Contractor Productivity Measurement.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-06-01

Principles ( GAAP ) or Uniform Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) as detailed in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 30 and DOD FAR Supplement, Appendix 0...revaluation management input, investor input, taxes, depreciation , etc., are all called out and addressed. The treatment of potential problems such as...of 20 percent. Since many cash flow items require tracking of book value, depreciation and cost- reducing effects of the investment, these items are

2015 IECRE: PV System Certification Workshop | Photovoltaic Research | NREL

Science.gov Websites

IECRE: PV System Certification Workshop 2015 IECRE: PV System Certification Workshop Thursday the guidelines for certifying PV systems. This workshop included an introduction of IECRE followed by discussions targeting the most critical or controversial items. This workshop gathered wide input from the PV

Flexstab on the IBM 360

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pyle, R. S.; Sykora, R. G.; Denman, S. C.

1976-01-01

FLEXSTAB, an array of computer programs developed on CDC equipment, has been converted to operate on the IBM 360 computation system. Instructions for installing, validating, and operating FLEXSTAB on the IBM 360 are included. Hardware requirements are itemized and supplemental materials describe JCL sequences, the CDC to IBM conversion, the input output subprograms, and the interprogram data flow.

Programme Reporting Standards (PRS) for improving the reporting of sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health programmes.

PubMed

Kågesten, Anna E; Tunçalp, Özge; Portela, Anayda; Ali, Moazzam; Tran, Nhan; Gülmezoglu, A Metin

2017-08-03

Information about design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation is central to understand the impact of programmes within the field of sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (SRMNCAH). Existing reporting guidelines do not orient on reporting of contextual and implementation issues in sufficient detail. We therefore developed Programme Reporting Standards (PRS) to be used by SRMNCAH programme implementers and researchers. Building on the first step of the PRS development (a systematic review to identify reporting items), we conducted a three-round online Delphi consensus survey with experts. Consensus was defined a-priori as 80% agreement of items as essential. This was followed by a technical consultation with a group of experts to refine the items, definitions and their structuring. The revised PRS was piloted to assess its relevance to current SRMNCAH programme reports and identify key issues regarding the use of the PRS. Of the 81 participants invited to the Delphi survey, 20 responded to all three rounds. In the final round, 27 items received consensus as essential; three items were ranked as "borderline" essential; 20 items as supplementary. The items were subsequently revised, followed by a technical consultation with 29 experts to further review and refine the PRS. The feedback resulted in substantial changes to the structure and content of the PRS into 24 items across five domains: Programme overview; Programme components and implementation; Monitoring of Implementation; Evaluation and Results; and Synthesis. This version was used in a piloting exercise, where questions regarding how much information to report and how to comment on the quality of the information reported were addressed. All items were kept in the PRS following the pilot although minor changes were made to the flow and description of items. The PRS 1.0 is the result of a structured, collaborative process, including methods to incorporate input from SRMNCAH stakeholders. The World Health Organization will develop a document that explains the items in greater detail, and will also apply the PRS to on-going initiatives. We welcome continuous input from the field, while it is being used, to improve its relevance and usefulness.

Capturing the Patient’s Experience: Using Qualitative Methods to Develop a Measure of Patient-Reported Symptom Burden: An Example from Ovarian Cancer

PubMed Central

Williams, Loretta A.; Agarwal, Sonika; Bodurka, Diane C.; Saleeba, Angele K.; Sun, Charlotte C.; Cleeland, Charles S.

2013-01-01

Context Experts in patient-reported outcome (PRO) measurement emphasize the importance of including patient input in the development of PRO measures. Although best methods for acquiring this input are not yet identified, patient input early in instrument development ensures that instrument content captures information most important and relevant to patients in understandable terms. Objectives The M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI) is a reliable, valid PRO instrument for assessing cancer symptom burden. We report a qualitative (open-ended, in-depth) interviewing method that can be used to incorporate patient input into PRO symptom measure development, with our experience in constructing a MDASI module for ovarian cancer (MDASI-OC) as a model. Methods Fourteen patients with ovarian cancer (OC) described symptoms experienced at the time of the study, at diagnosis, and during prior treatments. Researchers and clinicians used content analysis of interview transcripts to identify symptoms in patient language. Symptoms were ranked on the basis of the number of patients mentioning them and by clinician assessment of relevance. Results Forty-two symptoms were mentioned. Eight OC-specific items will be added to the 13 core symptom items and six interference items of the MDASI in a test version of the MDASI-OC based on the number of patients mentioning them and clinician assessment of importance. The test version is undergoing psychometric evaluation. Conclusion The qualitative interviewing process, used to develop the test MDASI-OC, systematically captures common symptoms important to patients with ovarian cancer. This methodology incorporates the patient experience recommended by experts in PRO instrument development. PMID:23615044

Mental Schemas Hamper Memory Storage of Goal-Irrelevant Information

PubMed Central

Sweegers, C. C. G.; Coleman, G. A.; van Poppel, E. A. M.; Cox, R.; Talamini, L. M.

2015-01-01

Mental schemas exert top-down control on information processing, for instance by facilitating the storage of schema-related information. However, given capacity-limits and competition in neural network processing, schemas may additionally exert their effects by suppressing information with low momentary relevance. In particular, when existing schemas suffice to guide goal-directed behavior, this may actually reduce encoding of the redundant sensory input, in favor of gaining efficiency in task performance. The present experiment set out to test this schema-induced shallow encoding hypothesis. Our approach involved a memory task in which faces had to be coupled to homes. For half of the faces the responses could be guided by a pre-learned schema, for the other half of the faces such a schema was not available. Memory storage was compared between schema-congruent and schema-incongruent items. To characterize putative schema effects, memory was assessed both with regard to visual details and contextual aspects of each item. The depth of encoding was also assessed through an objective neural measure: the parietal old/new ERP effect. This ERP effect, observed between 500–800 ms post-stimulus onset, is thought to reflect the extent of recollection: the retrieval of a vivid memory, including various contextual details from the learning episode. We found that schema-congruency induced substantial impairments in item memory and even larger ones in context memory. Furthermore, the parietal old/new ERP effect indicated higher recollection for the schema-incongruent than the schema-congruent memories. The combined findings indicate that, when goals can be achieved using existing schemas, this can hinder the in-depth processing of novel input, impairing the formation of perceptually detailed and contextually rich memory traces. Taking into account both current and previous findings, we suggest that schemas can both positively and negatively bias the processing of sensory input. An important determinant in this matter is likely related to momentary goals, such that mental schemas facilitate memory processing of goal-relevant input, but suppress processing of goal-irrelevant information. Highlights – Schema-congruent information suffers from shallow encoding. – Schema congruency induces poor item and context memory. – The parietal old/new effect is less pronounced for schema-congruent items. – Schemas exert different influences on memory formation depending on current goals. PMID:26635582

The Random-Effect DINA Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Hung-Yu; Wang, Wen-Chung

2014-01-01

The DINA (deterministic input, noisy, and gate) model has been widely used in cognitive diagnosis tests and in the process of test development. The outcomes known as slip and guess are included in the DINA model function representing the responses to the items. This study aimed to extend the DINA model by using the random-effect approach to allow…

Development and psychometric characteristics of the SCI-QOL Pressure Ulcers scale and short form.

PubMed

Kisala, Pamela A; Tulsky, David S; Choi, Seung W; Kirshblum, Steven C

2015-05-01

To develop a self-reported measure of the subjective impact of pressure ulcers on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) as part of the SCI quality of life (SCI-QOL) measurement system. Grounded-theory based qualitative item development methods, large-scale item calibration testing, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and item response theory-based psychometric analysis. Five SCI Model System centers and one Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in the United States. Adults with traumatic SCI. SCI-QOL Pressure Ulcers scale. 189 individuals with traumatic SCI who experienced a pressure ulcer within the past 7 days completed 30 items related to pressure ulcers. CFA confirmed a unidimensional pool of items. IRT analyses were conducted. A constrained Graded Response Model with a constant slope parameter was used to estimate item thresholds for the 12 retained items. The 12-item SCI-QOL Pressure Ulcers scale is unique in that it is specifically targeted to individuals with spinal cord injury and at every stage of development has included input from individuals with SCI. Furthermore, use of CFA and IRT methods provide flexibility and precision of measurement. The scale may be administered in its entirety or as a 7-item "short form" and is available for both research and clinical practice.

Potential Damage to Flight Hardware from MIL-STD-462 CS02 Setup

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harris, Patrick K.; Block, Nathan F.

2003-01-01

The MIL-STD-462 CS02 conducted susceptibility test setup includes an audio transformer, with the secondary used as an inductor, and a large capacitor. Together, these two components form an L-type low-pass filter to minimize the injected test signal input into the power source. Some flight hardware power input configurations are not compatible with this setup and break into oscillation when powered up. This, in turn, can damage flight hardware. Such an oscillation resulted in the catastrophic failure of an item tested in the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Large electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) Test Facility.

Development and validation of the Myasthenia Gravis Impairment Index.

PubMed

Barnett, Carolina; Bril, Vera; Kapral, Moira; Kulkarni, Abhaya; Davis, Aileen M

2016-08-30

We aimed to develop a measure of myasthenia gravis impairment using a previously developed framework and to evaluate reliability and validity, specifically face, content, and construct validity. The first draft of the Myasthenia Gravis Impairment Index (MGII) included examination items from available measures enriched with newly developed, patient-reported items, modified after patient input. International neuromuscular specialists evaluated face and content validity via an e-mail survey. Test-retest reliability was assessed in stable patients at a 3-week interval and interrater reliability was evaluated in the same day. Construct validity was assessed through correlations between the MGII and other measures and by comparing scores in different patient groups. The first draft was assessed by 18 patients, and 72 specialists answered the survey. The second draft had 7 examination and 22 patient-reported items. Field testing included 200 patients, with 54 patients completing the reliability studies. Test-retest reliability of the total score was good (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.92; 95% confidence interval 0.79-0.94), as was interrater reliability of the examination component (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.81; 95% confidence interval 0.79-0.94). The MGII correlated well with comparison measures, with higher correlations with the MG-activities of daily living (r = 0.91) and MG-specific quality of life 15-item scale (r = 0.78). When assessing different patient groups, the scores followed expected patterns. The MGII was developed using a patient-centered framework of myasthenia-related impairments and incorporating patient input throughout the development process. It is reliable in an outpatient setting and has demonstrated construct validity. Responsiveness studies are under way. © 2016 American Academy of Neurology.

Development and validation of the Myasthenia Gravis Impairment Index

PubMed Central

Bril, Vera; Kapral, Moira; Kulkarni, Abhaya; Davis, Aileen M.

2016-01-01

Objective: We aimed to develop a measure of myasthenia gravis impairment using a previously developed framework and to evaluate reliability and validity, specifically face, content, and construct validity. Methods: The first draft of the Myasthenia Gravis Impairment Index (MGII) included examination items from available measures enriched with newly developed, patient-reported items, modified after patient input. International neuromuscular specialists evaluated face and content validity via an e-mail survey. Test–retest reliability was assessed in stable patients at a 3-week interval and interrater reliability was evaluated in the same day. Construct validity was assessed through correlations between the MGII and other measures and by comparing scores in different patient groups. Results: The first draft was assessed by 18 patients, and 72 specialists answered the survey. The second draft had 7 examination and 22 patient-reported items. Field testing included 200 patients, with 54 patients completing the reliability studies. Test–retest reliability of the total score was good (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.92; 95% confidence interval 0.79–0.94), as was interrater reliability of the examination component (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.81; 95% confidence interval 0.79–0.94). The MGII correlated well with comparison measures, with higher correlations with the MG–activities of daily living (r = 0.91) and MG-specific quality of life 15-item scale (r = 0.78). When assessing different patient groups, the scores followed expected patterns. Conclusions: The MGII was developed using a patient-centered framework of myasthenia-related impairments and incorporating patient input throughout the development process. It is reliable in an outpatient setting and has demonstrated construct validity. Responsiveness studies are under way. PMID:27402891

Development of a Self-Report Physical Function Instrument for Disability Assessment: Item Pool Construction and Factor Analysis

PubMed Central

McDonough, Christine M.; Jette, Alan M.; Ni, Pengsheng; Bogusz, Kara; Marfeo, Elizabeth E; Brandt, Diane E; Chan, Leighton; Meterko, Mark; Haley, Stephen M.; Rasch, Elizabeth K.

2014-01-01

Objectives To build a comprehensive item pool representing work-relevant physical functioning and to test the factor structure of the item pool. These developmental steps represent initial outcomes of a broader project to develop instruments for the assessment of function within the context of Social Security Administration (SSA) disability programs. Design Comprehensive literature review; gap analysis; item generation with expert panel input; stakeholder interviews; cognitive interviews; cross-sectional survey administration; and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to assess item pool structure. Setting In-person and semi-structured interviews; internet and telephone surveys. Participants A sample of 1,017 SSA claimants, and a normative sample of 999 adults from the US general population. Interventions Not Applicable. Main Outcome Measure Model fit statistics Results The final item pool consisted of 139 items. Within the claimant sample 58.7% were white; 31.8% were black; 46.6% were female; and the mean age was 49.7 years. Initial factor analyses revealed a 4-factor solution which included more items and allowed separate characterization of: 1) Changing and Maintaining Body Position, 2) Whole Body Mobility, 3) Upper Body Function and 4) Upper Extremity Fine Motor. The final 4-factor model included 91 items. Confirmatory factor analyses for the 4-factor models for the claimant and the normative samples demonstrated very good fit. Fit statistics for claimant and normative samples respectively were: Comparative Fit Index = 0.93 and 0.98; Tucker-Lewis Index = 0.92 and 0.98; Root Mean Square Error Approximation = 0.05 and 0.04. Conclusions The factor structure of the Physical Function item pool closely resembled the hypothesized content model. The four scales relevant to work activities offer promise for providing reliable information about claimant physical functioning relevant to work disability. PMID:23542402

Development of a self-report physical function instrument for disability assessment: item pool construction and factor analysis.

PubMed

McDonough, Christine M; Jette, Alan M; Ni, Pengsheng; Bogusz, Kara; Marfeo, Elizabeth E; Brandt, Diane E; Chan, Leighton; Meterko, Mark; Haley, Stephen M; Rasch, Elizabeth K

2013-09-01

To build a comprehensive item pool representing work-relevant physical functioning and to test the factor structure of the item pool. These developmental steps represent initial outcomes of a broader project to develop instruments for the assessment of function within the context of Social Security Administration (SSA) disability programs. Comprehensive literature review; gap analysis; item generation with expert panel input; stakeholder interviews; cognitive interviews; cross-sectional survey administration; and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to assess item pool structure. In-person and semistructured interviews and Internet and telephone surveys. Sample of SSA claimants (n=1017) and a normative sample of adults from the U.S. general population (n=999). Not applicable. Model fit statistics. The final item pool consisted of 139 items. Within the claimant sample, 58.7% were white; 31.8% were black; 46.6% were women; and the mean age was 49.7 years. Initial factor analyses revealed a 4-factor solution, which included more items and allowed separate characterization of: (1) changing and maintaining body position, (2) whole body mobility, (3) upper body function, and (4) upper extremity fine motor. The final 4-factor model included 91 items. Confirmatory factor analyses for the 4-factor models for the claimant and the normative samples demonstrated very good fit. Fit statistics for claimant and normative samples, respectively, were: Comparative Fit Index=.93 and .98; Tucker-Lewis Index=.92 and .98; and root mean square error approximation=.05 and .04. The factor structure of the physical function item pool closely resembled the hypothesized content model. The 4 scales relevant to work activities offer promise for providing reliable information about claimant physical functioning relevant to work disability. Copyright © 2013 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Advertising influences on young children's food choices and parental influence.

PubMed

Ferguson, Christopher J; Muñoz, Monica E; Medrano, Maria R

2012-03-01

To evaluate whether advertising for food influences choices made by children, the strength of these influences, and whether they might be easily undone by parental influences. Children between 3 and 8 years of age (n=75) were randomized to watch a series of programs with embedded commercials. Some children watched a commercial for a relatively healthy food item, the other children watched a commercial for a less healthy item, both from the same fast-food company. Children were also randomized either to receive parental encouragement to choose the healthy item or to choose whichever item they preferred. Results indicated that children were more likely to choose the advertised item, despite parental input. Parental input only slightly moderated this influence. Although advertising impact on children's food choices is moderate in size, it appears resilient to parental efforts to intervene. Food advertisements directed at children may have a small but meaningful effect on their healthy food choices. Copyright © 2012 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Pollution Hazard Assessment System: Documentation and Users Manual

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-10-01

term f(Ki,Si) is a measure of the ability of a pollutant to be transmitted from soil to the ingested item (if the item ingested is soil itself, this...limiting dose for cattle based on extrapolation from either: 43 o The long term human no observed effect dose level (NOEL) o A mammalian lifetime NOEL o A...101) * PANV(101) 11360 ANSWER-NOEL*100:RTURN 11400 INPUT I Enter Mammalian Lifetime NOEL in mg/kg-day: ",NOEL 11410 ANSWER-NOEL/lORETUW 11450 INPUT

MDS MIC Catalog Inputs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson-Throop, Kathy A.; Vowell, C. W.; Smith, Byron; Darcy, Jeannette

2006-01-01

This viewgraph presentation reviews the inputs to the MDS Medical Information Communique (MIC) catalog. The purpose of the group is to provide input for updating the MDS MIC Catalog and to request that MMOP assign Action Item to other working groups and FSs to support the MITWG Process for developing MIC-DDs.

Development and psychometric characteristics of the SCI-QOL Pressure Ulcers scale and short form

PubMed Central

Kisala, Pamela A.; Tulsky, David S.; Choi, Seung W.; Kirshblum, Steven C.

2015-01-01

Objective To develop a self-reported measure of the subjective impact of pressure ulcers on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) as part of the SCI quality of life (SCI-QOL) measurement system. Design Grounded-theory based qualitative item development methods, large-scale item calibration testing, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and item response theory-based psychometric analysis. Setting Five SCI Model System centers and one Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in the United States. Participants Adults with traumatic SCI. Main Outcome Measures SCI-QOL Pressure Ulcers scale. Results 189 individuals with traumatic SCI who experienced a pressure ulcer within the past 7 days completed 30 items related to pressure ulcers. CFA confirmed a unidimensional pool of items. IRT analyses were conducted. A constrained Graded Response Model with a constant slope parameter was used to estimate item thresholds for the 12 retained items. Conclusions The 12-item SCI-QOL Pressure Ulcers scale is unique in that it is specifically targeted to individuals with spinal cord injury and at every stage of development has included input from individuals with SCI. Furthermore, use of CFA and IRT methods provide flexibility and precision of measurement. The scale may be administered in its entirety or as a 7-item “short form” and is available for both research and clinical practice. PMID:26010965

Lumber recovery from Douglas-fir thinnings at a bandmill and two chipping canters.

Treesearch

Thomas D. Fahey; Douglas L. Hunt

1972-01-01

Trees cut in thinning of Douglas-fir stands were processed into lumber at a profiled cant chipper, a square cant chipper with resaw, and a bandmill. Results are reported in terms of both cubic feet and Scribner long log scale. Included are tables by log input by diameter class for three studies, recovery by lumber grade and dimension item for three...

Effect of task demands on dual coding of pictorial stimuli.

PubMed

Babbitt, B C

1982-01-01

Recent studies have suggested that verbal labeling of a picture does not occur automatically. Although several experiments using paired-associate tasks produced little evidence indicating the use of a verbal code with picture stimuli, the tasks were probably not sensitive to whether the codes were activated initially. It is possible that verbal labels were activated at input, but not used later in performing the tasks. The present experiment used a color-naming interference task in order to assess, with a more sensitive measure, the amount of verbal coding occurring in response to word or picture input. Subjects named the color of ink in which words were printed following either word or picture input. If verbal labeling of the input occurs, then latency of color naming should increase when the input item and color-naming word are related. The results provided substantial evidence of such verbal activation when the input items were words. However, the presence of verbal activation with picture input was a function of task demands. Activation occurred when a recall memory test was used, but not when a recognition memory test was used. The results support the conclusion that name information (labels) need not be activated during presentation of visual stimuli.

Effects of Length of Retention Interval on Proactive Interference in Short-Term Visual Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meudell, Peter R.

1977-01-01

These experiments show two things: (a) In visual memory, long-term interference on a current item from items previously stored only seems to occur when the current item's retention interval is relatively long, and (b) the visual code appears to decay rapidly, reaching asymptote within 3 seconds of input in the presence of an interpolated task.…

Measuring hospital care from the patients' perspective: an overview of the CAHPS Hospital Survey development process.

PubMed

Goldstein, Elizabeth; Farquhar, Marybeth; Crofton, Christine; Darby, Charles; Garfinkel, Steven

2005-12-01

To describe the developmental process for the CAHPS Hospital Survey. A pilot was conducted in three states with 19,720 hospital discharges. A rigorous, multi-step process was used to develop the CAHPS Hospital Survey. It included a public call for measures, multiple Federal Register notices soliciting public input, a review of the relevant literature, meetings with hospitals, consumers and survey vendors, cognitive interviews with consumer, a large-scale pilot test in three states and consumer testing and numerous small-scale field tests. The current version of the CAHPS Hospital Survey has survey items in seven domains, two overall ratings of the hospital and five items used for adjusting for the mix of patients across hospitals and for analytical purposes. The CAHPS Hospital Survey is a core set of questions that can be administered as a stand-alone questionnaire or combined with a broader set of hospital specific items.

Engaging Patients as Partners in Developing Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Cancer-A Review of the Literature.

PubMed

Camuso, Natasha; Bajaj, Prerna; Dudgeon, Deborah; Mitera, Gunita

2016-08-01

Tools to collect patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are frequently used in the healthcare setting to collect information that is most meaningful to patients. Due to discordance among how patients and healthcare providers rank symptoms that are considered most meaningful to the patient, engagement of patients in the development of PROMs is extremely important. This review aimed to identify studies that described how patients are involved in the item generation stage of cancer-specific PROM tools developed for cancer patients. A literature search was conducted using keywords relevant to PROMs, cancer, and patient engagement. A manual search of relevant reference lists was also conducted. Inclusion criteria stipulated that publications must describe patient engagement in the item generation stage of development of cancer-specific PROM tools. Results were excluded if they were duplicate findings or non-English. The initial search yielded 230 publications. After removal of duplicates and review of publications, 6 were deemed relevant. Fourteen additional publications were retrieved through a manual search of references from relevant publications. A total of 13 unique PROM tools that included patient input in item generation were identified. The most common method of patient engagement was through qualitative interviews or focus groups. Despite recommendations from international groups and the emphasized importance of incorporating patient feedback in all stages of development of PROMs, few unique tools have incorporated patient input in item generation of cancer-specific tools. Moving forward, a framework of best practices on how to best engage patients in developing PROMs is warranted to support high-quality patient-centered care.

The extraction and integration framework: a two-process account of statistical learning.

PubMed

Thiessen, Erik D; Kronstein, Alexandra T; Hufnagle, Daniel G

2013-07-01

The term statistical learning in infancy research originally referred to sensitivity to transitional probabilities. Subsequent research has demonstrated that statistical learning contributes to infant development in a wide array of domains. The range of statistical learning phenomena necessitates a broader view of the processes underlying statistical learning. Learners are sensitive to a much wider range of statistical information than the conditional relations indexed by transitional probabilities, including distributional and cue-based statistics. We propose a novel framework that unifies learning about all of these kinds of statistical structure. From our perspective, learning about conditional relations outputs discrete representations (such as words). Integration across these discrete representations yields sensitivity to cues and distributional information. To achieve sensitivity to all of these kinds of statistical structure, our framework combines processes that extract segments of the input with processes that compare across these extracted items. In this framework, the items extracted from the input serve as exemplars in long-term memory. The similarity structure of those exemplars in long-term memory leads to the discovery of cues and categorical structure, which guides subsequent extraction. The extraction and integration framework provides a way to explain sensitivity to both conditional statistical structure (such as transitional probabilities) and distributional statistical structure (such as item frequency and variability), and also a framework for thinking about how these different aspects of statistical learning influence each other. 2013 APA, all rights reserved

Sequential dynamics in visual short-term memory.

PubMed

Kool, Wouter; Conway, Andrew R A; Turk-Browne, Nicholas B

2014-10-01

Visual short-term memory (VSTM) is thought to help bridge across changes in visual input, and yet many studies of VSTM employ static displays. Here we investigate how VSTM copes with sequential input. In particular, we characterize the temporal dynamics of several different components of VSTM performance, including: storage probability, precision, variability in precision, guessing, and swapping. We used a variant of the continuous-report VSTM task developed for static displays, quantifying the contribution of each component with statistical likelihood estimation, as a function of serial position and set size. In Experiments 1 and 2, storage probability did not vary by serial position for small set sizes, but showed a small primacy effect and a robust recency effect for larger set sizes; precision did not vary by serial position or set size. In Experiment 3, the recency effect was shown to reflect an increased likelihood of swapping out items from earlier serial positions and swapping in later items, rather than an increased rate of guessing for earlier items. Indeed, a model that incorporated responding to non-targets provided a better fit to these data than alternative models that did not allow for swapping or that tried to account for variable precision. These findings suggest that VSTM is updated in a first-in-first-out manner, and they bring VSTM research into closer alignment with classical working memory research that focuses on sequential behavior and interference effects.

Sequential dynamics in visual short-term memory

PubMed Central

Conway, Andrew R. A.; Turk-Browne, Nicholas B.

2014-01-01

Visual short-term memory (VSTM) is thought to help bridge across changes in visual input, and yet many studies of VSTM employ static displays. Here we investigate how VSTM copes with sequential input. In particular, we characterize the temporal dynamics of several different components of VSTM performance, including: storage probability, precision, variability in precision, guessing, and swapping. We used a variant of the continuous-report VSTM task developed for static displays, quantifying the contribution of each component with statistical likelihood estimation, as a function of serial position and set size. In Experiments 1 and 2, storage probability did not vary by serial position for small set sizes, but showed a small primacy effect and a robust recency effect for larger set sizes; precision did not vary by serial position or set size. In Experiment 3, the recency effect was shown to reflect an increased likelihood of swapping out items from earlier serial positions and swapping in later items, rather than an increased rate of guessing for earlier items. Indeed, a model that incorporated responding to non-targets provided a better fit to these data than alternative models that did not allow for swapping or that tried to account for variable precision. These findings suggest that VSTM is updated in a first-in-first-out manner, and they bring VSTM research into closer alignment with classical working memory research that focuses on sequential behavior and interference effects. PMID:25228092

KCNSC Automated RAIL

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

Branson, Donald

The KCNSC Automated RAIL (Rolling Action Item List) system provides an electronic platform to manage and escalate rolling action items within an business and manufacturing environment at Honeywell. The software enables a tiered approach to issue management where issues are escalated up a management chain based on team input and compared to business metrics. The software manages action items at different levels of the organization and allows all users to discuss action items concurrently. In addition, the software drives accountability through timely emails and proper visibility during team meetings.

77 FR 53192 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Northern New Mexico

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-31

... Annual Self-Evaluation 2:30 p.m. Items from the DDFO, Ed Worth Update from DOE Other Items 2:45 p.m... Protection Agency (Region 6), Ed Worth for Rich Mayer Data Input and Validation and Verification Process 4:15...

Defining Malaysian Knowledge Society: Results from the Delphi Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamid, Norsiah Abdul; Zaman, Halimah Badioze

This paper outlines the findings of research where the central idea is to define the term Knowledge Society (KS) in Malaysian context. The research focuses on three important dimensions, namely knowledge, ICT and human capital. This study adopts a modified Delphi technique to seek the important dimensions that can contribute to the development of Malaysian's KS. The Delphi technique involved ten experts in a five-round iterative and controlled feedback procedure to obtain consensus on the important dimensions and to verify the proposed definition of KS. The finding shows that all three dimensions proposed initially scored high and moderate consensus. Round One (R1) proposed an initial definition of KS and required comments and inputs from the panel. These inputs were then used to develop items for a R2 questionnaire. In R2, 56 out of 73 items scored high consensus and in R3, 63 out of 90 items scored high. R4 was conducted to re-rate the new items, in which 8 out of 17 items scored high. Other items scored moderate consensus and no item scored low or no consensus in all rounds. The final round (R5) was employed to verify the final definition of KS. Findings and discovery of this study are significant to the definition of KS and the development of a framework in the Malaysian context.

A NASTRAN primer for the analysis of rotating flexible blades

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawrence, Charles; Aiello, Robert A.; Ernst, Michael A.; Mcgee, Oliver G.

1987-01-01

This primer provides documentation for using MSC NASTRAN in analyzing rotating flexible blades. The analysis of these blades includes geometrically nonlinear (large displacement) analysis under centrifugal loading, and frequency and mode shape (normal modes) determination. The geometrically nonlinear analysis using NASTRAN Solution sequence 64 is discussed along with the determination of frequencies and mode shapes using Solution Sequence 63. A sample problem with the complete NASTRAN input data is included. Items unique to rotating blade analyses, such as setting angle and centrifugal softening effects are emphasized.

Initial development of a patient-reported outcome measure of experience with cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia.

PubMed

Welch, Lisa C; Trudeau, Jeremiah J; Silverstein, Steven M; Sand, Michael; Henderson, David C; Rosen, Raymond C

2017-01-01

Cognitive impairment is a serious, often distressing aspect of schizophrenia that affects patients' day-to-day lives. Although several interview-based instruments exist to assess cognitive functioning, a reliable measure developed based on the experiences of patients facing cognitive difficulties is needed to complement the objective performance-based assessments. The present article describes the initial development of a patient-reported outcome (PRO) measure to assess the subjective experience of cognitive impairment among patients with schizophrenia, the Patient-Reported Experience of Cognitive Impairment in Schizophrenia (PRECIS). The phases of development included the construction of a conceptual model based on the existing knowledge and two sets of qualitative interviews with patients: 1) concept elicitation interviews to ensure face and content validity from the perspective of people with schizophrenia and 2) cognitive debriefing of the initial item pool. Input from experts was elicited throughout the process. The initial conceptual model included seven domains. The results from concept elicitation interviews (n=80) supported these domains but yielded substantive changes to concepts within domains and to terminology. Based on these results, an initial pool of 53 items was developed to reflect the most common descriptions and languages used by the study participants. Cognitive debriefing interviews (n=22) resulted in the removal of 18 items and modification of 22 other items. The remaining 35 items represented 23 concepts within six domains plus two items assessing bother. The draft PRO measure is currently undergoing psychometric testing as a precursor to broad-based clinical and research use.

Development of a Computer Adaptive Test for Depression Based on the Dutch-Flemish Version of the PROMIS Item Bank.

PubMed

Flens, Gerard; Smits, Niels; Terwee, Caroline B; Dekker, Joost; Huijbrechts, Irma; de Beurs, Edwin

2017-03-01

We developed a Dutch-Flemish version of the patient-reported outcomes measurement information system (PROMIS) adult V1.0 item bank for depression as input for computerized adaptive testing (CAT). As item bank, we used the Dutch-Flemish translation of the original PROMIS item bank (28 items) and additionally translated 28 U.S. depression items that failed to make the final U.S. item bank. Through psychometric analysis of a combined clinical and general population sample ( N = 2,010), 8 added items were removed. With the final item bank, we performed several CAT simulations to assess the efficiency of the extended (48 items) and the original item bank (28 items), using various stopping rules. Both item banks resulted in highly efficient and precise measurement of depression and showed high similarity between the CAT simulation scores and the full item bank scores. We discuss the implications of using each item bank and stopping rule for further CAT development.

Dissociative effects of orthographic distinctiveness in pure and mixed lists: an item-order account.

PubMed

McDaniel, Mark A; Cahill, Michael; Bugg, Julie M; Meadow, Nathaniel G

2011-10-01

We apply the item-order theory of list composition effects in free recall to the orthographic distinctiveness effect. The item-order account assumes that orthographically distinct items advantage item-specific encoding in both mixed and pure lists, but at the expense of exploiting relational information present in the list. Experiment 1 replicated the typical free recall advantage of orthographically distinct items in mixed lists and the elimination of that advantage in pure lists. Supporting the item-order account, recognition performances indicated that orthographically distinct items received greater item-specific encoding than did orthographically common items in mixed and pure lists (Experiments 1 and 2). Furthermore, order memory (input-output correspondence and sequential contiguity effects) was evident in recall of pure unstructured common lists, but not in recall of unstructured distinct lists (Experiment 1). These combined patterns, although not anticipated by prevailing views, are consistent with an item-order account.

Predicting Naming Latencies with an Analogical Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chandler, Steve

2008-01-01

Skousen's (1989, Analogical modeling of language, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht) Analogical Model (AM) predicts behavior such as spelling pronunciation by comparing the characteristics of a test item (a given input word) to those of individual exemplars in a data set of previously encountered items. While AM and other exemplar-based models…

A computer program (MACPUMP) for interactive aquifer-test analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Day-Lewis, F. D.; Person, M.A.; Konikow, Leonard F.

1995-01-01

This report introduces MACPUMP (Version 1.0), an aquifer-test-analysis package for use with Macintosh4 computers. The report outlines the input- data format, describes the solutions encoded in the program, explains the menu-items, and offers a tutorial illustrating the use of the program. The package reads list-directed aquifer-test data from a file, plots the data to the screen, generates and plots type curves for several different test conditions, and allows mouse-controlled curve matching. MACPUMP features pull-down menus, a simple text viewer for displaying data-files, and optional on-line help windows. This version includes the analytical solutions for nonleaky and leaky confined aquifers, using both type curves and straight-line methods, and for the analysis of single-well slug tests using type curves. An executable version of the code and sample input data sets are included on an accompanying floppy disk.

Introduction to an Open Source Internet-Based Testing Program for Medical Student Examinations

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

The author developed a freely available open source internet-based testing program for medical examination. PHP and Java script were used as the programming language and postgreSQL as the database management system on an Apache web server and Linux operating system. The system approach was that a super user inputs the items, each school administrator inputs the examinees' information, and examinees access the system. The examinee's score is displayed immediately after examination with item analysis. The set-up of the system beginning with installation is described. This may help medical professors to easily adopt an internet-based testing system for medical education. PMID:20046457

Introduction to an open source internet-based testing program for medical student examinations.

PubMed

Lee, Yoon-Hwan

2009-12-20

The author developed a freely available open source internet-based testing program for medical examination. PHP and Java script were used as the programming language and postgreSQL as the database management system on an Apache web server and Linux operating system. The system approach was that a super user inputs the items, each school administrator inputs the examinees' information, and examinees access the system. The examinee's score is displayed immediately after examination with item analysis. The set-up of the system beginning with installation is described. This may help medical professors to easily adopt an internet-based testing system for medical education.

Flexible Work Group Methods in Apparel Manufacturing

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-04-01

machine can take several. A real life example would be a machine that assembles skateboards . The input parts (wheels, trucks, deck) are different. At the...end of the operation, one kind of item comes out, an assembled skateboard . class source This is a derivative of sequentialmachine that has no input

Short-Term Memory in Mathematics-Proficient and Mathematics-Disabled Students as a Function of Input-Modality/Output-Modality Pairings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webster, Raymond E.

1980-01-01

A significant two-way input modality by output modality interaction suggested that short term memory capacity among the groups differed as a function of the modality used to present the items in combination with the output response required. (Author/CL)

New feature extraction method for classification of agricultural products from x-ray images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talukder, Ashit; Casasent, David P.; Lee, Ha-Woon; Keagy, Pamela M.; Schatzki, Thomas F.

1999-01-01

Classification of real-time x-ray images of randomly oriented touching pistachio nuts is discussed. The ultimate objective is the development of a system for automated non- invasive detection of defective product items on a conveyor belt. We discuss the extraction of new features that allow better discrimination between damaged and clean items. This feature extraction and classification stage is the new aspect of this paper; our new maximum representation and discrimination between damaged and clean items. This feature extraction and classification stage is the new aspect of this paper; our new maximum representation and discriminating feature (MRDF) extraction method computes nonlinear features that are used as inputs to a new modified k nearest neighbor classifier. In this work the MRDF is applied to standard features. The MRDF is robust to various probability distributions of the input class and is shown to provide good classification and new ROC data.

TRACX2: a connectionist autoencoder using graded chunks to model infant visual statistical learning.

PubMed

Mareschal, Denis; French, Robert M

2017-01-05

Even newborn infants are able to extract structure from a stream of sensory inputs; yet how this is achieved remains largely a mystery. We present a connectionist autoencoder model, TRACX2, that learns to extract sequence structure by gradually constructing chunks, storing these chunks in a distributed manner across its synaptic weights and recognizing these chunks when they re-occur in the input stream. Chunks are graded rather than all-or-nothing in nature. As chunks are learnt their component parts become more and more tightly bound together. TRACX2 successfully models the data from five experiments from the infant visual statistical learning literature, including tasks involving forward and backward transitional probabilities, low-salience embedded chunk items, part-sequences and illusory items. The model also captures performance differences across ages through the tuning of a single-learning rate parameter. These results suggest that infant statistical learning is underpinned by the same domain-general learning mechanism that operates in auditory statistical learning and, potentially, in adult artificial grammar learning.This article is part of the themed issue 'New frontiers for statistical learning in the cognitive sciences'. © 2016 The Author(s).

TRACX2: a connectionist autoencoder using graded chunks to model infant visual statistical learning

PubMed Central

French, Robert M.

2017-01-01

Even newborn infants are able to extract structure from a stream of sensory inputs; yet how this is achieved remains largely a mystery. We present a connectionist autoencoder model, TRACX2, that learns to extract sequence structure by gradually constructing chunks, storing these chunks in a distributed manner across its synaptic weights and recognizing these chunks when they re-occur in the input stream. Chunks are graded rather than all-or-nothing in nature. As chunks are learnt their component parts become more and more tightly bound together. TRACX2 successfully models the data from five experiments from the infant visual statistical learning literature, including tasks involving forward and backward transitional probabilities, low-salience embedded chunk items, part-sequences and illusory items. The model also captures performance differences across ages through the tuning of a single-learning rate parameter. These results suggest that infant statistical learning is underpinned by the same domain-general learning mechanism that operates in auditory statistical learning and, potentially, in adult artificial grammar learning. This article is part of the themed issue ‘New frontiers for statistical learning in the cognitive sciences’. PMID:27872375

Refining a self-assessment of informatics competency scale using Mokken scaling analysis.

PubMed

Yoon, Sunmoo; Shaffer, Jonathan A; Bakken, Suzanne

2015-01-01

Healthcare environments are increasingly implementing health information technology (HIT) and those from various professions must be competent to use HIT in meaningful ways. In addition, HIT has been shown to enable interprofessional approaches to health care. The purpose of this article is to describe the refinement of the Self-Assessment of Nursing Informatics Competencies Scale (SANICS) using analytic techniques based upon item response theory (IRT) and discuss its relevance to interprofessional education and practice. In a sample of 604 nursing students, the 93-item version of SANICS was examined using non-parametric IRT. The iterative modeling procedure included 31 steps comprising: (1) assessing scalability, (2) assessing monotonicity, (3) assessing invariant item ordering, and (4) expert input. SANICS was reduced to an 18-item hierarchical scale with excellent reliability. Fundamental skills for team functioning and shared decision making among team members (e.g. "using monitoring systems appropriately," "describing general systems to support clinical care") had the highest level of difficulty, and "demonstrating basic technology skills" had the lowest difficulty level. Most items reflect informatics competencies relevant to all health professionals. Further, the approaches can be applied to construct a new hierarchical scale or refine an existing scale related to informatics attitudes or competencies for various health professions.

The PROactive instruments to measure physical activity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

PubMed Central

Gimeno-Santos, Elena; Raste, Yogini; Demeyer, Heleen; Louvaris, Zafeiris; de Jong, Corina; Rabinovich, Roberto A.; Hopkinson, Nicholas S.; Polkey, Michael I.; Vogiatzis, Ioannis; Tabberer, Maggie; Dobbels, Fabienne; Ivanoff, Nathalie; de Boer, Willem I.; van der Molen, Thys; Kulich, Karoly; Serra, Ignasi; Basagaña, Xavier; Troosters, Thierry; Puhan, Milo A.; Karlsson, Niklas

2015-01-01

No current patient-centred instrument captures all dimensions of physical activity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Our objective was item reduction and initial validation of two instruments to measure physical activity in COPD. Physical activity was assessed in a 6-week, randomised, two-way cross-over, multicentre study using PROactive draft questionnaires (daily and clinical visit versions) and two activity monitors. Item reduction followed an iterative process including classical and Rasch model analyses, and input from patients and clinical experts. 236 COPD patients from five European centres were included. Results indicated the concept of physical activity in COPD had two domains, labelled “amount” and “difficulty”. After item reduction, the daily PROactive instrument comprised nine items and the clinical visit contained 14. Both demonstrated good model fit (person separation index >0.7). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the bidimensional structure. Both instruments had good internal consistency (Cronbach's α>0.8), test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient ≥0.9) and exhibited moderate-to-high correlations (r>0.6) with related constructs and very low correlations (r<0.3) with unrelated constructs, providing evidence for construct validity. Daily and clinical visit “PROactive physical activity in COPD” instruments are hybrid tools combining a short patient-reported outcome questionnaire and two activity monitor variables which provide simple, valid and reliable measures of physical activity in COPD patients. PMID:26022965

The PROactive instruments to measure physical activity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PubMed

Gimeno-Santos, Elena; Raste, Yogini; Demeyer, Heleen; Louvaris, Zafeiris; de Jong, Corina; Rabinovich, Roberto A; Hopkinson, Nicholas S; Polkey, Michael I; Vogiatzis, Ioannis; Tabberer, Maggie; Dobbels, Fabienne; Ivanoff, Nathalie; de Boer, Willem I; van der Molen, Thys; Kulich, Karoly; Serra, Ignasi; Basagaña, Xavier; Troosters, Thierry; Puhan, Milo A; Karlsson, Niklas; Garcia-Aymerich, Judith

2015-10-01

No current patient-centred instrument captures all dimensions of physical activity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Our objective was item reduction and initial validation of two instruments to measure physical activity in COPD.Physical activity was assessed in a 6-week, randomised, two-way cross-over, multicentre study using PROactive draft questionnaires (daily and clinical visit versions) and two activity monitors. Item reduction followed an iterative process including classical and Rasch model analyses, and input from patients and clinical experts.236 COPD patients from five European centres were included. Results indicated the concept of physical activity in COPD had two domains, labelled "amount" and "difficulty". After item reduction, the daily PROactive instrument comprised nine items and the clinical visit contained 14. Both demonstrated good model fit (person separation index >0.7). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the bidimensional structure. Both instruments had good internal consistency (Cronbach's α>0.8), test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient ≥0.9) and exhibited moderate-to-high correlations (r>0.6) with related constructs and very low correlations (r<0.3) with unrelated constructs, providing evidence for construct validity.Daily and clinical visit "PROactive physical activity in COPD" instruments are hybrid tools combining a short patient-reported outcome questionnaire and two activity monitor variables which provide simple, valid and reliable measures of physical activity in COPD patients. Copyright ©ERS 2015.

Logically Speaking: Evidence for Item-Based Acquisition of the Connectives and & or

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Bradley J.

2008-01-01

Why is it that young children use connectives correctly in conversation, yet frequently err when asked to use the same connectives in formal reasoning? One possibility is that connective acquisition is item-based in which usage rules are induced from natural language input. This possibility was evaluated by examining the correspondence between the…

To Sum or Not to Sum: Taxometric Analysis with Ordered Categorical Assessment Items

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walters, Glenn D.; Ruscio, John

2009-01-01

Meehl's taxometric method has been shown to differentiate between categorical and dimensional data, but there are many ways to implement taxometric procedures. When analyzing the ordered categorical data typically provided by assessment instruments, summing items to form input indicators has been a popular practice for more than 20 years. A Monte…

Factors Affecting the Item Parameter Estimation and Classification Accuracy of the DINA Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de la Torre, Jimmy; Hong, Yuan; Deng, Weiling

2010-01-01

To better understand the statistical properties of the deterministic inputs, noisy "and" gate cognitive diagnosis (DINA) model, the impact of several factors on the quality of the item parameter estimates and classification accuracy was investigated. Results of the simulation study indicate that the fully Bayes approach is most accurate when the…

Semantic knowledge fractionations: verbal propositions vs. perceptual input? Evidence from a child with Klinefelter syndrome.

PubMed

Robinson, Sally J; Temple, Christine M

2013-04-01

This paper addresses the relative independence of different types of lexical- and factually-based semantic knowledge in JM, a 9-year-old boy with Klinefelter syndrome (KS). JM was matched to typically developing (TD) controls on the basis of chronological age. Lexical-semantic knowledge was investigated for common noun (CN) and mathematical vocabulary items (MV). Factually-based semantic knowledge was investigated for general and number facts. For CN items, JM's lexical stores were of a normal size but the volume of correct 'sensory feature' semantic knowledge he generated within verbal item descriptions was significantly reduced. He was also significantly impaired at naming item descriptions and pictures, particularly for fruit and vegetables. There was also weak object decision for fruit and vegetables. In contrast, for MV items, JM's lexical stores were elevated, with no significant difference in the amount and type of correct semantic knowledge generated within verbal item descriptions and normal naming. JM's fact retrieval accuracy was normal for all types of factual knowledge. JM's performance indicated a dissociation between the representation of CN and MV vocabulary items during development. JM's preserved semantic knowledge of facts in the face of impaired semantic knowledge of vocabulary also suggests that factually-based semantic knowledge representation is not dependent on normal lexical-semantic knowledge during development. These findings are discussed in relation to the emergence of distinct semantic knowledge representations during development, due to differing degrees of dependency upon the acquisition and representation of semantic knowledge from verbal propositions and perceptual input.

