Mothers' Estimates of Their Children with Disorders of Language Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willinger, Ulrike; Eisenwort, Brigitte

2005-01-01

The authors' objective in this article was to explore the accuracy of mothers' estimates concerning their children's developmental functioning, especially with respect to vocabulary and gross motor development, by comparing the results of diagnostic tests administered to both the children and their mothers. The authors studied 55 children with…

Full-life chronic toxicity of sodium salts to the mayfly Neocloeon triangulifer in tests with laboratory cultured food.

PubMed

Soucek, David J; Dickinson, Amy

2015-09-01

Although insects occur in nearly all freshwater ecosystems, few sensitive insect models exist for use in determining the toxicity of contaminants. The objectives of the present study were to adapt previously developed culturing and toxicity testing methods for the mayfly Neocloeon triangulifer (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae), and to further develop a method for chronic toxicity tests spanning organism ages of less than 24 h post hatch to adult emergence, using a laboratory cultured diatom diet. The authors conducted 96-h fed acute tests and full-life chronic toxicity tests with sodium chloride, sodium nitrate, and sodium sulfate. The authors generated 96-h median lethal concentrations (LC50s) of 1062 mg Cl/L (mean of 3 tests), 179 mg N-NO3 /L, and 1227 mg SO4 /L. Acute to chronic ratios ranged from 2.1 to 6.4 for chloride, 2.5 to 5.1 for nitrate, and 2.3 to 8.5 for sulfate. The endpoints related to survival and development time were consistently the most sensitive in the tests. The chronic values generated for chloride were in the same range as those generated by others using natural foods. Furthermore, our weight-versus-fecundity plots were similar to those previously published using the food culturing method on which the present authors' method was based, indicating good potential for standardization. The authors believe that the continued use of this sensitive mayfly species in laboratory studies will help to close the gap in understanding between standard laboratory toxicity test results and field-based observations of community impairment. © 2015 SETAC.

Language Testing and Technology: Past and Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chalhoub-Deville, Micheline

2001-01-01

Reflects on what has transpired in the second language (L2) testing field in relation to technology and situates developments within the larger language testing, general measurement, and educational contexts. (Author/VWL)

An Analysis of the Quality of English Testing for Aviation Purposes in Finland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huhta, Ari

2009-01-01

This article describes and analyses the development of a new test of aviation English by the Finnish Civil Aviation Authority (FCAA), as well as the overall situation in Finland as regards the testing of aviation English. The article describes the FCAA development project and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the new test and the whole…

A Case Study: Testing in the Albuquerque Public Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Carol

1983-01-01

This case study of testing in the Albuquerque public schools highlights improvement of test results dissemination and use through cooperative planning, integrated database development, and a partnership with public media. (Author)

A history of the early days of personality testing in American industry: an obsession with adjustment.

PubMed

Gibby, Robert E; Zickar, Michael J

2008-08-01

Objective personality testing began with Woodworth's Personal Data Sheet in 1917. That test was developed to identify soldiers prone to nervous breakdowns during enemy bombardment in World War I (WWI). Soon after, many competing personality tests were developed for use in industry. Many of these tests, like Woodworth's, focused on the construct of employee maladjustment and were deemed important in screening out applicants who would create workplace disturbances. In this article, the authors review the history of these early personality tests, especially the Bernreuter Personality Inventory and the Humm-Wadsworth Temperament Scale, and discuss the implications of personality testers' obsession with the construct of employee maladjustment. In addition, the authors discuss the industry's obsession with emotional maladjustment and how this obsession coincided with a cultural shift in norms relating to cultural expression.

Improving Students' Diagram Comprehension with Classroom Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cromley, Jennifer G.; Perez, Tony C.; Fitzhugh, Shannon L.; Newcombe, Nora S.; Wills, Theodore W.; Tanaka, Jacqueline C.

2013-01-01

The authors tested whether students can be taught to better understand conventional representations in diagrams, photographs, and other visual representations in science textbooks. The authors developed a teacher-delivered, workbook-and-discussion-based classroom instructional method called Conventions of Diagrams (COD). The authors trained 1…

Contagious Yawning in Autistic and Typical Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helt, Molly S.; Eigsti, Inge-Marie; Snyder, Peter J.; Fein, Deborah A.

2010-01-01

The authors tested susceptibility to contagious yawning in 120 children, 1-6 years, to identify the time course of its emergence during development. Results indicated a substantial increase in the frequency of contagious yawning at 4 years. In a second study, the authors examined contagious yawning in 28 children with autism spectrum disorders…

Controlled Confrontation: The Ward Grievance Procedure of the California Youth Authority. An Exemplary Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Inst. of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (Dept. of Justice/LEAA), Washington, DC.

The Ward Grievance Procedure of the California Youth Authority is one of 17 programs that earned the National Institute's "Exemplary" label. This brochure provides the requisite practical information for those who wish to test or consider testing the ward grievance procedure. The program was developed as a way of dealing with the questions raised…

Development and Initial Testing of a Structured Clinical Observation Tool to Assess Pharmacotherapy Competence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, John Q.; Lieu, Sandra; O'Sullivan, Patricia; Tong, Lowell

2011-01-01

Objective: The authors developed and tested the feasibility and utility of a new direct-observation instrument to assess trainee performance of a medication management session. Methods: The Psychopharmacotherapy-Structured Clinical Observation (P-SCO) instrument was developed based on multiple sources of expertise and then implemented in 4…

The Development of the Text Reception Threshold Test: A Visual Analogue of the Speech Reception Threshold Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zekveld, Adriana A.; George, Erwin L. J.; Kramer, Sophia E.; Goverts, S. Theo; Houtgast, Tammo

2007-01-01

Purpose: In this study, the authors aimed to develop a visual analogue of the widely used Speech Reception Threshold (SRT; R. Plomp & A. M. Mimpen, 1979b) test. The Text Reception Threshold (TRT) test, in which visually presented sentences are masked by a bar pattern, enables the quantification of modality-aspecific variance in speech-in-noise…

Developing an Undergraduate Assessment Test: A Mechanism for Faculty Feedback about Retention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Callahan, Thomas J.; Strandholm, Karen; Dziekan, Julie

2010-01-01

A regional business school chose to self develop an assessment test of the fundamental concepts of the undergraduate business core. Above and beyond the demands of AACSB accreditation, faculty identified feedback from such a test as an essential precursor to changing both overall curriculum and individual class content. The authors describe the…

Data mining of text as a tool in authorship attribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Visa, Ari J. E.; Toivonen, Jarmo; Autio, Sami; Maekinen, Jarno; Back, Barbro; Vanharanta, Hannu

2001-03-01

It is common that text documents are characterized and classified by keywords that the authors use to give them. Visa et al. have developed a new methodology based on prototype matching. The prototype is an interesting document or a part of an extracted, interesting text. This prototype is matched with the document database of the monitored document flow. The new methodology is capable of extracting the meaning of the document in a certain degree. Our claim is that the new methodology is also capable of authenticating the authorship. To verify this claim two tests were designed. The test hypothesis was that the words and the word order in the sentences could authenticate the author. In the first test three authors were selected. The selected authors were William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, and George Bernard Shaw. Three texts from each author were examined. Every text was one by one used as a prototype. The two nearest matches with the prototype were noted. The second test uses the Reuters-21578 financial news database. A group of 25 short financial news reports from five different authors are examined. Our new methodology and the interesting results from the two tests are reported in this paper. In the first test, for Shakespeare and for Poe all cases were successful. For Shaw one text was confused with Poe. In the second test the Reuters-21578 financial news were identified by the author relatively well. The resolution is that our text mining methodology seems to be capable of authorship attribution.

Prevalence of Drug Testing in the Workplace.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartwell, Tyler D.; And Others

1996-01-01

Drug testing continues to develop as a popular strategy to control substance abuse in the workplace. The incidence of testing is partially based on the type of worksite, characteristics of employees, and policies of the company. (Author)

The development of a performance-enhancing additive for vapor-compression heat pumps

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grzyll, L.R.; Scaringe, R.P.; Gottschlich, J.M.

1997-12-31

This paper describes the testing results of a vapor-compression heat pump operating with HFC-134a refrigerant and a performance-enhancing additive. Preliminary bench-top testing of this additive, when added to polyolester (POE) lubricant and HFC-134a refrigerant, showed surprising enhancements to system COP. To further investigate this finding, the authors designed and fabricated a vapor-compression heat pump test stand for the 3--5 ton range. The authors investigated the effect of different concentrations of this additive on various system performance parameters such as cooling capacity, compressor power requirement, pressure ratio, compressor pressure difference, compressor isentropic efficiency, refrigerant flow rate, and heat exchanger performance. Themore » authors investigated various heat source and heat sink conditions to simulate air-conditioning and heat pump operating conditions. To investigate the effect of this additive on compressor lubrication and life, the authors performed compressor life tests (with scroll and reciprocating compressors), and had lubrication wear tests performed with various concentrations of the additive in the POE lubricant.« less

Development of Methods to Account for HCl and Cl2 from Open Burning and Characterization of Emissions from the Open Burning of Three Selected Propellants

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-09-01

Burning of Three Selected Propellants 6. AUTHOR(S) J.L Wilcox, B. Entezam, M.J. Molenaar , & T.R. Shreeve 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS...Physical Test Division West Desert Test Center Ben Entezam Michael J Molenaar Thomas Russell Shreeve Andrulis Research Corporation Contract No. DAAD09

What is an ROC curve?

PubMed

Hoo, Zhe Hui; Candlish, Jane; Teare, Dawn

2017-06-01

The paper by Body et al is concerned with the evaluation of decision aids, which can be used to identify potential acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in the ED. The authors previously developed the Manchester Acute Coronary Syndromes model (MACS) decision aid, which uses several clinical variables and two biomarkers to 'rule in' and 'rule out' ACS. However, one of the two biomarkers (heart-type fatty acid bindingprotein, H-FABP) is not widely used so a revised decision aid has been developed (Troponin-only Manchester Acute Coronary Syndromes, T-MACS), which include a single biomarker hs-cTnT. In this issue, the authors show how they derive a revised decision aid and describe its performance in a number of independent diagnostic cohort studies. Decision aids (as well as other types of 'diagnostic tests') are often evaluated in terms of diagnostic testing parameters such as the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, sensitivity and specificity. In this article, we explain how the ROC analysis is conducted and why it is an essential step towards developing a test with the desirable levels of sensitivity and specificity. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

A Study of Facilities and Infrastructure Planning, Prioritization, and Assessment at Federal Security Laboratories (Revised)

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-02-01

or funds authorized under Section 219(a) for projects costing no more than $4M. Research , Development, Test , and Evaluation (RDT&E) Appropriations...The RDT&E appropriation consists of the mission program budgets for all research , development, test and evaluation work performed by contractors...carry out an unspecified minor military construction project costing not more than $4,000,000. 9 f. Research , Development, Test , and Evaluation

Public Key-Based Need-to-Know Authorization Engine Final Report CRADA No. TSB-1553-98

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mark, R.; Williams, R.

The goals of this project were to develop a public key-based authentication service plug-in based on LLNL's requirements, integrate the public key-based authentication with the Intra Verse authorization service adn the LLNL NTK server by developing a full-featured version of the prototyped Intra Verse need-to-know plug in; and to test the authorization and need-to-know plug-in in a secured extranet prototype among selected national Labs.

The Division of Labor, Technology, and Education: Cross-National Evidence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grandjean, Burke D.

1974-01-01

The author provides data on 29 countries to test the hypothesis of Durkheim, Marx, and Adam Smith that the division of labor and technological development lead to expanded education. The results support the above thesis. (Author/DE)

76 FR 13621 - Opportunity to Partner; Testing of Patient Litters and Patient Restraints to Proposed Test Standard

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-14

... the test program. This would include the costs for a current or comparable pre-test or pre-standard... Partner; Testing of Patient Litters and Patient Restraints to Proposed Test Standard Authority: 29 U.S.C... developed a series of proposed ambulance component test standards. One such standard, AMD STANDARD 004...

Are Independent Probes Truly Independent?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Camp, Gino; Pecher, Diane; Schmidt, Henk G.; Zeelenberg, Rene

2009-01-01

The independent cue technique has been developed to test traditional interference theories against inhibition theories of forgetting. In the present study, the authors tested the critical criterion for the independence of independent cues: Studied cues not presented during test (and unrelated to test cues) should not contribute to the retrieval…

Involving Students in Developing Math Tests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rapke, Tina

2017-01-01

Many studies have claimed that traditional testing actually promotes students' use of superficial approaches to learning. When preparing to take tests, students typically memorize and cram rather than understanding the material and gaining new perspectives. This article describes how the author recast traditional tests by having students take a…

The manufacture of LEU fuel elements at Dounreay

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gibson, J.

1997-08-01

Two LEU test elements are being manufactured at Dounreay for test irradiation in the HFR at Petten, The Netherlands. This paper describes the installation of equipment and the development of the fabrication and inspection techniques necessary for the manufacture of LEU fuel plates. The author`s experience in overcoming the technical problems of stray fuel particles, dog-boning, uranium homogeneity and the measurement of uranium distribution is also described.

Relationship of Elementary and Secondary School Achievement Test Scores to Later Academic Success.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loyd, Brenda H.; And Others

1980-01-01

This study investigated the relationship between achievement test scores on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) and Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED), and high school and college grade point average. Support for the predictive validity of the ITBS and ITED achievement test batteries is provided. (Author/GK)

Shell Games.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atkinson, Bill

1982-01-01

The author critiques the program design and educational aspects of the Shell Games, a program developed by Apple Computer, Inc., which can be used by the teacher to design objective tests for adaptation to specific assessment needs. (For related articles, see EC 142 959-962.) (Author)

Teach Reading, Not Testing: Best Practice in an Age of Accountability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollingworth, Liz; Drake, Hilleary M.

2011-01-01

"Teach Reading, Not Testing" reinforces what teachers already know--test preparation worksheets and drill-and-kill activities do not make children into lifelong readers. The authors' conscientious approach to reading instruction combines an insider perspective on the development of high-stakes tests with classroom experience in achieving…

An Interactive Software System for Computer-Assisted Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howze, Glenn

1978-01-01

This paper describes an interactive computer software system developed at Tuskegee Institute which is designed to allow flexibility in the development, administration, and scoring of examinations. (Author)

Test Standard Developed for Determining the Slow Crack Growth of Advanced Ceramics at Ambient Temperature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, Sung R.; Salem, Jonathan A.

1998-01-01

The service life of structural ceramic components is often limited by the process of slow crack growth. Therefore, it is important to develop an appropriate testing methodology for accurately determining the slow crack growth design parameters necessary for component life prediction. In addition, an appropriate test methodology can be used to determine the influences of component processing variables and composition on the slow crack growth and strength behavior of newly developed materials, thus allowing the component process to be tailored and optimized to specific needs. At the NASA Lewis Research Center, work to develop a standard test method to determine the slow crack growth parameters of advanced ceramics was initiated by the authors in early 1994 in the C 28 (Advanced Ceramics) committee of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). After about 2 years of required balloting, the draft written by the authors was approved and established as a new ASTM test standard: ASTM C 1368-97, Standard Test Method for Determination of Slow Crack Growth Parameters of Advanced Ceramics by Constant Stress-Rate Flexural Testing at Ambient Temperature. Briefly, the test method uses constant stress-rate testing to determine strengths as a function of stress rate at ambient temperature. Strengths are measured in a routine manner at four or more stress rates by applying constant displacement or loading rates. The slow crack growth parameters required for design are then estimated from a relationship between strength and stress rate. This new standard will be published in the Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol. 15.01, in 1998. Currently, a companion draft ASTM standard for determination of the slow crack growth parameters of advanced ceramics at elevated temperatures is being prepared by the authors and will be presented to the committee by the middle of 1998. Consequently, Lewis will maintain an active leadership role in advanced ceramics standardization within ASTM. In addition, the authors have been and are involved with several international standardization organizations including the Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards (VAMAS), the International Energy Agency (IEA), and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The associated standardization activities involve fracture toughness, strength, elastic modulus, and the machining of advanced ceramics.

Multiple Testing with Modified Bonferroni Methods.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Jianmin; And Others

This paper discusses the issue of multiple testing and overall Type I error rates in contexts other than multiple comparisons of means. It demonstrates, using a 5 x 5 correlation matrix, the application of 5 recently developed modified Bonferroni procedures developed by the following authors: (1) Y. Hochberg (1988); (2) B. S. Holland and M. D.…

Measuring Attending Behavior and Short-Term Memory with Knox's Cube Test.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stone, Mark H.; Wright, Benjamin D.

1983-01-01

A new revision was developed using Rasch psychometric techniques to build a Knox's Cube Test (KCT) variable and item bank using the tapping series from all previous editions. The report forms developed give a clear picture of the subject's performance set in a context that is both normative and criterion. (Author/BW)

Preschool Home Literacy Practices and Children's Literacy Development: A Longitudinal Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hood, Michelle; Conlon, Elizabeth; Andrews, Glenda

2008-01-01

In this 3-year longitudinal study, the authors tested and extended M. Senechal and J. Le Fevre's (2002) model of the relationships between preschool home literacy practices and children's literacy and language development. Parent-child reading (Home Literacy Environment Questionnaire plus a children's Title Recognition Test) and parental teaching…

Cognitive Improvement of Attention and Inhibition in the Late Afternoon in Children With Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Treated With Osmotic-Release Oral System Methylphenidate.

PubMed

Slama, Hichem; Fery, Patrick; Verheulpen, Denis; Vanzeveren, Nathalie; Van Bogaert, Patrick

2015-07-01

Long-acting medications have been developed and approved for use in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These compounds are intended to optimize and maintain symptoms control throughout the day. We tested prolonged effects of osmotic-release oral system methylphenidate on both attention and inhibition, in the late afternoon. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was conducted in 36 boys (7-12 years) with ADHD and 40 typically developing children. The ADHD children received an individualized dose of placebo or osmotic-release oral system methylphenidate. They were tested about 8 hours after taking with 2 continuous performance tests (continuous performance test-X [CPT-X] and continuous performance test-AX [CPT-AX]) and a counting Stroop. A positive effect of osmotic-release oral system methylphenidate was present in CPT-AX with faster and less variable reaction times under osmotic-release oral system methylphenidate than under placebo, and no difference with typically developing children. In the counting Stroop, we found a decreased interference with osmotic-release oral system methylphenidate but no difference between children with ADHD under placebo and typically developing children. © The Author(s) 2014.

Design and Development of Anthropometrically Correct Head Forms for Joint Strike Fighter Ejection Seat Testing

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-02-01

Testing John A. Plaga Air Force Research Laboratory Chris Albery Mark Boehmer Chuck Goodyear Glenn Thomas Advanced...PROJECT NUMBER 7184 5e. TASK NUMBER 02 6. AUTHOR(S) John A. Plaga *Chris Albery *Mark Boehmer *Chuck Goodyear *Glenn Thomas 5f. WORKUNIT...laser scan 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON: John A. Plaga a. REPORT U b. ABSTRACT U c. THIS PAGE U 17

Developing Guidelines for HIV Antibody Testing among Victims of Pediatric Sexual Abuse.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gellert, George A.; And Others

1990-01-01

An interim set of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing guidelines for victims of pediatric sexual abuse (PSA) is proposed. Guidelines are based on responses of 63 practitioners of PSA assessment to 7 hypothetical clinical profiles with 12 testing criteria. (Author/DB)

Language and Culture in the Multi-Ethnic Community: Spoken-Language Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matluck, Joseph H.; Mace-Matluck, Betty J.

1975-01-01

Describes the research approach used to develop the MAT-SEA-CAL Oral Proficiency tests designed by the authors. Language test performance depends on both language proficiency and knowledge of the culture. (TL)

Toward lean satellites reliability improvement using HORYU-IV project as case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faure, Pauline; Tanaka, Atomu; Cho, Mengu

2017-04-01

Lean satellite programs are programs in which the satellite development philosophy is driven by fast delivery and low cost. Though this concept offers the possibility to develop and fly risky missions without jeopardizing a space program, most of these satellites suffer infant mortality and fail to achieve their mission minimum success. Lean satellites with high infant mortality rate indicate that testing prior to launch is insufficient. In this study, the authors monitored failures occurring during the development of the lean satellite HORYU-IV to identify the evolution of the cumulative number of failures against cumulative testing time. Moreover, the sub-systems driving the failures depending on the different development phases were identified. The results showed that half to 2/3 of the failures are discovered during the early stage of testing. Moreover, when the mean time before failure was calculated, it appeared that for any development phase considered, a new failure appears on average every 20 h of testing. Simulations were also performed and it showed that for an initial testing time of 50 h, reliability after 1 month launch can be improved by nearly 6 times as compared to an initial testing time of 20 h. Through this work, the authors aim at providing a qualitative reference for lean satellites developers to better help them manage resources to develop lean satellites following a fast delivery and low cost philosophy while ensuring sufficient reliability to achieve mission minimum success.

Reliability Analysis for the Internationally Administered 2002 Series GED Tests. GED Testing Service[R] Research Studies, 2009-3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Setzer, J. Carl; He, Yi

2009-01-01

Reliability Analysis for the Internationally Administered 2002 Series GED (General Educational Development) Tests Reliability refers to the consistency, or stability, of test scores when the authors administer the measurement procedure repeatedly to groups of examinees (American Educational Research Association [AERA], American Psychological…

HITCal: a software tool for analysis of video head impulse test responses.

PubMed

Rey-Martinez, Jorge; Batuecas-Caletrio, Angel; Matiño, Eusebi; Perez Fernandez, Nicolás

2015-09-01

The developed software (HITCal) may be a useful tool in the analysis and measurement of the saccadic video head impulse test (vHIT) responses and with the experience obtained during its use the authors suggest that HITCal is an excellent method for enhanced exploration of vHIT outputs. To develop a (software) method to analyze and explore the vHIT responses, mainly saccades. HITCal was written using a computational development program; the function to access a vHIT file was programmed; extended head impulse exploration and measurement tools were created and an automated saccade analysis was developed using an experimental algorithm. For pre-release HITCal laboratory tests, a database of head impulse tests (HITs) was created with the data collected retrospectively in three reference centers. This HITs database was evaluated by humans and was also computed with HITCal. The authors have successfully built HITCal and it has been released as open source software; the developed software was fully operative and all the proposed characteristics were incorporated in the released version. The automated saccades algorithm implemented in HITCal has good concordance with the assessment by human observers (Cohen's kappa coefficient = 0.7).

Reading Ability and Print Exposure: Item Response Theory Analysis of the Author Recognition Test

PubMed Central

Moore, Mariah; Gordon, Peter C.

2015-01-01

In the Author Recognition Test (ART) participants are presented with a series of names and foils and are asked to indicate which ones they recognize as authors. The test is a strong predictor of reading skill, with this predictive ability generally explained as occurring because author knowledge is likely acquired through reading or other forms of print exposure. This large-scale study (1012 college student participants) used Item Response Theory (IRT) to analyze item (author) characteristics to facilitate identification of the determinants of item difficulty, provide a basis for further test development, and to optimize scoring of the ART. Factor analysis suggests a potential two factor structure of the ART differentiating between literary vs. popular authors. Effective and ineffective author names were identified so as to facilitate future revisions of the ART. Analyses showed that the ART is a highly significant predictor of time spent encoding words as measured using eye-tracking during reading. The relationship between the ART and time spent reading provided a basis for implementing a higher penalty for selecting foils, rather than the standard method of ART scoring (names selected minus foils selected). The findings provide novel support for the view that the ART is a valid indicator of reading volume. Further, they show that frequency data can be used to select items of appropriate difficulty and that frequency data from corpora based on particular time periods and types of text may allow test adaptation for different populations. PMID:25410405

Reading ability and print exposure: item response theory analysis of the author recognition test.

PubMed

Moore, Mariah; Gordon, Peter C

2015-12-01

In the author recognition test (ART), participants are presented with a series of names and foils and are asked to indicate which ones they recognize as authors. The test is a strong predictor of reading skill, and this predictive ability is generally explained as occurring because author knowledge is likely acquired through reading or other forms of print exposure. In this large-scale study (1,012 college student participants), we used item response theory (IRT) to analyze item (author) characteristics in order to facilitate identification of the determinants of item difficulty, provide a basis for further test development, and optimize scoring of the ART. Factor analysis suggested a potential two-factor structure of the ART, differentiating between literary and popular authors. Effective and ineffective author names were identified so as to facilitate future revisions of the ART. Analyses showed that the ART is a highly significant predictor of the time spent encoding words, as measured using eyetracking during reading. The relationship between the ART and time spent reading provided a basis for implementing a higher penalty for selecting foils, rather than the standard method of ART scoring (names selected minus foils selected). The findings provide novel support for the view that the ART is a valid indicator of reading volume. Furthermore, they show that frequency data can be used to select items of appropriate difficulty, and that frequency data from corpora based on particular time periods and types of texts may allow adaptations of the test for different populations.

A Framework to Develop Persuasive Smart Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lobo, Pedro; Romão, Teresa; Dias, A. Eduardo; Danado, José Carlos

This paper presents a framework for the creation of context-sensitive persuasive applications. The framework allows the authoring of new persuasive smart environments producing the appropriate feedback to the users based on different sensors spread throughout the environment to capture contextual information. Using this framework, we created an application, Smart Bins, aimed at promoting users' behavioural changes regarding the recycling of waste materials. Furthermore, to evaluate the usability of our authoring tool, we performed user tests to analyze if developers could successfully create the Smart Bins application using the framework. A description of the Smart Bins application, as well as the results of the user tests, are also presented in this paper.

The cobas® 6800/8800 System: a new era of automation in molecular diagnostics.

PubMed

Cobb, Bryan; Simon, Christian O; Stramer, Susan L; Body, Barbara; Mitchell, P Shawn; Reisch, Natasa; Stevens, Wendy; Carmona, Sergio; Katz, Louis; Will, Stephen; Liesenfeld, Oliver

2017-02-01

Molecular diagnostics is a key component of laboratory medicine. Here, the authors review key triggers of ever-increasing automation in nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) with a focus on specific automated Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing and platforms such as the recently launched cobas® 6800 and cobas® 8800 Systems. The benefits of such automation for different stakeholders including patients, clinicians, laboratory personnel, hospital administrators, payers, and manufacturers are described. Areas Covered: The authors describe how molecular diagnostics has achieved total laboratory automation over time, rivaling clinical chemistry to significantly improve testing efficiency. Finally, the authors discuss how advances in automation decrease the development time for new tests enabling clinicians to more readily provide test results. Expert Commentary: The advancements described enable complete diagnostic solutions whereby specific test results can be combined with relevant patient data sets to allow healthcare providers to deliver comprehensive clinical recommendations in multiple fields ranging from infectious disease to outbreak management and blood safety solutions.

Making Benchmark Testing Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herman, Joan L.; Baker, Eva L.

2005-01-01

Many schools are moving to develop benchmark tests to monitor their students' progress toward state standards throughout the academic year. Benchmark tests can provide the ongoing information that schools need to guide instructional programs and to address student learning problems. The authors discuss six criteria that educators can use to…

Gender verification: a term whose time has come and gone.

PubMed

Hercher, Laura

2010-12-01

The process of testing to determine gender in putatively female athletes was developed in order to prevent cheating, but has devolved instead into a clumsy mechanism for detecting disorders of sexual development (DSD's). In over thirty years of compulsory testing, individuals with DSD's have been stigmatized and some have been denied the right to compete, although frequently their condition provided no competitive advantage. More recent guidelines require testing only on a case-by-case basis; the South African runner Caster Semenya was the first major test of this policy, and her experience points to the need for a more sensitive and confidential process. In addition, her case dramatizes the inadequacy of the term "gender verification." Gender identity is a complex entity and resists simple classification. Sports authorities may set guidelines for who can compete, but they should refrain from taking on themselves the authority to decide who is and who is not a female.

Development of a New Critical Thinking Test Using Item Response Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagner, Teresa A.; Harvey, Robert J.

2006-01-01

The authors describe the initial development of the Wagner Assessment Test (WAT), an instrument designed to assess critical thinking, using the 5-faceted view popularized by the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA; G. B. Watson & E. M. Glaser, 1980). The WAT was designed to reduce the degree of successful guessing relative to the…

Towards surgeon-authored VR training: the scene-development cycle.

PubMed

Dindar, Saleh; Nguyen, Thien; Peters, Jörg

2016-01-01

Enabling surgeon-educators to themselves create virtual reality (VR) training units promises greater variety, specialization, and relevance of the units. This paper describes a software bridge that semi-automates the scene-generation cycle, a key bottleneck in authoring, modeling, and developing VR units. Augmenting an open source modeling environment with physical behavior attachment and collision specifications yields single-click testing of the full force-feedback enabled anatomical scene.

Development of Computer-Based Resources for Textile Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopkins, Teresa; Thomas, Andrew; Bailey, Mike

1998-01-01

Describes the production of computer-based resources for students of textiles and engineering in the United Kingdom. Highlights include funding by the Teaching and Learning Technology Programme (TLTP), courseware author/subject expert interaction, usage test and evaluation, authoring software, graphics, computer-aided design simulation, self-test…

On the Pursuit of Sound Science for the Betterment of the American Indian Community: Reply to Beals et al. (2009)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spillane, Nichea S.; Smith, Gregory T.

2009-01-01

The authors of this reply argue that ongoing criticism of existing theories, the development of alternative theories, and empirical theory tests offer the best chance for advancing American Indian research. The authors therefore note their appreciation for the comments of J. Beals et al. The authors nevertheless disagree with many of the specific…

ESTA Exit Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lundebjerg, Kristen

2016-01-01

The Energy Test System's Area (ESTA) provides test capabilities and facilities to develop, evaluate or certify hardware in support of human spaceflight. The branch has a few different technical areas including pyrotechnics, batteries, electrical systems, power systems, propulsion and fluids. I will be mainly worked in the propulsion and fluids area. The tests/activities include testing the fluid and energy conversion systems that are required for the exploration and development of space. This group includes function and vibration tests, as well as thermal and vacuum tests. I was trained and certified as an ESTA test director in order to work on tests and sub tests with my mentor as well as the rest of the ESTA team. As a test director, I had the responsibility and authority for planning, developing, safety, execution and reporting on assigned test programs.

Flexing Your Test Muscles: A Guide to Developing Test-Taking Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florida State Dept. of Education, Tallahassee. Student Assessment Section.

This booklet is designed for elementary and middle school teachers to use in teaching students how to improve their test-taking skills. The authors draw the analogy between an athlete preparing for the big race and a young student getting ready for an important test. The central character is an underdeveloped test-taking tiger who, after going…

Verbal Learning and Memory Functions in Adolescents with Reading Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oyler, James D.; Obrzut, John E.; Asbjornsen, Arve E.

2012-01-01

The authors of this current study compared the memory performance of adolescent students with specific reading disabilities (RD) with that of typical adolescent readers on a newly developed verbal learning test, the "Bergen-Tucson Verbal Learning Test" (BTVLT). This multiple trial test was designed to measure memory acquisition,…

An American Looks at Teacher Views of the APU.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gooding, C. Thomas

1980-01-01

The author collected the views of 124 classroom teachers in Northwest England on national achievement testing, such as proposed by the APU, and its potential impact on classroom practice and faculty development. The majority opposed national testing, particularly norm-referenced testing, expressing concern about use of scores in teacher…

Experimental Applications of Automatic Test Markup Language (ATML)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lansdowne, Chatwin A.; McCartney, Patrick; Gorringe, Chris

2012-01-01

The authors describe challenging use-cases for Automatic Test Markup Language (ATML), and evaluate solutions. The first case uses ATML Test Results to deliver active features to support test procedure development and test flow, and bridging mixed software development environments. The second case examines adding attributes to Systems Modelling Language (SysML) to create a linkage for deriving information from a model to fill in an ATML document set. Both cases are outside the original concept of operations for ATML but are typical when integrating large heterogeneous systems with modular contributions from multiple disciplines.

Fuel Subsystems Flight Test Handbook

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-12-01

described in Flight and Maintenance Manuals and as it exists in hardware form. These versions may differ significantly in the development phase of a new ...Canter (AFFPTC), Edwards AFB, California. The work was done under the authority of the Study Plan for Development of a Handbook for Aircraft Fuel...10 Position of AFFTC in the Development and 10 Evaluation Process Agencies Involved 11 Multi-Purpose Flight Tests 11 FUEL SYSTEM FUNCTIONS AND

Plasma Processing of Model Residential Solid Waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Messerle, V. E.; Mossé, A. L.; Nikonchuk, A. N.; Ustimenko, A. B.; Baimuldin, R. V.

2017-09-01

The authors have tested the technology of processing of model residential solid waste. They have developed and created a pilot plasma unit based on a plasma chamber incinerator. The waste processing technology has been tested and prepared for commercialization.

Candidate Socioemotional Remediation Program for Individuals with Intellectual Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glaser, Bronwyn; Lothe, Amelie; Chabloz, Melanie; Dukes, Daniel; Pasca, Catherine; Redoute, Jerome; Eliez, Stephan

2012-01-01

The authors developed a computerized program, Vis-a-Vis (VAV), to improve socioemotional functioning and working memory in children with developmental disabilities. The authors subsequently tested whether participants showed signs of improving the targeted skills. VAV is composed of three modules: Focus on the Eyes, Emotion Recognition and…

Birth Order and Field Dependence-Independence: A Failure to Replicate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finley, Gordon E.; Solla, Joseph

1975-01-01

The Children's Embedded Figures Test was individually administered to 116 Caucasian, middle class, second grade children. Results suggest that a child's early experience in a particular birth order position may not be related to the development of field dependence-independence in any unambiguous and simple fashion. (Author/ED)

Analog Design for Digital Deployment of a Serious Leadership Game

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maxwell, Nicholas; Lang, Tristan; Herman, Jeffrey L.; Phares, Richard

2012-01-01

This paper presents the design, development, and user testing of a leadership development simulation. The authors share lessons learned from using a design process for a board game to allow for quick and inexpensive revision cycles during the development of a serious leadership development game. The goal of this leadership simulation is to accelerate the development of leadership capacity in high-potential mid-level managers (GS-15 level) in a federal government agency. Simulation design included a mixed-method needs analysis, using both quantitative and qualitative approaches to determine organizational leadership needs. Eight design iterations were conducted, including three user testing phases. Three re-design iterations followed initial development, enabling game testing as part of comprehensive instructional events. Subsequent design, development and testing processes targeted digital application to a computer- and tablet-based environment. Recommendations include pros and cons of development and learner testing of an initial analog simulation prior to full digital simulation development.

The Leeb Hardness Test for Rock: An Updated Methodology and UCS Correlation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corkum, A. G.; Asiri, Y.; El Naggar, H.; Kinakin, D.

2018-03-01

The Leeb hardness test (LHT with test value of L D ) is a rebound hardness test, originally developed for metals, that has been correlated with the Unconfined Compressive Strength (test value of σ c ) of rock by several authors. The tests can be carried out rapidly, conveniently and nondestructively on core and block samples or on rock outcrops. This makes the relatively small LHT device convenient for field tests. The present study compiles test data from literature sources and presents new laboratory testing carried out by the authors to develop a substantially expanded database with wide-ranging rock types. In addition, the number of impacts that should be averaged to comprise a "test result" was revisited along with the issue of test specimen size. Correlation for L D and σ c for various rock types is provided along with recommended testing methodology. The accuracy of correlated σ c estimates was assessed and reasonable correlations were observed between L D and σ c . The study findings show that LHT can be useful particularly for field estimation of σ c and offers a significant improvement over the conventional field estimation methods outlined by the ISRM (e.g., hammer blows). This test is rapid and simple, with relatively low equipment costs, and provides a reasonably accurate estimate of σ c .

Appropriate Implementation of Severity Ratings, Regulations, and State Guidance: A Response to "Using Norm-Referenced Tests to Determine Severity of Language Impairment in Children: Disconnect between U.S. Policy Makers and Test Developers" by Spaulding, Szulga, & Figueria (2012)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ireland, Marie; Hall-Mills, Shannon; Millikin, Cindy

2013-01-01

In this response to Spaulding et al.'s examination of state education agency (SEA) guidance on severity ratings, these authors contend that Spaulding et al. provided an incomplete view of current practices in public schools. These authors state that, ultimately, school speech-language pathologists (SLPs) must follow all state regulations and local…

The Development and Field Testing of Materials on Diabetes for Persons with Low Vision or Low Literacy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reardon, A. W.; And Others

1993-01-01

Instructional materials on hypoglycemia, foot care, and exercise were developed and field tested with 98 diabetes patients who had low vision and/or low literacy. A pretest and posttest revealed an 81% reduction in wrong answers overall and a 72% reduction in wrong answers by a subset with low vision. (Author/DB)

Speechreading Development in Deaf and Hearing Children: Introducing the Test of Child Speechreading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kyle, Fiona E.; Campbell, Ruth; Mohammed, Tara; Coleman, Mike; MacSweeney, Mairead

2013-01-01

Purpose: In this article, the authors describe the development of a new instrument, the Test of Child Speechreading (ToCS), which was specifically designed for use with deaf and hearing children. Speechreading is a skill that is required for deaf children to access the language of the hearing community. ToCS is a deaf-friendly, computer-based test…

Computerized Classification Testing under the One-Parameter Logistic Response Model with Ability-Based Guessing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Wen-Chung; Huang, Sheng-Yun

2011-01-01

The one-parameter logistic model with ability-based guessing (1PL-AG) has been recently developed to account for effect of ability on guessing behavior in multiple-choice items. In this study, the authors developed algorithms for computerized classification testing under the 1PL-AG and conducted a series of simulations to evaluate their…

Semi-Automated Full Battery.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vincent, Ken R.

1980-01-01

Presents the format for the development of interpretive statements covering an entire test battery content on both objective tests and projective instruments. This procedure, the semiautomated full battery, can lessen significantly the time and much of the repetition entailed in psychological report writing. (Author)

The Structure of Parent's Intrafamilial Attitudes and Sentiments Measured by Objective Tests and a Vector Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delhees, Karl H.; And Others

1970-01-01

Reports basic research on the meaning and measurement of family attitudes and the development of a new measurement instrument, the Family Motivation Test. Theoretical system is called the Investment-Subsidation Model. (Author/DB)

Capturing Parent-Child Interactions With Social Media: Comment on Zhang et al. (2015).

PubMed

Leung, Ricky; Dong, Guanghui; Qin, Xiaoxia; Lin, Shao

2016-06-01

Zhang et al. conducted a qualitative study of children presented with 19 parental structuring behaviors of parental control and were asked to attribute the parent's intent behind the behaviors. The authors developed several conceptual categories, "parent-centered," "child-centered," or "social" interests. Here, we describe how their 12 propositions could be empirically tested in further studies using social media. © The Author(s) 2016.

An empirical test of the Theory of Planned Behaviour applied to contraceptive use in rural Uganda.

PubMed

Kiene, Susan M; Hopwood, Sarah; Lule, Haruna; Wanyenze, Rhoda K

2014-12-01

There is a high unmet need for contraceptives in developing countries such as Uganda, with high population growth, where efforts are needed to promote family planning and contraceptive use. Despite this high need, little research has investigated applications of health-behaviour-change theories to contraceptive use among this population. This study tested the Theory of Planned Behaviour's ability to predict contraceptive-use-related behaviours among post-partum women in rural Uganda. Results gave modest support to the theory's application and suggest an urgent need for improved theory-based interventions to promote contraceptive use in the populations of developing countries. © The Author(s) 2013.

Design and Validation of a Straight-Copy Typewriting Prognostic Test Using Kinesthetic Sensitivity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olson, Norma Jean

1979-01-01

Describes the development and application of a kinesthetic sensitivity test to determine whether it is a valid and reliable measure of straight-copy typing speed and accuracy. The author states that this kinesthetic sensitivity instrument may be used as a prognostic aptitude test and recommends administration methods. (MF)

A New Receptive Vocabulary Size Test for French

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Batista, Roselene; Horst, Marlise

2016-01-01

Researchers have developed several tests of receptive vocabulary knowledge suitable for use with learners of English, but options are few for learners of French. This situation motivated the authors to create a new vocabulary size measure for French, the "Test de la taille du vocabulaire" (TTV). The measure is closely modelled on…

A Group Version of the Stroop Color and Word Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Golden, Charles J.

1975-01-01

An attempt was made to develop a form of the Stroop Test which could be used in both group and individual settings and serve as a basic form for interested researchers. Group and individual measures differ only in that the group test does not require a spoken response. (Author/BJG)

Interpreting Measures of Moral Development to Individuals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lutwak, Nita; Hennessy, James

1985-01-01

Examined the interpretation of measures of moral development to individuals from three phases of test interpretation. Interpretations based on the meaning of the scale, the meaning of the score, and specific meaning to the individual are explored. (Author)

The advisability of prototypic testing for space nuclear systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lenard, Roger X.

