoxy-1-phenyl-2-propyl isothiocyanate was most favorable. The differences between the selectivities of the columns and CDAs were compared and optimized to yield the best resolution.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