Design and evaluation of nonverbal sound-based input for those with motor handicapped.

PubMed

Punyabukkana, Proadpran; Chanjaradwichai, Supadaech; Suchato, Atiwong

2013-03-01

Most personal computing interfaces rely on the users' ability to use their hand and arm movements to interact with on-screen graphical widgets via mainstream devices, including keyboards and mice. Without proper assistive devices, this style of input poses difficulties for motor-handicapped users. We propose a sound-based input scheme enabling users to operate Windows' Graphical User Interface by producing hums and fricatives through regular microphones. Hierarchically arranged menus are utilized so that only minimal numbers of different actions are required at a time. The proposed scheme was found to be accurate and capable of responding promptly compared to other sound-based schemes. Being able to select from multiple item-selecting modes helps reducing the average time duration needed for completing tasks in the test scenarios almost by half the time needed when the tasks were performed solely through cursor movements. Still, improvements on facilitating users to select the most appropriate modes for desired tasks should improve the overall usability of the proposed scheme.

The Effects of Item Preview on Video-Based Multiple-Choice Listening Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koyama, Dennis; Sun, Angela; Ockey, Gary J.

2016-01-01

Multiple-choice formats remain a popular design for assessing listening comprehension, yet no consensus has been reached on how multiple-choice formats should be employed. Some researchers argue that test takers must be provided with a preview of the items prior to the input (Buck, 1995; Sherman, 1997); others argue that a preview may decrease the…

Designing an evaluation framework for WFME basic standards for medical education.

PubMed

Tackett, Sean; Grant, Janet; Mmari, Kristin

2016-01-01

To create an evaluation plan for the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) accreditation standards for basic medical education. We conceptualized the 100 basic standards from "Basic Medical Education: WFME Global Standards for Quality Improvement: The 2012 Revision" as medical education program objectives. Standards were simplified into evaluable items, which were then categorized as inputs, processes, outputs and/or outcomes to generate a logic model and corresponding plan for data collection. WFME standards posed significant challenges to evaluation due to complex wording, inconsistent formatting and lack of existing assessment tools. Our resulting logic model contained 244 items. Standard B 5.1.1 separated into 24 items, the most for any single standard. A large proportion of items (40%) required evaluation of more than one input, process, output and/or outcome. Only one standard (B 3.2.2) was interpreted as requiring evaluation of a program outcome. Current WFME standards are difficult to use for evaluation planning. Our analysis may guide adaptation and revision of standards to make them more evaluable. Our logic model and data collection plan may be useful to medical schools planning an institutional self-review and to accrediting authorities wanting to provide guidance to schools under their purview.

Development and content validity testing of a patient-reported outcomes questionnaire for the assessment of hereditary angioedema in observational studies.

PubMed

Bonner, Nicola; Abetz-Webb, Linda; Renault, Lydie; Caballero, Teresa; Longhurst, Hilary; Maurer, Marcus; Christiansen, Sandra; Zuraw, Bruce

2015-07-01

Hereditary Angioedema (HAE), a rare genetic disease, manifests as intermittent, painful attacks of angioedema. Attacks vary in frequency and severity and include skin, abdominal and life-threatening laryngeal swellings. This study aimed to develop a patient reported outcome (PRO) tool for the assessment of HAE attacks, including their management and impact on patients' lives, for use in clinical studies, or by physicians in general practice. The results of open-ended face to face concept elicitation interviews with HAE patients in Argentina (n = 10) and the US (n = 33) were used to develop the first draft questionnaire of the HAE patient reported outcomes questionnaire (HAE PRO). Subsequently, in-depth cognitive debriefing interviews were performed with HAE patients in the UK (n = 10), Brazil (n = 10), Germany (n = 11) and France (n = 12). Following input from eight multinational clinical experts further cognitive interviews were conducted in the US (n = 12) and Germany (n = 12). Patients who experienced abdominal, cutaneous or laryngeal attacks of varying severity levels were included in all rounds of interviews. Across the rounds of interviews patients discussed their HAE attack symptoms, impacts and treatments. Cognitive debriefing interviews explored patient understanding and relevance of questionnaire items. All interviews were conducted face to face following a pre-defined semi-structured interview guide in the patient's native language. Patients reported a variety of HAE symptoms, attack triggers, warning signs, attack impacts and treatment options which were used to develop the HAE PRO. The HAE PRO was revised and refined following input from patients and clinical experts. The final 18-item HAE PRO provides an assessment of the HAE attack experience including symptoms, impacts, treatment requirements, healthcare resource use and loss of productivity caused by HAE attacks. Patient and expert input has contributed to the development of a content valid questionnaire that assesses concepts important to HAE patients globally. HAE patients across cultures consider the HAE PRO a relevant and appropriate assessment of HAE attacks and treatment.

Lexical evolution rates derived from automated stability measures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petroni, Filippo; Serva, Maurizio

2010-03-01

Phylogenetic trees can be reconstructed from the matrix which contains the distances between all pairs of languages in a family. Recently, we proposed a new method which uses normalized Levenshtein distances among words with the same meaning and averages over all the items of a given list. Decisions about the number of items in the input lists for language comparison have been debated since the beginning of glottochronology. The point is that words associated with some of the meanings have a rapid lexical evolution. Therefore, a large vocabulary comparison is only apparently more accurate than a smaller one, since many of the words do not carry any useful information. In principle, one should find the optimal length of the input lists, studying the stability of the different items. In this paper we tackle the problem with an automated methodology based only on our normalized Levenshtein distance. With this approach, the program of an automated reconstruction of language relationships is completed.

Evaluation of Item Candidates: The PROMIS Qualitative Item Review

PubMed Central

DeWalt, Darren A.; Rothrock, Nan; Yount, Susan; Stone, Arthur A.

2009-01-01

One of the PROMIS (Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System) network's primary goals is the development of a comprehensive item bank for patient-reported outcomes of chronic diseases. For its first set of item banks, PROMIS chose to focus on pain, fatigue, emotional distress, physical function, and social function. An essential step for the development of an item pool is the identification, evaluation, and revision of extant questionnaire items for the core item pool. In this work, we also describe the systematic process wherein items are classified for subsequent statistical processing by the PROMIS investigators. Six phases of item development are documented: identification of extant items, item classification and selection, item review and revision, focus group input on domain coverage, cognitive interviews with individual items, and final revision before field testing. Identification of items refers to the systematic search for existing items in currently available scales. Expert item review and revision was conducted by trained professionals who reviewed the wording of each item and revised as appropriate for conventions adopted by the PROMIS network. Focus groups were used to confirm domain definitions and to identify new areas of item development for future PROMIS item banks. Cognitive interviews were used to examine individual items. Items successfully screened through this process were sent to field testing and will be subjected to innovative scale construction procedures. PMID:17443114

Processing Strategy and PI Effects in Recognition Memory of Word Lists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodge, Milton H.; Britton, Bruce K.

Previous research by A. I. Schulman argued that an observed systematic decline in recognition memory in long word lists was due to the build-up of input and output proactive interference (PI). It also suggested that input PI resulted from process automatization; that is, each list item was processed or encoded in much the same way, producing a set…

Parameter Estimation for Thurstone Choice Models

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

Vojnovic, Milan; Yun, Seyoung

We consider the estimation accuracy of individual strength parameters of a Thurstone choice model when each input observation consists of a choice of one item from a set of two or more items (so called top-1 lists). This model accommodates the well-known choice models such as the Luce choice model for comparison sets of two or more items and the Bradley-Terry model for pair comparisons. We provide a tight characterization of the mean squared error of the maximum likelihood parameter estimator. We also provide similar characterizations for parameter estimators defined by a rank-breaking method, which amounts to deducing one ormore » more pair comparisons from a comparison of two or more items, assuming independence of these pair comparisons, and maximizing a likelihood function derived under these assumptions. We also consider a related binary classification problem where each individual parameter takes value from a set of two possible values and the goal is to correctly classify all items within a prescribed classification error. The results of this paper shed light on how the parameter estimation accuracy depends on given Thurstone choice model and the structure of comparison sets. In particular, we found that for unbiased input comparison sets of a given cardinality, when in expectation each comparison set of given cardinality occurs the same number of times, for a broad class of Thurstone choice models, the mean squared error decreases with the cardinality of comparison sets, but only marginally according to a diminishing returns relation. On the other hand, we found that there exist Thurstone choice models for which the mean squared error of the maximum likelihood parameter estimator can decrease much faster with the cardinality of comparison sets. We report empirical evaluation of some claims and key parameters revealed by theory using both synthetic and real-world input data from some popular sport competitions and online labor platforms.« less

Real-time learning of predictive recognition categories that chunk sequences of items stored in working memory

PubMed Central

Kazerounian, Sohrob; Grossberg, Stephen

2014-01-01

How are sequences of events that are temporarily stored in a cognitive working memory unitized, or chunked, through learning? Such sequential learning is needed by the brain in order to enable language, spatial understanding, and motor skills to develop. In particular, how does the brain learn categories, or list chunks, that become selectively tuned to different temporal sequences of items in lists of variable length as they are stored in working memory, and how does this learning process occur in real time? The present article introduces a neural model that simulates learning of such list chunks. In this model, sequences of items are temporarily stored in an Item-and-Order, or competitive queuing, working memory before learning categorizes them using a categorization network, called a Masking Field, which is a self-similar, multiple-scale, recurrent on-center off-surround network that can weigh the evidence for variable-length sequences of items as they are stored in the working memory through time. A Masking Field hereby activates the learned list chunks that represent the most predictive item groupings at any time, while suppressing less predictive chunks. In a network with a given number of input items, all possible ordered sets of these item sequences, up to a fixed length, can be learned with unsupervised or supervised learning. The self-similar multiple-scale properties of Masking Fields interacting with an Item-and-Order working memory provide a natural explanation of George Miller's Magical Number Seven and Nelson Cowan's Magical Number Four. The article explains why linguistic, spatial, and action event sequences may all be stored by Item-and-Order working memories that obey similar design principles, and thus how the current results may apply across modalities. Item-and-Order properties may readily be extended to Item-Order-Rank working memories in which the same item can be stored in multiple list positions, or ranks, as in the list ABADBD. Comparisons with other models, including TRACE, MERGE, and TISK, are made. PMID:25339918

SU-E-T-240: Design and Implement of An Electronic Records Function for Treatment Plan Checked Meeting

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

Wu, Q

Purpose: To replace the paper records, we designed an electronic records function for plan checked meeting in our in-house developed radiotherapy information management system(RTIMS). Methods: Since 2007, the RTIMS has been developed on a database and web service of Apache+PHP+MySQL, and almost all computers and smartphones could access the RTIMS through IE browser, to input, search, count, and print the data. In 2012, we also established an radiation therapy case conference multi-media system(RTCCMMS) based on Windows Remote Desktop feature. Since 2013, we have carried out the treatment plan checked meeting of the physics division in every afternoon for about halfmore » an hour. In 2014, we designed an electronic records function, which includes a meeting information record and a checked plan record. And the meeting record includes the following items: meeting date, name, place, length, status, attendee, content, etc. The plan record includes the followings: meeting date, meeting name, patient ID, gender, age, patient name, course, plan, purpose, position, technique, CTsim type, plan type, primary doctor, other doctor, primary physicist, other physicist, difficulty, quality, score, opinion, status, note, etc. Results: In the past year, the electronic meeting records function has been successfully developed and implemented in the division, and it could be accessed from an smartphone. Almost all items have the corresponding pull-down menu selection, and each option would try to intelligently inherit default value from the former record or other form. According to the items, we could do big data mining to the input data. It also has both Chinese and English two versions. Conclusion: It was demonstrated to be user-friendly and was proven to significantly improve the clinical efficiency and quality of treatment plan. Since the RTIMS is an in-house developed system, more functions can be added or modified to further enhance its potentials in research and clinical practice. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.81101694)« less

Standards for UNiversal reporting of patient Decision Aid Evaluation studies: the development of SUNDAE Checklist.

PubMed

Sepucha, Karen R; Abhyankar, Purva; Hoffman, Aubri S; Bekker, Hilary L; LeBlanc, Annie; Levin, Carrie A; Ropka, Mary; Shaffer, Victoria A; Sheridan, Stacey L; Stacey, Dawn; Stalmeier, Peep; Vo, Ha; Wills, Celia E; Thomson, Richard

2018-05-01

Patient decision aids (PDAs) are evidence-based tools designed to help patients make specific and deliberated choices among healthcare options. The International Patient Decision Aid Standards (IPDAS) Collaboration review papers and Cochrane systematic review of PDAs have found significant gaps in the reporting of evaluations of PDAs, including poor or limited reporting of PDA content, development methods and delivery. This study sought to develop and reach consensus on reporting guidelines to improve the quality of publications evaluating PDAs. An international workgroup, consisting of members from IPDAS Collaboration, followed established methods to develop reporting guidelines for PDA evaluation studies. This paper describes the results from three completed phases: (1) planning, (2) drafting and (3) consensus, which included a modified, two-stage, online international Delphi process. The work was conducted over 2 years with bimonthly conference calls and three in-person meetings. The workgroup used input from these phases to produce a final set of recommended items in the form of a checklist. The SUNDAE Checklist (Standards for UNiversal reporting of patient Decision Aid Evaluations) includes 26 items recommended for studies reporting evaluations of PDAs. In the two-stage Delphi process, 117/143 (82%) experts from 14 countries completed round 1 and 96/117 (82%) completed round 2. Respondents reached a high level of consensus on the importance of the items and indicated strong willingness to use the items when reporting PDA studies. The SUNDAE Checklist will help ensure that reports of PDA evaluation studies are understandable, transparent and of high quality. A separate Explanation and Elaboration publication provides additional details to support use of the checklist. © 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.

75 FR 22432 - Sunshine Act Meetings; Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-28

... 2010 and Press Coverage. Expert Input on Measuring Scientific Knowledge and Understanding for... Program Review. [cir] International State of the Arctic Meeting. Discussion Item: Review of NSB Policy on...

Nonlinear features for product inspection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talukder, Ashit; Casasent, David P.

1999-03-01

Classification of real-time X-ray images of randomly oriented touching pistachio nuts is discussed. The ultimate objective is the development of a system for automated non-invasive detection of defective product items on a conveyor belt. We discuss the extraction of new features that allow better discrimination between damaged and clean items (pistachio nuts). This feature extraction and classification stage is the new aspect of this paper; our new maximum representation and discriminating feature (MRDF) extraction method computes nonlinear features that are used as inputs to a new modified k nearest neighbor classifier. In this work, the MRDF is applied to standard features (rather than iconic data). The MRDF is robust to various probability distributions of the input class and is shown to provide good classification and new ROC (receiver operating characteristic) data.

Using Qualitative Research to Inform the Development of a Comprehensive Outcomes Assessment for Asthma

PubMed Central

Turner-Bowker, Diane M.; Saris-Baglama, Renee N.; DeRosa, Michael A.; Paulsen, Christine A.; Bransfield, Christopher P.

2009-01-01

Background Qualitative research can inform the development of asthma patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures and user-friendly technologies through defining measurement constructs, identifying potential limitations in measurement and sources of response error, and evaluating usability. Objective The goal of the current study was to inform the development of a comprehensive asthma PRO assessment with input from patients and clinical experts. Method Self-reported adult asthma sufferers recruited from a 3,000 member New England-area research panel participated in either one of three focus groups (N=21) or individual cognitive item debriefing interviews (N=20) to discuss how asthma impacts their health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and provide feedback on a preliminary set of asthma impact survey items and prototype patient report. Focus groups and cognitive interviews were conducted using traditional research principles (e.g., semi-structured interview guide, probing, and think aloud techniques). An Expert Advisory Panel (N=12) including asthma clinical specialists and measurement professionals was convened to review results from the focus group and cognitive interview studies and make recommendations for final survey and report development. Results Domains of health impacted by asthma included physical (recreation, play, competitive sports, and exercise), social (activities, family relationships), emotional (anger, upset, frustration, anxiety, worry), sleep, role (recreational/leisure activities; work), and sexual functioning. Most items in the impact survey were easily understood, covered important content, and included relevant response options. Items with contradictory examples and multiple concepts were difficult to comprehend. Suggestions were made to expand survey content by including additional items on physical and sexual functioning, sleep, self-consciousness, stigma, and finances. Reports were considered useful and participants saw value in sharing the results with their doctor. Graphic presentation of scores was not always understood; participants preferred tabular presentation of score levels with associated interpretative text. Display of inverse scores for different measures (higher scores equaling better health on one scale and worse health on another) shown on a single page was confusing. The score history section of the report was seen as helpful for monitoring progress over time, particularly for those recently diagnosed with asthma. Expert panelists agreed that displaying inverse scores in a single summary report may be confusing to patients and providers. They also stressed the importance of comprehensive interpretation guidelines for patients, with an emphasis on what they should do next based on scores. Panelists made recommendations for provider and aggregate-level reports (e.g., “red flags” to indicate significant score changes or cut-points of significance; identification of subgroups that have scored poorly or recently gotten worse). Conclusion Incorporating input from patients, clinicians, and measurement experts in the early stages of product development should improve the construct validity of this PRO measure and enhance its practical application in healthcare. PMID:20508735

Development of a Computerized Adaptive Test for Anxiety Based on the Dutch-Flemish Version of the PROMIS Item Bank.

PubMed

Flens, Gerard; Smits, Niels; Terwee, Caroline B; Dekker, Joost; Huijbrechts, Irma; Spinhoven, Philip; de Beurs, Edwin

2017-12-01

We used the Dutch-Flemish version of the USA PROMIS adult V1.0 item bank for Anxiety as input for developing a computerized adaptive test (CAT) to measure the entire latent anxiety continuum. First, psychometric analysis of a combined clinical and general population sample ( N = 2,010) showed that the 29-item bank has psychometric properties that are required for a CAT administration. Second, a post hoc CAT simulation showed efficient and highly precise measurement, with an average number of 8.64 items for the clinical sample, and 9.48 items for the general population sample. Furthermore, the accuracy of our CAT version was highly similar to that of the full item bank administration, both in final score estimates and in distinguishing clinical subjects from persons without a mental health disorder. We discuss the future directions and limitations of CAT development with the Dutch-Flemish version of the PROMIS Anxiety item bank.

Software design specification. Part 2: Orbital Flight Test (OFT) detailed design specification. Volume 3: Applications. Book 2: System management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

The functions performed by the systems management (SM) application software are described along with the design employed to accomplish these functions. The operational sequences (OPS) control segments and the cyclic processes they control are defined. The SM specialist function control (SPEC) segments and the display controlled 'on-demand' processes that are invoked by either an OPS or SPEC control segment as a direct result of an item entry to a display are included. Each processing element in the SM application is described including an input/output table and a structured control flow diagram. The flow through the module and other information pertinent to that process and its interfaces to other processes are included.

Diabetes knowledge in nursing homes and home-based care services: a validation study of the Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test adapted for use among nursing personnel.

PubMed

Haugstvedt, Anne; Aarflot, Morten; Igland, Jannicke; Landbakk, Tilla; Graue, Marit

2016-01-01

Providing high-quality diabetes care in nursing homes and home-based care facilities requires suitable instruments to evaluate the level of diabetes knowledge among the health-care providers. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test adapted for use among nursing personnel. The study included 127 nursing personnel (32 registered nurses, 69 nursing aides and 26 nursing assistants) at three nursing homes and one home-based care facility in Norway. We examined the reliability and content and construct validity of the Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test. The items in both the general diabetes subscale and the insulin-use subscale were considered relevant and appropriate. The instrument showed satisfactory properties for distinguishing between groups. Item response theory-based measurements and item information curves indicate maximum information at average or lower knowledge scores. Internal consistency and the item-total correlations were quite weak, indicating that the Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test measures a set of items related to various relevant knowledge topics but not necessarily related to each other. The Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test measures a broad range of topics relevant to diabetes care. It is an appropriate instrument for identifying individual and distinct needs for diabetes education among nursing personnel. The knowledge gaps identified by the Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test could also provide useful input for the content of educational activities. However, some revision of the test should be considered.

The SPARK Tool to prioritise questions for systematic reviews in health policy and systems research: development and initial validation.

PubMed

Akl, Elie A; Fadlallah, Racha; Ghandour, Lilian; Kdouh, Ola; Langlois, Etienne; Lavis, John N; Schünemann, Holger; El-Jardali, Fadi

2017-09-04

Groups or institutions funding or conducting systematic reviews in health policy and systems research (HPSR) should prioritise topics according to the needs of policymakers and stakeholders. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a tool to prioritise questions for systematic reviews in HPSR. We developed the tool following a four-step approach consisting of (1) the definition of the purpose and scope of tool, (2) item generation and reduction, (3) testing for content and face validity, (4) and pilot testing of the tool. The research team involved international experts in HPSR, systematic review methodology and tool development, led by the Center for Systematic Reviews on Health Policy and Systems Research (SPARK). We followed an inclusive approach in determining the final selection of items to allow customisation to the user's needs. The purpose of the SPARK tool was to prioritise questions in HPSR in order to address them in systematic reviews. In the item generation and reduction phase, an extensive literature search yielded 40 relevant articles, which were reviewed by the research team to create a preliminary list of 19 candidate items for inclusion in the tool. As part of testing for content and face validity, input from international experts led to the refining, changing, merging and addition of new items, and to organisation of the tool into two modules. Following pilot testing, we finalised the tool, with 22 items organised in two modules - the first module including 13 items to be rated by policymakers and stakeholders, and the second including 9 items to be rated by systematic review teams. Users can customise the tool to their needs, by omitting items that may not be applicable to their settings. We also developed a user manual that provides guidance on how to use the SPARK tool, along with signaling questions. We have developed and conducted initial validation of the SPARK tool to prioritise questions for systematic reviews in HPSR, along with a user manual. By aligning systematic review production to policy priorities, the tool will help support evidence-informed policymaking and reduce research waste. We invite others to contribute with additional real-life implementation of the tool.

The development of a clinical outcomes survey research application: Assessment Center.

PubMed

Gershon, Richard; Rothrock, Nan E; Hanrahan, Rachel T; Jansky, Liz J; Harniss, Mark; Riley, William

2010-06-01

The National Institutes of Health sponsored Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) aimed to create item banks and computerized adaptive tests (CATs) across multiple domains for individuals with a range of chronic diseases. Web-based software was created to enable a researcher to create study-specific Websites that could administer PROMIS CATs and other instruments to research participants or clinical samples. This paper outlines the process used to develop a user-friendly, free, Web-based resource (Assessment Center) for storage, retrieval, organization, sharing, and administration of patient-reported outcomes (PRO) instruments. Joint Application Design (JAD) sessions were conducted with representatives from numerous institutions in order to supply a general wish list of features. Use Cases were then written to ensure that end user expectations matched programmer specifications. Program development included daily programmer "scrum" sessions, weekly Usability Acceptability Testing (UAT) and continuous Quality Assurance (QA) activities pre- and post-release. Assessment Center includes features that promote instrument development including item histories, data management, and storage of statistical analysis results. This case study of software development highlights the collection and incorporation of user input throughout the development process. Potential future applications of Assessment Center in clinical research are discussed.

Impaired integration of object knowledge and visual input in a case of ventral simultanagnosia with bilateral damage to area V4.

PubMed

Leek, E Charles; d'Avossa, Giovanni; Tainturier, Marie-Josèphe; Roberts, Daniel J; Yuen, Sung Lai; Hu, Mo; Rafal, Robert

2012-01-01

This study examines how brain damage can affect the cognitive processes that support the integration of sensory input and prior knowledge during shape perception. It is based on the first detailed study of acquired ventral simultanagnosia, which was found in a patient (M.T.) with posterior occipitotemporal lesions encompassing V4 bilaterally. Despite showing normal object recognition for single items in both accuracy and response times (RTs), and intact low-level vision assessed across an extensive battery of tests, M.T. was impaired in object identification with overlapping figures displays. Task performance was modulated by familiarity: Unlike controls, M.T. was faster with overlapping displays of abstract shapes than with overlapping displays of common objects. His performance with overlapping common object displays was also influenced by both the semantic relatedness and visual similarity of the display items. These findings challenge claims that visual perception is driven solely by feedforward mechanisms and show how brain damage can selectively impair high-level perceptual processes supporting the integration of stored knowledge and visual sensory input.

Development and initial evaluation of an instrument to assess physiotherapists' clinical reasoning focused on clients' behavior change.

PubMed

Elvén, Maria; Hochwälder, Jacek; Dean, Elizabeth; Söderlund, Anne

2018-05-01

A systematically developed and evaluated instrument is needed to support investigations of physiotherapists' clinical reasoning integrated with the process of clients' behavior change. This study's aim was to develop an instrument to assess physiotherapy students' and physiotherapists' clinical reasoning focused on clients' activity-related behavior and behavior change, and initiate its evaluation, including feasibility and content validity. The study was conducted in three phases: 1) determination of instrument structure and item generation, based on a model, guidelines for assessing clinical reasoning, and existing measures; 2) cognitive interviews with five physiotherapy students to evaluate item understanding and feasibility; and 3) a Delphi process with 18 experts to evaluate content relevance. Phase 1 resulted in an instrument with four domains: Physiotherapist; Input from client; Functional behavioral analysis; and Strategies for behavior change. The instrument consists of case scenarios followed by items in which key features are identified, prioritized, or interpreted. Phase 2 resulted in revisions of problems and approval of feasibility. Phase 3 demonstrated high level of consensus regarding the instrument's content relevance. This feasible and content-validated instrument shows potential for use in investigations of physiotherapy students' and physiotherapists' clinical reasoning, however continued development and testing are needed.

A matter of emphasis: Linguistic stress habits modulate serial recall.

PubMed

Taylor, John C; Macken, Bill; Jones, Dylan M

2015-04-01

Models of short-term memory for sequential information rely on item-level, feature-based descriptions to account for errors in serial recall. Transposition errors within alternating similar/dissimilar letter sequences derive from interactions between overlapping features. However, in two experiments, we demonstrated that the characteristics of the sequence are what determine the fates of items, rather than the properties ascribed to the items themselves. Performance in alternating sequences is determined by the way that the sequences themselves induce particular prosodic rehearsal patterns, and not by the nature of the items per se. In a serial recall task, the shapes of the canonical "saw-tooth" serial position curves and transposition error probabilities at successive input-output distances were modulated by subvocal rehearsal strategies, despite all item-based parameters being held constant. We replicated this finding using nonalternating lists, thus demonstrating that transpositions are substantially influenced by prosodic features-such as stress-that emerge during subvocal rehearsal.

Digital-computer program for design analysis of salient, wound pole alternators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Repas, D. S.

1973-01-01

A digital computer program for analyzing the electromagnetic design of salient, wound pole alternators is presented. The program, which is written in FORTRAN 4, calculates the open-circuit saturation curve, the field-current requirements at rated voltage for various loads and losses, efficiency, reactances, time constants, and weights. The methods used to calculate some of these items are presented or appropriate references are cited. Instructions for using the program and typical program input and output for an alternator design are given, and an alphabetical list of most FORTRAN symbols and the complete program listing with flow charts are included.

Development and Psychometric Properties of a Survey to Assess Barriers to Implementing Advance Care Planning in Primary Care.

PubMed

Howard, Michelle; Day, Andrew G; Bernard, Carrie; Tan, Amy; You, John; Klein, Doug; Heyland, Daren K

2018-01-01

Valid and reliable measurement of barriers to advance care planning (ACP) in health care settings can inform the design of robust interventions. This article describes the development and psychometric evaluation of an instrument to measure the presence and magnitude of perceived barriers to ACP discussion with patients from the perspective of family physicians. A questionnaire was designed through literature review and expert input, asking family physicians to rate the importance of barriers (0 = not at all a barrier and 6 = an extreme amount) to ACP discussions with patients and administered to 117 physicians. Floor effects and missing data patterns were examined. Item-by-item correlations were examined using Pearson correlation. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted (iterated principle factor analysis with oblique rotation), internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) overall and within factors was calculated, and construct validity was evaluated by calculating three correlations with related questions that were specified a priori. The questionnaire included 31 questions in three domains relating to the clinician, patient/family and system or external factors. No items were removed due to missing data, floor effects, or high correlation with another item. A solution of three factors accounted for 71% of variance. One item was removed because it did not load strongly on any factor. All other items except one remained in the original domain in the questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha for the three factors ranged from 0.84 to 0.90. Two of three a priori correlations with related questions were statistically significant. This questionnaire to assess barriers to ACP discussion from the perspective of family physicians demonstrates preliminary evidence of reliability and validity. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lexical development of noun and predicate comprehension and production in isiZulu

PubMed Central

Ahmed, Saaliha

2016-01-01

This study seeks to investigate the development of noun and predicate comprehension and production in isiZulu-speaking children between the ages of 25 and 36 months. It compares lexical comprehension and production in isiZulu, using an Italian developed and validated vocabulary assessment tool: The Picture Naming Game (PiNG) developed by Bello, Giannantoni, Pettenati, Stefanini and Caselli (2012). The PiNG tool includes four subtests, one each for subnoun comprehension (NC), noun production (NP), predicate comprehension (PC), and predicate production (PP). Children are shown these lexical items and then asked to show comprehension and produce certain lexical items. After adaptation into the South African context, the adapted version of PiNG was used to directly assess the lexical development of isiZulu with the three main objectives to (1) test the efficiency of the adaptation of a vocabulary tool to measure isiZulu comprehension and production development, (2) test previous findings done in many cross-linguistic comparisons that have found that both comprehension and production performance increase with age for a lesser-studied language, and (3) present our findings around the comprehension and production of the linguistic categories of nouns and predicates. An analysis of the results reported in this study show an age effect throughout the entire sample. Across all the age groups, the comprehension of the noun and predicate subtests was better performed than the production of noun and predicate subtests. With regard to lexical items, the responses of children showed an influence of various factors, including the late acquisition of items, possible problems with stimuli presented to them, and the possible input received by the children from their home environment. PMID:27542416

Lexical development of noun and predicate comprehension and production in isiZulu.

PubMed

Nicolas, Ramona Kunene; Ahmed, Saaliha

2016-07-28

This study seeks to investigate the development of noun and predicate comprehension and production in isiZulu-speaking children between the ages of 25 and 36 months. It compares lexical comprehension and production in isiZulu, using an Italian developed and validated vocabulary assessment tool: The Picture Naming Game (PiNG) developed by Bello, Giannantoni, Pettenati, Stefanini and Caselli (2012). The PiNG tool includes four subtests, one each for subnoun comprehension (NC), noun production (NP), predicate comprehension (PC), and predicate production (PP). Children are shown these lexical items and then asked to show comprehension and produce certain lexical items. After adaptation into the South African context, the adapted version of PiNG was used to directly assess the lexical development of isiZulu with the three main objectives to (1) test the efficiency of the adaptation of a vocabulary tool to measure isiZulu comprehension and production development, (2) test previous findings done in many cross-linguistic comparisons that have found that both comprehension and production performance increase with age for a lesser-studied language, and (3) present our findings around the comprehension and production of the linguistic categories of nouns and predicates. An analysis of the results reported in this study show an age effect throughout the entire sample. Across all the age groups, the comprehension of the noun and predicate subtests was better performed than the production of noun and predicate subtests. With regard to lexical items, the responses of children showed an influence of various factors, including the late acquisition of items, possible problems with stimuli presented to them, and the possible input received by the children from their home environment.

New nonlinear features for inspection, robotics, and face recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casasent, David P.; Talukder, Ashit

1999-10-01

Classification of real-time X-ray images of randomly oriented touching pistachio nuts is discussed. The ultimate objective is the development of a system for automated non- invasive detection of defective product items on a conveyor belt. We discuss the extraction of new features that allow better discrimination between damaged and clean items (pistachio nuts). This feature extraction and classification stage is the new aspect of this paper; our new maximum representation and discriminating feature (MRDF) extraction method computes nonlinear features that are used as inputs to a new modified k nearest neighbor classifier. In this work, the MRDF is applied to standard features (rather than iconic data). The MRDF is robust to various probability distributions of the input class and is shown to provide good classification and new ROC (receiver operating characteristic) data. Other applications of these new feature spaces in robotics and face recognition are also noted.

Force testing manual for the Langley 20-inch Mach 6 tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keyes, J. W.

1977-01-01

Data reduction and procedures for conducting force tests in a 20 inch Mach 6 tunnel are described. A discussion of pretest and testing phases are included. Items that are to be checked during model design and construction are outlined as well as safety requirements, starting loads tests, instructions for data acquisition and model installation. Measurement of balance and model misalignment and instructions for calibrating the angle of attack screen are covered. Procedures for making reference pressure, attitude tare, and data runs are included. The 20 inch tunnel force program is examined, and a description of data recording system input and load contrast sheets is given. An appendix presents a description, operating characteristics, and Mach number calibration of the tunnel, as well as tunnel characteristics.

Active Learning with Irrelevant Examples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wagstaff, Kiri; Mazzoni, Dominic

2009-01-01

An improved active learning method has been devised for training data classifiers. One example of a data classifier is the algorithm used by the United States Postal Service since the 1960s to recognize scans of handwritten digits for processing zip codes. Active learning algorithms enable rapid training with minimal investment of time on the part of human experts to provide training examples consisting of correctly classified (labeled) input data. They function by identifying which examples would be most profitable for a human expert to label. The goal is to maximize classifier accuracy while minimizing the number of examples the expert must label. Although there are several well-established methods for active learning, they may not operate well when irrelevant examples are present in the data set. That is, they may select an item for labeling that the expert simply cannot assign to any of the valid classes. In the context of classifying handwritten digits, the irrelevant items may include stray marks, smudges, and mis-scans. Querying the expert about these items results in wasted time or erroneous labels, if the expert is forced to assign the item to one of the valid classes. In contrast, the new algorithm provides a specific mechanism for avoiding querying the irrelevant items. This algorithm has two components: an active learner (which could be a conventional active learning algorithm) and a relevance classifier. The combination of these components yields a method, denoted Relevance Bias, that enables the active learner to avoid querying irrelevant data so as to increase its learning rate and efficiency when irrelevant items are present. The algorithm collects irrelevant data in a set of rejected examples, then trains the relevance classifier to distinguish between labeled (relevant) training examples and the rejected ones. The active learner combines its ranking of the items with the probability that they are relevant to yield a final decision about which item to present to the expert for labeling. Experiments on several data sets have demonstrated that the Relevance Bias approach significantly decreases the number of irrelevant items queried and also accelerates learning speed.

Classification of product inspection items using nonlinear features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talukder, Ashit; Casasent, David P.; Lee, H.-W.

1998-03-01

Automated processing and classification of real-time x-ray images of randomly oriented touching pistachio nuts is discussed. The ultimate objective is the development of a system for automated non-invasive detection of defective product items on a conveyor belt. This approach involves two main steps: preprocessing and classification. Preprocessing locates individual items and segments ones that touch using a modified watershed algorithm. The second stage involves extraction of features that allow discrimination between damaged and clean items (pistachio nuts). This feature extraction and classification stage is the new aspect of this paper. We use a new nonlinear feature extraction scheme called the maximum representation and discriminating feature (MRDF) extraction method to compute nonlinear features that are used as inputs to a classifier. The MRDF is shown to provide better classification and a better ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curve than other methods.

The strength of attentional biases reduces as visual short-term memory load increases

PubMed Central

Shimi, A.

2013-01-01

Despite our visual system receiving irrelevant input that competes with task-relevant signals, we are able to pursue our perceptual goals. Attention enhances our visual processing by biasing the processing of the input that is relevant to the task at hand. The top-down signals enabling these biases are therefore important for regulating lower level sensory mechanisms. In three experiments, we examined whether we apply similar biases to successfully maintain information in visual short-term memory (VSTM). We presented participants with targets alongside distracters and we graded their perceptual similarity to vary the extent to which they competed. Experiments 1 and 2 showed that the more items held in VSTM before the onset of the distracters, the more perceptually distinct the distracters needed to be for participants to retain the target accurately. Experiment 3 extended these behavioral findings by demonstrating that the perceptual similarity between target and distracters exerted a significantly greater effect on occipital alpha amplitudes, depending on the number of items already held in VSTM. The trade-off between VSTM load and target-distracter competition suggests that VSTM and perceptual competition share a partially overlapping mechanism, namely top-down inputs into sensory areas. PMID:23576694

The anatomy of clinical decision-making in multidisciplinary cancer meetings

PubMed Central

Soukup, Tayana; Petrides, Konstantinos V.; Lamb, Benjamin W.; Sarkar, Somita; Arora, Sonal; Shah, Sujay; Darzi, Ara; Green, James S. A.; Sevdalis, Nick

2016-01-01

Abstract In the UK, treatment recommendations for patients with cancer are routinely made by multidisciplinary teams in weekly meetings. However, their performance is variable. The aim of this study was to explore the underlying structure of multidisciplinary decision-making process, and examine how it relates to team ability to reach a decision. This is a cross-sectional observational study consisting of 1045 patient reviews across 4 multidisciplinary cancer teams from teaching and community hospitals in London, UK, from 2010 to 2014. Meetings were chaired by surgeons. We used a validated observational instrument (Metric for the Observation of Decision-making in Cancer Multidisciplinary Meetings) consisting of 13 items to assess the decision-making process of each patient discussion. Rated on a 5-point scale, the items measured quality of presented patient information, and contributions to review by individual disciplines. A dichotomous outcome (yes/no) measured team ability to reach a decision. Ratings were submitted to Exploratory Factor Analysis and regression analysis. The exploratory factor analysis produced 4 factors, labeled “Holistic and Clinical inputs” (patient views, psychosocial aspects, patient history, comorbidities, oncologists’, nurses’, and surgeons’ inputs), “Radiology” (radiology results, radiologists’ inputs), “Pathology” (pathology results, pathologists’ inputs), and “Meeting Management” (meeting chairs’ and coordinators’ inputs). A negative cross-loading was observed from surgeons’ input on the fourth factor with a follow-up analysis showing negative correlation (r = −0.19, P < 0.001). In logistic regression, all 4 factors predicted team ability to reach a decision (P < 0.001). Hawthorne effect is the main limitation of the study. The decision-making process in cancer meetings is driven by 4 underlying factors representing the complete patient profile and contributions to case review by all core disciplines. Evidence of dual-task interference was observed in relation to the meeting chairs’ input and their corresponding surgical input into case reviews. PMID:27310981

The development of a clinical outcomes survey research application: Assessment CenterSM

PubMed Central

Rothrock, Nan E.; Hanrahan, Rachel T.; Jansky, Liz J.; Harniss, Mark; Riley, William

2013-01-01

Introduction The National Institutes of Health sponsored Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) aimed to create item banks and computerized adaptive tests (CATs) across multiple domains for individuals with a range of chronic diseases. Purpose Web-based software was created to enable a researcher to create study-specific Websites that could administer PROMIS CATs and other instruments to research participants or clinical samples. This paper outlines the process used to develop a user-friendly, free, Web-based resource (Assessment CenterSM) for storage, retrieval, organization, sharing, and administration of patient-reported outcomes (PRO) instruments. Methods Joint Application Design (JAD) sessions were conducted with representatives from numerous institutions in order to supply a general wish list of features. Use Cases were then written to ensure that end user expectations matched programmer specifications. Program development included daily programmer “scrum” sessions, weekly Usability Acceptability Testing (UAT) and continuous Quality Assurance (QA) activities pre- and post-release. Results Assessment Center includes features that promote instrument development including item histories, data management, and storage of statistical analysis results. Conclusions This case study of software development highlights the collection and incorporation of user input throughout the development process. Potential future applications of Assessment Center in clinical research are discussed. PMID:20306332

Facilitating comparative effectiveness research in cancer genomics: evaluating stakeholder perceptions of the engagement process.

PubMed

Deverka, Patricia A; Lavallee, Danielle C; Desai, Priyanka J; Armstrong, Joanne; Gorman, Mark; Hole-Curry, Leah; O'Leary, James; Ruffner, B W; Watkins, John; Veenstra, David L; Baker, Laurence H; Unger, Joseph M; Ramsey, Scott D

2012-07-01

The Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research in Cancer Genomics completed a 2-year stakeholder-guided process for the prioritization of genomic tests for comparative effectiveness research studies. We sought to evaluate the effectiveness of engagement procedures in achieving project goals and to identify opportunities for future improvements. The evaluation included an online questionnaire, one-on-one telephone interviews and facilitated discussion. Responses to the online questionnaire were tabulated for descriptive purposes, while transcripts from key informant interviews were analyzed using a directed content analysis approach. A total of 11 out of 13 stakeholders completed both the online questionnaire and interview process, while nine participated in the facilitated discussion. Eighty-nine percent of questionnaire items received overall ratings of agree or strongly agree; 11% of responses were rated as neutral with the exception of a single rating of disagreement with an item regarding the clarity of how stakeholder input was incorporated into project decisions. Recommendations for future improvement included developing standard recruitment practices, role descriptions and processes for improved communication with clinical and comparative effectiveness research investigators. Evaluation of the stakeholder engagement process provided constructive feedback for future improvements and should be routinely conducted to ensure maximal effectiveness of stakeholder involvement.

Code Description for Generation of Meteorological Height and Pressure Level and Layer Profiles

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

defined by user input height or pressure levels. It can process input profiles from sensing systems such as radiosonde, lidar, or wind profiling radar...nearly the same way, but the split between wind and temperature/humidity (TH) special levels leads to some changes to one other routine. If changes are...top of the sounding, sometimes the moisture, the thermal, both thermal and moisture, and/or the wind data are missing. Missing data items in the

Integrity and security in an Ada runtime environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bown, Rodney L.

1991-01-01

A review is provided of the Formal Methods group discussions. It was stated that integrity is not a pure mathematical dual of security. The input data is part of the integrity domain. The group provided a roadmap for research. One item of the roadmap and the final position statement are closely related to the space shuttle and space station. The group's position is to use a safe subset of Ada. Examples of safe sets include the Army Secure Operating System and the Penelope Ada verification tool. It is recommended that a conservative attitude is required when writing Ada code for life and property critical systems.

SAMICS: Input data preparation. [Solar Array Manufacturing Industry Costing Standards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamberlain, R. G.; Aster, R. W.

1979-01-01

The Solar Array Manufacturing Industry Costing Standards (SAMICS) provide standard formats, data, assumptions, and procedures for estimating the price that a manufacturer would have to charge for the product of a specified manufacturing process sequence. A line-by-line explanation is given of those standard formats which describe the economically important characteristics of the manufacturing processes and the technological structure of the companies and the industry. This revision provides an updated presentation of Format A Process Description, consistent with the October 1978 version of that form. A checklist of items which should be entered on Format A as direct expenses is included.

Computer Program for Calculation of Separated Turbulent Flows on Axisymmetric Afterbodies including Exhaust Plume Effects

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-03-01

automatically extended to match the inviscid grid. 53 AEDC-T R-79-4 XT DXP HLIM CFCI DELTA1 DELSTI UEI DUEDX NR XRP ,RL Axial location of...layer-edge velocity gradient at initial boundary-layer station. Integer number of values of XRP and RL to be input for body shape. If NSHPBL = 0, this...If LSHPBL = 0 and LPROG = 0, skip items 20 and 21 NR XRP ,RL 715 I5 2FI0.0 8FI0.0 5F10.0 2FI0.0 2f10.0 I615 2FI0.0 125 AEDC-TR-79-4

Survey Development to Assess College Students' Perceptions of the Campus Environment.

PubMed

Sowers, Morgan F; Colby, Sarah; Greene, Geoffrey W; Pickett, Mackenzie; Franzen-Castle, Lisa; Olfert, Melissa D; Shelnutt, Karla; Brown, Onikia; Horacek, Tanya M; Kidd, Tandalayo; Kattelmann, Kendra K; White, Adrienne A; Zhou, Wenjun; Riggsbee, Kristin; Yan, Wangcheng; Byrd-Bredbenner, Carol

2017-11-01

We developed and tested a College Environmental Perceptions Survey (CEPS) to assess college students' perceptions of the healthfulness of their campus. CEPS was developed in 3 stages: questionnaire development, validity testing, and reliability testing. Questionnaire development was based on an extensive literature review and input from an expert panel to establish content validity. Face validity was established with the target population using cognitive interviews with 100 college students. Concurrent-criterion validity was established with in-depth interviews (N = 30) of college students compared to surveys completed by the same 30 students. Surveys completed by college students from 8 universities (N = 1147) were used to test internal structure (factor analysis) and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha). After development and testing, 15 items remained from the original 48 items. A 5-factor solution emerged: physical activity (4 items, α = .635), water (3 items, α = .773), vending (2 items, α = .680), healthy food (2 items, α = .631), and policy (2 items, α = .573). The mean total score for all universities was 62.71 (±11.16) on a 100-point scale. CEPS appears to be a valid and reliable tool for assessing college students' perceptions of their health-related campus environment.

