This thesis concerns the effect of rounding on statistical procedures, where rounding is taken to be the grouping of data at the midpoints of equally spaced intervals. The characteristic function of the rounded distribution is obtained. This is used to derive general expressions for the moments of univariate and bivariate distributions that have been subject to rounding. The interactive effect of rounding and skewness on the moments is examined. The performance of certain normal test statistics is examined for rounded data. A study is carried out to obtain precise values for the significance level and power of these statistical tests for rounded data, over many distributions. Guidance is given on what is an appropriate degree of precision for normal data. Special consideration is given to how much non-normality can be allowed without the effect of rounding seriously distorting the significance level and power of a test. Standard methods of estimating the parameters of a distribution are compared with respect to loss in information caused by rounding. Normal, gamma and exponential distributions are examined. Computational methods are presented for computing the maximum likelihood estimates from rounded normal and gamma data. In general it is concluded that the effect of rounding on statistical procedures can be increased by the departure from normality of the population. It was found that less precision is required of the recorded data than that which is usually given.

We introduce a new pure integer rounding heuristic, ZI Round, and compare this heuristic to recent extremely fast pure integer rounding heuristic Simple Rounding. Simple Rounding was introduced in the non-commercial code SCIP. ZI Round attempts to round each fractional variable while using row slacks to maintain primal feasibility. We use the MIPLIB 2003 library for the test set. The average time in our run per instance for both Simple Rounding and ZI Round was 0.8 milliseconds, but ZI Round found more feasible solutions with a the same or better objective value. Also the average time to solve the lp relaxation per instance was 2.2 seconds, so these two rounding heuristics are several magnitudes faster than other heuristics which must use the lp solver, including diving heuristics.We also show that ZI Round performs well on a set covering class and a railway crew scheduling class.

Timsrundor innebär en strukturerad regelbunden tillsyn av patienter och kan utföras för att upptäcka om patienters tillstånd försämras och för att förebygga trycksår, fall, smärta eller undernäring och för att patienterna inte ska behöva ringa på klockan för att få hjälp med till exempel toalettbesök. Akutsjukvården är i dag hårt belastad med ett ökat patientflöde. En hög arbetsbelastning kan medföra att sjuksköterskor inte alltid kan tillgodose patienternas omvårdnadsbehov. För att sjuksköterskor bättre ska kunna tillgodose patienters behov och upptäcka eventuella försämringar av patienters tillstånd, samt förebygga att skador uppstår kan timsrundor eventuellt vara ett arbetssätt. Syftet var att beskriva sjuksköterskors erfarenheter och upplevelser av timsrundor ur patientsäkerhetsperspektiv inom akutsjukvård. En litteraturstudie valdes som metod för att besvara studiens syfte. Databassökningen genomfördes i PubMed och CINAHL. Litteraturstudien är en sammanställning av resultaten i 18 inkluderade artiklar, publicerade mellan 2007 – 2017, med ett undantag för artikeln från 2006. Av artiklarna var åtta kvalitativa, tre var kvantitativa och sju var mixade studier. Resultatet sammanfattades i fyra kategorier; förbättrad kommunikation, ökad vårdkvalitet, minskning av vårdskador och timsrundor ökar tryggheten. Litteraturöversikten visar att delaktighet, noggrann implementering och att all personal, inklusive cheferna, arbetade mot samma mål var viktiga faktorer för att nå framgång med timsrundor. Flera av studierna visade att både patienter och sjuksköterskor upplevde att omvårdnaden förbättrades ur ett patientsäkerhetsperspektiv vid införandet av timsrundor, dock upplevde sjuksköterskor ofta tidsbrist samt att dokumentationen av timsrundorna kunde vara betungande. Flertalet av resultatartiklarna tyder på ökad patientsäkerhet med timsrundor genom att bland annat fall minskade eftersom ringklockan och patientens tillhörigheter placerades närmare patienten. Det framgick att patientnöjdheten ökade med timsrundor och att ringningar minskade. Slutsatsen som kan dras av denna litteraturöversikt är att timsrundor är ett nytt outforskat begrepp inom sjukvården i Sverige. Studien visar att timsrundor kan vara ett stöd i att förbättra patientsäkerheten. För att timsrundor ska fungera krävs en noggrann implementering där personal och ledning bör arbeta mot samma mål. Mer forskning inom ämnet timsrundor är önskvärt för att uppnå ökad validitet.