2005-07-01

From October 1987 until 1993, the US Department of Defense conducted the Space Nuclear Thermal Propulsion program. This program's objective was to design and develop a high specific impulse, high thrust-to-weight nuclear thermal rocket engine for upper stage applications. The author was the program manager for this program until 1992. Numerous analytical, programmatic and experimental results were generated during this period of time. This paper reviews the accomplishments of the program and highlights the importance of prototypic testing for all aspects of a space nuclear program so that a reliable and safe system compliant with all regulatory requirements can be effectively engineered. Specifically, the paper will recount how many non-prototypic tests we performed only to have more representative tests consistently generate different results. This was particularly true in area of direct nuclear heat generation. As nuclear tests are generally much more expensive than non-nuclear tests, programs attempt to avoid such tests in favor of less expensive non-nuclear tests. Each time this approach was followed, the SNTP program found these tests to not be verified by nuclear heated testing. Hence the author recommends that wherever possible, a spiral development approach that includes exploratory and confirmatory experimental testing be employed to ensure a viable design.

Experimental field test of proposed pedestrian safety messages. Volume 1, Methods and materials development

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1983-11-01

Author's abstract: A detailed re-analysis of available pedestrian accident data was utilized to define three sets of pedestrian safety public information and education (PI&E) messages. These messages were then produced and field tested. The objective...

47 CFR 5.54 - Types of authorizations available.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... experimentation for the development and advancement of new broadcast technology, equipment, systems or services... testing experimental radio license. This type of license is issued to hospitals and health care institutions that demonstrate expertise in testing and operation of experimental medical devices that use...

47 CFR 5.54 - Types of authorizations available.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... experimentation for the development and advancement of new broadcast technology, equipment, systems or services... testing experimental radio license. This type of license is issued to hospitals and health care institutions that demonstrate expertise in testing and operation of experimental medical devices that use...

The Impact of Education on Income Distribution.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tinbergen, Jan

The author's previously developed theory on income distribution, in which two of the explanatory variables are the average level and the distribution of education, is refined and tested on data selected and processed by the author and data from three studies by Americans. The material consists of data on subdivisions of three countries, the United…

Beyond Discipline: From Compliance to Community. 10th Anniversary Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kohn, Alfie

2006-01-01

In this 10th anniversary edition of an Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) best seller, the author reflects on his revolutionary ideas in the context of today's emphasis on school accountability and high-stakes testing. The author relates how his innovative approach--where teachers learn to work with students, rather than…

Soft Soil Tire Model Development and Experimental Testing

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

Sandu 1 , Mr. Eduardo Pinto 2 , Mr. Scott Naranjo 3 , Dr. Paramsothy Jayakumar 4 , Dr. Brant Ross 5 1Virginia Tech, 2Virginia Tech, 3Virginia Tech...W56HZV-04-2-0001 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Corina Sandu; Eduardo Pinto; Scott Naranjo; Paramsothy Jayakumar ; Brant Ross

Using molecular diagnostic testing to personalize the treatment of patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

PubMed

Bannon, Amber E; Klug, Lillian R; Corless, Christopher L; Heinrich, Michael C

2017-05-01

The diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) has emerged as a paradigm for modern cancer treatment ('precision medicine'), as it highlights the importance of matching molecular defects with specific therapies. Over the past two decades, the molecular classification and diagnostic work up of GIST has been radically transformed, accompanied by the development of molecular therapies for specific subgroups of GIST. This review summarizes the developments in the field of molecular diagnosis of GIST, particularly as they relate to optimizing medical therapy. Areas covered: Based on an extensive literature search of the molecular and clinical aspects of GIST, the authors review the most important developments in this field with an emphasis on the differential diagnosis of GIST including mutation testing, therapeutic implications of each molecular subtype, and emerging technologies relevant to the field. Expert commentary: The use of molecular diagnostics to classify GIST has been shown to be successful in optimizing patient treatment, but these methods remain under-utilized. In order to facilitate efficient and comprehensive molecular testing, the authors have developed a decision tree to aid clinicians.

Development and preliminary testing of a web-based, self-help application for disaster-affected families.

PubMed

Yuen, Erica K; Gros, Kirstin; Welsh, Kyleen E; McCauley, Jenna; Resnick, Heidi S; Danielson, Carla K; Price, Matthew; Ruggiero, Kenneth J

2016-09-01

Technology-based self-help interventions have the potential to increase access to evidence-based mental healthcare, especially for families affected by natural disasters. However, development of these interventions is a complex process and poses unique challenges. Usability testing, which assesses the ability of individuals to use an application successfully, can have a significant impact on the quality of a self-help intervention. This article describes (a) the development of a novel web-based multi-module self-help intervention for disaster-affected adolescents and their parents and (b) a mixed-methods formal usability study to evaluate user response. A total of 24 adolescents were observed, videotaped, and interviewed as they used the depressed mood component of the self-help intervention. Quantitative results indicated an above-average user experience, and qualitative analysis identified 120 unique usability issues. We discuss the challenges of developing self-help applications, including design considerations and the value of usability testing in technology-based interventions, as well as our plan for widespread dissemination. © The Author(s) 2015.

Development of the Attitudes to Domestic Violence Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents.

PubMed

Fox, Claire L; Gadd, David; Sim, Julius

2015-09-01

To provide a more robust assessment of the effectiveness of a domestic abuse prevention education program, a questionnaire was developed to measure children's attitudes to domestic violence. The aim was to develop a short questionnaire that would be easy to use for practitioners but, at the same time, sensitive enough to pick up on subtle changes in young people's attitudes. We therefore chose to ask children about different situations in which they might be willing to condone domestic violence. In Study 1, we tested a set of 20 items, which we reduced by half to a set of 10 items. The factor structure of the scale was explored and its internal consistency was calculated. In Study 2, we tested the factor structure of the 10-item Attitudes to Domestic Violence (ADV) Scale in a separate calibration sample. Finally, in Study 3, we then assessed the test-retest reliability of the 10-item scale. The ADV Questionnaire is a promising tool to evaluate the effectiveness of domestic abuse education prevention programs. However, further development work is necessary. © The Author(s) 2014.

Animals and the 3Rs in toxicology research and testing: The way forward.

PubMed

Stokes, W S

2015-12-01

Despite efforts to eliminate the use of animals in testing and the availability of many accepted alternative methods, animals are still widely used for toxicological research and testing. While research using in vitro and computational models has dramatically increased in recent years, such efforts have not yet measurably impacted animal use for regulatory testing and are not likely to do so for many years or even decades. Until regulatory authorities have accepted test methods that can totally replace animals and these are fully implemented, large numbers of animals will continue to be used and many will continue to experience significant pain and distress. In order to positively impact the welfare of these animals, accepted alternatives must be implemented, and efforts must be directed at eliminating pain and distress and reducing animal numbers. Animal pain and distress can be reduced by earlier predictive humane endpoints, pain-relieving medications, and supportive clinical care, while sequential testing and routine use of integrated testing and decision strategies can reduce animal numbers. Applying advances in science and technology to the development of scientifically sound alternative testing models and strategies can improve animal welfare and further reduce and replace animal use. © The Author(s) 2015.

Well development by jetting using coiled tubing and simultaneous pumping.

PubMed

Rosberg, Jan-Erik; Bjelm, Leif

2009-01-01

During flow testing of a deep, 1927-m, gravel packed screen completed well, it became apparent that well development was needed to increase productivity. A hydrojetting system using coiled tubing in combination with simultaneous pumping was developed and tested and found to be successful. To verify whether the jetting improved the well, the results of a pumping test conducted before and after the jetting operation are compared. In addition, flowmeter logging and hydraulic properties obtained from pumping tests conducted during the jetting operation were also used to verify the improvements. Hydrojetting in combination with simultaneous pumping proved to be an effective cleaning method. After 100 min of pumping, around 110 m less drawdown and 15 L/s higher average flow rate were obtained compared to the values before the jetting operation. The skin factor was positive before the jetting operation and negative thereafter, thus providing additional evidence of improvements of the well. The flowmeter data also confirmed the improvements and were valuable in optimizing the jetting operation. It was also found, from the short-term pumping tests conducted during the jetting operation, that the Hantush-Jacob method for leaky confined aquifers is a valuable indicator of the well development. The combination of methods used for the well development in this case can easily be applied on other deep well projects to obtain a controlled and time-efficient well development. Copyright © 2009 The Author(s). Journal Compilation © 2009 National Ground Water Association.

Ego development, psychopathology, and parenting problems in substance-abusing mothers.

PubMed

Suchman, Nancy; McMahon, Thomas; Decoste, Cindy; Castiglioni, Nicole; Luthar, Suniya

2008-01-01

The authors examined maternal ego development in relation to psychopathology and parenting problems in a sample of substance abusing mothers. Given predilections at higher levels of ego development for introspection and guilt, the authors expected mothers at higher levels to report more psychopathology. Given predilections at lower levels of ego development for dichotomous perceptions and limited conceptions of causation, the authors expected mothers at low levels to report more problematic parenting behaviors. Intelligence was expected to correlate but not overlap with ego development. Subjects were 182 mothers who expressed interest in a randomized clinical trial for a new parenting intervention. Measures included the Washington University Sentence Completion Task--Short Form, the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire, the Brief Symptom Inventory and the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test. Results of correlation and multivariate analyses of variance confirmed predictions. Implications for future development of interventions for substance abusing mothers are discussed. (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved

Ego Development, Psychopathology, and Parenting Problems in Substance-Abusing Mothers

PubMed Central

Suchman, Nancy; McMahon, Thomas; DeCoste, Cindy; Castiglioni, Nicole; Luthar, Suniya

2009-01-01

The authors examined maternal ego development in relation to psychopathology and parenting problems in a sample of substance abusing mothers. Given predilections at higher levels of ego development for introspection and guilt, the authors expected mothers at higher levels to report more psychopathology. Given predilections at lower levels of ego development for dichotomous perceptions and limited conceptions of causation, the authors expected mothers at low levels to report more problematic parenting behaviors. Intelligence was expected to correlate but not overlap with ego development. Subjects were 182 mothers who expressed interest in a randomized clinical trial for a new parenting intervention. Measures included the Washington University Sentence Completion Task—Short Form, the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire, the Brief Symptom Inventory and the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test. Results of correlation and multivariate analyses of variance confirmed predictions. Implications for future development of interventions for substance abusing mothers are discussed. PMID:18444723

Performance of the NIRS fast scanning system for heavy-ion radiotherapy.

PubMed

Furukawa, Takuji; Inaniwa, Taku; Sato, Shinji; Shirai, Toshiyuki; Takei, Yuka; Takeshita, Eri; Mizushima, Kota; Iwata, Yoshiyuki; Himukai, Takeshi; Mori, Shinichiro; Fukuda, Shigekazu; Minohara, Shinichi; Takada, Eiichi; Murakami, Takeshi; Noda, Koji

2010-11-01

A project to construct a new treatment facility, as an extension of the existing HIMAC facility, has been initiated for the further development of carbon-ion therapy at NIRS. This new treatment facility is equipped with a 3D irradiation system with pencil-beam scanning. The challenge of this project is to realize treatment of a moving target by scanning irradiation. To achieve fast rescanning within an acceptable irradiation time, the authors developed a fast scanning system. In order to verify the validity of the design and to demonstrate the performance of the fast scanning prior to use in the new treatment facility, a new scanning-irradiation system was developed and installed into the existing HIMAC physics-experiment course. The authors made strong efforts to develop (1) the fast scanning magnet and its power supply, (2) the high-speed control system, and (3) the beam monitoring. The performance of the system including 3D dose conformation was tested by using the carbon beam from the HIMAC accelerator. The performance of the fast scanning system was verified by beam tests. Precision of the scanned beam position was less than +/-0.5 mm. By cooperating with the planning software, the authors verified the homogeneity of the delivered field within +/-3% for the 3D delivery. This system took only 20 s to deliver the physical dose of 1 Gy to a spherical target having a diameter of 60 mm with eight rescans. In this test, the average of the spot-staying time was considerably reduced to 154 micros, while the minimum staying time was 30 micros. As a result of this study, the authors verified that the new scanning delivery system can produce an accurate 3D dose distribution for the target volume in combination with the planning software.

Mucin 1-specific immunotherapy in a mouse model of spontaneous breast cancer.

PubMed

Mukherjee, Pinku; Madsen, Cathy S; Ginardi, Amelia R; Tinder, Teresa L; Jacobs, Fred; Parker, Joanne; Agrawal, Babita; Longenecker, B Michael; Gendler, Sandra J

2003-01-01

Human mucin 1 (MUC1) is an epithelial mucin glycoprotein that is overexpressed in 90% of all adenocarcinomas including breast, lung, pancreas, prostate, stomach, colon, and ovary. MUC1 is a target for immune intervention, because, in patients with solid adenocarcinomas, low-level cellular and humoral immune responses to MUC1 have been observed, which are not sufficiently strong to eradicate the growing tumor. The hypothesis for this study is that enhancing MUC1-specific immunity will result in antitumor immunity. To test this, the authors have developed a clinically relevant breast cancer model that demonstrates peripheral and central tolerance to MUC1 and develops spontaneous tumors of the mammary gland. In these mice, the authors tested a vaccine formulation comprised of liposomal-MUC1 lipopeptide and human recombinant interleukin-2. Results indicate that when compared with untreated mice, immunized mice develop T cells that express intracellular IFN-gamma, are reactive with MHC class I H-2Db/MUC1 tetramer, and are cytotoxic against MUC1-expressing tumor cells in vitro. The presence of MUC1-specific CTL did not translate into a clinical response as measured by time of tumor onset, tumor burden, and survival. The authors demonstrate that some of the immune-evasion mechanisms used by the tumor cells include downregulation of MHC-class I molecule, expression of TGF-beta2, and decrease in IFN-gamma -expressing effector T cells as tumors progress. Finally, utilizing an injectable breast cancer model, the authors show that targeting a single tumor antigen may not be an effective antitumor treatment, but that immunization with dendritic cells fed with whole tumor lysate is effective in breaking tolerance and protecting mice from subsequent tumor challenge. A physiologically relevant spontaneous breast cancer model has been developed to test improved immunotherapeutic approaches.

Mental Retardation: Past, Present and Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crissey, Marie Skodak

1975-01-01

Notes that two developments had major impacts on policies towards the mentally retarded between the 1880s and the 1920s: (1) the swing toward the eugenics-heredity-genetics movement, and (2) the development of individual intelligence testing. (Author/JM)

Air Force Dynamic Mechanical Analysis of NATO Round Robin Propellant Testing for Development of AOP-4717

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-23

Round Robin Propellant Testing for Development of AOP-4717 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S...area code) N/A Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239.18 0 Air Force Dynamic Mechanical Analysis of NATO Round Robin ...the clamps are tight at the coldest temperature. • Long tests such as the frequency sweep sequences prescribed in this round robin may be

Notes on testing equality and interval estimation in Poisson frequency data under a three-treatment three-period crossover trial.

PubMed

Lui, Kung-Jong; Chang, Kuang-Chao

2016-10-01

When the frequency of event occurrences follows a Poisson distribution, we develop procedures for testing equality of treatments and interval estimators for the ratio of mean frequencies between treatments under a three-treatment three-period crossover design. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we evaluate the performance of these test procedures and interval estimators in various situations. We note that all test procedures developed here can perform well with respect to Type I error even when the number of patients per group is moderate. We further note that the two weighted-least-squares (WLS) test procedures derived here are generally preferable to the other two commonly used test procedures in the contingency table analysis. We also demonstrate that both interval estimators based on the WLS method and interval estimators based on Mantel-Haenszel (MH) approach can perform well, and are essentially of equal precision with respect to the average length. We use a double-blind randomized three-treatment three-period crossover trial comparing salbutamol and salmeterol with a placebo with respect to the number of exacerbations of asthma to illustrate the use of these test procedures and estimators. © The Author(s) 2014.

Assessment of nonverbal learning and memory using the Design Learning Test.

PubMed

Foster, Paul S; Drago, Valeria; Harrison, David W

2009-05-01

The laterality of verbal and nonverbal learning and memory to the left and right temporal lobes, respectively, has received much empirical support. Researchers have often used the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) as a measure of verbal learning and memory in these investigations. However, a precise analog of the RAVLT that uses stimuli difficult to encode verbally has not been reported. Further, although researchers have developed some measures that are essentially visuospatial analogs of the RAVLT, no correlational data have been reported attesting to the relation between the measures. The authors report the development of a nonverbal analog of the RAVLT, referred to as the Design Learning Test (DLT). Also, the authors present correlational data supporting a relation between the DLT and RAVLT, and they hope that the present study will stimulate research investigating whether the DLT is sensitive to right temporal lobe functioning.

ELT-572(v)2 DIRCM: simulation, system design and DTE process to protect ItAF platforms against ManPADS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borriello, G.; Bonori, V.; Cresti, M.; Dente, E.; Ideo, L.; Mazzi, G.; Usai, A.; Tafuto, A.; Togna, F.

2014-10-01

In this paper authors provide a description of the currently deployed Man Portable Air Defense System (ManPADS) heat-seeking missiles. Principles of IR seeking and Aircraft signatures are shortly described. Basic information are listed on currently designed Infra-Red Counter Measure Systems, intended to protect Aircrafts against ManPADS. Authors provide an overview on ELT-572(v)2 DIRCM Program, funded by Italian Air Force, currently in low rate production phase. Description of the Design and Development phase, completed in Elettronica SpA in 2013, is reported. Development Test and Evaluation (DTE) Activities on ELT-572(v)2 DIRCM, jointly performed by Elettronica Spa and Italian Air Force Flight Test Centre, are shortly described. A summary of tests and some results are also discussed. Platform Installation Programs, using the low rate production units from ELT-572(v)2 DIRCM Program, are finally listed.

Relationships between testosterone levels and cognition in patients with Alzheimer disease and nondemented elderly men.

PubMed

Seidl, Jennifer N Travis; Massman, Paul J

2015-03-01

Previous research suggests that low levels of testosterone may be associated with the development of Alzheimer disease (AD), as well as poorer performance on certain neuropsychological tests and increased risk of depression. This study utilized data from 61 nondemented older men and 68 men with probable AD. Testosterone levels did not differ between the groups. Regression analyses in men with AD revealed that testosterone levels did not significantly predict performance on neuropsychological tests or a measure of depression. Among controls, testosterone levels predicted estimated premorbid verbal IQ and performance on a verbal fluency test. Findings suggest that testosterone is not associated with most neuropsychological test performances in patients with AD. © The Author(s) 2014.

Number of siblings and intellectual development. The resource dilution explanation.

PubMed

Downey, D B

2001-01-01

The resource dilution model posits that parental resources are finite and that as the number of children in the family increases, the resources accrued by any one child necessarily decline. Siblings are competitors for parents' time, energy, and financial resources and so the fewer the better. Even one sibling is too many. The author describes the general elements of the dilution position and assesses its merits for explaining the effect of siblings on one component of the educational process--tests of intellectual development. The author identifies critical flaws in recent critiques of the dilution position and concludes that dilution continues to provide the most promising explanation for why children with few siblings score higher on tests of cognitive skills than children with many siblings.

U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces: Background, Developments, and Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-15

5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7...cover targets in and around Asia. It also has undertaken efforts to extend the life of the missiles and warheads so that they and the submarines can...that the Air Force had to “keep a robust test program all the way through the life of the program.”29 With the test assets available before this

Bridging the Gap Between Validation and Implementation of Non-Animal Veterinary Vaccine Potency Testing Methods.

PubMed

Dozier, Samantha; Brown, Jeffrey; Currie, Alistair

2011-11-29

In recent years, technologically advanced high-throughput techniques have been developed that replace, reduce or refine animal use in vaccine quality control tests. Following validation, these tests are slowly being accepted for use by international regulatory authorities. Because regulatory acceptance itself has not guaranteed that approved humane methods are adopted by manufacturers, various organizations have sought to foster the preferential use of validated non-animal methods by interfacing with industry and regulatory authorities. After noticing this gap between regulation and uptake by industry, we began developing a paradigm that seeks to narrow the gap and quicken implementation of new replacement, refinement or reduction guidance. A systematic analysis of our experience in promoting the transparent implementation of validated non-animal vaccine potency assays has led to the refinement of our paradigmatic process, presented here, by which interested parties can assess the local regulatory acceptance of methods that reduce animal use and integrate them into quality control testing protocols, or ensure the elimination of peripheral barriers to their use, particularly for potency and other tests carried out on production batches.

Differences between Children and Adults in the Recognition of Enjoyment Smiles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Del Giudice, Marco; Colle, Livia

2007-01-01

The authors investigated the differences between 8-year-olds (n = 80) and adults (n = 80) in recognition of felt versus faked enjoyment smiles by using a newly developed picture set that is based on the Facial Action Coding System. The authors tested the effect of different facial action units (AUs) on judgments of smile authenticity. Multiple…

Parental Notions of School Readiness: How Have They Changed and Has Preschool Made a Difference?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belfield, Clive; Garcia, Emma

2014-01-01

The authors examined school readiness from the parental perspective, focusing on parents' efforts and expectations for kindergarten in conjunction with their child's academic development. Using self-reported survey data from two waves of the National Household Education Surveys, the authors tested for changes in school readiness between 1993 and…

Going to the 'Dogs' to Test Hypotheses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kramm, Kenneth R.

1982-01-01

Describes an alternative method for using live animals in the classroom. A toy dog, the "Trail Tracker Hound Dog" (manufactured by CPG Products Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio), is used to encourage development of such skills as observation, hypothesis testing, and collection and analysis of scientific data. (Author/JN)

77 FR 25235 - Significant New Use Rules on Certain Chemical Substances

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-27

... action may also affect certain entities through pre-existing import certification and export notification..., including provisions for developing test data. B. What is the agency's authority for taking this action...) consent orders). Tests recommended by EPA to provide sufficient information to evaluate the chemical...

Assessing Deaf Children's Written Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steinkamp, Marjorie W.; Quigley, Stephen P.

1977-01-01

Described is the development of the Test of Syntactical Abilities (TSA), an instrument for measuring deaf children's ability to comprehend and produce syntactically correct written sentences. (Author/IM)

Some economics on personalized and predictive medicine.

PubMed

Antoñanzas, F; Juárez-Castelló, C A; Rodríguez-Ibeas, R

2015-12-01

To contribute to the theoretical literature on personalized medicine, analyzing and integrating in an economic model, the decision a health authority faces when it must decide on the implementation of personalized medicine in a context of uncertainty. We carry out a stylized model to analyze the decision health authorities face when they do not have perfect information about the best treatment for a population of patients with a given disease. The health authorities decide whether to use a test to match patients with treatments (personalized medicine) to maximize health outcomes. Our model characterizes the situations under which personalized medicine dominates the alternative option of business-as-usual (treatment without previous test). We apply the model to the KRAS test for colorectal cancer, the PCA3 test for prostate cancer and the PCR test for the X-fragile syndrome, to illustrate how the parameters and variables of the model interact. Implementation of personalized medicine requires, as a necessary condition, having some tests with high discriminatory power. This is not a sufficient condition and expected health outcomes must be taken into account to make a decision. When the specificity and the sensitivity of the test are low, the health authority prefers to apply a treatment to all patients without using the test. When both characteristic of the test are high, the health authorities prefer to personalize the treatments when expected health outcomes are better than those under the standard treatment. When we applied the model to the three aforementioned tests, the results illustrate how decisions are adopted in real world. Although promising, the use of personalized medicine is still under scrutiny as there are important issues demanding a response. Personalized medicine may have an impact in the drug development processes, and contribute to the efficiency and effectiveness of health care delivery. Nevertheless, more accurate statistical and economic information related to tests results and treatment costs as well as additional medical information on the efficacy of the treatments are needed to adopt decisions that incorporate economic rationality.

Flight testing the digital electronic engine control in the F-15 airplane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Myers, L. P.

1984-01-01

The digital electronic engine control (DEEC) is a full-authority digital engine control developed for the F100-PW-100 turbofan engine which was flight tested on an F-15 aircraft. The DEEC hardware and software throughout the F-15 flight envelope was evaluated. Real-time data reduction and data display systems were implemented. New test techniques and stronger coordination between the propulsion test engineer and pilot were developed which produced efficient use of test time, reduced pilot work load, and greatly improved quality data. The engine pressure ratio (EPR) control mode is demonstrated. It is found that the nonaugmented throttle transients and engine performance are satisfactory.

Developing On-line Exams.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartsell, Taralynn S.; Yuen, Steve Chi-Yin

2003-01-01

Discusses advantages and limitations of online exams, describes available software tools for creating computer-based tests (CGI, JavaScript, commercial programs, course authoring tools), and offers suggestions for implementation. (JOW)

Microoptomechanical sensor for intracranial pressure monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andreeva, A. V.; Luchinin, V. V.; Lutetskiy, N. A.; Sergushichev, A. N.

2014-12-01

The main idea of this research is the development of microoptomechanical sensor for intracranial pressure monitoring. Currently, the authors studied the scientific and technical knowledge in this field, as well as develop and test a prototype of microoptomechanical sensor for intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring.

Field testing a soil site field guide for Allegheny hardwoods

Treesearch

S.B. Jones

1991-01-01

A site quality evaluation decision model, developed for Allegheny hardwoods on the non-glaciated Allegheny Plateau of Pennsylvania and New York, was field tested by International Paper (IP) foresters and the author, on sites within the region of derivation and on glaciated sites north and west of the Wisconsin drift line. Results from the field testing are presented...

A Note on Some Problems in the Testing of Personality Characteristics in Children with Visual Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tobin, Michael; Hill, Eileen

2010-01-01

An examination is made of the value of using published personality tests with young blind and partially sighted children. Based on data gathered during a longitudinal investigation into the educational and psychological development of a group of 120 visually impaired learners, the authors conclude that their own selection of a test instrument…

Development of a multimedia CD-ROM on telemedicine and teleradiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schnur, Mark T.; Williamson, Morgan P.; Goeringer, Fred; Zimnik, Paul; Linn, Reid; Suitor, Charles T.; Rocca, Mitra A.; Strother, Thomas

1996-04-01

The Department of Defense Telemedicine Test Bed produced a CD-ROM including information on telemedicine, teleradiology and military medical advanced technology projects. The CD-ROM was produced using media from the Telemedicine Test Bed World Wide Web site and academic papers and presentations. Apple Media Tools software was used to produce the interactive program and the authoring was done on a high speed Apple Macintosh Power PC computer. The process took roughly 100 hours to author 50 Mb of data into 200 frames of interactive material. Future versions of the Telemedicine CD-ROM are in progress which will include much more material to take advantage of the 650 Mb available on a compact disk. This paper graphically depicts and explains the authoring process.

HIV pre-test information, discussion or counselling? A review of guidance relevant to the WHO European Region.

PubMed

Bell, Stephen A; Delpech, Valerie; Raben, Dorthe; Casabona, Jordi; Tsereteli, Nino; de Wit, John

2016-02-01

In the context of a shift from exceptionalism to normalisation, this study examines recommendations/evidence in current pan-European/global guidelines regarding pre-test HIV testing and counselling practices in health care settings. It also reviews new research not yet included in guidelines. There is consensus that verbal informed consent must be gained prior to testing, individually, in private, confidentially, in the presence of a health care provider. All guidelines recommend pre-test information/discussion delivered verbally or via other methods (information sheet). There is agreement about a minimum standard of information to be provided before a test, but guidelines differ regarding discussion about issues encouraging patients to think about implications of the result. There is heavy reliance on expert consultation in guideline development. Referenced scientific evidence is often more than ten years old and based on US/UK research. Eight new papers are reviewed. Current HIV testing and counselling guidelines have inconsistencies regarding the extent and type of information that is recommended during pre-test discussions. The lack of new research underscores a need for new evidence from a range of European settings to support the process of expert consultation in guideline development. © The Author(s) 2015.

Firing Room Remote Application Software Development & Swamp Works Laboratory Robot Software Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia, Janette

2016-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is creating a way to send humans beyond low Earth orbit, and later to Mars. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is working to make this possible by developing a Spaceport Command and Control System (SCCS) which will allow the launch of Space Launch System (SLS). This paper's focus is on the work performed by the author in her first and second part of the internship as a remote application software developer. During the first part of her internship, the author worked on the SCCS's software application layer by assisting multiple ground subsystems teams including Launch Accessories (LACC) and Environmental Control System (ECS) on the design, development, integration, and testing of remote control software applications. Then, on the second part of the internship, the author worked on the development of robot software at the Swamp Works Laboratory which is a research and technology development group which focuses on inventing new technology to help future In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) missions.

Assessment and Quality Social Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savage, Tom V.

2003-01-01

Those anonymous individuals who develop high-stakes tests by which educational quality is measured exercise great influence in defining educational quality. In this article, the author examines the impact of high-stakes testing on the welfare of the children and the quality of social studies instruction. He presents the benefits and drawbacks of…

A Control Systems Concept Inventory Test Design and Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bristow, M.; Erkorkmaz, K.; Huissoon, J. P.; Jeon, Soo; Owen, W. S.; Waslander, S. L.; Stubley, G. D.

2012-01-01

Any meaningful initiative to improve the teaching and learning in introductory control systems courses needs a clear test of student conceptual understanding to determine the effectiveness of proposed methods and activities. The authors propose a control systems concept inventory. Development of the inventory was collaborative and iterative. The…

Statistical Diversions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petocz, Peter; Sowey, Eric

2008-01-01

In this article, the authors focus on hypothesis testing--that peculiarly statistical way of deciding things. Statistical methods for testing hypotheses were developed in the 1920s and 1930s by some of the most famous statisticians, in particular Ronald Fisher, Jerzy Neyman and Egon Pearson, who laid the foundations of almost all modern methods of…

77 FR 2064 - Availability of the Report on the International Workshop on Alternative Methods To Reduce, Refine...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-13

... (email) [email protected] . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background Regulatory authorities require post... testing. Until non-animal tests are available, development of serological assays should also be considered... evaluations and related activities, and conducts independent validation studies to assess the usefulness and...

A Simple Soil Percolation Test Device for Field Environmentalists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, William H.; Stark, Phillip E.

1977-01-01

A primary responsibility of field environmental health workers is evaluation of individual sewage disposal system sites. The authors of this article developed a practical, accurate, and inexpensive measurement device for obtaining reliable percolation test results. Directions for the construction and use of the device are detailed. Drawings…

The Prehistory of TOEFL.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spolsky, Bernard

1990-01-01

Explores the origin of the Test of English-as-a-Foreign-Language, with its distinctive characteristics, in a 1961 conference, and seeks thereby to gain an understanding of how developments in language testing theory--and perhaps theory in general--are blended with the requirements and possibilities of real-life implementation. (Author/JL)

Developing a Multimedia, Computer-Based Spanish Placement Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zabaleta, Francisco

2007-01-01

Placing students of a foreign language within a basic language program constitutes an ongoing problem, particularly for large university departments when they have many incoming freshmen and transfer students. This article outlines the author's experience designing and piloting a language placement test for a university level Spanish program. The…

Experiments with Cloze Procedure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Gordon; Haastrup, Kirsten

1976-01-01

The Nordic Test Development Group prepared proficiency tests of English designed to provide reliable information on which to base decisions as to whether a candidate would be able to function in a job as described or whether he could be trained to do so. Two subtests used a modified cloze procedure. (Author/CFM)

WOMEN’S RELIGIOUS AUTHORITY IN A SUB-SAHARAN SETTING

PubMed Central

AGADJANIAN, VICTOR

2015-01-01

Western scholarship on religion and gender has devoted considerable attention to women’s entry into leadership roles across various religious traditions and denominations. However, very little is known about the dynamics of women’s religious authority and leadership in developing settings, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, a region of powerful and diverse religious expressions. This study employs a combination of uniquely rich and diverse data to examine women’s formal religious authority in a predominantly Christian setting in Mozambique. I first use survey data to test hypotheses regarding the prevalence and patterns of women’s formal leadership across different denominational groups. I then support and extend the quantitative results with insights on pathways and consequences of women’s ascent to formal congregation authority drawn from qualitative data. The analysis illustrates how women’s religious authority both defies and reasserts the gendered constraints of the religious marketplace and the broader gender ideology in this developing context. PMID:27011432

WOMEN'S RELIGIOUS AUTHORITY IN A SUB-SAHARAN SETTING: Dialectics of Empowerment and Dependency.

PubMed

Agadjanian, Victor

2015-12-01

Western scholarship on religion and gender has devoted considerable attention to women's entry into leadership roles across various religious traditions and denominations. However, very little is known about the dynamics of women's religious authority and leadership in developing settings, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, a region of powerful and diverse religious expressions. This study employs a combination of uniquely rich and diverse data to examine women's formal religious authority in a predominantly Christian setting in Mozambique. I first use survey data to test hypotheses regarding the prevalence and patterns of women's formal leadership across different denominational groups. I then support and extend the quantitative results with insights on pathways and consequences of women's ascent to formal congregation authority drawn from qualitative data. The analysis illustrates how women's religious authority both defies and reasserts the gendered constraints of the religious marketplace and the broader gender ideology in this developing context.

Real-time PCR Tests in Dutch Exotic Mosquito Surveys; Implementation of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus Identification Tests, and the Development of Tests for the Identification of Aedes atropalpus and Aedes japonicus japonicus (Diptera: Culicidae).

PubMed

van de Vossenberg, B T L H; Ibáñez-Justicia, A; Metz-Verschure, E; van Veen, E J; Bruil-Dieters, M L; Scholte, E J

2015-05-01

Since 2009, The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority carries out surveys focusing on, amongst others, the presence of invasive mosquito species (IMS). Special attention is given to exotic container-breeding Aedes species Aedes aegypti (L.), Aedes albopictus (Skuse), Aedes atropalpus (Coquillett), and Aedes japonicus japonicus (Theobald). This study describes the implementation of real-time PCR tests described by Hill et al. (2008) for the identification of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus, and the development of two novel real-time PCR tests for the identification of Ae. atropalpus and Ae. j. japonicus. Initial test showed that optimization of elements of the Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus tests was needed. Method validation tests were performed to determine if the implemented and newly developed tests are fit for routine diagnostics. Performance criteria of analytical sensitivity, analytical specificity, selectivity, repeatability, and reproducibility were determined. In addition, experiments were performed to determine the influence of environmental conditions on the usability of DNA extracted from mosquito specimens trapped in BG-Sentinel traps. The real-time PCR tests were demonstrated to be sensitive, specific, repeatable, reproducible, and are less prone to false negative results compared to partial cytochrome c oxidase I gene sequencing owing to the DNA fragmentation caused by environmental influences. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Influence of pressure change during hydraulic tests on fracture aperture.

PubMed

Ji, Sung-Hoon; Koh, Yong-Kwon; Kuhlman, Kristopher L; Lee, Moo Yul; Choi, Jong Won

2013-03-01

In a series of field experiments, we evaluate the influence of a small water pressure change on fracture aperture during a hydraulic test. An experimental borehole is instrumented at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) Underground Research Tunnel (KURT). The target fracture for testing was found from the analyses of borehole logging and hydraulic tests. A double packer system was developed and installed in the test borehole to directly observe the aperture change due to water pressure change. Using this packer system, both aperture and flow rate are directly observed under various water pressures. Results indicate a slight change in fracture hydraulic head leads to an observable change in aperture. This suggests that aperture change should be considered when analyzing hydraulic test data from a sparsely fractured rock aquifer. © 2012, The Author(s). Groundwater © 2012, National Ground Water Association.

Developing physician consensus on the reporting of patients with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia to transportation authorities in a region with mandatory reporting legislation.

PubMed

Rapoport, Mark J; Naglie, Gary; Herrmann, Nathan; Zucchero Sarracini, Carla; Mulsant, Benoit H; Frank, Christopher; Kiss, Alex; Seitz, Dallas; Vrkljan, Brenda; Masellis, Mario; Tang-Wai, David; Pimlott, Nicholas; Molnar, Frank

2014-12-01

To establish consensus among dementia experts about which patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild dementia should be reported to transportation authorities. We conducted a literature review of predictors of driving safety in patients with dementia and combined these into 26 case scenarios. Using a modified Delphi technique, case scenarios were reviewed by 38 dementia experts (geriatric psychiatrists, geriatricians, cognitive neurologists and family physicians with expertise in elder care) who indicated whether or not they would report the patient in each scenario to regional transportation authorities and recommend a specialized on-road driving test. Scenarios were presented up to five times to achieve consensus, defined as 85% agreement, and discrepancies were discussed anonymously online. By the end of the fifth iteration, there was cumulative consensus on 18 scenarios (69%). The strongest predictors of decision to report were the combination of caregiver concern about the patient's driving and abnormal Clock Drawing Test, which accounted for 62% of the variance in decision to report at the same time as or without a road test (p <0.01). Based on these data, an algorithm was developed to guide physician decision-making about reporting patients with MCI or mild dementia to transportation authorities. This study supports existing international guidelines that recommend specialized on-road testing when driving safety is uncertain for patients with MCI and emphasizes the importance of assessing executive dysfunction and caregiver concern about driving. Copyright © 2014 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

48 CFR 301.607-71 - FAC-P/PM levels and requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... GENERAL HHS ACQUISITION REGULATION SYSTEM Career Development, Contracting Authority, and Responsibilities..., systems engineering, test and evaluation, contracting, and business. (6) Specific core competencies also...

48 CFR 252.235-7003 - Frequency authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Officer during the initial planning, experimental, or developmental phase of contract performance. (c) The... development, production, construction, testing, or operation of a device for which a radio frequency...

48 CFR 252.235-7003 - Frequency authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Officer during the initial planning, experimental, or developmental phase of contract performance. (c) The... development, production, construction, testing, or operation of a device for which a radio frequency...

48 CFR 252.235-7003 - Frequency authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Officer during the initial planning, experimental, or developmental phase of contract performance. (c) The... development, production, construction, testing, or operation of a device for which a radio frequency...

News from Venezuela.

PubMed

2000-01-01

A Venezuelan court has ordered a university to stop requiring HIV testing for admission, while shortly thereafter the Venezuelan Ministry of Health and Social Development authorized obligatory HIV screening of pregnant women.

Identification, assessment and intervention--Implications of an audit on dyslexia policy and practice in Scotland.

PubMed

Reid, Gavin; Deponio, Pamela; Davidson Petch, Louise

2005-08-01

This article reports on research commissioned by the Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED). It aimed to establish the range and extent of policy and provision in the area of specific learning difficulties (SpLD) and dyslexia throughout Scotland. The research was conducted between January and June 2004 by a team from the University of Edinburgh. The information was gathered from a questionnaire sent to all education authorities (100% response rate was achieved). Additional information was also obtained from supplementary interviews and additional materials provided by education authorities. The results indicated that nine education authorities in Scotland (out of 32) have explicit policies on dyslexia and eight authorities have policies on SpLD. It was noted however that most authorities catered for dyslexia and SpLD within a more generic policy framework covering aspects of Special Educational Needs or within documentation on 'effective learning'. In relation to identification thirty-six specific tests, or procedures, were mentioned. Classroom observation, as a procedure was rated high by most authorities. Eleven authorities operated a formal staged process combining identification and intervention. Generally, authorities supported a broader understanding of the role of identification and assessment and the use of standardized tests was only part of a wider assessment process. It was however noted that good practice in identification and intervention was not necessarily dependent on the existence of a dedicated policy on SpLD/dyslexia. Over fifty different intervention strategies/programmes were noted in the responses. Twenty-four authorities indicated that they had developed examples of good practice. The results have implications for teachers and parents as well as those involved in staff development. Pointers are provided for effective practice and the results reflect some of the issues on the current debate on dyslexia particularly relating to early identification.

Building and testing a patient-centric electronic bedside communication center.

PubMed

Dykes, Patricia C; Carroll, Diane L; Hurley, Ann C; Benoit, Angela; Chang, Frank; Pozzar, Rachel; Caligtan, Christine A

2013-01-01

In this article, the authors describe the development and pilot testing of an electronic bedside communication center (eBCC) prototype to improve access to health information for hospitalized adults and their family caregivers. Focus groups were used to identify improvements for the initial eBCC prototype developed by the research team. Face-to-face bedside interviews and questions were presented while patients used the eBCC for usability testing to drive further development. Qualitative methods within an iterative, participatory approach supported the development of an eBCC prototype that was considered both easy to use and helpful for accessing tailored patient information during an inpatient hospitalization to receive acute care. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

Crash Test Dummies or Knowledgeable Practitioners? Evaluating the Impact of Professional Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrison, Roger; Edwards, Richard; Brown, Jonathan

2001-01-01

Draws on the authors' experience of developing and presenting an Open University Masters level course: Guidance and Counselling in Learning. Explores the diversity of contexts for guidance practices and the assumptions about the relationship between theory and practice that is embedded in various approaches to professional development. (Contains…

Toward a Rational Educational Policy. An Econometric Analysis of Ontario, Canada, 1950-65 with Tests 1966-68 and Projections 1969-75.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Handa, M. L.

This report describes some models the author developed to investigate the simultaneous interaction of decisionmakers in a province-wide educational system and to help formulate educational policy for achieving specified enrollments and expenditures. In chapter one, the author describes the models that examine the process of simultaneous…

Development and applicability of a ready-to-use PCR system for GMO screening.

PubMed

Rosa, Sabrina F; Gatto, Francesco; Angers-Loustau, Alexandre; Petrillo, Mauro; Kreysa, Joachim; Querci, Maddalena

2016-06-15

With the growing number of GMOs introduced to the market, testing laboratories have seen their workload increase significantly. Ready-to-use multi-target PCR-based detection systems, such as pre-spotted plates (PSP), reduce analysis time while increasing capacity. This paper describes the development and applicability to GMO testing of a screening strategy involving a PSP and its associated web-based Decision Support System. The screening PSP was developed to detect all GMOs authorized in the EU in one single PCR experiment, through the combination of 16 validated assays. The screening strategy was successfully challenged in a wide inter-laboratory study on real-life food/feed samples. The positive outcome of this study could result in the adoption of a PSP screening strategy across the EU; a step that would increase harmonization and quality of GMO testing in the EU. Furthermore, this system could represent a model for other official control areas where high-throughput DNA-based detection systems are needed. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Moral Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ.