The Caregiver Burden Questionnaire for Heart Failure (CBQ-HF): face and content validity

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background A new caregiver burden questionnaire for heart failure (CBQ-HF v1.0) was developed based on previously conducted qualitative interviews with HF caregivers and with input from HF clinical experts. Version 1.0 of the CBQ-HF included 41 items measuring the burden associated with caregiving in the following domains: physical, emotional/psychological, social, and impact on caregiver’s life. Following initial development, the next stage was to evaluate caregivers’ understanding of the questionnaire items and their conceptual relevance. Methods To evaluate the face and content validity of the new questionnaire, cognitive interviews were conducted with caregivers of heart failure patients. The cognitive interviews included a “think aloud” exercise as the patient completed the CBQ-HF, followed by more specific probing questions to better understand caregivers’ understanding, interpretation and the relevance of the instructions, items, response scales and recall period. Results Eighteen caregivers of heart failure patients were recruited. The mean age of the caregivers was 50 years (SD = 10.2). Eighty-three percent of caregivers were female and most commonly the patient was either a spouse (44%) or a parent (28%). Among the patients 55% were NYHA Class 2 and 45% were NYHA Class 3 or 4. The caregiver cognitive interviews demonstrated that the CBQ-HF was well understood, relevant and consistently interpreted. From the initial 41 item questionnaire, fifteen items were deleted due to conceptual overlap and/or item redundancy. The final 26-item CBQ-HF (v3.0) uses a 5-point Likert severity scale, assessing 4 domains of physical, emotional/psychological, social and lifestyle burdens using a 4-week recall period. Conclusions The CBQ-HF (v3.0) is a comprehensive and relevant measure of subjective caregiver burden with strong content validity. This study has established that the CBQ-HF (v3.0) has strong face and content validity and should be valuable as an outcomes measure to help understand and monitor the relationship between patient heart failure severity and caregiver burden. A Translatability AssessmentSM of the measure has since been performed confirming the cultural appropriateness of the measure and psychometric validation is planned for the future to further explore the reliability, and validity of the new questionnaire in a larger caregiver sample. PMID:23706131

Instruction in Documentation for Computer Programming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westley, John W.

1976-01-01

In addition to the input/output record format, the program flowchart, the program listing, and the program test output, eight documentation items are suggested in order that they may serve as a base from which to start teaching program documentation. (Author/AG)

Development and validation of a brief trauma screening measure for children: The Child Trauma Screen.

PubMed

Lang, Jason M; Connell, Christian M

2017-05-01

Childhood exposure to trauma, including violence and abuse, is a major public health concern that has resulted in increased efforts to promote trauma-informed child-serving systems. Trauma screening is an important component of such trauma-informed systems, yet widespread use of trauma screening is rare in part due to the lack of brief, validated trauma screening measures for children. We describe development and validation of the Child Trauma Screen (CTS), a 10-item screening measure of trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms for children consistent with the DSM-5 definition of PTSD. Study 1 describes measure development incorporating analysis to derive items based on existing measures from 1,065 children and caregivers together with stakeholder input to finalize item selection. Study 2 describes validation of the CTS with a clinical sample of 74 children and their caregivers. Results support the CTS as an empirically derived, reliable measure to screen children for trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms with strong convergent, divergent, and criterion validity. The CTS is a promising measure for rapidly and reliably screening children for trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms. Future research is needed to confirm validation and to examine feasibility and utility of its use across various child-serving systems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

The Necessity of the Medial Temporal Lobe for Statistical Learning

PubMed Central

Schapiro, Anna C.; Gregory, Emma; Landau, Barbara; McCloskey, Michael; Turk-Browne, Nicholas B.

2014-01-01

The sensory input that we experience is highly patterned, and we are experts at detecting these regularities. Although the extraction of such regularities, or statistical learning (SL), is typically viewed as a cortical process, recent studies have implicated the medial temporal lobe (MTL), including the hippocampus. These studies have employed fMRI, leaving open the possibility that the MTL is involved but not necessary for SL. Here, we examined this issue in a case study of LSJ, a patient with complete bilateral hippocampal loss and broader MTL damage. In Experiments 1 and 2, LSJ and matched control participants were passively exposed to a continuous sequence of shapes, syllables, scenes, or tones containing temporal regularities in the co-occurrence of items. In a subsequent test phase, the control groups exhibited reliable SL in all conditions, successfully discriminating regularities from recombinations of the same items into novel foil sequences. LSJ, however, exhibited no SL, failing to discriminate regularities from foils. Experiment 3 ruled out more general explanations for this failure, such as inattention during exposure or difficulty following test instructions, by showing that LSJ could discriminate which individual items had been exposed. These findings provide converging support for the importance of the MTL in extracting temporal regularities. PMID:24456393

Object representations in visual working memory change according to the task context.

PubMed

Balaban, Halely; Luria, Roy

2016-08-01

This study investigated whether an item's representation in visual working memory (VWM) can be updated according to changes in the global task context. We used a modified change detection paradigm, in which the items moved before the retention interval. In all of the experiments, we presented identical color-color conjunction items that were arranged to provide a common fate Gestalt grouping cue during their movement. Task context was manipulated by adding a condition highlighting either the integrated interpretation of the conjunction items or their individuated interpretation. We monitored the contralateral delay activity (CDA) as an online marker of VWM. Experiment 1 employed only a minimal global context; the conjunction items were integrated during their movement, but then were partially individuated, at a late stage of the retention interval. The same conjunction items were perfectly integrated in an integration context (Experiment 2). An individuation context successfully produced strong individuation, already during the movement, overriding Gestalt grouping cues (Experiment 3). In Experiment 4, a short priming of the individuation context managed to individuate the conjunction items immediately after the Gestalt cue was no longer available. Thus, the representations of identical items changed according to the task context, suggesting that VWM interprets incoming input according to global factors which can override perceptual cues. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Representation of item position in immediate serial recall: Evidence from intrusion errors.

PubMed

Fischer-Baum, Simon; McCloskey, Michael

2015-09-01

In immediate serial recall, participants are asked to recall novel sequences of items in the correct order. Theories of the representations and processes required for this task differ in how order information is maintained; some have argued that order is represented through item-to-item associations, while others have argued that each item is coded for its position in a sequence, with position being defined either by distance from the start of the sequence, or by distance from both the start and the end of the sequence. Previous researchers have used error analyses to adjudicate between these different proposals. However, these previous attempts have not allowed researchers to examine the full set of alternative proposals. In the current study, we analyzed errors produced in 2 immediate serial recall experiments that differ in the modality of input (visual vs. aural presentation of words) and the modality of output (typed vs. spoken responses), using new analysis methods that allow for a greater number of alternative hypotheses to be considered. We find evidence that sequence positions are represented relative to both the start and the end of the sequence, and show a contribution of the end-based representation beyond the final item in the sequence. We also find limited evidence for item-to-item associations, suggesting that both a start-end positional scheme and item-to-item associations play a role in representing item order in immediate serial recall. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF 'SURE': A PATIENT REPORTED OUTCOME MEASURE (PROM) FOR RECOVERY FROM DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE.

PubMed

Neale, Joanne; Vitoratou, Silia; Finch, Emily; Lennon, Paul; Mitcheson, Luke; Panebianco, Daria; Rose, Diana; Strang, John; Wykes, Til; Marsden, John

2016-08-01

Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) assess health status and health-related quality of life from the patient/service user perspective. Our study aimed to: i. develop a PROM for recovery from drug and alcohol dependence that has good face and content validity, acceptability and usability for people in recovery; ii. evaluate the psychometric properties and factorial structure of the new PROM ('SURE'). Item development included Delphi groups, focus groups, and service user feedback on draft versions of the new measure. A 30-item beta version was completed by 575 service users (461 in person [IP] and 114 online [OL]). Analyses comprised rating scale evaluation, assessment of psychometric properties, factorial structure, and differential item functioning. The beta measure had good face and content validity. Nine items were removed due to low stability, low factor loading, low construct validity or high complexity. The remaining 21 items were re-scaled (Rasch model analyses). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed 5 factors: substance use, material resources, outlook on life, self-care, and relationships. The MIMIC model indicated 95% metric invariance across the IP and OL samples, and 100% metric invariance for gender. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were granted. The 5 factors correlated positively with the corresponding WHOQOL-BREF and ARC subscales and score differences between participant sub-groups confirmed discriminative validity. 'SURE' is a psychometrically valid, quick and easy-to-complete outcome measure, developed with unprecedented input from people in recovery. It can be used alongside, or instead of, existing outcome tools. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Validation and Application of the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory for Traditional Chinese Medicine (MDASI-TCM).

PubMed

Li, Zhandong; Shi, Qiuling; Liu, Meng; Jia, Liqun; He, Bin; Yang, Yufei; Liu, Jie; Lin, Hongsheng; Lin, Huei-Kai; Li, Pingping; Wang, Xin Shelley

2017-11-01

The MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI) is a brief, yet thorough, patient-reported outcomes measure for assessing the severity of common cancer-related symptoms and their interference with daily functioning. We report the development of an MDASI version tailored for use with Traditional Chinese Medicine in China (the MDASI-TCM). Chinese-speaking patients with mixed cancer types (n = 317) participated in the study. The development and validation process included four steps: 1) identify candidate TCM-specific items, with input from patients, oncologists, and TCM specialists; 2) eliminate candidate TCM items lacking relevance, based on patient report; 3) psychometrically examine the MDASI-TCM's validity and reliability in cancer patients receiving TCM-based care; and 4) cognitively debrief patients to assess the MDASI-TCM's relevance, understandability, and acceptability. Seven TCM-specific symptom items (sweating, feeling cold, constipation, bitter taste, coughing, palpitations, and heat in palms/soles) were clinically and psychometrically meaningful to add to the core MDASI. Approximately 61% of patients had moderate to severe symptoms (rated ≥5 on the MDASI-TCM's 0-10 scale). Cronbach α coefficients were .90 for symptom-severity items and .93 for interference items, indicating internal consistency reliability. Known-group validity was substantiated by the MDASI-TCM's detection of differences in symptom severity according to performance status (P < .001) and interference levels by cancer stage (P < .05). Cognitive debriefing indicated that patients found the MDASI-TCM to be an understandable, easy-to-use tool. The Chinese MDASI-TCM is a valid, reliable, and concise measure of symptom severity and interference that can be used to assess Chinese cancer patients and survivors receiving TCM-based care. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Climate of Respect Evaluation in ICUs: Development of an Instrument (ICU-CORE).

PubMed

Beach, Mary Catherine; Topazian, Rachel; Chan, Kitty S; Sugarman, Jeremy; Geller, Gail

2018-06-01

To develop a valid, reliable measure that reflected the environment of respectfulness within the ICU setting. We developed a preliminary survey instrument based on conceptual domains of respect identified through prior qualitative analyses of ICU patient, family member, and clinician perspectives. The initial instrument consisted of 21 items. After five cognitive interviews and 16 pilot surveys, we revised the instrument to include 23 items. We used standard psychometric methods to analyze the instrument. Eight ICUs serving adult patients affiliated with a large university health system. ICU clinicians. None. Based on 249 responses, we identified three factors and created subscales: General Respect, Respectful Behaviors, and Disrespectful Behaviors. The General Respect subscale had seven items (α = 0.932) and reflected how often patients in the ICU are treated with respect, in a dignified manner, as an individual, equally to all other patients, on the "same level" as the ICU team, as a person, and as you yourself would want to be treated. The Respectful Behaviors subscale had 10 items (α = 0.926) and reflected how often the ICU team responds to patient and/or family anxiety, makes an effort to get to know the patient and family as people, listens carefully, explains things thoroughly, gives the opportunity to provide input into care, protects patient modesty, greets when entering room, and talks to sedated patients. The subscale measuring disrespect has four items (α = 0.702) and reflects how often the ICU team dismisses family concerns, talks down to patients and families, speaks disrespectfully behind their backs, and gets frustrated with patients and families. We created a reliable set of scales to measure the climate of respectfulness in intensive care settings. These measures can be used for ongoing quality improvement that aim to enhance the experience of ICU patients and their families.

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

Walker, Randy M; Hill, David E; Gorman, Bryan L

As a proof of concept tested in an operational context, the Global Radiological Source Sorting, Tracking, and Monitoring (GRadSSTraM) Project successfully demonstrated that radio frequency identification (RFID) and Web 2.0* technologies can be deployed to track controlled shipments between the United States and the European Union. Between November 2009 and May 2010, a total of 19 shipments were successfully shipped from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and tracked to their delivery at England's National Physical Laboratory (NPL) by the United Kingdom Royal Mail. However, the project can only be viewed as a qualified successmore » as notable shortcomings were observed. Although the origin and terminus of all RFID-enabled shipments were recorded and no shipments were lost, not all the waypoints between ORNL and NPL were incorporated into the pilot. Given limited resources, the project team was able to install RFID listeners/actuators at three waypoints between the two endpoints. Although it is likely that all shipments followed the same route between ORNL and NPL, it cannot be determined beyond question that all 19 shipments were routed on identical itineraries past the same three waypoints. The pilot also raises the distinct possibility that unattended RFID tracking alone, without positive confirmation that a tagged item has been properly recorded by an RFID reader, does not meet a rigorous standard for shipping controlled items. Indeed, the proof of concept test strongly suggests that a multifaceted approach to tracking may be called for, including tracking methods that are capable of reading and accepting multiple inputs for individual items [e.g., carrier-provided tracking numbers, Universal Product Codes (UPCs), and RFID tags]. For controlled items, another apparent requirement is a confirmation feature, human or otherwise, which can certify that an item's RFID tag, UPC, or tracking number has been recorded.« less

Steam sterilisation's energy and water footprint.

PubMed

McGain, Forbes; Moore, Graham; Black, Jim

2017-03-01

Objective The aim of the present study was to quantify hospital steam steriliser resource consumption to provide baseline environmental data and identify possible efficiency gains. We sought to find the amount of steriliser electricity and water used for active cycles and for idling (standby), and the relationship between the electricity and water consumption and the mass and type of items sterilised. Methods We logged a hospital steam steriliser's electricity and water meters every 5min for up to 1 year. We obtained details of all active cycles (standard 134°C and accessory or 'test' cycles), recording item masses and types. Relationships were investigated for both the weight and type of items sterilised with electricity and water consumption. Results Over 304 days there were 2173 active cycles, including 1343 standard 134°C cycles that had an average load mass of 21.2kg, with 32% of cycles <15kg. Electricity used for active cycles was 32652kWh (60% of total), whereas the water used was 1243495L (79%). Standby used 21457kWh (40%) electricity and 329200L (21%) water. Total electricity and water consumption per mass sterilised was 1.9kWhkg -1 and 58Lkg -1 , respectively. The linear regression model predicting electricity use was: kWh=15.7+ 0.14×mass (in kg; R 2 =0.58, P<0.01). Models for water and item type were poor. Electricity and water use fell from 3kWhkg -1 and 200Lkg -1 , respectively, for 5-kg loads to 0.5kWhkg -1 and 20Lkg -1 , respectively, for 40-kg loads. Conclusions Considerable electricity and water use occurred during standby, load mass was only moderately predictive of electricity consumption and light loads were common yet inefficient. The findings of the present study are a baseline for steam sterilisation's environmental footprint and identify areas to improve efficiencies. What is known about the topic? There is increasing interest in the environmental effects of healthcare. Life cycle assessment ('cradle to grave') provides a scientific method of analysing environmental effects. Although data of the effects of steam sterilisation are integral to the life cycles of reusable items and procedures using such items, there are few data available. Further, there is scant information regarding the efficiency of the long-term in-hospital use of sterilisers. What does this paper add? We quantified, for the first time, long-term electricity and water use of a hospital steam steriliser. We provide useful input data for future life cycle assessments of all reusable, steam-sterilised equipment. Further, we identified opportunities for improved steriliser efficiencies, including rotating off idle sterilisers and reducing the number of light steriliser loads. Finally, others could use our methods to examine steam sterilisers and many other energy-intensive items of hospital equipment. What are the implications for practitioners? We provide useful input data for all researchers examining the environmental footprint of reusable hospital equipment and procedures using such equipment. As a result of the present study, staff in the hospital sterile supply department have reduced steam steriliser electricity and water use considerably without impeding sterilisation throughput (and reduced time inefficiencies). Many other hospitals could benefit from similar methods to improve steam steriliser and other hospital equipment efficiencies.

Validating a conceptual framework for the core concept of "cell-cell communication".

PubMed

Michael, Joel; Martinkova, Patricia; McFarland, Jenny; Wright, Ann; Cliff, William; Modell, Harold; Wenderoth, Mary Pat

2017-06-01

We have created and validated a conceptual framework for the core physiology concept of "cell-cell communication." The conceptual framework is composed of 51 items arranged in a hierarchy that is, in some instances, four levels deep. We have validated it with input from faculty who teach at a wide variety of institutional types. All items making up the framework were deemed essential to moderately important. However, some of the main ideas were clearly judged to be more important than others. Furthermore, the lower in the hierarchy an item is, the less important it is thought to be. Finally, there was no significant difference in the ratings given by faculty at different types of institutions. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Learning User Preferences for Sets of Objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

desJardins, Marie; Eaton, Eric; Wagstaff, Kiri L.

2006-01-01

Most work on preference learning has focused on pairwise preferences or rankings over individual items. In this paper, we present a method for learning preferences over sets of items. Our learning method takes as input a collection of positive examples--that is, one or more sets that have been identified by a user as desirable. Kernel density estimation is used to estimate the value function for individual items, and the desired set diversity is estimated from the average set diversity observed in the collection. Since this is a new learning problem, we introduce a new evaluation methodology and evaluate the learning method on two data collections: synthetic blocks-world data and a new real-world music data collection that we have gathered.

Automatic NEPHIS Coding of Descriptive Titles for Permuted Index Generation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Craven, Timothy C.

1982-01-01

Describes a system for the automatic coding of most descriptive titles which generates Nested Phrase Indexing System (NEPHIS) input strings of sufficient quality for permuted index production. A series of examples and an 11-item reference list accompany the text. (JL)

RELAV - RELIABILITY/AVAILABILITY ANALYSIS PROGRAM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowerman, P. N.

1994-01-01

RELAV (Reliability/Availability Analysis Program) is a comprehensive analytical tool to determine the reliability or availability of any general system which can be modeled as embedded k-out-of-n groups of items (components) and/or subgroups. Both ground and flight systems at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have utilized this program. RELAV can assess current system performance during the later testing phases of a system design, as well as model candidate designs/architectures or validate and form predictions during the early phases of a design. Systems are commonly modeled as System Block Diagrams (SBDs). RELAV calculates the success probability of each group of items and/or subgroups within the system assuming k-out-of-n operating rules apply for each group. The program operates on a folding basis; i.e. it works its way towards the system level from the most embedded level by folding related groups into single components. The entire folding process involves probabilities; therefore, availability problems are performed in terms of the probability of success, and reliability problems are performed for specific mission lengths. An enhanced cumulative binomial algorithm is used for groups where all probabilities are equal, while a fast algorithm based upon "Computing k-out-of-n System Reliability", Barlow & Heidtmann, IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON RELIABILITY, October 1984, is used for groups with unequal probabilities. Inputs to the program include a description of the system and any one of the following: 1) availabilities of the items, 2) mean time between failures and mean time to repairs for the items from which availabilities are calculated, 3) mean time between failures and mission length(s) from which reliabilities are calculated, or 4) failure rates and mission length(s) from which reliabilities are calculated. The results are probabilities of success of each group and the system in the given configuration. RELAV assumes exponential failure distributions for reliability calculations and infinite repair resources for availability calculations. No more than 967 items or groups can be modeled by RELAV. If larger problems can be broken into subsystems of 967 items or less, the subsystem results can be used as item inputs to a system problem. The calculated availabilities are steady-state values. Group results are presented in the order in which they were calculated (from the most embedded level out to the system level). This provides a good mechanism to perform trade studies. Starting from the system result and working backwards, the granularity gets finer; therefore, system elements that contribute most to system degradation are detected quickly. RELAV is a C-language program originally developed under the UNIX operating system on a MASSCOMP MC500 computer. It has been modified, as necessary, and ported to an IBM PC compatible with a math coprocessor. The current version of the program runs in the DOS environment and requires a Turbo C vers. 2.0 compiler. RELAV has a memory requirement of 103 KB and was developed in 1989. RELAV is a copyrighted work with all copyright vested in NASA.

Compression in visual working memory: using statistical regularities to form more efficient memory representations.

PubMed

Brady, Timothy F; Konkle, Talia; Alvarez, George A

2009-11-01

The information that individuals can hold in working memory is quite limited, but researchers have typically studied this capacity using simple objects or letter strings with no associations between them. However, in the real world there are strong associations and regularities in the input. In an information theoretic sense, regularities introduce redundancies that make the input more compressible. The current study shows that observers can take advantage of these redundancies, enabling them to remember more items in working memory. In 2 experiments, covariance was introduced between colors in a display so that over trials some color pairs were more likely to appear than other color pairs. Observers remembered more items from these displays than from displays where the colors were paired randomly. The improved memory performance cannot be explained by simply guessing the high-probability color pair, suggesting that observers formed more efficient representations to remember more items. Further, as observers learned the regularities, their working memory performance improved in a way that is quantitatively predicted by a Bayesian learning model and optimal encoding scheme. These results suggest that the underlying capacity of the individuals' working memory is unchanged, but the information they have to remember can be encoded in a more compressed fashion. Copyright 2009 APA

Leveraging geospatial data, technology, and methods for improving the health of communities: priorities and strategies from an expert panel convened by the CDC.

PubMed

Elmore, Kim; Flanagan, Barry; Jones, Nicholas F; Heitgerd, Janet L

2010-04-01

In 2008, CDC convened an expert panel to gather input on the use of geospatial science in surveillance, research and program activities focused on CDC's Healthy Communities Goal. The panel suggested six priorities: spatially enable and strengthen public health surveillance infrastructure; develop metrics for geospatial categorization of community health and health inequity; evaluate the feasibility and validity of standard metrics of community health and health inequities; support and develop GIScience and geospatial analysis; provide geospatial capacity building, training and education; and, engage non-traditional partners. Following the meeting, the strategies and action items suggested by the expert panel were reviewed by a CDC subcommittee to determine priorities relative to ongoing CDC geospatial activities, recognizing that many activities may need to occur either in parallel, or occur multiple times across phases. Phase A of the action items centers on developing leadership support. Phase B focuses on developing internal and external capacity in both physical (e.g., software and hardware) and intellectual infrastructure. Phase C of the action items plan concerns the development and integration of geospatial methods. In summary, the panel members provided critical input to the development of CDC's strategic thinking on integrating geospatial methods and research issues across program efforts in support of its Healthy Communities Goal.

The Effect of Visual Variability on the Learning of Academic Concepts.

PubMed

Bourgoyne, Ashley; Alt, Mary

2017-06-10

The purpose of this study was to identify effects of variability of visual input on development of conceptual representations of academic concepts for college-age students with normal language (NL) and those with language-learning disabilities (LLD). Students with NL (n = 11) and LLD (n = 11) participated in a computer-based training for introductory biology course concepts. Participants were trained on half the concepts under a low-variability condition and half under a high-variability condition. Participants completed a posttest in which they were asked to identify and rate the accuracy of novel and trained visual representations of the concepts. We performed separate repeated measures analyses of variance to examine the accuracy of identification and ratings. Participants were equally accurate on trained and novel items in the high-variability condition, but were less accurate on novel items only in the low-variability condition. The LLD group showed the same pattern as the NL group; they were just less accurate. Results indicated that high-variability visual input may facilitate the acquisition of academic concepts in college students with NL and LLD. High-variability visual input may be especially beneficial for generalization to novel representations of concepts. Implicit learning methods may be harnessed by college courses to provide students with basic conceptual knowledge when they are entering courses or beginning new units.

Two Pathways to Stimulus Encoding in Category Learning?

PubMed Central

Davis, Tyler; Love, Bradley C.; Maddox, W. Todd

2008-01-01

Category learning theorists tacitly assume that stimuli are encoded by a single pathway. Motivated by theories of object recognition, we evaluate a dual-pathway account of stimulus encoding. The part-based pathway establishes mappings between sensory input and symbols that encode discrete stimulus features, whereas the image-based pathway applies holistic templates to sensory input. Our experiments use rule-plus-exception structures in which one exception item in each category violates a salient regularity and must be distinguished from other items. In Experiment 1, we find that discrete representations are crucial for recognition of exceptions following brief training. Experiments 2 and 3 involve multi-session training regimens designed to encourage either part or image-based encoding. We find that both pathways are able to support exception encoding, but have unique characteristics. We speculate that one advantage of the part-based pathway is the ability to generalize across domains, whereas the image-based pathway provides faster and more effortless recognition. PMID:19460948

The patellofemoral pain and osteoarthritis subscale of the KOOS (KOOS-PF): development and validation using the COSMIN checklist.

PubMed

Crossley, Kay M; Macri, Erin M; Cowan, Sallie M; Collins, Natalie J; Roos, Ewa M

2017-03-03

Patellofemoral pain and osteoarthritis are prevalent and associated with substantial pain and functional impairments. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are recommended for research and clinical use, but no PROMs are specific for patellofemoral osteoarthritis, and existing PROMs for patellofemoral pain have methodological limitations. This study aimed to develop a new subscale of the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for patellofemoral pain and osteoarthritis (KOOS-PF), and evaluate its measurement properties. Items were generated using input from 50 patients with patellofemoral pain and/or osteoarthritis and 14 health and medical clinicians. Item reduction was performed using data from patellofemoral cohorts (n=138). We used the COnsesus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurements INstruments guidelines to evaluate reliability, validity, responsiveness and interpretability of the final version of KOOS-PF and other KOOS subscales. From an initial 80 generated items, the final subscale included 11 items. KOOS-PF items loaded predominantly on one factor, pain during activities that load the patellofemoral joint. KOOS-PF had good internal consistency (Cronbach's α 0.86) and adequate test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.86). Hypothesis testing supported convergent, divergent and known-groups validity. Responsiveness was confirmed, with KOOS-PF demonstrating a moderate correlation with Global Rating of Change scores (r 0.52) and large effect size (Cohen's d 0.89). Minimal detectable change was 2.3 (groups) and 16 (individuals), while minimal important change was 16.4. There were no floor or ceiling effects. The 11-item KOOS-PF, developed in consultation with patients and clinicians, demonstrated adequate measurement properties, and is recommended for clinical and research use in patients with patellofemoral pain and osteoarthritis. © 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.

Content validity--establishing and reporting the evidence in newly developed patient-reported outcomes (PRO) instruments for medical product evaluation: ISPOR PRO good research practices task force report: part 1--eliciting concepts for a new PRO instrument.

PubMed

Patrick, Donald L; Burke, Laurie B; Gwaltney, Chad J; Leidy, Nancy Kline; Martin, Mona L; Molsen, Elizabeth; Ring, Lena

2011-12-01

The importance of content validity in developing patient reported outcomes (PRO) instruments is stressed by both the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency. Content validity is the extent to which an instrument measures the important aspects of concepts that developers or users purport it to assess. A PRO instrument measures the concepts most significant and relevant to a patient's condition and its treatment. For PRO instruments, items and domains as reflected in the scores of an instrument should be important to the target population and comprehensive with respect to patient concerns. Documentation of target population input in item generation, as well as evaluation of patient understanding through cognitive interviewing, can provide the evidence for content validity. Developing content for, and assessing respondent understanding of, newly developed PRO instruments for medical product evaluation will be discussed in this two-part ISPOR PRO Good Research Practices Task Force Report. Topics include the methods for generating items, documenting item development, coding of qualitative data from item generation, cognitive interviewing, and tracking item development through the various stages of research and preparing this tracking for submission to regulatory agencies. Part 1 covers elicitation of key concepts using qualitative focus groups and/or interviews to inform content and structure of a new PRO instrument. Part 2 covers the instrument development process, the assessment of patient understanding of the draft instrument using cognitive interviews and steps for instrument revision. The two parts are meant to be read together. They are intended to offer suggestions for good practices in planning, executing, and documenting qualitative studies that are used to support the content validity of PRO instruments to be used in medical product evaluation. Copyright © 2011 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

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Papers and/or abstracts of 42 papers presented at this waste management seminar are included in this volume. Separate abstracts of 27 papers have been prepared for inclusion in the Energy Data Base (EDB). There are 8 papers represented in the proceedings by abstract only and are not included separately in EDB. The subjects covered in these abstracts include: requirements and compliance for the issuance of the second round NPDES permit for the Portsmouth Plant; performance of the pollution abatement facilities at the Portsmouth Plant; the impact of the Kentucky hazardous waste regulations on the Paducah Plant; control of R-114 lossesmore » at the gaseous diffusion plants; innovative alternatives to pollution control projects; evaluating the fate and potential radiological impacts of Technetium-99 released to the environment; and technical support interfacing for the FY-1981 line item project control of water pollution and solid wastes at the Paducah Plant. There are 15 other papers which were previously input to the EDB. (RJC)« less

Reconsidering Cluster Bias in Multilevel Data: A Monte Carlo Comparison of Free and Constrained Baseline Approaches.

PubMed

Guenole, Nigel

2018-01-01

The test for item level cluster bias examines the improvement in model fit that results from freeing an item's between level residual variance from a baseline model with equal within and between level factor loadings and between level residual variances fixed at zero. A potential problem is that this approach may include a misspecified unrestricted model if any non-invariance is present, but the log-likelihood difference test requires that the unrestricted model is correctly specified. A free baseline approach where the unrestricted model includes only the restrictions needed for model identification should lead to better decision accuracy, but no studies have examined this yet. We ran a Monte Carlo study to investigate this issue. When the referent item is unbiased, compared to the free baseline approach, the constrained baseline approach led to similar true positive (power) rates but much higher false positive (Type I error) rates. The free baseline approach should be preferred when the referent indicator is unbiased. When the referent assumption is violated, the false positive rate was unacceptably high for both free and constrained baseline approaches, and the true positive rate was poor regardless of whether the free or constrained baseline approach was used. Neither the free or constrained baseline approach can be recommended when the referent indicator is biased. We recommend paying close attention to ensuring the referent indicator is unbiased in tests of cluster bias. All Mplus input and output files, R, and short Python scripts used to execute this simulation study are uploaded to an open access repository.

Reconsidering Cluster Bias in Multilevel Data: A Monte Carlo Comparison of Free and Constrained Baseline Approaches

PubMed Central

Guenole, Nigel

2018-01-01

The test for item level cluster bias examines the improvement in model fit that results from freeing an item's between level residual variance from a baseline model with equal within and between level factor loadings and between level residual variances fixed at zero. A potential problem is that this approach may include a misspecified unrestricted model if any non-invariance is present, but the log-likelihood difference test requires that the unrestricted model is correctly specified. A free baseline approach where the unrestricted model includes only the restrictions needed for model identification should lead to better decision accuracy, but no studies have examined this yet. We ran a Monte Carlo study to investigate this issue. When the referent item is unbiased, compared to the free baseline approach, the constrained baseline approach led to similar true positive (power) rates but much higher false positive (Type I error) rates. The free baseline approach should be preferred when the referent indicator is unbiased. When the referent assumption is violated, the false positive rate was unacceptably high for both free and constrained baseline approaches, and the true positive rate was poor regardless of whether the free or constrained baseline approach was used. Neither the free or constrained baseline approach can be recommended when the referent indicator is biased. We recommend paying close attention to ensuring the referent indicator is unbiased in tests of cluster bias. All Mplus input and output files, R, and short Python scripts used to execute this simulation study are uploaded to an open access repository. PMID:29551985

The primacy model: a new model of immediate serial recall.

PubMed

Page, M P; Norris, D

1998-10-01

A new model of immediate serial recall is presented: the primacy model. The primacy model stores order information by means of the assumption that the strength of activation of successive list items decreases across list position to form a primacy gradient. Ordered recall is supported by a repeated cycle of operations involving a noisy choice of the most active item followed by suppression of the chosen item. Word-length and list-length effects are attributed to a decay process that occurs both during input, when effective rehearsal is prevented, and during output. The phonological similarity effect is attributed to a second stage of processing at which phonological confusions occur. The primacy model produces accurate simulations of the effects of word length, list length, and phonological similarity.

Functional correlates of the lateral and medial entorhinal cortex: objects, path integration and local-global reference frames.

PubMed

Knierim, James J; Neunuebel, Joshua P; Deshmukh, Sachin S

2014-02-05

The hippocampus receives its major cortical input from the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) and the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC). It is commonly believed that the MEC provides spatial input to the hippocampus, whereas the LEC provides non-spatial input. We review new data which suggest that this simple dichotomy between 'where' versus 'what' needs revision. We propose a refinement of this model, which is more complex than the simple spatial-non-spatial dichotomy. MEC is proposed to be involved in path integration computations based on a global frame of reference, primarily using internally generated, self-motion cues and external input about environmental boundaries and scenes; it provides the hippocampus with a coordinate system that underlies the spatial context of an experience. LEC is proposed to process information about individual items and locations based on a local frame of reference, primarily using external sensory input; it provides the hippocampus with information about the content of an experience.

Functional correlates of the lateral and medial entorhinal cortex: objects, path integration and local–global reference frames

PubMed Central

Knierim, James J.; Neunuebel, Joshua P.; Deshmukh, Sachin S.

2014-01-01

The hippocampus receives its major cortical input from the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) and the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC). It is commonly believed that the MEC provides spatial input to the hippocampus, whereas the LEC provides non-spatial input. We review new data which suggest that this simple dichotomy between ‘where’ versus ‘what’ needs revision. We propose a refinement of this model, which is more complex than the simple spatial–non-spatial dichotomy. MEC is proposed to be involved in path integration computations based on a global frame of reference, primarily using internally generated, self-motion cues and external input about environmental boundaries and scenes; it provides the hippocampus with a coordinate system that underlies the spatial context of an experience. LEC is proposed to process information about individual items and locations based on a local frame of reference, primarily using external sensory input; it provides the hippocampus with information about the content of an experience. PMID:24366146

Designing Input Fields for Non-Narrative Open-Ended Responses in Web Surveys

PubMed Central

Couper, Mick P.; Kennedy, Courtney; Conrad, Frederick G.; Tourangeau, Roger

2012-01-01

Web surveys often collect information such as frequencies, currency amounts, dates, or other items requiring short structured answers in an open-ended format, typically using text boxes for input. We report on several experiments exploring design features of such input fields. We find little effect of the size of the input field on whether frequency or dollar amount answers are well-formed or not. By contrast, the use of templates to guide formatting significantly improves the well-formedness of responses to questions eliciting currency amounts. For date questions (whether month/year or month/day/year), we find that separate input fields improve the quality of responses over single input fields, while drop boxes further reduce the proportion of ill-formed answers. Drop boxes also reduce completion time when the list of responses is short (e.g., months), but marginally increases completion time when the list is long (e.g., birth dates). These results suggest that non-narrative open questions can be designed to help guide respondents to provide answers in the desired format. PMID:23411468

Demonstrating the effects of phonological similarity and frequency on item and order memory in Down syndrome using process dissociation.

PubMed

Smith, Elizabeth; Jarrold, Christopher

2014-12-01

It is important to distinguish between memory for item information and memory for order information when considering the nature of verbal short-term memory (vSTM) performance. Although other researchers have attempted to make this distinction between item and order memory in children, none has done so using process dissociation. This study shows that such an approach can be particularly useful and informative. Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) tend to experience a vSTM deficit. These two experiments explored whether phonological similarity (Experiment 1) and item frequency (Experiment 2) affected vSTM for item and order information in a group of individuals with DS compared with typically developing (TD) vocabulary-matched children. Process dissociation was used to obtain measures of item and order memory via Nairne and Kelley's procedure (Journal of Memory and Language, 50 (2004) 113-133). Those with DS were poorer than the matched TD group for recall of both item and order information. However, in both populations, phonologically similar items reduced order memory but enhanced item memory, whereas high-frequency items resulted in improvements in both item and order memory-effects that are in line with previous research in the adult literature. These results indicate that, despite poorer vSTM performance in DS, individuals experience phonological coding of verbal input and a contribution of long-term memory knowledge to recall. These findings inform routes for interventions for those with DS, highlighting the need to enhance both item and order memory. Moreover, this work demonstrates that process dissociation is applicable and informative for studying special populations and children. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Facilitating comparative effectiveness research in cancer genomics: evaluating stakeholder perceptions of the engagement process

PubMed Central

Deverka, Patricia A; Lavallee, Danielle C; Desai, Priyanka J; Armstrong, Joanne; Gorman, Mark; Hole-Curry, Leah; O’Leary, James; Ruffner, BW; Watkins, John; Veenstra, David L; Baker, Laurence H; Unger, Joseph M; Ramsey, Scott D

2013-01-01

Aims The Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research in Cancer Genomics completed a 2-year stakeholder-guided process for the prioritization of genomic tests for comparative effectiveness research studies. We sought to evaluate the effectiveness of engagement procedures in achieving project goals and to identify opportunities for future improvements. Materials & methods The evaluation included an online questionnaire, one-on-one telephone interviews and facilitated discussion. Responses to the online questionnaire were tabulated for descriptive purposes, while transcripts from key informant interviews were analyzed using a directed content analysis approach. Results A total of 11 out of 13 stakeholders completed both the online questionnaire and interview process, while nine participated in the facilitated discussion. Eighty-nine percent of questionnaire items received overall ratings of agree or strongly agree; 11% of responses were rated as neutral with the exception of a single rating of disagreement with an item regarding the clarity of how stakeholder input was incorporated into project decisions. Recommendations for future improvement included developing standard recruitment practices, role descriptions and processes for improved communication with clinical and comparative effectiveness research investigators. Conclusions Evaluation of the stakeholder engagement process provided constructive feedback for future improvements and should be routinely conducted to ensure maximal effectiveness of stakeholder involvement. PMID:23459832

Cumulative trauma disorder risk for children using computer products: results of a pilot investigation with a student convenience sample.

PubMed

Burke, Adam; Peper, Erik

2002-01-01

Cumulative trauma disorder is a major health problem for adults. Despite a growing understanding of adult cumulative trauma disorder, however, little is known about the risks for younger populations. This investigation examined issues related to child/adolescent computer product use and upper body physical discomfort. A convenience sample of 212 students, grades 1-12, was interviewed at their homes by a college-age sibling or relative. One of the child's parents was also interviewed. A 22-item questionnaire was used for data-gathering. Questionnaire items included frequency and duration of use, type of computer products/games and input devices used, presence of physical discomfort, and parental concerns related to the child's computer use. Many students experienced physical discomfort attributed to computer use, such as wrist pain (30%) and back pain (15%). Specific computer activities-such as using a joystick or playing noneducational games-were significantly predictive of physical discomfort using logistic multiple regression. Many parents reported difficulty getting their children off the computer (46%) and that their children spent less time outdoors (35%). Computer product use within this cohort was associated with self-reported physical discomfort. Results suggest a need for more extensive study, including multiyear longitudinal surveys.

Do patients have a say? A narrative review of the development of patient-reported outcome measures used in elective procedures for coronary revascularisation.

PubMed

Peeters, Geeske; Barker, Anna L; Talevski, Jason; Ackerman, Ilana; Ayton, Darshini R; Reid, Christopher; Evans, Sue M; Stoelwinder, Johannes U; McNeil, John J

2018-05-01

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) capture health information from the patient's perspective that can be used when weighing up benefits, risks and costs of treatment. This is important for elective procedures such as those for coronary revascularisation. Patients should be involved in the development of PROMs to accurately capture outcomes that are important for the patient. The aims of this review are to identify if patients were involved in the development of cardiovascular-specific PROMs used for assessing outcomes from elective coronary revascularisation, and to explore what methods were used to capture patient perspectives. PROMs for evaluating outcomes from elective coronary revascularisation were identified from a previous review and an updated systematic search. The studies describing the development of the PROMs were reviewed for information on patient input in their conceptual and/or item development. 24 PROMs were identified from a previous review and three additional PROMs were identified from the updated search. Full texts were obtained for 26 of the 27 PROMs. The 26 studies (11 multidimensional, 15 unidimensional) were reviewed. Only nine studies reported developing PROMs using patient input. For eight PROMs, the inclusion of patient input could not be judged due to insufficient information in the full text. Only nine of the 26 reviewed PROMs used in elective coronary revascularisation reported involving patients in their conceptual and/or item development, while patient input was unclear for eight PROMs. These findings suggest that the patient's perspective is often overlooked or poorly described in the development of PROMs.

A review of instruments to measure interprofessional team-based primary care.

PubMed

Shoemaker, Sarah J; Parchman, Michael L; Fuda, Kathleen Kerwin; Schaefer, Judith; Levin, Jessica; Hunt, Meaghan; Ricciardi, Richard

2016-07-01

Interprofessional team-based care is increasingly regarded as an important feature of delivery systems redesigned to provide more efficient and higher quality care, including primary care. Measurement of the functioning of such teams might enable improvement of team effectiveness and could facilitate research on team-based primary care. Our aims were to develop a conceptual framework of high-functioning primary care teams to identify and review instruments that measure the constructs identified in the framework, and to create a searchable, web-based atlas of such instruments (available at: http://primarycaremeasures.ahrq.gov/team-based-care/ ). Our conceptual framework was developed from existing frameworks, the teamwork literature, and expert input. The framework is based on an Input-Mediator-Output model and includes 12 constructs to which we mapped both instruments as a whole, and individual instrument items. Instruments were also reviewed for relevance to measuring team-based care, and characterized. Instruments were identified from peer-reviewed and grey literature, measure databases, and expert input. From nearly 200 instruments initially identified, we found 48 to be relevant to measuring team-based primary care. The majority of instruments were surveys (n = 44), and the remainder (n = 4) were observational checklists. Most instruments had been developed/tested in healthcare settings (n = 30) and addressed multiple constructs, most commonly communication (n = 42), heedful interrelating (n = 42), respectful interactions (n = 40), and shared explicit goals (n = 37). The majority of instruments had some reliability testing (n = 39) and over half included validity testing (n = 29). Currently available instruments offer promise to researchers and practitioners to assess teams' performance, but additional work is needed to adapt these instruments for primary care settings.

Interference Effects from Grammatically Unavailable Constituents during Sentence Processing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Dyke, Julie A.

2007-01-01

Evidence from 3 experiments reveals interference effects from structural relationships that are inconsistent with any grammatical parse of the perceived input. Processing disruption was observed when items occurring between a head and a dependent overlapped with either (or both) syntactic or semantic features of the dependent. Effects of syntactic…

Exploring Reading Comprehension Skill Relationships through the G-DINA Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Huilin; Chen, Jinsong

2016-01-01

By analysing the test data of 1029 British secondary school students' performance on 20 Programme for International Student Assessment English reading items through the generalised deterministic input, noisy "and" gate (G-DINA) model, the study conducted two investigations on exploring the relationships among the five reading…

Bayesian Estimation of the DINA Model with Gibbs Sampling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Culpepper, Steven Andrew

2015-01-01

A Bayesian model formulation of the deterministic inputs, noisy "and" gate (DINA) model is presented. Gibbs sampling is employed to simulate from the joint posterior distribution of item guessing and slipping parameters, subject attribute parameters, and latent class probabilities. The procedure extends concepts in Béguin and Glas,…

Improving Adaptive Learning Technology through the Use of Response Times

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mettler, Everett; Massey, Christine M.; Kellman, Philip J.

2011-01-01

Adaptive learning techniques have typically scheduled practice using learners' accuracy and item presentation history. We describe an adaptive learning system (Adaptive Response Time Based Sequencing--ARTS) that uses both accuracy and response time (RT) as direct inputs into sequencing. Response times are used to assess learning strength and…

Development of the 7-Item Binge-Eating Disorder Screener (BEDS-7)

PubMed Central

Deal, Linda S.; DiBenedetti, Dana B.; Nelson, Lauren; Fehnel, Sheri E.; Brown, T. Michelle

2016-01-01

Objective Develop a brief, patient-reported screening tool designed to identify individuals with probable binge-eating disorder (BED) for further evaluation or referral to specialists. Methods Items were developed on the basis of the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, existing tools, and input from 3 clinical experts (January 2014). Items were then refined in cognitive debriefing interviews with participants self-reporting BED characteristics (March 2014) and piloted in a multisite, cross-sectional, prospective, noninterventional study consisting of a semistructured diagnostic interview (to diagnose BED) and administration of the pilot Binge-Eating Disorder Screener (BEDS), Binge Eating Scale (BES), and RAND 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (RAND-36) (June 2014–July 2014). The sensitivity and specificity of classification algorithms (formed from the pilot BEDS item-level responses) in predicting BED diagnosis were evaluated. The final algorithm was selected to minimize false negatives and false positives, while utilizing the fewest number of BEDS items. Results Starting with the initial BEDS item pool (20 items), the 13-item pilot BEDS resulted from the cognitive debriefing interviews (n = 13). Of the 97 participants in the noninterventional study, 16 were diagnosed with BED (10/62 female, 16%; 6/35 male, 17%). Seven BEDS items (BEDS-7) yielded 100% sensitivity and 38.7% specificity. Participants correctly identified (true positives) had poorer BES scores and RAND-36 scores than participants identified as true negatives. Conclusions Implementation of the brief, patient-reported BEDS-7 in real-world clinical practice is expected to promote better understanding of BED characteristics and help physicians identify patients who may have BED. PMID:27486542

Development of the 7-Item Binge-Eating Disorder Screener (BEDS-7).