The clinical practice problems addressed by the DNP project were the low patient satisfaction scores and the high number of falls on a hospital neurological step-down unit. The purpose of this project was to improve the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems score on one patient satisfaction question and decrease the number of patient falls by implementing hourly rounding, using a script related to patient comfort and toileting needs. The scripted questions were expected to increase the satisfaction of patients and decrease unassisted falls due to increased attention to patient pain and positioning and timely help with toileting and retrieving personal items. The project was guided by Rosswurm and Larrabee's change model and facilitated by the plan, do, study, act model for rapid change. The satisfaction scores on the survey question 'I received help as soon as wanted' and the number of falls were compared before and after hourly rounding with scripting was introduced. During the 3 months of the project, the average monthly number of falls increased from 3 to 3.6 and changes in the patient satisfaction score were within upper and lower control limits indicating normal variation in the process. These findings indicated that barriers to the change on the unit need to be examined further and another short-term, rapid change cycle initiated to meet or exceed the national benchmarks for patient satisfaction and falls incidence. The project may inform quality improvement efforts at other hospitals and assist in social change by increasing scripted communication between nursing staff and patients to ensure that patients' needs (pain, positioning, pottying, and proximity of personal items) are addressed during each hourly rounding encounter.

No description available.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Canterbury, 2009. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-92). Also available via the World Wide Web.

No description available.

Since the innovation of computers some 40 years ago and the introduction of microcomputers in 1975, computers are playing an active role in education processes and altering the pattern of interaction between teacher and student in the classroom. Computer assisted learning has been seen as a revolution in education. In this research, the author has studied the impact of using microcomputers on mathematical education, particularly at the Hong Kong tertiary level, in different perspectives. Two computer software packages have been developed on the microcomputer. The consideration of the topic to be used in the computer assisted learning was arrived at in earlier surveys with students who thought that computers could give very accurate solutions to calculations. The two software packages, demonstrating on the spot the error that would be incurred by the computer, have been used by the students. They are both interactive and make use of the advantages of the microcomputer's functions over other teaching media, such as graphics facility and random number generator, to draw to the students' attention awareness of errors that may be obtained using computers in numerical solutions. Much emphasis is put on the significance and effectiveness of using computer packages in learning and teaching. Measurements are based on questionnaires, conversations with students, and tests on content material after the packages have been used. Feedback and subjective opinion of using computers in mathematical education have also been obtained from both students and other teachers. The research then attempts to examine the suitability of applying computer assisted learning in Hong Kong education sectors. Some studies on the comments made by students who participated in the learning process are undertaken. The successes and failures in terms of student accomplishment and interest in the subject area as a result of using a software package is described. Suggestions and recommendations are given in the concluding chapter.

Methods of controlling round-off error in one-step methods in the numerical solution of ordinary differential equations are compared. A new Algorithm called theoretical cumulative rounding is formulated. Round-off error bounds are obtained for single precision, and theoretical cumulative rounding. Limits of these bounds are obtained as the step length approaches zero. It is shown that the limit of the bound on the round-off error is unbounded for single precision and double precision, is constant for theoretical partial double precision, and is zero for theoretical cumulative rounding. The limits of round-off bounds are not obtainable in actual practice. The round-off error increases for single precision, remains about constant for partial double precision and decreases for cumulative rounding as the step length decreases. Several examples are included. (34 pages)

Falls and injuries related to falls are some of the most common and costly incidents that occur in the long-term care environment. Purposeful hourly rounding is a proactive way for nursing staff to identify patient needs and demonstrate positive fall prevention outcomes. This project examined a process improvement endeavor of a long-term care unit that experienced an increase in the number of falls over 3 months. The purpose was to evaluate whether staff education and implementation of an evidence-based hourly rounding program would affect the number of patient falls. The Johns Hopkins nursing evidence-based conceptual model, Kurt Lewin's change model, and the Shewhart cycle process improvement model were used to implement the change process as well as the Studer Group best practice hourly rounding tools. A sample of 40 residents was included in a quantitative descriptive design describing the implementation of hourly rounding. Staff were educated 30 days prior to implementation. Pre and post project fall rates were retrieved from the VA fall data management system and revealed a 55% decrease over 3 months post staff education. The use of evidence-based hourly rounding measures increased over the same time period. Nurse leaders must ensure rounding programs are evidence-based, clearly defined in policies, and include robust education plans. There are limited studies on the relationship between education and hourly rounding; therefore, future studies should focus on outcomes of initial and ongoing education for program success and sustainability. Falls are a healthcare concern nurses must address at any point-of-care to promote public safety through prevention and to facilitate positive social change by providing a safe hospital environment.