Empirical Likelihood Confidence Intervals for the Sensitivity of a Continuous-Scale Diagnostic Test

Diagnostic testing is essential to distinguish non-diseased individuals from diseased individuals. More accurate tests lead to improved treatment and thus reduce medical mistakes. The sensitivity and specificity are two important measurements for the diagnostic accuracy of a diagnostic test. When the test results are continuous, it is of interest to construct a confidence interval for the sensitivity at a fixed level of specificity for the test. In this thesis, we propose three empirical likelihood intervals for the sensitivity. Simulation studies are conducted to compare the empirical likelihood based confidence intervals with the existing normal approximation based confidence interval. Our studies show that the new intervals had better coverage probability than the normal approximation based interval in most simulation settings

Building Bali Hai: Tourism and the (re)creation of place in Tahiti

Thatched hut resorts today play a significant role in creating a sense of place within a given location. Thatched hut resorts are particularly ubiquitous in the South Pacific, and in Tahiti almost all resorts are comprised, at least partially, of these structures. The resort is a symbol of authenticity, or authenticity constructed as place. The image of Tahiti as a primitive, yet tamed paradise is perpetuated today by those in the tourist industry as well as by many of the theorists that critique the myths. But myths are not all-encompassing, nor do they necessarily mask an authentic truth

Building Bali Hai: Tourism and the (re)creation of place in Tahiti

Thatched hut resorts today play a significant role in creating a sense of place within a given location. Thatched hut resorts are particularly ubiquitous in the South Pacific, and in Tahiti almost all resorts are comprised, at least partially, of these structures. The resort is a symbol of authenticity, or authenticity constructed as place. The image of Tahiti as a primitive, yet tamed paradise is perpetuated today by those in the tourist industry as well as by many of the theorists that critique the myths. But myths are not all-encompassing, nor do they necessarily mask an authentic truth

The Relationship Between Nursing Characteristics and Pain Care Quality

The purpose of this study is to examine relationships between unit-level nursing characteristics (e.g. RN education, certification, RN hours per patient day) and hospital characteristics (e.g. Magnet designated, academic institution) with the unit average of patients' self-rated perception of pain and pain care quality. The study is a correlational analysis of cross-sectional data from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) combined with data on pain care quality. The sample was a convenience sample that covered 170 hospitals across the U.S. with 725 reporting units. . The study found significant clinical relationships, although weak, between several variables. Strong relationships included: patient's average pain rating and nursing care hours per patient day; average pain and having pain medications available when needed. The strongest relationship was between percent pain relief and having pain medications available when needed. The study's findings that no significant differences presented across various unit types reinforce the point that pain is pervasive. Pain is also unique to each individual's subjective experience. Therefore, each patient's plan of care should be individualized, patient-centric, and unique to his or her experience.University of Kansas School of Nursing. Bachelor of Science in Nursing Honors Progra

The Challenge of an Aging Population

In chapter seven of Public Policy in Connecticut, Nicole X. Cauvin and Elaine B. Davis discuss the policy challenges associated with an aging or graying state population. Demographic data clearly demonstrate that Connecticut\u27s population, similar to the population of other states, is becoming older. The authors propose innovative public policies designed to accommodate the long-term health care and social service needs of the state\u27s elderly

Comparison of Porcelain Surface and Flexural Strength Obtained by Microwave and Conventional Oven Glazing

Statement of problem. Although the superior qualities of microwave technology are common knowledge in the industry, effects of microwave glazing of dental ceramics have not been investigated. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate the surface roughness and flexural strength achieved by glazing porcelain specimens in a conventional and microwave oven. Material and methods. Thirty specimens of each type of porcelain (Omega 900 and IPS d.Sign) were fabricated and sintered in a conventional oven. The specimens were further divided into 3 groups (n=10): hand polished (using diamond rotary ceramic polishers), microwave glazed, and conventional oven glazed. Each specimen was evaluated for surface roughness using a profilometer. The flexural strength of each specimen was measured using a universal testing machine. A 2-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD post hoc analysis were used to determine significant intergroup differences in surface roughness (α=.05). Flexural strength results were also analyzed using 2-way ANOVA, and the Weibull modulus was determined for each of the 6 groups. The surfaces of the specimens were subjectively evaluated for cracks and porosities using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Results. A significant difference in surface roughness was found among the surface treatments (P=.02). Follow-up tests showed a significant difference in surface roughness between oven-glazed and microwave-glazed treatments (P=.02). There was a significant difference in flexural strength between the 2 porcelains (P Conclusions. The surface character of microwave-glazed porcelain was superior to oven-glazed porcelain. Omega 900 had an overall higher flexural strength than IPS d.Sign. Weibull distributions of flexural strengths for Omega 900 ovenglazed and microwave-glazed specimens were similar. SEM analysis demonstrated a greater number of surface voids and imperfections in IPS d.Sign as compared to Omega 900

Missouri flour for Missouri breadmaking

Cover title.Includes bibliographical references