PubMed

Herman, Barry K; Deal, Linda S; DiBenedetti, Dana B; Nelson, Lauren; Fehnel, Sheri E; Brown, T Michelle

2016-01-01

Develop a brief, patient-reported screening tool designed to identify individuals with probable binge-eating disorder (BED) for further evaluation or referral to specialists. Items were developed on the basis of the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, existing tools, and input from 3 clinical experts (January 2014). Items were then refined in cognitive debriefing interviews with participants self-reporting BED characteristics (March 2014) and piloted in a multisite, cross-sectional, prospective, noninterventional study consisting of a semistructured diagnostic interview (to diagnose BED) and administration of the pilot Binge-Eating Disorder Screener (BEDS), Binge Eating Scale (BES), and RAND 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (RAND-36) (June 2014-July 2014). The sensitivity and specificity of classification algorithms (formed from the pilot BEDS item-level responses) in predicting BED diagnosis were evaluated. The final algorithm was selected to minimize false negatives and false positives, while utilizing the fewest number of BEDS items. Starting with the initial BEDS item pool (20 items), the 13-item pilot BEDS resulted from the cognitive debriefing interviews (n = 13). Of the 97 participants in the noninterventional study, 16 were diagnosed with BED (10/62 female, 16%; 6/35 male, 17%). Seven BEDS items (BEDS-7) yielded 100% sensitivity and 38.7% specificity. Participants correctly identified (true positives) had poorer BES scores and RAND-36 scores than participants identified as true negatives. Implementation of the brief, patient-reported BEDS-7 in real-world clinical practice is expected to promote better understanding of BED characteristics and help physicians identify patients who may have BED.

Development of and Field-Test Results for the CAHPS PCMH Survey

PubMed Central

Scholle, Sarah Hudson; Vuong, Oanh; Ding, Lin; Fry, Stephanie; Gallagher, Patricia; Brown, Julie A.; Hays, Ron D.; Cleary, Paul D.

2017-01-01

Objective To develop and evaluate survey questions that assess processes of care relevant to Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMHs). Research Design We convened expert panels, reviewed evidence on effective care practices and existing surveys, elicited broad public input, and conducted cognitive interviews and a field test to develop items relevant to PCMHs that could be added to the CAHPS® Clinician & Group (CG-CAHPS) 1.0 Survey. Surveys were tested using a two-contact mail protocol in 10 adult and 33 pediatric practices (both private and community health centers) in Massachusetts. A total of 4,875 completed surveys were received (overall response rate of 25%). Analyses We calculated the rate of valid responses for each item. We conducted exploratory factor analyses and estimated item-to-total correlations, individual and site level reliability, and correlations among proposed multi-item composites. Results Ten items in four new domains (Comprehensiveness, Information, Self-Management Support, and Shared Decision-Making) and four items in two existing domains (Access and Coordination of Care) were selected to be supplemental items to be used in conjunction with the adult CG-CAHPS 1.0 survey. For the child version, four items in each of two new domains (Information and Self-Management Support) and five items in existing domains (Access, Comprehensiveness-Prevention, Coordination of Care) were selected. Conclusions This study provides support for the reliability and validity of new items to supplement the CG-CAHPS 1.0 survey to assess aspects of primary care that are important attributes of Patient-Centered Medical Homes. PMID:23064272

Food parenting practices for 5 to 12 year old children: a concept map analysis of parenting and nutrition experts input.

PubMed

O'Connor, Teresia M; Mâsse, Louise C; Tu, Andrew W; Watts, Allison W; Hughes, Sheryl O; Beauchamp, Mark R; Baranowski, Tom; Pham, Truc; Berge, Jerica M; Fiese, Barbara; Golley, Rebecca; Hingle, Melanie; Kremers, Stef P J; Rhee, Kyung E; Skouteris, Helen; Vaughn, Amber

2017-09-11

Parents are an important influence on children's dietary intake and eating behaviors. However, the lack of a conceptual framework and inconsistent assessment of food parenting practices limits our understanding of which food parenting practices are most influential on children. The aim of this study was to develop a food parenting practice conceptual framework using systematic approaches of literature reviews and expert input. A previously completed systematic review of food parenting practice instruments and a qualitative study of parents informed the development of a food parenting practice item bank consisting of 3632 food parenting practice items. The original item bank was further reduced to 110 key food parenting concepts using binning and winnowing techniques. A panel of 32 experts in parenting and nutrition were invited to sort the food parenting practice concepts into categories that reflected their perceptions of a food parenting practice conceptual framework. Multi-dimensional scaling produced a point map of the sorted concepts and hierarchical cluster analysis identified potential solutions. Subjective modifications were used to identify two potential solutions, with additional feedback from the expert panel requested. The experts came from 8 countries and 25 participated in the sorting and 23 provided additional feedback. A parsimonious and a comprehensive concept map were developed based on the clustering of the food parenting practice constructs. The parsimonious concept map contained 7 constructs, while the comprehensive concept map contained 17 constructs and was informed by a previously published content map for food parenting practices. Most of the experts (52%) preferred the comprehensive concept map, while 35% preferred to present both solutions. The comprehensive food parenting practice conceptual map will provide the basis for developing a calibrated Item Response Modeling (IRM) item bank that can be used with computerized adaptive testing. Such an item bank will allow for more consistency in measuring food parenting practices across studies to better assess the impact of food parenting practices on child outcomes and the effect of interventions that target parents as agents of change.

The Depression Inventory Development Workgroup: A Collaborative, Empirically Driven Initiative to Develop a New Assessment Tool for Major Depressive Disorder.

PubMed

Vaccarino, Anthony L; Evans, Kenneth R; Kalali, Amir H; Kennedy, Sidney H; Engelhardt, Nina; Frey, Benicio N; Greist, John H; Kobak, Kenneth A; Lam, Raymond W; MacQueen, Glenda; Milev, Roumen; Placenza, Franca M; Ravindran, Arun V; Sheehan, David V; Sills, Terrence; Williams, Janet B W

2016-01-01

The Depression Inventory Development project is an initiative of the International Society for CNS Drug Development whose goal is to develop a comprehensive and psychometrically sound measurement tool to be utilized as a primary endpoint in clinical trials for major depressive disorder. Using an iterative process between field testing and psychometric analysis and drawing upon expertise of international researchers in depression, the Depression Inventory Development team has established an empirically driven and collaborative protocol for the creation of items to assess symptoms in major depressive disorder. Depression-relevant symptom clusters were identified based on expert clinical and patient input. In addition, as an aid for symptom identification and item construction, the psychometric properties of existing clinical scales (assessing depression and related indications) were evaluated using blinded datasets from pharmaceutical antidepressant drug trials. A series of field tests in patients with major depressive disorder provided the team with data to inform the iterative process of scale development. We report here an overview of the Depression Inventory Development initiative, including results of the third iteration of items assessing symptoms related to anhedonia, cognition, fatigue, general malaise, motivation, anxiety, negative thinking, pain and appetite. The strategies adopted from the Depression Inventory Development program, as an empirically driven and collaborative process for scale development, have provided the foundation to develop and validate measurement tools in other therapeutic areas as well.

An examination of the psychometric properties of the community integration questionnaire (CIQ) in spinal cord injury.

PubMed

Kratz, Anna L; Chadd, Edmund; Jensen, Mark P; Kehn, Matthew; Kroll, Thilo

2015-07-01

To examine the psychometric properties of the Community Integration Questionnaire (CIQ) in large samples of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Longitudinal 12-month survey study. Nation-wide, community dwelling. Adults with SCI: 627 at Time 1, 494 at Time 2. Not applicable. The CIQ is a 15-item measure developed to measure three domains of community integration in individuals with traumatic brain injury: home integration, social integration, and productive activity. SCI consumer input suggested the need for two additional items assessing socializing at home and internet/email activity. Exploratory factor analyses at Time 1 indicated three factors. Time 2 confirmatory factor analysis did not show a good fit of the 3-factor model. CIQ scores were normally distributed and only the Productive subscale demonstrated problems with high (25%) ceiling effects. Internal reliability was acceptable for the Total and Home scales, but low for the Social and Productive activity scales. Validity of the CIQ is suggested by significant differences by sex, age, and wheelchair use. The factor structure of the CIQ was not stable over time. The CIQ may be most useful for assessing home integration, as this is the subscale with the most scale stability and internal reliability. The CIQ may be improved for use in SCI by including items that reflect higher levels of productive functioning, integration across the life span, and home- and internet-based social functioning.

Development and evaluation of CAHPS survey items assessing how well healthcare providers address health literacy.

PubMed

Weidmer, Beverly A; Brach, Cindy; Hays, Ron D

2012-09-01

The complexity of health information often exceeds patients' skills to understand and use it. To develop survey items assessing how well healthcare providers communicate health information. Domains and items for the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Item Set for Addressing Health Literacy were identified through an environmental scan and input from stakeholders. The draft item set was translated into Spanish and pretested in both English and Spanish. The revised item set was field tested with a randomly selected sample of adult patients from 2 sites using mail and telephonic data collection. Item-scale correlations, confirmatory factor analysis, and internal consistency reliability estimates were estimated to assess how well the survey items performed and identify composite measures. Finally, we regressed the CAHPS global rating of the provider item on the CAHPS core communication composite and the new health literacy composites. A total of 601 completed surveys were obtained (52% response rate). Two composite measures were identified: (1) Communication to Improve Health Literacy (16 items); and (2) How Well Providers Communicate About Medicines (6 items). These 2 composites were significantly uniquely associated with the global rating of the provider (communication to improve health literacy: P<0.001, b=0.28; and communication about medicines composite: P=0.02, b=0.04). The 2 composites and the CAHPS core communication composite accounted for 51% of the variance in the global rating of the provider. A 5-item subset of the Communication to Improve Health Literacy composite accounted for 90% of the variance of the original 16-item composite. This study provides support for reliability and validity of the CAHPS Item Set for Addressing Health Literacy. These items can serve to assess whether healthcare providers have communicated effectively with their patients and as a tool for quality improvement.

Development of the Leadership Influence Self-Assessment (LISA©) instrument.

PubMed

Shillam, Casey R; Adams, Jeffrey M; Bryant, Debbie Chatman; Deupree, Joy P; Miyamoto, Suzanne; Gregas, Matt

This study aims to describe the development and psychometric evaluation of the Leadership Influence Self-Assessment (LISA©) tool. LISA© was designed to help nurse leaders assess and enhance their influence capacity by measuring influence traits and practices and identifying areas of strength and weakness. Concepts identified in the Adams Influence Model and input from content experts guided the development of 145 items for testing. Administered to 165 nurse leaders, the assessment was subjected to exploratory factor analysis (EFA). EFA yielded a four-factor solution that comprised 80 items. Cronbach's alpha for factors ranged between 0.912 and 0.938. All factor loadings were >0.4; the smallest factor contained 14 items. Items grouped together in the theoretical model also clustered together in the EFA. Preliminary psychometric testing supports validity and reliability of the LISA© and its potential use as a tool to assess influence capacity for purposes of leadership development and research. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An analysis of the optimal multiobjective inventory clustering decision with small quantity and great variety inventory by applying a DPSO.

PubMed

Wang, Shen-Tsu; Li, Meng-Hua

2014-01-01

When an enterprise has thousands of varieties in its inventory, the use of a single management method could not be a feasible approach. A better way to manage this problem would be to categorise inventory items into several clusters according to inventory decisions and to use different management methods for managing different clusters. The present study applies DPSO (dynamic particle swarm optimisation) to a problem of clustering of inventory items. Without the requirement of prior inventory knowledge, inventory items are automatically clustered into near optimal clustering number. The obtained clustering results should satisfy the inventory objective equation, which consists of different objectives such as total cost, backorder rate, demand relevance, and inventory turnover rate. This study integrates the above four objectives into a multiobjective equation, and inputs the actual inventory items of the enterprise into DPSO. In comparison with other clustering methods, the proposed method can consider different objectives and obtain an overall better solution to obtain better convergence results and inventory decisions.

Recommended core items to assess e-cigarette use in population-based surveys.

PubMed

Pearson, Jennifer L; Hitchman, Sara C; Brose, Leonie S; Bauld, Linda; Glasser, Allison M; Villanti, Andrea C; McNeill, Ann; Abrams, David B; Cohen, Joanna E

2018-05-01

A consistent approach using standardised items to assess e-cigarette use in both youth and adult populations will aid cross-survey and cross-national comparisons of the effect of e-cigarette (and tobacco) policies and improve our understanding of the population health impact of e-cigarette use. Focusing on adult behaviour, we propose a set of e-cigarette use items, discuss their utility and potential adaptation, and highlight e-cigarette constructs that researchers should avoid without further item development. Reliable and valid items will strengthen the emerging science and inform knowledge synthesis for policy-making. Building on informal discussions at a series of international meetings of 65 experts from 15 countries, the authors provide recommendations for assessing e-cigarette use behaviour, relative perceived harm, device type, presence of nicotine, flavours and reasons for use. We recommend items assessing eight core constructs: e-cigarette ever use, frequency of use and former daily use; relative perceived harm; device type; primary flavour preference; presence of nicotine; and primary reason for use. These items should be standardised or minimally adapted for the policy context and target population. Researchers should be prepared to update items as e-cigarette device characteristics change. A minimum set of e-cigarette items is proposed to encourage consensus around items to allow for cross-survey and cross-jurisdictional comparisons of e-cigarette use behaviour. These proposed items are a starting point. We recognise room for continued improvement, and welcome input from e-cigarette users and scientific colleagues. © 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.

Why computational models are better than verbal theories: the case of nonword repetition.

PubMed

Jones, Gary; Gobet, Fernand; Freudenthal, Daniel; Watson, Sarah E; Pine, Julian M

2014-03-01

Tests of nonword repetition (NWR) have often been used to examine children's phonological knowledge and word learning abilities. However, theories of NWR primarily explain performance either in terms of phonological working memory or long-term knowledge, with little consideration of how these processes interact. One theoretical account that focuses specifically on the interaction between short-term and long-term memory is the chunking hypothesis. Chunking occurs because of repeated exposure to meaningful stimulus items, resulting in the items becoming grouped (or chunked); once chunked, the items can be represented in short-term memory using one chunk rather than one chunk per item. We tested several predictions of the chunking hypothesis by presenting 5-6-year-old children with three tests of NWR that were either high, medium, or low in wordlikeness. The results did not show strong support for the chunking hypothesis, suggesting that chunking fails to fully explain children's NWR behavior. However, simulations using a computational implementation of chunking (namely CLASSIC, or Chunking Lexical And Sub-lexical Sequences In Children) show that, when the linguistic input to 5-6-year-old children is estimated in a reasonable way, the children's data are matched across all three NWR tests. These results have three implications for the field: (a) a chunking account can explain key NWR phenomena in 5-6-year-old children; (b) tests of chunking accounts require a detailed specification both of the chunking mechanism itself and of the input on which the chunking mechanism operates; and (c) verbal theories emphasizing the role of long-term knowledge (such as chunking) are not precise enough to make detailed predictions about experimental data, but computational implementations of the theories can bridge the gap. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Performance Evaluation of Public Non-Profit Hospitals Using a BP Artificial Neural Network: The Case of Hubei Province in China

PubMed Central

Li, Chunhui; Yu, Chuanhua

2013-01-01

To provide a reference for evaluating public non-profit hospitals in the new environment of medical reform, we established a performance evaluation system for public non-profit hospitals. The new “input-output” performance model for public non-profit hospitals is based on four primary indexes (input, process, output and effect) that include 11 sub-indexes and 41 items. The indicator weights were determined using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and entropy weight method. The BP neural network was applied to evaluate the performance of 14 level-3 public non-profit hospitals located in Hubei Province. The most stable BP neural network was produced by comparing different numbers of neurons in the hidden layer and using the “Leave-one-out” Cross Validation method. The performance evaluation system we established for public non-profit hospitals could reflect the basic goal of the new medical health system reform in China. Compared with PLSR, the result indicated that the BP neural network could be used effectively for evaluating the performance public non-profit hospitals. PMID:23955238

Remembering Left–Right Orientation of Pictures

PubMed Central

Bartlett, James C.; Gernsbacher, Morton Ann; Till, Robert E.

2015-01-01

In a study of recognition memory for pictures, we observed an asymmetry in classifying test items as “same” versus “different” in left–right orientation: Identical copies of previously viewed items were classified more accurately than left–right reversals of those items. Response bias could not explain this asymmetry, and, moreover, correct “same” and “different” classifications were independently manipulable: Whereas repetition of input pictures (one vs. two presentations) affected primarily correct “same” classifications, retention interval (3 hr vs. 1 week) affected primarily correct “different” classifications. In addition, repetition but not retention interval affected judgments that previously seen pictures (both identical and reversed) were “old”. These and additional findings supported a dual-process hypothesis that links “same” classifications to high familiarity, and “different” classifications to conscious sampling of images of previously viewed pictures. PMID:2949051

Potential Damage to Flight Hardware from MIL-STD-462 CS02 Setup

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harris, Patrick K.; Block, Nathan F.

2002-01-01

The MIL-STD-462 CS02 conducted susceptibility test setup, performed during electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing, consists of an audio transformer with the secondary used as an inductor and a large capacitor. Together, these two components form an L-type low-pass filter to minimize the injected test signal input into the power source. Some flight hardware power input configurations are not compatible with this setup and break into oscillation when powered up. This can damage flight hardware and caused a catastrophic failure to an item tested in the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Large EMC Test Facility.

Image segmentation algorithm based on improved PCNN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hong; Wu, Chengdong; Yu, Xiaosheng; Wu, Jiahui

2017-11-01

A modified simplified Pulse Coupled Neural Network (PCNN) model is proposed in this article based on simplified PCNN. Some work have done to enrich this model, such as imposing restrictions items of the inputs, improving linking inputs and internal activity of PCNN. A self-adaptive parameter setting method of linking coefficient and threshold value decay time constant is proposed here, too. At last, we realized image segmentation algorithm for five pictures based on this proposed simplified PCNN model and PSO. Experimental results demonstrate that this image segmentation algorithm is much better than method of SPCNN and OTSU.

Construction of In-house Databases in a Corporation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sano, Hikomaro

This report outlines “Repoir” (Report information retrieval) system of Toyota Central R & D Laboratories, Inc. as an example of in-house information retrieval system. The online system was designed to process in-house technical reports with the aid of a mainframe computer and has been in operation since 1979. Its features are multiple use of the information for technical and managerial purposes and simplicity in indexing and data input. The total number of descriptors, specially selected for the system, was minimized for ease of indexing. The report also describes the input items, processing flow and typical outputs in kanji letters.

Further evaluation of leisure items in the attention condition of functional analyses.

PubMed

Roscoe, Eileen M; Carreau, Abbey; MacDonald, Jackie; Pence, Sacha T

2008-01-01

Research suggests that including leisure items in the attention condition of a functional analysis may produce engagement that masks sensitivity to attention. In this study, 4 individuals' initial functional analyses indicated that behavior was maintained by nonsocial variables (n = 3) or by attention (n = 1). A preference assessment was used to identify items for subsequent functional analyses. Four conditions were compared, attention with and without leisure items and control with and without leisure items. Following this, either high- or low-preference items were included in the attention condition. Problem behavior was more probable during the attention condition when no leisure items or low-preference items were included, and lower levels of problem behavior were observed during the attention condition when high-preference leisure items were included. These findings suggest how preferred items may hinder detection of behavioral function.

Exploring problem solving strategies on multiple-choice science items: Comparing native Spanish-speaking English Language Learners and mainstream monolinguals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kachchaf, Rachel Rae

The purpose of this study was to compare how English language learners (ELLs) and monolingual English speakers solved multiple-choice items administered with and without a new form of testing accommodation---vignette illustration (VI). By incorporating theories from second language acquisition, bilingualism, and sociolinguistics, this study was able to gain more accurate and comprehensive input into the ways students interacted with items. This mixed methods study used verbal protocols to elicit the thinking processes of thirty-six native Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs), and 36 native-English speaking non-ELLs when solving multiple-choice science items. Results from both qualitative and quantitative analyses show that ELLs used a wider variety of actions oriented to making sense of the items than non-ELLs. In contrast, non-ELLs used more problem solving strategies than ELLs. There were no statistically significant differences in student performance based on the interaction of presence of illustration and linguistic status or the main effect of presence of illustration. However, there were significant differences based on the main effect of linguistic status. An interaction between the characteristics of the students, the items, and the illustrations indicates considerable heterogeneity in the ways in which students from both linguistic groups think about and respond to science test items. The results of this study speak to the need for more research involving ELLs in the process of test development to create test items that do not require ELLs to carry out significantly more actions to make sense of the item than monolingual students.

Student Opinion Inventory. Instructions for Use. Part A. Part B.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Study of School Evaluation, Arlington, VA.

An important part of any school's self-evaluation is student input or feedback. This inventory was developed in order to accomplish two goals: assessing student attitudes toward many facets of the school, and providing an opportunity for students to make recommendations for improvement. Thirty-four multiple choice items collect information on…

Toward PPBS: Program Budgeting in a Small School District.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Durstine, Richard M.; Howell, Robert A.

This publication reports the results of the design and development of a planning programming budgeting system for the Milford, New Hampshire, school system. The authors attempted to develop a program oriented budget rather than a line item or input oriented budget, and a model adaptable for general applications. The order of priority budgeting…

On the Way to Language: Event Segmentation in Homesign and Gesture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozyurek, Asli; Furman, Reyhan; Goldin-Meadow, Susan

2015-01-01

Languages typically express semantic components of motion events such as manner (roll) and path (down) in separate lexical items. We explore how these combinatorial possibilities of language arise by focusing on (i) gestures produced by deaf children who lack access to input from a conventional language (homesign); (ii) gestures produced by…

Perspective of Lecturers in Implementing PISMP Science Curriculum in Malaysia's IPG

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yahya, Fauziah Hj; Bin Hamdan, Abdul Rahim; Jantan, Hafsah Binti; Saleh, Halimatussadiah Binti

2015-01-01

The article aims to identify lecturers' perspectives in implementing PISMP science curriculum in IPG Malaysia based on teaching experience with KIPP model. The respondents consisted of 105 lecturers from 20 IPG Malaysia. The study used a questionnaire consisting of 74 items covering the four dimensions (Context, Input, Process and Product). Data…

Dynamic Engagement of Cognitive Control Modulates Recovery From Misinterpretation During Real-Time Language Processing.

PubMed

Hsu, Nina S; Novick, Jared M

2016-04-01

Speech unfolds swiftly, yet listeners keep pace by rapidly assigning meaning to what they hear. Sometimes, though, initial interpretations turn out to be wrong. How do listeners revise misinterpretations of language input moment by moment to avoid comprehension errors? Cognitive control may play a role by detecting when processing has gone awry and then initiating behavioral adjustments accordingly. However, no research to date has investigated a cause-and-effect interplay between cognitive-control engagement and the overriding of erroneous interpretations in real time. Using a novel cross-task paradigm, we showed that Stroop-conflict detection, which mobilizes cognitive-control procedures, subsequently facilitates listeners' incremental processing of temporarily ambiguous spoken instructions that induce brief misinterpretation. When instructions followed incongruent Stroop items, compared with congruent Stroop items, listeners' eye movements to objects in a scene reflected more transient consideration of the false interpretation and earlier recovery of the correct one. Comprehension errors also decreased. Cognitive-control engagement therefore accelerates sentence-reinterpretation processes, even as linguistic input is still unfolding. © The Author(s) 2016.

Assessing ergonomic risks of software: Development of the SEAT.

PubMed

Peres, S Camille; Mehta, Ranjana K; Ritchey, Paul

2017-03-01

Software utilizing interaction designs that require extensive dragging or clicking of icons may increase users' risks for upper extremity cumulative trauma disorders. The purpose of this research is to develop a Self-report Ergonomic Assessment Tool (SEAT) for assessing the risks of software interaction designs and facilitate mitigation of those risks. A 28-item self-report measure was developed by combining and modifying items from existing industrial ergonomic tools. Data were collected from 166 participants after they completed four different tasks that varied by method of input (touch or keyboard and mouse) and type of task (selecting or typing). Principal component analysis found distinct factors associated with stress (i.e., demands) and strain (i.e., response). Repeated measures analyses of variance showed that participants could discriminate the different strain induced by the input methods and tasks. However, participants' ability to discriminate between the stressors associated with that strain was mixed. Further validation of the SEAT is necessary but these results indicate that the SEAT may be a viable method of assessing ergonomics risks presented by software design. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a prototype commonality analysis tool for use in space programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yeager, Dorian P.

1988-01-01

A software tool to aid in performing commonality analyses, called Commonality Analysis Problem Solver (CAPS), was designed, and a prototype version (CAPS 1.0) was implemented and tested. The CAPS 1.0 runs in an MS-DOS or IBM PC-DOS environment. The CAPS is designed around a simple input language which provides a natural syntax for the description of feasibility constraints. It provides its users with the ability to load a database representing a set of design items, describe the feasibility constraints on items in that database, and do a comprehensive cost analysis to find the most economical substitution pattern.

Proceedings of the workshop "Development of biological decision support systems for resource managers": Denver, Colorado, October 27-29, 1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Getter, James; D'Erchia, Terry D.; Root, Ralph; Getter, James; D'Erchia, Terry D.; Root, Ralph

1999-01-01

The format for this 3-day workshop (27-29 October 1998) included plenary presentations by USGS Biological Resources Division (BRD) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service per onnel who u e and develop decision support systems (DSS); breakout ses ions addressing DSS technical information aspect , outreach/ customer requirements, and future perspectives; and a DSS Steering Committee meeting to evaluate work hop goals and to provide guidance for fu ture efforts. Steering committee action item developed from workshop inputs were to ( I) develop a "DSS framework" document for u e in biological research. (2) develop a "proof of concept" DSS based upon the framework document, and (3) integrate decision support ystem into BRD program elements.

A quality tool for health insurers. A new scale measures "quality orientation" from the customer's point of view.

PubMed

Westbrook, K W; Pedrick, D; Bush, V

1996-01-01

This study defines a company's quality orientation as "all process-related activities that can be discerned by customers." This even includes certain processes internal to the company that can be seen and evaluated by customers. One significant contribution this study provides is scale development centered on customer rather than employee perceptions. To generate scale items, input was gathered from experts involved in the study, senior managers employed with the target company, focus groups of employees working on the front line with customers, and users of the services. Because the sale measures customer perceptions of quality in comparison with the firm's closest competitor, it provides managers with information for benchmarking performance relative to others in the marketplace.

Environmental efficiency of energy, materials, and emissions.

PubMed

Yagi, Michiyuki; Fujii, Hidemichi; Hoang, Vincent; Managi, Shunsuke

2015-09-15

This study estimates the environmental efficiency of international listed firms in 10 worldwide sectors from 2007 to 2013 by applying an order-m method, a non-parametric approach based on free disposal hull with subsampling bootstrapping. Using a conventional output of gross profit and two conventional inputs of labor and capital, this study examines the order-m environmental efficiency accounting for the presence of each of 10 undesirable inputs/outputs and measures the shadow prices of each undesirable input and output. The results show that there is greater potential for the reduction of undesirable inputs rather than bad outputs. On average, total energy, electricity, or water usage has the potential to be reduced by 50%. The median shadow prices of undesirable inputs, however, are much higher than the surveyed representative market prices. Approximately 10% of the firms in the sample appear to be potential sellers or production reducers in terms of undesirable inputs/outputs, which implies that the price of each item at the current level has little impact on most of the firms. Moreover, this study shows that the environmental, social, and governance activities of a firm do not considerably affect environmental efficiency. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Test blueprints for psychiatry residency in-training written examinations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

PubMed Central

Gaffas, Eisha M; Sequeira, Reginald P; Namla, Riyadh A Al; Al-Harbi, Khalid S

2012-01-01

Background The postgraduate training program in psychiatry in Saudi Arabia, which was established in 1997, is a 4-year residency program. Written exams comprising of multiple choice questions (MCQs) are used as a summative assessment of residents in order to determine their eligibility for promotion from one year to the next. Test blueprints are not used in preparing examinations. Objective To develop test blueprints for the written examinations used in the psychiatry residency program. Methods Based on the guidelines of four professional bodies, documentary analysis was used to develop global and detailed test blueprints for each year of the residency program. An expert panel participated during piloting and final modification of the test blueprints. Their opinion about the content, weightage for each content domain, and proportion of test items to be sampled in each cognitive category as defined by modified Bloom’s taxonomy were elicited. Results Eight global and detailed test blueprints, two for each year of the psychiatry residency program, were developed. The global test blueprints were reviewed by experts and piloted. Six experts participated in the final modification of test blueprints. Based on expert consensus, the content, total weightage for each content domain, and proportion of test items to be included in each cognitive category were determined for each global test blueprint. Experts also suggested progressively decreasing the weightage for recall test items and increasing problem solving test items in examinations, from year 1 to year 4 of the psychiatry residence program. Conclusion A systematic approach using a documentary and content analysis technique was used to develop test blueprints with additional input from an expert panel as appropriate. Test blueprinting is an important step to ensure the test validity in all residency programs. PMID:23762000

Test blueprints for psychiatry residency in-training written examinations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Gaffas, Eisha M; Sequeira, Reginald P; Namla, Riyadh A Al; Al-Harbi, Khalid S

2012-01-01

The postgraduate training program in psychiatry in Saudi Arabia, which was established in 1997, is a 4-year residency program. Written exams comprising of multiple choice questions (MCQs) are used as a summative assessment of residents in order to determine their eligibility for promotion from one year to the next. Test blueprints are not used in preparing examinations. To develop test blueprints for the written examinations used in the psychiatry residency program. Based on the guidelines of four professional bodies, documentary analysis was used to develop global and detailed test blueprints for each year of the residency program. An expert panel participated during piloting and final modification of the test blueprints. Their opinion about the content, weightage for each content domain, and proportion of test items to be sampled in each cognitive category as defined by modified Bloom's taxonomy were elicited. Eight global and detailed test blueprints, two for each year of the psychiatry residency program, were developed. The global test blueprints were reviewed by experts and piloted. Six experts participated in the final modification of test blueprints. Based on expert consensus, the content, total weightage for each content domain, and proportion of test items to be included in each cognitive category were determined for each global test blueprint. Experts also suggested progressively decreasing the weightage for recall test items and increasing problem solving test items in examinations, from year 1 to year 4 of the psychiatry residence program. A systematic approach using a documentary and content analysis technique was used to develop test blueprints with additional input from an expert panel as appropriate. Test blueprinting is an important step to ensure the test validity in all residency programs.

Development of an Index of Engagement in HIV Care: An Adapted Internet-Based Delphi Process

PubMed Central

Koester, Kimberly A; Wood, Troy; Neilands, Torsten B; Pomeranz, Jamie L; Christopoulos, Katerina A

2017-01-01

Background Improving engagement in medical care among persons living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is critical to optimizing clinical outcomes and reducing onward transmission of HIV. However, a clear conceptualization of what it means to be engaged in HIV care is lacking, and thus efforts to measure and enhance engagement in care are limited. Objective This paper describes the use of a modified online Delphi process of consensus building to solicit input from a range of HIV and non-HIV researchers and providers, and to integrate that input with focus group data conducted with HIV-infected patients. The overarching goal was to generate items for a patient-centered measure of engagement in HIV care for use in future research and clinical practice. Methods We recruited 66 expert panelists from around the United States. Starting with six open-ended questions, we used four rounds of online Delphi data collection in tandem with 12 in-person focus groups with patients and cognitive interviews with 25 patients. Results We recruited 66 expert panelists from around the United States and 64 (97%) were retained for four rounds of data collection. Starting with six open-ended questions, we used four rounds of online Delphi data collection in tandem with 12 in-person focus groups with patients and cognitive interviews with 25 patients. The process resulted in an expansion to 120 topics that were subsequently reduced to 13 candidate items for the planned assessment measure. Conclusions The process was an efficient method of soliciting input from geographically separated and busy experts across a range of disciplines and professional roles with the aim of arriving at a coherent definition of engagement in HIV care and a manageable set of survey items to assess it. Next steps are to validate the utility of the new measure in predicting retention in care, adherence to treatment, and clinical outcomes among patients living with HIV. PMID:29208589

The Development and Use of a Flight Optimization System Model of a C-130E Transport Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Desch, Jeremy D.

1995-01-01

The Systems Analysis Branch at NASA Langley Research Center conducts a variety of aircraft design and analyses studies. These studies include the prediction of characteristics of a particular conceptual design, analyses of designs that already exist, and assessments of the impact of technology on current and future aircraft. The FLight OPtimization System (FLOPS) is a tool used for aircraft systems analysis and design. A baseline input model of a Lockheed C-130E was generated for the Flight Optimization System. This FLOPS model can be used to conduct design-trade studies and technology impact assessments. The input model was generated using standard input data such as basic geometries and mission specifications. All of the other data needed to determine the airplane performance is computed internally by FLOPS. The model was then calibrated to reproduce the actual airplane performance from flight test data. This allows a systems analyzer to change a specific item of geometry or mission definition in the FLOPS input file and evaluate the resulting change in performance from the output file. The baseline model of the C-130E was used to analyze the effects of implementing upper wing surface blowing on the airplane. This involved removing the turboprop engines that were on the C-130E and replacing them with turbofan engines. An investigation of the improvements in airplane performance with the new engines could be conducted within the Flight Optimization System. Although a thorough analysis was not completed, the impact of this change on basic mission performance was investigated.

Information Needs of Older Women With Early-Stage Breast Cancer When Making Radiation Therapy Decisions.

PubMed

Wang, Shi-Yi; Kelly, Gabrielle; Gross, Cary; Killelea, Brigid K; Mougalian, Sarah; Presley, Carolyn; Fraenkel, Liana; Evans, Suzanne B

2017-07-15

To identify the information older women with early-stage breast cancer need when making radiation therapy decisions, and who patients identify as the main decision maker. We surveyed (through face-to-face interview, telephone, or mail) women aged ≥65 years who received lumpectomy and were considering or receiving adjuvant radiation therapy for early-stage breast cancer. The survey instrument was constructed with input from patient and professional advisory committees, including breast cancer survivors, advocates of breast cancer care and aging, clinicians, and researchers. Participants rated the importance (on a 4-point scale) of 24 statements describing the benefits, side effects, impact on daily life, and other issues of radiation therapy in relation to radiation therapy decision making. Participants also designated who was considered the key decision maker. The response rate was 56.4% (93 of 165). Mean age was 72.5 years, ranging from 65 to 93 years. More than 96% of participants indicated they were the main decision maker on receiving radiation therapy. There was wide variation in information needs regarding radiation therapy decision making. Participants rated a mean of 18 (range, 3-24) items as "essential." Participants rated items related to benefits highest, followed by side effects. Participants who were older than 75 years rated 13.9 questions as essential, whereas participants aged ≤74 years rated 18.7 as essential (P=.018). Older women desire information and have more agency and input in the decision-making process than prior literature would suggest. The variation in information needs indicates that future decision support tools should provide options to select what information would be of interest to the participants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cognitive diagnosis modelling incorporating item response times.

PubMed

Zhan, Peida; Jiao, Hong; Liao, Dandan

2018-05-01

To provide more refined diagnostic feedback with collateral information in item response times (RTs), this study proposed joint modelling of attributes and response speed using item responses and RTs simultaneously for cognitive diagnosis. For illustration, an extended deterministic input, noisy 'and' gate (DINA) model was proposed for joint modelling of responses and RTs. Model parameter estimation was explored using the Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. The PISA 2012 computer-based mathematics data were analysed first. These real data estimates were treated as true values in a subsequent simulation study. A follow-up simulation study with ideal testing conditions was conducted as well to further evaluate model parameter recovery. The results indicated that model parameters could be well recovered using the MCMC approach. Further, incorporating RTs into the DINA model would improve attribute and profile correct classification rates and result in more accurate and precise estimation of the model parameters. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

Plastic in the Thames: a river runs through it.

PubMed

Morritt, David; Stefanoudis, Paris V; Pearce, Dave; Crimmen, Oliver A; Clark, Paul F

2014-01-15

Although contamination of the marine ecosystems by plastics is becoming recognised as a serious pollution problem, there are few studies that demonstrate the contribution made by freshwater catchments. Over a three month period from September to December 2012, at seven localities in the upper Thames estuary, 8490 submerged plastic items were intercepted in eel fyke nets anchored to the river bed. Whilst there were significant differences in the numbers of items at these locations, the majority were some type of plastic. Additionally in excess of 20% of the litter items were components of sanitary products. The most contaminated sites were in the vicinity of sewage treatment works. While floating litter is visible, this study also demonstrates that a large unseen volume of submerged plastic is flowing into the marine environment. It is therefore important that this sub-surface component is considered when assessing plastic pollution input into the sea. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plastic litter in aquatic environments of Maremma Regional Park (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy): Contribution by the Ombrone river and levels in marine sediments.

PubMed

Guerranti, Cristiana; Cannas, Susanna; Scopetani, Costanza; Fastelli, Paolo; Cincinelli, Alessandra; Renzi, Monia

2017-04-15

During two surveys in 2015 and 2016, sediments samples were collected along the Ombrone river (Maremma Regional Park, province of Grosseto, Italy), in particular at its mouth and in the marine area in front of it, in order to quantify, identify and categorize plastic items (macro, meso and micro-plastics and colour, material etc.) and evaluate their potential sources. The Albegna and Osa rivers were identified as external areas of comparison. The results of the analysis showed different situations, especially as regards fluvial inputs, in addition to evidencing local provisions of plastic material derived from agricultural activities. The microplastics values per kg of sediment and the prevailing type of items found largely varied between the investigated sites (45-1069items/kg dry sample). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of Fuzzy Delphi in the Selection of COPD Risk Factors among Steel Industry Workers

PubMed Central

Ismail, Halim; Ismail, Rosnah; Ismail, Noor Hassim

2017-01-01

Background: The Delphi method has been widely applied in many study areas to systematically gather experts’ input on particular topic. Recently, it has become increasingly well known in health related research. This paper applied the Fuzzy Delphi method to enhance the validation of a questionnaire pertaining chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) risk factors among metal industry workers. Materials and Methods: A detailed, predefined list of possible risk factors for COPD among metal industry workers was created through a comprehensive and exhaustive review of literature from 1995 to 2015. The COPD questionnaire were distributed among people identified as occupational, environmental, and hygiene experts. Linguistic variable using Likert scale was used by the expert to indicate their expert judgment of each item. Subsequently, the linguistic variable was converted into a triangular fuzzy number. The average score of the fuzzy number will be used to determine whether the item will be removed or retained. Results: Ten experts were involved in evaluating 26 items. The experts were in agreement with most of the items, with an average fuzzy number range between 0.429 and 0.800. Two items were removed and three items were added, leaving a total 26 items selected for the COPD risk factors questionnaire. The experts were in disagreement with each other for items F10 and F11 where most of the experts claimed that the question is too subjective and based on self-perception only. Conclusion: The fuzzy Delphi method enhanced the accuracy of the questionnaire pertaining to COPD risk factors, and decreased the length of the established tools. PMID:28638424

Application of Fuzzy Delphi in the Selection of COPD Risk Factors among Steel Industry Workers.

PubMed

Dapari, Rahmat; Ismail, Halim; Ismail, Rosnah; Ismail, Noor Hassim

2017-01-01

The Delphi method has been widely applied in many study areas to systematically gather experts' input on particular topic. Recently, it has become increasingly well known in health related research. This paper applied the Fuzzy Delphi method to enhance the validation of a questionnaire pertaining chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) risk factors among metal industry workers. A detailed, predefined list of possible risk factors for COPD among metal industry workers was created through a comprehensive and exhaustive review of literature from 1995 to 2015. The COPD questionnaire were distributed among people identified as occupational, environmental, and hygiene experts. Linguistic variable using Likert scale was used by the expert to indicate their expert judgment of each item. Subsequently, the linguistic variable was converted into a triangular fuzzy number. The average score of the fuzzy number will be used to determine whether the item will be removed or retained. Ten experts were involved in evaluating 26 items. The experts were in agreement with most of the items, with an average fuzzy number range between 0.429 and 0.800. Two items were removed and three items were added, leaving a total 26 items selected for the COPD risk factors questionnaire. The experts were in disagreement with each other for items F10 and F11 where most of the experts claimed that the question is too subjective and based on self-perception only. The fuzzy Delphi method enhanced the accuracy of the questionnaire pertaining to COPD risk factors, and decreased the length of the established tools.

Development and validation of the Current Opioid Misuse Measure.

PubMed

Butler, Stephen F; Budman, Simon H; Fernandez, Kathrine C; Houle, Brian; Benoit, Christine; Katz, Nathaniel; Jamison, Robert N

2007-07-01

Clinicians recognize the importance of monitoring aberrant medication-related behaviors of chronic pain patients while being prescribed opioid therapy. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM) for those pain patients already on long-term opioid therapy. An initial pool of 177 items was developed with input from 26 pain management and addiction specialists. Concept mapping identified six primary concepts underlying medication misuse, which were used to develop an initial item pool. Twenty-two pain and addiction specialists rated the items on importance and relevance, resulting in selection of a 40-item alpha COMM. Final item selection was based on empirical evaluation of items with patients taking opioids for chronic, noncancer pain (N=227). One-week test-retest reliability was examined with 55 participants. All participants were administered the alpha version of the COMM, the Prescription Drug Use Questionnaire (PDUQ) interview, and submitted a urine sample for toxicology screening. Physician ratings of patient aberrant behaviors were also obtained. Of the 40 items, 17 items appeared to adequately measure aberrant behavior, demonstrating excellent internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Cutoff scores were examined using ROC curve analysis and reasonable sensitivity and specificity were established. To evaluate the COMM's ability to capture change in patient status, it was tested on a subset of patients (N=86) that were followed and reassessed three months later. The COMM was found to have promise as a brief, self-report measure of current aberrant drug-related behavior. Further cross-validation and replication of these preliminary results is pending.

Building Physics Test Cases | Buildings | NREL

Science.gov Websites

building physics test cases in BESTEST-EX. In these cases, the model inputs that describe the house are programs. This diagram provides an overview of the BESTEST-EX physics case process. On the left side of the diagram is a box labeled "BESTEST-EX Document" with a list that contains two bulleted items. The

Tuning the Tin Ear: In Search of Fiscal Congruency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dragona, Anthony N.

2011-01-01

For 70 years, the Union City School District used a line-item budget system, a top down approach that was regarded by many as "deaf, dumb, and blind." This antiquated central administration process gave school leaders and staff little, if any, input into the distribution of resources for their schools, resulting in a redundancy of allocations,…

Developing a Health-Related Quality-of-Life Measure for People with Intellectual Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Lauren; Pett, Marjorie A.; Cardell, Elizabeth M.; Guo, Jia-Wen; Johnson, Erin

2017-01-01

Using principles of community-based participatory research we developed a new theory-based measure of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for individuals with intellectual disability (ID). We recruited adults with ID (n = 129) to take part in interviews and review successive versions of HRQOL items. Critical input about content and…

Software Independent Verification and Validation (SIV&V) Simplified

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-01

Configuration Item I/O Input/Output I2V2 Independent Integrated Verification and Validation IBM International Business Machines ICD Interface...IPT Integrated Product Team IRS Interface Requirements Specification ISD Integrated System Diagram ITD Integrated Test Description ITP ...programming languages such as COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language) (Codasyl committee 1960), and FORTRAN (FORmula TRANslator) ( IBM 1952) (Robat 11

Validating a Conceptual Framework for the Core Concept of "Cell-Cell Communication"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michael, Joel; Martinkova, Patricia; McFarland, Jenny; Wright, Ann; Cliff, William; Modell, Harold; Wenderoth, Mary Pat

2017-01-01

We have created and validated a conceptual framework for the core physiology concept of "cell-cell communication." The conceptual framework is composed of 51 items arranged in a hierarchy that is, in some instances, four levels deep. We have validated it with input from faculty who teach at a wide variety of institutional types. All…

The Teacher Observation Form: Revisions and Updates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peters, Scott J.; Gates, Jillian C.