The 1974 Educational Testing Service (ETS) Measurement Award was presented to J.P. Guilford at the ETS Invitational Conference. Irving Kristol, in "Moral and Ethical Development in a Democratic Society," called for the restoration of authority within our major social institutions, especially schools. Martin Trow examined the effects of the college…

Achievement Motivation Training's Effects on Psychosocial Self-Perceptions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Larry G.

1983-01-01

A study identified the psychosocial needs of low-literate adults by using an instrument based on Erikson's ego-stage development model. It also tested the effectiveness of Achievement Motivation Training in counterbalancing the negative impact of school experiences on students' psychosocial development. (Author/SK)

Development and testing of a scale to assess physician attitudes about handheld computers with decision support.

PubMed

Ray, Midge N; Houston, Thomas K; Yu, Feliciano B; Menachemi, Nir; Maisiak, Richard S; Allison, Jeroan J; Berner, Eta S

2006-01-01

The authors developed and evaluated a rating scale, the Attitudes toward Handheld Decision Support Software Scale (H-DSS), to assess physician attitudes about handheld decision support systems. The authors conducted a prospective assessment of psychometric characteristics of the H-DSS including reliability, validity, and responsiveness. Participants were 82 Internal Medicine residents. A higher score on each of the 14 five-point Likert scale items reflected a more positive attitude about handheld DSS. The H-DSS score is the mean across the fourteen items. Attitudes toward the use of the handheld DSS were assessed prior to and six months after receiving the handheld device. Cronbach's Alpha was used to assess internal consistency reliability. Pearson correlations were used to estimate and detect significant associations between scale scores and other measures (validity). Paired sample t-tests were used to test for changes in the mean attitude scale score (responsiveness) and for differences between groups. Internal consistency reliability for the scale was alpha = 0.73. In testing validity, moderate correlations were noted between the attitude scale scores and self-reported Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) usage in the hospital (correlation coefficient = 0.55) and clinic (0.48), p < 0.05 for both. The scale was responsive, in that it detected the expected increase in scores between the two administrations (3.99 (s.d. = 0.35) vs. 4.08, (s.d. = 0.34), p < 0.005). The authors' evaluation showed that the H-DSS scale was reliable, valid, and responsive. The scale can be used to guide future handheld DSS development and implementation.

Assessing the accuracy of TDR-based water leak detection system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fatemi Aghda, S. M.; GanjaliPour, K.; Nabiollahi, K.

2018-03-01

The use of TDR system to detect leakage locations in underground pipes has been developed in recent years. In this system, a bi-wire is installed in parallel with the underground pipes and is considered as a TDR sensor. This approach greatly covers the limitations arisen with using the traditional method of acoustic leak positioning. TDR based leak detection method is relatively accurate when the TDR sensor is in contact with water in just one point. Researchers have been working to improve the accuracy of this method in recent years. In this study, the ability of TDR method was evaluated in terms of the appearance of multi leakage points simultaneously. For this purpose, several laboratory tests were conducted. In these tests in order to simulate leakage points, the TDR sensor was put in contact with water at some points, then the number and the dimension of the simulated leakage points were gradually increased. The results showed that with the increase in the number and dimension of the leakage points, the error rate of the TDR-based water leak detection system increases. The authors tried, according to the results obtained from the laboratory tests, to develop a method to improve the accuracy of the TDR-based leak detection systems. To do that, they defined a few reference points on the TDR sensor. These points were created via increasing the distance between two conductors of TDR sensor and were easily identifiable in the TDR waveform. The tests were repeated again using the TDR sensor having reference points. In order to calculate the exact distance of the leakage point, the authors developed an equation in accordance to the reference points. A comparison between the results obtained from both tests (with and without reference points) showed that using the method and equation developed by the authors can significantly improve the accuracy of positioning the leakage points.

Using metaphor to translate the science of resilience and developmental outcomes.

PubMed

Kendall-Taylor, Nathaniel; Haydon, Abigail

2016-07-01

Developmental scientists have used a variety of linguistic devices to communicate the science of resilience, but their effectiveness at improving understanding and expanding support for evidence-based social policies has not been empirically tested. We describe the process of developing, testing, and refining an Explanatory Metaphor to communicate the science of resilience to the public and policymakers. We argue that public understanding is key to bridging the research-to-practice divide and that communications is a social science endeavor in its own right that requires careful empirical research. © The Author(s) 2014.

Turkish adaptation and psychometric characteristics of the Nursing Authority and Autonomy Scale.

PubMed

Basaran Acil, Seher; Dinç, Leyla

2018-04-14

To adapt the Nursing Authority and Autonomy Scale (NAAS) into Turkish the Nursing Authority and Autonomy Scale (NAAS) to Turkish and assess its psychometric properties for Turkish nurses and nurse managers. The NAAS is a tool that specifically measures nursing authority and autonomy from the perspectives of nurses and nurse managers. The study sample consisted of 160 nurse managers and 266 staff nurses. Content validity was assessed using expert approval. Construct validity was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's α, and the test-retest reliability was assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficients. The model achieved a good fit. The internal reliability of the NAAS' authority and autonomy in nursing practice and importance of nursing practice subscales were .84. The Cronbach's α of the instrument was .88. The test-retest scores within an interval of 3 weeks were statistically not significant. The Turkish version of the NAAS has good psychometric properties and this scale can be employed to measure nurses' authority and autonomy. Nurse managers and educators should use an appropriate scale such as NAAS in order to assess nurses' clinical authority and autonomy to improve patient outcomes and develop nurses. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Outsourcing Systems Development for e-Learning Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brodahl, Cornelia; Oftedahl, Heidi

2012-01-01

This study investigated outsourcing of the development of visual, animated and interactive learning objects for mathematics education by a Norwegian university to software vendors in China. It sought to understand the challenges in this outsourcing engagement and competences needed to meet the challenges. The authors tested outsourcing strategies…

The Kenya rangeland ecological monitoring unit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stevens, W. E. (Principal Investigator)

1978-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Methodology for aerial surveys and ground truth studies was developed, tested, and revised several times to produce reasonably firm methods of procedure. Computer programs were adapted or developed to analyze, store, and recall data from the ground and air monitoring surveys.

Forecasting Techniques and Library Circulation Operations: Implications for Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahiakwo, Okechukwu N.

1988-01-01

Causal regression and time series models were developed using six years of data for home borrowing, average readership, and books consulted at a university library. The models were tested for efficacy in producing short-term planning and control data. Combined models were tested in establishing evaluation measures. (10 references) (Author/MES)

Assessing variability in chemical acute toxicity of unionid mussels: Influence of intra- and inter-laboratory testing, life stage, and species

EPA Science Inventory

The authors developed a toxicity database for unionid mussels to examine the extent of intra- and interlaboratory variability in acute toxicity tests with mussel larvae (glochidia) and juveniles; the extent of differential sensitivity of the 2 life stages; and the variation in se...

77 FR 48858 - Significant New Use Rules on Certain Chemical Substances

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-15

... affect certain entities through pre-existing import certification and export notification rules under... developing test data. B. What is the agency's authority for taking this action? Section 5(a)(2) of TSCA (15 U....e., SNURs without TSCA section 5(e) consent orders). Tests recommended by EPA to provide sufficient...

75 FR 57169 - Significant New Use Rules on Certain Chemical Substances

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-20

... action may also affect certain entities through pre-existing import certification and export notification... provisions for developing test data. B. What is the Agency's Authority for Taking this Action? Section 5(a)(2...., SNURs without TSCA section 5(e) consent orders). Toxicity concerns. Tests recommended by EPA to provide...

Consumer Electronics Testing to Fast-Rise EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) (VEMPS (Vertical Electromagnetic Pulse Simulator) 2 Development)

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-06-01

Fast-Rise EMP ( VEMPS 11 Development) 12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) Vincent J. Ellis 13a. TYPE OF REPORT 13b. TIME COVERED 14. DATE OF REPORT (Year Mot.Dy...SUBJECT TERMS (Continue on reverse if necessary andJ identity by block nwitib") 09EL 03U SBGR EMP, VEMPS 11, consumer electronics, FEMPS, EMP simulation... VEMPS 11), Because of the unique petrr! ance characteristics of VEMPS 11 and the technological changes In consumer electronics over the past 10 years

Evaluating workforce developments to support children of mentally ill parents: implementing new interventions in the adult mental healthcare in Northern Norway

PubMed Central

Lauritzen, Camilla; van Doesum, Karin T M

2012-01-01

Background According to new Norwegian laws, mental healthcare for adults are obligated to assess all patients who are parents and to act on their children's needs. This article describes the study protocol of implementing the interventions Family Assessment and Child Talks for children of patients in the adult psychiatry of the University Hospital of Northern Norway. The project is designed to evaluate the process of changes in clinical practice due to the implementation of two interventions. The interventions to be implemented are a standardised Family Assessment Form and the intervention called Child Talks. The family assessment form is an intervention to identify children of mentally ill parents and their needs. The intervention Child Talks is a health-promoting and preventive intervention where the mental health workers talk with the family about the situation of the children and their needs. Methods/design There are two groups of participants in this study: (1) mental health workers in the clinic (N=220) and (2) patients who are parents (N=200) receiving treatment in the clinic. (1) In the evaluation of clinical practice, the authors use a pre-test, post-test and 1-year follow-up design. At pre-test, the authors evaluate status quo among mental health workers in the clinic regarding knowledge, attitudes, collaborative routines and clinical practice related to families with parental mental illness. After the pre-test is finished, the project move on to implement the interventions Family Assessment Form and Child Talks in the clinic. At post-test and 1-year follow-up, the authors evaluate the impact of implementing the Family Assessment Form in terms of how many children were identified and offered Child Talks in the clinic or referred to other services for additional support. (2) In the evaluation of parents/patients experience with the interventions, the authors use a pre-test post-test design. To identify children of mentally ill patients, the authors collect data on demographical variables for the patient and the child at pre-measures, as well as data on parental competence (PSOC) and parental concerns (PEDS) about their children. At post-measures, the authors evaluate the impact of the intervention in terms of user satisfaction, as well as changes between pre- and post-measures on parental competence (PSOC) and parental concerns (PEDS) about their children. Discussion The implication of implementing new interventions to safeguard children of mentally ill patients and the limitation of not measuring child development directly are discussed. PMID:22556160

Evaluating workforce developments to support children of mentally ill parents: implementing new interventions in the adult mental healthcare in Northern Norway.

PubMed

Reedtz, Charlotte; Lauritzen, Camilla; van Doesum, Karin T M

2012-01-01

According to new Norwegian laws, mental healthcare for adults are obligated to assess all patients who are parents and to act on their children's needs. This article describes the study protocol of implementing the interventions Family Assessment and Child Talks for children of patients in the adult psychiatry of the University Hospital of Northern Norway. The project is designed to evaluate the process of changes in clinical practice due to the implementation of two interventions. The interventions to be implemented are a standardised Family Assessment Form and the intervention called Child Talks. The family assessment form is an intervention to identify children of mentally ill parents and their needs. The intervention Child Talks is a health-promoting and preventive intervention where the mental health workers talk with the family about the situation of the children and their needs. There are two groups of participants in this study: (1) mental health workers in the clinic (N=220) and (2) patients who are parents (N=200) receiving treatment in the clinic. (1) In the evaluation of clinical practice, the authors use a pre-test, post-test and 1-year follow-up design. At pre-test, the authors evaluate status quo among mental health workers in the clinic regarding knowledge, attitudes, collaborative routines and clinical practice related to families with parental mental illness. After the pre-test is finished, the project move on to implement the interventions Family Assessment Form and Child Talks in the clinic. At post-test and 1-year follow-up, the authors evaluate the impact of implementing the Family Assessment Form in terms of how many children were identified and offered Child Talks in the clinic or referred to other services for additional support. (2) In the evaluation of parents/patients experience with the interventions, the authors use a pre-test post-test design. To identify children of mentally ill patients, the authors collect data on demographical variables for the patient and the child at pre-measures, as well as data on parental competence (PSOC) and parental concerns (PEDS) about their children. At post-measures, the authors evaluate the impact of the intervention in terms of user satisfaction, as well as changes between pre- and post-measures on parental competence (PSOC) and parental concerns (PEDS) about their children. The implication of implementing new interventions to safeguard children of mentally ill patients and the limitation of not measuring child development directly are discussed.

Regulatory Forum opinion piece: New testing paradigms for reproductive and developmental toxicity--the NTP modified one generation study and OECD 443.

PubMed

Foster, Paul M D

2014-12-01

The National Toxicology Program (NTP) has developed a new flexible study design, termed the modified one generation (MOG) reproduction study. The MOG study will encompass measurements of developmental and reproductive toxicity parameters as well as enable the setting of appropriate dose levels for a cancer bioassay through evaluation of target organ toxicity that is based on test article exposure that starts during gestation. This study design is compared and contrasted with the new Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 443 test guideline, the extended one generation reproduction study. The MOG study has a number of advantages, with a focus on F 1 animals, the generation of adequately powered, robust data sets that include both pre and postnatal developmental toxicity information, and the measurement of effects on reproductive structure and function in the same animals. This new study design does not employ the use of internal triggers in the design structure for the use of animals already on test and is also consistent with the principles of the 3R's. © 2014 by The Author(s).

Machining and brazing of accelerating RF cavity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ghodke, S.R.; Barnwal, Rajesh; Mondal, Jayant, E-mail: ghodke_barc@yahoo.co.in

2014-07-01

BARC has developed 2856 MHz accelerating cavities for 6 MeV, 9 MeV and 10 MeV RF Linac. New vendors are developed for mass production of accelerating cavity for future projects. New vendors are developing for diamond turning machining, cleaning and brazing processes. Fabrication involved material testing, CNC diamond turning of cavity, cavity cleaning and brazing. Before and after brazing resonance frequency (RF) of cavity was checked with vector network analyser (VNA). A power feed test setup is also fabricated to test power feed cavity before brazing. This test setup will be used to find out assembly performance of power feedmore » cavity and its coupler. This paper discusses about nano machining, cleaning and brazing processes of RF cavities. (author)« less

Latex agglutination using the periplasmic proteins antigen of Brucella melitensis is a successful, rapid, and specific serodiagnostic test for ovine brucellosis.

PubMed

Ismael, Alaa Bassuny; Swelum, Ayman Abdel-Aziz; Mostafa, Salama A-H; Alhumiany, Abdel-Rahman A

2016-09-01

Brucellosis, especially caused by Brucella melitensis, is considered the most-widespread zoonosis in the world, particularly in developing countries. This study was planned to develop an accurate test for diagnosis of ovine brucellosis using a specific hot saline extracted soluble Brucella melitensis periplasmic proteins (SBPPs). The efficacy of the latex agglutination test (LAT) using SBPPs compared to the Rose Bengal test (RBT), buffered plate agglutination test (BPAT), serum agglutination test (SAT), and an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (i-ELISA) was evaluated in the field diagnosis of ovine brucellosis. The test performance was evaluated by estimating sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp), positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), disease prevalence (DP), positive likelihood ratio (PLR), and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) using test agreement and bacteriological culture in 1777 samples. The false-positive result was significantly (P ⩽0.05) lower in LAT than RBT, BPAT, SAT, and i-ELISA. With reference to test agreement, the Se, Sp, PPV, and PLR were highest (P ⩽0.05) in LAT 99.33%, 99.88%, 98.68%, and 827.25%, respectively. With reference to bacteriological culture, the LAT and i-ELISA tests showed a significant difference in Se with SAT. However, no significant difference in specificity was detected. The DP was 8.44% in the five tests. In conclusion, LAT using SBPPs of B. melitensis could be a suitable serodiagnostic field test for ovine brucellosis, with high sensitivity and specificity. © The Author(s) 2016.

Assessment Environment for Complex Systems Software Guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2013-01-01

This Software Guide (SG) describes the software developed to test the Assessment Environment for Complex Systems (AECS) by the West Virginia High Technology Consortium (WVHTC) Foundation's Mission Systems Group (MSG) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD). This software is referred to as the AECS Test Project throughout the remainder of this document. AECS provides a framework for developing, simulating, testing, and analyzing modern avionics systems within an Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) architecture. The purpose of the AECS Test Project is twofold. First, it provides a means to test the AECS hardware and system developed by MSG. Second, it provides an example project upon which future AECS research may be based. This Software Guide fully describes building, installing, and executing the AECS Test Project as well as its architecture and design. The design of the AECS hardware is described in the AECS Hardware Guide. Instructions on how to configure, build and use the AECS are described in the User's Guide. Sample AECS software, developed by the WVHTC Foundation, is presented in the AECS Software Guide. The AECS Hardware Guide, AECS User's Guide, and AECS Software Guide are authored by MSG. The requirements set forth for AECS are presented in the Statement of Work for the Assessment Environment for Complex Systems authored by NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC). The intended audience for this document includes software engineers, hardware engineers, project managers, and quality assurance personnel from WVHTC Foundation (the suppliers of the software), NASA (the customer), and future researchers (users of the software). Readers are assumed to have general knowledge in the field of real-time, embedded computer software development.

The individual-oriented and social-oriented Chinese bicultural self: testing the theory.

PubMed

Lu, Luo

2008-06-01

The author proposes a bicultural self theory for contemporary Chinese individuals, encompassing 2 main components: the individual-oriented self and the social-oriented self. The social orientation is rooted in traditional Chinese conceptualization of the self, whereas the individual orientation has evolved and developed under Western influences along with recent societal modernization. The author conducted a series of 5 studies to test the theory and relate the model to important issues in current personality and social psychological research, such as cultural individualism-collectivism, self-construals, motivation, cognition, emotion, and well-being. A total of 977 university students in Taiwan participated. The author found that contrasting self-aspects were differentially associated with the aforementioned constructs, as theoretically predicted. This evidence thus generally supported the bicultural self model.

How medicine has become a science?

PubMed

Zieliński, Andrzej

2014-01-01

The historical review of medical activities draws attention how late in its very long history therapies of proven effectiveness were introduced. Author attributes it to the late development of methods which would be capable to determine the causal relations which would scientifically justified identification the causes and risk factors of diseases as well as checking the effectiveness of preventive and therapeutic procedures. Among the fundamental tools for scientific knowledge of the causes and mechanisms of diseases, the author indicates: achievements of basic science and the development of epidemiological methods used to study causal relationships. In the author's opinion the results of basic research are an essential source of variables among which, with an increased likelihood could be found the causes and risk factors of studied conditions, including diseases. The author also stresses the role of medical technology, which is the primary source of potential medicines, other therapeutic procedures and diagnostic methods whose effectiveness is tested in experimental epidemiological studies. Medical technologies create also tools for the development of basic sciences.

Commentary: pediatric eHealth interventions: common challenges during development, implementation, and dissemination.

PubMed

Wu, Yelena P; Steele, Ric G; Connelly, Mark A; Palermo, Tonya M; Ritterband, Lee M

2014-07-01

To provide an overview of common challenges that pediatric eHealth researchers may encounter when planning, developing, testing, and disseminating eHealth interventions along with proposed solutions for addressing these challenges. The article draws on the existing eHealth literature and the authors' collective experience in pediatric eHealth research. The challenges associated with eHealth interventions and their proposed solutions are multifaceted and cut across a number of areas from eHealth program development through dissemination. Collaboration with a range of individuals (e.g., multidisciplinary colleagues, commercial entities, primary stakeholders) is the key to eHealth intervention success. To ensure adequate resources for design, development, and planning for sustainability, a number of public and private sources of funding are available. A study design that addresses ethical concerns and security issues is critical to ensure scientific integrity and intervention dissemination. Table I summarizes key issues to consider during eHealth intervention development, testing, and dissemination. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The Effects of Simultaneous Developmental Processes: Factors Relating to the Career Development of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, Christa K.; Nilsson, Johanna E.

2006-01-01

C. Hetherington (1991) hypothesized that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adolescents may experience a "bottleneck effect" in career development because of internal psychological energy focusing on issues surrounding sexual identity. This assertion has not yet been tested, however, in the career development literature. The authors examined the…

Measuring preparedness for mammography in women with intellectual disabilities: a validation study of the Mammography Preparedness Measure.

PubMed

Wang, Claire Tienwey; Greenwood, Nechama; White, Laura F; Wilkinson, Joanne

2015-05-01

Women with intellectual disabilities have similar breast cancer rates as the general population, but lower rates of regular mammography and higher breast cancer mortality rates. Although prior qualitative work demonstrates that women with intellectual disabilities face unique, disability-specific barriers to mammography, the present authors lack standardized, validated instruments for measuring knowledge of breast cancer screening in this population. In addition, much research related to adults with intellectual disabilities focuses on family or carer perspectives, rather than involving women with intellectual disabilities, themselves. The present authors first pilot tested a general population instrument measuring breast cancer knowledge, and found that it did not perform adequately in women with intellectual disabilities. In response, the present authors developed the Mammography Preparedness Measure (MPM), a direct short interview tool to measure knowledge and preparedness in women with intellectual disabilities, themselves, rather than relying on caregiver or other reports, and using inclusive methodology. The present authors validated the MPM by assessing test-retest reliability. Average test-retest per cent agreement of 84%, ranging from 74 to 91% agreement per item, with an overall kappa of 0.59. The MPM appears to be a valid instrument appropriate for measuring mammography preparedness in women with intellectual disabilities. The success of this innovative tool suggests that direct, rather than informant-directed tools can be developed to measure health knowledge and cancer screening readiness in adults with intellectual disabilities, an important measure in studying and reducing disparities. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

P-8A Poseidon Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft (P-8A)

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND...2013 rated the P-8A as operationally effective , operationally suitable, and recommended Fleet introduction. Integrated testing of deficiency...lot through effective negotiations with the prime contractor and through development and implementation of production process improvement

How Plankton Swim: An Interdisciplinary Approach for Using Mathematics & Physics to Understand the Biology of the Natural World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clay, Tansy W.; Fox, Jennifer B.; Grunbaum, Daniel; Jumars, Peter A.

2008-01-01

The authors have developed and field-tested high school-level curricular materials that guide students to use biology, mathematics, and physics to understand plankton and how these tiny organisms move in a world where their intuition does not apply. The authors chose plankton as the focus of their materials primarily because the challenges faced…

TELECOMMUNICATIONS. GSA Action Needed to Realize Benefits of Metropolitan Area Acquisition Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-04-01

Reform, House of RepresentativesApril 2002 TELECOMMUNICATIONS GSA Action Needed to Realize Benefits of Metropolitan Area Acquisition Programa GAO-02...Needed to Realize Benefits of Metropolitan Area Acquisition Program Contract Number Grant Number Program Element Number Author(s) Project Number...TELECOMMUNICATIONS GSA Action Needed to Realize Benefits of Metropolitan Area Acquisition Program This is a test for developing highlights for a GAO report

One for All and All for One: Using Multiple Identification Theory Simulations to Build Cooperative Attitudes and Behaviors in a Middle Eastern Conflict Scenario

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Robert Howard; Williams, Alexander Jonathan

2010-01-01

The authors previously developed multiple identification theory (MIT) as a system of simulation game design intended to promote attitude change. The present study further tests MIT's effectiveness. The authors created a game (CULTURE & CREED) via MIT as a complex simulation of Middle Eastern conflict resolution, designed to change attitudes…

Measuring emotional intelligence with the Mayer-Salovery-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT).

PubMed

Brackett, Marc A; Salovey, Peter

2006-01-01

This manuscript examines the measurement instrument developed from the ability model of EI (Mayer and Salovey, 1997), the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT; Mayer, Salovey and Caruso, 2002). The four subtests, scoring methods, psychometric properties, reliability, and factor structure of the MSCEIT are discussed, with a special focus on the discriminant, convergent, predictive, and incremental validity of the test. The authors review associations between MSCEIT scores and important outcomes such as academic performance, cognitive processes, psychological well-being, depression, anxiety, prosocial and maladaptive behavior, and leadership and organizational behavior. Findings regarding the low correlations between MSCEIT scores and self-report measures of EI also are presented. In the conclusion the authors' provide potential directions for future research on emotional intelligence.

Tests on a 30 kVA class superconducting transformer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoneda, E. S.; Tashiro, I.; Morohoshi, M.; Ito, D.

To demonstrate the applicability of superconductors to electric power machines, the present authors made and tested a 30 kVA class single-phase superconducting transformer. The aim of the study was to determine the superconducting transformer properties. Therefore the superconducting transformer has a simple structure, i.e. the primary to secondary voltage ratio is 1:1 and the iron core is immersed in liquid helium. The core loss, evaluated from no-load tests, was 13 W and leakage impedance, obtained by short circuit tests, was 0.02 Ω in accordance with a calculated value. The superconducting transformer showed the limitation effect of fault currents. The authors succeeded in continuous operation with a 0.5 Ω load resistance. These results suggest that efficiency can be 98.5%, if the iron core is located outside the cryostat and if high Tc superconductors are used as current leads. Superconducting windings exhibit training quenches in general. The authors also developed a superconducting transformer quench detector with a third winding around the iron core. The quench detector revealed that the secondary winding quenches before the primary winding.

Real-time simulation of a Doubly-Fed Induction Generator based wind power system on eMEGASimRTM Real-Time Digital Simulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boakye-Boateng, Nasir Abdulai

The growing demand for wind power integration into the generation mix prompts the need to subject these systems to stringent performance requirements. This study sought to identify the required tools and procedures needed to perform real-time simulation studies of Doubly-Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) based wind generation systems as basis for performing more practical tests of reliability and performance for both grid-connected and islanded wind generation systems. The author focused on developing a platform for wind generation studies and in addition, the author tested the performance of two DFIG models on the platform real-time simulation model; an average SimpowerSystemsRTM DFIG wind turbine, and a detailed DFIG based wind turbine using ARTEMiSRTM components. The platform model implemented here consists of a high voltage transmission system with four integrated wind farm models consisting in total of 65 DFIG based wind turbines and it was developed and tested on OPAL-RT's eMEGASimRTM Real-Time Digital Simulator.

Toward a nuclear-weapon-free world: a Chinese perspective

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shen, D.

In the present article, the author addresses China's policy on proliferation and nuclear testing. China, after observing an unannounced moratorium for more than a year, conducted a test last October, and maintains that it cannot exclude the need to carry out a few more tests for a certain period of time for national defense. The author discusses reasons for future tests. He suggests that a major factor in the testing may be to improve the safety and reliability of the present Chinese arsenal. He believes that whether or not China continues to test nuclear weapons will depend upon the balancemore » of different national interests as perceived by the Chinese government. Following the underground test in Xinjiang province last October, the Chinese government issued a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali saying that it was entirely for the purpose of self-defense that China developed and possessed a small number of nuclear weapons, and that it had always exercised utmost restraint on nuclear testing. The letter also states that [open quotes]after a comprehensive test ban treaty is concluded and comes into effect, China will abide by it and carry out no more nuclear tests.[close quotes] The author concludes that an international treaty banning nuclear weapons tests is important, but a no-first-use agreement would be just as useful. He discusses options for effecting a world-wide non-proliferation policy.« less

An Audiovisual Program in Cell Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fedoroff, Sergey; Opel, William

1978-01-01

A subtopic of cell biology, the structure and function of cell membranes, has been developed as a series of seven self-instructional slide-tape units and tested in five medical schools. Organization of advisers, analysis and definition of objectives and content, and development and evaluation of scripts and storyboards are discussed. (Author/LBH)

Assessing Potential Predisposition of Elementary School Children to Heart Disease.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crow, Thomas A.; And Others

1982-01-01

A health assessment battery was developed to screen elementary school children in Clovis (California) for factors that might lead to heart disease. Students' height, blood pressure, flexibility, weight, and body fatness (by skin-fold tests) were measured. Plans call for future development of longitudinal student profiles. (Authors/PP)

Faculty Development for Educators: A Realist Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sorinola, Olanrewaju O.; Thistlethwaite, Jill; Davies, David; Peile, Ed

2015-01-01

The effectiveness of faculty development (FD) activities for educators in UK medical schools remains underexplored. This study used a realist approach to evaluate FD and to test the hypothesis that motivation, engagement and perception are key mechanisms of effective FD activities. The authors observed and interviewed 33 course participants at one…

Academic Admission Requirements as Predictors of Counseling Knowledge, Personal Development, and Counseling Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smaby, Marlowe H.; Maddux, Cleborne D.; Richmond, Aaron S.; Lepkowski, William J.; Packman, Jill

2005-01-01

The authors investigated whether undergraduates' scores on the Verbal and Quantitative tests of the Graduate Record Examinations and their undergraduate grade point average can be used to predict knowledge, personal development, and skills of graduates of counseling programs. Multiple regression analysis produced significant models predicting…

Beyond the Write Answer: Mathematical Connections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haltiwanger, Leigh; Simpson, Amber M.

2013-01-01

As math teachers, the authors often encountered students who could ace a test but not explain their reasoning. This phenomenon was disturbing to them, and they fought for years to help students both understand mathematical concepts and develop meaning for them. Since their primary goal was to develop mathematically literate students, their…

The Noble Gases in A-Level Chemistry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marchant, G. W.

1983-01-01

Suggests two methods of developing the study of the noble gases: first, the discovery of the elements and recent discovery of xenon show the human face of chemistry (historical development); second, the properties of noble gas compounds (particularly xenon) can be used to test the framework of conventional chemistry. (Author/JM)

The Mystery Tubes: Teaching Pupils about Hypothetical Modelling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kenrick, Carole

2017-01-01

This article recounts the author's working experience of one method by which pupils' understanding of the epistemologies of science can be developed, specifically how scientists can develop hypothetical models and test them through simulations. She currently uses this approach for transition lessons with pupils in upper primary or lower secondary…

Socialization to Student Affairs: Early Career Experiences Associated with Professional Identity Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirschy, Amy S.; Wilson, Maureen E.; Liddell, Debora L.; Boyle, Kathleen M.; Pasquesi, Kira

2015-01-01

In this study, the authors propose and test a model of professional identity development among early career student affairs professionals. Using survey data from 173 new professionals (0-5 years of experience), factor analysis revealed 3 dimensions of professional identity: commitment, values congruence, and intellectual investment. Multivariate…

A method to minimise the fading effects of LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD-600 and TLD-700) using a pre-heat technique.

PubMed

Lee, YoungJu; Won, Yuho; Kang, Kidoo

2015-04-01

Passive integrating dosemeters [thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL)] are the only legally permitted individual dosemeters for occupational external radiation exposure monitoring in Korea. Also its maximum issuing cycle does not exceed 3 months, and the Korean regulations require personal dosemeters for official assessment of external radiation exposure to be issued by an approved or rather an accredited dosimetry service according to ISO/IEC 17025. KHNP (Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, LTD), a unique operating company of nuclear power plants (NPPs) in Korea, currently has a plan to extend a TLD issuing cycle from 1 to 3 months under the authors' fading error criteria, ±10%. The authors have performed a feasibility study that minimises post-irradiation fading effects within their maximum reading cycle employing pre-heating technique. They repeatedly performed irradiation/reading a bare TLD chip to determine optimum pre-heating conditions by analysing each glow curve. The optimum reading conditions within the maximum reading cycle of 3 months were decided: a pre-heating temperature of 165°C, a pre-heating time of 9 s, a heating rate of 25°C s(-1), a reading temperature of 300°C and an acquisition time of 10 s. The fading result of TLD-600 and TLD-700 carried by newly developed time temperature profile (TTP) showed a much smaller fading effect than that of current TTP. The result showed that the fading error due to a developed TTP resulted in a ∼5% signal loss, whereas a current TTP caused a ∼15% loss. The authors also carried out a legal performance test on newly developed TTP to confirm its possibility as an official dosemeter. The legal performance tests that applied the developed TTP satisfied the criteria for all the test categories. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A study of machine-learning-based approaches to extract clinical entities and their assertions from discharge summaries.

PubMed

Jiang, Min; Chen, Yukun; Liu, Mei; Rosenbloom, S Trent; Mani, Subramani; Denny, Joshua C; Xu, Hua

2011-01-01

The authors' goal was to develop and evaluate machine-learning-based approaches to extracting clinical entities-including medical problems, tests, and treatments, as well as their asserted status-from hospital discharge summaries written using natural language. This project was part of the 2010 Center of Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside/Veterans Affairs (VA) natural-language-processing challenge. The authors implemented a machine-learning-based named entity recognition system for clinical text and systematically evaluated the contributions of different types of features and ML algorithms, using a training corpus of 349 annotated notes. Based on the results from training data, the authors developed a novel hybrid clinical entity extraction system, which integrated heuristic rule-based modules with the ML-base named entity recognition module. The authors applied the hybrid system to the concept extraction and assertion classification tasks in the challenge and evaluated its performance using a test data set with 477 annotated notes. Standard measures including precision, recall, and F-measure were calculated using the evaluation script provided by the Center of Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside/VA challenge organizers. The overall performance for all three types of clinical entities and all six types of assertions across 477 annotated notes were considered as the primary metric in the challenge. Systematic evaluation on the training set showed that Conditional Random Fields outperformed Support Vector Machines, and semantic information from existing natural-language-processing systems largely improved performance, although contributions from different types of features varied. The authors' hybrid entity extraction system achieved a maximum overall F-score of 0.8391 for concept extraction (ranked second) and 0.9313 for assertion classification (ranked fourth, but not statistically different than the first three systems) on the test data set in the challenge.

Patterns of citations of open access and non-open access conservation biology journal papers and book chapters.

PubMed

Calver, Michael C; Bradley, J Stuart

2010-06-01

Open access (OA) publishing, whereby authors, their institutions, or their granting bodies pay or provide a repository through which peer-reviewed work is available online for free, is championed as a model to increase the number of citations per paper and disseminate results widely, especially to researchers in developing countries. We compared the number of citations of OA and non-OA papers in six journals and four books published since 2000 to test whether OA increases number of citations overall and increases citations made by authors in developing countries. After controlling for type of paper (e.g., review or research paper), length of paper, authors' citation profiles, number of authors per paper, and whether the author or the publisher released the paper in OA, OA had no statistically significant influence on the overall number of citations per journal paper. Journal papers were cited more frequently if the authors had published highly cited papers previously, were members of large teams of authors, or published relatively long papers, but papers were not cited more frequently if they were published in an OA source. Nevertheless, author-archived OA book chapters accrued up to eight times more citations than chapters in the same book that were not available through OA, perhaps because there is no online abstracting service for book chapters. There was also little evidence that journal papers or book chapters published in OA received more citations from authors in developing countries relative to those journal papers or book chapters not published in OA. For scholarly publications in conservation biology, only book chapters had an OA citation advantage, and OA did not increase the number of citations papers or chapters received from authors in developing countries.

Interactive visualisation for interpreting diagnostic test accuracy study results.

PubMed

Fanshawe, Thomas R; Power, Michael; Graziadio, Sara; Ordóñez-Mena, José M; Simpson, John; Allen, Joy

2018-02-01

Information about the performance of diagnostic tests is typically presented in the form of measures of test accuracy such as sensitivity and specificity. These measures may be difficult to translate directly into decisions about patient treatment, for which information presented in the form of probabilities of disease after a positive or a negative test result may be more useful. These probabilities depend on the prevalence of the disease, which is likely to vary between populations. This article aims to clarify the relationship between pre-test (prevalence) and post-test probabilities of disease, and presents two free, online interactive tools to illustrate this relationship. These tools allow probabilities of disease to be compared with decision thresholds above and below which different treatment decisions may be indicated. They are intended to help those involved in communicating information about diagnostic test performance and are likely to be of benefit when teaching these concepts. A substantive example is presented using C reactive protein as a diagnostic marker for bacterial infection in the older adult population. The tools may also be useful for manufacturers of clinical tests in planning product development, for authors of test evaluation studies to improve reporting and for users of test evaluations to facilitate interpretation and application of the results. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

A Response-Time Approach to Comparing Generalized Rational and Take-the-Best Models of Decision Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bergert, F. Bryan; Nosofsky, Robert M.

2007-01-01

The authors develop and test generalized versions of take-the-best (TTB) and rational (RAT) models of multiattribute paired-comparison inference. The generalized models make allowances for subjective attribute weighting, probabilistic orders of attribute inspection, and noisy decision making. A key new test involves a response-time (RT)…

Simon Fraser University's New Interactive Learning System to Teach French as a Second Language.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirchner, Glenn

1988-01-01

Provides an overview of the design, production, and preliminary testing of a microcomputer-controlled interactive learning workstation developed at Simon Fraser University to teach French as a Second Language. Criteria and guidelines are discussed; the authoring system is explained; and field testing with grades four through seven is described.…

Expectancy Theory Predictions and Behaviorally Anchored Scales of Motivation: An Empirical Test of Engineers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ivancevich, John M.

1976-01-01

A behaviorally specific motivational effort rating scale was developed and tested. The organizational specific scale results were examined and compared to those generated from the Landy and Guion scale. It was found that the organizationally specific and engineer relevant scale is a better predictor of two types of expectancies. (Author)

Age, Sex, and Contact with Elderly Adults as Predictors of Knowledge about Psychological Aging.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Candida C.; And Others

1988-01-01

Tested Australian undergraduates' (N=179) knowledge of mental health in old age. Results showed women scored higher than men and scores rose with age and with contact when age was partialed out. Australian students averaged two more items correct than did the American students for whom the test was developed. (Author)

Conspicuous Strategies in Teaching Expressive Writing: A Quantitative Study Comparing Two Approaches to Process Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fontenot, Jennifer; Carney, Karen J.; Hansen, Kay

2015-01-01

A process-writing approach (BW) with novel concepts was developed by the authors to teach writing to elementary-level students. They believed the BW approach was effective but was particularly effective for special-needs students. Consequently, they decided to quantitatively test these assertions. Instead of testing students taught using the BW…

What Are Error Rates for Classifying Teacher and School Performance Using Value-Added Models?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schochet, Peter Z.; Chiang, Hanley S.

2013-01-01

This article addresses likely error rates for measuring teacher and school performance in the upper elementary grades using value-added models applied to student test score gain data. Using a realistic performance measurement system scheme based on hypothesis testing, the authors develop error rate formulas based on ordinary least squares and…

Explicit versus implicit social cognition testing in autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Callenmark, Björn; Kjellin, Lars; Rönnqvist, Louise; Bölte, Sven

2014-08-01

Although autism spectrum disorder is defined by reciprocal social-communication impairments, several studies have found no evidence for altered social cognition test performance. This study examined explicit (i.e. prompted) and implicit (i.e. spontaneous) variants of social cognition testing in autism spectrum disorder. A sample of 19 adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and 19 carefully matched typically developing controls completed the Dewey Story Test. 'Explicit' (multiple-choice answering format) and 'implicit' (free interview) measures of social cognition were obtained. Autism spectrum disorder participants did not differ from controls regarding explicit social cognition performance. However, the autism spectrum disorder group performed more poorly than controls on implicit social cognition performance in terms of spontaneous perspective taking and social awareness. Findings suggest that social cognition alterations in autism spectrum disorder are primarily implicit in nature and that an apparent absence of social cognition difficulties on certain tests using rather explicit testing formats does not necessarily mean social cognition typicality in autism spectrum disorder. © The Author(s) 2013.

SIGHT - A balloon borne hard X-ray telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilkerson, J.; Edberg, T. K.; Hurley, K.; Lin, R. P.; Parsons, A.

1991-01-01

The authors report on progress toward developing a large-area, high-pressure xenon gas scintillator for use in hard X-ray astrophysics. Proof test results for a low-mass pressure vessel are presented. The design of a high-voltage multiplier board operating inside the scintillation chamber is discussed. The development of tetrakis-dimethylamine-thylene (TMAE)-based proportional tubes for detecting primary scintillation in the xenon is described. Finally, Monte Carlo tests of a scheme to use conventional photomultiplier tubes are discussed.

Development of a Test to Evaluate Aerothermal Response of Materials to Hypersonic Flow Using a Scramjet Wind Tunnel (Postprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-05-01

SCRAMJET WIND TUNNEL (POSTPRINT) 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER FA8650-10-D-5226-0002 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 62102F 6. AUTHOR(S...prototype scramjet engine as a wind tunnel . A sample holder was designed using combustion fluid dynamics results as inputs into structural models. The...Z39-18 Development of a Test to Evaluate Aerothermal Response of Materials to Hypersonic Flow Using a Scramjet Wind Tunnel Triplicane A

Development of advanced space solar dynamic receiver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abe, Yoshiyuki; Tanaka, Kotaro; Nomura, Osami; Kanari, Katsuhiko; Takahashi, Yoshio; Kamimoto, Masayuki

Work on an advanced solar dynamic receiver is reviewed. The authors first describe the component test of the receiver tube with LiF in metallic containers, which was performed in a closed high-temperature He-Xe loop. They then give the details of the development of composite phase change materials, such as ceramic/molten salts or carbon/molten salts for advanced receiver concepts. As for SiC/LiF composites, the performance test of the receiver component will soon be ready to begin.

Development of a Work Control System for Propulsion Testing at NASA Stennis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Messer, Elizabeth A.

