Propagation, structural similarity and image quality

Póster presentado en SPIE Photonics Europe, Brussels, 16-19 April 2012.

Patient safety in the operating room and documentary quality related to infection and hospitalization

Objective: To describe the documentary quality of two records related to patient safety in the operating room and to identify differences between information related to infection and hospitalization. Methods: Comparative study based on two cross sections, conducted with 3,033 patients who had been hospitalized for more than 24 hours in an Orthopedics and Traumatology Center. Sociodemographic and clinical data, as well as information provided in forms were compared. Postoperative infection was identified as an adverse event. Results: There was a significant correlation between hospitalization days and the total number of diagnoses collected (Pearson=0.328; p<0.001). When diagnoses and infections were grouped together, a significant value was found between closed fractures and infection (p=0.001). Conclusion: Differences in the degree of completion were observed between the two records. There were no differences between adverse events.

Quality of pharmaceutical advertising and gender bias in medical journals (1998-2008): a review of the scientific literature

Objective: To review the scientific literature on pharmaceutical advertising aimed at health professionals in order to determine whether gender bias has decreased and the quality of information in pharmaceutical advertising has improved over time. Methods: We performed a content analysis of original articles dealing with medical drug promotion (1998-2008), according to quality criteria such as (a) the number, validity and accessibility of bibliographic references provided in pharmaceutical advertising and (b) the extent to which gender representations were consistent with the prevalence of the diseases. Databases: PUBMED, Medline, Scopus, Sociological Abstract, Eric and LILACS. Results: We reviewed 31 articles that analyzed advertising in medical journals from 1975-2005 and were published between 1998 and 2008. We found that the number of references used to support pharmaceutical advertising claims increased from 1975 but that 50% of these references were not valid. There was a tendency to depict men in paid productive roles, while women appeared inside the home or in non-occupational social contexts. Advertisements for psychotropic and cardiovascular drugs overrepresented women and men respectively. Conclusions: The use of bibliographic references increased between 1998 and 2008. However, representation of traditional male-female roles was similar in 1975 and 2005. Pharmaceutical advertisements may contribute to reinforcing the perception that certain diseases are associated with the most frequently portrayed sex.

The variability in adherence to dietary treatment and quality of weight loss: overweight and obesity

Objective: Observation of weight loss and the maximum time that individualized dietary treatment qualitative and quantitative is shown to be effective. Method: 4625 consultations were conducted with 616 patients over 25 years old, in the nutrition consultation, using the qualitative and quantitative individualized dietary treatment. As a result we controlled the weight loss, the fat and the quality and variability of the loss, monthly according to sex, age and BMI in an urban area of southeastern Spain. Results and discussion: A low level of abandonment was proved in men, patients older than 45 years old compared to obese showed a higher degree. The quality of the loss was greater in men under 45 years old, overweight patients, however, more research is needed in this area. Measuring the waist and hips has led to an increasing interest in measuring indicators of body fat. Conclusion: The individualized dietary treatment has been proved to be effective for six months and then a multidisciplinary mode of this treatment is recommended. The use of new ways to assess weight loss is proposed taking into consideration the quality and variability of loss, regardless of the treatment used.

Quality certification, performance and size in hotel chains

This paper examines the relationship between quality certification and performance, and quality certification and size in hotel chains operating in Spain. In an initial phase, a quantitative study is made with secondary and objective data to analyse these relationships. In a second phase, a qualitative analysis is applied to reach a better understanding of the quantitative results. The findings show that chains with certified hotels achieve better performance levels; that better performance levels increase with the percentage of certified hotels within the chain; and that quality certification has positive effects on some performance variables. In addition, size is not a key factor for certification, although it could be an enabler.