2010-01-01

This article discusses the original development and subsequent updates and revisions made to the Teacher Observation Form (TOF). The TOF is a 12-item form to be used by evaluators in the observation of teachers of gifted and talented students. After nearly 25 years of use, the original TOF was revised based on input from content experts and…

Assessment of Methodological Quality of Economic Evaluations in Belgian Drug Reimbursement Applications

PubMed Central

Simoens, Steven

2013-01-01

Objectives This paper aims to assess the methodological quality of economic evaluations included in Belgian reimbursement applications for Class 1 drugs. Materials and Methods For 19 reimbursement applications submitted during 2011 and Spring 2012, a descriptive analysis assessed the methodological quality of the economic evaluation, evaluated the assessment of that economic evaluation by the Drug Reimbursement Committee and the response to that assessment by the company. Compliance with methodological guidelines issued by the Belgian Healthcare Knowledge Centre was assessed using a detailed checklist of 23 methodological items. The rate of compliance was calculated based on the number of economic evaluations for which the item was applicable. Results Economic evaluations tended to comply with guidelines regarding perspective, target population, subgroup analyses, comparator, use of comparative clinical data and final outcome measures, calculation of costs, incremental analysis, discounting and time horizon. However, more attention needs to be paid to the description of limitations of indirect comparisons, the choice of an appropriate analytic technique, the expression of unit costs in values for the current year, the estimation and valuation of outcomes, the presentation of results of sensitivity analyses, and testing the face validity of model inputs and outputs. Also, a large variation was observed in the scope and depth of the quality assessment by the Drug Reimbursement Committee. Conclusions Although general guidelines exist, pharmaceutical companies and the Drug Reimbursement Committee would benefit from the existence of a more detailed checklist of methodological items that need to be reported in an economic evaluation. PMID:24386474

Assessment of methodological quality of economic evaluations in belgian drug reimbursement applications.

PubMed

Simoens, Steven

2013-01-01

This paper aims to assess the methodological quality of economic evaluations included in Belgian reimbursement applications for Class 1 drugs. For 19 reimbursement applications submitted during 2011 and Spring 2012, a descriptive analysis assessed the methodological quality of the economic evaluation, evaluated the assessment of that economic evaluation by the Drug Reimbursement Committee and the response to that assessment by the company. Compliance with methodological guidelines issued by the Belgian Healthcare Knowledge Centre was assessed using a detailed checklist of 23 methodological items. The rate of compliance was calculated based on the number of economic evaluations for which the item was applicable. Economic evaluations tended to comply with guidelines regarding perspective, target population, subgroup analyses, comparator, use of comparative clinical data and final outcome measures, calculation of costs, incremental analysis, discounting and time horizon. However, more attention needs to be paid to the description of limitations of indirect comparisons, the choice of an appropriate analytic technique, the expression of unit costs in values for the current year, the estimation and valuation of outcomes, the presentation of results of sensitivity analyses, and testing the face validity of model inputs and outputs. Also, a large variation was observed in the scope and depth of the quality assessment by the Drug Reimbursement Committee. Although general guidelines exist, pharmaceutical companies and the Drug Reimbursement Committee would benefit from the existence of a more detailed checklist of methodological items that need to be reported in an economic evaluation.

Construction and validation of the chronic acquired polyneuropathy patient-reported index, “CAP-PRI:” a disease-specific, health-related quality of life instrument

PubMed Central

Gwathmey, Kelly G.; Conaway, Mark R.; Seyedsadjadi, Reza; Joshi, Amruta; Barnett, Carolina; Bril, Vera; Ng, Eduardo; David, William; Gable, Karissa; Guptill, Jeffrey T.; Hobson-Webb, Lisa D.; Dineen, Jennifer; Hehir, Michael; Brannagan, Thomas H.; Byun, Esther; Adler, Margaret; Burns, Ted M.

2016-01-01

Introduction Generic health-related quality of life (HRQOL) patient-reported outcome measures have been used in patients with chronic immune-mediated polyneuropathies. We have created a disease-specific HRQOL instrument. Methods and Results The 15-item chronic acquired polyneuropathy patient-reported index (CAP-PRI) was developed and validated in multiple steps. Items were initially generated through patient and specialist input. The performance of the preliminary 20 items was analyzed from a prospective, 5-center study involving chronic immune-mediated polyneuropathy patients. Data analysis suggested modification to a 15-item scale with 3 response categories, rather than 5. The final CAP-PRI was then validated in another prospective, 5-center study. The CAP-PRI appeared to be a unidimensional outcome measure that fits the Rasch Partial Credit Model in our multicenter cohort. It correlated appropriately with the outcome measures commonly used in this patient population. Discussion The CAP-PRI is a simple, easy, disease-specific HRQOL measure that appears to be useful for clinical care and possibly also for clinical trials. PMID:26600438

Construction of an efficient evaluative instrument for myasthenia gravis: the MG composite.

PubMed

Burns, Ted M; Conaway, Mark R; Cutter, Gary R; Sanders, Donald B

2008-12-01

We assessed the performance of items from the Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis (QMG), MMT (Manual Muscle Test), and MG-ADL (Myasthenia Gravis - Activities of Daily Living) scales, using data from two recently completed treatment trials of generalized MG. Items were selected that were relevant to manifestations of MG, meaningful to both the physician and the patient, and responsive to clinical change. After the 10 items were chosen, they were weighted based on input from MG experts from around the world, considering factors such as quality of life, disease severity, risk, prognosis, validity, and reliability. The MG Composite is easy to administer, takes less than 5 minutes to complete, and requires no equipment. Weighting of the response options of the 10 items should result in ordinal scores that better represent MG status and are more responsive to meaningful clinical change. To better determine its suitability for clinical use and for treatment trials, the MG Composite will be tested prospectively at several academic medical centers and will be used as a secondary measure of efficacy in pending clinical trials of MG.

An Analysis of the Optimal Multiobjective Inventory Clustering Decision with Small Quantity and Great Variety Inventory by Applying a DPSO

PubMed Central

Li, Meng-Hua

2014-01-01

When an enterprise has thousands of varieties in its inventory, the use of a single management method could not be a feasible approach. A better way to manage this problem would be to categorise inventory items into several clusters according to inventory decisions and to use different management methods for managing different clusters. The present study applies DPSO (dynamic particle swarm optimisation) to a problem of clustering of inventory items. Without the requirement of prior inventory knowledge, inventory items are automatically clustered into near optimal clustering number. The obtained clustering results should satisfy the inventory objective equation, which consists of different objectives such as total cost, backorder rate, demand relevance, and inventory turnover rate. This study integrates the above four objectives into a multiobjective equation, and inputs the actual inventory items of the enterprise into DPSO. In comparison with other clustering methods, the proposed method can consider different objectives and obtain an overall better solution to obtain better convergence results and inventory decisions. PMID:25197713

Efficacy of a medical food in mild Alzheimer's disease: A randomized, controlled trial.

PubMed

Scheltens, Philip; Kamphuis, Patrick J G H; Verhey, Frans R J; Olde Rikkert, Marcel G M; Wurtman, Richard J; Wilkinson, David; Twisk, Jos W R; Kurz, Alexander

2010-01-01

To investigate the effect of a medical food on cognitive function in people with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD). A total of 225 drug-naïve AD patients participated in this randomized, double-blind controlled trial. Patients were randomized to active product, Souvenaid, or a control drink, taken once-daily for 12 weeks. Primary outcome measures were the delayed verbal recall task of the Wechsler Memory Scale-revised, and the 13-item modified Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale at week 12. At 12 weeks, significant improvement in the delayed verbal recall task was noted in the active group compared with control (P = .021). Modified Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale and other outcome scores (e.g., Clinician Interview Based Impression of Change plus Caregiver Input, 12-item Neuropsychiatric Inventory, Alzheimer's disease Co-operative Study-Activities of Daily Living, Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease) were unchanged. The control group neither deteriorated nor improved. Compliance was excellent (95%) and the product was well tolerated. Supplementation with a medical food including phosphatide precursors and cofactors for 12 weeks improved memory (delayed verbal recall) in mild AD patients. This proof-of-concept study justifies further clinical trials. 2010 The Alzheimer's Association. All rights reserved.

Qualitative development of a patient-reported outcome symptom measure in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.

PubMed

Marquis, P; Lasch, K E; Delgado-Herrera, L; Kothari, S; Lembo, A; Lademacher, C; Spears, G; Nishida, A; Tesler, Waldman L; Piault, E; Rosa, K; Zeiher, B

2014-06-26

Despite a documented clinical need, no patient reported outcome (PRO) symptom measure meeting current regulatory requirements for clinically relevant end points is available for the evaluation of treatment benefit in diarrhea-predominant IBS (IBS-D). Patients (N=113) with IBS-D participated in five study phases: (1) eight concept elicitation focus groups (N=34), from which a 17-item IBS-D Daily Symptom Diary and four-item IBS-D Symptom Event Log (Diary and Event Log) were developed; (2) one-on-one cognitive interviews (N=11) to assess the instrument's comprehensiveness, understandability, appropriateness, and readability; (3) four data triangulation focus groups (N=32) to confirm the concepts elicited; (4) two hybrid (concept elicitation and cognitive interview) focus groups (N=16); and (5) two iterative sets of one-on-one cognitive interviews (N=20) to further clarify the symptoms of IBS-D and debrief a revised seven-item Diary and four-item Event Log. Of thirty-six concepts initially identified, 22 were excluded because they were not saturated, not clinically relevant, not critical symptoms of IBS-D, considered upper GI symptoms, or too broad or vaguely defined. The remaining concepts were diarrhea, immediate need (urgency), bloating/pressure, frequency of bowel movements, cramps, abdominal/stomach pain, gas, completely emptied bowels/incomplete evacuation, accidents, bubbling in intestines (bowel sounds), rectal burning, stool consistency, rectal spasm, and pain while wiping. The final instrument included a daily diary with separate items for abdominal and stomach pain and an event log with four items completed after each bowel movement as follows: (1) a record of the bowel movement/event and an assessment of (2) severity of immediacy of need/bowel urgency, (3) incomplete evacuation, and (4) stool consistency (evaluated using the newly developed Astellas Stool Form Scale). Based on rounds of interviews and clinical input, items considered secondary or nonspecific to IBS-D (rectal burning, bubbling in intestines, spasms, and pain while wiping) were excluded. The IBS-D Symptom Diary and Event Log represent a rigorously developed PRO instrument for the measurement of the IBS-D symptom experience from the perspective of the patient. Its content validity has been supported, and future work should evaluate the instrument's psychometric properties.

Estimating the costs of psychiatric hospital services at a public health facility in Nigeria.

PubMed

Ezenduka, Charles; Ichoku, Hyacinth; Ochonma, Ogbonnia

2012-09-01

Information on the cost of mental health services in Africa is very limited even though mental health disorders represent a significant public health concern, in terms of health and economic impact. Cost analysis is important for planning and for efficiency in the provision of hospital services. The study estimated the total and unit costs of psychiatric hospital services to guide policy and psychiatric hospital management efficiency in Nigeria. The study was exploratory and analytical, examining 2008 data. A standard costing methodology based on ingredient approach was adopted combining top-down method with step-down approach to allocate resources (overhead and indirect costs) to the final cost centers. Total and unit cost items related to the treatment of psychiatric patients (including the costs of personnel, overhead and annualised costs of capital items) were identified and measured on the basis of outpatients' visits, inpatients' days and inpatients' admissions. The exercise reflected the input-output process of hospital services where inputs were measured in terms of resource utilisation and output measured by activities carried out at both the outpatient and inpatient departments. In the estimation process total costs were calculated at every cost center/department and divided by a measure of corresponding patient output to produce the average cost per output. This followed a stepwise process of first allocating the direct costs of overhead to the intermediate and final cost centers and from intermediate cost centers to final cost centers for the calculation of total and unit costs. Costs were calculated from the perspective of the healthcare facility, and converted to the US Dollars at the 2008 exchange rate. Personnel constituted the greatest resource input in all departments, averaging 80% of total hospital cost, reflecting the mix of capital and recurrent inputs. Cost per inpatient day, at $56 was equivalent to 1.4 times the cost per outpatient visit at $41, while cost per emergency visit was about two times the cost per outpatient visit. The cost of one psychiatric inpatient admission averaged $3,675, including the costs of drugs and laboratory services, which was equivalent to the cost of 90 outpatients' visits. Cost of drugs was about 4.4% of the total costs and each prescription averaged $7.48. The male ward was the most expensive cost center. Levels of subsidization for inpatient services were over 90% while ancillary services were not subsidized hence full cost recovery. The hospital costs were driven by personnel which reflected the mix of inputs that relied most on technical manpower. The unit cost estimates are significantly higher than the upper limit range for low income countries based on the WHO-CHOICE estimates. Findings suggest a scope for improving efficiency of resource use given the high proportion of fixed costs which indicates excess capacity. Adequate research is needed for effective comparisons and valid assessment of efficiency in psychiatric hospital services in Africa. The unit cost estimates will be useful in making projections for total psychiatric hospital package and a basis for determining the cost of specific neuropsychiatric cases.

Development and validation of an instrument to assess job satisfaction in eye-care personnel.

PubMed

Paudel, Prakash; Cronjé, Sonja; O'Connor, Patricia M; Khadka, Jyoti; Rao, Gullapalli N; Holden, Brien A

2017-11-01

The aim was to develop and validate an instrument to measure job satisfaction in eye-care personnel and assess the job satisfaction of one-year trained vision technicians in India. A pilot instrument for assessing job satisfaction was developed, based on a literature review and input from a public health expert panel. Rasch analysis was used to assess psychometric properties and to undertake an iterative item reduction. The instrument was then administered to vision technicians in vision centres of Andhra Pradesh in India. Associations between vision technicians' job satisfaction and factors such as age, gender and experience were analysed using t-test and one-way analysis of variance. Rasch analysis confirmed that the 15-item job satisfaction in eye-care personnel (JSEP) was a unidimensional instrument with good fit statistics, measurement precisions and absence of differential item functioning. Overall, vision technicians reported high rates of job satisfaction (0.46 logits). Age, gender and experience were not associated with high job satisfaction score. Item score analysis showed non-financial incentives, salary and workload were the most important determinants of job satisfaction. The 15-item JSEP instrument is a valid instrument for assessing job satisfaction among eye-care personnel. Overall, vision technicians in India demonstrated high rates of job satisfaction. © 2016 Optometry Australia.

An Innovative Method for Monitoring Food Quality and the Healthfulness of Consumers’ Grocery Purchases

PubMed Central

Tran, Le-Thuy T.; Brewster, Philip J.; Chidambaram, Valliammai; Hurdle, John F.

2017-01-01

This study presents a method laying the groundwork for systematically monitoring food quality and the healthfulness of consumers’ point-of-sale grocery purchases. The method automates the process of identifying United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Patterns Equivalent Database (FPED) components of grocery food items. The input to the process is the compact abbreviated descriptions of food items that are similar to those appearing on the point-of-sale sales receipts of most food retailers. The FPED components of grocery food items are identified using Natural Language Processing techniques combined with a collection of food concept maps and relationships that are manually built using the USDA Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies, the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, the What We Eat In America food categories, and the hierarchical organization of food items used by many grocery stores. We have established the construct validity of the method using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, but further evaluation of validity and reliability will require a large-scale reference standard with known grocery food quality measures. Here we evaluate the method’s utility in identifying the FPED components of grocery food items available in a large sample of retail grocery sales data (~190 million transaction records). PMID:28475153

An Innovative Method for Monitoring Food Quality and the Healthfulness of Consumers' Grocery Purchases.

PubMed

Tran, Le-Thuy T; Brewster, Philip J; Chidambaram, Valliammai; Hurdle, John F

2017-05-05

This study presents a method laying the groundwork for systematically monitoring food quality and the healthfulness of consumers' point-of-sale grocery purchases. The method automates the process of identifying United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Patterns Equivalent Database (FPED) components of grocery food items. The input to the process is the compact abbreviated descriptions of food items that are similar to those appearing on the point-of-sale sales receipts of most food retailers. The FPED components of grocery food items are identified using Natural Language Processing techniques combined with a collection of food concept maps and relationships that are manually built using the USDA Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies, the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, the What We Eat In America food categories, and the hierarchical organization of food items used by many grocery stores. We have established the construct validity of the method using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, but further evaluation of validity and reliability will require a large-scale reference standard with known grocery food quality measures. Here we evaluate the method's utility in identifying the FPED components of grocery food items available in a large sample of retail grocery sales data (~190 million transaction records).

Development and validation of the positive affect and well-being scale for the neurology quality of life (Neuro-QOL) measurement system.

PubMed

Salsman, John M; Victorson, David; Choi, Seung W; Peterman, Amy H; Heinemann, Allen W; Nowinski, Cindy; Cella, David

2013-11-01

To develop and validate an item-response theory-based patient-reported outcomes assessment tool of positive affect and well-being (PAW). This is part of a larger NINDS-funded study to develop a health-related quality of life measurement system across major neurological disorders, called Neuro-QOL. Informed by a literature review and qualitative input from clinicians and patients, item pools were created to assess PAW concepts. Items were administered to a general population sample (N = 513) and a group of individuals with a variety of neurologic conditions (N = 581) for calibration and validation purposes, respectively. A 23-item calibrated bank and a 9-item short form of PAW was developed, reflecting components of positive affect, life satisfaction, or an overall sense of purpose and meaning. The Neuro-QOL PAW measure demonstrated sufficient unidimensionality and displayed good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, model fit, convergent and discriminant validity, and responsiveness. The Neuro-QOL PAW measure was designed to aid clinicians and researchers to better evaluate and understand the potential role of positive health processes for individuals with chronic neurological conditions. Further psychometric testing within and between neurological conditions, as well as testing in non-neurologic chronic diseases, will help evaluate the generalizability of this new tool.

Microgravity science experiment integration - When the PI and the PED differ

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baer-Peckham, M. S.; Mccarley, K. S.

1991-01-01

This paper addresses issues related to the integration of principal investigators (PIs) and payload-element developers (PEDs) for conducting effective microgravity experiments. The Crystal Growth Furnace (CGF) is used as an example to demonstrate the key issues related to the integration of a PI's sample into a facility run by a different organization. Attention is given to the typical preflight timeline, documentation required for experimental implementation, and hardware deliverables. A flow chart delineates the payload-integration process flow, and PI inputs required for an experiment include equipment and procedure definitions, detailed design and fabrication of the experiment-specific equipment, and specifications of the contract-end item. The present analysis is of interest to the coordination of effective microgravity experiments on the Space Station Freedom that incorporate PIs and PEDs from different organizations.

Readability and Item Difficulty of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills Fifth-Grade Science Tests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Conn; Carpenter, Clint

2008-01-01

The development of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test involves input from educators across the state. The development process attempts to create an assessment that reflects the skills and content understanding of students at the tested grade level. This study attempts to determine other factors that can affect student performance on…

Revisiting Age-of-Acquisition Effects in Spanish Visual Word Recognition: The Role of Item Imageability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Maximiliano A.; Cuetos, Fernando; Davies, Rob; Burani, Cristina

2013-01-01

Word age-of-acquisition (AoA) affects reading. The mapping hypothesis predicts AoA effects when input--output mappings are arbitrary. In Spanish, the orthography-to-phonology mappings required for word naming are consistent; therefore, no AoA effects are expected. Nevertheless, AoA effects have been found, motivating the present investigation of…

Equivalency of the DINA Model and a Constrained General Diagnostic Model. Research Report. ETS RR-11-37

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

von Davier, Matthias

2011-01-01

This report shows that the deterministic-input noisy-AND (DINA) model is a special case of more general compensatory diagnostic models by means of a reparameterization of the skill space and the design (Q-) matrix of item by skills associations. This reparameterization produces a compensatory model that is equivalent to the (conjunctive) DINA…

Study on user interface of pathology picture archiving and communication system.

PubMed

Kim, Dasueran; Kang, Peter; Yun, Jungmin; Park, Sung-Hye; Seo, Jeong-Wook; Park, Peom

2014-01-01

It is necessary to improve the pathology workflow. A workflow task analysis was performed using a pathology picture archiving and communication system (pathology PACS) in order to propose a user interface for the Pathology PACS considering user experience. An interface analysis of the Pathology PACS in Seoul National University Hospital and a task analysis of the pathology workflow were performed by observing recorded video. Based on obtained results, a user interface for the Pathology PACS was proposed. Hierarchical task analysis of Pathology PACS was classified into 17 tasks including 1) pre-operation, 2) text, 3) images, 4) medical record viewer, 5) screen transition, 6) pathology identification number input, 7) admission date input, 8) diagnosis doctor, 9) diagnosis code, 10) diagnosis, 11) pathology identification number check box, 12) presence or absence of images, 13) search, 14) clear, 15) Excel save, 16) search results, and 17) re-search. And frequently used menu items were identified and schematized. A user interface for the Pathology PACS considering user experience could be proposed as a preliminary step, and this study may contribute to the development of medical information systems based on user experience and usability.

Representation of Non-Spatial and Spatial Information in the Lateral Entorhinal Cortex

PubMed Central

Deshmukh, Sachin S.; Knierim, James J.

2011-01-01

Some theories of memory propose that the hippocampus integrates the individual items and events of experience within a contextual or spatial framework. The hippocampus receives cortical input from two major pathways: the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) and the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC). During exploration in an open field, the firing fields of MEC grid cells form a periodically repeating, triangular array. In contrast, LEC neurons show little spatial selectivity, and it has been proposed that the LEC may provide non-spatial input to the hippocampus. Here, we recorded MEC and LEC neurons while rats explored an open field that contained discrete objects. LEC cells fired selectively at locations relative to the objects, whereas MEC cells were weakly influenced by the objects. These results provide the first direct demonstration of a double dissociation between LEC and MEC inputs to the hippocampus under conditions of exploration typically used to study hippocampal place cells. PMID:22065409

Partnering with patients using social media to develop a hypertension management instrument.

PubMed

Kear, Tamara; Harrington, Magdalena; Bhattacharya, Anand

2015-09-01

Hypertension is a lifelong condition; thus, long-term adherence to lifestyle modification, self-monitoring, and medication regimens remains a challenge for patients. The aim of this study was to develop a patient-reported hypertension instrument that measured attitudes, lifestyle behaviors, adherence, and barriers to hypertension management using patient-reported outcome data. The study was conducted using the Open Research Exchange software platform created by PatientsLikeMe. A total of 360 participants completed the psychometric phase of the study; incomplete responses were obtained from 147 patients, and 150 patients opted out. Principal component analysis with orthogonal (varimax) rotation was executed on a data set with all completed responses (N = 249) and applied to 43 items. Based on the review of the factor solution, eigenvalues, and item loadings, 16 items were eliminated and model with 29 items was tested. The process was repeated two more times until final model with 14 items was established. In interpreting the rotated factor pattern, an item was said to load on any given component if the factor loading was ≥0.40 for that component and was <0.40 for the other. In addition to the newly generated instrument, demographic and self-reported clinical characteristics of the study participants such as the type of prescribed hypertension medications, frequency of blood pressure monitoring, and comorbid conditions were examined. The Open Research Exchange platform allowed for ongoing input from patients through each stage of the 14-item instrument development. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

XML-Based Generator of C++ Code for Integration With GUIs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hua, Hook; Oyafuso, Fabiano; Klimeck, Gerhard

2003-01-01

An open source computer program has been developed to satisfy a need for simplified organization of structured input data for scientific simulation programs. Typically, such input data are parsed in from a flat American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) text file into computational data structures. Also typically, when a graphical user interface (GUI) is used, there is a need to completely duplicate the input information while providing it to a user in a more structured form. Heretofore, the duplication of the input information has entailed duplication of software efforts and increases in susceptibility to software errors because of the concomitant need to maintain two independent input-handling mechanisms. The present program implements a method in which the input data for a simulation program are completely specified in an Extensible Markup Language (XML)-based text file. The key benefit for XML is storing input data in a structured manner. More importantly, XML allows not just storing of data but also describing what each of the data items are. That XML file contains information useful for rendering the data by other applications. It also then generates data structures in the C++ language that are to be used in the simulation program. In this method, all input data are specified in one place only, and it is easy to integrate the data structures into both the simulation program and the GUI. XML-to-C is useful in two ways: 1. As an executable, it generates the corresponding C++ classes and 2. As a library, it automatically fills the objects with the input data values.

Software Aids In Graphical Depiction Of Flow Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stegeman, J. D.

1995-01-01

Interactive Data Display System (IDDS) computer program is graphical-display program designed to assist in visualization of three-dimensional flow in turbomachinery. Grid and simulation data files in PLOT3D format required for input. Able to unwrap volumetric data cone associated with centrifugal compressor and display results in easy-to-understand two- or three-dimensional plots. IDDS provides majority of visualization and analysis capability for Integrated Computational Fluid Dynamics and Experiment (ICE) system. IDDS invoked from any subsystem, or used as stand-alone package of display software. Generates contour, vector, shaded, x-y, and carpet plots. Written in C language. Input file format used by IDDS is that of PLOT3D (COSMIC item ARC-12782).

Determining an Imaging Literacy Curriculum for Radiation Oncologists: An International Delphi Study

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

Giuliani, Meredith E., E-mail: Meredith.Giuliani@rmp.uhn.on.ca; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario; Gillan, Caitlin

2014-03-15

Purpose: Rapid evolution of imaging technologies and their integration into radiation therapy practice demands that radiation oncology (RO) training curricula be updated. The purpose of this study was to develop an entry-to-practice image literacy competency profile. Methods and Materials: A list of 263 potential imaging competency items were assembled from international objectives of training. Expert panel eliminated redundant or irrelevant items to create a list of 97 unique potential competency items. An international 2-round Delphi process was conducted with experts in RO. In round 1, all experts scored, on a 9-point Likert scale, the degree to which they agreed anmore » item should be included in the competency profile. Items with a mean score ≥7 were included, those 4 to 6 were reviewed in round 2, and items scored <4 were excluded. In round 2, items were discussed and subsequently ranked for inclusion or exclusion in the competency profile. Items with >75% voting for inclusion were included in the final competency profile. Results: Forty-nine radiation oncologists were invited to participate in round 1, and 32 (65%) did so. Participants represented 24 centers in 6 countries. Of the 97 items ranked in round 1, 80 had a mean score ≥7, 1 item had a score <4, and 16 items with a mean score of 4 to 6 were reviewed and rescored in round 2. In round 2, 4 items had >75% of participants voting for inclusion and were included; the remaining 12 were excluded. The final list of 84 items formed the final competency profile. The 84 enabling competency items were aggregated into the following 4 thematic groups of key competencies: (1) imaging fundamentals (42 items); (2) clinical application (27 items); (3) clinical management (5 items); and (4) professional practice (10 items). Conclusions: We present an imaging literacy competency profile which could constitute the minimum training standards in radiation oncology residency programs.« less

Artificial neural networks for modeling time series of beach litter in the southern North Sea.

PubMed

Schulz, Marcus; Matthies, Michael

2014-07-01

In European marine waters, existing monitoring programs of beach litter need to be improved concerning litter items used as indicators of pollution levels, efficiency, and effectiveness. In order to ease and focus future monitoring of beach litter on few important litter items, feed-forward neural networks consisting of three layers were developed to relate single litter items to general categories of marine litter. The neural networks developed were applied to seven beaches in the southern North Sea and modeled time series of five general categories of marine litter, such as litter from fishing, shipping, and tourism. Results of regression analyses show that general categories were predicted significantly moderately to well. Measured and modeled data were in the same order of magnitude, and minima and maxima overlapped well. Neural networks were found to be eligible tools to deliver reliable predictions of marine litter with low computational effort and little input of information. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phonological and acoustic bases for earliest grammatical category assignment: a cross-linguistic perspective.

PubMed

Shi, R; Morgan, J L; Allopenna, P

1998-02-01

Maternal infant-directed speech in Mandarin Chinese and Turkish (two mother-child dyads each; ages of children between 0;11 and 1;8) was examined to see if cues exist in input that might assist infants' assignment of words to lexical and functional item categories. Distributional, phonological, and acoustic measures were analysed. In each language, lexical and functional items (i.e. syllabic morphemes) differed significantly on numerous measures. Despite differences in mean values between categories, distributions of values typically displayed substantial overlap. However, simulations with self-organizing neural networks supported the conclusion that although individual dimensions had low cue validity, in each language multidimensional constellations of presyntactic cues are sufficient to guide assignment of words to rudimentary grammatical categories.

Treatment Satisfaction in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Development of a Patient-Reported Outcome Measure.

PubMed

Mathias, Susan D; Berry, Pamela; Pascoe, Katie; de Vries, Jane; Askanase, Anca D; Colwell, Hilary H; Chang, David J

2017-03-01

The aim of this study was to develop a patient-reported outcome measure specific for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) to assess patient satisfaction with treatment, treatment options, and medical care. Patients with SLE were recruited from four US rheumatology practices. Concept elicitation interviews identified aspects that patients considered important and relevant regarding satisfaction with treatment and medical care. Concept elicitation interviews and clinical input were used to draft the Lupus Satisfaction Questionnaire (LSQ). A second cohort of patients with SLE participated in combined concept elicitation/cognitive debriefing interviews, after which the LSQ was revised. Fourteen patients completed concept elicitation interviews: 93% were female, 57% were white, and 85% had moderate/severe SLE. Current treatments included hydroxychloroquine (93%), steroids (79%), and belimumab (57%), and 43% were biologic naive. Patients were generally satisfied with their treatment and medical care; however, they were dissatisfied with treatment adverse effects and the number of available treatment options. Cognitive debriefing interviews (n = 8) demonstrated that the LSQ was comprehensive, clear, and relevant; therefore, only minor revisions were made to the questionnaire. The LSQ assesses satisfaction with current SLE treatments (25 items), medical care (11 items), and insurance coverage (3 items). The draft LSQ was evaluated in 195 adults with SLE. Fifty-eight percent of patients reported that they were "somewhat satisfied" with their SLE treatment. The LSQ has been developed to assess treatment satisfaction among patients with SLE. Following further testing to support its validity and reliability, it will provide a useful tool to facilitate assessment of satisfaction with treatments for SLE and help inform treatment decisions.

Overview of the Spinal Cord Injury--Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) measurement system.

PubMed

Tulsky, David S; Kisala, Pamela A; Victorson, David; Tate, Denise G; Heinemann, Allen W; Charlifue, Susan; Kirshblum, Steve C; Fyffe, Denise; Gershon, Richard; Spungen, Ann M; Bombardier, Charles H; Dyson-Hudson, Trevor A; Amtmann, Dagmar; Kalpakjian, Claire Z; Choi, Seung W; Jette, Alan M; Forchheimer, Martin; Cella, David

2015-05-01

The Spinal Cord Injury--Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) measurement system was developed to address the shortage of relevant and psychometrically sound patient reported outcome (PRO) measures available for clinical care and research in spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation. Using a computer adaptive testing (CAT) approach, the SCI-QOL builds on the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) and the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (Neuro-QOL) initiative. This initial manuscript introduces the background and development of the SCI-QOL measurement system. Greater detail is presented in the additional manuscripts of this special issue. Classical and contemporary test development methodologies were employed. Qualitative input was obtained from individuals with SCI and clinicians through interviews, focus groups, and cognitive debriefing. Item pools were field tested in a multi-site sample (n=877) and calibrated using item response theory methods. Initial reliability and validity testing was performed in a new sample of individuals with traumatic SCI (n=245). Five Model SCI System centers and one Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center across the United States. Adults with traumatic SCI. n/a n/a The SCI-QOL consists of 19 item banks, including the SCI-Functional Index banks, and 3 fixed-length scales measuring physical, emotional, and social aspects of health-related QOL (HRQOL). The SCI-QOL measurement system consists of psychometrically sound measures for individuals with SCI. The manuscripts in this special issue provide evidence of the reliability and initial validity of this measurement system. The SCI-QOL also links to other measures designed for a general medical population.

Development and Validation of the Biobanking Attitudes and Knowledge Survey (BANKS)

PubMed Central

Wells, Kristen J.; Arevalo, Mariana; Meade, Cathy D.; Gwede, Clement K.; Quinn, Gwendolyn P.; Luque, John S.; Miguel, Gloria San; Watson, Dale; Phillips, Rebecca; Reyes, Carmen; Romo, Margarita; West, Jim; Jacobsen, Paul B.

2014-01-01

Background No validated multi-scale instruments exist that measure community members’ views on biobanking and biospecimen donation. This study describes the development and psychometric properties of the English-language BANKS (Biobanking Attitudes aNd Knowledge Survey). Methods The BANKS was created by item generation through review of scientific literature, focus groups with community members, and input from a community advisory board. Items were refined through cognitive interviews. Content validity was assessed through an expert panel review. Psychometric properties of the BANKS were assessed in a sample of 85 community members. Results The final BANKS includes 3 scales: Attitudes, Knowledge, and Self-Efficacy; as well as 3 single items, which evaluated receptivity and intention to donate a biospecimen for research. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for two scales that use Likert response format indicated high internal consistency (Attitudes: α=.88; Self-Efficacy: α=.95). Content validity indices were moderate, ranging from 0.69 to 0.89. Intention to donate blood and intention to donate urine were positively correlated with attitudes, knowledge, self-efficacy, and receptivity to learning more about biobanking (p's range from .029 to <.001). Conclusions The final BANKS shows evidence of satisfactory reliability and validity, is easy to administer, and is a promising tool to inform biospecimen research. Additional studies should be conducted with larger samples considering biospecimen donation to further assess the instrument's reliability and validity. Impact A valid and reliable instrument measuring community members’ views about biobanking may help researchers evaluate relevant communication interventions to enhance understanding, intention, and actual biospecimen donation. A Spanish-language BANKS is under development. PMID:24609846

[Study on the cost of expanded programme on immunization in areas with different economic levels].

PubMed

Lu, Li; Jin, Shui-Gao; Yu, Jing-Jin; Ze, Wen-Yuan; Ling, Luo-Ya; Wang, Shao-Liang; Su, Hua; Yan, Bin; Liu, Hang; Song, Qun-Feng

2004-08-01

The expanded programme on immunization (EPI) is an important part of the social commonwealth projects providing health care service by the government, which benefits communities. Government has the responsibility for EPI's financing which should be covered by the national budget. It is essential that the cost of EPI service be scientifically estimated to provide propriety information for policy makers. This study, using the cost accounting theory of health economics, to calculate EPI service cost at different levels. 3 provinces, 3 prefectures, 9 counties, 18 towns and 12 villages were selected from three provinces Guizhou, Heilongjiang and Zhejiang from the western, central and eastern regions of the country. The average costs for one EPI-targeted child in Guizhou, Heilongjiang and Zhejiang, were 15.68 Yuan, 29.00 Yuan and 31.09 Yuan, and the costs for one dose were 10.99 Yuan, 18.64 Yuan and 16.51 Yuan, respectively. The costs for complete immunization program for one child were 131.88 Yuan, 242.32 Yuan and 280.67 Yuan, respectively. The main factors affecting the cost would include the average personnel cost (salary and benefit cost) by different economic levels of areas, the number of EPI items developed, and the number of total doses for one child. (1) Obvious differences were found between different areas. (2) The proportion of the cost was not reasonably set because of the shortage of input. (3) Guideline for different areas to compensate the working item cost according to the number of the items should be formulated.

Developing a Validated Instrument to Measure Preservice Teachers' ICT Competencies: Meeting the Demands of the 21st Century

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tondeur, Jo; Aesaert, Koen; Pynoo, Bram; van Braak, Johan; Fraeyman, Norbert; Erstad, Ola

2017-01-01

The main objective of this study is to develop a self-report instrument to measure preservice teachers' ICT competencies in education. The questionnaire items of this instrument are based on an existing comprehensive framework and were created with input from experts in the field. The data were collected from a sample of 931 final-year preservice…

On the Analysis of Fraction Subtraction Data: The DINA Model, Classification, Latent Class Sizes, and the Q-Matrix

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeCarlo, Lawrence T.

2011-01-01

Cognitive diagnostic models (CDMs) attempt to uncover latent skills or attributes that examinees must possess in order to answer test items correctly. The DINA (deterministic input, noisy "and") model is a popular CDM that has been widely used. It is shown here that a logistic version of the model can easily be fit with standard software for…

DNA Memory and Input/Output

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-09-01

amino acid glutamine at their N-terminus. This is consistent with the formation of pyroglutamate reported in the literature (Baldwin et al. 1990...ion volume for each amino acid in the protein (mature BSA). ............................ 48 Figure B12. Calibration curves for the five most abundant...throughput nucleic acid assays (licensed commercially to Agencourt – Beckmann - Coulter) and simple self-organizing systems (as in item 1 above) c

Gains to L2 Listeners from Reading while Listening vs. Listening Only in Comprehending Short Stories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Anna C.-S.

2009-01-01

This study builds on the concept that aural-written verification helps L2 learners develop auditory discrimination skills, refine word recognition and gain awareness of form-meaning relationships, by comparing two modes of aural input: reading while listening (R/L) vs. listening only (L/O). Two test tasks (sequencing and gap filling) of 95 items,…

Inconsistency in the items included in tools used in general health research and physical therapy to evaluate the methodological quality of randomized controlled trials: a descriptive analysis

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Assessing the risk of bias of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is crucial to understand how biases affect treatment effect estimates. A number of tools have been developed to evaluate risk of bias of RCTs; however, it is unknown how these tools compare to each other in the items included. The main objective of this study was to describe which individual items are included in RCT quality tools used in general health and physical therapy (PT) research, and how these items compare to those of the Cochrane Risk of Bias (RoB) tool. Methods We used comprehensive literature searches and a systematic approach to identify tools that evaluated the methodological quality or risk of bias of RCTs in general health and PT research. We extracted individual items from all quality tools. We calculated the frequency of quality items used across tools and compared them to those in the RoB tool. Comparisons were made between general health and PT quality tools using Chi-squared tests. Results In addition to the RoB tool, 26 quality tools were identified, with 19 being used in general health and seven in PT research. The total number of quality items included in general health research tools was 130, compared with 48 items across PT tools and seven items in the RoB tool. The most frequently included items in general health research tools (14/19, 74%) were inclusion and exclusion criteria, and appropriate statistical analysis. In contrast, the most frequent items included in PT tools (86%, 6/7) were: baseline comparability, blinding of investigator/assessor, and use of intention-to-treat analysis. Key items of the RoB tool (sequence generation and allocation concealment) were included in 71% (5/7) of PT tools, and 63% (12/19) and 37% (7/19) of general health research tools, respectively. Conclusions There is extensive item variation across tools that evaluate the risk of bias of RCTs in health research. Results call for an in-depth analysis of items that should be used to assess risk of bias of RCTs. Further empirical evidence on the use of individual items and the psychometric properties of risk of bias tools is needed. PMID:24044807

Inconsistency in the items included in tools used in general health research and physical therapy to evaluate the methodological quality of randomized controlled trials: a descriptive analysis.

PubMed

Armijo-Olivo, Susan; Fuentes, Jorge; Ospina, Maria; Saltaji, Humam; Hartling, Lisa

2013-09-17

Assessing the risk of bias of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is crucial to understand how biases affect treatment effect estimates. A number of tools have been developed to evaluate risk of bias of RCTs; however, it is unknown how these tools compare to each other in the items included. The main objective of this study was to describe which individual items are included in RCT quality tools used in general health and physical therapy (PT) research, and how these items compare to those of the Cochrane Risk of Bias (RoB) tool. We used comprehensive literature searches and a systematic approach to identify tools that evaluated the methodological quality or risk of bias of RCTs in general health and PT research. We extracted individual items from all quality tools. We calculated the frequency of quality items used across tools and compared them to those in the RoB tool. Comparisons were made between general health and PT quality tools using Chi-squared tests. In addition to the RoB tool, 26 quality tools were identified, with 19 being used in general health and seven in PT research. The total number of quality items included in general health research tools was 130, compared with 48 items across PT tools and seven items in the RoB tool. The most frequently included items in general health research tools (14/19, 74%) were inclusion and exclusion criteria, and appropriate statistical analysis. In contrast, the most frequent items included in PT tools (86%, 6/7) were: baseline comparability, blinding of investigator/assessor, and use of intention-to-treat analysis. Key items of the RoB tool (sequence generation and allocation concealment) were included in 71% (5/7) of PT tools, and 63% (12/19) and 37% (7/19) of general health research tools, respectively. There is extensive item variation across tools that evaluate the risk of bias of RCTs in health research. Results call for an in-depth analysis of items that should be used to assess risk of bias of RCTs. Further empirical evidence on the use of individual items and the psychometric properties of risk of bias tools is needed.

Developing and investigating the use of single-item measures in organizational research.

PubMed

Fisher, Gwenith G; Matthews, Russell A; Gibbons, Alyssa Mitchell

2016-01-01

The validity of organizational research relies on strong research methods, which include effective measurement of psychological constructs. The general consensus is that multiple item measures have better psychometric properties than single-item measures. However, due to practical constraints (e.g., survey length, respondent burden) there are situations in which certain single items may be useful for capturing information about constructs that might otherwise go unmeasured. We evaluated 37 items, including 18 newly developed items as well as 19 single items selected from existing multiple-item scales based on psychometric characteristics, to assess 18 constructs frequently measured in organizational and occupational health psychology research. We examined evidence of reliability; convergent, discriminant, and content validity assessments; and test-retest reliabilities at 1- and 3-month time lags for single-item measures using a multistage and multisource validation strategy across 3 studies, including data from N = 17 occupational health subject matter experts and N = 1,634 survey respondents across 2 samples. Items selected from existing scales generally demonstrated better internal consistency reliability and convergent validity, whereas these particular new items generally had higher levels of content validity. We offer recommendations regarding when use of single items may be more or less appropriate, as well as 11 items that seem acceptable, 14 items with mixed results that might be used with caution due to mixed results, and 12 items we do not recommend using as single-item measures. Although multiple-item measures are preferable from a psychometric standpoint, in some circumstances single-item measures can provide useful information. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Item validity vs. item discrimination index: a redundancy?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panjaitan, R. L.; Irawati, R.; Sujana, A.; Hanifah, N.; Djuanda, D.

2018-03-01

In several literatures about evaluation and test analysis, it is common to find that there are calculations of item validity as well as item discrimination index (D) with different formula for each. Meanwhile, other resources said that item discrimination index could be obtained by calculating the correlation between the testee’s score in a particular item and the testee’s score on the overall test, which is actually the same concept as item validity. Some research reports, especially undergraduate theses tend to include both item validity and item discrimination index in the instrument analysis. It seems that these concepts might overlap for both reflect the test quality on measuring the examinees’ ability. In this paper, examples of some results of data processing on item validity and item discrimination index were compared. It would be discussed whether item validity and item discrimination index can be represented by one of them only or it should be better to present both calculations for simple test analysis, especially in undergraduate theses where test analyses were included.

Indicators of Family Care for Development for Use in Multicountry Surveys

PubMed Central

Kariger, Patricia; Engle, Patrice; Britto, Pia M. Rebello; Sywulka, Sara M.; Menon, Purnima

2012-01-01

Indicators of family care for development are essential for ascertaining whether families are providing their children with an environment that leads to positive developmental outcomes. This project aimed to develop indicators from a set of items, measuring family care practices and resources important for caregiving, for use in epidemiologic surveys in developing countries. A mixed method (quantitative and qualitative) design was used for item selection and evaluation. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted to examine the validity of candidate items in several country samples. Qualitative methods included the use of global expert panels to identify and evaluate the performance of each candidate item as well as in-country focus groups to test the content validity of the items. The quantitative methods included analyses of item-response distributions, using bivariate techniques. The selected items measured two family care practices (support for learning/stimulating environment and limit-setting techniques) and caregiving resources (adequacy of the alternate caregiver when the mother worked). Six play-activity items, indicative of support for learning/stimulating environment, were included in the core module of UNICEF's Multiple Cluster Indictor Survey 3. The other items were included in optional modules. This project provided, for the first time, a globally-relevant set of items for assessing family care practices and resources in epidemiological surveys. These items have multiple uses, including national monitoring and cross-country comparisons of the status of family care for development used globally. The obtained information will reinforce attention to efforts to improve the support for development of children. PMID:23304914

Executive control of stimulus-driven and goal-directed attention in visual working memory.

PubMed

Hu, Yanmei; Allen, Richard J; Baddeley, Alan D; Hitch, Graham J

2016-10-01

We examined the role of executive control in stimulus-driven and goal-directed attention in visual working memory using probed recall of a series of objects, a task that allows study of the dynamics of storage through analysis of serial position data. Experiment 1 examined whether executive control underlies goal-directed prioritization of certain items within the sequence. Instructing participants to prioritize either the first or final item resulted in improved recall for these items, and an increase in concurrent task difficulty reduced or abolished these gains, consistent with their dependence on executive control. Experiment 2 examined whether executive control is also involved in the disruption caused by a post-series visual distractor (suffix). A demanding concurrent task disrupted memory for all items except the most recent, whereas a suffix disrupted only the most recent items. There was no interaction when concurrent load and suffix were combined, suggesting that deploying selective attention to ignore the distractor did not draw upon executive resources. A final experiment replicated the independent interfering effects of suffix and concurrent load while ruling out possible artifacts. We discuss the results in terms of a domain-general episodic buffer in which information is retained in a transient, limited capacity privileged state, influenced by both stimulus-driven and goal-directed processes. The privileged state contains the most recent environmental input together with goal-relevant representations being actively maintained using executive resources.

Addressing the targeting range of the ABILHAND-56 in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: A mixed methods psychometric study.