2005-01-01

In 1996 Stennis Space Center was given management authority for all Propulsion Testing for NASA. Over the next few years several research and development (R&D) test facilities were completed and brought up to full operation in what is known as the E-Complex Test Facility at Stennis Space Center. To construct, activate and operate these test facilities, a manual paper-based work control system was created. After utilizing this paper-based work control system for approximately three years, it became apparent that the research and development test area needed a better method to execute, monitor, and report on tasks required to further propulsion testing. The paper based system did not provide the engineers adequate visibility into work tasks or the tracking of testing or hardware discrepancies. This system also restricted the engineer s ability to utilize and access past knowledge and experiences given the severe schedule limitations for most R&D propulsion testing projects. Therefore a system was developed to meet the growing need of Test Operations called the Propulsion Test Directorate (PTD) Work Control System. This system is used to plan, perform, and track tasks that support testing and also to capture lessons learned while doing so.

Current Topics in Postnatal Behavioral Testing.

PubMed

Henck, Judith W; Elayan, Ikram; Vorhees, Charles; Fisher, J Edward; Morford, LaRonda L

2016-09-01

The study of developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) continues to be an important component of safety evaluation of candidate therapeutic agents and of industrial and environmental chemicals. Developmental neurotoxicity is considered to be an adverse change in the central and/or peripheral nervous system during development of an organism and has been primarily evaluated by studying functional outcomes, such as changes in behavior, neuropathology, neurochemistry, and/or neurophysiology. Neurobehavioral evaluations are a component of a wide range of toxicology studies in laboratory animal models, whereas neurochemistry and neurophysiology are less commonly employed. Although the primary focus of this article is on neurobehavioral evaluation in pre- and postnatal development and juvenile toxicology studies used in pharmaceutical development, concepts may also apply to adult nonclinical safety studies and Environmental Protection Agency/chemical assessments. This article summarizes the proceedings of a symposium held during the 2015 American College of Toxicology annual meeting and includes a discussion of the current status of DNT testing as well as potential issues and recommendations. Topics include the regulatory context for DNT testing; study design and interpretation; behavioral test selection, including a comparison of core learning and memory systems; age of testing; repeated testing of the same animals; use of alternative animal models; impact of findings; and extrapolation of animal results to humans. Integration of the regulatory experience and scientific concepts presented during this symposium, as well as from subsequent discussion and input, provides a synopsis of the current state of DNT testing in safety assessment, as well as a potential roadmap for future advancement. © The Author(s) 2016.

A beam current density monitor for intense electron beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiorito, R. B.; Raleigh, M.; Seltzer, S. M.

1983-12-01

The authors describe a new type of electric probe for mapping the radial current density profile of high-energy, high current electron beams. The idea of developing an electrically sensitive probe for these conditions was originally suggested to one of the authors during a year's visit to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The resulting probe is intended for use on the Experimental Test Accelerator (ETA) and the Advanced Test Accelerator at that laboratory. This report discusses in detail: the mechanical design, the electrical response, and temperature effects, as they pertain to the electric probe, and describe the first experimental results obtained using this probe on ETA.

Implicit and explicit attitudes towards conventional and complementary and alternative medicine treatments: Introduction of an Implicit Association Test.

PubMed

Green, James A; Hohmann, Cynthia; Lister, Kelsi; Albertyn, Riani; Bradshaw, Renee; Johnson, Christine

2016-06-01

This study examined associations between anticipated future health behaviour and participants' attitudes. Three Implicit Association Tests were developed to assess safety, efficacy and overall attitude. They were used to examine preference associations between conventional versus complementary and alternative medicine among 186 participants. A structural equation model suggested only a single implicit association, rather than three separate domains. However, this single implicit association predicted additional variance in anticipated future use of complementary and alternative medicine beyond explicit. Implicit measures should give further insight into motivation for complementary and alternative medicine use. © The Author(s) 2014.

Testing of veterinary clostridial vaccines: from mouse to microtitre plate.

PubMed

Redhead, K; Wood, K; Jackson, K

2012-01-01

Vaccines to protect against clostridial diseases are among the most common veterinary biologicals. Each batch of these materials is subjected to a variety of toxicity and antigenicity tests. The potency of the final vaccine is then assessed by Toxin Neutralisation Test (TNT). All of these tests use mice and have lethal endpoints. Development of alternatives for potency testing was based on ELISAs able to measure antibody levels to the specific toxins relative to a standard serum with a defined unitage. These alternative assays were shown to correlate with the relevant TNTs and have been accepted by European Regulatory Authorities as batch release potency tests. Recently we have developed in vitro cell line alternatives for the toxicity and antigenicity tests for Cl. septicum using the VERO cell line. With this cell line it has been possible to develop in vitro assays which, when compared with the in vivo tests, gave correlations of 87% to 100%. Having shown proof of principle, similar cell line assays have been developed for Cl. novyi and Cl. perfringens types C and D.

Development of damage suppression system using embedded SMA foil sensor and actuator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogisu, Toshimichi; Nomura, Masato; Ando, Norio; Takaki, Junji; Song, Dong Y.; Takeda, Nobuo

2000-06-01

The recent studies suggest possible applications of shape memory alloy (SMA) for a smart health monitoring and suppression of damage growth. The authors have been conducting research and development studies on applications of embedded SMA foil sensors and actuators in CFRP laminates. The goal of this research is suppression of damage growth in CFRP laminates. At first, the authors proposed a concept of damage suppression in CFRP laminates. Then, the development studies are conducted in three phases. The first phase is the improvement of interlaminar shear strength between SMA and CFRP laminates. Some surface treatments were investigated for the improvement of bonding property by peel resistance test and single lap shear strength test. The second phase is the investigation of fabrication technique for producing a CFRP panel with embedded SMA foils. Fixture jigs were devised to introduce tensile loads during the fabrication process. The third phase is the strength demonstration of CFRP laminates with embedded SMA foils. Some strength test were conducted to obtain the design data for aircraft structures. It is confirmed that the shrinking force of pre-strained SMA influences to the strength and the crack density of CFRP panel.

Grading evidence from test accuracy studies: what makes it challenging compared with the grading of effectiveness studies?

PubMed

Rogozińska, Ewelina; Khan, Khalid

2017-06-01

Guideline panels need to process a sizeable amount of information to issue a decision on whether to recommend a health technology or not. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) is being frequently applied in guideline development to facilitate this task, typically for the synthesis of effectiveness research. Questions regarding the accuracy of medical tests are ubiquitous, and they temporally precede questions about therapy. However, literature summarising the experience of applying GRADE approach to accuracy evaluations is not as rich as one for effectiveness evidence. Type of study design (cross-sectional), two-dimensional nature of the performance measures (sensitivity and specificity), propensity towards a higher level of between-study heterogeneity, poor reporting of quality features and uncertainty about how best to assess for publication bias among other features make this task challenging. This article presents solutions adopted to addresses above challenges for judicious estimation of the strength of test accuracy evidence used to inform evidence syntheses for guideline development. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Fermi, Szilard and Trinity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Herbert L.

1974-01-01

The final installment of the author's recollections of his work with physicists Enrico Fermi, Leo Szilard and others in developing the first controlled nuclear chain reaction and in preparing the test explosion of the first atomic bomb. (GS)

The Use of Linear Programming for Prediction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schnittjer, Carl J.

The purpose of the study was to develop a linear programming model to be used for prediction, test the accuracy of the predictions, and compare the accuracy with that produced by curvilinear multiple regression analysis. (Author)

Microsoft's Vista: Guarantees People with Special Needs Access to Computers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, John M.

2006-01-01

In this article, the author discusses the accessibility features of Microsoft's Windows Vista. One of the most innovative aspects of Windows Vista is a new accessibility and automated testing model called Microsoft UI Automation, which reduces development costs not only for accessible and assistive technology (AT) developers, but also for…

Assessment of Students' Media Competence: Test Results Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Federov, Alexander

2011-01-01

Ascertaining levels of media competence (development in the field of media culture) of students is based on the classification of indicators developed by the author. In accordance with this classification, audience is invited to a basic blocks of questions and tasks. The targets are: to detect the levels of motivational indicators of audience's…

Integrating the Full Range of Security Cooperation Programs into Air Force Planning: An Analytic Primer

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

Exchange Program ( IEP ) Authority 10 U.S.C. §2358, “Research and development projects” Processes and agreements IEP agreements with the...2015.4, “Defense Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) Information Exchange Program ( IEP )”; DoDD 5134.1, “Under Secretary of Defense for

Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority - PHE

Science.gov Websites

Content BARDA News March 29, 2018: FDA approves Leukine for Acute Radiation Syndrome October 6, 2017: HHS pursues therapeutic for radiation injury affecting blood platelets October 6, 2017: HHS sponsors : HHS sponsors development of two tests for radiation exposure October 3, 2017: HHS, Regeneron partner

The Relation of Moral Judgment Development and Educational Experience to Recall of Moral Narratives and Expository Texts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Narvaez, Darcia; Gleason, Tracy

2007-01-01

Moral text processing was used as an ecologically valid method for assessing implicit and explicit moral understanding and development. The authors tested undergraduates, seminarians, and graduate students in political science and philosophy for recall of moral narratives and moral expository texts. Multivariate analyses of covariance using…

Using Contextual Data for Education Quality Assessment: Developing and Testing Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yastrebov, Gordey; Pinskaya, Marina; Kosaretsky, Sergey

2015-01-01

The article describes an approach to assessment of the performance of educational institutions with regard to their social context. To develop this approach, the authors were guided by (1) the results of numerous studies corroborating correlations between student performance and contextual factors (both in Russia and abroad); (2) the experience of…

Determinants of Developmental Performance of Very Low-Birthweight Survivors at One and Two Years of Age.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Astbury, Jill; And Others

1983-01-01

Mean scores of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development for 61 very low-birthweights, corrected for prematurity, were within the normal limits at both testing occasions. However, there was a significant decrease in mental development scores from one to two years of age. (Author/CL)

Association for Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, Committee to Screen Career Guidance Instruments Reports.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Association for Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development.

Reviews of 20 career guidance measures are reprinted from the Association for Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development's "Newsnotes." Each entry includes author, title, publisher, purpose, format, scoring, norms, cost, review, concerns, and additional reviews. These tests cover the areas of occupational interests, career awareness,…

Designing User Manuals for the Online Public Access Catalog.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seiden, Peggy; Sullivan, Patricia

1986-01-01

Describes the process of developing and revising a brochure to guide library patrons in conducting an author search on an online public access catalog in order to demonstrate the application of four steps in production of a functional document--analysis; planning; development; evaluation, testing, and revision. Three sources are given. (EJS)

Bioaccumulation of toxic substances associated with dredging and dredged material disposal: a literature review

USGS Publications Warehouse

Seelye, James G.; Mac, Michael J.

1984-01-01

A literature review of sediment bioassessment was conducted as the first step in the development of a more standardized and ecologically sound test procedure for evaluating sediment quality. Based on the review, the authors concluded that 1) a standardized laboratory bioassessment test should consist of flowthrough exposure of at least 10 days duration using more than one aquatic organism including at least an infaunal benthic invertebrate and a fish species. 2) Before adoption of a laboratory sediment bioassessment procedure, the laboratory results should be evaluated by comparison with field conditions. 3) Most current sediment bioassessment regulatory tests measure acute toxicity or bioaccumulation. Development of tests to evaluate chronic, sublethal effects is needed.

INVESTIGATING ALTERNATIVES TO THE FISH EARLY-LIFE STAGE TEST: A STRATEGY FOR DISCOVERING AND ANNOTATING ADVERSE OUTCOME PATHWAYS FOR EARLY FISH DEVELOPMENT

PubMed Central

Villeneuve, Daniel; Volz, David C; Embry, Michelle R; Ankley, Gerald T; Belanger, Scott E; Léonard, Marc; Schirmer, Kristin; Tanguay, Robert; Truong, Lisa; Wehmas, Leah

2014-01-01

The fish early-life stage (FELS) test (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD] test guideline 210) is the primary test used internationally to estimate chronic fish toxicity in support of ecological risk assessments and chemical management programs. As part of an ongoing effort to develop efficient and cost-effective alternatives to the FELS test, there is a need to identify and describe potential adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) relevant to FELS toxicity. To support this endeavor, the authors outline and illustrate an overall strategy for the discovery and annotation of FELS AOPs. Key events represented by major developmental landmarks were organized into a preliminary conceptual model of fish development. Using swim bladder inflation as an example, a weight-of-evidence–based approach was used to support linkage of key molecular initiating events to adverse phenotypic outcomes and reduced young-of-year survival. Based on an iterative approach, the feasibility of using key events as the foundation for expanding a network of plausible linkages and AOP knowledge was explored and, in the process, important knowledge gaps were identified. Given the scope and scale of the task, prioritization of AOP development was recommended and key research objectives were defined relative to factors such as current animal-use restrictions in the European Union and increased demands for fish toxicity data in chemical management programs globally. The example and strategy described are intended to guide collective efforts to define FELS-related AOPs and develop resource-efficient predictive assays that address the toxicological domain of the OECD 210 test. Environ Toxicol Chem 2014;33:158–169. © 2013 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. PMID:24115264

Flight evaluation of a digital electronic engine control system in an F-15 airplane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Myers, L. P.; Mackall, K. G.; Burcham, F. W., Jr.; Walter, W. A.

1982-01-01

Benefits provided by a full-authority digital engine control are related to improvements in engine efficiency, performance, and operations. An additional benefit is the capability of detecting and accommodating failures in real time and providing engine-health diagnostics. The digital electronic engine control (DEEC), is a full-authority digital engine control developed for the F100-PW-100 turbofan engine. The DEEC has been flight tested on an F-15 aircraft. The flight tests had the objective to evaluate the DEEC hardware and software over the F-15 flight envelope. A description is presented of the results of the flight tests, which consisted of nonaugmented and augmented throttle transients, airstarts, and backup control operations. The aircraft, engine, DEEC system, and data acquisition and reduction system are discussed.

Improved volumetric measurement of brain structure with a distortion correction procedure using an ADNI phantom.

PubMed

Maikusa, Norihide; Yamashita, Fumio; Tanaka, Kenichiro; Abe, Osamu; Kawaguchi, Atsushi; Kabasawa, Hiroyuki; Chiba, Shoma; Kasahara, Akihiro; Kobayashi, Nobuhisa; Yuasa, Tetsuya; Sato, Noriko; Matsuda, Hiroshi; Iwatsubo, Takeshi

2013-06-01

Serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images acquired from multisite and multivendor MRI scanners are widely used in measuring longitudinal structural changes in the brain. Precise and accurate measurements are important in understanding the natural progression of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. However, geometric distortions in MRI images decrease the accuracy and precision of volumetric or morphometric measurements. To solve this problem, the authors suggest a commercially available phantom-based distortion correction method that accommodates the variation in geometric distortion within MRI images obtained with multivendor MRI scanners. The authors' method is based on image warping using a polynomial function. The method detects fiducial points within a phantom image using phantom analysis software developed by the Mayo Clinic and calculates warping functions for distortion correction. To quantify the effectiveness of the authors' method, the authors corrected phantom images obtained from multivendor MRI scanners and calculated the root-mean-square (RMS) of fiducial errors and the circularity ratio as evaluation values. The authors also compared the performance of the authors' method with that of a distortion correction method based on a spherical harmonics description of the generic gradient design parameters. Moreover, the authors evaluated whether this correction improves the test-retest reproducibility of voxel-based morphometry in human studies. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test with uncorrected and corrected images was performed. The root-mean-square errors and circularity ratios for all slices significantly improved (p < 0.0001) after the authors' distortion correction. Additionally, the authors' method was significantly better than a distortion correction method based on a description of spherical harmonics in improving the distortion of root-mean-square errors (p < 0.001 and 0.0337, respectively). Moreover, the authors' method reduced the RMS error arising from gradient nonlinearity more than gradwarp methods. In human studies, the coefficient of variation of voxel-based morphometry analysis of the whole brain improved significantly from 3.46% to 2.70% after distortion correction of the whole gray matter using the authors' method (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p < 0.05). The authors proposed a phantom-based distortion correction method to improve reproducibility in longitudinal structural brain analysis using multivendor MRI. The authors evaluated the authors' method for phantom images in terms of two geometrical values and for human images in terms of test-retest reproducibility. The results showed that distortion was corrected significantly using the authors' method. In human studies, the reproducibility of voxel-based morphometry analysis for the whole gray matter significantly improved after distortion correction using the authors' method.

Development and refinement of new statistical methods for enhanced syndromic surveillance during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

PubMed

Morbey, Roger A; Elliot, Alex J; Charlett, Andre; Andrews, Nick; Verlander, Neville Q; Ibbotson, Sue; Smith, Gillian E

2015-06-01

Prior to the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games, new statistical methods had to be developed for the enhanced syndromic surveillance during the Games. Different methods were developed depending on whether or not historical data were available. Practical solutions were needed to cope with the required daily reporting and data quality issues. During the Games, nearly 4800 signals were tested on average each day, generating statistical alarms that were assessed to provide information on areas of potential public health concern and reassurance that no major adverse incident had occurred. spjhi;21/2/159/FIG41460458213517577 F1 fig4-1460458213517577. © The Author(s) 2013.

A theoretical framework for a virtual diabetes self-management community intervention.

PubMed

Vorderstrasse, Allison; Shaw, Ryan J; Blascovich, Jim; Johnson, Constance M

2014-10-01

Due to its high prevalence, chronic nature, potential complications, and self-management challenges for patients, diabetes presents significant health education and support issues. We developed and pilot-tested a virtual community for adults with type 2 diabetes to promote self-management education and provide social support. Although digital-based programs such as virtual environments can address significant barriers to reaching patients (i.e., child care, transportation, location), they must be strongly grounded in a theoretical basis to be well-developed and effective. In this article, we discuss how we synthesized behavioral and virtual environment theoretical frameworks to guide the development of SLIDES (Second Life Impacts Diabetes Education and Support). © The Author(s) 2014.

Using the Saturn V and Titan III Vibroacoustic Databanks for Random Vibration Criteria Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferbee, R C.

2009-01-01

This is an update to TN D-7159, "Development and Application of Vibroacoustic Structural Data Banks in Predicting Vibration Design and Test Criteria for Rocket Vehicle Structures", which was originally published in 1973. Errors in the original document have been corrected and additional data from the Titan III program have been included. Methods for using the vibroacoustic databanks for vibration test criteria development are shown, as well as all of the data with drawings and pictures of the measurement locations. An Excel spreadsheet with the data included is available from the author.

The 'mad scientists': psychoanalysis, dream and virtual reality.

PubMed

Leclaire, Marie

2003-04-01

The author explores the concept of reality-testing as a means of assessing the relationship with reality that prevails in dream and in virtual reality. Based on a model developed by Jean Laplanche, she compares these activities in detail in order to determine their respective independence from the function of reality-testing. By carefully examining the concept of hallucination in the writings of Freud and Daniel Dennett, the author seeks to pinpoint the specific modalities of interaction between perceptions, ideas, wishes and actions that converge in the 'belief' and in the 'sense of reality'. The paper's main thesis consists of the distinction that it draws between immediacy-testing and reality-testing, with the further argument that this distinction not only dissipates the conceptual vagueness that generally surrounds the latter of the two concepts but also that it promotes a more precise analysis of the function of reality in dream and in virtual reality.

Mountain bicycle frame testing as an example of practical implementation of hybrid simulation using RTFEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mucha, Waldemar; Kuś, Wacław

2018-01-01

The paper presents a practical implementation of hybrid simulation using Real Time Finite Element Method (RTFEM). Hybrid simulation is a technique for investigating dynamic material and structural properties of mechanical systems by performing numerical analysis and experiment at the same time. It applies to mechanical systems with elements too difficult or impossible to model numerically. These elements are tested experimentally, while the rest of the system is simulated numerically. Data between the experiment and numerical simulation are exchanged in real time. Authors use Finite Element Method to perform the numerical simulation. The following paper presents the general algorithm for hybrid simulation using RTFEM and possible improvements of the algorithm for computation time reduction developed by the authors. The paper focuses on practical implementation of presented methods, which involves testing of a mountain bicycle frame, where the shock absorber is tested experimentally while the rest of the frame is simulated numerically.

Development of Piagetian object permanence in a grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus).

PubMed

Pepperberg, I M; Willner, M R; Gravitz, L B

1997-03-01

The authors evaluated the ontogenetic performance of a grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) on object permanence tasks designed for human infants. Testing began when the bird was 8 weeks old, prior to fledging and weaning. Because adult grey parrots understand complex invisible displacements (I. M. Pepperberg & F. A. Kozak, 1986), the authors continued weekly testing until the current subject completed all of I. C. Uzgiris and J. Hunt's (1975) Scale 1 tasks. Stage 6 object permanence with respect to these tasks emerged at 22 weeks, after the bird had fledged but before it was completely weaned. Although the parrot progressed more rapidly overall than other species that have been tested ontogenetically, the subject similarly exhibited a behavioral plateau part way through the study. Additional tests, administered at 8 and 12 months as well as to an adult grey parrot, demonstrated, respectively, that these birds have some representation of a hidden object and understand advanced invisible displacements.

Bridging the Gap Between Validation and Implementation of Non-Animal Veterinary Vaccine Potency Testing Methods

PubMed Central

Dozier, Samantha; Brown, Jeffrey; Currie, Alistair

2011-01-01

Simple Summary Many vaccines are tested for quality in experiments that require the use of large numbers of animals in procedures that often cause significant pain and distress. Newer technologies have fostered the development of vaccine quality control tests that reduce or eliminate the use of animals, but the availability of these newer methods has not guaranteed their acceptance by regulators or use by manufacturers. We discuss a strategic approach that has been used to assess and ultimately increase the use of non-animal vaccine quality tests in the U.S. and U.K. Abstract In recent years, technologically advanced high-throughput techniques have been developed that replace, reduce or refine animal use in vaccine quality control tests. Following validation, these tests are slowly being accepted for use by international regulatory authorities. Because regulatory acceptance itself has not guaranteed that approved humane methods are adopted by manufacturers, various organizations have sought to foster the preferential use of validated non-animal methods by interfacing with industry and regulatory authorities. After noticing this gap between regulation and uptake by industry, we began developing a paradigm that seeks to narrow the gap and quicken implementation of new replacement, refinement or reduction guidance. A systematic analysis of our experience in promoting the transparent implementation of validated non-animal vaccine potency assays has led to the refinement of our paradigmatic process, presented here, by which interested parties can assess the local regulatory acceptance of methods that reduce animal use and integrate them into quality control testing protocols, or ensure the elimination of peripheral barriers to their use, particularly for potency and other tests carried out on production batches. PMID:26486625

Test Reviews: Loranger, A. W. (2001). "OMNI Personality Inventory." Lutz, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guess, Pamela

2006-01-01

The OMNI Personality Inventory (OMNI) is a self-report questionnaire designed for use with adolescents and adults between 18 and 74 years of age. The questionnaire is not based on a particular theory, consistent with current trends in test development, according to the author. An abbreviated form of the OMNI, the OMNI-IV Personality Disorder…

Experimental analysis of the bearing greases lifetime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albagachiev, A. U.; Smirnov, N. I.; Prozhega, M. V.; Smirnov, N. N.

2018-04-01

The purpose of the presented work is to increase the lifetime of space mechanisms bearings. The authors reviewed the studies of the bearings and linear mechanisms operating in air and in vacuum. A testing equipment is developed to assess the lubricity and lifetime of greases in the air. Criteria for the evaluation of relative lifetime are defined. Four types of space greases are tested.

The Use of Standardized Test Batteries in Assessing the Skill Development of Children with Mild-to-Moderate Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plapinger, Donald S.; Sikora, Darryn M.

1995-01-01

This study of 12 children (ages 7-13) with mild to moderate bilateral sensorineural hearing loss found that psychoeducational diagnostic tests standardized on students with normal hearing may be used with confidence to assess both cognitive and academic levels of functioning in students with sensorineural hearing loss. (Author/JDD)

Study on kinematic and compliance test of suspension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jing, Lixin; Wu, Liguang; Li, Xuepeng; Zhang, Yu

2017-09-01

Chassis performance development is a major difficulty in vehicle research and development, which is the main factor restricting the independent development of vehicles in China. These years, through a large number of studies, chassis engineers have found that the suspension K&C characteristics as a quasi-static characteristic of the suspension provides a technical route for the suspension performance R&D, and the suspension K&C test has become an important means of vehicle benchmarking, optimization and verification. However, the research on suspension K&C test is less in china, and the test conditions and setting requirements vary greatly from OEM to OEM. In this paper, the influence of different settings on the characteristics of the suspension is obtained through experiments, and the causes of the differences are analyzed; in order to fully reflect the suspension characteristics, the author recommends the appropriate test case and settings.

48 CFR 1823.7101 - Contract clause.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENCY, RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES, OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY, AND DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE Frequency Authorization 1823.7101 Contract clause. The contracting... calling for developing, producing, constructing, testing, or operating a device for which a radio...

Restating a Client-Centered Approach to Career Counseling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Mark J.

1988-01-01

Asserts career counseling too often is associated with objective test scores and rational decision making. Reiterates the importance of considering the client's developing self-concept in career counseling. Provides sample client centered career counseling session. (Author/ABL)

An MDI Model and an Algorithm for Composite Hypotheses Testing and Estimation in Marketing

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-09-01

Other, more general, developments in statistics and mathematical programming (duality) theories and methods are also briefly discussed for their possible bearing on further uses in marketing research and management. (Author)

Nonflammable Clothing Development Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnston, Richard; Radnofsky, Matthew I.

1968-01-01

Protective clothing is of major importance in our space program. The authors discuss the requirements, selection, and testing of materials considered for use in the program. The various types of garments worn by astronauts and support personnel are briefly described.

48 CFR 225.7016-1 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... with Foreign Entities for the Conduct of Ballistic Missile Defense Research, Development, Test, and... Section 225.7016-1 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS FOREIGN ACQUISITION Authorization Acts, Appropriations Acts, and...

Enhancing self-report assessment of PTSD: development of an item bank.

PubMed

Del Vecchio, Nicole; Elwy, A Rani; Smith, Eric; Bottonari, Kathryn A; Eisen, Susan V

2011-04-01

The authors report results of work to enhance self-report posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) assessment by developing an item bank for use in a computer-adapted test. Computer-adapted tests have great potential to decrease the burden of PTSD assessment and outcomes monitoring. The authors conducted a systematic literature review of PTSD instruments, created a database of items, performed qualitative review and readability analysis, and conducted cognitive interviews with veterans diagnosed with PTSD. The systematic review yielded 480 studies in which 41 PTSD instruments comprising 993 items met inclusion criteria. The final PTSD item bank includes 104 items representing each of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 1994), PTSD symptom clusters (reexperiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal), and 3 additional subdomains (depersonalization, guilt, and sexual problems) that expanded the assessment item pool. Copyright © 2011 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

Inspection authorization knowledge test guide : July 2010.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-07-01

FAA-G-8082-11B, Inspection Authorization Knowledge Test Guide, provides information for preparing to take the following knowledge test. This document supersedes FAA-G-8082-11A, dated 2004. : TEST NAME: Inspection Authorization TEST CODE: IAR : The Fe...

Depth-Resolved Nanospray Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry in Biofilms

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-11-16

metabolites and possibly proteins from biofilms at different depth. A microcapillary system was developed and tested for this goal. The...demonstrated that a dual microcapillary system can be used to collect nanoliter sample from the biofilms at 1. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) 4. TITLE AND...Spectrometry in Biofilms The views, opinions and/or findings contained in this report are those of the author(s) and should not contrued as an official

Possibilities of the ErgoScope high fidelity work simulator in skill assessment, skill development and vocational aptitude tests of physically disabled persons.

PubMed

Izsó, Lajos; Székely, Ildikó; Dános, László

2015-01-01

The aim of this paper - based on the extensive experiences of the authors gained by using one particular work simulator - is to present some promising possibilities of the application of this (and any other similar) work simulator in the field of skill assessment, skill development and vocational aptitude tests of physically disabled persons. During skill assessment and development, as parts of the therapy, the focus is on the disabled functions. During vocational aptitude tests, however, the focus is already on the functions that remained intact and therefore can be the basis of returning to work. Some factual examples are provided to realize the proposed possibilities in practice.

Testing adaptive toolbox models: a Bayesian hierarchical approach.

PubMed

Scheibehenne, Benjamin; Rieskamp, Jörg; Wagenmakers, Eric-Jan

2013-01-01

Many theories of human cognition postulate that people are equipped with a repertoire of strategies to solve the tasks they face. This theoretical framework of a cognitive toolbox provides a plausible account of intra- and interindividual differences in human behavior. Unfortunately, it is often unclear how to rigorously test the toolbox framework. How can a toolbox model be quantitatively specified? How can the number of toolbox strategies be limited to prevent uncontrolled strategy sprawl? How can a toolbox model be formally tested against alternative theories? The authors show how these challenges can be met by using Bayesian inference techniques. By means of parameter recovery simulations and the analysis of empirical data across a variety of domains (i.e., judgment and decision making, children's cognitive development, function learning, and perceptual categorization), the authors illustrate how Bayesian inference techniques allow toolbox models to be quantitatively specified, strategy sprawl to be contained, and toolbox models to be rigorously tested against competing theories. The authors demonstrate that their approach applies at the individual level but can also be generalized to the group level with hierarchical Bayesian procedures. The suggested Bayesian inference techniques represent a theoretical and methodological advancement for toolbox theories of cognition and behavior.

Construction and evaluation of FiND, a fall risk prediction model of inpatients from nursing data.

PubMed

Yokota, Shinichiroh; Ohe, Kazuhiko

2016-04-01

To construct and evaluate an easy-to-use fall risk prediction model based on the daily condition of inpatients from secondary use electronic medical record system data. The present authors scrutinized electronic medical record system data and created a dataset for analysis by including inpatient fall report data and Intensity of Nursing Care Needs data. The authors divided the analysis dataset into training data and testing data, then constructed the fall risk prediction model FiND from the training data, and tested the model using the testing data. The dataset for analysis contained 1,230,604 records from 46,241 patients. The sensitivity of the model constructed from the training data was 71.3% and the specificity was 66.0%. The verification result from the testing dataset was almost equivalent to the theoretical value. Although the model's accuracy did not surpass that of models developed in previous research, the authors believe FiND will be useful in medical institutions all over Japan because it is composed of few variables (only age, sex, and the Intensity of Nursing Care Needs items), and the accuracy for unknown data was clear. © 2016 Japan Academy of Nursing Science.

Using Wearable Computers in Shuttle Processing: A Feasibility Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Centeno, Martha A.; Correa, Daisy; Groh-Hammond, Marcia

2001-01-01

Shuttle processing operations are performed following prescribed instructions compiled in a Work Authorization Document (WAD). Until very recently, WADs were printed so that they could be properly executed, including the buy off of each and every step by the appropriate authorizing agent. However, with the development of EPICs, Maximo, and PeopleSoft applications, some of these documents are now available in electronic format; hence, it is possible for technicians and engineers to access them on line and buy off the steps electronically. To take full advantage of these developments, technicians need access to such documents at the point of job execution. Body wearable computers present an opportunity to develop a WAD delivery system that enables access while preserving technician's mobility, safety levels, and quality of work done. The primary objectives of this project were to determine if body wearable computers are a feasible delivery system for WADs. More specifically, identify and recommend specific brands of body wearable computers readily available on the market. Thus, this effort has field-tested this technology in two areas of shuttle processing, and it has examined the usability of the technology. Results of two field tests and a Human Factors Usability Test are presented. Section 2 provides a description of the body wearable computer technology. Section 3 presents the test at the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) Shop. Section 4 presents the results of the integration test at the Solid Rocket Boosters Assembly and Refurbishing Facility (SRBARF). Section 5 presents the results of the usability test done at the Operations Support Building (OSB).

Development of a duplex lateral flow assay for simultaneous detection of antibodies against African and Classical swine fever viruses.

PubMed

Sastre, Patricia; Pérez, Teresa; Costa, Sofia; Yang, Xiaoping; Räber, Alex; Blome, Sandra; Goller, Katja V; Gallardo, Carmina; Tapia, Istar; García, Julia; Sanz, Antonio; Rueda, Paloma

2016-09-01

Classical swine fever (CSF) and African swine fever (ASF) are both highly contagious diseases of domestic pigs and wild boar and are clinically indistinguishable. For both diseases, antibody detection is an integral and crucial part of prevention and control measures. The purpose of our study was to develop and initially validate a duplex pen-side test for simultaneous detection and differentiation of specific antibodies against CSF virus (CSFV) and ASF virus (ASFV). The test was based on the major capsid protein VP72 of ASFV and the structural protein E2 of CSFV, both considered the most immunogenic proteins of these viruses. The performance of the pen-side test was evaluated using a panel of porcine samples consisting of experimental, reference, and field sera, with the latter collected from European farms free of both diseases. The new lateral flow assay was able to detect specific antibodies to ASFV or CSFV, showing good levels of sensitivity and specificity. These preliminary data indicate the potential of the newly developed pen-side test for rapid differential detection of antibodies found in the 2 diseases, which is of particular importance in the field and in front-line laboratories where equipment and skilled personnel are limited and control of ASF and CSF is crucial. © 2016 The Author(s).

Digital electronic engine control history

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Putnam, T. W.

1984-01-01

Full authority digital electronic engine controls (DEECs) were studied, developed, and ground tested because of projected benefits in operability, improved performance, reduced maintenance, improved reliability, and lower life cycle costs. The issues of operability and improved performance, however, are assessed in a flight test program. The DEEC on a F100 engine in an F-15 aircraft was demonstrated and evaluated. The events leading to the flight test program are chronicled and important management and technical results are identified.

Beyond the dual degree: development of a five-year program in leadership for medical undergraduates.

PubMed

Crites, Gerald E; Ebert, James R; Schuster, Richard J; Shuster, Richard J

2008-01-01

The current state of physician leadership education consists mainly of executive degree programs designed for midcareer physicians. In 2004, the authors proposed that, by educating medical students in physician leadership and integrating this with a business management or public health degree program, graduates, health care organizations, and communities would benefit sooner. Given the lack of program models to guide program integration and development, the authors began a one-year inquiry to build a model leadership curriculum and integrate leadership education across degree programs. The qualitative inquiry resulted in several linked tasks. First, the authors identified a feasible method for concurrently delivering all three program components (MD degree, Leadership Curriculum, and MBA or MPH degree) during a five-year plan. Second, the authors chose a competency-based educational framework for leadership and then identified, adapted, and validated existing leadership competencies to their context. Third, the authors performed an extensive program alignment to identify existing overlaps and opportunities for integration within and across program components. Fourth, the authors performed a needs analysis to identify educational gaps, subsequently leading to redesigning two courses and to designing three new courses. A description of the Leadership Curriculum is also provided. This inquiry has led to the development of the Boonshoft Physician Leadership Development Program, which provides physician leadership education integrated with medical education and education in business management or public heath. Future program initiatives include developing leadership student assessment tools and testing the link between program activities and short- and long-term outcome measures of program success.

The use of Minilabs to improve the testing capacity of regulatory authorities in resource limited settings: Tanzanian experience.

PubMed

Risha, Peter Gasper; Msuya, Zera; Clark, Malcolm; Johnson, Keith; Ndomondo-Sigonda, Margareth; Layloff, Thomas

2008-08-01

The Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority piloted the use of Minilab kits, a thin-layer-chromatographic based drug quality testing technique, in a two-tier quality assurance program. The program is intended to improve testing capacity with timely screening of the quality of medicines as they enter the market. After 1 week training of inspectors on Minilab screening techniques, they were stationed at key Ports-of-Entry (POE) to screen the quality of imported medicines. In addition, three non-Ports-of-Entry centres were established to screen samples collected during Post-Marketing-Surveillance. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) were developed to structure and standardize the implementation process. Over 1200 samples were tested using the Minilab outside the central quality control laboratory (QCL), almost doubling the previous testing capacity. The program contributed to increased regulatory reach and visibility of the Authority throughout the country, serving as a deterrent against entry of substandard medicines into market. The use of Minilab for quality screening was inexpensive and provided a high sample throughput. However, it suffers from the limitation that it can reliably detect only grossly substandard or wrong drug samples and therefore, it should not be used as an independent testing resource but in conjunction with a full-service quality control laboratory capable of auditing reported substandard results.

How Neighborhoods Matter for Rural and Urban Children's Language and Cognitive Development at Kindergarten and Grade 4

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lloyd, Jennifer E. V.; Hertzman, Clyde

2010-01-01

The authors took a population-based approach to testing how commonly studied neighborhood socioeconomic conditions are associated with the language and cognitive outcomes of residentially stable rural and urban children tracked from kindergarten (ages 5-6) to Grade 4 (ages 9-10). Child-level kindergarten Early Development Instrument (EDI) data…

The Impact of a Professional Development Model on ABE Teachers' Instructional Practice: Teachers Investigating Adult Numeracy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bingman, Mary Beth; Schmitt, Mary Jane

2008-01-01

The authors present the National Science Foundation project, Teachers Investigating Adult Numeracy (TIAN), a collaborative project of the Center for Literacy Studies at the University of Tennessee and the Technical Education Research Centers, Inc. (TERC) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The project has developed and tested a model for inservice…

Abstracts from the Research and Development Report Series, 1963-81. College Board Report No. 82-1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hendel, Patricia K., Ed.

A compilation of 109 abstracts from the "Research and Development Report Series," is presented based on R&D projects conducted during 1963-1981 by Educational Testing Service on behalf of the College Entrance Examination Board. Project titles and authors include the following: "The Effect of Special Preparation on SAT Verbal…

Development Communication Report, 1990/1-4, Nos. 68-71.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Development Communication Report, 1990

1990-01-01

The four issues of this newsletter focus primarily on the use of communication technologies in developing nations to educate their people. The first issue (No. 68) contains a review of the current status of adult literacy worldwide and articles on an adult literacy program in Nepal; adult new readers as authors; testing literacy materials; the use…

Development of a Computerized In-Basket Exercise for the Classroom: A Sales Management Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pearson, Michael M.; Barnes, John W.; Onken, Marina H.

2006-01-01

This article follows the development of a sales management in-basket exercise for use in the classroom. The authors have computerized the exercise and added features to allow for additional and more quantitative input from the students. The exercise has evolved and been tested in numerous classroom situations. The computerized in-basket exercise…

Objective Evaluation of Muscle Strength in Infants with Hypotonia and Muscle Weakness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reus, Linda; van Vlimmeren, Leo A.; Staal, J. Bart; Janssen, Anjo J. W. M.; Otten, Barto J.; Pelzer, Ben J.; Nijhuis-van der Sanden, Maria W. G.

2013-01-01

The clinical evaluation of an infant with motor delay, muscle weakness, and/or hypotonia would improve considerably if muscle strength could be measured objectively and normal reference values were available. The authors developed a method to measure muscle strength in infants and tested 81 typically developing infants, 6-36 months of age, and 17…

Developing an Item Bank for Use in Testing in Africa: Theory and Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furtuna, Daniela

2014-01-01

The author describes the steps taken by a research team, of which she was part, to develop a specific methodology for assessing student attainment in primary school, working with the Programme for the Analysis of Education Systems (PASEC) of the Conference of Ministers of Education of French-speaking Countries (CONFEMEN). This methodology provides…

Testing the World with Simulations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Nancy

1983-01-01

Discusses steps involved in model building and simulation: understanding a problem, building a model, and simulation. Includes a mathematical model (focusing on a problem dealing with influenza) written in the DYNAMO computer language, developed specifically for writing simulation models. (Author/JN)

Turbine gas temperature measurement and control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Webb, W. L.

1973-01-01

A fluidic Turbine Inlet Gas Temperature (TIGIT) Measurement and Control System was developed for use on a Pratt and Whitney Aircraft J58 engine. Based on engine operating requirements, criteria for high temperature materials selection, system design, and system performance were established. To minimize development and operational risk, the TIGT control system was designed to interface with an existing Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) Trim System and thereby modulate steady-state fuel flow to maintain a desired TIGT level. Extensive component and system testing was conducted including heated (2300F) vibration tests for the fluidic sensor and gas sampling probe, temperature and vibration tests on the system electronics, burner rig testing of the TIGT measurement system, and in excess of 100 hours of system testing on a J58 engine. (Modified author abstract)

Development of a Work Control System for Propulsion Testing at NASA Stennis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Messer, Elizabeth A.

2005-01-01

This paper will explain the requirements and steps taken to develop the current Propulsion Test Directorate electronic work control system for Test Operations. The PTD Work Control System includes work authorization and technical instruction documents, such as test preparation sheets, discrepancy reports, test requests, pre-test briefing reports, and other test operations supporting tools. The environment that existed in the E-Complex test areas in the late 1990's was one of enormous growth which brought people of diverse backgrounds together for the sole purpose of testing propulsion hardware. The problem that faced us was that these newly formed teams did not have a consistent and clearly understood method for writing, performing or verifying work. A paper system was developed that would allow the teams to use the same forms, but this still presented problems in the large amount of errors occurring, such as lost paperwork and inconsistent implementation. In a sampling of errors in August 1999, the paper work control system encountered 250 errors out of 230 documents released and completed, for an error rate of 111%.

Working towards dengue as a vaccine-preventable disease: challenges and opportunities.

