NorthStar, a support tool for the design and evaluation of quality improvement interventions in healthcare

Background: The Research-Based Education and Quality Improvement (ReBEQI) European partnership aims to establish a framework and provide practical tools for the selection, implementation, and evaluation of quality improvement (QI) interventions. We describe the development and preliminary evaluation of the software tool NorthStar, a major product of the ReBEQI project. Methods: We focused the content of NorthStar on the design and evaluation of QI interventions. A lead individual from the ReBEQI group drafted each section, and at least two other group members reviewed it. The content is based on published literature, as well as material developed by the ReBEQI group. We developed the software in both a Microsoft Windows HTML help system version and a web-based version. In a preliminary evaluation, we surveyed 33 potential users about the acceptability and perceived utility of NorthStar. Results: NorthStar consists of 18 sections covering the design and evaluation of QI interventions. The major focus of the intervention design sections is on how to identify determinants of practice (factors affecting practice patterns), while the major focus of the intervention evaluation sections is on how to design a cluster randomised trial. The two versions of the software can be transferred by email or CD, and are available for download from the internet. The software offers easy navigation and various functions to access the content. Potential users (55% response rate) reported above-moderate levels of confidence in carrying out QI research related tasks if using NorthStar, particularly when developing a protocol for a cluster randomised trial Conclusion: NorthStar is an integrated, accessible, practical, and acceptable tool to assist developers and evaluators of QI interventions

Numerical and experimental investigation of a lightweight bonnet for pedestrian safety

A topic of great consideration in current vehicle development in Europe is pedestrian protection. The enforcement of a new regulation trying to decrease the injuries to head, pelvis, and leg of pedestrian impacted by cars, is imposing great changes in vehicles' front design. In the present work a design solution for the bonnet, which is the main body part interacting with the human head during a car to pedestrian collision, is proposed. This solution meets the stiffness and safety targets, takes into account the manufacturing and recyclability requirements and gives a relevant contribution to vehicle lightweight. Thus this proposed solution puts in evidence that safety and lightweight are not incompatible targets. The amount of potential injury to the pedestrian head is evaluated, as prescribed by the standard test procedures, by means of a headform launched on the bonnet. However, the standard approach based on the head injury criterion (HIC) value only is reported to be largely unsatisfactory: therefore, a new experimental methodology for the measurement of the translational and the rotational accelerations has been developed, and the experimental results are reported. This would be a starting point for the evolution of currently adopted injury criteria to increase the safety of the vulnerable road user

Deutschlandreise - Projekte zur EU-Regionalfoerderung

Available from TIB Hannover / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman

The European Union mine actions in the world

At head of title: European CommissionAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:m03/38465 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

Validation of Soil Erosion Estimates at European Scale.

The increasing availability of regional scale data layers and digital map sources has recently led to the application of several erosion model applications at Pan-European scale. These were USLE, INRA (Institut National Recherche Agronomiquue) and PESERA (Pan-European Soil Erosion Risk Assessment). This paper assesses the accuracy of such estimates using Watem/SEDEM model for calculating Sediment Delivery Ratio (SDR), then reducing erosion rates assessed by various models by this ratio and comparing these predicted values and observed values. This comparison is presented for several areas within Belgium, Czech Republic, Italy and Spain.Available from STL Prague, CZ / NTK - National Technical LibrarySIGLECZCzech Republi