PubMed

Cleanthous, Sophie; Strzok, Sara; Pompilus, Farrah; Cano, Stefan; Marquis, Patrick; Cohan, Stanley; Goldman, Myla D; Kresa-Reahl, Kiren; Petrillo, Jennifer; Castrillo-Viguera, Carmen; Cadavid, Diego; Chen, Shih-Yin

2018-01-01

ABILHAND, a manual ability patient-reported outcome instrument originally developed for stroke patients, has been used in multiple sclerosis clinical trials; however, psychometric analyses indicated the measure's limited measurement range and precision in higher-functioning multiple sclerosis patients. The purpose of this study was to identify candidate items to expand the measurement range of the ABILHAND-56, thus improving its ability to detect differences in manual ability in higher-functioning multiple sclerosis patients. A step-wise mixed methods design strategy was used, comprising two waves of patient interviews, a combination of qualitative (concept elicitation and cognitive debriefing) and quantitative (Rasch measurement theory) analytic techniques, and consultation interviews with three clinical neurologists specializing in multiple sclerosis. Original ABILHAND was well understood in this context of use. Eighty-two new manual ability concepts were identified. Draft supplementary items were generated and refined with patient and neurologist input. Rasch measurement theory psychometric analysis indicated supplementary items improved targeting to higher-functioning multiple sclerosis patients and measurement precision. The final pool of Early Multiple Sclerosis Manual Ability items comprises 20 items. The synthesis of qualitative and quantitative methods used in this study improves the ABILHAND content validity to more effectively identify manual ability changes in early multiple sclerosis and potentially help determine treatment effect in higher-functioning patients in clinical trials.

Development and psychometric evaluation of a health-related quality of life instrument for individuals with adult-onset hearing loss.

PubMed

Stika, Carren J; Hays, Ron D

2015-07-01

Self-reports of 'hearing handicap' are available, but a comprehensive measure of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for individuals with adult-onset hearing loss (AOHL) does not exist. Our objective was to develop and evaluate a multidimensional HRQOL instrument for individuals with AOHL. The Impact of Hearing Loss Inventory Tool (IHEAR-IT) was developed using results of focus groups, a literature review, advisory expert panel input, and cognitive interviews. The 73-item field-test instrument was completed by 409 adults (22-91 years old) with varying degrees of AOHL and from different areas of the USA. Multitrait scaling analysis supported four multi-item scales and five individual items. Internal consistency reliabilities ranged from 0.93 to 0.96 for the scales. Construct validity was supported by correlations between the IHEAR-IT scales and scores on the 36-item Short Form Health Survey, version 2.0 (SF-36v2) mental composite summary (r = 0.32-0.64) and the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly/Adults (HHIE/HHIA) (r ≥ -0.70). The field test provides initial support for the reliability and construct validity of the IHEAR-IT for evaluating HRQOL of individuals with AOHL. Further research is needed to evaluate the responsiveness to change of the IHEAR-IT scales and identify items for a short-form.

Development and validation of a quality-of-life questionnaire for patients with oral potentially malignant disorders.

PubMed

Tadakamadla, Jyothi; Kumar, Santhosh; Lalloo, Ratilal; Johnson, Newell W

2017-03-01

The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the validity and reliability of a quality-of-life (QoL) questionnaire for patients with oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs). For item generation, 15 personal interviews and three focus group discussions were conducted with OPMD patients existing QoL questionnaires were reviewed, and inputs from specialist clinicians (n = 10) were considered. Data collected from patients were analyzed by using NVivo. This led to the identification of themes, item writing, scaling, item reduction, formatting, and pretesting of the newly developed questionnaire. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were assessed in a separate sample of 300 patients (150 each of patients with OPMD and healthy individuals). Sixty items were generated from the qualitative data and by reviewing existing questionnaires. After item reduction, the final questionnaire comprised 20 questions, which could be categorized under four domains. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a four-factor structure conforming to the four domains. The OPMD QoL questionnaire exhibited good discriminant and convergent validity, with OPMD patients reporting poorer QoL compared with healthy individuals and correlating significantly with existing questionnaires designed for similar purposes respectively. Our OPMD QoL questionnaire was found to be valid and reliable. We recommend that it be applied in epidemiologic and treatment studies of these disorders. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Features of Clinical Register of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy Based on ClinicalTrials.gov. (USA)].

PubMed

Lu, Peng-fei; Liao, Xing; Xie, Yan-ming; Wang, Zhi-guo

2015-11-01

In recent 10 years, clinical trials of Chinese medicine and pharmacy (cMP) at clinicalTrials.gov.(USA) are gradually increasing. In order to analyze features of CMP clinical register, ClinicalTrials.gov register database were comprehensively retrieved in this study. Included clinical trials were input one item after another using EXCEL. A final of 348 CMP clinical trials were included. Results showed that China occupied the first place in CMP clinical register, followed by USA. CMP clinical trials, sponsored mainly by colleges/universities and hospitals, mostly covered interventional studies on evaluating safety/effectiveness of CMP. The proportions of studies, sponsored by mainland China and companies, recruitment trials and multi-center clinical trials in interventional trials were increasing. The proportions of studies sponsored by Hong Kong and Taiwan, research completed trials, unclear research status, phase III clinical trials, and published research trials in interventional trials were decreasing. Published ratios of CMP clinical trials were quite low. There were more missing types and higher proportions in trial register information.

Why do people appear not to extrapolate trajectories during multiple object tracking? A computational investigation

PubMed Central

Zhong, Sheng-hua; Ma, Zheng; Wilson, Colin; Liu, Yan; Flombaum, Jonathan I

2014-01-01

Intuitively, extrapolating object trajectories should make visual tracking more accurate. This has proven to be true in many contexts that involve tracking a single item. But surprisingly, when tracking multiple identical items in what is known as “multiple object tracking,” observers often appear to ignore direction of motion, relying instead on basic spatial memory. We investigated potential reasons for this behavior through probabilistic models that were endowed with perceptual limitations in the range of typical human observers, including noisy spatial perception. When we compared a model that weights its extrapolations relative to other sources of information about object position, and one that does not extrapolate at all, we found no reliable difference in performance, belying the intuition that extrapolation always benefits tracking. In follow-up experiments we found this to be true for a variety of models that weight observations and predictions in different ways; in some cases we even observed worse performance for models that use extrapolations compared to a model that does not at all. Ultimately, the best performing models either did not extrapolate, or extrapolated very conservatively, relying heavily on observations. These results illustrate the difficulty and attendant hazards of using noisy inputs to extrapolate the trajectories of multiple objects simultaneously in situations with targets and featurally confusable nontargets. PMID:25311300

Process Simulation of Gas Metal Arc Welding Software

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

Murray, Paul E.

2005-09-06

ARCWELDER is a Windows-based application that simulates gas metal arc welding (GMAW) of steel and aluminum. The software simulates the welding process in an accurate and efficient manner, provides menu items for process parameter selection, and includes a graphical user interface with the option to animate the process. The user enters the base and electrode material, open circuit voltage, wire diameter, wire feed speed, welding speed, and standoff distance. The program computes the size and shape of a square-groove or V-groove weld in the flat position. The program also computes the current, arc voltage, arc length, electrode extension, transfer ofmore » droplets, heat input, filler metal deposition, base metal dilution, and centerline cooling rate, in English or SI units. The simulation may be used to select welding parameters that lead to desired operation conditions.« less

10 CFR Appendix I to Part 1050 - DOE Form 3735.2-Foreign Gifts Statement

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... should always be indicated in item 1; if the employee is the recipient of the gift then items 5 and 6... information should be included in items 5 and 6. Item 2.Self explanatory. Items 3 and 4.The Office or Division... employee or a spouse or dependent. Items 5 and 6.See above, Item 1. Item 7.Self explanatory. Item 8.Self...

A new Integrated Negative Symptom structure of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in schizophrenia using item response analysis.

PubMed

Khan, Anzalee; Lindenmayer, Jean-Pierre; Opler, Mark; Yavorsky, Christian; Rothman, Brian; Lucic, Luka

2013-10-01

Debate persists with regard to how best to categorize the syndromal dimension of negative symptoms in schizophrenia. The aim was to first review published Principle Components Analysis (PCA) of the PANSS, and extract items most frequently included in the negative domain, and secondly, to examine the quality of items using Item Response Theory (IRT) to select items that best represent a measurable dimension (or dimensions) of negative symptoms. First, 22 factor analyses and PCA met were included. Second, using a large dataset (n=7187) of participants in clinical trials with chronic schizophrenia, we extracted items loading on one or more PCA. Third, items not loading with a value of ≥ 0.5, or loading on more than one component with values of ≥ 0.5 were discarded. Fourth, resulting items were included in a non-parametric IRT and retained based on Option Characteristic Curves (OCCs) and Item Characteristic Curves (ICCs). 15 items loaded on a negative domain in at least one study, with Emotional Withdrawal loading on all studies. Non-parametric IRT retained nine items as an Integrated Negative Factor: Emotional Withdrawal, Blunted Affect, Passive/Apathetic Social Withdrawal, Poor Rapport, Lack of Spontaneity/Conversation Flow, Active Social Avoidance, Disturbance of Volition, Stereotyped Thinking and Difficulty in Abstract Thinking. This is the first study to use a psychometric IRT process to arrive at a set of negative symptom items. Future steps will include further examination of these nine items in terms of their stability, sensitivity to change, and correlations with functional and cognitive outcomes. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recognizing familiar objects by hand and foot: Haptic shape perception generalizes to inputs from unusual locations and untrained body parts.

PubMed

Lawson, Rebecca

2014-02-01

The limits of generalization of our 3-D shape recognition system to identifying objects by touch was investigated by testing exploration at unusual locations and using untrained effectors. In Experiments 1 and 2, people found identification by hand of real objects, plastic 3-D models of objects, and raised line drawings placed in front of themselves no easier than when exploration was behind their back. Experiment 3 compared one-handed, two-handed, one-footed, and two-footed haptic object recognition of familiar objects. Recognition by foot was slower (7 vs. 13 s) and much less accurate (9 % vs. 47 % errors) than recognition by either one or both hands. Nevertheless, item difficulty was similar across hand and foot exploration, and there was a strong correlation between an individual's hand and foot performance. Furthermore, foot recognition was better with the largest 20 of the 80 items (32 % errors), suggesting that physical limitations hampered exploration by foot. Thus, object recognition by hand generalized efficiently across the spatial location of stimuli, while object recognition by foot seemed surprisingly good given that no prior training was provided. Active touch (haptics) thus efficiently extracts 3-D shape information and accesses stored representations of familiar objects from novel modes of input.

The Role of Item Models in Automatic Item Generation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gierl, Mark J.; Lai, Hollis

2012-01-01

Automatic item generation represents a relatively new but rapidly evolving research area where cognitive and psychometric theories are used to produce tests that include items generated using computer technology. Automatic item generation requires two steps. First, test development specialists create item models, which are comparable to templates…

Physics 30 Program Machine-Scorable Open-Ended Questions: Unit 2: Electric and Magnetic Forces. Diploma Examinations Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton.

This document outlines the use of machine-scorable open-ended questions for the evaluation of Physics 30 in Alberta. Contents include: (1) an introduction to the questions; (2) sample instruction sheet; (3) fifteen sample items; (4) item information including the key, difficulty, and source of each item; (5) solutions to items having multiple…

75 FR 30277 - Airworthiness Directives; Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica S.A. (EMBRAER) Model ERJ 190-100 STD...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-01

... cracks resulted in modifications on the airplane Airworthiness Limitation Items (ALI), to include new... Limitation Items (ALI), to include new inspections tasks or modification of existing ones and its respective... modifications on the airplane Airworthiness Limitation Items (ALI), to include new inspections tasks or...

42 CFR 413.217 - Items and services included in the ESRD prospective payment system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... payment system. 413.217 Section 413.217 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT....217 Items and services included in the ESRD prospective payment system. The following items and services are included in the ESRD prospective payment system effective January 1, 2011: (a) Renal dialysis...

Object perception is selectively slowed by a visually similar working memory load.

PubMed

Robinson, Alan; Manzi, Alberto; Triesch, Jochen

2008-12-22

The capacity of visual working memory has been extensively characterized, but little work has investigated how occupying visual memory influences other aspects of cognition and perception. Here we show a novel effect: maintaining an item in visual working memory slows processing of similar visual stimuli during the maintenance period. Subjects judged the gender of computer rendered faces or the naturalness of body postures while maintaining different visual memory loads. We found that when stimuli of the same class (faces or bodies) were maintained in memory, perceptual judgments were slowed. Interestingly, this is the opposite of what would be predicted from traditional priming. Our results suggest there is interference between visual working memory and perception, caused by visual similarity between new perceptual input and items already encoded in memory.

Assessing contributory risk using economic input-output life-cycle analysis.

PubMed

Miller, Ian; Shelly, Michael; Jonmaire, Paul; Lee, Richard V; Harbison, Raymond D

2005-04-01

The contribution of consumer purchases of non-essential products to environmental pollution is characterized. Purchase decisions by consumers induce a complex sequence of economy-wide production interactions that influence the production and consumption of chemicals and subsequent exposure and possible public health risks. An economic input-output life-cycle analysis (EIO-LCA) was used to link resource consumption and production by manufacturers to corresponding environmental impacts. Using the US Department of Commerce's input-output tables together with the US Environmental Protection Agency's Toxics Release Inventory and AIRData databases, the economy-wide air discharges resulting from purchases of household appliances, motor homes, and games and toys were quantified. The economic and environmental impacts generated from a hypothetical 10,000 US dollar purchase for selected consumer items were estimated. The analysis shows how purchases of seemingly benign consumer products increase the output of air pollutants along the supply chain and contribute to the potential risks associated with environmental chemical exposures to both consumers and non-consumers alike.

Item Banks for Substance Use from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®): Severity of Use and Positive Appeal of Use*

PubMed Central

Pilkonis, Paul A.; Yu, Lan; Dodds, Nathan E.; Johnston, Kelly L.; Lawrence, Suzanne; Hilton, Thomas F.; Daley, Dennis C.; Patkar, Ashwin A.; McCarty, Dennis

2015-01-01

Background Two item banks for substance use were developed as part of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®): severity of substance use and positive appeal of substance use. Methods Qualitative item analysis (including focus groups, cognitive interviewing, expert review, and item revision) reduced an initial pool of more than 5,300 items for substance use to 119 items included in field testing. Items were written in a first-person, past-tense format, with 5 response options reflecting frequency or severity. Both 30-day and 3-month time frames were tested. The calibration sample of 1,336 respondents included 875 individuals from the general population (ascertained through an internet panel) and 461patients from addiction treatment centers participating in the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network. Results Final banks of 37 and 18 items were calibrated for severity of substance use and positive appeal of substance use, respectively, using the two-parameter graded response model from item response theory (IRT). Initial calibrations were similar for the 30-day and 3-month time frames, and final calibrations used data combined across the time frames, making the items applicable with either interval. Seven-item static short forms were also developed from each item bank. Conclusions Test information curves showed that the PROMIS item banks provided substantial information in a broad range of severity, making them suitable for treatment, observational, and epidemiological research in both clinical and community settings. PMID:26423364

Development of the pediatric daily ulcerative colitis signs and symptoms scale (DUCS): qualitative research findings.

PubMed

Flood, Emuella; Silberg, Debra G; Romero, Beverly; Beusterien, Kathleen; Erder, M Haim; Cuffari, Carmen

2017-09-25

The purpose of this study is to develop patient-reported (PRO) and observer-reported (ObsRO) outcome measures of ulcerative colitis (UC) signs/symptoms in children aged 5-17 with mild/moderate UC. The daily ulcerative colitis signs and symptoms scale (DUCS) was developed in two phases. Phase I involved concept elicitation interviews with patients and healthcare providers, review of website posts and item generation. Phase II involved cognitive debriefing and assessment of usability and feasibility of the eDiaries. Participants were recruited from five US clinical sites, a research recruitment agency, and internet advertising. Thematic and content analysis was performed to identify concepts from Phase I. The Phase II cognitive debriefing interviews were analyzed iteratively to identify problems with clarity and relevance of eDiary content. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also reviewed and provided feedback on the eDiaries. Phase I included 32 participants (22 remission; 10 active disease). Phase II included 38 participants (22 remission; 16 active disease). A core set of seven signs and symptoms emerged that were reported by at least 30% of the patients interviewed: abdominal pain, blood in stool, frequent stools, diarrhea, stool urgency, nighttime stools, and tiredness. Participant input influenced changes such as refinement of item wording, revision of graphics, and selection of response scales. Revisions suggested by FDA included simplifying the response scale and adding questions to capture symptoms during sleeping hours. The findings of instrument development suggest that the DUCS PRO and ObsRO eDiaries are content-valid instruments for capturing the daily signs and symptoms of pediatric patients with mild to moderate UC in a clinical trial setting.

Transport Reactor Facility

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

Berry, D.A.; Shoemaker, S.A.

1996-12-31

The Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC) is currently evaluating hot gas desulfurization (HGD)in its on-site transport reactor facility (TRF). This facility was originally constructed in the early 1980s to explore advanced gasification processes with an entrained reactor, and has recently been modified to incorporate a transport riser reactor. The TRF supports Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power systems, one of METC`s advanced power generation systems. The HGD subsystem is a key developmental item in reducing the cost and increasing the efficiency of the IGCC concept. The TRF is a unique facility with high-temperature, high-pressure, and multiple reactant gas composition capability.more » The TRF can be configured for reacting a single flow pass of gas and solids using a variety of gases. The gas input system allows six different gas inputs to be mixed and heated before entering the reaction zones. Current configurations allow the use of air, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, methane, nitrogen, oxygen, steam, or any mixture of these gases. Construction plans include the addition of a coal gas input line. This line will bring hot coal gas from the existing Fluidized-Bed Gasifier (FBG) via the Modular Gas Cleanup Rig (MGCR) after filtering out particulates with ceramic candle filters. Solids can be fed either by a rotary pocket feeder or a screw feeder. Particle sizes may range from 70 to 150 micrometers. Both feeders have a hopper that can hold enough solid for fairly lengthy tests at the higher feed rates, thus eliminating the need for lockhopper transfers during operation.« less

Development and preliminary psychometric properties of a well-being index for medical students.

PubMed

Dyrbye, Liselotte N; Szydlo, Daniel W; Downing, Steven M; Sloan, Jeff A; Shanafelt, Tait D

2010-01-27

Psychological distress is common among medical students but manifests in a variety of forms. Currently, no brief, practical tool exists to simultaneously evaluate these domains of distress among medical students. The authors describe the development of a subject-reported assessment (Medical Student Well-Being Index, MSWBI) intended to screen for medical student distress across a variety of domains and examine its preliminary psychometric properties. Relevant domains of distress were identified, items generated, and a screening instrument formed using a process of literature review, nominal group technique, input from deans and medical students, and correlation analysis from previously administered assessments. Eleven experts judged the clarity, relevance, and representativeness of the items. A Content Validity Index (CVI) was calculated. Interrater agreement was assessed using pair-wise percent agreement adjusted for chance agreement. Data from 2248 medical students who completed the MSWBI along with validated full-length instruments assessing domains of interest was used to calculate reliability and explore internal structure validity. Burnout (emotional exhaustion and depersonalization), depression, mental quality of life (QOL), physical QOL, stress, and fatigue were domains identified for inclusion in the MSWBI. Six of 7 items received item CVI-relevance and CVI-representativeness of >or=0.82. Overall scale CVI-relevance and CVI-representativeness was 0.94 and 0.91. Overall pair-wise percent agreement between raters was >or=85% for clarity, relevance, and representativeness. Cronbach's alpha was 0.68. Item by item percent pair-wise agreements and Phi were low, suggesting little overlap between items. The majority of MSWBI items had a >or=74% sensitivity and specificity for detecting distress within the intended domain. The results of this study provide evidence of reliability and content-related validity of the MSWBI. Further research is needed to assess remaining psychometric properties and establish scores for which intervention is warranted.

Development and preliminary psychometric properties of a well-being index for medical students

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Psychological distress is common among medical students but manifests in a variety of forms. Currently, no brief, practical tool exists to simultaneously evaluate these domains of distress among medical students. The authors describe the development of a subject-reported assessment (Medical Student Well-Being Index, MSWBI) intended to screen for medical student distress across a variety of domains and examine its preliminary psychometric properties. Methods Relevant domains of distress were identified, items generated, and a screening instrument formed using a process of literature review, nominal group technique, input from deans and medical students, and correlation analysis from previously administered assessments. Eleven experts judged the clarity, relevance, and representativeness of the items. A Content Validity Index (CVI) was calculated. Interrater agreement was assessed using pair-wise percent agreement adjusted for chance agreement. Data from 2248 medical students who completed the MSWBI along with validated full-length instruments assessing domains of interest was used to calculate reliability and explore internal structure validity. Results Burnout (emotional exhaustion and depersonalization), depression, mental quality of life (QOL), physical QOL, stress, and fatigue were domains identified for inclusion in the MSWBI. Six of 7 items received item CVI-relevance and CVI-representativeness of ≥0.82. Overall scale CVI-relevance and CVI-representativeness was 0.94 and 0.91. Overall pair-wise percent agreement between raters was ≥85% for clarity, relevance, and representativeness. Cronbach's alpha was 0.68. Item by item percent pair-wise agreements and Phi were low, suggesting little overlap between items. The majority of MSWBI items had a ≥74% sensitivity and specificity for detecting distress within the intended domain. Conclusions The results of this study provide evidence of reliability and content-related validity of the MSWBI. Further research is needed to assess remaining psychometric properties and establish scores for which intervention is warranted. PMID:20105312

Using existing questionnaires in latent class analysis: should we use summary scores or single items as input? A methodological study using a cohort of patients with low back pain.

PubMed

Nielsen, Anne Molgaard; Vach, Werner; Kent, Peter; Hestbaek, Lise; Kongsted, Alice

2016-01-01

Latent class analysis (LCA) is increasingly being used in health research, but optimal approaches to handling complex clinical data are unclear. One issue is that commonly used questionnaires are multidimensional, but expressed as summary scores. Using the example of low back pain (LBP), the aim of this study was to explore and descriptively compare the application of LCA when using questionnaire summary scores and when using single items to subgrouping of patients based on multidimensional data. Baseline data from 928 LBP patients in an observational study were classified into four health domains (psychology, pain, activity, and participation) using the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health framework. LCA was performed within each health domain using the strategies of summary-score and single-item analyses. The resulting subgroups were descriptively compared using statistical measures and clinical interpretability. For each health domain, the preferred model solution ranged from five to seven subgroups for the summary-score strategy and seven to eight subgroups for the single-item strategy. There was considerable overlap between the results of the two strategies, indicating that they were reflecting the same underlying data structure. However, in three of the four health domains, the single-item strategy resulted in a more nuanced description, in terms of more subgroups and more distinct clinical characteristics. In these data, application of both the summary-score strategy and the single-item strategy in the LCA subgrouping resulted in clinically interpretable subgroups, but the single-item strategy generally revealed more distinguishing characteristics. These results 1) warrant further analyses in other data sets to determine the consistency of this finding, and 2) warrant investigation in longitudinal data to test whether the finer detail provided by the single-item strategy results in improved prediction of outcomes and treatment response.

Readability Level of Standardized Test Items and Student Performance: The Forgotten Validity Variable

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hewitt, Margaret A.; Homan, Susan P.

2004-01-01

Test validity issues considered by test developers and school districts rarely include individual item readability levels. In this study, items from a major standardized test were examined for individual item readability level and item difficulty. The Homan-Hewitt Readability Formula was applied to items across three grade levels. Results of…

The Relationship of Item-Level Response Times with Test-Taker and Item Variables in an Operational CAT Environment. LSAC Research Report Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swygert, Kimberly A.

In this study, data from an operational computerized adaptive test (CAT) were examined in order to gather information concerning item response times in a CAT environment. The CAT under study included multiple-choice items measuring verbal, quantitative, and analytical reasoning. The analyses included the fitting of regression models describing the…

Toy talk: simple strategies to create richer grammatical input.

PubMed

Hadley, Pamela A; Walsh, Kathleen M

2014-07-01

The purpose of this initial feasibility study was to determine whether brief instruction in toy talk would change grammatical properties of adult language, specifically 3rd person lexical noun phrase (NP) subjects. Eighteen college students participated in the study. The use of 3rd person subjects was examined before and after instruction on toy talk strategies (i.e., talk about the toys, give the item its name). Change in the input informativeness for tense (i.e., the proportion of verb forms marked for tense out of all verb forms) was also examined, although adults were not instructed on use of tense/agreement morphemes. Following instruction, statistically significant increases with large effect sizes were observed for use of 3rd person subjects, lexical NP subjects, and input informativeness for tense (Cohen's d = 1.20, 2.08, and 0.89, respectively). These findings demonstrate that young adults can learn these simple strategies with relatively brief instruction, and the use of toy talk also changes the richness of tense/agreement marking in adult language input. Considerations for incorporating toy talk into existing language modeling practices and future plans for evaluating the efficacy of toy talk are discussed.

Family medicine outpatient encounters are more complex than those of cardiology and psychiatry.

PubMed

Katerndahl, David; Wood, Robert; Jaén, Carlos Roberto

2011-01-01

comparison studies suggest that the guideline-concordant care provided for specific medical conditions is less optimal in primary care compared with cardiology and psychiatry settings. The purpose of this study is to estimate the relative complexity of patient encounters in general/family practice, cardiology, and psychiatry settings. secondary analysis of the 2000 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data for ambulatory patients seen in general/family practice, cardiology, and psychiatry settings was performed. The complexity for each variable was estimated as the quantity weighted by variability and diversity. there is minimal difference in the unadjusted input and total encounter complexity of general/family practice and cardiology; psychiatry's input is less complex. Cardiology encounters involved more input quantitatively, but the diversity of general/family practice input eliminated the difference. Cardiology also involved more complex output. However, when the duration of visit is factored in, the complexity of care provided per hour in general/family practice is 33% more relative to cardiology and 5 times more relative to psychiatry. care during family physician visits is more complex per hour than the care during visits to cardiologists or psychiatrists. This may account for a lower rate of completion of process items measured for quality of care.

Measuring Advance Care Planning: Optimizing the Advance Care Planning Engagement Survey.

PubMed

Sudore, Rebecca L; Heyland, Daren K; Barnes, Deborah E; Howard, Michelle; Fassbender, Konrad; Robinson, Carole A; Boscardin, John; You, John J

2017-04-01

A validated 82-item Advance Care Planning (ACP) Engagement Survey measures a broad range of behaviors. However, concise surveys are needed. The objective of this study was to validate shorter versions of the survey. The survey included 57 process (e.g., readiness) and 25 action items (e.g., discussions). For item reduction, we systematically eliminated questions based on face validity, item nonresponse, redundancy, ceiling effects, and factor analysis. We assessed internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and construct validity with cross-sectional correlations and the ability of the progressively shorter survey versions to detect change one week after exposure to an ACP intervention (Pearson correlation coefficients). Five hundred one participants (four Canadian and three US sites) were included in item reduction (mean age 69 years [±10], 41% nonwhite). Because of high correlations between readiness and action items, all action items were removed. Because of high correlations and ceiling effects, two process items were removed. Successive factor analysis then created 55-, 34-, 15-, nine-, and four-item versions; 664 participants (from three US ACP clinical trials) were included in validity analysis (age 65 years [±8], 72% nonwhite, 34% Spanish speaking). Cronbach's alphas were high for all versions (four items 0.84-55 items 0.97). Compared with the original survey, cross-sectional correlations were high (four items 0.85; 55 items 0.97) as were delta correlations (four items 0.68; 55 items 0.93). Shorter versions of the ACP Engagement Survey are valid, internally consistent, and able to detect change across a broad range of ACP behaviors for English and Spanish speakers. Shorter ACP surveys can efficiently measure broad ACP behaviors in research and clinical settings. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Life cycle costing of waste management systems: Overview, calculation principles and case studies

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

Martinez-Sanchez, Veronica, E-mail: vems@env.dtu.dk; Kromann, Mikkel A.; Astrup, Thomas Fruergaard

2015-02-15

Highlights: • We propose a comprehensive model for cost assessment of waste management systems. • The model includes three types of LCC: Conventional, Environmental and Societal LCCs. • The applicability of the proposed model is tested with two case studies. - Abstract: This paper provides a detailed and comprehensive cost model for the economic assessment of solid waste management systems. The model was based on the principles of Life Cycle Costing (LCC) and followed a bottom-up calculation approach providing detailed cost items for all key technologies within modern waste systems. All technologies were defined per tonne of waste input, andmore » each cost item within a technology was characterised by both a technical and an economic parameter (for example amount and cost of fuel related to waste collection), to ensure transparency, applicability and reproducibility. Cost items were classified as: (1) budget costs, (2) transfers (for example taxes, subsidies and fees) and (3) externality costs (for example damage or abatement costs related to emissions and disamenities). Technology costs were obtained as the sum of all cost items (of the same type) within a specific technology, while scenario costs were the sum of all technologies involved in a scenario. The cost model allows for the completion of three types of LCC: a Conventional LCC, for the assessment of financial costs, an Environmental LCC, for the assessment of financial costs whose results are complemented by a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for the same system, and a Societal LCC, for socio-economic assessments. Conventional and Environmental LCCs includes budget costs and transfers, while Societal LCCs includes budget and externality costs. Critical aspects were found in the existing literature regarding the cost assessment of waste management, namely system boundary equivalency, accounting for temporally distributed emissions and impacts, inclusions of transfers, the internalisation of environmental impacts and the coverage of shadow prices, and there was also significant confusion regarding terminology. The presented cost model was implemented in two case study scenarios assessing the costs involved in the source segregation of organic waste from 100,000 Danish households and the subsequent co-digestion of organic waste with animal manure. Overall, source segregation resulted in higher financial costs than the alternative of incinerating the organic waste with the residual waste: 1.6 M€/year, of which 0.9 M€/year was costs for extra bins and bags used by the households, 1.0 M€/year for extra collections and −0.3 M€/year saved on incineration.« less

Item Banks for Measuring Emotional Distress From the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®): Depression, Anxiety, and Anger

PubMed Central

Pilkonis, Paul A.; Choi, Seung W.; Reise, Steven P.; Stover, Angela M.; Riley, William T.; Cella, David

2011-01-01

The authors report on the development and calibration of item banks for depression, anxiety, and anger as part of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®). Comprehensive literature searches yielded an initial bank of 1,404 items from 305 instruments. After qualitative item analysis (including focus groups and cognitive interviewing), 168 items (56 for each construct) were written in a first person, past tense format with a 7-day time frame and five response options reflecting frequency. The calibration sample included nearly 15,000 respondents. Final banks of 28, 29, and 29 items were calibrated for depression, anxiety, and anger, respectively, using item response theory. Test information curves showed that the PROMIS item banks provided more information than conventional measures in a range of severity from approximately −1 to +3 standard deviations (with higher scores indicating greater distress). Short forms consisting of seven to eight items provided information comparable to legacy measures containing more items. PMID:21697139

Item banks for measuring emotional distress from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®): depression, anxiety, and anger.

PubMed

Pilkonis, Paul A; Choi, Seung W; Reise, Steven P; Stover, Angela M; Riley, William T; Cella, David

2011-09-01

The authors report on the development and calibration of item banks for depression, anxiety, and anger as part of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®). Comprehensive literature searches yielded an initial bank of 1,404 items from 305 instruments. After qualitative item analysis (including focus groups and cognitive interviewing), 168 items (56 for each construct) were written in a first person, past tense format with a 7-day time frame and five response options reflecting frequency. The calibration sample included nearly 15,000 respondents. Final banks of 28, 29, and 29 items were calibrated for depression, anxiety, and anger, respectively, using item response theory. Test information curves showed that the PROMIS item banks provided more information than conventional measures in a range of severity from approximately -1 to +3 standard deviations (with higher scores indicating greater distress). Short forms consisting of seven to eight items provided information comparable to legacy measures containing more items.

Development of a Vitality Scan related to workers' sustainable employability: a study assessing its internal consistency and construct validity.

PubMed

Brouwers, Livia A M; Engels, Josephine A; Heerkens, Yvonne F; van der Beek, Allard J

2015-06-16

Most validated sustainable employability questionnaires are extensive and difficult to obtain. Our objective was to develop a usable and valid tool, a Vitality Scan, to determine possible signs of stagnation in one's functioning related to sustainable employability and to establish the instrument's internal consistency and construct validity. A literature review was performed and expert input was obtained to develop an online survey of 31 items. A sample of 1722 Dutch employees was recruited. Internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's alpha. The underlying theoretical concepts were extracted by factor analysis using a principal component method. For construct validity, a priori hypotheses were defined for expected differences between known subgroups: 1) older workers would report more stagnation than younger workers, and 2) less educated workers would report more problems than the highly educated ones. Both hypotheses were statistically tested using ANOVA. Internal consistency measures and factor analysis resulted in five subscales with acceptable to good reliability (Cronbach's alpha 0.72-0.87). These subscales included: balance and competence, motivation and involvement, resilience, mental and physical health, and social support at work. Three items were removed following these analyses. In accordance with our a priori hypothesis 1, the ANOVA showed that older workers reported the most problems, while younger workers reported the least problems. However, hypothesis 2 was not confirmed: no significant differences were found for education level. The developed Vitality Scan - with the 28 remaining items - showed good measurement properties. It is applicable as a user-friendly, evaluative instrument for worker's sustainable employability. The scan's value for determining whether or not the employee is at risk for a decrease in functioning during present and future work, should be further tested.

Overview of the Spinal Cord Injury – Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) measurement system

PubMed Central

Tulsky, David S.; Kisala, Pamela A.; Victorson, David; Tate, Denise G.; Heinemann, Allen W.; Charlifue, Susan; Kirshblum, Steve C.; Fyffe, Denise; Gershon, Richard; Spungen, Ann M.; Bombardier, Charles H.; Dyson-Hudson, Trevor A.; Amtmann, Dagmar; Z. Kalpakjian, Claire; W. Choi, Seung; Jette, Alan M.; Forchheimer, Martin; Cella, David

2015-01-01

Context/Objective The Spinal Cord Injury – Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) measurement system was developed to address the shortage of relevant and psychometrically sound patient reported outcome (PRO) measures available for clinical care and research in spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation. Using a computer adaptive testing (CAT) approach, the SCI-QOL builds on the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) and the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (Neuro-QOL) initiative. This initial manuscript introduces the background and development of the SCI-QOL measurement system. Greater detail is presented in the additional manuscripts of this special issue. Design Classical and contemporary test development methodologies were employed. Qualitative input was obtained from individuals with SCI and clinicians through interviews, focus groups, and cognitive debriefing. Item pools were field tested in a multi-site sample (n = 877) and calibrated using item response theory methods. Initial reliability and validity testing was performed in a new sample of individuals with traumatic SCI (n = 245). Setting Five Model SCI System centers and one Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center across the United States. Participants Adults with traumatic SCI. Interventions n/a Outcome Measures n/a Results The SCI-QOL consists of 19 item banks, including the SCI-Functional Index banks, and 3 fixed-length scales measuring physical, emotional, and social aspects of health-related QOL (HRQOL). Conclusion The SCI-QOL measurement system consists of psychometrically sound measures for individuals with SCI. The manuscripts in this special issue provide evidence of the reliability and initial validity of this measurement system. The SCI-QOL also links to other measures designed for a general medical population. PMID:26010962

Life cycle costing of waste management systems: overview, calculation principles and case studies.

PubMed

Martinez-Sanchez, Veronica; Kromann, Mikkel A; Astrup, Thomas Fruergaard

2015-02-01

This paper provides a detailed and comprehensive cost model for the economic assessment of solid waste management systems. The model was based on the principles of Life Cycle Costing (LCC) and followed a bottom-up calculation approach providing detailed cost items for all key technologies within modern waste systems. All technologies were defined per tonne of waste input, and each cost item within a technology was characterised by both a technical and an economic parameter (for example amount and cost of fuel related to waste collection), to ensure transparency, applicability and reproducibility. Cost items were classified as: (1) budget costs, (2) transfers (for example taxes, subsidies and fees) and (3) externality costs (for example damage or abatement costs related to emissions and disamenities). Technology costs were obtained as the sum of all cost items (of the same type) within a specific technology, while scenario costs were the sum of all technologies involved in a scenario. The cost model allows for the completion of three types of LCC: a Conventional LCC, for the assessment of financial costs, an Environmental LCC, for the assessment of financial costs whose results are complemented by a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for the same system, and a Societal LCC, for socio-economic assessments. Conventional and Environmental LCCs includes budget costs and transfers, while Societal LCCs includes budget and externality costs. Critical aspects were found in the existing literature regarding the cost assessment of waste management, namely system boundary equivalency, accounting for temporally distributed emissions and impacts, inclusions of transfers, the internalisation of environmental impacts and the coverage of shadow prices, and there was also significant confusion regarding terminology. The presented cost model was implemented in two case study scenarios assessing the costs involved in the source segregation of organic waste from 100,000 Danish households and the subsequent co-digestion of organic waste with animal manure. Overall, source segregation resulted in higher financial costs than the alternative of incinerating the organic waste with the residual waste: 1.6 M€/year, of which 0.9 M€/year was costs for extra bins and bags used by the households, 1.0 M€/year for extra collections and -0.3 M€/year saved on incineration. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Introducing the Postsecondary Instructional Practices Survey (PIPS): A Concise, Interdisciplinary, and Easy-to-Score Survey

PubMed Central

Walter, Emily M.; Henderson, Charles R.; Beach, Andrea L.; Williams, Cody T.

2016-01-01

Researchers, administrators, and policy makers need valid and reliable information about teaching practices. The Postsecondary Instructional Practices Survey (PIPS) is designed to measure the instructional practices of postsecondary instructors from any discipline. The PIPS has 24 instructional practice statements and nine demographic questions. Users calculate PIPS scores by an intuitive proportion-based scoring convention. Factor analyses from 72 departments at four institutions (N = 891) support a 2- or 5-factor solution for the PIPS; both models include all 24 instructional practice items and have good model fit statistics. Factors in the 2-factor model include (a) instructor-centered practices, nine items; and (b) student-centered practices, 13 items. Factors in the 5-factor model include (a) student–student interactions, six items; (b) content delivery, four items; (c) formative assessment, five items; (d) student-content engagement, five items; and (e) summative assessment, four items. In this article, we describe our development and validation processes, provide scoring conventions and outputs for results, and describe wider applications of the instrument. PMID:27810868

Development and Psychometric Evaluation of a Health-Related Quality of Life Instrument for Individuals with Adult-Onset Hearing Loss

PubMed Central

Stika, Carren J.; Hays, Ron D.

2016-01-01

Objective Self-reports of “hearing handicap” are available, but a comprehensive measure of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for individuals with adult-onset hearing loss (AOHL) does not exist. Our objective was to develop and evaluate a multidimensional HRQOL instrument for individuals with AOHL. Design The Impact of Hearing Loss Inventory Tool (IHEAR-IT) was developed using results of focus groups, a literature review, Advisory Expert Panel input, and cognitive interviews. Study Sample The 73-item field-test instrument was completed by 409 adults (22-91 years old) with varying degrees of AOHL and from different areas of the US. Results Multitrait scaling analysis supported four multi-item scales and five individual items. Internal consistency reliabilities ranged from 0.93 to 0.96 for the scales. Construct validity was supported by correlations between the IHEAR-IT scales and scores on the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, Version 2.0 (SF-36v2) Mental Composite Summary (r’s = 0.32 – 0.64) and the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly/Adults (HHIE/HHIA) (r’s > −0.70). Conclusions The field test provide initial support for the reliability and construct validity of the IHEAR-IT for evaluating HRQOL of individuals with AOHL. Further research is needed to evaluate the responsiveness to change of the IHEAR-IT scales and identify items for a short-form. PMID:27104754

Data Interconnection Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iniguez, Alfredo Bravo

2011-01-01

This project involves innovating the way the Quality Assurance organization at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) tracks the receiving inspection of JPL Critical Items (JCI) procured from suppliers. The Quality Assurance organization uses a Microsoft Access based front-end to enter items into an inspection queue. The current design has grown to be much more than was expected when the inspection queue system was created in 2007. The goal is to migrate to a web based solution that will allow the handling of more data, multiple input interfaces, and customizable display options. This has been achieved by implementing a divided tables scheme, the use of ColdFusion programming language, and the usage of Web 2.0 technologies such as AJAX and jQuery. These updates will allow for future expansion as well as the standardization of inspection queues for the Quality Assurance organization. When engineers and scientists order flight hardware, they cannot use it straight away. After a spacecraft or a satellite has been launched, it will be impossible to repair; therefore, the parts used must be inspected to make sure they are operating correctly and within the required specifications. The task of inspecting these JPL Critical Items (JCI) falls on the Quality Assurance organization. One of the tools the receiving inspection group uses is a database to maintain a queue of inspections that need to be done and of inspections that have been completed. The current Access interface has worked well but increased amounts of data, multiple input interfaces, and changes to how data is handled have made it necessary to seek a new way of organizing items for inspection. In addition, the different inspection groups have recently been merged and each has different ways of keeping track of inspection information. The ultimate goal is for the new group to have one shared inspection queue and website. To achieve this goal, I have been working with Ian Luczon of Procurement Quality Assurance and 3 Myers Hawkins, another intern, to not only create the new queue for receiving inspection but also a central web portal for the newly combined inspection group.

Pump and Signal Taper for Airclad Fibers

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-05

as follows: Crystal Fibre A/S will develop a taper/coupler solution to interface between a new polarization maintaining/polarizing amplifier fiber ...MM) pump combiner with a high NA air-clad output. The input side of the combiner is 7 individual MM pump delivery solid all- glass fibers . The NA of...pump combiner. MOTIVATION FINAL REPORT ITEM 0002 In a typical standard fused fiber coupler a number of all- glass 0.22 NA pump

Generalized Helicopter Rotor Performance Predictions

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-09-01

34- V : ~ ~ t V ~ ’ . - - - - - - -- behavior . In order to use this routine, the user must input a negative number for the variable XITLIM, item 73...the values provided in Section E. It is realized that available data on airfoil behavior at large angles of attack are very limited, but so is the...where dynamic pressure is low, little precision is lost in performance calculation by using one common representation for most airfoil behavior . As a

Using the Web as Input and Discourse Interactions for the Construction of Meaning and the Acquisition of Lexical Units in University Level English as a Foreign Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mora Piedra, Marco Antonio

2013-01-01

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine the impact of Web multimodality plus dialogical interactions in the acquisition and retention of novel lexical items among EFL students under a social constructionist framework. The lexical acquisition of 107 1st-year English majors at the University of Costa Rica was analyzed through…

Prime Item Development Specification for IFF Transponder RT-1063B/APX101(V) CI 650100A. Part I. Revision A.

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-08-18

Antenna Input/Output modem " 𔃾"TELEDYVNE ELECTRONICS DOCUMENT NO. AECA 77-1 DATE March 3j, 1977 REVISI_ A, (Aug 18, 1977) PAGE 1.1-6. OFRL-_.6 30. 2 Mode...ISOLATION REQUIRE- MENTS: None 12. RISE TIME: N/A 13. FALL TIME: N/A 14. PULSE CHARACTER- ISTICS: N/A 15. CAUTION LIGHT ON: ? 56K ohms (Open) 16. CAUTION

HOPE information system review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Yoshiaki; Nishiyama, Kenji; Ono, Shuuji; Fukuda, Kouin

1992-08-01

An overview of the review conducted on H-2 Orbiting Plane (HOPE) is presented. A prototype model was constructed by inputting various technical information proposed by related laboratories. Especially operation flow which enables understanding of correlation between various analysis items, judgement criteria, technical data, and interfaces with others was constructed. Technical information data base and retrieval systems were studied. A Macintosh personal computer was selected for information shaping because of its excellent function, performance, operability, and software completeness.

A preliminary risk assessment of trace elements accumulated in fish to the Indo-Pacific Humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) in the northwestern waters of Hong Kong.

PubMed

Hung, C L H; So, M K; Connell, D W; Fung, C N; Lam, M H W; Nicholson, S; Richardson, B J; Lam, P K S

2004-08-01

In order to assess the potential risks associated with consumption of contaminated prey items to the Indo-Pacific Humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis), fish species (Collichthys lucida, Pseudosciaena crocea, Johnius sp., Thryssa sp., Mugil sp. and Trichiurus sp.) representing the main food items of the dolphin were collected from the northwestern waters of Hong Kong, including the Sha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau Marine Park, which form the main habitat of the dolphin in Hong Kong. Within these waters, there are several potential sources of pollution including significant inputs from the Pearl River catchment, several major sewage outfalls and a series of mud pits that receive contaminated dredged sediments. Concentrations of thirteen trace elements (Ag, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Se, V, and Zn) in the fish tissue were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). An assessment of the risks of adverse effects on the dolphin due to consumption of tainted fish was undertaken using two toxic reference benchmarks, namely the reference dose (RfD) and toxicity reference value (TRV). The risk quotient (RQ) calculated for each element showed that the risks from consumption of fish were generally low and within safe limits. The risks associated with arsenic, cadmium and mercury were, however, elevated. The highest calculated RQ was associated with total arsenic; however, the majority of arsenic in marine organisms tends to be in the non-toxic organic form, and the actual risk to the dolphin due to this metalloid is likely to be lower.