PubMed

Shrivastava, Ambuj; Tripathi, Nagesh K; Dash, Paban K; Parida, Manmohan

2017-10-01

Dengue is an emerging viral disease that affects the human population around the globe. Recent advancements in dengue virus research have opened new avenues for the development of vaccines against dengue. The development of a vaccine against dengue is a challenging task because any of the four serotypes of dengue viruses can cause disease. The development of a dengue vaccine aims to provide balanced protection against all the serotypes. Several dengue vaccine candidates are in the developmental stages such as inactivated, live attenuated, recombinant subunit, and plasmid DNA vaccines. Area covered: The authors provide an overview of the progress made in the development of much needed dengue vaccines. The authors include their expert opinion and their perspectives for future developments. Expert opinion: Human trials of a live attenuated tetravalent chimeric vaccine have clearly demonstrated its potential as a dengue vaccine. Other vaccine candidate molecules such as DENVax, a recombinant chimeric vaccine andTetraVax, are at different stages of development at this time. The authors believe that the novel strategies for testing and improving the immune response of vaccine candidates in humans will eventually lead to the development of a successful dengue vaccine in future.

Test Review: Wechsler, D. (2005). "Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition Spanish." San Antonio, TX: Harcourt Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braden, Jeffery P.; Iribarren, Jacqueline A.

2007-01-01

In this article, the authors review the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition Spanish (WISC-IV Spanish), a Spanish translation and adaptation of the WISC-IV. The test was developed to measure the intellectual ability of Spanish-speaking children in the United States ages 6 years, 0 months, through 16 years, 11 months. These…

Predicting Student Success on the Texas Chemistry STAAR Test: A Logistic Regression Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, William L.; Johnson, Annabel M.; Johnson, Jared

2012-01-01

Background: The context is the new Texas STAAR end-of-course testing program. Purpose: The authors developed a logistic regression model to predict who would pass-or-fail the new Texas chemistry STAAR end-of-course exam. Setting: Robert E. Lee High School (5A) with an enrollment of 2700 students, Tyler, Texas. Date of the study was the 2011-2012…

Development of Independent-type Optical CT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamaguchi, Tatsushi; Shiozawa, Daigoro; Rokunohe, Toshiaki; Kida, Junzo; Zhang, Wei

Optical current transformers (optical CTs) have features that they can be made much smaller and lighter than conventional electromagnetic induction transformers by their simple structure, and contribute to improvement of equipment reliability because of their excellent surge resistance performance. Authors consider optical CTs to be next generation transformers, and are conducting research and development of optical CTs aiming to apply to measuring and protection in electric power systems. Specifically we developed an independent-type optical CT by utilizing basic data of optical CTs accumulated for large current characteristics, temperature characteristics, vibration resistance characteristics, and so on. In performance verification, type tests complying with IEC standards, such as short-time current tests, insulation tests, accuracy tests, and so on, showed good results. This report describes basic principle and configuration of optical CTs. After that, as basic characteristics of optical CTs, conditions and results of verification tests for dielectric breakdown characteristics of sensor fibers, large current characteristics, temperature characteristics, and vibration resistance characteristics are described. Finally, development outline of the independent-type optical CT aiming to apply to all digital substation and its type tests results are described.

The Analysis of Weak Rock Using the Pressuremeter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dafni, Jacob

The pressuremeter is a versatile in situ testing instrument capable of testing a large range of materials from very soft clay to weak rock. Due to limitations of other testing devices, the pressuremeter is one of the few instruments capable of capturing stiffness and strength properties of weak rock. However, data collected is only useful if the material tested is properly modeled and desirable material properties can be obtained. While constitutive models with various flows rules have been developed for pressuremeter analysis in soil, less research has been directed at model development for pressuremeter tests in weak rock. The result is pressuremeter data collected in rock is typically analyzed using models designed for soil. The aim of this study was to explore constitutive rock models for development into a pressuremeter framework. Three models were considered, with two of those three implemented for pressuremeter analysis. A Mohr-Coulomb model with a tensile cutoff developed by Haberfield (1987) and a Hoek-Brown model initiated by Yang et al (2011) and further developed by the author were implemented and calibrated against a data set of pressuremeter tests from 5 project test sites including a total of 115 pressuremeter tests in a number of different rock formations. Development of a multiscale damage model established by Kondo et al (2008) was explored. However, this model requires further development to be used for pressuremeter data analysis.

Computerised lung sound analysis to improve the specificity of paediatric pneumonia diagnosis in resource-poor settings: protocol and methods for an observational study

PubMed Central

Gilman, Robert H; Tielsch, James M; Steinhoff, Mark; Figueroa, Dante; Rodriguez, Shalim; Caffo, Brian; Tracey, Brian; Elhilali, Mounya; West, James; Checkley, William

2012-01-01

Introduction WHO case management algorithm for paediatric pneumonia relies solely on symptoms of shortness of breath or cough and tachypnoea for treatment and has poor diagnostic specificity, tends to increase antibiotic resistance. Alternatives, including oxygen saturation measurement, chest ultrasound and chest auscultation, exist but with potential disadvantages. Electronic auscultation has potential for improved detection of paediatric pneumonia but has yet to be standardised. The authors aim to investigate the use of electronic auscultation to improve the specificity of the current WHO algorithm in developing countries. Methods This study is designed to test the hypothesis that pulmonary pathology can be differentiated from normal using computerised lung sound analysis (CLSA). The authors will record lung sounds from 600 children aged ≤5 years, 100 each with consolidative pneumonia, diffuse interstitial pneumonia, asthma, bronchiolitis, upper respiratory infections and normal lungs at a children's hospital in Lima, Peru. The authors will compare CLSA with the WHO algorithm and other detection approaches, including physical exam findings, chest ultrasound and microbiologic testing to construct an improved algorithm for pneumonia diagnosis. Discussion This study will develop standardised methods for electronic auscultation and chest ultrasound and compare their utility for detection of pneumonia to standard approaches. Utilising signal processing techniques, the authors aim to characterise lung sounds and through machine learning, develop a classification system to distinguish pathologic sounds. Data will allow a better understanding of the benefits and limitations of novel diagnostic techniques in paediatric pneumonia. PMID:22307098

The Use of Cronbach's Alpha When Developing and Reporting Research Instruments in Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taber, Keith S.

2017-06-01

Cronbach's alpha is a statistic commonly quoted by authors to demonstrate that tests and scales that have been constructed or adopted for research projects are fit for purpose. Cronbach's alpha is regularly adopted in studies in science education: it was referred to in 69 different papers published in 4 leading science education journals in a single year (2015)—usually as a measure of reliability. This article explores how this statistic is used in reporting science education research and what it represents. Authors often cite alpha values with little commentary to explain why they feel this statistic is relevant and seldom interpret the result for readers beyond citing an arbitrary threshold for an acceptable value. Those authors who do offer readers qualitative descriptors interpreting alpha values adopt a diverse and seemingly arbitrary terminology. More seriously, illustrative examples from the science education literature demonstrate that alpha may be acceptable even when there are recognised problems with the scales concerned. Alpha is also sometimes inappropriately used to claim an instrument is unidimensional. It is argued that a high value of alpha offers limited evidence of the reliability of a research instrument, and that indeed a very high value may actually be undesirable when developing a test of scientific knowledge or understanding. Guidance is offered to authors reporting, and readers evaluating, studies that present Cronbach's alpha statistic as evidence of instrument quality.

Development of a novel image-based program to teach narrow-band imaging.

PubMed

Dumas, Cedric; Fielding, David; Coles, Timothy; Good, Norm

2016-08-01

Narrow-band imaging (NBI) is a widely available endoscopic imaging technology; however, uptake of the technique could be improved. Teaching new imaging techniques and assessing trainees' performance can be a challenging exercise during a 1-day workshop. To support NBI training, we developed an online training tool (Medimq) to help experts train novices in NBI bronchoscopy that could assess trainees' performance and provide feedback before the close of the 1-day course. The present study determines whether trainees' capacity to identify relevant pathology increases with the proposed interactive testing method. Two groups of 20 and 18 bronchoscopists have attended an NBI course where they did a pretest and post-test before and after the main lecture, and a follow-up test 4 weeks later to measure retention of knowledge. We measured their ability to mark normal and abnormal 'biopsy size' areas on bronchoscopic NBI images for biopsy. These markings were compared with areas marked by experts on the same images. The first group results were used to pilot the test. After modifications, the results of the improved test for group 2 showed trainees improved by 32% (total class average normalized gain) in detecting normal or abnormal areas. On follow-up testing, Group 2 improved by 23%. The overall class average normalized gain of 32% shows our test can be used to improve trainees' competency in analyzing NBI Images. The testing method (and tool) can be used to measure the follow up 4 weeks later. Better follow-up test results would be expected with more frequent practice by trainees after the course. © The Author(s), 2016.

Finding orthopedic patients lost to follow-up for long-term outcomes research using the Internet: an update for 2012.

PubMed

Louie, Dexter L; Earp, Brandon E; Blazar, Philip E

2012-07-01

The Internet is available to researchers as a tool for studying long-term outcomes, but no recent research exists on how to best use it. The authors hypothesize that using the Internet can be at least 75% effective in locating patients lost to follow-up. With Institutional Review Board approval, the authors searched for 66 patients lost to follow-up after a period of 10 years or more with no contact. They tested an Internet searching protocol developed in 2004 and developed an alternate protocol. In all, 74% (49/66) of patients were located. Copyright 2012, SLACK Incorporated.

Toward a comprehensive model of antisocial development: a dynamic systems approach.

PubMed

Granic, Isabela; Patterson, Gerald R

2006-01-01

The purpose of this article is to develop a preliminary comprehensive model of antisocial development based on dynamic systems principles. The model is built on the foundations of behavioral research on coercion theory. First, the authors focus on the principles of multistability, feedback, and nonlinear causality to reconceptualize real-time parent-child and peer processes. Second, they model the mechanisms by which these real-time processes give rise to negative developmental outcomes, which in turn feed back to determine real-time interactions. Third, they examine mechanisms of change and stability in early- and late-onset antisocial trajectories. Finally, novel clinical designs and predictions are introduced. The authors highlight new predictions and present studies that have tested aspects of the model

Development and testing of the Youth Alcohol Norms Survey (YANS) instrument to measure youth alcohol norms and psychosocial influences.

PubMed

Burns, Sharyn K; Maycock, Bruce; Hildebrand, Janina; Zhao, Yun; Allsop, Steve; Lobo, Roanna; Howat, Peter

2018-05-14

This study aimed to develop and validate an online instrument to: (1) identify common alcohol-related social influences, norms and beliefs among adolescents; (2) clarify the process and pathways through which proalcohol norms are transmitted to adolescents; (3) describe the characteristics of social connections that contribute to the transmission of alcohol norms; and (4) identify the influence of alcohol marketing on adolescent norm development. The online Youth Alcohol Norms Survey (YANS) was administered in secondary schools in Western Australia PARTICIPANTS: Using a 2-week test-retest format, the YANS was administered to secondary school students (n=481, age=13-17 years, female 309, 64.2%). The development of the YANS was guided by social cognitive theory and comprised a systematic multistage process including evaluation of content and face validity. A 2-week test-retest format was employed. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to determine the underlying factor structure of the instrument. Test-retest reliability was examined using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Cohen's kappa. A five-factor structure with meaningful components and robust factorial loads was identified, and the five factors were labelled as 'individual attitudes and beliefs', 'peer and community identity', 'sibling influences', 'school and community connectedness' and 'injunctive norms', respectively. The instrument demonstrated stability across the test-retest procedure (ICC=0.68-0.88, Cohen's kappa coefficient=0.69) for most variables. The results support the reliability and factorial validity of this instrument. The YANS presents a promising tool, which enables comprehensive assessment of reciprocal individual, behavioural and environmental factors that influence alcohol-related norms among adolescents. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Moving Reference to the Web.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGlamery, Susan; Coffman, Steve

2000-01-01

Explores the possibility of using Web contact center software to offer reference assistance to remote users. Discusses a project by the Metropolitan Cooperative Library System/Santiago Library System consortium to test contact center software and to develop a virtual reference network. (Author/LRW)

75 FR 42760 - Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-22

... accounting reports and invoices, and monitoring all spending. The Team develops, defends and executes the... results; performance measurement; research and evaluation methodologies; demonstration testing and model... ACF programs; strategic planning; performance measurement; program and policy evaluation; research and...

A Palaeozoic Puzzle in Cenozoic Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mikkelsen, Tom

1982-01-01

The sword-tailed horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) has developed its own defense against bacteria surrounding it. This defense system, under the name "Limulus test," now provides medicine and hygiene with a valuable means of detecting bacterial endotoxins at extremely low levels. (Author/JN)

The Hospice Environmental Survey (HES): Pilot Test of a New Measurement Instrument.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Jean H.; Perrill, Norman K.

1988-01-01

Describes development of the Hospice Environmental Survey (HES) to measure user's perception of the homelike atmosphere provided by a hospital inpatient unit called Hospice House. Presents the HES instrument, methodology, and pilot study data. (Author/NB)

Use of the conditional marketing authorization pathway for oncology medicines in Europe.

PubMed

Hoekman, J; Boon, W P C; Bouvy, J C; Ebbers, H C; de Jong, J P; De Bruin, M L

2015-11-01

Conditional marketing authorization (CMA) in the European Union (EU) is an early access pathway for medicines that show promising therapeutic effects, but for which comprehensive data are not available. Using a mixed quantitative-qualitative research design, we evaluated how CMA has been used in marketing authorization of oncology medicines in the period 2006 to 2013. We show that compared to full marketing authorization, CMA is granted based on less comprehensive data. However, this is accompanied by significantly longer assessment times and less consensus among regulators about marketing authorization. Moreover, development time from first-in-human testing to marketing authorization did not differ between full marketing authorization and CMA, but was significantly longer for CMA compared to accelerated approved products in the United States (US). Results indicate that CMA is not used by companies as a prospectively planned pathway to obtain early access, but as a "rescue option" when submitted data are not strong enough to justify full marketing authorization. © 2015, The American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Injectable barriers for waste isolation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Persoff, P.; Finsterle, S.; Moridis, G.J.

In this paper the authors report laboratory work and numerical simulation done in support of development and demonstration of injectable barriers formed from either of two fluids: colloidal silica or polysiloxane. Two principal problems addressed here are control of gel time and control of plume emplacement in the vadose zone. Gel time must be controlled so that the viscosity of the barrier fluid remains low long enough to inject the barrier, but increases soon enough to gel the barrier in place. During injection, the viscosity must be low enough to avoid high injection pressures which could uplift or fracture themore » formation. To test the grout gel time in the soil, the injection pressure was monitored as grouts were injected into sandpacks. When grout is injected into the vadose zone, it slumps under the influence of gravity, and redistributes due to capillary forces as it gels. The authors have developed a new module for the reservoir simulator TOUGH2 to model grout injection into the vadose zone, taking into account the increase of liquid viscosity as a function of gel concentration and time. They have also developed a model to calculate soil properties after complete solidification of the grout. The numerical model has been used to design and analyze laboratory experiments and field pilot tests. The authors present the results of computer simulations of grout injection, redistribution, and solidification.« less

Development and testing of highway storm-sewer flow measurement and recording system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kilpatrick, F.A.; Kaehrle, W.R.; Hardee, Jack; Cordes, E.H.; Landers, M.N.

1985-01-01

A comprehensive study and development of measuring instruments and techniques for measuring all components of flow in a storm-sewer drainage system was undertaken by the U.S. Geological Survey under the sponsorship of the Federal Highway Administration. The study involved laboratory and field calibration and testing of measuring flumes, pipe insert meters, weirs, electromagnetic velocity meters as well as the development and calibration of pneumatic-bubbler pressure transducer head measuring systems. Tracer-dilution and acoustic flow meter measurements were used in field verification tests. A single micrologger was used to record data from all the above instruments as well as from a tipping-bucket rain gage and also to activate on command the electromagnetic velocity meter and tracer-dilution systems. (Author 's abstract)

Hydrogen-related challenges for the steelmaker: the search for proper testing.

PubMed

Thiessen, R G

2017-07-28

The modern steelmaker of advanced high-strength steels has always been challenged with the conflicting targets of increased strength while maintaining or improving ductility. These new steels help the transportation sector, including the automotive sector, to achieve the goals of increased passenger safety and reduced emissions. With increasing tensile strengths, certain steels exhibit an increased sensitivity towards hydrogen embrittlement (HE). The ability to characterize the material's sensitivity in an as-delivered condition has been developed and accepted (SEP1970), but the complexity of the stress states that can induce an embrittlement together with the wide range of applications for high-strength steels make the development of a standardized test for HE under in-service conditions extremely challenging. Some proposals for evaluating the material's sensitivity give an advantage to materials with a low starting ductility. Despite this, newly developed materials can have a higher original elongation with only a moderate reduction in elongation due to hydrogen. This work presents a characterization of new materials and their sensitivity towards HE.This article is part of the themed issue 'The challenges of hydrogen and metals'. © 2017 The Author(s).

Seeking health information on the web: positive hypothesis testing.

PubMed

Kayhan, Varol Onur

2013-04-01

The goal of this study is to investigate positive hypothesis testing among consumers of health information when they search the Web. After demonstrating the extent of positive hypothesis testing using Experiment 1, we conduct Experiment 2 to test the effectiveness of two debiasing techniques. A total of 60 undergraduate students searched a tightly controlled online database developed by the authors to test the validity of a hypothesis. The database had four abstracts that confirmed the hypothesis and three abstracts that disconfirmed it. Findings of Experiment 1 showed that majority of participants (85%) exhibited positive hypothesis testing. In Experiment 2, we found that the recommendation technique was not effective in reducing positive hypothesis testing since none of the participants assigned to this server could retrieve disconfirming evidence. Experiment 2 also showed that the incorporation technique successfully reduced positive hypothesis testing since 75% of the participants could retrieve disconfirming evidence. Positive hypothesis testing on the Web is an understudied topic. More studies are needed to validate the effectiveness of the debiasing techniques discussed in this study and develop new techniques. Search engine developers should consider developing new options for users so that both confirming and disconfirming evidence can be presented in search results as users test hypotheses using search engines. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

On the Comparison of the Long Penetration Mode (LPM) Supersonic Counterflowing Jet to the Supersonic Screech Jet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farr, Rebecca A.; Chang, Chau-Lyan.; Jones, Jess H.; Dougherty, N. Sam

2015-01-01

The authors provide a brief overview of the classic tonal screech noise problem created by underexpanded supersonic jets, briefly describing the fluid dynamic-acoustics feedback mechanism that has been long established as the basis for this well-known aeroacoustics problem. This is followed by a description of the Long Penetration Mode (LPM) supersonic underexpanded counterflowing jet phenomenon which has been demonstrated in several wind tunnel tests and modeled in several computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The authors provide evidence from test and CFD analysis of LPM that indicates that acoustics feedback and fluid interaction seen in LPM are analogous to the aeroacoustics interactions seen in screech jets. Finally, the authors propose applying certain methodologies to LPM which have been developed and successfully demonstrated in the study of screech jets and mechanically induced excitation in fluid oscillators for decades. The authors conclude that the large body of work done on jet screech, other aeroacoustic phenomena, and fluid oscillators can have direct application to the study and applications of LPM counterflowing supersonic cold flow jets.

PRogram In Support of Moms (PRISM): Development and Beta Testing.

PubMed

Byatt, Nancy; Pbert, Lori; Hosein, Safiyah; Swartz, Holly A; Weinreb, Linda; Allison, Jeroan; Ziedonis, Douglas

2016-08-01

Most women with perinatal depression do not receive depression treatment. The authors describe the development and beta testing of a new program, PRogram In Support of Moms (PRISM), to improve treatment of perinatal depression in obstetric practices. A multidisciplinary work group of seven perinatal and behavioral health professionals was convened to design, refine, and beta-test PRISM in an obstetric practice. Iterative feedback and problem solving facilitated development of PRISM components, which include provider training and a toolkit, screening procedures, implementation assistance, and access to immediate psychiatric consultation. Beta testing with 50 patients over two months demonstrated feasibility and suggested that PRISM may improve provider screening rates and self-efficacy to address depression. On the basis of lessons learned, PRISM will be enhanced to integrate proactive patient engagement and monitoring into obstetric practices. PRISM may help overcome patient-, provider-, and system-level barriers to managing perinatal depression in obstetric settings.

The Relationship between Memory and Inductive Reasoning: Does It Develop?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayes, Brett K.; Fritz, Kristina; Heit, Evan

2013-01-01

In 2 studies, the authors examined the development of the relationship between inductive reasoning and visual recognition memory. In both studies, 5- to 6-year-old children and adults were shown instances of a basic-level category (dogs) followed by a test set containing old and new category members that varied in their similarity to study items.…

The Development of a Situational Judgement Test of Personal Attributes for Quality Teaching in Rural and Remote Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Durksen, Tracy L.; Klassen, Robert M.

2018-01-01

Education authorities in Australia are calling for valid tools to help assess prospective teachers' non-academic attributes, with a particular need for identifying those attributes necessary for effective teaching in specific contexts. With the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Education, we aimed to develop a scenario-based tool to help assess…

Developing an Internet-based Survey to Collect Program Cost Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caffray, Christine M.; Chatterji, Pinka

2009-01-01

This manuscript describes the development and testing of an Internet-based cost survey that was designed by the authors for the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care (NASBHC) to capture the costs of school-based health programs. The intent of the survey was twofold. First, the survey was designed to collect comprehensive data on costs in a…

Investigating the Relationship between Nonword Repetition Performance and Syllabic Structure in Typical and Atypical Language Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tamburelli, Marco; Jones, Gary

2013-01-01

Purpose: In this study, the authors examined the role of syllabic structure in nonword repetition performance in typically developing (TD) children and children with specific language impairment (SLI). Method: Eighteen children with SLI (5;7--6;7 [years;months]) and 18 TD children matched for chronological age were tested on their ability to…

The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development's International Early Learning Study: Opening for Debate and Contestation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moss, Peter; Dahlberg, Gunilla; Grieshaber, Susan; Mantovani, Susanna; May, Helen; Pence, Alan; Rayna, Sylvie; Swadener, Beth Blue; Vandenbroeck, Michel

2016-01-01

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is initiating the International Early Learning Study, a cross-national assessment of early learning outcomes involving the testing of 5-year-old children in participating countries. The authors use this colloquium to inform members of the early childhood community about this project and to…

Research and development of the device for diagnostics of arrhythmia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lezhnina, I. A.; Boyakhchyan, A. A.; Overchuk, K. V.; Uvarov, A. A.

2017-08-01

The article describes the results of the research for sensors optimal arrangement during one limb ECG detection. The found placement provides the registration of the enough quality signal sufficient for the diagnosis of arrhythmia, the QRS complex is clearly recognized. Authors also show the test results of the device developed for the diagnosis of arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death.

41 CFR 300-90.6 - What is authorized under the test programs?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... the test programs? 300-90.6 Section 300-90.6 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Travel Regulation System GENERAL AGENCY REQUIREMENTS 90-TELEWORK TRAVEL EXPENSES TEST PROGRAMS § 300-90.6 What is authorized under the test programs? Under a telework expenses test program authorized by the Administrator of...

Upgrades to Electronic Speckle Interferometer (ESPI) Operation and Data Analysis at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connelly, Joseph; Blake, Peter; Jones, Joycelyn

2008-01-01

The authors report operational upgrades and streamlined data analysis of a commissioned electronic speckle interferometer (ESPI) in a permanent in-house facility at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Our ESPI was commercially purchased for use by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) development team. We have quantified and reduced systematic error sources, improved the software operability with a user-friendly graphic interface, developed an instrument simulator, streamlined data analysis for long-duration testing, and implemented a turn-key approach to speckle interferometry. We also summarize results from a test of the JWST support structure (previously published), and present new results from several pieces of test hardware at various environmental conditions.

Cognitive Task Analysis for Instructional Design: Applications in Distance Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redding, Richard E.

1995-01-01

Provides an overview of cognitive task analysis-based instructional design (CTA-BID) and its applications in the design of instructional and testing materials for distance education. Reviews developments in education, psychology, and instructional design that complement CTA-BID. (Author/AEF)

Cassette Referencing System: An Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, June E.; And Others

1977-01-01

An indexing cassette reference system was developed and subjected to a field trial in which 24 legally blind students from grades 7-12 were taught to use it and then tested on their skill at locating entries in a recorded sample from an encyclopedia. (Author)

The Development and Evaluation of Industrial Case Studies to Support a New Laboratory Course in Electrical Engineering.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolton, B.; Adderley, K. J.

1978-01-01

After viewing videotaped case studies indicating the relevance of electrical laboratory work to professional engineers, student attitudes showed a positive improvement toward laboratory work. Semantic differential tests, questionnaires, and interviews were used. (Author/MH)

School Bus Fleet Safety: Planning and Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bieber, Robert M.

1984-01-01

To ensure worker safety, fleet safety managers need professional staffs, good access to top management, and sufficient authority to discharge their duties. Safety programs should include careful driver hiring; training, including orientation, testing, and practice; comprehensive accident reporting; and cooperative compliance programs with…

MCAID--A Generalized Text Driver.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmed, K.; Dickinson, C. J.

MCAID is a relatively machine-independent technique for writing computer-aided instructional material consisting of descriptive text, multiple choice questions, and the ability to call compiled subroutines to perform extensive calculations. It was specially developed to incorporate test-authoring around complex mathematical models to explore a…

Individualizing Educational Strategies: An Apple Computer Managed System for the Diagnosis and Evaluation of Reading, Math and Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kern, Richard

1985-01-01

A computer-based interactive system for diagnosing academic and school behavior problems is described. Elements include criterion-referenced testing, an instructional management system, and a behavior evaluation tool developed by the author. (JW)

29 CFR 30.5 - Selection of apprentices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... the general education development tests recognized by the State or local public instruction authority shall be evidence of educational achievement. Education requirements shall be applied uniformly to all... establish goals and timetables for the selection of minority and female apprentices, unless the sponsor...

29 CFR 30.5 - Selection of apprentices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... the general education development tests recognized by the State or local public instruction authority shall be evidence of educational achievement. Education requirements shall be applied uniformly to all... establish goals and timetables for the selection of minority and female apprentices, unless the sponsor...

29 CFR 30.5 - Selection of apprentices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... the general education development tests recognized by the State or local public instruction authority shall be evidence of educational achievement. Education requirements shall be applied uniformly to all... establish goals and timetables for the selection of minority and female apprentices, unless the sponsor...

Publication guidelines for quality improvement in health care: evolution of the SQUIRE project

PubMed Central

Davidoff, F; Batalden, P; Stevens, D; Ogrinc, G; Mooney, S

2008-01-01

In 2005, draft guidelines were published for reporting studies of quality improvement interventions as the initial step in a consensus process for development of a more definitive version. This article contains the full revised version of the guidelines, which the authors refer to as SQUIRE (Standards for QUality Improvement Reporting Excellence). This paper also describes the consensus process, which included informal feedback from authors, editors and peer reviewers who used the guidelines; formal written commentaries; input from a group of publication guideline developers; ongoing review of the literature on the epistemology of improvement and methods for evaluating complex social programmes; a two-day meeting of stakeholders for critical discussion and debate of the guidelines’ content and wording; and commentary on sequential versions of the guidelines from an expert consultant group. Finally, the authors consider the major differences between SQUIRE and the initial draft guidelines; limitations of and unresolved questions about SQUIRE; ancillary supporting documents and alternative versions that are under development; and plans for dissemination, testing and further development of SQUIRE. PMID:18836063

A facility for training Space Station astronauts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hajare, Ankur R.; Schmidt, James R.

1992-01-01

The Space Station Training Facility (SSTF) will be the primary facility for training the Space Station Freedom astronauts and the Space Station Control Center ground support personnel. Conceptually, the SSTF will consist of two parts: a Student Environment and an Author Environment. The Student Environment will contain trainers, instructor stations, computers and other equipment necessary for training. The Author Environment will contain the systems that will be used to manage, develop, integrate, test and verify, operate and maintain the equipment and software in the Student Environment.

Generating Realistic Environments for Cyber Operations Development, Testing, and Training

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

specifications, or other data does not license the holder or any other person or corporation ; or convey any rights or permission to manufacture...PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 62303E 6. AUTHOR(S) Vincent H. Berk Ian Gregorio-de Souza John P. Murphy 5d. PROJECT NUMBER NTGS 5e. TASK NUMBER 00 5f...30143-1 11. [7] Murphy, J. P., Berk , V. H., and de Souza, I. G., “Effectively identifying user profiles in network and host metrics,” 7666(1), 766607

Initiation of depleted uranium oxide and spent fuel testing for the spent fuel sabotage aerosol ratio program.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gregson, Michael Warren; Mo, Tin; Sorenson, Ken Bryce

The authors provide a detailed overview of an on-going, multinational test program that is developing aerosol data for some spent fuel sabotage scenarios on spent fuel transport and storage casks. Experiments are being performed to quantify the aerosolized materials plus volatilized fission products generated from actual spent fuel and surrogate material test rods, due to impact by a high-energy-density device. The program participants in the United States plus Germany, France and the United Kingdom, part of the international Working Group for Sabotage Concerns of Transport and Storage Casks (WGSTSC) have strongly supported and coordinated this research program. Sandia National Laboratoriesmore » has the lead role for conducting this research program; test program support is provided by both the US Department of Energy and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The authors provide a summary of the overall, multiphase test design and a description of all explosive containment and aerosol collection test components used. They focus on the recently initiated tests on 'surrogate' spent fuel, unirradiated depleted uranium oxide and forthcoming actual spent fuel tests, and briefly summarize similar results from completed surrogate tests that used non-radioactive, sintered cerium oxide ceramic pellets in test rods.« less

[Legionnaire's disease contracted in Brussels. One case (author's transl)].

PubMed

Pepersack, F; Vincken, W; Van Beers, D; Prigogine, T; Yourassowsky, E

1980-12-06

A 71-year-old patient living in a street where major road works were taking place developed diffuse bronchopneumonia with changes in hepatic and renal biochemical tests. Since neutrophilia was moderate and all bacteriological investigations were negative, the patient was given erythromycin and was tested for antibodies directed against Legionella pneumophila. The titers of these antibodies rose from 32 to 2048 after one month. The patient was cured.

12 CFR 325.201 - Authority, purpose, and reservation of authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... STATEMENTS OF GENERAL POLICY CAPITAL MAINTENANCE Annual Stress Test § 325.201 Authority, purpose, and... require each covered bank to conduct annual stress tests and establishes a definition of stress test, methodologies for conducting stress tests, and reporting and disclosure requirements. (c) Reservation of...

12 CFR 325.201 - Authority, purpose, and reservation of authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... STATEMENTS OF GENERAL POLICY CAPITAL MAINTENANCE Annual Stress Test § 325.201 Authority, purpose, and... require each covered bank to conduct annual stress tests and establishes a definition of stress test, methodologies for conducting stress tests, and reporting and disclosure requirements. (c) Reservation of...

Rapid assessment of infrastructure of primary health care facilities - a relevant instrument for health care systems management.

PubMed

Scholz, Stefan; Ngoli, Baltazar; Flessa, Steffen

2015-05-01

Health care infrastructure constitutes a major component of the structural quality of a health system. Infrastructural deficiencies of health services are reported in literature and research. A number of instruments exist for the assessment of infrastructure. However, no easy-to-use instruments to assess health facility infrastructure in developing countries are available. Present tools are not applicable for a rapid assessment by health facility staff. Therefore, health information systems lack data on facility infrastructure. A rapid assessment tool for the infrastructure of primary health care facilities was developed by the authors and pilot-tested in Tanzania. The tool measures the quality of all infrastructural components comprehensively and with high standardization. Ratings use a 2-1-0 scheme which is frequently used in Tanzanian health care services. Infrastructural indicators and indices are obtained from the assessment and serve for reporting and tracing of interventions. The tool was pilot-tested in Tanga Region (Tanzania). The pilot test covered seven primary care facilities in the range between dispensary and district hospital. The assessment encompassed the facilities as entities as well as 42 facility buildings and 80 pieces of technical medical equipment. A full assessment of facility infrastructure was undertaken by health care professionals while the rapid assessment was performed by facility staff. Serious infrastructural deficiencies were revealed. The rapid assessment tool proved a reliable instrument of routine data collection by health facility staff. The authors recommend integrating the rapid assessment tool in the health information systems of developing countries. Health authorities in a decentralized health system are thus enabled to detect infrastructural deficiencies and trace the effects of interventions. The tool can lay the data foundation for district facility infrastructure management.

Children and Young People-Mental Health Safety Assessment Tool (CYP-MH SAT) study: Protocol for the development and psychometric evaluation of an assessment tool to identify immediate risk of self-harm and suicide in children and young people (10-19 years) in acute paediatric hospital settings.

PubMed

Manning, Joseph C; Walker, Gemma M; Carter, Tim; Aubeeluck, Aimee; Witchell, Miranda; Coad, Jane

2018-04-12

Currently, no standardised, evidence-based assessment tool for assessing immediate self-harm and suicide in acute paediatric inpatient settings exists. The aim of this study is to develop and test the psychometric properties of an assessment tool that identifies immediate risk of self-harm and suicide in children and young people (10-19 years) in acute paediatric hospital settings. Development phase: This phase involved a scoping review of the literature to identify and extract items from previously published suicide and self-harm risk assessment scales. Using a modified electronic Delphi approach, these items will then be rated according to their relevance for assessment of immediate suicide or self-harm risk by expert professionals. Inclusion of items will be determined by 65%-70% consensus between raters. Subsequently, a panel of expert members will convene to determine the face validity, appropriate phrasing, item order and response format for the finalised items.Psychometric testing phase: The finalised items will be tested for validity and reliability through a multicentre, psychometric evaluation. Psychometric testing will be undertaken to determine the following: internal consistency, inter-rater reliability, convergent, divergent validity and concurrent validity. Ethical approval was provided by the National Health Service East Midlands-Derby Research Ethics Committee (17/EM/0347) and full governance clearance received by the Health Research Authority and local participating sites. Findings from this study will be disseminated to professionals and the public via peer-reviewed journal publications, popular social media and conference presentations. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Multi-ion, multi-event test of ion cyclotron resonance heating

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Persoon, Ann M.

1993-01-01

The multi-ion, multi-event study of ion cyclotron resonance heating has been funded to study ion energization through ion cyclotron resonance with low frequency broadband electromagnetic turbulence. The modeling algorithm for the ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) of oxygen ions was presented in Crew et al. (1990). Crew and his co-authors developed a two-parameter representation of selected oxygen conic distributions and modelled the conic formation in terms of resonance heating. The first year of this study seeks to extend the work of Crew and his co-authors by testing the applicability of the ICRH mechanism to helium ion conic distributions, using data obtained from the Energetic Ion Composition Spectrometer and the Plasma Wave Instrument on Dynamics Explorer 1.

Hepatitis E virus infection presenting with paraesthesia.

PubMed

Bennett, Susan; Li, Kathy; Gunson, Rory N

2015-05-01

Hepatitis E virus infection is an emerging disease in developed countries. Acute and chronic infection has been reported, with chronic infection being increasingly reported in immunocompromised patients. Neurological disorders are an emerging manifestation of both acute and chronic hepatitis E virus infection. We report a 77-year-old female presented with paraesthesia and was found to have abnormal liver function tests. Serology was found to be positive for hepatitis E virus IgM, IgG and RNA. Liver function tests normalised after three weeks and her neurological symptoms completely resolved. To our knowledge, this is the first case in Scotland of hepatitis E virus presenting only with neurological symptoms. © The Author(s) 2015 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Pilot Testing of the NURSE Stress Management Intervention.

PubMed

Delaney, Colleen; Barrere, Cynthia; Robertson, Sue; Zahourek, Rothlyn; Diaz, Desiree; Lachapelle, Leeanne

2016-12-01

Student nurses experience significant stress during their education, which may contribute to illness and alterations in health, poor academic performance, and program attrition. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility and potential efficacy of an innovative stress management program in two baccalaureate nursing programs in Connecticut, named NURSE (Nurture nurse, Use resources, foster Resilience, Stress and Environment management), that assists nursing students to develop stress management plans. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was used to evaluate the effects of the intervention with 40 junior nursing students. Results from this study provide evidence that the NURSE intervention is highly feasible, and support further testing to examine the effect of the intervention in improving stress management in nursing students. © The Author(s) 2015.

Establishing survey validity and reliability for American Indians through "think aloud" and test-retest methods.

PubMed

Hauge, Cindy Horst; Jacobs-Knight, Jacque; Jensen, Jamie L; Burgess, Katherine M; Puumala, Susan E; Wilton, Georgiana; Hanson, Jessica D

2015-06-01

The purpose of this study was to use a mixed-methods approach to determine the validity and reliability of measurements used within an alcohol-exposed pregnancy prevention program for American Indian women. To develop validity, content experts provided input into the survey measures, and a "think aloud" methodology was conducted with 23 American Indian women. After revising the measurements based on this input, a test-retest was conducted with 79 American Indian women who were randomized to complete either the original measurements or the new, modified measurements. The test-retest revealed that some of the questions performed better for the modified version, whereas others appeared to be more reliable for the original version. The mixed-methods approach was a useful methodology for gathering feedback on survey measurements from American Indian participants and in indicating specific survey questions that needed to be modified for this population. © The Author(s) 2015.

Development and evaluation of an automatic method for the study of platelet osmotic response.

PubMed

Gigout, T; Blondel, W; Didelon, J; Latger, V; Dumas, D; Schooneman, F; Stoltz, J F

1999-01-01

Study of the osmotic resistance to hypotonic medium of platelets has often been suggested as a global test to assess the viability of these cells in transfusion or to study modification during haematological pathologies. A number of authors have analysed the behaviour of platelets in hypotonic media by a variety of methods (cell count, determinations of substances released, morphology, etc.), but most studies are currently based on the so-called "Hypotonic Shock Response" test (HSR). In this study, the authors describe a new automated and reproducible apparatus, called fragilimeter, using slow dialysis to assess platelet osmotic resistance. The variations in light transmission through a platelet suspension according to ionic strength are linked to the change in cellular volume and lysis and characterise the osmotic behaviour of the cells. The results revealed the good reproducibility and sensibility of the technique. This apparatus allows also the realisation of the "HSR" test.

Economic well-being and elder abuse in Rajshahi district of Bangladesh.

PubMed

Tareque, Md Ismail; Islam, Towfiqua Mahfuza; Koshio, Atsushi; Kawahara, Kazuo

2015-02-01

This article examines the distribution of wealth and then tests associations between elder abuse and wealth in Rajshahi district of Bangladesh. Data from 896 respondents (60 years old and over) were collected in April 2009. Principal component analysis was used to construct a wealth index, and logistic regressions were performed to test the associations between wealth and elder abuse. Results reveal that about 62% of individuals from poor households face abuse of some kind, whereas only 6% of individuals from rich households do. The test of the relationship between elder abuse and wealth also suggests that individuals from rich households were more likely not to be abused than individuals from poor households. Results of this study may be useful to policy makers developing policies and programs aimed at preventing elder abuse and reducing inequalities in elder abuse in Rajshahi district as well as in the whole of Bangladesh. © The Author(s) 2014.

47 CFR 73.1515 - Special field test authorizations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Special field test authorizations. 73.1515 Section 73.1515 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) BROADCAST RADIO SERVICES RADIO BROADCAST SERVICES Rules Applicable to All Broadcast Stations § 73.1515 Special field test authorizations. (a) A special field test...

47 CFR 73.1515 - Special field test authorizations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Special field test authorizations. 73.1515 Section 73.1515 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) BROADCAST RADIO SERVICES RADIO BROADCAST SERVICES Rules Applicable to All Broadcast Stations § 73.1515 Special field test authorizations. (a) A special field test...

The Regulatory Evaluation of Vaccines for Human Use.

PubMed

Baylor, Norman W

2016-01-01

A vaccine is an immunogen, the administration of which is intended to stimulate the immune system to result in the prevention, amelioration, or therapy of any disease or infection (US Food and Drug Administration. Guidance for Industry: content and format of chemistry, manufacturing, and controls information and establishment description information for a vaccine or related product). A vaccine may be a live attenuated preparation of microorganisms, inactivated (killed) whole organisms, living irradiated cells, crude fractions, or purified immunogens, including those derived from recombinant DNA in a host cell, conjugates formed by covalent linkage of components, synthetic antigens, polynucleotides (such as the plasmid DNA vaccines), living vectored cells expressing specific heterologous immunogens, or cells pulsed with immunogen. Vaccines are highly complex products that differ from small molecule drugs because of the biological nature of the source materials such as those derived from microorganisms as well as the various cell substrates from which some are derived. Regardless of the technology used, because of their complexities, vaccines must undergo extensive characterization and testing. Special expertise and procedures are needed for their manufacture, control, and regulation. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) in the United States responsible for assuring quality, safety, and effectiveness of all human medical products, including vaccines for human use.The Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) within the US FDA is responsible for overseeing the regulation of therapeutic and preventative vaccines against infectious diseases. Authority for the regulation of vaccines resides in Section 351 of the Public Health Service Act and specific sections of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C). Vaccines are regulated as biologics and licensed based on the demonstration of safety and effectiveness. The vaccine development process can be divided into two major categories: those events that are not under the regulatory authority of the FDA and are exploratory in nature and those events that are subject to regulatory authority by the FDA. Exploratory events or research and development cover basic research drug discovery processes that occur before the sponsor submits an investigational new drug application (IND) to the FDA. There are four main stages of vaccine development under the purview of regulatory authorities: preclinical, clinical (IND), licensing, and post-licensure. Throughout their life cycle from preclinical evaluation to post-licensure lot release testing, vaccines are subject to rigorous testing and oversight by manufacturers and NRAs. In this chapter an overview of the regulatory evaluation and testing requirements for vaccines is presented.

