123 research outputs found
Rating the methodological quality in systematic reviews of studies on measurement properties: a scoring system for the COSMIN checklist
Full text linkBackground: The COSMIN checklist is a standardized tool for assessing the methodological quality of studies on measurement properties. It contains 9 boxes, each dealing with one measurement property, with 5-18 items per box about design aspects and statistical methods. Our aim was to develop a scoring system for the COSMIN checklist to calculate quality scores per measurement property when using the checklist in systematic reviews of measurement properties. Methods: The scoring system was developed based on discussions among experts and testing of the scoring system on 46 articles from a systematic review. Four response options were defined for each COSMIN item (excellent, good, fair, and poor). A quality score per measurement property is obtained by taking the lowest rating of any item in a box ("worst score counts"). Results: Specific criteria for excellent, good, fair, and poor quality for each COSMIN item are described. In defining the criteria, the "worst score counts" algorithm was taken into consideration. This means that only fatal flaws were defined as poor quality. The scores of the 46 articles show how the scoring system can be used to provide an overview of the methodological quality of studies included in a systematic review of measurement properties. Conclusions: Based on experience in testing this scoring system on 46 articles, the COSMIN checklist with the proposed scoring system seems to be a useful tool for assessing the methodological quality of studies included in systematic reviews of measurement properties. © The Author(s) 2011
Acceptance conditions in automated negotiation
No full textIn every negotiation with a deadline, one of the negotiating parties has to accept an offer to avoid a break off. A break off is usually an undesirable outcome for both parties, therefore it is important that a negotiator employs a proficient mechanism to decide under which conditions to accept. When designing such conditions one is faced with the acceptance dilemma: accepting the current offer may be suboptimal, as better offers may still be presented. On the other hand, accepting too late may prevent an agreement from being reached, resulting in a break off with no gain for either party. Motivated by the challenges of bilateral negotiations between automated agents and by the results and insights of the automated negotiating agents competition (ANAC), we classify and compare state-of-the-art generic acceptance conditions. We focus on decoupled acceptance conditions, i.e. conditions that do not depend on the bidding strategy that is used. We performed extensive experiments to compare the performance of acceptance conditions in combination with a broad range of bidding strategies and negotiation domains. Furthermore we propose new acceptance conditions and we demonstrate that they outperform the other conditions that we study. In particular, it is shown that they outperform the standard acceptance condition of comparing the current offer with the offer the agent is ready to send out. We also provide insight in to why some conditions work better than others and investigate correlations between the properties of the negotiation environment and the efficacy of acceptance conditions.MediamaticsElectrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Scienc
Review: Cosmin Căprioară, 2023, Denumiri metaforice ale părților corpului omenesc în româna populară, Cluj-Napoca, Editura Mega, 284 p.
Full text linkThis paper is intended as a review of the study in which Cosmin Căprioară analyses the process of metaphorization undergone by many of the terms designating human body parts in the Romanian folk language. The research is based on the cognitive theory of metaphor. In this case, the author has encoded an interdisciplinary analysis grid, using various methodologies and tools from dialectology, language history, lexicology and semantics, psycholinguistics etc. These were necessary in the operation of inventorying and delimiting the types of metaphors, resulting from semantic transfer, namely: [concrete] for [concrete] metaphors and [abstract] for [abstract] metaphors
Toward automatic programming
Full text linkProgramming, the act of creating and changing software source code, should be a collaborative process between humans and computers. This dissertation shows a general approach and two techniques that bring us closer to this goal. The general approach is inspired by human programmers: they learn how to transform code by looking at similar past transformation instances, then they change new code by stringing together several fine-grained transformations.
First, we give a technique for inferring abstract program transformations from concrete code examples. The transformations are expressed as formal rules in a term rewriting language with contexts, and they are inferred from examples via a novel anti-unification algorithm. For evaluation, we use the technique to successfully infer 15 JavaScript linting rules.
Second, we give a technique for searching through compositions of program transformations to satisfy a goal. The search is an evolutionary algorithm with the fitness function defined over the code and the code transformations as mutations. For evaluation, we apply the technique to the problem of automatically translating imperative, sequential programs to functional MapReduce programs. The algorithm successfully finds efficient MapReduce implementations for programs with complex indirect accesses, such as WordCount.Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'U of I Access', the embargo will last until 2020-05-01The student, Cosmin Radoi, accepted the attached license on 2018-04-20 at 16:10.The student, Cosmin Radoi, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2018-04-20 at 16:15.This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2018-04-20 at 16:49.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #12392 on 2018-08-31 at 17:21:07Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-04T20:36:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2
RADOI-DISSERTATION-2018.pdf: 2226442 bytes, checksum: 4c05bf717b9d797f97a22ca31f3f078f (MD5)
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Previous issue date: 2018-04-20Embargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 107285
Lift date: 2020-09-04T20:37:00Z
Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemEmbargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 107285
Lift date: 2020-09-04T20:42:08Z
Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemU of I Only Restriction Lifted for Item 107285 on 2020-09-05T09:15:13Z
Assessment of fatigue in postpartum women using patient-reported outcome measures : a systematic review utilising Consensus Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) guidelines
No full textBackground: Fatigue is a burden for a substantial proportion of women in the postpartum period. A wide array of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are used for assessment, which makes comparison of data difficult.