Spatial Structure of Evolutionary Models of Dialects in Contact

PubMed Central

Murawaki, Yugo

2015-01-01

Phylogenetic models, originally developed to demonstrate evolutionary biology, have been applied to a wide range of cultural data including natural language lexicons, manuscripts, folktales, material cultures, and religions. A fundamental question regarding the application of phylogenetic inference is whether trees are an appropriate approximation of cultural evolutionary history. Their validity in cultural applications has been scrutinized, particularly with respect to the lexicons of dialects in contact. Phylogenetic models organize evolutionary data into a series of branching events through time. However, branching events are typically not included in dialectological studies to interpret the distributions of lexical terms. Instead, dialectologists have offered spatial interpretations to represent lexical data. For example, new lexical items that emerge in a politico-cultural center are likely to spread to peripheries, but not vice versa. To explore the question of the tree model’s validity, we present a simple simulation model in which dialects form a spatial network and share lexical items through contact rather than through common ancestors. We input several network topologies to the model to generate synthetic data. We then analyze the synthesized data using conventional phylogenetic techniques. We found that a group of dialects can be considered tree-like even if it has not evolved in a temporally tree-like manner but has a temporally invariant, spatially tree-like structure. In addition, the simulation experiments appear to reproduce unnatural results observed in reconstructed trees for real data. These results motivate further investigation into the spatial structure of the evolutionary history of dialect lexicons as well as other cultural characteristics. PMID:26221958

Measuring psychological trauma after spinal cord injury: Development and psychometric characteristics of the SCI-QOL Psychological Trauma item bank and short form

PubMed Central

Kisala, Pamela A.; Victorson, David; Pace, Natalie; Heinemann, Allen W.; Choi, Seung W.; Tulsky, David S.

2015-01-01

Objective To describe the development and psychometric properties of the SCI-QOL Psychological Trauma item bank and short form. Design Using a mixed-methods design, we developed and tested a Psychological Trauma item bank with patient and provider focus groups, cognitive interviews, and item response theory based analytic approaches, including tests of model fit, differential item functioning (DIF) and precision. Setting We tested a 31-item pool at several medical institutions across the United States, including the University of Michigan, Kessler Foundation, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, the University of Washington, Craig Hospital and the James J. Peters/Bronx Veterans Administration hospital. Participants A total of 716 individuals with SCI completed the trauma items Results The 31 items fit a unidimensional model (CFI=0.952; RMSEA=0.061) and demonstrated good precision (theta range between 0.6 and 2.5). Nine items demonstrated negligible DIF with little impact on score estimates. The final calibrated item bank contains 19 items Conclusion The SCI-QOL Psychological Trauma item bank is a psychometrically robust measurement tool from which a short form and a computer adaptive test (CAT) version are available. PMID:26010967

Method of locating related items in a geometric space for data mining

DOEpatents

Hendrickson, B.A.

1999-07-27

A method for locating related items in a geometric space transforms relationships among items to geometric locations. The method locates items in the geometric space so that the distance between items corresponds to the degree of relatedness. The method facilitates communication of the structure of the relationships among the items. The method is especially beneficial for communicating databases with many items, and with non-regular relationship patterns. Examples of such databases include databases containing items such as scientific papers or patents, related by citations or keywords. A computer system adapted for practice of the present invention can include a processor, a storage subsystem, a display device, and computer software to direct the location and display of the entities. The method comprises assigning numeric values as a measure of similarity between each pairing of items. A matrix is constructed, based on the numeric values. The eigenvectors and eigenvalues of the matrix are determined. Each item is located in the geometric space at coordinates determined from the eigenvectors and eigenvalues. Proper construction of the matrix and proper determination of coordinates from eigenvectors can ensure that distance between items in the geometric space is representative of the numeric value measure of the items' similarity. 12 figs.

Method of locating related items in a geometric space for data mining

DOEpatents

Hendrickson, Bruce A.

1999-01-01

A method for locating related items in a geometric space transforms relationships among items to geometric locations. The method locates items in the geometric space so that the distance between items corresponds to the degree of relatedness. The method facilitates communication of the structure of the relationships among the items. The method is especially beneficial for communicating databases with many items, and with non-regular relationship patterns. Examples of such databases include databases containing items such as scientific papers or patents, related by citations or keywords. A computer system adapted for practice of the present invention can include a processor, a storage subsystem, a display device, and computer software to direct the location and display of the entities. The method comprises assigning numeric values as a measure of similarity between each pairing of items. A matrix is constructed, based on the numeric values. The eigenvectors and eigenvalues of the matrix are determined. Each item is located in the geometric space at coordinates determined from the eigenvectors and eigenvalues. Proper construction of the matrix and proper determination of coordinates from eigenvectors can ensure that distance between items in the geometric space is representative of the numeric value measure of the items' similarity.

Measuring organisational readiness for patient engagement (MORE): an international online Delphi consensus study.

PubMed

Oostendorp, Linda J M; Durand, Marie-Anne; Lloyd, Amy; Elwyn, Glyn

2015-02-14

Widespread implementation of patient engagement by organisations and clinical teams is not a reality yet. The aim of this study is to develop a measure of organisational readiness for patient engagement designed to monitor and facilitate a healthcare organisation's willingness and ability to effectively implement patient engagement in healthcare. The development of the MORE (Measuring Organisational Readiness for patient Engagement) scale was guided by Weiner's theory of organisational readiness for change. Weiner postulates that an organisation's readiness is determined by both the willingness and ability to implement the change (i.e. in this context: patient engagement). A first version of the scale was developed based on a literature search and evaluation of pre-existing tools. We invited multi-disciplinary stakeholders to participate in a two-round online Delphi survey. Respondents were asked to rate the importance of each proposed item, and to comment on the proposed domains and items. Second round participants received feedback from the first round and were asked to re-rate the importance of the revised, new and unchanged items, and to provide comments. The first version of the scale contained 51 items divided into three domains: (1) Respondents' characteristics; (2) the organisation's willingness to implement patient engagement; and (3) the organisation's ability to implement patient engagement. 131 respondents from 16 countries (health care managers, policy makers, clinicians, patients and patient representatives, researchers, and other stakeholders) completed the first survey, and 72 of them also completed the second survey. During the Delphi process, 34 items were reworded, 8 new items were added, 5 items were removed, and 18 were combined. The scale's instructions were revised. The final version of MORE totalled 38 items; 5 on stakeholders, 13 on an organisation's willingness to implement, and 20 on an organisation's ability to implement patient engagement in healthcare. The Delphi technique was successfully used to refine the scale's instructions, domains and items, using input from a broad range of international stakeholders, hoping that MORE can be applied in a variety of healthcare contexts worldwide. Further assessment is needed to determine the psychometric properties of the scale.

Do the Contents of Visual Working Memory Automatically Influence Attentional Selection During Visual Search?

PubMed Central

Woodman, Geoffrey F.; Luck, Steven J.

2007-01-01

In many theories of cognition, researchers propose that working memory and perception operate interactively. For example, in previous studies researchers have suggested that sensory inputs matching the contents of working memory will have an automatic advantage in the competition for processing resources. The authors tested this hypothesis by requiring observers to perform a visual search task while concurrently maintaining object representations in visual working memory. The hypothesis that working memory activation produces a simple but uncontrollable bias signal leads to the prediction that items matching the contents of working memory will automatically capture attention. However, no evidence for automatic attentional capture was obtained; instead, the participants avoided attending to these items. Thus, the contents of working memory can be used in a flexible manner for facilitation or inhibition of processing. PMID:17469973

Do the contents of visual working memory automatically influence attentional selection during visual search?

PubMed

Woodman, Geoffrey F; Luck, Steven J

2007-04-01

In many theories of cognition, researchers propose that working memory and perception operate interactively. For example, in previous studies researchers have suggested that sensory inputs matching the contents of working memory will have an automatic advantage in the competition for processing resources. The authors tested this hypothesis by requiring observers to perform a visual search task while concurrently maintaining object representations in visual working memory. The hypothesis that working memory activation produces a simple but uncontrollable bias signal leads to the prediction that items matching the contents of working memory will automatically capture attention. However, no evidence for automatic attentional capture was obtained; instead, the participants avoided attending to these items. Thus, the contents of working memory can be used in a flexible manner for facilitation or inhibition of processing.

Development of Self-Report Measures of Social Attitudes that Act as Environmental Barriers and Facilitators for People with Disabilities

PubMed Central

Garcia, Sofia F.; Hahn, Elizabeth A.; Magasi, Susan; Lai, Jin-Shei; Semik, Patrick; Hammel, Joy; Heinemann, Allen W.

2014-01-01

Objective To describe the development of new self-report measures of social attitudes that act as environmental facilitators or barriers to the participation of people with disabilities in society. Design A mixed methods approach included a literature review; item classification, selection and writing; cognitive interviews and field testing with participants with spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic brain injury (TBI) or stroke; and rating scale analysis to evaluate initial psychometric properties. Setting General community. Participants Nine individuals with SCI, TBI or stroke participated in cognitive interviews; 305 community residents with those same conditions participated in field testing. Interventions None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Self-report item pool of social attitudes that act as facilitators or barriers to people with disabilities participating in society. Results An interdisciplinary team of experts classified 710 existing social environment items into content areas and wrote 32 new items. Additional qualitative item review included item refinement and winnowing of the pool prior to cognitive interviews and field testing 82 items. Field test data indicated that the pool satisfies a one-parameter item response theory measurement model and would be appropriate for development into a calibrated item bank. Conclusions Our qualitative item review process supported a social environment conceptual framework that includes both social support and social attitudes. We developed a new social attitudes self-report item pool. Calibration testing of that pool is underway with a larger sample in order to develop a social attitudes item bank for persons with disabilities. PMID:25045803

Development of self-report measures of social attitudes that act as environmental barriers and facilitators for people with disabilities.

PubMed

Garcia, Sofia F; Hahn, Elizabeth A; Magasi, Susan; Lai, Jin-Shei; Semik, Patrick; Hammel, Joy; Heinemann, Allen W

2015-04-01

To describe the development of new self-report measures of social attitudes that act as environmental facilitators or barriers to the participation of people with disabilities in society. A mixed-methods approach included a literature review; item classification, selection, and writing; cognitive interviews and field testing of participants with spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic brain injury (TBI), or stroke; and rating scale analysis to evaluate initial psychometric properties. General community. Individuals with SCI, TBI, or stroke participated in cognitive interviews (n=9); community residents with those same conditions participated in field testing (n=305). None. Self-report item pool of social attitudes that act as facilitators or barriers to people with disabilities participating in society. An interdisciplinary team of experts classified 710 existing social environment items into content areas and wrote 32 new items. Additional qualitative item review included item refinement and winnowing of the pool prior to cognitive interviews and field testing of 82 items. Field test data indicated that the pool satisfies a 1-parameter item response theory measurement model and would be appropriate for development into a calibrated item bank. Our qualitative item review process supported a social environment conceptual framework that includes both social support and social attitudes. We developed a new social attitudes self-report item pool. Calibration testing of that pool is underway with a larger sample to develop a social attitudes item bank for persons with disabilities. Copyright © 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Proposing Electronic Health Record Usability Requirements Based on Enriched ISO 9241 Metric Usability Model

PubMed Central

Farzandipour, Mehrdad; Riazi, Hossein; Jabali, Monireh Sadeqi

2018-01-01

Introduction: System usability assessment is among the important aspects in assessing the quality of clinical information technology, especially when the end users of the system are concerned. This study aims at providing a comprehensive list of system usability. Methods: This research is a descriptive cross-sectional one conducted using Delphi technique in three phases in 2013. After experts’ ideas were concluded, the final version of the questionnaire including 163 items in three phases was presented to 40 users of information systems in hospitals. The grading ranged from 0-4. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software. Those requirements with a mean point of three or higher were finally confirmed. Results: The list of system usability requirements for electronic health record was designed and confirmed in nine areas including suitability for the task (24 items), self-descriptiveness (22 items), controllability (19 questions), conformity with user expectations (25 items), error tolerance (21 items), suitability for individualization (7 items), suitability for learning (19 items), visual clarity (18 items) and auditory presentation (8 items). Conclusion: A relatively comprehensive model including useful requirements for using EHR was presented which can increase functionality, effectiveness and users’ satisfaction. Thus, it is suggested that the present model be adopted by system designers and healthcare system institutions to assess those systems. PMID:29719310

Influence of Context on Item Parameters in Forced-Choice Personality Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Yin; Brown, Anna

2017-01-01

A fundamental assumption in computerized adaptive testing is that item parameters are invariant with respect to context--items surrounding the administered item. This assumption, however, may not hold in forced-choice (FC) assessments, where explicit comparisons are made between items included in the same block. We empirically examined the…

Item Response Theory Equating Using Bayesian Informative Priors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de la Torre, Jimmy; Patz, Richard J.

This paper seeks to extend the application of Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods in item response theory (IRT) to include the estimation of equating relationships along with the estimation of test item parameters. A method is proposed that incorporates estimation of the equating relationship in the item calibration phase. Item parameters from…

Online Calibration of Polytomous Items Under the Generalized Partial Credit Model

PubMed Central

Zheng, Yi

2016-01-01

Online calibration is a technology-enhanced architecture for item calibration in computerized adaptive tests (CATs). Many CATs are administered continuously over a long term and rely on large item banks. To ensure test validity, these item banks need to be frequently replenished with new items, and these new items need to be pretested before being used operationally. Online calibration dynamically embeds pretest items in operational tests and calibrates their parameters as response data are gradually obtained through the continuous test administration. This study extends existing formulas, procedures, and algorithms for dichotomous item response theory models to the generalized partial credit model, a popular model for items scored in more than two categories. A simulation study was conducted to investigate the developed algorithms and procedures under a variety of conditions, including two estimation algorithms, three pretest item selection methods, three seeding locations, two numbers of score categories, and three calibration sample sizes. Results demonstrated acceptable estimation accuracy of the two estimation algorithms in some of the simulated conditions. A variety of findings were also revealed for the interacted effects of included factors, and recommendations were made respectively. PMID:29881063

The Effect of Input-Based Instruction Type on the Acquisition of Spanish Accusative Clitics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Justin

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to compare structured input (SI) with other input-based instructional treatments. The input-based instructional types include: input flood (IF), text enhancement (TE), SI activities, and focused input (FI; SI without implicit negative feedback). Participants included 145 adult learners enrolled in an intermediate…

15 CFR 746.3 - Iraq.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... controlled for crime control (CC) or united nations (UN) reasons (including items controlled under ECCN 0A986... reexport and related details (including means of transport); (ii) Description of items (including ECCN) and...

15 CFR 746.3 - Iraq.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... controlled for crime control (CC) or united nations (UN) reasons (including items controlled under ECCN 0A986... reexport and related details (including means of transport); (ii) Description of items (including ECCN) and...

15 CFR 746.3 - Iraq.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... controlled for crime control (CC) or united nations (UN) reasons (including items controlled under ECCN 0A986... reexport and related details (including means of transport); (ii) Description of items (including ECCN) and...

Feasibility of using a humanoid robot to elicit communicational response in children with mild autism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malik, Norjasween Abdul; Shamsuddin, Syamimi; Yussof, Hanafiah; Azfar Miskam, Mohd; Che Hamid, Aminullah

2013-12-01

Research evidences are accumulating with regards to the potential use of robots for the rehabilitation of children with autism. The purpose of this paper is to elaborate on the results of communicational response in two children with autism during interaction with the humanoid robot NAO. Both autistic subjects in this study have been diagnosed with mild autism. Following the outcome from our first pilot study; the aim of this current experiment is to explore the application of NAO robot to engage with a child and further teach about emotions through a game-centered and song-based approach. The experiment procedure involved interaction between humanoid robot NAO with each child through a series of four different modules. The observation items are based on ten items selected and referenced to GARS-2 (Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-second edition) and also input from clinicians and therapists. The results clearly indicated that both of the children showed optimistic response through the interaction. Negative responses such as feeling scared or shying away from the robot were not detected. Two-way communication between the child and robot in real time significantly gives positive impact in the responses towards the robot. To conclude, it is feasible to include robot-based interaction specifically to elicit communicational response as a part of the rehabilitation intervention of children with autism.

A new course and textbook on Physical Models of Living Systems, for science and engineering undergraduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Philip

2015-03-01

I'll describe an intermediate-level course on ``Physical Models of Living Systems.'' The only prerequisite is first-year university physics and calculus. The course is a response to rapidly growing interest among undergraduates in a broad range of science and engineering majors. Students acquire several research skills that are often not addressed in traditional courses: Basic modeling skills Probabilistic modeling skills Data analysis methods Computer programming using a general-purpose platform like MATLAB or Python Dynamical systems, particularly feedback control. These basic skills, which are relevant to nearly any field of science or engineering, are presented in the context of case studies from living systems, including: Virus dynamics Bacterial genetics and evolution of drug resistance Statistical inference Superresolution microscopy Synthetic biology Naturally evolved cellular circuits. Work supported by NSF Grants EF-0928048 and DMR-0832802.

Examination of Expense and Investment Policy for Centrally Managed Items in the Air Force and Navy

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-01

managed items. The contractor discovered that TFSMS was already a repository for the majority of items purchased in the Marine Corps; however, TFSMS...Surface and Submarine launched non-Tactical All-Up- Rounds • Capsules and canisters for cognizance symbol 2D items • Shipping containers for cognizance...included is as follows: • Bombs (all types except nuclear bombs), bomb components including fin assemblies, fuses, primer detonators, etc., and

Adaptive Architectures for Effects Based Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-12

laLb c d elfl I A IB Ic d e f Parent 2 Figure 3: One-Point Crossover System Architectures Lab 85 Aug-06 6.4. ECAD -EA Methodology The previous two...that accomplishes this task is termed as ECAD -EA (Effective Courses of Action Determination Using Evolutionary Algorithms). Besides a completely...items are given below followed by their explanations, while Figure 4 shows the inputs and outputs of the ECAD -EA methodology in the form of a block

Acquisition of locative utterances in Norwegian: structure-building via lexical learning.

PubMed

Mitrofanova, Natalia; Westergaard, Marit

2018-03-15

This paper focuses on the acquisition of locative prepositional phrases in L1 Norwegian. We report on two production experiments with children acquiring Norwegian as their first language and compare the results to similar experiments conducted with Russian children. The results of the experiments show that Norwegian children at age 2 regularly produce locative utterances lacking overt prepositions, with the rate of preposition omission decreasing significantly by age 3. Furthermore, our results suggest that phonologically strong and semantically unambiguous locative items appear earlier in Norwegian children's utterances than their phonologically weak and semantically ambiguous counterparts. This conclusion is confirmed by a corpus study. We argue that our results are best captured by the Underspecified P Hypothesis (UPH; Mitrofanova, 2017), which assumes that, at early stages of grammatical development, the underlying structure of locative utterances is underspecified, with more complex functional representations emerging gradually based on the input. This approach predicts that the rate of acquisition in the domain of locative PPs should be influenced by the lexical properties of individual language-specific grammatical elements (such as frequency, morphological complexity, phonological salience, or semantic ambiguity). Our data from child Norwegian show that this prediction is borne out. Specifically, the results of our study suggest that phonologically more salient and semantically unambiguous items are mastered earlier than their ambiguous and phonologically less salient counterparts, despite the higher frequency of the latter in the input (Clahsen et al., 1996).

Event-related potentials reveal the relations between feature representations at different levels of abstraction.

PubMed

Hannah, Samuel D; Shedden, Judith M; Brooks, Lee R; Grundy, John G

2016-11-01

In this paper, we use behavioural methods and event-related potentials (ERPs) to explore the relations between informational and instantiated features, as well as the relation between feature abstraction and rule type. Participants are trained to categorize two species of fictitious animals and then identify perceptually novel exemplars. Critically, two groups are given a perfectly predictive counting rule that, according to Hannah and Brooks (2009. Featuring familiarity: How a familiar feature instantiation influences categorization. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology/Revue Canadienne de Psychologie Expérimentale, 63, 263-275. Retrieved from http://doi.org/10.1037/a0017919), should orient them to using abstract informational features when categorizing the novel transfer items. A third group is taught a feature list rule, which should orient them to using detailed instantiated features. One counting-rule group were taught their rule before any exposure to the actual stimuli, and the other immediately after training, having learned the instantiations first. The feature-list group were also taught their rule after training. The ERP results suggest that at test, the two counting-rule groups processed items differently, despite their identical rule. This not only supports the distinction that informational and instantiated features are qualitatively different feature representations, but also implies that rules can readily operate over concrete inputs, in contradiction to traditional approaches that assume that rules necessarily act on abstract inputs.

When memory is not enough: Electrophysiological evidence for goal-dependent use of working memory representations in guiding visual attention

PubMed Central

Carlisle, Nancy B.; Woodman, Geoffrey F.

2014-01-01

Biased competition theory proposes that representations in working memory drive visual attention to select similar inputs. However, behavioral tests of this hypothesis have led to mixed results. These inconsistent findings could be due to the inability of behavioral measures to reliably detect the early, automatic effects on attentional deployment that the memory representations exert. Alternatively, executive mechanisms may govern how working memory representations influence attention based on higher-level goals. In the present study, we tested these hypotheses using the N2pc component of participants’ event-related potentials (ERPs) to directly measure the early deployments of covert attention. Participants searched for a target in an array that sometimes contained a memory-matching distractor. In Experiments 1–3, we manipulated the difficulty of the target discrimination and the proximity of distractors, but consistently observed that covert attention was deployed to the search targets and not the memory-matching distractors. In Experiment 4, we showed that when participants’ goal involved attending to memory-matching items that these items elicited a large and early N2pc. Our findings demonstrate that working memory representations alone are not sufficient to guide early deployments of visual attention to matching inputs and that goal-dependent executive control mediates the interactions between working memory representations and visual attention. PMID:21254796

Novelty modulates human striatal activation and prefrontal-striatal effective connectivity during working memory encoding.

PubMed

Geiger, Lena S; Moessnang, Carolin; Schäfer, Axel; Zang, Zhenxiang; Zangl, Maria; Cao, Hengyi; van Raalten, Tamar R; Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas; Tost, Heike

2018-05-11

The functional role of the basal ganglia (BG) in the gating of suitable motor responses to the cortex is well established. Growing evidence supports an analogous role of the BG during working memory encoding, a task phase in which the "input-gating" of relevant materials (or filtering of irrelevant information) is an important mechanism supporting cognitive capacity and the updating of working memory buffers. One important aspect of stimulus relevance is the novelty of working memory items, a quality that is understudied with respect to its effects on corticostriatal function and connectivity. To this end, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in 74 healthy volunteers performing an established Sternberg working memory task with different task phases (encoding vs. retrieval) and degrees of stimulus familiarity (novel vs. previously trained). Activation analyses demonstrated a highly significant engagement of the anterior striatum, in particular during the encoding of novel working memory items. Dynamic causal modeling (DCM) of corticostriatal circuit connectivity identified a selective positive modulatory influence of novelty encoding on the connection from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) to the anterior striatum. These data extend prior research by further underscoring the relevance of the BG for human cognitive function and provide a mechanistic account of the DLPFC as a plausible top-down regulatory element of striatal function that may facilitate the "input-gating" of novel working memory materials.

Binary classification of items of interest in a repeatable process

DOEpatents

Abell, Jeffrey A.; Spicer, John Patrick; Wincek, Michael Anthony; Wang, Hui; Chakraborty, Debejyo

2014-06-24

A system includes host and learning machines in electrical communication with sensors positioned with respect to an item of interest, e.g., a weld, and memory. The host executes instructions from memory to predict a binary quality status of the item. The learning machine receives signals from the sensor(s), identifies candidate features, and extracts features from the candidates that are more predictive of the binary quality status relative to other candidate features. The learning machine maps the extracted features to a dimensional space that includes most of the items from a passing binary class and excludes all or most of the items from a failing binary class. The host also compares the received signals for a subsequent item of interest to the dimensional space to thereby predict, in real time, the binary quality status of the subsequent item of interest.

41 CFR 302-7.20 - If my HHG shipment includes an item (e.g., boat, trailer, ultralight vehicle) for which a weight...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... includes an item (e.g., boat, trailer, ultralight vehicle) for which a weight additive is assessed by the... which a weight additive is assessed by the HHG carrier, am I responsible for payment? If your HHG shipment includes an item (e.g., boat or trailer of reasonable size) for which a weight additive is...

41 CFR 302-7.20 - If my HHG shipment includes an item (e.g., boat, trailer, ultralight vehicle) for which a weight...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... includes an item (e.g., boat, trailer, ultralight vehicle) for which a weight additive is assessed by the... which a weight additive is assessed by the HHG carrier, am I responsible for payment? If your HHG shipment includes an item (e.g., boat or trailer of reasonable size) for which a weight additive is...

Implementing AORN recommended practices for prevention of retained surgical items.

PubMed

Goldberg, Judith L; Feldman, David L

2012-02-01

Retention of a surgical item is a preventable event that can result in patient injury. AORN's "Recommended practices for prevention of retained surgical items" emphasizes the importance of using a multidisciplinary approach for prevention. Procedures should include counts of soft goods, needles, miscellaneous items, and instruments, and efforts should be made to prevent retention of fragments of broken devices. If a count discrepancy occurs, the perioperative team should follow procedures to locate the missing item. Perioperative leaders may consider the use of adjunct technologies such as bar-code scanning, radio-frequency detection, and radio-frequency identification. Ambulatory and hospital patient scenarios are included to exemplify appropriate strategies for preventing retained surgical items. Copyright © 2012 AORN, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Systems and methods for reconfiguring input devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lancaster, Jeff (Inventor); De Mers, Robert E. (Inventor)

2012-01-01

A system includes an input device having first and second input members configured to be activated by a user. The input device is configured to generate activation signals associated with activation of the first and second input members, and each of the first and second input members are associated with an input function. A processor is coupled to the input device and configured to receive the activation signals. A memory coupled to the processor, and includes a reconfiguration module configured to store the input functions assigned to the first and second input members and, upon execution of the processor, to reconfigure the input functions assigned to the input members when the first input member is inoperable.

When Listening Is Better Than Reading: Performance Gains on Cardiac Auscultation Test Questions.

PubMed

Short, Kathleen; Bucak, S Deniz; Rosenthal, Francine; Raymond, Mark R

2018-05-01

In 2007, the United States Medical Licensing Examination embedded multimedia simulations of heart sounds into multiple-choice questions. This study investigated changes in item difficulty as determined by examinee performance over time. The data reflect outcomes obtained following initial use of multimedia items from 2007 through 2012, after which an interface change occurred. A total of 233,157 examinees responded to 1,306 cardiology test items over the six-year period; 138 items included multimedia simulations of heart sounds, while 1,168 text-based items without multimedia served as controls. The authors compared changes in difficulty of multimedia items over time with changes in difficulty of text-based cardiology items over time. Further, they compared changes in item difficulty for both groups of items between graduates of Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)-accredited and non-LCME-accredited (i.e., international) medical schools. Examinee performance on cardiology test items with multimedia heart sounds improved by 12.4% over the six-year period, while performance on text-based cardiology items improved by approximately 1.4%. These results were similar for graduates of LCME-accredited and non-LCME-accredited medical schools. Examinees' ability to interpret auscultation findings in test items that include multimedia presentations increased from 2007 to 2012.

Using Information from Rendezvous Missions For Best-Case Appraisals of Impact Damage to Planet Earth Caused By Natural Objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnold, J. O.; Chodas, P. W.; Ulamec, S.; Mathias, D. L.; Burkhard, C. D.

2017-01-01

The Asteroid Threat Assessment Project (ATAP), a part of NASAs Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) has the responsibility to appraise the range of surface damage by potential asteroid impacts on land or water. If a threat is realized, the project will provide appraisals to officials empowered to make decisions on potential mitigation actions. This paper describes a scenario for assessment of surface damage when characterization of an asteroid had been accomplished by a rendezvous mission that would be conducted by the international planetary defense community. It is shown that the combination of data from ground and in-situ measurements on an asteroid provides knowledge that can be used to pin-point its impact location and predict the level of devastation it would cause. The hypothetical asteroid 2017 PDC with a size of 160 to 290 m in diameter to be discussed at the PDC 2017 meeting is used as an example. In order of importance for appraising potential damage, information required is: (1) where will the surface impact occur? (2) What is the mass, shape and size of the asteroid and what is its entry state (speed and entry angle) at the 100 km atmospheric pierce point? And (3) is the asteroid a monolith or a rubble pile? If it is a rubble pile, what is its sub and interior structure? Item (1) is of first order importance to determine levels of devastation (loss of life and infrastructure damage) because it varies strongly on the impact location. Items (2) and (3) are used as input for ATAPs simulations to define the level of surface hazards: winds, overpressure, thermal exposure; all created by the deposition of energy during the objects atmospheric flight, andor cratering. Topics presented in this paper include: (i) The devastation predicted by 2017 PDCs impact based on initial observations using ATAPs risk assessment capability, (ii) How information corresponding to items (1) to (3) could be obtained from a rendezvous mission, and (iii) How information from a rendezvous mission could be used, along with that from ground observations and data from the literature, could provide input for an new risk analysis capability that is emerging from ATAPs research. It is concluded that this approach would result in appraisal with the least uncertainty possible (herein called the best-case) using simulation capabilities that are currently available or will be in the future.

Using Information from Rendezvous Missions For Best-Case Appraisals of Impact Damage to Planet Earth Caused By Natural Objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnold, James O.; Chodas, Paul W.; Ulamec, Stephan; Mathias, Donovan L.; Burkhard, Craig D.

2017-01-01

The Asteroid Threat Assessment Project (ATAP), a part of NASAs Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) has the responsibility to appraise the range of surface damage by potential asteroid impacts on land or water. If a threat is realized, the project will provide appraisals to officials empowered to make decisions on potential mitigation actions. This paper describes a scenario for assessment of surface damage when characterization of an asteroid had been accomplished by a rendezvous mission that would be conducted by the international planetary defense community. It is shown that the combination of data from ground and in-situ measurements on an asteroid provides knowledge that can be used to pin-point its impact location and predict the level of devastation it would cause. The hypothetical asteroid 2017 PDC with a size of 160 to 290 m in diameter to be discussed at the PDC 2017 meeting is used as an example. In order of importance for appraising potential damage, information required is: (1) where will the surface impact occur? (2) What is the mass, shape and size of the asteroid and what is its entry state (speed and entry angle) at the 100 km atmospheric pierce point? And (3) is the asteroid a monolith or a rubble pile? If it is a rubble pile, what is its sub and interior structure? Item (1) is of first order importance to determine levels of devastation (loss of life and infrastructure damage) because it varies strongly on the impact location. Items (2) and (3) are used as input for ATAPs simulations to define the level of surface hazards: winds, overpressure, thermal exposure; all created by the deposition of energy during the objects atmospheric flight, and/or cratering. Topics presented in this paper include: (i) The devastation predicted by 2017 PDCs impact based on initial observations using ATAPs risk assessment capability, (ii) How information corresponding to items (1) to (3) could be obtained from a rendezvous mission, and (iii) How information from a rendezvous mission could be used, along with that from ground observations and data from the literature, could provide input for an new risk analysis capability that is emerging from ATAPs research. It is concluded that this approach would result in appraisal with the least uncertainty possible (herein called the best-case) using simulation capabilities that are currently available or will be in the future.

Using Information from Rendezvous Missions for Best-Case Appraisals of Impact Damage to Planet Earth Caused by Natural Objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnold, James O.; Chodas, Paul W.; Ulamec, Stephan; Mathias, Donovan L.; Burkhard, Craig D.

2017-01-01

The Asteroid Threat Assessment Project (ATAP), a part of NASAs Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) has the responsibility to appraise the range of surface damage by potential asteroid impacts on land or water. If a threat is realized, the project will provide appraisals to officials empowered to make decisions about potential mitigation actions. This paper describes a scenario for assessment of surface damage when characterization of an asteroid had been accomplished by a rendezvous mission that would be conducted by the international planetary defense community. It is shown that the combination of data from ground and in-situ measurements on an asteroid provides knowledge that can be used to pin-point its impact location and predict the level of devastation it would cause. The hypothetical asteroid 2017 PDC with a size range of 160 to 290 m in diameter to be discussed at the PDC 2017 is used as an example. In order of importance for appraising potential damage, information required is: (1) where will the surface impact occur? (2) what is the mass, shape and size of the asteroid and what is its entry state (speed and entry angle) at the 100 km atmospheric pierce point? And (3) is the asteroid a monolith or a rubble pile? If it is a rubble pile, what is its structure and heterogeneity from the surface and throughout its interior? Item (1) is of first order importance to determine levels of devastation (loss of life and infrastructure damage) because it varies strongly on the impact location. Items (2) and (3) are used as inputs for ATAPs simulations to define the level of surface hazards: winds, overpressure, thermal exposure; all created by the deposition of energy during the objects atmospheric flight, andor cratering. Topics presented in this paper include: (i) the devastation predicted by 2017 PDCs impact on land based on initial observations using ATAPs risk assessment capability, (ii) how information corresponding to items (1) to (3) could be obtained from a rendezvous mission, and (iii) how information from a rendezvous mission could be used, along with that from ground observations and data from the literature to provide input for a new risk analysis capability that is emerging from ATAPs research. It is concluded that this approach would result in the creation of an appraisal of the threat from 2017 PDC with the least uncertainty possible, herein called the best-case.

Psychological distress in cancer survivors: the further development of an item bank.

PubMed

Smith, Adam B; Armes, Jo; Richardson, Alison; Stark, Dan P

2013-02-01

Assessment of psychological distress by patient report is necessary to meet patients' needs throughout the cancer journey. We have previously developed an item bank to assess psychological distress but not evaluated it for cancer survivors. Our first aim in this study was to test whether we could extend our item bank to include cancer survivors. The second aim was to examine whether the item bank could assess positive affect as a single construct alongside negative psychological symptoms. Responses from 1315 cancer survivors to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) were considered for inclusion in a pre-existing item bank created from a heterogeneous sample of 4914 cancer patients. Differential item functioning (DIF) was used to assess whether HADS responses drawn from the two samples were equivalent. Common-item equating was used to anchor the shared (HADS) items, whilst the PANAS items were added. Item fit was evaluated at each stage, and misfitting items were removed. Unidimensionality was assessed with a principal components factor analysis. The DIF analysis did not reveal any differences between the HADS item locations from the two samples. Three misfitting PANAS items were removed, resulting in a final unidimensional bank of 80 items with good internal reliability (α = 0.85). The new item bank is valid for use across the cancer journey, including cancer survivors, and modestly improves the assessment of all levels of psychological distress and positive psychological function. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

75 FR 77739 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Uniform Suspension and Debarment Requirement

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-13

...-the-shelf (COTS) items; and In the case of commercial items, such term includes only the first-tier subcontracts. This has the effect, except for COTS items, of expanding the requirement of 2455(a), which states... for COTS items; subcontractors for COTS items will not be required to disclose to the prime contractor...

Item Specifications, Science Grade 8. Blue Prints for Testing Minimum Performance Test.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arkansas State Dept. of Education, Little Rock.

These item specifications were developed as a part of the Arkansas "Minimum Performance Testing Program" (MPT). There is one item specification for each instructional objective included in the MPT. The purpose of an item specification is to provide an overview of the general content and format of test items used to measure an…

Item Specifications, Science Grade 6. Blue Prints for Testing Minimum Performance Test.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arkansas State Dept. of Education, Little Rock.

These item specifications were developed as a part of the Arkansas "Minimum Performance Testing Program" (MPT). There is one item specification for each instructional objective included in the MPT. The purpose of an item specification is to provide an overview of the general content and format of test items used to measure an…

An Item Bank for Abuse of Prescription Pain Medication from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®).

PubMed

Pilkonis, Paul A; Yu, Lan; Dodds, Nathan E; Johnston, Kelly L; Lawrence, Suzanne M; Hilton, Thomas F; Daley, Dennis C; Patkar, Ashwin A; McCarty, Dennis

2017-08-01

There is a need to monitor patients receiving prescription opioids to detect possible signs of abuse. To address this need, we developed and calibrated an item bank for severity of abuse of prescription pain medication as part of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS ® ). Comprehensive literature searches yielded an initial bank of 5,310 items relevant to substance use and abuse, including abuse of prescription pain medication, from over 80 unique instruments. After qualitative item analysis (i.e., focus groups, cognitive interviewing, expert review, and item revision), 25 items for abuse of prescribed pain medication were included in field testing. Items were written in a first-person, past-tense format, with a three-month time frame and five response options reflecting frequency or severity. The calibration sample included 448 respondents, 367 from the general population (ascertained through an internet panel) and 81 from community treatment programs participating in the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network. A final bank of 22 items was calibrated using the two-parameter graded response model from item response theory. A seven-item static short form was also developed. The test information curve showed that the PROMIS ® item bank for abuse of prescription pain medication provided substantial information in a broad range of severity. The initial psychometric characteristics of the item bank support its use as a computerized adaptive test or short form, with either version providing a brief, precise, and efficient measure relevant to both clinical and community samples. © 2016 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

The perceptual chunking of speech: a demonstration using ERPs.

PubMed

Gilbert, Annie C; Boucher, Victor J; Jemel, Boutheina

2015-04-07

In tasks involving the learning of verbal or non-verbal sequences, groupings are spontaneously produced. These groupings are generally marked by a lengthening of final elements and have been attributed to a domain-general perceptual chunking linked to working memory. Yet, no study has shown how this domain-general chunking applies to speech processing, partly because of the traditional view that chunking involves a conceptual recoding of meaningful verbal items like words (Miller, 1956). The present study provides a demonstration of the perceptual chunking of speech by way of two experiments using evoked Positive Shifts (PSs), which capture on-line neural responses to marks of various groups. We observed listeners׳ response to utterances (Experiment 1) and meaningless series of syllables (Experiment 2) containing changing intonation and temporal marks, while also examining how these marks affect the recognition of heard items. The results show that, across conditions - and irrespective of the presence of meaningful items - PSs are specifically evoked by groups marked by lengthening. Moreover, this on-line detection of marks corresponds to characteristic grouping effects on listeners' immediate recognition of heard items, which suggests chunking effects linked to working memory. These findings bear out a perceptual chunking of speech input in terms of groups marked by lengthening, which constitute the defining marks of a domain-general chunking. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Factor analyses of an Adult Epilepsy Self-Management Measurement Instrument (AESMMI).

PubMed

Escoffery, Cam; Bamps, Yvan; LaFrance, W Curt; Stoll, Shelley; Shegog, Ross; Buelow, Janice; Shafer, Patricia; Thompson, Nancy J; McGee, Robin E; Hatfield, Katherine

2015-09-01

The purpose of this study was to test the psychometric properties of an enhanced Adult Epilepsy Self-Management Measurement Instrument (AESMMI). An instrument of 113 items, covering 10 a priori self-management domains, was generated through a multiphase process, based on a review of the literature, validated epilepsy and other chronic condition self-management scales and expert input. Reliability and exploratory factor analyses were conducted on data collected from 422 adults with epilepsy. The instrument was reduced to 65 items, converging on 11 factors: Health-care Communication, Coping, Treatment Management, Seizure Tracking, Social Support, Seizure Response, Wellness, Medication Adherence, Safety, Stress Management, and Proactivity. Exploratory factors supported the construct validity for 6 a priori domains, albeit with significant changes in the retained items or in their scope and 3 new factors. One a priori domain was split in 2 subscales pertaining to treatment. The configuration of the 11 factors provides additional insight into epilepsy self-management behaviors. Internal consistency reliability of the 65-item instrument was high (α=.935). Correlations with independent measures of health status, quality of life, depression, seizure severity, and life impact of epilepsy further validated the instrument. This instrument shows potential for use in research and clinical settings and for assessing intervention outcomes and self-management behaviors in adults with epilepsy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Direct-field acoustic testing of a flight system : logistics, challenges, and results.

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

Stasiunas, Eric Carl; Gurule, David Joseph; Babuska, Vit

2010-10-01

Before a spacecraft can be considered for launch, it must first survive environmental testing that simulates the launch environment. Typically, these simulations include vibration testing performed using an electro-dynamic shaker. For some spacecraft however, acoustic excitation may provide a more severe loading environment than base shaker excitation. Because this was the case for a Sandia Flight System, it was necessary to perform an acoustic test prior to launch in order to verify survival due to an acoustic environment. Typically, acoustic tests are performed in acoustic chambers, but because of scheduling, transportation, and cleanliness concerns, this was not possible. Instead, themore » test was performed as a direct field acoustic test (DFAT). This type of test consists of surrounding a test article with a wall of speakers and controlling the acoustic input using control microphones placed around the test item, with a closed-loop control system. Obtaining the desired acoustic input environment - proto-flight random noise input with an overall sound pressure level (OASPL) of 146.7 dB-with this technique presented a challenge due to several factors. An acoustic profile with this high OASPL had not knowingly been obtained using the DFAT technique prior to this test. In addition, the test was performed in a high-bay, where floor space and existing equipment constrained the speaker circle diameter. And finally, the Flight System had to be tested without contamination of the unit, which required a contamination bag enclosure of the test unit. This paper describes in detail the logistics, challenges, and results encountered while performing a high-OASPL, direct-field acoustic test on a contamination-sensitive Flight System in a high-bay environment.« less

Dutch-Flemish translation of nine pediatric item banks from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)®.

PubMed

Haverman, Lotte; Grootenhuis, Martha A; Raat, Hein; van Rossum, Marion A J; van Dulmen-den Broeder, Eline; Hoppenbrouwers, Karel; Correia, Helena; Cella, David; Roorda, Leo D; Terwee, Caroline B

2016-03-01

The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS(®)) is a new, state-of-the-art assessment system for measuring patient-reported health and well-being of adults and children. It has the potential to be more valid, reliable, and responsive than existing PROMs. The items banks are designed to be self-reported and completed by children aged 8-18 years. The PROMIS items can be administered in short forms or through computerized adaptive testing. This paper describes the translation and cultural adaption of nine PROMIS item banks (151 items) for children in Dutch-Flemish. The translation was performed by FACITtrans using standardized PROMIS methodology and approved by the PROMIS Statistical Center. The translation included four forward translations, two back-translations, three independent reviews (at least two Dutch, one Flemish), and pretesting in 24 children from the Netherlands and Flanders. For some items, it was necessary to have separate translations for Dutch and Flemish: physical function-mobility (three items), anger (one item), pain interference (two items), and asthma impact (one item). Challenges faced in the translation process included scarcity or overabundance of possible translations, unclear item descriptions, constructs broader/smaller in the target language, difficulties in rank ordering items, differences in unit of measurement, irrelevant items, or differences in performance of activities. By addressing these challenges, acceptable translations were obtained for all items. The Dutch-Flemish PROMIS items are linguistically equivalent to the original USA version. Short forms are now available for use, and entire item banks are ready for cross-cultural validation in the Netherlands and Flanders.

Toward a More Systematic Assessment of Smoking: Development of a Smoking Module for PROMIS®

PubMed Central

Tucker, Joan S.; Shadel, William G.; Stucky, Brian D.; Cai, Li

2012-01-01

Introduction The aim of the PROMIS® Smoking Initiative is to develop, evaluate, and standardize item banks to assess cigarette smoking behavior and biopsychosocial constructs associated with smoking for both daily and non-daily smokers. Methods We used qualitative methods to develop the item pool (following the PROMIS® approach: e.g., literature search, “binning and winnowing” of items, and focus groups and cognitive interviews to finalize wording and format), and quantitative methods (e.g., factor analysis) to develop the item banks. Results We considered a total of 1622 extant items, and 44 new items for inclusion in the smoking item banks. A final set of 277 items representing 11 conceptual domains was selected for field testing in a national sample of smokers. Using data from 3021 daily smokers in the field test, an iterative series of exploratory factor analyses and project team discussions resulted in six item banks: Positive Consequences of Smoking (40 items), Smoking Dependence/Craving (55 items), Health Consequences of Smoking (26 items), Psychosocial Consequences of Smoking (37 items), Coping Aspects of Smoking (30 items), and Social Factors of Smoking (23 items). Conclusions Inclusion of a smoking domain in the PROMIS® framework will standardize measurement of key smoking constructs using state-of-the-art psychometric methods, and make them widely accessible to health care providers, smoking researchers and the large community of researchers using PROMIS® who might not otherwise include an assessment of smoking in their design. Next steps include reducing the number of items in each domain, conducting confirmatory analyses, and duplicating the process for non-daily smokers. PMID:22770824

Toward a more systematic assessment of smoking: development of a smoking module for PROMIS®.

PubMed

Edelen, Maria O; Tucker, Joan S; Shadel, William G; Stucky, Brian D; Cai, Li

2012-11-01

The aim of the PROMIS® Smoking Initiative is to develop, evaluate, and standardize item banks to assess cigarette smoking behavior and biopsychosocial constructs associated with smoking for both daily and non-daily smokers. We used qualitative methods to develop the item pool (following the PROMIS® approach: e.g., literature search, "binning and winnowing" of items, and focus groups and cognitive interviews to finalize wording and format), and quantitative methods (e.g., factor analysis) to develop the item banks. We considered a total of 1622 extant items, and 44 new items for inclusion in the smoking item banks. A final set of 277 items representing 11 conceptual domains was selected for field testing in a national sample of smokers. Using data from 3021 daily smokers in the field test, an iterative series of exploratory factor analyses and project team discussions resulted in six item banks: Positive Consequences of Smoking (40 items), Smoking Dependence/Craving (55 items), Health Consequences of Smoking (26 items), Psychosocial Consequences of Smoking (37 items), Coping Aspects of Smoking (30 items), and Social Factors of Smoking (23 items). Inclusion of a smoking domain in the PROMIS® framework will standardize measurement of key smoking constructs using state-of-the-art psychometric methods, and make them widely accessible to health care providers, smoking researchers and the large community of researchers using PROMIS® who might not otherwise include an assessment of smoking in their design. Next steps include reducing the number of items in each domain, conducting confirmatory analyses, and duplicating the process for non-daily smokers. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

41 CFR 302-7.21 - If my HHG shipment includes an item for which a weight additive is assessed by the HHG carrier (e...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... includes an item for which a weight additive is assessed by the HHG carrier (e.g., boat, trailer... BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE General Rules § 302-7.21 If my HHG shipment includes an item for which a weight additive... payment? (a) No, you will not be responsible for the shipping charges that result from a weight additive...