User evaluation of photovoltaic-powered vaccine refrigerator/freezer systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ratajczak, Anthony F.

1987-01-01

The NASA Lewis Research Center has concluded a project to develop and field test photovoltaic-powered refrigerator/freezers for vaccine storage in remote areas of developing countries. As a conclusion to this project, questionnaires were sent to the in-country administrators for each test site probing user acceptance of the systems and attitudes regarding procurement of additional systems. Responses indicate that the systems had a positive effect on the local communities, that they made a positive impression on the local health authorities, and that system cost and scarcity of funds are the major barriers to procurements of additional systems.

User evaluation of photovoltaic-powered vaccine refrigerator/freezer systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ratajczak, Anthony F.

1987-03-01

The NASA Lewis Research Center has concluded a project to develop and field test photovoltaic-powered refrigerator/freezers for vaccine storage in remote areas of developing countries. As a conclusion to this project, questionnaires were sent to the in-country administrators for each test site probing user acceptance of the systems and attitudes regarding procurement of additional systems. Responses indicate that the systems had a positive effect on the local communities, that they made a positive impression on the local health authorities, and that system cost and scarcity of funds are the major barriers to procurements of additional systems.

Tester-assisted built in test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guntheroth, Kurt

It is noted that board makers invest considerable time and money writing extensive self-tests and that this investment can be multiplied by selecting ATE (automatic test equipment) that complements and extends the power of the self-test. The tester can diagnose boards in situations where a fault prevents the self-test from running. If the tester monitors such resources as processor, memory, and I/O, confidence in test results is improved. The tester can be used during development of the self-test and to turn on prototypes before the self-test is complete. The author argues that emulative functional testers outperform other types of ATE on boards with BIST (built-in self-test) and lists features of emulative functional testers that are most important to users of BIST.

Montaigne's Uses of Classical Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Michael L.

1997-01-01

M. de Montaigne's essay "On the Education of Children" (1580) demonstrates the importance of examining classical authors to test understanding and develop judgment. Montaigne's method provides a way to study cultural heritage and to use the past to examine current issues. Implications for teaching today are discussed. (SLD)

Heat pipe technology: A bibliography with abstracts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

A cumulative bibliography on heat pipe research and development projects is presented. The subjects discussed are: (1) general information, (2) heat pipe applications, (3) heat pipe theory, (4) design and fabrication, (5) testing and operation, (6) subject and author index, and (7) heat pipe related patents.

Child Development in Okinawa Compared with Tokyo and Denver, and the Implications for Developmental Screening.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ueda, Reiko

1978-01-01

Developmental differences in the Denver Developmental Screening Test items were demonstrated between samples of children from Okinawa (n=615) and Tokyo (n=1171), who were 16 days to 6 years old. Journal availability: see EC 112 661. (Author)

Evaluation and Institutional Research: Aids to Decision-Making and Innovation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIntosh, Naomi E.

1977-01-01

The traditional "test and measurement" approach to educational evaluation is contrasted with the "use of information for decision-making" developed in the industrial sector. Evaluation strategy should be determined by an analysis of the problem and the decisions to be made. (Author/LBH)

Grandmotherhood: A Study of Role Conceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, Joan F.

1977-01-01

This research reports on the significance of grandmotherhood to an area sample of 125 females, most of whom were grandmothers, age 70 or over. The paper describes the development of a typology which was designed to identify, describe, and test four distinct types of grandparenting. (Author)

The Model-Building Process in Introductory College Geography: An Illustrative Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cadwallader, Martin

1978-01-01

Illustrates the five elements of conceptual models by developing a model of consumer behavior in choosing among alternative supermarkets. The elements are: identifying the problem, constructing a conceptual model, translating it into a symbolic model, operationalizing the model, and testing. (Author/AV)

Adolescent Coping Style and Behaviors: Conceptualization and Measurement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patterson, Joan M.; McCubbin, Hamilton I.

1987-01-01

Reviews individual coping theory and family stress theory to provide a theoretical foundation for assessing adolescent coping. Presents development and testing of an adolescent self-report coping inventory, the Adolescent Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences. Gender differences in coping styles are discussed. (Author/NB)

Interpretation and Nonformal Environmental Education in Natural Resources Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olson, E. C.; And Others

1984-01-01

A visitor education strategy was developed, implemented, and tested for its effectiveness in raising levels of knowledge and attitudes toward state nature preserve management. Visitor sociodemographic and site-specific data were also collected and analyzed. Methodology, results, conclusions, and implications are reported. (Author/JN)

TESTING, PERFORMANCE VALIDATION AND QUALITY ASSURANCE/QUALITY CONTROL OF FIELD-PORTABLE INSTRUMENTATION

EPA Science Inventory

New technologies for field-portable monitoring instruments often have a long lead time in development and authorization. Some obstacles to the acceptance of these pilot technologies include concern about liabilities, reluctance to take risks on new technologies, and uncertainty a...

Using Cognitive Testing to Develop Items for Surveying Asian American Cancer Patients and Their Caregivers as a Pathway to Culturally Competent Care.

PubMed

Bolcic-Jankovic, Dragana; Lu, Fengxin; Colten, Mary Ellen; McCarthy, Ellen P

2016-02-01

We report the results from cognitive interviews with Asian American patients and their caregivers. We interviewed seven caregivers and six patients who were all bilingual Asian Americans. The main goal of the cognitive interviews was to test a survey instrument developed for a study about perspectives of Asian American patients with advanced cancer who are facing decisions around end-of-life care. We were particularly interested to see whether items commonly used in White and Black populations are culturally meaningful and equivalent in Asian populations, primarily those of Chinese and Vietnamese ethnicity. Our exploration shows that understanding respondents' language proficiency, degree of acculturation, and cultural context of receiving, processing, and communicating information about medical care can help design questions that are appropriate for Asian American patients and caregivers, and therefore can help researchers obtain quality data about the care Asian American cancer patients receive. © The Author(s) 2016.

Is domestication driven by reduced fear of humans? Boldness, metabolism and serotonin levels in divergently selected red junglefowl (Gallus gallus).

PubMed

Agnvall, Beatrix; Katajamaa, Rebecca; Altimiras, Jordi; Jensen, Per

2015-09-01

Domesticated animals tend to develop a coherent set of phenotypic traits. Tameness could be a central underlying factor driving this, and we therefore selected red junglefowl, ancestors of all domestic chickens, for high or low fear of humans during six generations. We measured basal metabolic rate (BMR), feed efficiency, boldness in a novel object (NO) test, corticosterone reactivity and basal serotonin levels (related to fearfulness) in birds from the fifth and sixth generation of the high- and low-fear lines, respectively (44-48 individuals). Corticosterone response to physical restraint did not differ between selection lines. However, BMR was higher in low-fear birds, as was feed efficiency. Low-fear males had higher plasma levels of serotonin and both low-fear males and females were bolder in an NO test. The results show that many aspects of the domesticated phenotype may have developed as correlated responses to reduced fear of humans, an essential trait for successful domestication. © 2015 The Author(s).

As the pendulum swings--medical products class actions litigation in Canada: recent developments.

PubMed

Pliszka, Peter J; Armstrong, Sarah J

2013-03-01

During the relatively short history of class proceedings in Canada, developers and manufacturers of medical devices and pharmaceuticals ("medical products"), including medical products designed for patients with diabetes, have found themselves at the receiving end of a significant number of class action claims. As a result, medical products litigation has become the battleground for some of the most significant developments in Canadian class actions law. This article provides a broad overview of some of the most significant developments. The authors pay particular attention to developments regarding the test for class action certification and consider whether high-profile dismissals of certification motions represent a trend toward raising the threshold for plaintiffs seeking to obtain certification of a proposed class action. The authors also consider a decision arising out of a lengthy class action common issues trial in which the medical device company was victorious. In the authors' view, the class action pendulum in Canada, particularly as it relates to medical products claims, remains in motion. It behooves all affected players to keep their eye on this ball with rapt attention to see where it may move next. © 2013 Diabetes Technology Society.

Estimating the proportion of true null hypotheses when the statistics are discrete.

PubMed

Dialsingh, Isaac; Austin, Stefanie R; Altman, Naomi S

2015-07-15

In high-dimensional testing problems π0, the proportion of null hypotheses that are true is an important parameter. For discrete test statistics, the P values come from a discrete distribution with finite support and the null distribution may depend on an ancillary statistic such as a table margin that varies among the test statistics. Methods for estimating π0 developed for continuous test statistics, which depend on a uniform or identical null distribution of P values, may not perform well when applied to discrete testing problems. This article introduces a number of π0 estimators, the regression and 'T' methods that perform well with discrete test statistics and also assesses how well methods developed for or adapted from continuous tests perform with discrete tests. We demonstrate the usefulness of these estimators in the analysis of high-throughput biological RNA-seq and single-nucleotide polymorphism data. implemented in R. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The affective shift model of work engagement.

PubMed

Bledow, Ronald; Schmitt, Antje; Frese, Michael; Kühnel, Jana

2011-11-01

On the basis of self-regulation theories, the authors develop an affective shift model of work engagement according to which work engagement emerges from the dynamic interplay of positive and negative affect. The affective shift model posits that negative affect is positively related to work engagement if negative affect is followed by positive affect. The authors applied experience sampling methodology to test the model. Data on affective events, mood, and work engagement was collected twice a day over 9 working days among 55 software developers. In support of the affective shift model, negative mood and negative events experienced in the morning of a working day were positively related to work engagement in the afternoon if positive mood in the time interval between morning and afternoon was high. Individual differences in positive affectivity moderated within-person relationships. The authors discuss how work engagement can be fostered through affect regulation. (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved.

Design and evaluation of a disaster preparedness logistics tool.

PubMed

Neches, Robert; Ryutov, Tatyana; Kichkaylo, Tatiana; Burke, Rita V; Claudius, Ilene A; Upperman, Jeffrey S

2009-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe the development and testing of the Pediatric Emergency Decision Support System (PEDSS), a dynamic tool for pediatric victim disaster planning. This is a descriptive article outlining an innovative automated approach to pediatric decision support and disaster planning. Disaster Resource Centers and umbrella hospitals in Los Angeles County. The authors use a model set of hypothetical patients for our pediatric disaster planning approach. The authors developed the PEDSS software to accomplish two goals: (a) core that supports user interaction and data management requirements (e.g., accessing demographic information about a healthcare facility's catchment area) and (b) set of modules each addressing a critical disaster preparation issue. The authors believe the PEDSS tool will help hospital disaster response personnel produce and maintain disaster response plans that apply best practice pediatric recommendations to their particular local conditions and requirements.

When Delays Improve Memory: Stabilizing Memory in Children May Require Time.

PubMed

Darby, Kevin P; Sloutsky, Vladimir M

2015-12-01

Memory is critical for learning, cognition, and cognitive development. Recent work has suggested that preschool-age children are vulnerable to catastrophic levels of memory interference, in which new learning dramatically attenuates memory for previously acquired knowledge. In the work reported here, we investigated the effects of consolidation on children's memory by introducing a 48-hr delay between learning and testing. In Experiment 1, the delay improved children's memory and eliminated interference. Results of Experiment 2 suggest that the benefit of this delay is limited to situations in which children are given enough information to form complex memory structures. These findings have important implications for understanding consolidation processes and memory development. © The Author(s) 2015.

Public health approaches to family maltreatment prevention: resetting family psychology's sights from the home to the community.

PubMed

Slep, Amy M Smith; Heyman, Richard E

2008-08-01

The authors review recent trends within the family maltreatment research field toward a public health approach, discuss the rationale for community-level interventions for family maltreatment, and sketch the history and development of community-level prevention approaches. Next, to illustrate the both the logistic and the scientific challenges of such work, the authors discuss the development and testing of an empirically guided, research-community partnership for the prevention of family maltreatment, the United States Air Force's NORTH STAR initiative (New Orientation to Reduce Threats to Health From Secretive Problems That Affect Readiness). Finally, recommendations are made for effective and disseminable family maltreatment prevention interventions.

The mediating role of self-efficacy in the development of entrepreneurial intentions.

PubMed

Zhao, Hao; Seibert, Scott E; Hills, Gerald E

2005-11-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating role of self-efficacy in the development of students' intentions to become entrepreneurs. The authors used structural equation modeling with a sample of 265 master of business administration students across 5 universities to test their hypotheses. The results showed that the effects of perceived learning from entrepreneurship-related courses, previous entrepreneurial experience, and risk propensity on entrepreneurial intentions were fully mediated by entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Contrary to expectations, gender was not mediated by self-efficacy but had a direct effect such that women reported lower entrepreneurial career intentions. The authors discuss practical implications and directions for future research. ((c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved).

Liquid sodium testing of in-house phased array EMAT transducer for L-wave applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Le Bourdais, F.; Le Polles, T.; Baque, F.

2015-07-01

This paper describes the development of an in-house phased array EMAT transducer for longitudinal wave inspection in liquid sodium. The work presented herein is part of an undergoing project aimed at improving in-service inspection techniques for the ASTRID reactor project. The design process of the phased array EMAT probe is briefly explained and followed by a review of experimental test results. We first present test results obtained in the laboratory while the last part of the paper describes the liquid sodium testing and the produced ultrasound images. (authors)

Artificial intelligence and expert systems in-flight software testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Demasie, M. P.; Muratore, J. F.

1991-01-01

The authors discuss the introduction of advanced information systems technologies such as artificial intelligence, expert systems, and advanced human-computer interfaces directly into Space Shuttle software engineering. The reconfiguration automation project (RAP) was initiated to coordinate this move towards 1990s software technology. The idea behind RAP is to automate several phases of the flight software testing procedure and to introduce AI and ES into space shuttle flight software testing. In the first phase of RAP, conventional tools to automate regression testing have already been developed or acquired. There are currently three tools in use.

Applications of NLP Techniques to Computer-Assisted Authoring of Test Items for Elementary Chinese

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Chao-Lin; Lin, Jen-Hsiang; Wang, Yu-Chun

2010-01-01

The authors report an implemented environment for computer-assisted authoring of test items and provide a brief discussion about the applications of NLP techniques for computer assisted language learning. Test items can serve as a tool for language learners to examine their competence in the target language. The authors apply techniques for…

Fish bioconcentration studies with column-generated analyte concentrations of highly hydrophobic organic chemicals.

PubMed

Schlechtriem, Christian; Böhm, Leonard; Bebon, Rebecca; Bruckert, Hans-Jörg; Düring, Rolf-Alexander

2017-04-01

The performance of aqueous exposure bioconcentration fish tests according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guideline 305 requires the possibility of preparing stable aqueous concentrations of the test substances. For highly hydrophobic organic chemicals (HOCs; octanol-water partition coefficient [log K OW ] > 5), testing via aqueous exposure may become increasingly difficult. A solid-phase desorption dosing system was developed to generate stable concentrations of HOCs without using solubilizing agents. The system was tested with hexachlorobenzene (HCB), o-terphenyl (oTP), polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) 153, and dibenz[a,h]anthracene (DBA) (log K OW 5.5-7.8) in 2 flow-through fish tests with rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The analysis of the test media applied during the bioconcentration factor (BCF) studies showed that stable analyte concentrations of the 4 HOCs were maintained in the test system over an uptake period of 8 wk. Bioconcentration factors (L kg -1 wet wt) were estimated for HCB (BCF 35 589), oTP (BCF 12 040), and PCB 153 (BCF 18 539) based on total water concentrations. No bioconcentration could be determined for DBA, probably because of the rapid metabolism of the test item. The solid-phase desorption dosing system is suitable to provide stable aqueous concentrations of HOCs required to determine the bioconcentration in fish and represents a viable alternative to the use of solubilizing agents for the preparation of test solutions. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:906-916. © 2016 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC. © 2016 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.

Implementation of a computer database testing and analysis program.

PubMed

Rouse, Deborah P

2007-01-01

The author is the coordinator of a computer software database testing and analysis program implemented in an associate degree nursing program. Computer software database programs help support the testing development and analysis process. Critical thinking is measurable and promoted with their use. The reader of this article will learn what is involved in procuring and implementing a computer database testing and analysis program in an academic nursing program. The use of the computerized database for testing and analysis will be approached as a method to promote and evaluate the nursing student's critical thinking skills and to prepare the nursing student for the National Council Licensure Examination.

Development of an agricultural biotechnology crop product: testing from discovery to commercialization.

PubMed

Privalle, Laura S; Chen, Jingwen; Clapper, Gina; Hunst, Penny; Spiegelhalter, Frank; Zhong, Cathy X

2012-10-17

"Genetically modified" (GM) or "biotech" crops have been the most rapidly adopted agricultural technology in recent years. The development of a GM crop encompasses trait identification, gene isolation, plant cell transformation, plant regeneration, efficacy evaluation, commercial event identification, safety evaluation, and finally commercial authorization. This is a lengthy, complex, and resource-intensive process. Crops produced through biotechnology are the most highly studied food or food component consumed. Before commercialization, these products are shown to be as safe as conventional crops with respect to feed, food, and the environment. This paper describes this global process and the various analytical tests that must accompany the product during the course of development, throughout its market life, and beyond.

Development of dapivirine vaginal ring for HIV prevention.

PubMed

Devlin, Bríd; Nuttall, Jeremy; Wilder, Susan; Woodsong, Cynthia; Rosenberg, Zeda

2013-12-01

In the continuing effort to develop effective HIV prevention methods for women, a vaginal ring containing the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor dapivirine is currently being tested in two safety and efficacy trials. This paper reviews dapivirine ring's pipeline development process, including efforts to determine safe and effective dosing levels as well as identify delivery platforms with the greatest likelihood of success for correct and consistent use. Dapivirine gel and other formulations were developed and tested in preclinical and clinical studies. Multiple vaginal ring prototypes were also tested, resulting in the current ring design as well as additional designs under consideration for future testing. Efficacy results from clinical trials are expected in 2015. Through ongoing consultations with national regulatory authorities, licensure requirements for dapivirine vaginal ring approval have been defined. This article is based on a presentation at the "Product Development Workshop 2013: HIV and Multipurpose Prevention Technologies," held in Arlington, Virginia on February 21-22, 2013. It forms part of a special supplement to Antiviral Research. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Screening of healthcare workers for tuberculosis: development and validation of a new health economic model to inform practice

PubMed Central

Eralp, Merve Nazli; Scholtes, Stefan; Martell, Geraldine; Winter, Robert

2012-01-01

Background Methods for determining cost-effectiveness of different treatments are well established, unlike appraisal of non-drug interventions, including novel diagnostics and biomarkers. Objective The authors develop and validate a new health economic model by comparing cost-effectiveness of tuberculin skin test (TST); blood test, interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) and TST followed by IGRA in conditional sequence, in screening healthcare workers for latent or active tuberculosis (TB). Design The authors focus on healthy life years gained as the benefit metric, rather than quality-adjusted life years given limited data to estimate quality adjustments of life years with TB and complications of treatment, like hepatitis. Healthy life years gained refer to the number of TB or hepatitis cases avoided and the increase in life expectancy. The authors incorporate disease and test parameters informed by systematic meta-analyses and clinical practice. Health and economic outcomes of each strategy are modelled as a decision tree in Markov chains, representing different health states informed by epidemiology. Cost and effectiveness values are generated as the individual is cycled through 20 years of the model. Key parameters undergo one-way and Monte Carlo probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Setting Screening healthcare workers in secondary and tertiary care. Results IGRA is the most effective strategy, with incremental costs per healthy life year gained of £10 614–£20 929, base case, £8021–£18 348, market costs TST £45, IGRA £90, IGRA specificities of 99%–97%; mean (5%, 95%), £12 060 (£4137–£38 418) by Monte Carlo analysis. Conclusions Incremental costs per healthy life year gained, a conservative estimate of benefit, are comparable to the £20 000–£30 000 NICE band for IGRA alone, across wide differences in disease and test parameters. Health gains justify IGRA costs, even if IGRA tests cost three times TST. This health economic model offers a powerful tool for appraising non-drug interventions in the market and under development. PMID:22382118

Culture Matters in Successful Curriculum Change: An International Study of the Influence of National and Organizational Culture Tested With Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling.

PubMed

Jippes, Mariëlle; Driessen, Erik W; Broers, Nick J; Majoor, Gerard D; Gijselaers, Wim H; van der Vleuten, Cees P M

2015-07-01

National culture has been shown to play a role in curriculum change in medical schools, and business literature has described a similar influence of organizational culture on change processes in organizations. This study investigated the impact of both national and organizational culture on successful curriculum change in medical schools internationally. The authors tested a literature-based conceptual model using multilevel structural equation modeling. For the operationalization of national and organizational culture, the authors used Hofstede's dimensions of culture and Quinn and Spreitzer's competing values framework, respectively. To operationalize successful curriculum change, the authors used two derivates: medical schools' organizational readiness for curriculum change developed by Jippes and colleagues, and change-related behavior developed by Herscovitch and Meyer. The authors administered a questionnaire in 2012 measuring the described operationalizations to medical schools in the process of changing their curriculum. Nine hundred ninety-one of 1,073 invited staff members from 131 of 345 medical schools in 56 of 80 countries completed the questionnaire. An initial poor fit of the model improved to a reasonable fit by two suggested modifications which seemed theoretically plausible. In sum, characteristics of national culture and organizational culture, such as a certain level of risk taking, flexible policies and procedures, and strong leadership, affected successful curriculum change. National and organizational culture influence readiness for change in medical schools. Therefore, medical schools considering curriculum reform should anticipate the potential impact of national and organizational culture.

Sex Differences in Mathematics: An Investigation of Sex Differentiated Attitudes Toward Mathematics and Sex-Differentiated Achievement in Mathematics on the Ninth Grade Level in Eight Schools in New Jersey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merkel-Keller, Claudia

This study was undertaken: (1) to determine achievement in mathematics of ninth graders (general mathematics students and algebra students) in eight public schools in New Jersey as measured by an achievement test developed and tested by the author; (2) to determine attitudes toward mathematics of the students as measured by an attitude scale…

Final Report - DuraMelter 100 Tests to Support LAW Glass Formulation Correlation Development, VSL-06R6480-1, Rev. 0

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kruger, Albert A.; Muller, I. S.; Gong, W.

2013-12-03

This report describes the results of work and testing specified by Test Specifications 24590-LAW-TSP-RT-04-004, Rev. 0, Test Plans VSL-05T5480-1, Rev. 0 and Text Exceptions 24590-LAW-TEF-RT-05-00002. The work and any associated testing followed established quality assurance requirements and was conducted as authorized. The descriptions provided in this test report are an accurate account of both the conduct of the work and the data collected. Results required by the Test Plan are reported. Also reported are any unusual or anomalous occurences that are different from the starting hypotheses. The test results and this report have been reviewed and verified.

Developing and testing lay literature about breast cancer screening for African American women.

PubMed

Coleman, Elizabeth Ann; Coon, Sharon; Mohrmann, Carolyn; Hardin, Susan; Stewart, Beth; Gibson, Regina Shoate; Cantrell, Mary; Lord, Janet; Heard, Jeanne

2003-01-01

Written materials about breast cancer screening for African American women with low literacy skills are needed. Available materials were not at or below third-grade reading levels, were not culturally sensitive, and were not accurate in illustrating correct breast self-examination (BSE) techniques. Focus groups representing the target population helped the authors design a pamphlet describing how to perform BSE and a motivational picture book to help women overcome barriers to screening. The authors chose a food theme for the cover of the pamphlet written at a third-grade level and suggested a photographic version. In the motivational book, two women address barriers to screening and replace myths and fears with facts and actions. Data from 162 women showed that they learned from both the photographic and illustrated versions. Women in the photographic group found significantly more lumps in the silicone models, so the authors chose that version to use in final testing. Finally, nurses pretested a group of patients before they reviewed the materials and post-tested another group after they reviewed them. The group who had reviewed the materials had greater knowledge of and intent to follow the guidelines and received higher scores on BSE techniques.

Development of a new seal for use on large openings of pressurized spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weddendorf, B.

1994-01-01

The goal of this project was to design, build, and test an example of the seal invented by the author for use on Space Station Freedom and patented in 1991. The seal features a metallic spring core and replaceable elastomeric sealing elements. The metallic spring is designed to retain the sealing force of the elastomeric element against both sides of face seal gland for any specified amount of waviness or separation of the glands. A seal able to tolerate at least 1.3 mm (0.05 in) of flange distortion or separation and a test fixture of this seal which allowed direct comparison testing of O-rings were built. These designs were tested to compare leakage at different amounts of flange deflection. Results of the testing show the development seal exceeded its requirement to seal 1.3 mm of flange separation by 1 mm. This compared with the O-ring leakage, increasing dramatically at 0.5 mm of separation. The development seal also leaked at a lower rate than the O-ring seals in all tests.

Nuclear Propulsion Technical Interchange Meeting, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

The purpose of the meeting was to review the work performed in fiscal year 1992 in the areas of nuclear thermal and nuclear electric propulsion technology development. These proceedings are an accumulation of the presentations provided at the meeting along with annotations provided by authors. The proceedings cover system concepts, technology development, and system modeling for nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) and nuclear electric propulsion (NEP). The test facilities required for the development of the nuclear propulsion systems are also discussed.

An Evaluation of a Management Wargame and the Factors Affecting Game Performance.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-09-01

in residence. This is not a criticism of the author, but rather a systematic flaw in game development in general. Therefore, TEMPO-AI is an excellent...establish the test procedure used in this thesis. This stage of game development is absolutely vital, if the game is intended for serious academic use...Unfortunately, this important step is sadly neglected in nearly all military game development . While TEMPO-AI was extensively debugged as a computer

Simulation-Based Cryosurgery Intelligent Tutoring System Prototype.

PubMed

Sehrawat, Anjali; Keelan, Robert; Shimada, Kenji; Wilfong, Dona M; McCormick, James T; Rabin, Yoed

2016-04-01

As a part of an ongoing effort to develop computerized training tools for cryosurgery, the current study presents a proof of concept for a computerized tool for cryosurgery tutoring. The tutoring system lists geometrical constraints of cryoprobes placement, simulates cryoprobe insertion, displays a rendered shape of the prostate, enables distance measurements, simulates the corresponding thermal history, and evaluates the mismatch between the target region shape and a preselected planning isotherm. The quality of trainee planning is measured in comparison with a computer-generated planning, created for each case study by previously developed planning algorithms. The following two versions of the tutoring system have been tested in the current study: (1) an unguided version, where the trainee can practice cases in unstructured sessions and (2) an intelligent tutoring system, which forces the trainee to follow specific steps, believed by the authors to potentially shorten the learning curve. Although the tutoring level in this study aims only at geometrical constraints on cryoprobe placement and the resulting thermal histories, it creates a unique opportunity to gain insight into the process outside the operation room. Post-test results indicate that the intelligent tutoring system may be more beneficial than the nonintelligent tutoring system, but the proof of concept is demonstrated with either system. © The Author(s) 2015.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT, WORKPLACE AUTHORITY, AND THE PARADOX OF POWER

PubMed Central

McLaughlin, Heather; Uggen, Christopher; Blackstone, Amy

2012-01-01

Power is at the core of feminist theories of sexual harassment, though it has rarely been measured directly in terms of workplace authority. While popular characterizations portray male supervisors harassing female subordinates, power-threat theories suggest that women in authority may be more frequent targets. This article analyzes longitudinal survey data and qualitative interviews from the Youth Development Study (YDS) to test this idea and to delineate why and how supervisory authority, gender non-conformity, and workplace sex ratios affect harassment. Relative to non-supervisors, female supervisors are more likely to report harassing behaviors and to define their experiences as sexual harassment. Sexual harassment can serve as an “equalizer” against women in power, motivated more by control and domination than by sexual desire. The interviews point to social isolation as a mechanism linking harassment to gender non-conformity and women’s authority, particularly in male-dominated work settings. PMID:23329855

SEXUAL HARASSMENT, WORKPLACE AUTHORITY, AND THE PARADOX OF POWER.

PubMed

McLaughlin, Heather; Uggen, Christopher; Blackstone, Amy

2012-08-01

Power is at the core of feminist theories of sexual harassment, though it has rarely been measured directly in terms of workplace authority. While popular characterizations portray male supervisors harassing female subordinates, power-threat theories suggest that women in authority may be more frequent targets. This article analyzes longitudinal survey data and qualitative interviews from the Youth Development Study (YDS) to test this idea and to delineate why and how supervisory authority, gender non-conformity, and workplace sex ratios affect harassment. Relative to non-supervisors, female supervisors are more likely to report harassing behaviors and to define their experiences as sexual harassment. Sexual harassment can serve as an "equalizer" against women in power, motivated more by control and domination than by sexual desire. The interviews point to social isolation as a mechanism linking harassment to gender non-conformity and women's authority, particularly in male-dominated work settings.

Start with Respect.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boss, Suzie; Kohn, Alfie

2000-01-01

An interview with educator and author Alfie Kohn discusses the need to stop confusing better learning with higher test scores; how progressive education helps children learn to think for themselves; professional development that appeals to teachers' long-term goals for their students; and restructuring education so teachers can ask for help,…

Our Polar Past

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clary, Renee; Wandersee, James

2009-01-01

The study of polar exploration is fascinating and offers students insights into the history, culture, and politics that affect the developing sciences at the farthest ends of Earth. Therefore, the authors think there is value in incorporating polar exploration accounts within modern science classrooms, and so they conducted research to test their…

On Learning "Less": Language and Cognitive Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holland, V. Melissa; Palermo, David S.

1975-01-01

Two hypotheses concerning children's treatment of "less" as a synonym of "more" were tested with 4- and 5-year-olds. It was hypothesized: (1) that the "less"-"more" distinction can be taught; and (2) that conservation is dependent on the capacity to distinguish "more" and "less". (Author/CS)

A Contingency Model of Conflict and Team Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaw, Jason D.; Zhu, Jing; Duffy, Michelle K.; Scott, Kristin L.; Shih, Hsi-An; Susanto, Ely

2011-01-01

The authors develop and test theoretical extensions of the relationships of task conflict, relationship conflict, and 2 dimensions of team effectiveness (performance and team-member satisfaction) among 2 samples of work teams in Taiwan and Indonesia. Findings show that relationship conflict moderates the task conflict-team performance…

The Peer Influence Paradox: Friendship Quality and Deviancy Training Within Male Adolescent Friendships.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poulin, Francois; Dishion, Thomas J.; Haas, Eric

1999-01-01

Tested hypothesis that primary-influence processes in adolescent friendships are social interactional and that quality of friendship has little to do with development of delinquent behavior. Found that antisocial boys showed poor-quality friendships and low levels of relationship quality. (Author)

Electronic Analysis of Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baggaley, Jon

1982-01-01

Discusses the use of microcomputer-based testing methods in media and community research, with descriptions of the Programme Evaluation Analysis Computer (PEAC) developed for the Ontario Education Communications Authority and of the application of the PEAC system in a study of second-by-second responses to Orson Welles'"War of the…

Selection of an Online Public Access Catalog: A Checklist Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Rourke, Victoria

1987-01-01

The development, field testing, and evaluation of a checklist approach to selecting an integrated library automation system are described, and recommendations for using this approach are outlined. The checklist, which is divided into five main sections of catalog features and functions, is appended. (Author/CLB)

Virtual Environment Training: Auxiliary Machinery Room (AMR) Watchstation Trainer.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hriber, Dennis C.; And Others

1993-01-01

Describes a project implemented at Newport News Shipbuilding that used Virtual Environment Training to improve the performance of submarine crewmen. Highlights include development of the Auxiliary Machine Room (AMR) Watchstation Trainer; Digital Video Interactive (DVI); screen layout; test design and evaluation; user reactions; authoring language;…

Relationships among Ensemble Participation, Private Instruction, and Aural Skill Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

May, William V.; Elliott, Charles A.

1980-01-01

This study sought to determine the relationships that exist among junior high school students' participation in school performing ensembles, those skills measured by the Gaston Test of Musicality, and the number of years of private study on the piano or on ensemble instruments. (Author/SJL)

Testing Skills in Vertebrates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Funk, Mildred Sears; Tosto, Pat

2007-01-01

In this article, the authors present a project that gives students examples of basic skills that many vertebrate species develop as they grow and function in their ecosystem. These activities involve information gathering about surroundings, learning how to use objects, and tracking and searching skills. Different vertebrate species may acquire…

A Note on Costing the Teaching Activity in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birch, D. W.; And Others

1977-01-01

One method of calculating unit costs for the teaching function is explained. A formula is developed for allocating expenditures on the basis of a timetable analysis and tested on data from Lanchester Polytechnic and Loughborough University for the academic year 1972-73. (Author/LBH)

Incompatibility and Mental Fatigue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herzog, Thomas R.; Hayes, Lauren J.; Applin, Rebecca C.; Weatherly, Anna M.

2011-01-01

A straightforward prediction from attention restoration theory is that the level of incompatibility in a person's life should be positively correlated with that person's level of mental (or directed attention) fatigue. The authors tested this prediction by developing a new self-report measure of incompatibility in which they attempted to isolate…

The Pollution Detectives, Part III: Roadside Lead Pollution.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanderson, Phil

1989-01-01

Described is a simple test tube method developed lead analysis of samples of roadside soil. The relationship between the results and the traffic flow indicate car exhausts are the major source of lead pollution. Materials and procedures are detailed. An example of results is provided. (Author/CW)

Student Academic Performance in Undergraduate Managerial-Accounting Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Twaijry, Abdulrahman Ali

2010-01-01

The author's purpose was to identify potential factors possibly affecting student performance in three sequential management-accounting courses: Managerial Accounting (MA), Cost Accounting (CA), and Advanced Managerial Accounting (AMA) within the Saudi Arabian context. The sample, which was used to test the developed hypotheses, included 312…

The development and initial validation of a sensitive bedside cognitive screening test.

PubMed

Faust, D; Fogel, B S

1989-01-01

Brief bedside cognitive examinations such as the Mini-Mental State Examination are designed to detect delirium and dementia but not more subtle or delineated cognitive deficits. Formal neuropsychological evaluation provides greater sensitivity and detects a wider range of cognitive deficits but is too lengthy for efficient use at the bedside or in epidemiological studies. The authors developed the High Sensitivity Cognitive Screen (HSCS), a 20-minute interview-based test, to identify patients who show disorder on formal neuropsychological evaluation. An initial study demonstrated satisfactory test-retest and interrater reliability. The HSCS was then administered to 60 psychiatric and neurological patients with suspected cognitive deficits but without gross impairment, who also completed formal neuropsychological testing. Results of both tests were independently classified as either normal, borderline, or abnormal. The HSCS correctly classified 93% of patients across the normal-abnormal dichotomy and showed promise for characterizing the extent and severity of cognitive dysfunction.

AREVA Team Develops Sump Strainer Blockage Solution for PWRs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Phan, Ray

2006-07-01

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the methodology, testing challenges, and results of testing that a team of experts from Areva NP, Alden Research Laboratory, Inc (ALDEN), and Performance Contracting Inc. (PCI) has developed. The team is currently implementing a comprehensive solution to the issue of Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS) sump strainer blockage facing Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) Nuclear Plants. The team has successfully demonstrated two key results from the testing of passive Sure-FlowTM strainers, which were designed to distribute the required flow over a large surface area resulting in extremely low approach velocities. First, the actualmore » head loss (pressure drop) as tested, across the prototype strainers, was much lower than the calculated head loss using the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved NUREG/CR-6224 head loss correlation. Second, the penetration fractions were much lower than those seen in the NRC sponsored debris penetration tests. (author)« less

E. coli and water quality: Reevaluation of mug tests and development of radical new indole test. Final technical report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chang, G.W.

1992-12-01

The project was undertaken to address the problem of MUG (4-methylumbelliferyl-B-D-glucuronide)-negative E. coli in water testing, and to develop a new, more reliable indole-based test for E. coli. In a study involving 39 healthy human volunteers, it was found that 1/3 of E. coli isolated from fresh human fecal samples tested MUG-negative in lauryl tryptose broth with MUG. It was further discovered: (1) The presence of simple sugars can cause catabolite repression of beta-GUR in a small percentage of E coli. (2) In gene probe studies, almost all E. coli isolates have portions of the uidA (GUR) gene sequence. Basedmore » on these two findings, catabolite repression can only be a partial explanation for the high-rate of GUR-negative E. coli. The authors improved the E. coli confirmatory medium, EC + MUG by removing the lactose, which allows for a stronger MUG test and the inclusion of the more reliable indole test. They called this newly improved medium INDEC, for Indole and EC medium. They later developed Colitag 3, a one-day, single tube indole-based test for E. coli.« less

Non-invasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPD) for single gene disorders: cost analysis of NIPD and invasive testing pathways.

PubMed

Verhoef, Talitha I; Hill, Melissa; Drury, Suzanne; Mason, Sarah; Jenkins, Lucy; Morris, Stephen; Chitty, Lyn S

2016-07-01

Evaluate the costs of offering non-invasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPD) for single gene disorders compared to traditional invasive testing to inform NIPD implementation into clinical practice. Total costs of diagnosis using NIPD or invasive testing pathways were compared for a representative set of single gene disorders. For autosomal dominant conditions, where NIPD molecular techniques are straightforward, NIPD cost £314 less than invasive testing. NIPD for autosomal recessive and X-linked conditions requires more complicated technical approaches and total costs were more than invasive testing, e.g. NIPD for spinal muscular atrophy was £1090 more than invasive testing. Impact of test uptake on costs was assessed using sickle cell disorder as an example. Anticipated high uptake of NIPD resulted in an incremental cost of NIPD over invasive testing of £48 635 per 100 pregnancies at risk of sickle cell disorder. Total costs of NIPD are dependent upon the complexity of the testing technique required. Anticipated increased demand for testing may have economic implications for prenatal diagnostic services. Ethical issues requiring further consideration are highlighted including directing resources to NIPD when used for information only and restricting access to safe tests if it is not cost-effective to develop NIPD for rare conditions. © 2016 The Authors. Prenatal Diagnosis published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2016 The Authors. Prenatal Diagnosis published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Development in children's interpretation of pitch cues to emotions.

PubMed

Quam, Carolyn; Swingley, Daniel

2012-01-01

Young infants respond to positive and negative speech prosody (A. Fernald, 1993), yet 4-year-olds rely on lexical information when it conflicts with paralinguistic cues to approval or disapproval (M. Friend, 2003). This article explores this surprising phenomenon, testing one hundred eighteen 2- to 5-year-olds' use of isolated pitch cues to emotions in interactive tasks. Only 4- to 5-year-olds consistently interpreted exaggerated, stereotypically happy or sad pitch contours as evidence that a puppet had succeeded or failed to find his toy (Experiment 1) or was happy or sad (Experiments 2, 3). Two- and 3-year-olds exploited facial and body-language cues in the same task. The authors discuss the implications of this late-developing use of pitch cues to emotions, relating them to other functions of pitch. © 2011 The Authors. Child Development © 2011 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Small scale photo probability sampling and vegetation classification in southeast Arizona as an ecological base for resource inventory. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, J. R. (Principal Investigator)

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. The broad scale vegetation classification was developed for a 3,200 sq mile area in southeastern Arizona. The 31 vegetation types were derived from association tables which contained information taken at about 500 ground sites. The classification provided an information base that was suitable for use with small scale photography. A procedure was developed and tested for objectively comparing photo images. The procedure consisted of two parts, image groupability testing and image complexity testing. The Apollo and ERTS photos were compared for relative suitability as first stage stratification bases in two stage proportional probability sampling. High altitude photography was used in common at the second stage.

Development and usability testing of a web-based cancer symptom and quality-of-life support intervention.

PubMed

Wolpin, S E; Halpenny, B; Whitman, G; McReynolds, J; Stewart, M; Lober, W B; Berry, D L

2015-03-01

The feasibility and acceptability of computerized screening and patient-reported outcome measures have been demonstrated in the literature. However, patient-centered management of health information entails two challenges: gathering and presenting data using "patient-tailored" methods and supporting "patient-control" of health information. The design and development of many symptom and quality-of-life information systems have not included opportunities for systematically collecting and analyzing user input. As part of a larger clinical trial, the Electronic Self-Report Assessment for Cancer-II project, participatory design approaches were used to build and test new features and interfaces for patient/caregiver users. The research questions centered on patient/caregiver preferences with regard to the following: (a) content, (b) user interface needs, (c) patient-oriented summary, and (d) patient-controlled sharing of information with family, caregivers, and clinicians. Mixed methods were used with an emphasis on qualitative approaches; focus groups and individual usability tests were the primary research methods. Focus group data were content analyzed, while individual usability sessions were assessed with both qualitative and quantitative methods. We identified 12 key patient/caregiver preferences through focus groups with 6 participants. We implemented seven of these preferences during the iterative design process. We deferred development for some of the preferences due to resource constraints. During individual usability testing (n = 8), we were able to identify 65 usability issues ranging from minor user confusion to critical errors that blocked task completion. The participatory development model that we used led to features and design revisions that were patient centered. We are currently evaluating new approaches for the application interface and for future research pathways. We encourage other researchers to adopt user-centered design approaches when building patient-centered technologies. © The Author(s) 2014.