Objective: To identify the best PROM for postpartum fatigue using Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) guidelines.
Search strategy: We searched Web of Science, Embase, PubMed and CINAHL, with no date limiters, in July 2020 for validated PROMs used to assess fatigue in the postpartum period.
Selection criteria: Studies evaluating at least one author-defined domain of postpartum fatigue and one psychometric measurement property of a PROM.
Data collection and analysis: An overall rating was assigned based on COSMIN criteria and the quality of evidence was assessed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE).
Main results: We identified 49 validation studies using 18 PROMs in 21,209 women that evaluated postpartum fatigue. All three fatigue domains (Physical, Mental, Interference) were assessed by four PROMs: Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS), Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), Checklist Individual Strength (CIS) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). The FAS, which is freely available online, was the only PROM to demonstrate adequate content validity and at least a low level evidence of sufficient internal consistency, resulting in a Class A recommendation.
Conclusion: The FAS is the best available PROM to assess postpartum fatigue. However, it fails to assess important areas of postpartum recovery. Future studies should aim to develop a more specific PROM for postpartum fatigue
Level of Evidence for Reliability, Validity, and Responsiveness of Physical Capacity Tasks Designed to Assess Functioning in Patients With Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review Using the COSMIN Standards
No full textBackground Physical capacity tasks (ie, observer-administered outcome measures that comprise a standardized activity) are useful for assessing functioning in patients with low back pain. Purpose The purpose of this study was to systematically review the level of evidence for the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of physical capacity tasks. Data Sources MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, and relevant reference lists were used as data sources. Study Selection Two authors independently selected articles addressing the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of physical capacity tasks, and a third author resolved discrepancies. Data Extraction and Quality Assessment One author performed data extraction, and a second author independently checked the data extraction for accuracy. Two authors independently assessed the methodological quality with the Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) 4-point checklist, and a third author resolved discrepancies. Data Synthesis and Analysis Data synthesis was performed by all authors to determine the level of evidence per measurement property per physical capacity task. The 5-repetition sit-to-stand, 5-minute walk, 50-ft (1/415.3-m) walk, Progressive Isoinertial Lifting Evaluation, and Timed "Up & Go" tasks displayed moderate to strong evidence for positive ratings of both reliability and construct validity. The 1-minute stair-climbing, 5-repetition sit-to-stand, shuttle walking, and Timed "Up & Go" tasks showed limited evidence for positive ratings of responsiveness. Limitations The COSMIN 4-point checklist was originally developed for patient-reported outcome measures and not physical capacity tasks. Conclusions The 5-repetition sit-to-stand, 50-ft walk, 5-minute walk, Progressive Isoinertial Lifting Evaluation, Timed "Up & Go," and 1-minute stair-climbing tasks are promising tests for the measurement of functioning in patients with chronic low back pain. However, more research on the measurement error and responsiveness of these tasks is needed to be able to fully recommend them as outcome measures in research and clinical practice
BOOK REVIEW: Cosmin Popa, “Intelectualii lui Ceausescu si Academia de Stiinte Sociale si Politice (1970-1989)” – “Ceausescu\u27s Intellectuals and the Academy of Social and Political Sciences (1970-1989)”, Editura Litera, București, 2019, 352 p.
No full textThe volume “Ceausescu\u27s Intellectuals and the Academy of Social and Political Sciences (1970-1989)” written by the researcher Cosmin Popa, edited by the Litera Publishing House in 2018, is a work that provides an overview of how the policies of the past have affected universities` life, respectively the elite of the time. What we can notice in the volume proposed for reviewing is the author\u27s objective perspective on the motivation behind the creation of Nicolae Ceausescu\u27s Academy of Social Sciences and Politics, a tool that would act in the interests of the communist system and propaganda
An Efficient Hybrid Genetic Algorithm for Solving a Particular Two-Stage Fixed-Charge Transportation Problem
No full textSolving the Two-Stage Supply Chain Network Design Problem with Risk-Pooling and Lead Times by an Efficient Genetic Algorithm
No full textA Novel Hybrid Genetic Algorithm for the Two-Stage Transportation Problem with Fixed Charges Associated to the Routes
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