A newly developed tool for classifying study designs in systematic reviews of interventions and exposures showed substantial reliability and validity.

PubMed

Seo, Hyun-Ju; Kim, Soo Young; Lee, Yoon Jae; Jang, Bo-Hyoung; Park, Ji-Eun; Sheen, Seung-Soo; Hahn, Seo Kyung

2016-02-01

To develop a study Design Algorithm for Medical Literature on Intervention (DAMI) and test its interrater reliability, construct validity, and ease of use. We developed and then revised the DAMI to include detailed instructions. To test the DAMI's reliability, we used a purposive sample of 134 primary, mainly nonrandomized studies. We then compared the study designs as classified by the original authors and through the DAMI. Unweighted kappa statistics were computed to test interrater reliability and construct validity based on the level of agreement between the original and DAMI classifications. Assessment time was also recorded to evaluate ease of use. The DAMI includes 13 study designs, including experimental and observational studies of interventions and exposure. Both the interrater reliability (unweighted kappa = 0.67; 95% CI [0.64-0.75]) and construct validity (unweighted kappa = 0.63, 95% CI [0.52-0.67]) were substantial. Mean classification time using the DAMI was 4.08 ± 2.44 minutes (range, 0.51-10.92). The DAMI showed substantial interrater reliability and construct validity. Furthermore, given its ease of use, it could be used to accurately classify medical literature for systematic reviews of interventions although minimizing disagreement between authors of such reviews. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Should we systematically test patients with clinically isolated syndrome for auto-antibodies?

PubMed

Negrotto, Laura; Tur, Carmen; Tintoré, Mar; Arrambide, Georgina; Sastre-Garriga, Jaume; Río, Jordi; Comabella, Manuel; Nos, Carlos; Galán, Ingrid; Vidal-Jordana, Angela; Simon, Eva; Castilló, Joaquín; Palavra, Filipe; Mitjana, Raquel; Auger, Cristina; Rovira, Àlex; Montalban, Xavier

2015-12-01

Several autoimmune diseases (ADs) can mimic multiple sclerosis (MS). For this reason, testing for auto-antibodies (auto-Abs) is often included in the diagnostic work-up of patients with a clinically isolated syndrome (CIS). The purpose was to study how useful it was to systematically determine antinuclear-antibodies, anti-SSA and anti-SSB in a non-selected cohort of CIS patients, regarding the identification of other ADs that could represent an alternative diagnosis. From a prospective CIS cohort, we selected 772 patients in which auto-Ab levels were tested within the first year from CIS. Baseline characteristics of auto-Ab positive and negative patients were compared. A retrospective revision of clinical records was then performed in the auto-Ab positive patients to identify those who developed ADs during follow-up. One or more auto-Ab were present in 29.4% of patients. Only 1.8% of patients developed other ADs during a mean follow-up of 6.6 years. In none of these cases the concurrent AD was considered the cause of the CIS. In all cases the diagnosis of the AD resulted from the development of signs and/or symptoms suggestive of each disease. Antinuclear-antibodies, anti-SSA and anti-SSB should not be routinely determined in CIS patients but only in those presenting symptoms suggestive of other ADs. © The Author(s), 2015.

Ecological risk assessment for DvSnf7 RNA: A plant-incorporated protectant with targeted activity against western corn rootworm.

PubMed

Bachman, Pamela M; Huizinga, Kristin M; Jensen, Peter D; Mueller, Geoffrey; Tan, Jianguo; Uffman, Joshua P; Levine, Steven L

2016-11-01

MON 87411 maize, which expresses DvSnf7 RNA, was developed to provide an additional mode of action to confer protection against corn rootworm (Diabrotica spp.). A critical step in the registration of a genetically engineered crop with an insecticidal trait is performing an ecological risk assessment to evaluate the potential for adverse ecological effects. For MON 87411, an assessment plan was developed that met specific protection goals by characterizing the routes and levels of exposure, and testing representative functional taxa that would be directly or indirectly exposed in the environment. The potential for toxicity of DvSnf7 RNA was evaluated with a harmonized battery of non-target organisms (NTOs) that included invertebrate predators, parasitoids, pollinators, soil biota as well as aquatic and terrestrial vertebrate species. Laboratory tests evaluated ecologically relevant endpoints such as survival, growth, development, and reproduction and were of sufficient duration to assess the potential for adverse effects. No adverse effects were observed with any species tested at, or above, the maximum expected environmental concentration (MEEC). All margins of exposure for NTOs were >10-fold the MEEC. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that exposure to DvSnf7 RNA, both directly and indirectly, is safe for NTOs at the expected field exposure levels. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High-speed civil transport issues and technology program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hewett, Marle D.

1992-01-01

A strawman program plan is presented, consisting of technology developments and demonstrations required to support the construction of a high-speed civil transport. The plan includes a compilation of technology issues related to the development of a transport. The issues represent technical areas in which research and development are required to allow airframe manufacturers to pursue an HSCT development. The vast majority of technical issues presented require flight demonstrated and validated solutions before a transport development will be undertaken by the industry. The author believes that NASA is the agency best suited to address flight demonstration issues in a concentrated effort. The new Integrated Test Facility at NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility is considered ideally suited to the task of supporting ground validations of proof-of-concept and prototype system demonstrations before night demonstrations. An elaborate ground hardware-in-the-loop (iron bird) simulation supported in this facility provides a viable alternative to developing an expensive fill-scale prototype transport technology demonstrator. Drygen's SR-71 assets, modified appropriately, are a suitable test-bed for supporting flight demonstrations and validations of certain transport technology solutions. A subscale, manned or unmanned flight demonstrator is suitable for flight validation of transport technology solutions, if appropriate structural similarity relationships can be established. The author contends that developing a full-scale prototype transport technology demonstrator is the best alternative to ensuring that a positive decision to develop a transport is reached by the United States aerospace industry.

Non-prescription medicines: a process for standards development and testing in community pharmacy.

PubMed

Benrimoj, Shalom Charlie I; Gilbert, Andrew; Quintrell, Neil; Neto, Abilio C de Almeida

2007-08-01

The objective of the study was to develop and test standards of practice for handling non-prescription medicines. In consultation with pharmacy registering authorities, key professional and consumer groups and selected community pharmacists, standards of practice were developed in the areas of Resource Management; Professional Practice; Pharmacy Design and Environment; and Rights and Needs of Customers. These standards defined and described minimum professional activities required in the provision of non-prescription medicines at a consistent and measurable level of practice. Seven standards were described and further defined by 20 criteria, including practice indicators. The Standards were tested in 40 community pharmacies in two States and after further adaptation, endorsed by all Australian pharmacy registering authorities and major Australian pharmacy and consumer organisations. The consultation process effectively engaged practicing pharmacists in developing standards to enable community pharmacists meet their legislative and professional responsibilities. Community pharmacies were audited against a set of standards of practice for handling non-prescription medicines developed in this project. Pharmacies were audited on the Standards at baseline, mid-intervention and post-intervention. Behavior of community pharmacists and their staff in relation to these standards was measured by conducting pseudo-patron visits to participating pharmacies. The testing process demonstrated a significant improvement in the quality of service delivered by staff in community pharmacies in the management of requests involving non-prescription medicines. The use of pseudo-patron visits, as a training tool with immediate feedback, was an acceptable and effective method of achieving changes in practice. Feedback from staff in the pharmacies regarding the pseudo-patron visits was very positive. Results demonstrated the methodology employed was effective in increasing overall compliance with the Standards from a rate of 47.4% to 70.0% (P < 0.01). This project led to a recommendation for the development and execution of a national implementation strategy.

Development and testing of the 'Culture of Care Barometer' (CoCB) in healthcare organisations: a mixed methods study.

PubMed

Rafferty, Anne Marie; Philippou, Julia; Fitzpatrick, Joanne M; Pike, Geoff; Ball, Jane

2017-08-18

Concerns about care quality have prompted calls to create workplace cultures conducive to high-quality, safe and compassionate care and to provide a supportive environment in which staff can operate effectively. How healthcare organisations assess their culture of care is an important first step in creating such cultures. This article reports on the development and validation of a tool, the Culture of Care Barometer, designed to assess perceptions of a caring culture among healthcare workers preliminary to culture change. An exploratory mixed methods study designed to develop and test the validity of a tool to measure 'culture of care' through focus groups and questionnaires. Questionnaire development was facilitated through: a literature review, experts generating items of interest and focus group discussions with healthcare staff across specialities, roles and seniority within three types of public healthcare organisations in the UK. The tool was designed to be multiprofessional and pilot tested with a sample of 467 nurses and healthcare support workers in acute care and then validated with a sample of 1698 staff working across acute, mental health and community services in England. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify dimensions underlying the Barometer. Psychometric testing resulted in the development of a 30-item questionnaire linked to four domains with retained items loading to four factors: organisational values (α=0.93, valid n=1568, M=3.7), team support (α=0.93, valid n=1557, M=3.2), relationships with colleagues (α=0.84, valid n=1617, M=4.0) and job constraints (α=0.70, valid n=1616, M=3.3). The study developed a valid and reliable instrument with which to gauge the different attributes of care culture perceived by healthcare staff with potential for organisational benchmarking. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Design and development of a 40 kV pierce electron gun

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bhattacharjee, D.; Tiwari, R.; Jayaprakash, D., E-mail: dhruva.bhattacharjee@gmail.com

A 40 kV electron gun is designed and developed using the Pierce configuration for the focusing electrode. Simulations were carried out using CST Particle Studio. The Gun is a thermionic type electron gun with indirect heating of the LaB6 cathode. The gun is capable of delivering a beam current of more than 500 mA at 40 kV with a beam size of less than 5 mm. The cathode assembly consists of cups and heat shields made out of Tantalum and Rhenium sheets. The cathode assembly and the electron gun was fabricated, assembled and tested on test bench for cathode conditioning,more » HV conditioning and beam characterization. This paper presents the gun design, particle simulations study, testing of the gun on test bench. (author)« less

Developing and testing new smoking measures for the Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set.

PubMed

Pbert, Lori; Vuckovic, Nancy; Ockene, Judith K; Hollis, Jack F; Riedlinger, Karen

2003-04-01

To develop and test items for the Health Plan Employee Data and Information Set (HEDIS) that assess delivery of the full range of provider-delivered tobacco interventions. The authors identified potential items via literature review; items were reviewed by national experts. Face validity of candidate items was tested in focus groups. The final survey was sent to a random sample of 1711 adult primary care patients; the re-test survey was sent to self-identified smokers. The process identified reliable items to capture provider assessment of motivation and provision of assistance and follow-up. One can reliably assess patient self-report of provider delivery of the full range of brief tobacco interventions. Such assessment and feedback to health plans and providers may increase use of evidence-based brief interventions.

Automatic Parameter Tuning for the Morpheus Vehicle Using Particle Swarm Optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birge, B.

2013-01-01

A high fidelity simulation using a PC based Trick framework has been developed for Johnson Space Center's Morpheus test bed flight vehicle. There is an iterative development loop of refining and testing the hardware, refining the software, comparing the software simulation to hardware performance and adjusting either or both the hardware and the simulation to extract the best performance from the hardware as well as the most realistic representation of the hardware from the software. A Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) based technique has been developed that increases speed and accuracy of the iterative development cycle. Parameters in software can be automatically tuned to make the simulation match real world subsystem data from test flights. Special considerations for scale, linearity, discontinuities, can be all but ignored with this technique, allowing fast turnaround both for simulation tune up to match hardware changes as well as during the test and validation phase to help identify hardware issues. Software models with insufficient control authority to match hardware test data can be immediately identified and using this technique requires very little to no specialized knowledge of optimization, freeing model developers to concentrate on spacecraft engineering. Integration of the PSO into the Morpheus development cycle will be discussed as well as a case study highlighting the tool's effectiveness.

Guide to Academic Research Career Development

PubMed Central

Smith, Richard J.; Graboyes, Evan M.; Paniello, Randal C.; Paul Gubbels, Samuel

2016-01-01

Objectives/Hypothesis Development of an academic career easily follows a clinical course for which there are multiple role models; however, development of an academic research career involves few role models, and rarely do instructional guides reach out to the new faculty. The purpose of this article is to present the cumulative experiences of previously and currently funded authors to serve as a guide to young as well as older faculty for developing their research careers. Study Design Cumulative experiences of research‐dedicated faculty. Methods This article is the result of lessons learned from developing a Triological Society National Physician‐Scientist Program and Network, as well as the cumulative experiences of the authors. Results Table I illustrates key elements in developing a serious research career. Table II records the career courses of five surgeon‐scientists, highlighting the continued theme focus with theme‐specific publications and progressive grants. These cumulative experiences have face validity but have not been objectively tested. The value added is a composite of 50 years of experiences from authors committed to research career development for themselves and others. Conclusion Crucial elements in developing a research career are a desire for and commitment to high‐quality research, a focus on an overall theme of progressive hypothesis‐driven investigations, research guidance, a willingness to spend the time required, and an ability to learn from and withstand failure. Level of Evidence 5. PMID:28894799

A Note on Verification of Computer Simulation Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aigner, Dennis J.

1972-01-01

Establishes an argument that questions the validity of one test'' of goodness-of-fit (the extent to which a series of obtained measures agrees with a series of theoretical measures) for the simulated time path of a simple endogenous (internally developed) variable in a simultaneous, perhaps dynamic econometric model. (Author)

Industrialism and Modernity: Economic and Noneconomic Orientations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sofranko, Andrew J.; Fliegel, Frederick C.

1977-01-01

The impact of employment at four different levels of industry on workers' value orientations in Ghana, India, Brazil, and the United States were assessed. Using data from workers in the different work settings, two modernity indexes were developed to test hypotheses on value change and on cross-cultural convergence. (Author/NQ)

Intergenerational Exchange and Subjective Well-being among the Elderly.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Gary R.; Ellithorpe, Eugene

1982-01-01

Focused on the exchange of aid between older persons and their children. Hypotheses regarding relationships between mutual aid and the morale of the elderly were developed and tested on a sample of 403 parents aged 60 and over. No relationships between morale and the exchange of aid were found. (Author)

Prediction of Child Performance on a Parent-Child Behavioral Approach Test with Animal Phobic Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ollendick, Thomas H.; Lewis, Krystal M.; Cowart, Maria J. W.; Davis, Thompson, III

2012-01-01

A host of factors including genetic influences, temperament characteristics, learning experiences, information processing biases, parental psychopathology, and specific parenting practices have been hypothesized to contribute to the development and expression of children's phobias. In the present study, the authors focused on parental…

The Nervous System Game

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corbitt, Cynthia; Carpenter, Molly

2006-01-01

For many children, especially those with reading difficulties, a motor-kinesthetic learning activity may be an effective tool to teach complex concepts. With this in mind, the authors developed and tested a game designed to teach fourth- to sixth-grade children some basic principles of nervous system function by allowing the children themselves to…

Heat pipe technology: A biblography with abstracts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

A bibliography of heat pipe research and development projects conducted during April through June 1972, is presented. The subjects discussed are: (1) general information, (2) heat pipe applications, (3) heat pipe theory, (4) design and fabrication, (5) test and operation, (6) subject and author index, and (7) heat pipe related patents.

Attention of 4-Month Infants to Discrepancy and Babyishness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCall, Robert B.; Kennedy, Cynthia Bellows

1980-01-01

Four facial stimuli derived from the Bolton standards of craniofacial development representing a human male at 6 months, 3, 8, and 18 years of age were used in a test of Lorenz's concept of babyishness and of the discrepancy hypothesis. Subjects were 87 four-month-old infants. (Author/MP)

Is "Being Green" a Determinant of Participation in University Sustainability Initiatives?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Figueredo, Felita R.; Tsarenko, Yelena

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to develop and test a model to explain students' willingness to participate in sustainability programs. Specifically, the authors aimed to determine those factors, apart from students' environmental orientation (self-perception of "being green"), that influence students' willingness to participate…

Self-Defense Training for Visually Impaired Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pava, W. S.; And Others

1991-01-01

This article describes the development and pilot testing of a curriculum to teach rape prevention and self-defense skills to visually impaired women. As a result of the course, five visually impaired women improved their physical self-defense skills, self-confidence, and problem-solving ability in hypothetically dangerous situations. (Author/DB)

Reliability of Test Scores in Nonparametric Item Response Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sijtsma, Klaas; Molenaar, Ivo W.

1987-01-01

Three methods for estimating reliability are studied within the context of nonparametric item response theory. Two were proposed originally by Mokken and a third is developed in this paper. Using a Monte Carlo strategy, these three estimation methods are compared with four "classical" lower bounds to reliability. (Author/JAZ)

Transit Car Performance Comparison, State-of-the-Art Car vs. PATCO Transit Car, NYCTA R-46, MBTA Silverbirds

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-02-01

The first phase of this contract authorized the design, development, and demonstration of two State-Of-The-Art Cars (SOAC). This document reports on the gathering of comparative test data on existing in-service transit cars. The three transit cars se...

18 CFR 157.215 - Underground storage testing and development.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 7 OF THE NATURAL GAS ACT Interstate Pipeline Blanket Certificates and Authorization Under Section 7..., construct and operate natural gas pipeline and compression facilities, including injection, withdrawal, and... the gas bubble. This map need not be filed if there is no material change from the map previously...

An Interview with Lawrence M. Lieberman.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Academic Therapy, 1986

1986-01-01

An interview with L. Lieberman, a teacher educator and author, touches on such topics as departmentalization at the secondary and elementary level, the use of triple level tests to allow students to stay in mainstreamed settings, and the importance of emphasizing skill development rather than subject matter instruction in secondary resource rooms.…

Circus of Light

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matkins, Juanita Jo; McDonnough, Jacqueline

2004-01-01

This article describes the light-based science circus the authors developed and tested with a fifth-grade class at Blackwell Elementary School in Richmond, Virginia. A science circus is a set of activities done in any order that together illustrate complementary properties of a science topic. As in a traditional circus, several "performances"…

NOVEL ECONOMICAL HG(0) OXIDATION REAGENT FOR MERCURY EMISSIONS CONTROL FROM COAL-FIRED BOILERS

EPA Science Inventory

The authors have developed a novel economical additive for elemental mercury (Hg0) removal from coal-fired boilers. The oxidation reagent was rigorously tested in a lab-scale fixed-bed column with the Norit America's FGD activated carbon (DOE's benchmark sorbent) in a typical PRB...

[Urban employment and internal migration in Peru].

PubMed

Cotlear, D

1984-06-01

The relationship between internal migration and employment problems in Peru is examined. The author argues that regional differences in income distribution are the primary causes of migration, particularly to urban areas. A model of the migration process is developed and tested using data from official sources, surveys, and the published literature.

Using Electronic Portfolios for Second Language Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cummins, Patricia W.; Davesne, Celine

2009-01-01

Portfolio assessment as developed in Europe presents a learner-empowering alternative to computer-based testing. The authors present the European Language Portfolio (ELP) and its American adaptations, LinguaFolio and the Global Language Portfolio, as tools to be used with the Common European Framework of Reference for languages and the American…

A Class Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobson, Linda

2005-01-01

In this article, the author discusses a partnership between Baylor University and the Waco public schools that embeds every teacher-candidate--from the freshman year on--into the K-12 system. To test whether professional-development schools, modeled after teaching hospitals, can be scaled up so that all of a college's teaching candidates--not just…

AIDS in the Workplace: Fighting Fear with Facts and Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lutgen, Lorraine

1987-01-01

The author provides background on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and reviews employers' responsibilities both to infected employees and all employees. She recommends that organizations develop a policy on the issue, including when AIDS testing will be used. AIDS training of all employees is discussed. (CH)

Cost Accounting and Analysis for University Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leimkuhler, Ferdinand F.; Cooper, Michael D.

1971-01-01

The approach to library planning studied in this paper is the use of accounting models to measure library costs and implement program budgets. A cost-flow model for a university library is developed and tested with historical data from the General Library at the University of California, Berkeley. (4 references) (Author)

Heat pipe technology. A bibliography with abstracts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

This bibliography cites 55 publications on the theory, design, development, fabrication, and testing of heat pipes. Applications covered include solar, nuclear, and thermoelectric energy conversion. A book (in Russian) on low temperature heat pipes is included as well as abstracts when available. Indexes provided list authors, titles/keywords (permuted) and patents.

Development and Flight Test of an Active Flutter Suppression System for the F-4F with Stores. Part I. Design of the Active Flutter Suppression System.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-09-01

of the wing-pylon-store changed considerably with excitation amplitude due to free play and preload. The active flutter suppression system worked well and provided an increase in flutter speed. (Author)

Investigating differences in driver accident involvement : the influence of perceptual motor competence, competitive athletics, and gender

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-04-01

This report presents the results of a study to determine if skills developed in competitive athletics transfer to driving ability, and whether such transfer is mediated by gender. To test these questions, the authors compared the driving ability of m...

50 CFR 218.177 - Renewal of Letters of Authorization and adaptive management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... adaptive management. 218.177 Section 218.177 Wildlife and Fisheries NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE..., Development, Test, and Evaluation Activities in the Naval Sea System Command (NAVSEA) Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Keyport Range Complex and the Associated Proposed Extensions Study Area § 218.177 Renewal...

50 CFR 218.177 - Renewal of Letters of Authorization and adaptive management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... adaptive management. 218.177 Section 218.177 Wildlife and Fisheries NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE..., Development, Test, and Evaluation Activities in the Naval Sea System Command (NAVSEA) Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Keyport Range Complex and the Associated Proposed Extensions Study Area § 218.177 Renewal...

50 CFR 218.177 - Renewal of Letters of Authorization and adaptive management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... adaptive management. 218.177 Section 218.177 Wildlife and Fisheries NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE..., Development, Test, and Evaluation Activities in the Naval Sea System Command (NAVSEA) Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Keyport Range Complex and the Associated Proposed Extensions Study Area § 218.177 Renewal...

50 CFR 218.177 - Renewal of Letters of Authorization and adaptive management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... adaptive management. 218.177 Section 218.177 Wildlife and Fisheries NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE..., Development, Test, and Evaluation Activities in the Naval Sea System Command (NAVSEA) Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Keyport Range Complex and the Associated Proposed Extensions Study Area § 218.177 Renewal...

Resource Material Developed for Secondary Education: 18 Booklets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oatland Island Education Center, Savannah, GA.

Each Learning Activity Packet in this series delineates performance objectives, procedures, materials, and references. Some also contain pre- and post-tests. They are primarily intended for the secondary level. The topics are: (1) Noise Pollution; (2) Georgia Ports Authority: Its Environmental Impact; (3) Environmental Experiencing; (4) Me in My…

Putting Nano-Tex to the Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kao,Yvonne S; Zenner, Greta M.; Gimm, J. Aura

2005-01-01

Nanotechnology deals with machines, materials, and structures and their behaviors at the scale of atoms and molecules, or the nanoscale. By working on this scale, scientists are able to create enhanced materials with desirable properties, such as stain-resistance. The authors developed the activity described in this article to introduce middle…

Ethnic and Demographic Variables and Achievement Scores of Preschool Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Ralph; Smith, James E.

1972-01-01

Findings suggest that family environmental process variables, as well as Ss' gain scores on the Concepts subtest of the Iowa Test of Preschool Development, are particularly sensitive measures than can be employed to identify children who are, or are not, profiting from cognitive-enrichment programs. (Author)

Systems and Cycles: Learning about Aquatic Ecosystems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hmelo-Silver, Cindy E.; Jordan, Rebecca; Eberbach, Catherine; Rugaber, Spencer; Goel, Ashok

2011-01-01

In this research, the authors present both the design and preliminary testing of a technology-intensive classroom intervention designed to support middle schools students' understanding of an aquatic ecosystem. The goals of their intervention are to help learners develop deep understanding of ecosystems and to use tools that make the relationships…

The Relations of Motivational Traits with Workplace Deviance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diefendorff, James M.; Mehta, Kajal

2007-01-01

The authors developed and tested new theoretical relations between approach and avoidance motivational traits and deviant work behaviors. Approach motivation was divided into 3 traits: personal mastery (i.e., desire to achieve), competitive excellence (i.e., desire to perform better than others), and behavioral activation system (BAS) sensitivity…

ADCIS Conference Proceedings. International Conference (29th, Oakland, California, November 9-12, 1987).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Association for the Development of Computer-based Instructional Systems.

These proceedings include papers on such topics as authoring systems, computer-managed instruction, testing, instructional design, management education, simulations, intelligent computer-assisted instruction, and other areas related to computer-based education. Fifty-six papers and 104 abstracts are organized by Association for the Development of…

Which Mechanisms Explain Monetary Returns to International Student Mobility?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kratz, Fabian; Netz, Nicolai

2018-01-01

The authors develop a conceptual framework explaining monetary returns to international student mobility (ISM). Based on data from two German graduate panel surveys, they test this framework using growth curve models and Oaxaca-Blinder decompositions. The results indicate that ISM-experienced graduates enjoy a steeper wage growth after graduation…

Evaluation of Computer-Assisted Instruction in Principles of Economics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coates, Dennis; Humphreys, Brad R.

2001-01-01

Assesses the effectiveness of supplementary Web-based materials and activities in traditional introductory college economics courses. Results suggest that faculty should focus more on developing self-test quizzes and effective bulletin board discussion projects as opposed to generating online content related to text or lecture notes. (Author/LRW)

Integrating Incremental Learning and Episodic Memory Models of the Hippocampal Region

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meeter, M.; Myers, C. E.; Gluck, M. A.

2005-01-01

By integrating previous computational models of corticohippocampal function, the authors develop and test a unified theory of the neural substrates of familiarity, recollection, and classical conditioning. This approach integrates models from 2 traditions of hippocampal modeling, those of episodic memory and incremental learning, by drawing on an…

BASIC EDUCATION FOR SPANISH-SPEAKING DISADVANTAGED PUPILS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

OTT, ELIZABETH H.

A BILINGUAL EDUCATION PROGRAM HAS BEEN FIELD TESTED IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, IN CLASSES OF DISADVANTAGED MEXICAN-AMERICAN CHILDREN. THIS SOUTHWEST EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LABORATORY (SWEDL) PROGRAM IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO TEACHING FRENCH ACADIANS AND NEGRO AMERICANS. THE STRENGTH OF THE PROGRAM, ACCORDING TO THE AUTHOR, LIES IN WHAT IT DOES TO CHANGE…

Adaptive wall wind tunnels: A selected, annotated bibliography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tuttle, M. H.; Mineck, R. E.

1986-01-01

This bibliography, with abstracts, consists of 257 citations arranged in chronological order. Selection of the citations was made for their value to researchers working to solve problems associated with reducing wall interference by the design, development, and operation of adaptive wall test sections. Author, source, and subject indexes are included.

Language Research Sponsored by ONR

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

skill in diagnosing problems with an avionics test station, an Air Force project. The existing tutor has been evaluated in workplace training and...of the same term. Comments on text coherence could then be derived. In conjunction with a project to develop a system to aid the authors of Navy...on the development of a text critiquing system that might enhance the capabilities of AIM. Kieras reviewed the psycholinguistic research literature

FR/HR Sewing Thread

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

position unless so designated by other authorized documents. Citation of trade names in this report does not constitute an official endorsement or...project to design and develop a Fire Resistant (FR) and Heat Resistant (HR) sewing thread. The main goal of the project is to produce sewing threads made...addresses the design , development and testing of various Fire Resistant (FR)/Heat Resistant (HR) sewing threads for US Army applications. Such a sewing

Army Research Office Workshop on Dynamic Response of Composite Structures Held in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 30-September 1, 1993

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-04-01

were then fibrous composites and a detailed machined at the mid-span using a rotating saw understanding of these materials response to blade. The...Cruciform shaped samples were used. Testing was performed on a Most work on joints in composite biaxial machine developed and built plates or shells...Apr 94 Final 1 Feb 93-30 Sep 93 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE S. FUNDING NUMBERS Dynamic Response of Composite Structures DAAHO4-93-G-0052 IL AUTHOR(S) David

Drug development and nonclinical to clinical translational databases: past and current efforts.

PubMed

Monticello, Thomas M

2015-01-01

The International Consortium for Innovation and Quality (IQ) in Pharmaceutical Development is a science-focused organization of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The mission of the Preclinical Safety Leadership Group (DruSafe) of the IQ is to advance science-based standards for nonclinical development of pharmaceutical products and to promote high-quality and effective nonclinical safety testing that can enable human risk assessment. DruSafe is creating an industry-wide database to determine the accuracy with which the interpretation of nonclinical safety assessments in animal models correctly predicts human risk in the early clinical development of biopharmaceuticals. This initiative aligns with the 2011 Food and Drug Administration strategic plan to advance regulatory science and modernize toxicology to enhance product safety. Although similar in concept to the initial industry-wide concordance data set conducted by International Life Sciences Institute's Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI/ILSI), the DruSafe database will proactively track concordance, include exposure data and large and small molecules, and will continue to expand with longer duration nonclinical and clinical study comparisons. The output from this work will help identify actual human and animal adverse event data to define both the reliability and the potential limitations of nonclinical data and testing paradigms in predicting human safety in phase 1 clinical trials. © 2014 by The Author(s).

EFFECTOF ISOLATION WALL USING SCRAP TIRE ON GROUND VIBRATION REDUCTION

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kashimoto, Takahiko; Kashimoto, Yusuke; Hayakawa, Kiyoshi; Matsui, Tamotsu; Fujimoto, Hiroaki

Some countermeasure methods against the environmental ground vibration caused by some traffic vibrations have been proposed so far. The authors have developed a new type ground vibration isolation wall using scrap tire, and evaluated its effectiveness on the ground vibration reduction by full scale field tests. In this paper, the authors discussed and examined the effectiveness of the developed countermeasure method by two field tests. The one concerns on the effect of scrap tire as soft material of vibration isolation wall, and the other on the effect of the developed countermeasure method practically applied in a residential area close to monorail traffic. As the results, it was elucidated that the ground vibration of 2-3 dB was reduced in case of two times volume of the soft material, the conversion ratio of the vibration energy of the soft material to the kinetic energy was higher than that of the core material of PHC pile, the vibration acceleration of 0.19 - 1.26 gal was reduced by the developed countermeasure method in case of the monorail traffic, and the vibration reduction measured behind the isolation wall agreed well with the proposed theoretical value, together with confirming the effectiveness of the ground vibration isolation wall using scrap tire as the countermeasure method against the environmental ground vibration.

Males that drop a sexually selected weapon grow larger testes.

PubMed

Joseph, Paul N; Emberts, Zachary; Sasson, Daniel A; Miller, Christine W

2018-01-01

Costly sexually selected weapons are predicted to trade off with postcopulatory traits, such as testes. Although weapons can be important for achieving access to females, individuals of some species can permanently drop (i.e. autotomize) their weapons, without regeneration, to escape danger. We capitalized on this natural behavior to experimentally address whether the loss of a sexually selected weapon leads to increased testes investment in the leaf-footed cactus bug, Narnia femorata Stål (Hemiptera: Coreidae). In a second experiment, we measured offspring production for males that lost a weapon during development. As predicted, males that dropped a hind limb during development grew significantly larger testes than the control treatments. Hind-limb autotomy did not result in the enlargement of other nearby traits. Our results are the first to experimentally demonstrate that males compensate for natural weapon loss by investing more in testes. In a second experiment we found that females paired with males that lost a hind limb had 40% lower egg hatching success than females paired with intact males, perhaps because of lower mating receptivity to males with a lost limb. Importantly, in those cases where viable offspring were produced, males missing a hind limb produced 42% more offspring than males with intact limbs. These results suggest that the loss of a hind-limb weapon can, in some cases, lead to greater fertilization success. © 2017 The Author(s). Evolution © 2017 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Development of phytotoxicity tests using wetland species

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nelson, M.K.; Fairchild, J.F.

1994-12-31

Laboratory phytotoxicity tests used to assess contaminant effects may not effectively protect wetland communities. The authors are developing routine culture and testing methods for selected fresh water plants, that can be used in risk assessments and monitoring of existing wetland systems. Utility of these tests includes evaluating the effects of point or non-point source contamination that may cause water or sediment quality degradation. Selected species include algae (blue-green, green), phytoflagellates (Chlamydomonas, Euglena), and floating or submerged vascular plants (milfoil, coontail, wild celery, elodea, duckweed). Algae toxicity tests range from 2-d, 4-d, and 7 day tests, and macrophyte tests from 10-dmore » to 14 days. Metribuzin and boron are the selected contaminants for developing the test methods. Metribuzin, a triazinone herbicide, is a photosystem 11 inhibitor, and is commonly used for control of grass and broad-leaf plants. As a plant micronutrient, boron is required in very small amounts, but excessive levels can result in phytotoxicity or accumulation. The investigations focus on the influence of important factors including the influence of light quality and quantity, and nutrient media. Reference toxicant exposures with potassium chloride are used to establish baseline data for sensitivity and vitality of the plants. These culture and test methods will be incorporated into recommendations for standard phytotoxicity test designs.« less

Development of Crystallizer for Advanced Aqueous Reprocessing Process

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tadahiro Washiya; Atsuhiro Shibata; Toshiaki Kikuchi

2006-07-01

Crystallization is one of the remarkable technologies for future fuel reprocessing process that has safety and economical advantages. Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) (former Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute), Mitsubishi Material Corporation and Saitama University have been developing the crystallization process. In previous study, we carried out experimental studies with uranium, MOX and spent fuel conditions, and flowsheet analysis was considered. In association with these studies, an innovative continuous crystallizer and its system was developed to ensure high process performance. From the design study, an annular type continuous crystallizer was selected as the most promising design, and performance was confirmedmore » by small-scale test and engineering scale demonstration at uranium crystallization conditions. In this paper, the design study and the demonstration test results are described. (authors)« less

Measurement of Submerged Oil/Gas Leaks using ROV Video

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaffer, Franklin; de Vera, Giorgio; Lee, Kenneth; Savas, Ömer

2013-11-01

Drilling for oil or gas in the Gulf of Mexico is increasing rapidly at depths up to three miles. The National Commission on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Leak concluded that inaccurate estimates of the leak rate from the Deepwater Horizon caused an inadequate response and attempts to cap the leak to fail. The first response to a submerged oil/gas leak will be to send a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) down to view the leak. During the response to the Deepwater Horizon crisis, the authors Savas and Shaffer were members of the Flow Rate Technical Group's Plume Team who used ROV video to develop the FRTG's first official estimates of the oil leak rate. Savas and Shaffer developed an approach using the larger, faster jet features (e.g., turbulent eddies, vortices, entrained particles) in the near-field developing zone to measure discharge rates. The authors have since used the Berkeley Tow Tank to test this approach on submerged dye-colored water jets and compressed air jets. Image Correlation Velocimetry has been applied to measure the velocity of visible features. Results from tests in the Berkeley Tow Tank and submerged oil jets in the OHMSETT facility will be presented.

76 FR 55653 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-08

...Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations parts 1500-1508), and Executive Order 12114, the Department of the Navy (DoN) announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement (OEIS) to evaluate the potential environmental effects associated with maintaining military readiness training and research, development, testing, and evaluation (hereafter referred to as ``training and testing'') activities conducted in the Mariana Islands Training and Testing (MITT) EIS/OEIS Study Area. The MITT Study Area includes the existing Mariana Islands Range Complex (MIRC), additional areas on the high seas, and a general transit corridor between Hawaii to MITT where training and testing activities may occur. The MIRC is the only major Navy range complex in the Study Area. The DoN is preparing this EIS/OEIS to renew current regulatory permits and authorizations, address current training and testing not covered under existing permits and authorizations, and to obtain those permits and authorizations necessary to support force structure changes and emerging and future training and testing requirements including those associated with new platforms and weapons systems within the MITT Study Area, starting in 2015, thereby ensuring critical Department of Defense (DoD) requirements are met. The DoN will invite the National Marine Fisheries Service, United States (U.S.) Fish and Wildlife Service (Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office), and U.S. Air Force, to be cooperating agencies in preparation of the EIS/OEIS.

Computer simulation of solder joint failure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burchett, S.N.; Frear, D.R.; Rashid, M.M.

The thermomechanical fatigue failure of solder joints is increasingly becoming an important reliability issue for electronic packages. The purpose of this Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project was to develop computational tools for simulating the behavior of solder joints under strain and temperature cycling, taking into account the microstructural heterogeneities that exist in as-solidified near eutectic Sn-Pb joints, as well as subsequent microstructural evolution. The authors present two computational constitutive models, a two-phase model and a single-phase model, that were developed to predict the behavior of near eutectic Sn-Pb solder joints under fatigue conditions. Unique metallurgical tests provide themore » fundamental input for the constitutive relations. The two-phase model mathematically predicts the heterogeneous coarsening behavior of near eutectic Sn-Pb solder. The finite element simulations with this model agree qualitatively with experimental thermomechanical fatigue tests. The simulations show that the presence of an initial heterogeneity in the solder microstructure could significantly degrade the fatigue lifetime. The single-phase model was developed to predict solder joint behavior using materials data for constitutive relation constants that could be determined through straightforward metallurgical experiments. Special thermomechanical fatigue tests were developed to give fundamental materials input to the models, and an in situ SEM thermomechanical fatigue test system was developed to characterize microstructural evolution and the mechanical behavior of solder joints during the test. A shear/torsion test sample was developed to impose strain in two different orientations. Materials constants were derived from these tests. The simulation results from the two-phase model showed good fit to the experimental test results.« less

Research, Development and Testing of a Fault-Tolerant FPGA-Based Sequencer for CubeSat Launching Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

amounts of time and effort to implement. Future testing with commercial, fault-tolerant synthesis software, under a radiation environment, will yield ...initial viewpoint of the author is to take the flash-based FPGA route. This will yield a simple, reconfigurable circuit while providing the added...structure seen in Figure 30. Each of these full adder blocks were replaced in subsequent iterations to yield proper comparison with this baseline

The Effect of the Laboratory Specimen on Fatigue Crack Growth Rate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Forth, S. C.; Johnston, W. M.; Seshadri, B. R.

2006-01-01

Over the past thirty years, laboratory experiments have been devised to develop fatigue crack growth rate data that is representative of the material response. The crack growth rate data generated in the laboratory is then used to predict the safe operating envelope of a structure. The ability to interrelate laboratory data and structural response is called similitude. In essence, a nondimensional term, called the stress intensity factor, was developed that includes the applied stresses, crack size and geometric configuration. The stress intensity factor is then directly related to the rate at which cracks propagate in a material, resulting in the material property of fatigue crack growth response. Standardized specimen configurations and experimental procedures have been developed for laboratory testing to generate crack growth rate data that supports similitude of the stress intensity factor solution. In this paper, the authors present laboratory fatigue crack growth rate test data and finite element analyses that show similitude between standard specimen configurations tested using the constant stress ratio test method is unobtainable.

Intestinal biomechanics simulator for robotic capsule endoscope validation.

PubMed

Slawinski, Piotr R; Oleynikov, Dmitry; Terry, Benjamin S

2015-01-01

This work describes the development and validation of a novel device which simulates important forces experienced by Robotic Capsule Endoscopes (RCE) in vivo in the small intestine. The purpose of the device is to expedite and lower the cost of RCE development. Currently, there is no accurate in vitro test method nor apparatus to validate new RCE designs; therefore, RCEs are tested in vivo at a cost of ∼$1400 per swine test. The authors have developed an in vitro RCE testing device which generates two peristaltic waves to accurately simulate the two biomechanical actions of the human small intestine that are most relevant to RCE locomotion: traction force and contact force. The device was successfully calibrated to match human physiological ranges for traction force (4-40 gf), contact force (80-500 gf) and peristaltic wave propagation speed (0.08-2 cm s(-1)) for a common RCE capsule geometry of 3.5 cm length and 1.5 cm diameter.

Alternative methods for the median lethal dose (LD(50)) test: the up-and-down procedure for acute oral toxicity.

PubMed

Rispin, Amy; Farrar, David; Margosches, Elizabeth; Gupta, Kailash; Stitzel, Katherine; Carr, Gregory; Greene, Michael; Meyer, William; McCall, Deborah

2002-01-01

The authors have developed an improved version of the up-and-down procedure (UDP) as one of the replacements for the traditional acute oral toxicity test formerly used by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development member nations to characterize industrial chemicals, pesticides, and their mixtures. This method improves the performance of acute testing for applications that use the median lethal dose (classic LD50) test while achieving significant reductions in animal use. It uses sequential dosing, together with sophisticated computer-assisted computational methods during the execution and calculation phases of the test. Staircase design, a form of sequential test design, can be applied to acute toxicity testing with its binary experimental endpoints (yes/no outcomes). The improved UDP provides a point estimate of the LD50 and approximate confidence intervals in addition to observed toxic signs for the substance tested. It does not provide information about the dose-response curve. Computer simulation was used to test performance of the UDP without the need for additional laboratory validation.

International regulatory requirements for skin sensitization testing.

PubMed

Daniel, Amber B; Strickland, Judy; Allen, David; Casati, Silvia; Zuang, Valérie; Barroso, João; Whelan, Maurice; Régimbald-Krnel, M J; Kojima, Hajime; Nishikawa, Akiyoshi; Park, Hye-Kyung; Lee, Jong Kwon; Kim, Tae Sung; Delgado, Isabella; Rios, Ludmila; Yang, Ying; Wang, Gangli; Kleinstreuer, Nicole

2018-06-01

Skin sensitization test data are required or considered by chemical regulation authorities around the world. These data are used to develop product hazard labeling for the protection of consumers or workers and to assess risks from exposure to skin-sensitizing chemicals. To identify opportunities for regulatory uses of non-animal replacements for skin sensitization tests, the needs and uses for skin sensitization test data must first be clarified. Thus, we reviewed skin sensitization testing requirements for seven countries or regions that are represented in the International Cooperation on Alternative Test Methods (ICATM). We noted the type of skin sensitization data required for each chemical sector and whether these data were used in a hazard classification, potency classification, or risk assessment context; the preferred tests; and whether alternative non-animal tests were acceptable. An understanding of national and regional regulatory requirements for skin sensitization testing will inform the development of ICATM's international strategy for the acceptance and implementation of non-animal alternatives to assess the health hazards and risks associated with potential skin sensitizers. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

78 FR 76191 - Operational Tests and Inspections for Compliance With Maximum Authorized Train Speeds and Other...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-16

... Tests and Inspections for Compliance With Maximum Authorized Train Speeds and Other Speed Restrictions... safety advisory; Operational tests and inspections for compliance with maximum authorized train speeds and other speed restrictions. SUMMARY: FRA is issuing Safety Advisory 2013-08 to stress to railroads...

Associating co-authorship patterns with publications in high-impact journals.

PubMed

Bales, Michael E; Dine, Daniel C; Merrill, Jacqueline A; Johnson, Stephen B; Bakken, Suzanne; Weng, Chunhua

2014-12-01

To develop a method for investigating co-authorship patterns and author team characteristics associated with the publications in high-impact journals through the integration of public MEDLINE data and institutional scientific profile data. For all current researchers at Columbia University Medical Center, we extracted their publications from MEDLINE authored between years 2007 and 2011 and associated journal impact factors, along with author academic ranks and departmental affiliations obtained from Columbia University Scientific Profiles (CUSP). Chi-square tests were performed on co-authorship patterns, with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons, to identify team composition characteristics associated with publication impact factors. We also developed co-authorship networks for the 25 most prolific departments between years 2002 and 2011 and counted the internal and external authors, inter-connectivity, and centrality of each department. Papers with at least one author from a basic science department are significantly more likely to appear in high-impact journals than papers authored by those from clinical departments alone. Inclusion of at least one professor on the author list is strongly associated with publication in high-impact journals, as is inclusion of at least one research scientist. Departmental and disciplinary differences in the ratios of within- to outside-department collaboration and overall network cohesion are also observed. Enrichment of co-authorship patterns with author scientific profiles helps uncover associations between author team characteristics and appearance in high-impact journals. These results may offer implications for mentoring junior biomedical researchers to publish on high-impact journals, as well as for evaluating academic progress across disciplines in modern academic medical centers. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A diagnostic approach to hemochromatosis

PubMed Central

Tavill, Anthony S; Adams, Paul C

2006-01-01

In the present clinical review, a diagnostic approach to hemochromatosis is discussed from the perspective of two clinicians with extensive experience in this area. The introduction of genetic testing and large-scale population screening studies have broadened our understanding of the clinical expression of disease and the utility of biochemical iron tests for the detection of disease and for the assessment of disease severity. Liver biopsy has become more of a prognostic test than a diagnostic test. The authors offer a stepwise, diagnostic algorithm based on current evidence-based data, that they regard as most cost-effective. An early diagnosis can lead to phlebotomy therapy to prevent the development of cirrhosis. PMID:16955151

Requirement for a standard language for test and ground operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Medlock, J. R.

1971-01-01

The basic requirements for a standard test and checkout language applicable to all phases of the space shuttle test and ground operations are determined. The general characteristics outlined here represent the integration of selected ideas and concepts from operational elements within Kennedy Space Center (KSC) that represent diverse disciplines associated with space vehicle testing and launching operations. Special reference is made to two studies conducted in this area for KSC as authorized by the Advanced Development Element of the Office of Manned Space Flight (MSF). Information contained in reports from these studies have contributed significantly to the final selection of language features depicted in this technical report.

Exposure to violence across the social ecosystem and the development of aggression: a test of ecological theory in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

PubMed

Boxer, Paul; Rowell Huesmann, L; Dubow, Eric F; Landau, Simha F; Gvirsman, Shira Dvir; Shikaki, Khalil; Ginges, Jeremy

2013-01-01

Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological model proposes that events in higher order social ecosystems should influence human development through their impact on events in lower order social ecosystems. This proposition was tested with respect to ecological violence and the development of children's aggression via analyses of 3 waves of data (1 wave yearly for 3 years) from 3 age cohorts (starting ages: 8, 11, and 14) representing three populations in the Middle East: Palestinians (N = 600), Israeli Jews (N = 451), and Israeli Arabs (N = 450). Results supported a hypothesized model in which ethnopolitical violence increases community, family, and school violence and children's aggression. Findings are discussed with respect to ecological and observational learning perspectives on the development of aggressive behavior. © 2012 The Authors. Child Development © 2012 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boverhof, Joshua R.; Agawal, Deborah A.; Jackson, Keith R.

Nettest is a secure, real-time network utility. The nettest framework is designed to incorporate existing and new network tests, and be run as a daemon or an interactive process. Requests for network tests are received via a SSL connection or the user interface and are authorized using a ACL list (in the future authorization using Akenti will also be supported). For tests that require coordination between the two ends of the test, Nettest establishes an SSL connection to accomplish this coordination. A test between two remote computers can be requested via the user interlace if the Nettest daemon is runningmore » on both remote machines and the user is authorized. Authorization for the test is through a chain of trust estabtished by the nettest daemons. Nettest is responsible for determining if the test request is authorized, but it does nothing further to secure the test once the test is running. Currently the Nettest framework incorporates lperf-vl.2, a simple ping type test, and a tuned TCP test that uses a given required throughput and ping results to determine the round trip time to set a buffer size (based on the delay bandwidth product) and then performs an iperf TCP throughput test. Additional network test tools can be integrated into the Nettest framework in the future.« less

'Seed + expand': a general methodology for detecting publication oeuvres of individual researchers.

PubMed

Reijnhoudt, Linda; Costas, Rodrigo; Noyons, Ed; Börner, Katy; Scharnhorst, Andrea

2014-01-01

The study of science at the individual scholar level requires the disambiguation of author names. The creation of author's publication oeuvres involves matching the list of unique author names to names used in publication databases. Despite recent progress in the development of unique author identifiers, e.g., ORCID, VIVO, or DAI, author disambiguation remains a key problem when it comes to large-scale bibliometric analysis using data from multiple databases. This study introduces and tests a new methodology called seed + expand for semi-automatic bibliographic data collection for a given set of individual authors. Specifically, we identify the oeuvre of a set of Dutch full professors during the period 1980-2011. In particular, we combine author records from a Dutch National Research Information System (NARCIS) with publication records from the Web of Science. Starting with an initial list of 8,378 names, we identify 'seed publications' for each author using five different approaches. Subsequently, we 'expand' the set of publications in three different approaches. The different approaches are compared and resulting oeuvres are evaluated on precision and recall using a 'gold standard' dataset of authors for which verified publications in the period 2001-2010 are available.

41 CFR 300-80.4 - How many test programs may be authorized by GSA throughout the government?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false How many test programs may be authorized by GSA throughout the government? 300-80.4 Section 300-80.4 Public Contracts and... TEST PROGRAMS § 300-80.4 How many test programs may be authorized by GSA throughout the government? No...

Physical employment standards for U.K. fire and rescue service personnel.

PubMed

Blacker, S D; Rayson, M P; Wilkinson, D M; Carter, J M; Nevill, A M; Richmond, V L

2016-01-01

Evidence-based physical employment standards are vital for recruiting, training and maintaining the operational effectiveness of personnel in physically demanding occupations. (i) Develop criterion tests for in-service physical assessment, which simulate the role-related physical demands of UK fire and rescue service (UK FRS) personnel. (ii) Develop practical physical selection tests for FRS applicants. (iii) Evaluate the validity of the selection tests to predict criterion test performance. Stage 1: we conducted a physical demands analysis involving seven workshops and an expert panel to document the key physical tasks required of UK FRS personnel and to develop 'criterion' and 'selection' tests. Stage 2: we measured the performance of 137 trainee and 50 trained UK FRS personnel on selection, criterion and 'field' measures of aerobic power, strength and body size. Statistical models were developed to predict criterion test performance. Stage 3: matter experts derived minimum performance standards. We developed single person simulations of the key physical tasks required of UK FRS personnel as criterion and selection tests (rural fire, domestic fire, ladder lift, ladder extension, ladder climb, pump assembly, enclosed space search). Selection tests were marginally stronger predictors of criterion test performance (r = 0.88-0.94, 95% Limits of Agreement [LoA] 7.6-14.0%) than field test scores (r = 0.84-0.94, 95% LoA 8.0-19.8%) and offered greater face and content validity and more practical implementation. This study outlines the development of role-related, gender-free physical employment tests for the UK FRS, which conform to equal opportunities law. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

New heterogeneous test statistics for the unbalanced fixed-effect nested design.

PubMed

Guo, Jiin-Huarng; Billard, L; Luh, Wei-Ming

2011-05-01

When the underlying variances are unknown or/and unequal, using the conventional F test is problematic in the two-factor hierarchical data structure. Prompted by the approximate test statistics (Welch and Alexander-Govern methods), the authors develop four new heterogeneous test statistics to test factor A and factor B nested within A for the unbalanced fixed-effect two-stage nested design under variance heterogeneity. The actual significance levels and statistical power of the test statistics were compared in a simulation study. The results show that the proposed procedures maintain better Type I error rate control and have greater statistical power than those obtained by the conventional F test in various conditions. Therefore, the proposed test statistics are recommended in terms of robustness and easy implementation. ©2010 The British Psychological Society.

Feasibility study for locating archaeological village sites by satellite remote sensing techniques. [multispectral photography of Alaska

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, J. P. (Principal Investigator); Stringer, W. J.

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. The objective is to determine the feasibility of detecting large Alaskan archaeological sites by satellite remote sensing techniques and mapping such sites. The approach used is to develop digital multispectral signatures of dominant surface features including vegetation, exposed soils and rock, hydrological patterns and known archaeological sites. ERTS-1 scenes are then printed out digitally in a map-like array with a letter reflecting the most appropriate classification representing each pixel. Preliminary signatures were developed and tested. It was determined that there was a need to tighten up the archaeological site signature by developing accurate signatures for all naturally-occurring vegetation and surface conditions in the vicinity of the test area. These second generation signatures have been tested by means of computer printouts and classified tape displays on the University of Alaska CDU-200 and by comparison with aerial photography. It has been concluded that the archaeological signatures now in use are as good as can be developed. Plans are to print out signatures for the entire test area and locate on topographic maps the likely locations of archaeological sites within the test area.

Changing tracks as situations change: humanitarian and health response along the Liberia-Côte d'Ivoire border.

PubMed

Derderian, Katharine

2014-10-01

In recent years, protracted crises and fragile post-conflict settings have challenged the co-existence, and even the linear continuum, of relief and development aid. Forced migration has tested humanitarian and development paradigms where sudden-onset emergencies, violence and displacement arise alongside ongoing development work. Drawing on Médecins Sans Frontières interventions in the region from December 2010 to May 2011, this paper examines aid and healthcare responses to displacement in Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia; it focuses on challenges to the maintenance of preparedness for such foreseeable emergencies and to adaptation in response to changing situations of displacement and insecurity. This 'backsliding' from development to emergency remains a substantial challenge to aid; yet, in exactly such cases, it also presents the opportunity to ensure access to medical care that is much more urgently needed in times of crisis, including the suspension of user fees for medical care. © 2014 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2014.

[Recent developments on the European ban on animal experiments for cosmetics].

PubMed

Ruhdel, I W

2001-01-01

For the second time the European Commission has postponed the sales ban on cosmetics products that have been developed and tested in animal experiments now until 2002. In the meantime the Commission wants to adopt the Seventh Amendment of the EU Cosmetics Directive. In its draft the Commission proposes to scrap the sales ban and replace it with an animal testing ban. This change would avoid possible conflicts with the WTO, however, from the animal welfare point of view would result in animal testing moving into third countries instead of avoiding them. This is because cosmetics products tested on animals outside the EU could be sold in the EU without any restrictions. As a consequence this measure would take the pressure from authorities and industry to further develop and adopt alternative methods. Other proposed measures are not acceptable from the animal welfare point of view, e.g. because they contradict Directive 86/609 and would result in a delay of the application of validated alternative methods. The Deutscher Tierschutzbund therefore still demands an immediate and complete sales ban in connection with an animal testing ban within the EU.

Development of American Sign Language Guidelines for K-12 Academic Assessments.

PubMed

Higgins, Jennifer A; Famularo, Lisa; Cawthon, Stephanie W; Kurz, Christopher A; Reis, Jeanne E; Moers, Lori M

2016-10-01

The U.S. federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was enacted with goals of closing achievement gaps and providing all students with access to equitable and high-quality instruction. One requirement of ESSA is annual statewide testing of students in grades 3-8 and once in high school. Some students, including many deaf or hard-of-hearing (D/HH) students, are eligible to use test supports, in the form of accommodations and accessibility tools, during state testing. Although technology allows accommodations and accessibility tools to be embedded within a digital assessment system, the success of this approach depends on the ability of test developers to appropriately represent content in accommodated forms. The Guidelines for Accessible Assessment Project (GAAP) sought to develop evidence- and consensus-based guidelines for representing test content in American Sign Language. In this article, we present an overview of GAAP, review of the literature, rationale, qualitative and quantitative research findings, and lessons learned. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Analytical Validation of the ReEBOV Antigen Rapid Test for Point-of-Care Diagnosis of Ebola Virus Infection.

PubMed

Cross, Robert W; Boisen, Matthew L; Millett, Molly M; Nelson, Diana S; Oottamasathien, Darin; Hartnett, Jessica N; Jones, Abigal B; Goba, Augustine; Momoh, Mambu; Fullah, Mohamed; Bornholdt, Zachary A; Fusco, Marnie L; Abelson, Dafna M; Oda, Shunichiro; Brown, Bethany L; Pham, Ha; Rowland, Megan M; Agans, Krystle N; Geisbert, Joan B; Heinrich, Megan L; Kulakosky, Peter C; Shaffer, Jeffrey G; Schieffelin, John S; Kargbo, Brima; Gbetuwa, Momoh; Gevao, Sahr M; Wilson, Russell B; Saphire, Erica Ollmann; Pitts, Kelly R; Khan, Sheik Humarr; Grant, Donald S; Geisbert, Thomas W; Branco, Luis M; Garry, Robert F

2016-10-15

Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a severe viral illness caused by Ebola virus (EBOV). The 2013-2016 EVD outbreak in West Africa is the largest recorded, with >11 000 deaths. Development of the ReEBOV Antigen Rapid Test (ReEBOV RDT) was expedited to provide a point-of-care test for suspected EVD cases. Recombinant EBOV viral protein 40 antigen was used to derive polyclonal antibodies for RDT and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay development. ReEBOV RDT limits of detection (LOD), specificity, and interference were analytically validated on the basis of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance. The ReEBOV RDT specificity estimate was 95% for donor serum panels and 97% for donor whole-blood specimens. The RDT demonstrated sensitivity to 3 species of Ebolavirus (Zaire ebolavirus, Sudan ebolavirus, and Bundibugyo ebolavirus) associated with human disease, with no cross-reactivity by pathogens associated with non-EBOV febrile illness, including malaria parasites. Interference testing exhibited no reactivity by medications in common use. The LOD for antigen was 4.7 ng/test in serum and 9.4 ng/test in whole blood. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction testing of nonhuman primate samples determined the range to be equivalent to 3.0 × 10 5 -9.0 × 10 8 genomes/mL. The analytical validation presented here contributed to the ReEBOV RDT being the first antigen-based assay to receive FDA and World Health Organization emergency use authorization for this EVD outbreak, in February 2015. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

The efficacy of a highly concentrated fluoride dentifrice on bovine enamel subjected to erosion and abrasion.

PubMed

Rios, Daniela; Magalhães, Ana Carolina; Polo, Renata Ocon Braga; Wiegand, Annette; Attin, Thomas; Buzalaf, Marilia Afonso Rabelo

2008-12-01

Researchers have proposed the use of fluoride for the prevention of enamel wear; however, only limited information is available about the impact of fluoridated dentifrices. Because tooth wear is a well-recognized dental problem, the authors conducted an in situ, ex vivo study to assess the efficacy of a highly concentrated fluoride dentifrice on bovine enamel subjected to erosion and abrasion. The authors conducted a double-blind, crossover in situ study consisting of three phases (seven days each). In each phase, the authors tested one of the dentifrices (5,000 parts per million fluoride [F]; 1,100 ppm F; no F). They performed erosive challenges with the use of cola drink (60 seconds, four times per day) and abrasive challenges via toothbrushing (30 seconds, four times per day). The authors determined the enamel loss via profilometry. The authors tested the data by using two-way analysis of variance (P < .05). For the erosion-plus-abrasion condition, the study results showed that enamel wear was significantly higher than that with erosion alone. The findings showed no significant differences between the dentifrices regarding enamel wear. Within the in situ, ex vivo conditions of this study, the authors concluded that the highly concentrated fluoride dentifrice did not have a protective effect on enamel against erosion and erosion plus toothbrushing abrasion. Patients at risk of developing enamel erosion should benefit from preventive measures other than fluoride dentifrice, because even a highly concentrated fluoride dentifrice does not appear to prevent enamel erosion.

41 CFR 300-90.2 - Who may authorize test programs?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 4 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Who may authorize test programs? 300-90.2 Section 300-90.2 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Travel Regulation System GENERAL AGENCY REQUIREMENTS 90-TELEWORK TRAVEL EXPENSES TEST PROGRAMS § 300-90.2 Who may authorize...

Prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus in Europe: A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Eades, Claire E; Cameron, Dawn M; Evans, Josie M M

2017-07-01

Estimates of the prevalence of gestational diabetes vary widely. It is important to have a clear understanding of the prevalence of this condition to be able to plan interventions and health care provision. This paper describes a meta-analysis of primary research data reporting the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus in the general pregnant population of developed countries in Europe. Four electronic databases were systematically searched in May 2016. English language articles reporting gestational diabetes mellitus prevalence using universal screening in general pregnant population samples from developed countries in Europe were included. All papers identified by the search were screened by one author, and then half screened independently by a second author and half by a third author. Data were extracted by one author. Values for the measures of interest were combined using a random effects model and analysis of the effects of moderator variables was carried out. A total of 3258 abstracts were screened, with 40 studies included in the review. Overall prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus was 5.4% (3.8-7.8). Maternal age, year of data collection, country, area of Europe, week of gestation at testing, and diagnostic criteria were found to have a significant univariate effect on GDM prevalence, and area, week of gestation at testing and year of data collection remained statistically significant in multivariate analysis. Quality category was significant in multivariate but not univariate analysis. This meta-analysis shows prevalence of GDM that is at the upper end of previous estimates in Europe. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The healthcare professional and the Bolam test.

PubMed

Jones, J W

2000-03-11

This article will cover the history of the tort of negligence and how the judgement in the case of Donoghue v Stevenson enabled the courts to 'develop the law' to allow the concept of a 'duty of care' to develop which was extended to include healthcare professionals. The Bolam test is then described and how it has come to play such a prominent role in assisting the courts to assess if an appropriate standard has been achieved in medical negligence litigation. Attempts by the courts to move away from Bolam are discussed and the difficulties encountered because of the reluctance of the appellate courts to approve such decisions. Finally the recent House of Lords decision in Bolitho v City and Hackney Health Authority is examined and the implications this may have on the Bolam test.

CHALLENGES IN SETTING UP QUALITY CONTROL IN DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY FACILITIES IN NIGERIA.

PubMed

Inyang, S O; Egbe, N O; Ekpo, E

2015-01-01

The Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) was established to regulate and control the use of radioactive and radiation emitting sources in Nigeria. Quality control (QC) on diagnostic radiology equipment form part of the fundamental requirements for the authorization of diagnostic radiology facilities in the Country. Some quality control tests (output, exposure linearity and reproducibility) were measured on the x-ray machines in the facilities that took part in the study. Questionnaire was developed to evaluate the frequencies at which QC tests were conducted in the facilities and the challenges in setting up QC. Results show great variation in the values of the QC parameters measured. Inadequate cooperation by facilities management, lack of QC equipment and insufficient staff form the major challenges in setting up QC in the facilities under study. The responses on the frequencies at which QC tests should be conducted did not correspond to the recommended standards; indicating that personnel were not familiar with QC implementation and may require further training on QC.

Development and verification of real-time controllers for the F/A-18 vertical fin buffet load alleviation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yong; Viresh, Wickramasinghe; Zimcik, David

2006-03-01

Twin-tail fighter aircraft such as the F/A-18 may experience intense buffet loads at high angles of attack flight conditions and the broadband buffet loads primarily excite the first bending and torsional modes of the vertical fin that results in severe vibration and dynamic stresses on the vertical fin structures. To reduce the premature fatigue failure of the structure and to increase mission availability, a novel hybrid actuation system was developed to actively alleviate the buffet response of a full-scale F/A-18 vertical fin. A hydraulic rudder actuator was used to control the bending mode of the fin by engaging the rudder inertial force. Multiple Macro Fiber Composites actuators were surface mounted to provide induced strain actuation authority to control the torsional mode. Experimental system identification approach was selected to obtain a state-space model of the system using open-loop test data. An LQG controller was developed to minimize the dynamic response of the vertical fin at critical locations. Extensive simulations were conducted to evaluate the control authority of the actuators and the performance of the controller under various buffet load cases and levels. Closed-loop tests were performed on a full-scale F/A-18 empennage and the results validated the effectiveness of the real-time controller as well as the development methodology. In addition, the ground vibration test demonstrated that the hybrid actuation system is a feasible solution to alleviate the vertical tail buffet loads in high performance fighter aircraft.

Design of clinical trials for therapeutic cancer vaccines development.

PubMed

Mackiewicz, Jacek; Mackiewicz, Andrzej

2009-12-25

Advances in molecular and cellular biology as well as biotechnology led to definition of a group of drugs referred to as medicinal products of advanced technologies. It includes gene therapy products, somatic cell therapeutics and tissue engineering. Therapeutic cancer vaccines including whole cell tumor cells vaccines or gene modified whole cells belong to somatic therapeutics and/or gene therapy products category. The drug development is a multistep complex process. It comprises of two phases: preclinical and clinical. Guidelines on preclinical testing of cell based immunotherapy medicinal products have been defined by regulatory agencies and are available. However, clinical testing of therapeutic cancer vaccines is still under debate. It presents a serious problem since recently clinical efficacy of the number of cancer vaccines has been demonstrated that focused a lot of public attention. In general clinical testing in the current form is very expensive, time consuming and poorly designed what may lead to overlooking of products clinically beneficial for patients. Accordingly regulatory authorities and researches including Cancer Vaccine Clinical Trial Working Group proposed three regulatory solutions to facilitate clinical development of cancer vaccines: cost-recovery program, conditional marketing authorization, and a new development paradigm. Paradigm includes a model in which cancer vaccines are investigated in two types of clinical trials: proof-of-principle and efficacy. The proof-of-principle trial objectives are: safety; dose selection and schedule of vaccination; and demonstration of proof-of-principle. Efficacy trials are randomized clinical trials with objectives of demonstrating clinical benefit either directly or through a surrogate. The clinical end points are still under debate.

Contact Analysis of Nominally Flat Surfaces

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-01

to analyze the simple case of Hertz-contact (a spherical body in contact with a rigid flat plane) and determine the change in contact area with...next major area was in the Hertz Contact Theory. This area allowed the authors to develop an analytical solution. The third major area was in the... bodies came into contact with one another. This research concluded with the development and testing of the Finite Element Analysis Program (FEAP) using

Interesting Developments in Testing Methods Applied to Foundation Piles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sobala, Dariusz; Tkaczyński, Grzegorz

2017-10-01

Both: piling technologies and pile testing methods are a subject of current development. New technologies, providing larger diameters or using in-situ materials, are very demanding in terms of providing proper quality of execution of works. That concerns the material quality and continuity which define the integral strength of pile. On the other side we have the capacity of the ground around the pile and its ability to carry the loads transferred by shaft and pile base. Inhomogeneous nature of soils and a relatively small amount of tested piles imposes very good understanding of small amount of results. In some special cases the capacity test itself form an important cost in the piling contract. This work presents a brief description of selected testing methods and authors remarks based on cooperation with Universities constantly developing new ideas. Paper presents some experience based remarks on integrity testing by means of low energy impact (low strain) and introduces selected (Polish) developments in the field of closed-end pipe piles testing based on bi-directional loading, similar to Osterberg idea, but without sacrificial hydraulic jack. Such test is suitable especially when steel piles are used for temporary support in the rivers, where constructing of conventional testing appliance with anchor piles or kentledge meets technical problems. According to the author’s experience, such tests were not yet used on the building site but they bring a real potential especially, when the displacement control can be provided from the river bank using surveying techniques.

Commissioning and field tests of a van-mounted system for the detection of radioactive sources and Special Nuclear Material

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cester, D.; Lunardon, M.; Stevanato, L.

2015-07-01

MODES SNM project aimed to carry out technical research in order to develop a prototype for a mobile, modular detection system for radioactive sources and Special Nuclear Materials (SNM). Its main goal was to deliver a tested prototype of a modular mobile system capable of passively detecting weak or shielded radioactive sources with accuracy higher than that of currently available systems. By the end of the project all the objectives have been successfully achieved. Results from the laboratory commissioning and the field tests will be presented. (authors)

Non-inferiority tests for anti-infective drugs using control group quantiles.

PubMed

Fay, Michael P; Follmann, Dean A

2016-12-01

In testing for non-inferiority of anti-infective drugs, the primary endpoint is often the difference in the proportion of failures between the test and control group at a landmark time. The landmark time is chosen to approximately correspond to the qth historic quantile of the control group, and the non-inferiority margin is selected to be reasonable for the target level q. For designing these studies, a troubling issue is that the landmark time must be pre-specified, but there is no guarantee that the proportion of control failures at the landmark time will be close to the target level q. If the landmark time is far from the target control quantile, then the pre-specified non-inferiority margin may not longer be reasonable. Exact variable margin tests have been developed by Röhmel and Kieser to address this problem, but these tests can have poor power if the observed control failure rate at the landmark time is far from its historic value. We develop a new variable margin non-inferiority test where we continue sampling until a pre-specified proportion of failures, q, have occurred in the control group, where q is the target quantile level. The test does not require any assumptions on the failure time distributions, and hence, no knowledge of the true [Formula: see text] control quantile for the study is needed. Our new test is exact and has power comparable to (or greater than) its competitors when the true control quantile from the study equals (or differs moderately from) its historic value. Our nivm R package performs the test and gives confidence intervals on the difference in failure rates at the true target control quantile. The tests can be applied to time to cure or other numeric variables as well. A substantial proportion of new anti-infective drugs being developed use non-inferiority tests in their development, and typically, a pre-specified landmark time and its associated difference margin are set at the design stage to match a specific target control quantile. If through changing standard of care or selection of a different population the target quantile for the control group changes from its historic value, then the appropriateness of the pre-specified margin at the landmark time may be questionable. Our proposed test avoids this problem by sampling until a pre-specified proportion of the controls have failed. © The Author(s) 2016.

Cocurrent scrubber evaluation TVA's Colbert Lime--Limestone Wet-Scrubbing Pilot Plant. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robards, R.F.; Moore, N.D.; Kelso, T.M.

1979-01-01

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is actively engaged in a pilot plant program to develop and/or evaluate wet-scrubbing processes for removing sulfur dioxide (SO/sub 2/) from boiler flue gas. The physical size and general arrangement of flue gas scrubbing systems have a major impact on capital investment and operating cost, as do potential operating and maintenance advantages inherent to some systems. The equipment configuration for a cocurrent scrubber reflects some of these advantages. EPRI funded TVA to perform preliminary screening tests of TVA's 1 MW pilot plant (Colbert Steam Plant) to develop operating data on the cocurrent design for usemore » in designing and operating a 10 MW prototype cocurrent scrubber at TVA's Shawnee Scrubber Test Facility. Results of the Colbert tests showed excellent sulfur dioxide removal efficiencies, generally greater than 85%, low pressure drop, and high particulate removal efficiencies. This report covers these screening tests.« less

Auditory Perception, Suprasegmental Speech Processing, and Vocabulary Development in Chinese Preschoolers.

PubMed

Wang, Hsiao-Lan S; Chen, I-Chen; Chiang, Chun-Han; Lai, Ying-Hui; Tsao, Yu

2016-10-01

The current study examined the associations between basic auditory perception, speech prosodic processing, and vocabulary development in Chinese kindergartners, specifically, whether early basic auditory perception may be related to linguistic prosodic processing in Chinese Mandarin vocabulary acquisition. A series of language, auditory, and linguistic prosodic tests were given to 100 preschool children who had not yet learned how to read Chinese characters. The results suggested that lexical tone sensitivity and intonation production were significantly correlated with children's general vocabulary abilities. In particular, tone awareness was associated with comprehensive language development, whereas intonation production was associated with both comprehensive and expressive language development. Regression analyses revealed that tone sensitivity accounted for 36% of the unique variance in vocabulary development, whereas intonation production accounted for 6% of the variance in vocabulary development. Moreover, auditory frequency discrimination was significantly correlated with lexical tone sensitivity, syllable duration discrimination, and intonation production in Mandarin Chinese. Also it provided significant contributions to tone sensitivity and intonation production. Auditory frequency discrimination may indirectly affect early vocabulary development through Chinese speech prosody. © The Author(s) 2016.

Numerical Activities of Daily Living - Financial (NADL-F): A tool for the assessment of financial capacities.

PubMed

Arcara, Giorgio; Burgio, Francesca; Benavides-Varela, Silvia; Toffano, Roberta; Gindri, Patrizia; Tonini, Elisabetta; Meneghello, Francesca; Semenza, Carlo

2017-09-07

Financial capacity is the ability to manage one's own finances according to self-interests. Failure in financial decisions and lack of independence when dealing with money can affect people's quality of life and are associated with neuropsychological deficits or clinical conditions such as mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease. Despite the importance of evaluating financial capacity in the assessment of patients with neuropsychological and psychiatric disorders, only a few tools have been developed. In the present article, the authors introduce the Numerical Activities of Daily Living - Financial (NADL-F) test, a new test to assess financial capacity in clinical populations. The NADL-F is relatively short, yet it encompasses the most common activities involving financial capacities. The NADL-F proved to have satisfactory psychometric properties and overall good validity for measuring financial abilities. Associations with performance on basic neuropsychological tests were investigated, in particular focusing on mathematical abilities as cognitive correlates of financial capacity. Results indicate that the NADL-F could be a useful tool to guide treatments for the enhancement of financial capacities. By sharing all materials and procedures, the authors hope to promote the development of further versions of the NADL-F in different languages, taking into account the necessary adjustments related to different socio-cultural contexts.

Quality control procedures for dynamic treatment delivery techniques involving couch motion.

PubMed

Yu, Victoria Y; Fahimian, Benjamin P; Xing, Lei; Hristov, Dimitre H

2014-08-01

In this study, the authors introduce and demonstrate quality control procedures for evaluating the geometric and dosimetric fidelity of dynamic treatment delivery techniques involving treatment couch motion synchronous with gantry and multileaf collimator (MLC). Tests were designed to evaluate positional accuracy, velocity constancy and accuracy for dynamic couch motion under a realistic weight load. A test evaluating the geometric accuracy of the system in delivering treatments over complex dynamic trajectories was also devised. Custom XML scripts that control the Varian TrueBeam™ STx (Serial #3) axes in Developer Mode were written to implement the delivery sequences for the tests. Delivered dose patterns were captured with radiographic film or the electronic portal imaging device. The couch translational accuracy in dynamic treatment mode was 0.01 cm. Rotational accuracy was within 0.3°, with 0.04 cm displacement of the rotational axis. Dose intensity profiles capturing the velocity constancy and accuracy for translations and rotation exhibited standard deviation and maximum deviations below 3%. For complex delivery involving MLC and couch motions, the overall translational accuracy for reproducing programmed patterns was within 0.06 cm. The authors conclude that in Developer Mode, TrueBeam™ is capable of delivering dynamic treatment delivery techniques involving couch motion with good geometric and dosimetric fidelity.

Survival analysis in telemetry studies: The staggered entry design

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pollock, K.H.; Winterstein, S.R.; Bunck, C.M.; Curtis, P.D.

1989-01-01

A simple description of the Kaplan-Meier procedure is presented with an example using northern bobwhite quail survival data. The Kaplan- Meier procedure was then generalized to allow gradual (or staggered) entry of animals into the study, allowing animals being lost (or censored) due to radio failure, radio loss, or emigration of the animal from the study area. Additionally, the applicability and generalization of the log rank test, a test to compare two survival distributions, was demonstrated. Computer program was developed and is available from authors.

Planning Concepts to Sustain, Develop, and Test Complex Naval Combat Systems at the Surface Combat Systems Center, Wallops Island, Virginia

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-03-01

as Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC). The addition of CEC makes it a hub for Battle Group Integration Testing (BGIT) that can replicate Radar and...Link performance characteristics for naval battle groups . 2 3. The closure of the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility (AFWTF), Vieques Island...different authors and groups over the past ten years. The intention is to analyze this information, combine it where appropriate, present it in one

Assessing the Dimensions and Outcomes of an Effective Teammate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crutchfield, Tammy N.; Klamon, Kimberly

2014-01-01

Though teamwork is a mainstay of corporate America and business academia, individual assessment and compensation are problematic in disciplining and removing teammates who are free-riders and rewarding high performing team members who bear a disproportionate burden of the project. Therefore, the authors set out to develop and test an assessment…

Reduced Autobiographical Memory Specificity Predicts Depression and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder after Recent Trauma

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kleim, Birgit; Ehlers, Anke

2008-01-01

In this prospective longitudinal study, the authors examined the relationship between reduced specificity in autobiographical memory retrieval and the development of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and specific phobia after injury in an assault. Assault survivors (N = 203) completed the Autobiographical Memory Test (J. M. G.…

Integrating Gender and Group Differences into Bridging Strategy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yilmaz, Serkan; Eryilmaz, Ali

2010-01-01

The main goal of this study was to integrate gender and group effect into bridging strategy in order to assess the effect of bridging analogy-based instruction on sophomore students' misconceptions in Newton's Third Law. Specifically, the authors developed and benefited from anchoring analogy diagnostic test to merge the effect of group and gender…

Using Experiential Learning to Teach Entrepreneurship: A Study with Brazilian Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krakauer, Patricia Viveiros de Castro; Serra, Fernando Antonio Ribeiro; de Almeida, Martinho Isnard Ribeiro

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide further understanding of entrepreneurship education, seeking to comprehend the use of experience in this context. Based on the theory of experiential learning, the authors sought to develop and test a conceptual model for teaching entrepreneurship at the undergraduate degree level.…

3-D Interpolation in Object Perception: Evidence from an Objective Performance Paradigm

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kellman, Philip J.; Garrigan, Patrick; Shipley, Thomas F.; Yin, Carol; Machado, Liana

2005-01-01

Object perception requires interpolation processes that connect visible regions despite spatial gaps. Some research has suggested that interpolation may be a 3-D process, but objective performance data and evidence about the conditions leading to interpolation are needed. The authors developed an objective performance paradigm for testing 3-D…

Investigating Toothpastes through Inquiry-Based Practical Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheung, Derek

2005-01-01

This authentic inquiry-based chemistry experiment provides high school students with an opportunity to investigate the effect of toothpastes on the rate of tooth decay. Students need to design and carry out a fair test to compare the effects of different brands of toothpaste. The author has developed rubrics for assessing students' planning skills…

Sex and Class Differences in Parent-Child Interaction: A Test of Kohn's Hypothesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gecas, Viktor; Nye, F. Ivan

1974-01-01

This paper focuses on Melvin Kohn's suggestive hypothesis that white-collar parents stress the development of internal standards of conduct in their children while blue-collar parents are more likely to react on the basis of the consequences of the child's behavior. This hypothesis was supported. (Author)

Development and Validation of Discriminant Analysis Models for Student Loan Defaultees and Non-Defaultees.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myers, Greeley; Siera, Steven

1980-01-01

Default on guaranteed student loans has been increasing. The use of discriminant analysis as a technique to identify "good" v "bad" student loans based on information available from the loan application is discussed. Research to test the ability of models to such predictions is reported. (Author/MLW)

Is "Learning without Limits" a Framework of Values?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Booth, Tony

2015-01-01

In this article the author connects his own work with Brian Simon's writing on IQ (intelligence quotient) testing and selection and with the Learning without Limits project. He discusses the significance he gives to a values framework in the development of education and asks whether "Learning without Limits," in part, stands for a…

xyZET: A Simulation Program for Physics Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartel, Hermann

2000-01-01

Discusses xyZET, a simulation program that allows 3D-space in numerous experiments in basic mechanics and electricity and was developed to support physics teaching. Tests course material for 11th grade at German high schools under classroom conditions and reports on their stability and effectiveness. (Contains 15 references.) (Author/YDS)

The Analysis of Discourse as Evaluation of Productive Thinking.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tripp, D. H.

This paper provides a thorough description of a method of analyzing and scoring group discussions from a particular point of view. After discussing shortcomings of traditional methods of reporting data from group discussions and problems inherent in the use of paper-and-pencil creativity tests, the author describes a method which was developed as…

Context in Text: The Development of Oral and Written Language in Two Genres.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pellegrini, A. D.; And Others

1984-01-01

Tests Halliday's model of context/text relationships and how these relationships vary for 71 children in first, second, and third grades. Children produced oral and written messages about a circus in narrative and persuasive genres. Texts were analyzed for elements of linguistic cohesion and length of clausal themes. (Author/CB)

Assessment Research in the Context of Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tittle, Carol Kehr

Commemorating the work of Anne Cleary, the author considers the need for research on assessment in the practice context, provides an example of research in context, and proposes general areas of development for assessment research in the context of practice. Research has shown that effects of testing programs on practice are often not those that…

Heat pipe technology: A bibliography with abstracts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

The annual supplement on heat pipe technology for 1971 is presented. The document contains 101 references with abstracts and 47 patents. The subjects discussed are: (1) heat pipe applications, (2) heat pipe theory, (3) design, development, and fabrication of heat pipes, (4) testing and operation, (5) subject and author index, and (6) heat pipe related patents.

Stereotype Threat Vulnerability: A Psychometric Investigation of the Social Identities and Attitudes Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Leann V.; Cokley, Kevin

2016-01-01

The authors investigated the psychometric properties of the Social Identities and Attitudes Scale developed by Picho and Brown, which captures an individual's vulnerability to Stereotype Threat effects. Confirmatory factor analyses and group invariance tests conducted on a diverse sample of 516 college students revealed adequate reliability and…

Real Estate Values, School Quality, and the Pattern of Urban Development in Charlotte, North Carolina.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jud, G. Donald; Watts, James M.

1981-01-01

A model is constructed to test the comparative effects of public schools' racial composition and academic quality on neighborhood housing prices. Empirical results suggest that a school's academic quality (measured by reading levels) is a stronger determinant of local housing costs than its racial composition. (Author/RW)

Creating Significant Learning Experiences in a Large Undergraduate Psychology Class: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fallahi, Carolyn R.; LaMonaca, Frank H., Jr.

2009-01-01

The authors redesigned a Lifespan Development course using Fink's (2003) taxonomy of significant learning and measured changes across his six domains: Knowledge, Application, Integration, Human Dimension, Caring, and Learning How to Learn. Using case studies and group work, 151 undergraduates completed identical pre- and post-tests that measured…

Enhancing SCORM Metadata for Assessment Authoring in E-Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Wen-Chih; Hsu, Hui-Huang; Smith, Timothy K.; Wang, Chun-Chia

2004-01-01

With the rapid development of distance learning and the XML technology, metadata play an important role in e-Learning. Nowadays, many distance learning standards, such as SCORM, AICC CMI, IEEE LTSC LOM and IMS, use metadata to tag learning materials. However, most metadata models are used to define learning materials and test problems. Few…

Modeling Research Project Risks with Fuzzy Maps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bodea, Constanta Nicoleta; Dascalu, Mariana Iuliana

2009-01-01

The authors propose a risks evaluation model for research projects. The model is based on fuzzy inference. The knowledge base for fuzzy process is built with a causal and cognitive map of risks. The map was especially developed for research projects, taken into account their typical lifecycle. The model was applied to an e-testing research…

Construction and Analysis of Educational Assessments Using Knowledge Maps with Weight Appraisal of Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Su, C. Y.; Wang, T. I.

2010-01-01

The rapid advance of information and communication technologies (ICT) has important impacts on teaching and learning, as well as on the educational assessment. Teachers may create assessments utilizing some developed assessment software or test authoring tools. However, problems could occur, such as neglecting key concepts in the curriculum or…