41 CFR 302-7.21 - If my HHG shipment includes an item for which a weight additive is assessed by the HHG carrier (e...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... includes an item for which a weight additive is assessed by the HHG carrier (e.g., boat, trailer...) General Rules § 302-7.21 If my HHG shipment includes an item for which a weight additive is assessed by... will not be responsible for the shipping charges that result from a weight additive so long as the...

41 CFR 302-7.21 - If my HHG shipment includes an item for which a weight additive is assessed by the HHG carrier (e...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... includes an item for which a weight additive is assessed by the HHG carrier (e.g., boat, trailer...) General Rules § 302-7.21 If my HHG shipment includes an item for which a weight additive is assessed by... will not be responsible for the shipping charges that result from a weight additive so long as the...

7 CFR 2902.5 - Item designation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

..., USDA will use life cycle cost information only from tests using the BEES analytical method. (c... availability of such items and the economic and technological feasibility of using such items, including life cycle costs. USDA will gather information on individual products within an item and extrapolate that...

[Egypt: Selected Readings, Egyptian Mummies, and the Egyptian Pyramid.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC.

This resource packet presents information and resources on ancient Egypt. The bibliography includes readings divided into five sections: (1) "General Information" (46 items); (2) "Religion" (8 items); (3) "Art" (8 items); (4) "Hieroglyphics" (6 items); and (5) selections "For Young Readers" (11…

Where do we store the memory representations that guide attention?

PubMed Central

Woodman, Geoffrey F.; Carlisle, Nancy B.; Reinhart, Robert M. G.

2013-01-01

During the last decade one of the most contentious and heavily studied topics in the attention literature has been the role that working memory representations play in controlling perceptual selection. The hypothesis has been advanced that to have attention select a certain perceptual input from the environment, we only need to represent that item in working memory. Here we summarize the work indicating that the relationship between what representations are maintained in working memory and what perceptual inputs are selected is not so simple. First, it appears that attentional selection is also determined by high-level task goals that mediate the relationship between working memory storage and attentional selection. Second, much of the recent work from our laboratory has focused on the role of long-term memory in controlling attentional selection. We review recent evidence supporting the proposal that working memory representations are critical during the initial configuration of attentional control settings, but that after those settings are established long-term memory representations play an important role in controlling which perceptual inputs are selected by mechanisms of attention. PMID:23444390

More than words: Adults learn probabilities over categories and relationships between them.

PubMed

Hudson Kam, Carla L

2009-04-01

This study examines whether human learners can acquire statistics over abstract categories and their relationships to each other. Adult learners were exposed to miniature artificial languages containing variation in the ordering of the Subject, Object, and Verb constituents. Different orders (e.g. SOV, VSO) occurred in the input with different frequencies, but the occurrence of one order versus another was not predictable. Importantly, the language was constructed such that participants could only match the overall input probabilities if they were tracking statistics over abstract categories, not over individual words. At test, participants reproduced the probabilities present in the input with a high degree of accuracy. Closer examination revealed that learner's were matching the probabilities associated with individual verbs rather than the category as a whole. However, individual nouns had no impact on word orders produced. Thus, participants learned the probabilities of a particular ordering of the abstract grammatical categories Subject and Object associated with each verb. Results suggest that statistical learning mechanisms are capable of tracking relationships between abstract linguistic categories in addition to individual items.

Encoding context and false recognition memories.

PubMed

Bruce, Darryl; Phillips-Grant, Kimberly; Conrad, Nicole; Bona, Susan

2004-09-01

False recognition of an extralist word that is thematically related to all words of a study list may reflect internal activation of the theme word during encoding followed by impaired source monitoring at retrieval, that is, difficulty in determining whether the word had actually been experienced or merely thought of. To assist source monitoring, distinctive visual or verbal contexts were added to study words at input. Both types of context produced similar effects: False alarms to theme-word (critical) lures were reduced; remember judgements of critical lures called old were lower; and if contextual information had been added to lists, subjects indicated as much for list items and associated critical foils identified as old. The visual and verbal contexts used in the present studies were held to disrupt semantic categorisation of list words at input and to facilitate source monitoring at output.

A new approach to the design of information systems for foodservice management in health care facilities.

PubMed

Matthews, M E; Norback, J P

1984-06-01

An organizational framework for integrating foodservice data into an information system for management decision making is presented. The framework involves the application to foodservice of principles developed by the disciplines of managerial economics and accounting, mathematics, computer science, and information systems. The first step is to conceptualize a foodservice system from an input-output perspective, in which inputs are units of resources available to managers and outputs are servings of menu items. Next, methods of full cost accounting, from the management accounting literature, are suggested as a mechanism for developing and assigning costs of using resources within a foodservice operation. Then matrix multiplication is used to illustrate types of information that matrix data structures could make available for management planning and control when combined with a conversational mode of computer programming.

Location Indices for Ordinal Polytomous Items Based on Item Response Theory. Research Report. ETS RR-15-20

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ali, Usama S.; Chang, Hua-Hua; Anderson, Carolyn J.

2015-01-01

Polytomous items are typically described by multiple category-related parameters; situations, however, arise in which a single index is needed to describe an item's location along a latent trait continuum. Situations in which a single index would be needed include item selection in computerized adaptive testing or test assembly. Therefore single…

Comparing Methods for Item Analysis: The Impact of Different Item-Selection Statistics on Test Difficulty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Andrew T.

2011-01-01

Practitioners often depend on item analysis to select items for exam forms and have a variety of options available to them. These include the point-biserial correlation, the agreement statistic, the B index, and the phi coefficient. Although research has demonstrated that these statistics can be useful for item selection, no research as of yet has…

Programmable remapper for image processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Juday, Richard D. (Inventor); Sampsell, Jeffrey B. (Inventor)

1991-01-01

A video-rate coordinate remapper includes a memory for storing a plurality of transformations on look-up tables for remapping input images from one coordinate system to another. Such transformations are operator selectable. The remapper includes a collective processor by which certain input pixels of an input image are transformed to a portion of the output image in a many-to-one relationship. The remapper includes an interpolative processor by which the remaining input pixels of the input image are transformed to another portion of the output image in a one-to-many relationship. The invention includes certain specific transforms for creating output images useful for certain defects of visually impaired people. The invention also includes means for shifting input pixels and means for scrolling the output matrix.

V-TECS Criterion-Referenced Test Item Bank for Radiologic Technology Occupations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reneau, Fred; And Others

This Vocational-Technical Education Consortium of States (V-TECS) criterion-referenced test item bank provides 696 multiple-choice items and 33 matching items for radiologic technology occupations. These job titles are included: radiologic technologist, chief; radiologic technologist; nuclear medicine technologist; radiation therapy technologist;…

Developing a minimum dataset for nursing team leader handover in the intensive care unit: A focus group study.

PubMed

Spooner, Amy J; Aitken, Leanne M; Corley, Amanda; Chaboyer, Wendy

2018-01-01

Despite increasing demand for structured processes to guide clinical handover, nursing handover tools are limited in the intensive care unit. The study aim was to identify key items to include in a minimum dataset for intensive care nursing team leader shift-to-shift handover. This focus group study was conducted in a 21-bed medical/surgical intensive care unit in Australia. Senior registered nurses involved in team leader handovers were recruited. Focus groups were conducted using a nominal group technique to generate and prioritise minimum dataset items. Nurses were presented with content from previous team leader handovers and asked to select which content items to include in a minimum dataset. Participant responses were summarised as frequencies and percentages. Seventeen senior nurses participated in three focus groups. Participants agreed that ISBAR (Identify-Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendations) was a useful tool to guide clinical handover. Items recommended to be included in the minimum dataset (≥65% agreement) included Identify (name, age, days in intensive care), Situation (diagnosis, surgical procedure), Background (significant event(s), management of significant event(s)) and Recommendations (patient plan for next shift, tasks to follow up for next shift). Overall, 30 of the 67 (45%) items in the Assessment category were considered important to include in the minimum dataset and focused on relevant observations and treatment within each body system. Other non-ISBAR items considered important to include related to the ICU (admissions to ICU, staffing/skill mix, theatre cases) and patients (infectious status, site of infection, end of life plan). Items were further categorised into those to include in all handovers and those to discuss only when relevant to the patient. The findings suggest a minimum dataset for intensive care nursing team leader shift-to-shift handover should contain items within ISBAR along with unit and patient specific information to maintain continuity of care and patient safety across shift changes. Copyright © 2017 Australian College of Critical Care Nurses Ltd. All rights reserved.

Validation of a general measure of treatment satisfaction, the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM), using a national panel study of chronic disease

PubMed Central

Atkinson, Mark J; Sinha, Anusha; Hass, Steven L; Colman, Shoshana S; Kumar, Ritesh N; Brod, Meryl; Rowland, Clayton R

2004-01-01

Background The objective of this study was to develop and psychometrically evaluate a general measure of patients' satisfaction with medication, the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM). Methods The content and format of 55 initial questions were based on a formal conceptual framework, an extensive literature review, and the input from three patient focus groups. Patient interviews were used to select the most relevant questions for further evaluation (n = 31). The psychometric performance of items and resulting TSQM scales were examined using eight diverse patient groups (arthritis, asthma, major depression, type I diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, migraine, and psoriasis) recruited from a national longitudinal panel study of chronic illness (n = 567). Participants were then randomized to complete the test items using one of two alternate scaling methods (Visual Analogue vs. Likert-type). Results A factor analysis (principal component extraction with varimax rotation) of specific items revealed three factors (Eigenvalues > 1.7) explaining 75.6% of the total variance; namely Side effects (4 items, 28.4%, Cronbach's Alpha = .87), Effectiveness (3 items, 24.1%, Cronbach's Alpha = .85), and Convenience (3 items, 23.1%, Cronbach's Alpha = .87). A second factor analysis of more generally worded items yielded a Global Satisfaction scale (3 items, Eigenvalue = 2.3, 79.1%, Cronbach's Alpha = .85). The final four scales possessed good psychometric properties, with the Likert-type scaling method performing better than the VAS approach. Significant differences were found on the TSQM by the route of medication administration (oral, injectable, topical, inhalable), level of illness severity, and length of time on medication. Regression analyses using the TSQM scales accounted for 40–60% of variation in patients' ratings of their likelihood to persist with their current medication. Conclusion The TSQM is a psychometrically sound and valid measure of the major dimensions of patients' satisfaction with medication. Preliminary evidence suggests that the TSQM may also be a good predictor of patients' medication adherence across different types of medication and patient populations. PMID:14987333

Development and validation of the impact of dry eye on everyday life (IDEEL) questionnaire, a patient-reported outcomes (PRO) measure for the assessment of the burden of dry eye on patients.

PubMed

Abetz, Linda; Rajagopalan, Krithika; Mertzanis, Polyxane; Begley, Carolyn; Barnes, Rod; Chalmers, Robin

2011-12-08

To develop and validate a comprehensive patient-reported outcomes instrument focusing on the impact of dry eye on everyday life (IDEEL). Development and validation of the IDEEL occurred in four phases: 1) focus groups with 45 dry eye patients to develop a draft instrument, 2) item generation, 3) pilot study to assess content validity in 16 patients and 4) psychometric validation in 210 subjects: 130 with non-Sjögren's keratoconjunctivitis sicca, 32 with Sjögren's syndrome and 48 controls, and subsequent item reduction. Focus groups identified symptoms and the associated bother, the impact of dry eye on daily life and the patients' satisfaction with their treatment as the central concepts in patients' experience of dry eye. Qualitative analysis indicated that saturation was achieved for these concepts and yielded an initial 112-item draft instrument. Patients understood the questionnaire and found the items to be relevant indicating content validity. Patient input, item descriptive statistics and factor analysis identified 55 items that could be deleted. The final 57-item IDEEL assesses dry eye impact constituting 3 modules: dry eye symptom-bother, dry eye impact on daily life comprising impact on daily activities, emotional impact, impact on work, and dry eye treatment satisfaction comprising satisfaction with treatment effectiveness and treatment-related bother/inconvenience. The psychometric analysis results indicated that the IDEEL met the criteria for item discriminant validity, internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability and floor/ceiling effects. As expected, the correlations between IDEEL and the Dry Eye Questionnaire (a habitual symptom questionnaire) were higher than between IDEEL and Short-Form-36 and EuroQoL-5D, indicating concurrent validity. The IDEEL is a reliable, valid and comprehensive questionnaire relevant to issues that are specific to dry eye patients, and meets current FDA patient-reported outcomes guidelines. The use of this questionnaire will provide assessment of the impact of dry eye on patient dry eye-related quality of life, impact of treatment on patient outcomes in clinical trials, and may aid in treatment effectiveness evaluation.

Scope for biological sensing technologies in meat production and export in northern Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qureshi, M. S.; Qureshi, I. H.

2013-12-01

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan is rich in livestock resources, including 14.84 million sheep and goats (valued at US1.60 billion) and a 27% share of the national poultry sector (having an investment of US2.00 billion), and produces 834 billion kg meat. These huge assets have the potential to support the provincial economy through income generation, self employment and production of certified high-quality food items for the domestic and international Halal Food Market. A model has been developed for analyzing the gaps in the status of health, productivity, nutrition, fertility and management aspects of local farming. Improved practices would be introduced to combat the losses. The model will comprise a farming network linked to farmers' welfare centre, a central lab and an expert group. A strong sensing technology network would be introduced for data transfer and quality control of the inputs and products. The farmers will e-tag their animals for the purpose of traceability, online history and biodata. The data will be maintained in remote and central servers. A communication system would be developed utilizing mobile phones for the prices, demands and availability status of inputs and produce at local and international markets. A mobile money transfer system will be introduced to exchange, save and borrow small amounts of capital as well as take out short-term insurance policies.

FreeSolv: A database of experimental and calculated hydration free energies, with input files

PubMed Central

Mobley, David L.; Guthrie, J. Peter

2014-01-01

This work provides a curated database of experimental and calculated hydration free energies for small neutral molecules in water, along with molecular structures, input files, references, and annotations. We call this the Free Solvation Database, or FreeSolv. Experimental values were taken from prior literature and will continue to be curated, with updated experimental references and data added as they become available. Calculated values are based on alchemical free energy calculations using molecular dynamics simulations. These used the GAFF small molecule force field in TIP3P water with AM1-BCC charges. Values were calculated with the GROMACS simulation package, with full details given in references cited within the database itself. This database builds in part on a previous, 504-molecule database containing similar information. However, additional curation of both experimental data and calculated values has been done here, and the total number of molecules is now up to 643. Additional information is now included in the database, such as SMILES strings, PubChem compound IDs, accurate reference DOIs, and others. One version of the database is provided in the Supporting Information of this article, but as ongoing updates are envisioned, the database is now versioned and hosted online. In addition to providing the database, this work describes its construction process. The database is available free-of-charge via http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/6sd403pz. PMID:24928188

Diet and the environment: does what you eat matter?

PubMed

Marlow, Harold J; Hayes, William K; Soret, Samuel; Carter, Ronald L; Schwab, Ernest R; Sabaté, Joan

2009-05-01

Food demand influences agricultural production. Modern agricultural practices have resulted in polluted soil, air, and water; eroded soil; dependence on imported oil; and loss of biodiversity. The goal of this research was to compare the environmental effect of a vegetarian and nonvegetarian diet in California in terms of agricultural production inputs, including pesticides and fertilizers, water, and energy used to produce commodities. The working assumption was that a greater number and amount of inputs were associated with a greater environmental effect. The literature supported this notion. To accomplish this goal, dietary preferences were quantified with the Adventist Health Study, and California state agricultural data were collected and applied to state commodity production statistics. These data were used to calculate different dietary consumption patterns and indexes to compare the environmental effect associated with dietary preference. Results show that, for the combined differential production of 11 food items for which consumption differs among vegetarians and nonvegetarians, the nonvegetarian diet required 2.9 times more water, 2.5 times more primary energy, 13 times more fertilizer, and 1.4 times more pesticides than did the vegetarian diet. The greatest contribution to the differences came from the consumption of beef in the diet. We found that a nonvegetarian diet exacts a higher cost on the environment relative to a vegetarian diet. From an environmental perspective, what a person chooses to eat makes a difference.

Effect of Automatic Processing on Specification of Problem Solutions for Computer Programs.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-03-01

Number 7 ± 2" item limitaion on human short-term memory capability (Miller, 1956) should be a guiding principle in program design. Yourdon and...input either a single example solution or multiple exam’- le solutions in sequence. If a participant’s P1 has a low value - near 0 - it may be concluded... Principles in Experimental Design, Winer ,1971). 55 Table 12 ANOVA Resultt, For Performance Measure 2 Sb DF MS F Source of Variation Between Subjects

Cargo Movement Operations System (CMOS): Final Software Design Document, Forms 3.0 Conversion Project, Increment III.

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-09-05

NO [ ] COMMENT DISPOSITION: COMMENT STATUS: OPEN [ ] CLOSED [ 3 ... ... .. . ....... ... .. ............ ... . . . . . . . u m ORIGINATOR CONTROL NUMBER: SDD-0002 PROGRAM OFFICE CONTROL NUMBER: DATA ITEM DISCREPANCY WORKSHEET CDRL NUMBER: DCO0-0005d DATE: 09/05/91 ORIGINATOR NAME: Vivian L. Martin OFFICE SYMBOL: SAIC TELEPHONE NUMBER: 271-2999 SUBSTANTIVE: x EDITORIAL: PAGE NUMBER: CUlAO025-3 PARA NUMBER: c. COMMENT OR RECOMMENDED CHANGE: Provide the input, output, and local data elements for this CSU. RATIONALE: Paragraph c. states that data

Cargo Movement Operations System (CMOS) System Segment Specification

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-04-19

NO [ ] COMMENT DISPOSITION: COMMENT STATUS: OPEN [ ] CLOSED ( ] 0 ORIGINATOR CONTROL NUMBER: SSS-0003 PROGRAM OFFICE CONTROL NUMBER: DATA ITEM DISCREPANCY WORKSHEET CDRL NUMBER: A004-25 DATE: 04/06/90 ORIGINATOR NAME: Patrick Combs OFFICE SYMBOL: SAIC TELEPHONE NUMBER: 272-2999 SUBSTANTIVE: X EDITORIAL: PAGE NUMBER: 44 PARA NUMBER: 3.2.1.2.4.2.11 COMMENT OR RECOMMENDED CHANGE: Change the fifth sentence to read, "The system shall require the operator to input status into the remarks section to clear the management notice." RATIONALE:

EM61-MK2 Response of Standard Munition Items

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-10-06

metallic objects in the vicinity of the sensor. The decay of this induced field is sensed by monitoring the current in a wire-loop receiver coil in four...response are selected and marked as potential metal targets. This initial list of anomalies is used as input to an analysis step that selects anomalies... metal objects are left un-remediated but we are confident that the objects responsible for the anomaly have a smaller response than any of our targets

Active suppression of distractors that match the contents of visual working memory.

PubMed

Sawaki, Risa; Luck, Steven J

2011-08-01

The biased competition theory proposes that items matching the contents of visual working memory will automatically have an advantage in the competition for attention. However, evidence for an automatic effect has been mixed, perhaps because the memory-driven attentional bias can be overcome by top-down suppression. To test this hypothesis, the Pd component of the event-related potential waveform was used as a marker of attentional suppression. While observers maintained a color in working memory, task-irrelevant probe arrays were presented that contained an item matching the color being held in memory. We found that the memory-matching probe elicited a Pd component, indicating that it was being actively suppressed. This result suggests that sensory inputs matching the information being held in visual working memory are automatically detected and generate an "attend-to-me" signal, but this signal can be overridden by an active suppression mechanism to prevent the actual capture of attention.

[Means and methods of personal hygiene in the experiment with 520-day isolation].

PubMed

Shumilina, G A; Shumilina, I V; Solov'eva, S O

2013-01-01

Six volunteers (3 Russians, a Frenchman, an Italian and a Chinese) participated in assessment of the input of sanitation and housekeeping provisions to their wellbeing during 520-day isolation and confinement. Subject of the study was quality and sufficiency of housekeeping agents and procedures as well as more than 60 names of personal hygiene items. The sanitation and housekeeping monitoring involved the clinical, hygienic and microbiological methods, and also consideration of crew comments on the items at their disposal and recommended procedures. Based on the analysis of the functional condition of the integument and oral cavity and entries in the questionnaires, i.e. objective data and subjective feelings, all test subjects remained in the invariably good state. Owing to the application of the selected hygienic means and methods the microbial status of the crew was stable throughout 520-day isolation.

Anthropogenic marine litter composition in coastal areas may be a predictor of potentially invasive rafting fauna

PubMed Central

Borrell Pichs, Yaisel J.; García-Vazquez, Eva

2018-01-01

Anthropogenic plastic pollution is a global problem. In the marine environment, one of its less studied effects is the transport of attached biota, which might lead to introductions of non-native species in new areas or aid in habitat expansions of invasive species. The goal of the present work was to assess if the material composition of beached anthropogenic litter is indicative of the rafting fauna in a coastal area and could thus be used as a simple and cost-efficient tool for risk assessment in the future. Beached anthropogenic litter and attached biota along the 200 km coastline of Asturias, central Bay of Biscay, Spain, were analysed. The macrobiotic community attached to fouled litter items was identified using genetic barcoding combined with visual taxonomic analysis, and compared between hard plastics, foams, other plastics and non-plastic items. On the other hand, the material composition of beached litter was analysed in a standardized area on each beach. From these two datasets, the expected frequency of several rafting taxa was calculated for the coastal area and compared to the actually observed frequencies. The results showed that plastics were the most abundant type of beached litter. Litter accumulation was likely driven by coastal sources (industry, ports) and river/sewage inputs and transported by near-shore currents. Rafting vectors were almost exclusively made up of plastics and could mainly be attributed to fishing activity and leisure/ household. We identified a variety of rafting biota, including species of goose barnacles, acorn barnacles, bivalves, gastropods, polychaetes and bryozoan, and hydrozoan colonies attached to stranded litter. Several of these species were non-native and invasive, such as the giant Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) and the Australian barnacle (Austrominius modestus). The composition of attached fauna varied strongly between litter items of different materials. Plastics, except for foam, had a much more diverse attached community than non-plastic materials. The predicted frequency of several taxa attached to beached litter significantly correlated with the actually observed frequencies. Therefore we suggest that the composition of stranded litter on a beach or an area could allow for predictions about the corresponding attached biotic community, including invasive species. PMID:29385195

Anthropogenic marine litter composition in coastal areas may be a predictor of potentially invasive rafting fauna.

PubMed

Rech, Sabine; Borrell Pichs, Yaisel J; García-Vazquez, Eva

2018-01-01

Anthropogenic plastic pollution is a global problem. In the marine environment, one of its less studied effects is the transport of attached biota, which might lead to introductions of non-native species in new areas or aid in habitat expansions of invasive species. The goal of the present work was to assess if the material composition of beached anthropogenic litter is indicative of the rafting fauna in a coastal area and could thus be used as a simple and cost-efficient tool for risk assessment in the future. Beached anthropogenic litter and attached biota along the 200 km coastline of Asturias, central Bay of Biscay, Spain, were analysed. The macrobiotic community attached to fouled litter items was identified using genetic barcoding combined with visual taxonomic analysis, and compared between hard plastics, foams, other plastics and non-plastic items. On the other hand, the material composition of beached litter was analysed in a standardized area on each beach. From these two datasets, the expected frequency of several rafting taxa was calculated for the coastal area and compared to the actually observed frequencies. The results showed that plastics were the most abundant type of beached litter. Litter accumulation was likely driven by coastal sources (industry, ports) and river/sewage inputs and transported by near-shore currents. Rafting vectors were almost exclusively made up of plastics and could mainly be attributed to fishing activity and leisure/ household. We identified a variety of rafting biota, including species of goose barnacles, acorn barnacles, bivalves, gastropods, polychaetes and bryozoan, and hydrozoan colonies attached to stranded litter. Several of these species were non-native and invasive, such as the giant Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) and the Australian barnacle (Austrominius modestus). The composition of attached fauna varied strongly between litter items of different materials. Plastics, except for foam, had a much more diverse attached community than non-plastic materials. The predicted frequency of several taxa attached to beached litter significantly correlated with the actually observed frequencies. Therefore we suggest that the composition of stranded litter on a beach or an area could allow for predictions about the corresponding attached biotic community, including invasive species.

Measuring self-esteem after spinal cord injury: Development, validation and psychometric characteristics of the SCI-QOL Self-esteem item bank and short form

PubMed Central

Kalpakjian, Claire Z.; Tate, Denise G.; Kisala, Pamela A.; Tulsky, David S.

2015-01-01

Objective To describe the development and psychometric properties of the Spinal Cord Injury-Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) Self-esteem item bank. Design Using a mixed-methods design, we developed and tested a self-esteem item bank through the use of focus groups with individuals with SCI and clinicians with expertise in SCI, cognitive interviews, and item-response theory- (IRT) based analytic approaches, including tests of model fit, differential item functioning (DIF) and precision. Setting We tested a pool of 30 items at several medical institutions across the United States, including the University of Michigan, Kessler Foundation, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, the University of Washington, Craig Hospital, and the James J. Peters/Bronx Department of Veterans Affairs hospital. Participants A total of 717 individuals with SCI completed the self-esteem items. Results A unidimensional model was observed (CFI = 0.946; RMSEA = 0.087) and measurement precision was good (theta range between −2.7 and 0.7). Eleven items were flagged for DIF; however, effect sizes were negligible with little practical impact on score estimates. The final calibrated item bank resulted in 23 retained items. Conclusion This study indicates that the SCI-QOL Self-esteem item bank represents a psychometrically robust measurement tool. Short form items are also suggested and computer adaptive tests are available. PMID:26010972

Measuring self-esteem after spinal cord injury: Development, validation and psychometric characteristics of the SCI-QOL Self-esteem item bank and short form.

PubMed

Kalpakjian, Claire Z; Tate, Denise G; Kisala, Pamela A; Tulsky, David S

2015-05-01

To describe the development and psychometric properties of the Spinal Cord Injury-Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) Self-esteem item bank. Using a mixed-methods design, we developed and tested a self-esteem item bank through the use of focus groups with individuals with SCI and clinicians with expertise in SCI, cognitive interviews, and item-response theory-(IRT) based analytic approaches, including tests of model fit, differential item functioning (DIF) and precision. We tested a pool of 30 items at several medical institutions across the United States, including the University of Michigan, Kessler Foundation, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, the University of Washington, Craig Hospital, and the James J. Peters/Bronx Department of Veterans Affairs hospital. A total of 717 individuals with SCI completed the self-esteem items. A unidimensional model was observed (CFI=0.946; RMSEA=0.087) and measurement precision was good (theta range between -2.7 and 0.7). Eleven items were flagged for DIF; however, effect sizes were negligible with little practical impact on score estimates. The final calibrated item bank resulted in 23 retained items. This study indicates that the SCI-QOL Self-esteem item bank represents a psychometrically robust measurement tool. Short form items are also suggested and computer adaptive tests are available.

Measuring resilience after spinal cord injury: Development, validation and psychometric characteristics of the SCI-QOL Resilience item bank and short form.

PubMed

Victorson, David; Tulsky, David S; Kisala, Pamela A; Kalpakjian, Claire Z; Weiland, Brian; Choi, Seung W

2015-05-01

To describe the development and psychometric properties of the Spinal Cord Injury--Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) Resilience item bank and short form. Using a mixed-methods design, we developed and tested a resilience item bank through the use of focus groups with individuals with SCI and clinicians with expertise in SCI, cognitive interviews, and item-response theory based analytic approaches, including tests of model fit and differential item functioning (DIF). We tested a 32-item pool at several medical institutions across the United States, including the University of Michigan, Kessler Foundation, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, the University of Washington, Craig Hospital and the James J. Peters/Bronx Department of Veterans Affairs medical center. A total of 717 individuals with SCI completed the Resilience items. A unidimensional model was observed (CFI=0.968; RMSEA=0.074) and measurement precision was good (theta range between -3.1 and 0.9). Ten items were flagged for DIF, however, after examination of effect sizes we found this to be negligible with little practical impact on score estimates. The final calibrated item bank resulted in 21 retained items. This study indicates that the SCI-QOL Resilience item bank represents a psychometrically robust measurement tool. Short form items are also suggested and computer adaptive tests are available.

Measuring resilience after spinal cord injury: Development, validation and psychometric characteristics of the SCI-QOL Resilience item bank and short form

PubMed Central

Victorson, David; Tulsky, David S.; Kisala, Pamela A.; Kalpakjian, Claire Z.; Weiland, Brian; Choi, Seung W.

2015-01-01

Objective To describe the development and psychometric properties of the Spinal Cord Injury - Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) Resilience item bank and short form. Design Using a mixed-methods design, we developed and tested a resilience item bank through the use of focus groups with individuals with SCI and clinicians with expertise in SCI, cognitive interviews, and item-response theory based analytic approaches, including tests of model fit and differential item functioning (DIF). Setting We tested a 32-item pool at several medical institutions across the United States, including the University of Michigan, Kessler Foundation, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, the University of Washington, Craig Hospital and the James J. Peters/Bronx Department of Veterans Affairs medical center. Participants A total of 717 individuals with SCI completed the Resilience items. Results A unidimensional model was observed (CFI = 0.968; RMSEA = 0.074) and measurement precision was good (theta range between −3.1 and 0.9). Ten items were flagged for DIF, however, after examination of effect sizes we found this to be negligible with little practical impact on score estimates. The final calibrated item bank resulted in 21 retained items. Conclusion This study indicates that the SCI-QOL Resilience item bank represents a psychometrically robust measurement tool. Short form items are also suggested and computer adaptive tests are available. PMID:26010971

Effect of Differential Item Functioning on Test Equating

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kabasakal, Kübra Atalay; Kelecioglu, Hülya

2015-01-01

This study examines the effect of differential item functioning (DIF) items on test equating through multilevel item response models (MIRMs) and traditional IRMs. The performances of three different equating models were investigated under 24 different simulation conditions, and the variables whose effects were examined included sample size, test…

The False-Friend Effect in Three Profoundly Deaf Learners of French: Disentangling Morphology, Phonology and Orthography

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janke, Vikki; Kolokonte, Marina

2015-01-01

Three profoundly deaf individuals undertook a low-frequency backward lexical translation task (French/English), where morphological structure was manipulated and orthographic distance between test items was measured. Conditions included monomorphemic items (simplex), polymorphemic items (complex), items whose French morphological structure…

Application of a General Polytomous Testlet Model to the Reading Section of a Large-Scale English Language Assessment. Research Report. ETS RR-10-21

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Yanmei; Li, Shuhong; Wang, Lin

2010-01-01

Many standardized educational tests include groups of items based on a common stimulus, known as "testlets". Standard unidimensional item response theory (IRT) models are commonly used to model examinees' responses to testlet items. However, it is known that local dependence among testlet items can lead to biased item parameter estimates…

Keeping it together: Semantic coherence stabilizes phonological sequences in short-term memory.

PubMed

Savill, Nicola; Ellis, Rachel; Brooke, Emma; Koa, Tiffany; Ferguson, Suzie; Rojas-Rodriguez, Elena; Arnold, Dominic; Smallwood, Jonathan; Jefferies, Elizabeth

2018-04-01

Our ability to hold a sequence of speech sounds in mind, in the correct configuration, supports many aspects of communication, but the contribution of conceptual information to this basic phonological capacity remains controversial. Previous research has shown modest and inconsistent benefits of meaning on phonological stability in short-term memory, but these studies were based on sets of unrelated words. Using a novel design, we examined the immediate recall of sentence-like sequences with coherent meaning, alongside both standard word lists and mixed lists containing words and nonwords. We found, and replicated, substantial effects of coherent meaning on phoneme-level accuracy: The phonemes of both words and nonwords within conceptually coherent sequences were more likely to be produced together and in the correct order. Since nonwords do not exist as items in long-term memory, the semantic enhancement of phoneme-level recall for both item types cannot be explained by a lexically based item reconstruction process employed at the point of retrieval ("redintegration"). Instead, our data show, for naturalistic input, that when meaning emerges from the combination of words, the phonological traces that support language are reinforced by a semantic-binding process that has been largely overlooked by past short-term memory research.

Reliability and concurrent validity of the computer workstation checklist.

PubMed

Baker, Nancy A; Livengood, Heather; Jacobs, Karen

2013-01-01

Self-report checklists are used to assess computer workstation set up, typically by workers not trained in ergonomic assessment or checklist interpretation.Though many checklists exist, few have been evaluated for reliability and validity. This study examined reliability and validity of the Computer Workstation Checklist (CWC) to identify mismatches between workers' self-reported workstation problems. The CWC was completed at baseline and at 1 month to establish reliability. Validity was determined with CWC baseline data compared to an onsite workstation evaluation conducted by an expert in computer workstation assessment. Reliability ranged from fair to near perfect (prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted kappa, 0.38-0.93); items with the strongest agreement were related to the input device, monitor, computer table, and document holder. The CWC had greater specificity (11 of 16 items) than sensitivity (3 of 16 items). The positive predictive value was greater than the negative predictive value for all questions. The CWC has strong reliability. Sensitivity and specificity suggested workers often indicated no problems with workstation setup when problems existed. The evidence suggests that while the CWC may not be valid when used alone, it may be a suitable adjunct to an ergonomic assessment completed by professionals.

Marine debris contamination along undeveloped tropical beaches from northeast Brazil.

PubMed

Santos, Isaac R; Friedrich, Ana Cláudia; Ivar do Sul, Juliana Assunção

2009-01-01

We hypothesize that floating debris leaving polluted coastal bays accumulate on nearby pristine beaches. We examined composition, quantities and distribution of marine debris along approximately 150 km of relatively undeveloped, tropical beaches in Costa do Dendê (Bahia, Brazil). The study site is located south of Salvador City, the largest urban settlement from NE Brazil. Strong spatial variations were observed. Plastics accounted for 76% of the sampled items, followed by styrofoam (14%). Small plastic fragments resultant from the breakdown of larger items are ubiquitous all over the area. Because the dominant littoral drift in Bahia is southward, average beach debris densities (9.1 items/m) along Costa do Dendê were threefold higher than densities previously observed north of Salvador City. River-dominated and stable beaches had higher debris quantities than unstable, erosional beaches. Areas immediately south of the major regional embayments (Camamu and Todos os Santos) were the preferential accumulation sites, indicating that rivers draining populous areas are the major source of debris to the study site. Our results provide baseline information for future assessments. Management actions should focus on input prevention at the hydrographic basin level rather than on cleaning services on beaches.

Application of cognitive diagnosis models to competency-based situational judgment tests.

PubMed

García, Pablo Eduardo; Olea, Julio; De la Torre, Jimmy

2014-01-01

Profiling of jobs in terms of competency requirements has increasingly been applied in many organizational settings. Testing these competencies through situational judgment tests (SJTs) leads to validity problems because it is not usually clear which constructs SJTs measure. The primary purpose of this paper is to evaluate whether the application of cognitive diagnosis models (CDM) to competency-based SJTs can ascertain the underlying competencies measured by the items, and whether these competencies can be estimated precisely. The generalized deterministic inputs, noisy "and" gate (G-DINA) model was applied to 26 situational judgment items measuring professional competencies based on the great eight model. These items were applied to 485 employees of a Spanish financial company. The fit of the model to the data and the convergent validity between the estimated competencies and personality dimensions were examined. The G-DINA showed a good fit to the data and the estimated competency factors, adapting and coping and interacting and presenting were positively related to emotional stability and extraversion, respectively. This work indicates that CDM can be a useful tool when measuring professional competencies through SJTs. CDM can clarify the competencies being measured and provide precise estimates of these competencies.

Development and validation of a novel patient-reported treatment satisfaction measure for hyperfunctional facial lines: facial line satisfaction questionnaire.

PubMed

Pompilus, Farrah; Burgess, Somali; Hudgens, Stacie; Banderas, Benjamin; Daniels, Selena

2015-12-01

Facial lines or wrinkles are among the most visible signs of aging, and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures are becoming increasingly popular. The aim of this study was to develop and validate the Facial Line Satisfaction Questionnaire (FLSQ) for use in adults with upper facial lines (UFL). A literature review, concept elicitation interviews (n = 33), and cognitive debriefing interviews (n = 23) of adults with UFL were conducted to develop the FLSQ. The FLSQ comprises Baseline and Follow-up versions and was field-tested with 150 subjects in a US observational study designed to assess its psychometric performance. Analyses included acceptability (item and scale distribution [i.e. missingness, floor, and ceiling effects]), reliability, and validity (including concurrent validity). In total, 69 concepts were elicited during patient interviews. Following cognitive debriefing interviews, the FLSQ-Baseline version included 11 items and the Follow-up version included 13 items. Response rates for the FLSQ were 100% and 73% at baseline and follow-up, respectively; no items had excessive missing data. Questionnaire scale scores were normally distributed. Most domain scores demonstrated good internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α ≥ 0.70). Most items within their respective domains exhibited good convergent (item-scale correlations > 0.40) and discriminant (items had higher correlation with their hypothesized scales than other scales) validity. Concurrent validity correlation coefficients of the FLSQ domain scores with the associated concurrent measures were acceptable (range: r = 0.40-0.70). Six FLSQ items demonstrated reliability and validity as stand-alone items outside their domains. The FLSQ is a valid questionnaire for assessing treatment expectations, satisfaction, impact, and preference in adults with UFL. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Development and evaluation of a thermochemistry concept inventory for college-level general chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wren, David A.

The research presented in this dissertation culminated in a 10-item Thermochemistry Concept Inventory (TCI). The development of the TCI can be divided into two main phases: qualitative studies and quantitative studies. Both phases focused on the primary stakeholders of the TCI, college-level general chemistry instructors and students. Each phase was designed to collect evidence for the validity of the interpretations and uses of TCI testing data. A central use of TCI testing data is to identify student conceptual misunderstandings, which are represented as incorrect options of multiple-choice TCI items. Therefore, quantitative and qualitative studies focused heavily on collecting evidence at the item-level, where important interpretations may be made by TCI users. Qualitative studies included student interviews (N = 28) and online expert surveys (N = 30). Think-aloud student interviews (N = 12) were used to identify conceptual misunderstandings used by students. Novice response process validity interviews (N = 16) helped provide information on how students interpreted and answered TCI items and were the basis of item revisions. Practicing general chemistry instructors (N = 18), or experts, defined boundaries of thermochemistry content included on the TCI. Once TCI items were in the later stages of development, an online version of the TCI was used in expert response process validity survey (N = 12), to provide expert feedback on item content, format and consensus of the correct answer for each item. Quantitative studies included three phases: beta testing of TCI items (N = 280), pilot testing of the a 12-item TCI (N = 485), and a large data collection using a 10-item TCI ( N = 1331). In addition to traditional classical test theory analysis, Rasch model analysis was also used for evaluation of testing data at the test and item level. The TCI was administered in both formative assessment (beta and pilot testing) and summative assessment (large data collection), with items performing well in both. One item, item K, did not have acceptable psychometric properties when the TCI was used as a quiz (summative assessment), but was retained in the final version of the TCI based on the acceptable psychometric properties displayed in pilot testing (formative assessment).

Development and Validation of a Symptom-Based Activity Index for Adults with Eosinophilic Esophagitis

PubMed Central

Schoepfer, Alain M.; Straumann, Alex; Panczak, Radoslaw; Coslovsky, Michael; Kuehni, Claudia E.; Maurer, Elisabeth; Haas, Nadine A.; Romero, Yvonne; Hirano, Ikuo; Alexander, Jeffrey A.; Gonsalves, Nirmala; Furuta, Glenn T.; Dellon, Evan S.; Leung, John; Collins, Margaret H.; Bussmann, Christian; Netzer, Peter; Gupta, Sandeep K.; Aceves, Seema S.; Chehade, Mirna; Moawad, Fouad J.; Enders, Felicity T.; Yost, Kathleen J.; Taft, Tiffany H.; Kern, Emily; Zwahlen, Marcel; Safroneeva, Ekaterina

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND & AIMS Standardized instruments are needed to assess the activity of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), to provide endpoints for clinical trials and observational studies. We aimed to develop and validate a patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument and score, based on items that could account for variations in patients’ assessments of disease severity. We also evaluated relationships between patients’ assessment of disease severity and EoE-associated endoscopic, histologic, and laboratory findings. METHODS We collected information from 186 patients with EoE in Switzerland and the US (69.4% male; median age, 43 years) via surveys (n = 135), focus groups (n = 27), and semi-structured interviews (n = 24). Items were generated for the instruments to assess biologic activity based on physician input. Linear regression was used to quantify the extent to which variations in patient-reported disease characteristics could account for variations in patients’ assessment of EoE severity. The PRO instrument was prospectively used in 153 adult patients with EoE (72.5% male; median age, 38 years), and validated in an independent group of 120 patients with EoE (60.8% male; median age, 40.5 years). RESULTS Seven PRO factors that are used to assess characteristics of dysphagia, behavioral adaptations to living with dysphagia, and pain while swallowing accounted for 67% of the variation in patients’ assessment of disease severity. Based on statistical consideration and patient input, a 7-day recall period was selected. Highly active EoE, based on endoscopic and histologic findings, was associated with an increase in patient-assessed disease severity. In the validation study, the mean difference between patient assessment of EoE severity and PRO score was 0.13 (on a scale from 0 to 10). CONCLUSIONS We developed and validated an EoE scoring system based on 7 PRO items that assesses symptoms over a 7-day recall period. Clinicaltrials.gov number: NCT00939263. PMID:25160980

Dutch-Flemish translation of 17 item banks from the patient-reported outcomes measurement information system (PROMIS).

PubMed

Terwee, C B; Roorda, L D; de Vet, H C W; Dekker, J; Westhovens, R; van Leeuwen, J; Cella, D; Correia, H; Arnold, B; Perez, B; Boers, M

2014-08-01

The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS(®)) is a new, state-of-the-art assessment system for measuring patient-reported health and well-being of adults and children that has the potential to be more valid, reliable and responsive than existing PROMs. The PROMIS items can be administered in short forms or, more efficiently, through computerized adaptive testing. This paper describes the translation of 563 items from 17 PROMIS item banks (domains) for adults from the English source into Dutch-Flemish. The translation was performed by FACITtrans using standardized methodology and approved by the PROMIS Statistical Center. The translation included four forward translations, two back-translations, three to five independent reviews (at least two Dutch, one Flemish) and pre-testing in 70 adults (age range 20-77) from the Netherlands and Flanders. A small number of items required separate translations for Dutch and Flemish: physical function (five items), pain behaviour (two items), pain interference (one item), social isolation (one item) and global health (one item). Challenges faced in the translation process included: scarcity or overabundance of possible translations, unclear item descriptions, constructs broader/smaller in the target language, difficulties in rank ordering items, differences in unit of measurement, irrelevant items or differences in performance of activities. By addressing these challenges, acceptable translations were obtained for all items. The methodology used and experience gained in this study can be used as an example for researchers in other countries interested in translating PROMIS. The Dutch-Flemish PROMIS items are linguistically equivalent. Short forms will soon be available for use and entire item banks are ready for cross-cultural validation in the Netherlands and Flanders.

Development of the PROMIS positive emotional and sensory expectancies of smoking item banks.

PubMed

Tucker, Joan S; Shadel, William G; Edelen, Maria Orlando; Stucky, Brian D; Li, Zhen; Hansen, Mark; Cai, Li

2014-09-01

The positive emotional and sensory expectancies of cigarette smoking include improved cognitive abilities, positive affective states, and pleasurable sensorimotor sensations. This paper describes development of Positive Emotional and Sensory Expectancies of Smoking item banks that will serve to standardize the assessment of this construct among daily and nondaily cigarette smokers. Data came from daily (N = 4,201) and nondaily (N =1,183) smokers who completed an online survey. To identify a unidimensional set of items, we conducted item factor analyses, item response theory analyses, and differential item functioning analyses. Additionally, we evaluated the performance of fixed-item short forms (SFs) and computer adaptive tests (CATs) to efficiently assess the construct. Eighteen items were included in the item banks (15 common across daily and nondaily smokers, 1 unique to daily, 2 unique to nondaily). The item banks are strongly unidimensional, highly reliable (reliability = 0.95 for both), and perform similarly across gender, age, and race/ethnicity groups. A SF common to daily and nondaily smokers consists of 6 items (reliability = 0.86). Results from simulated CATs indicated that, on average, less than 8 items are needed to assess the construct with adequate precision using the item banks. These analyses identified a new set of items that can assess the positive emotional and sensory expectancies of smoking in a reliable and standardized manner. Considerable efficiency in assessing this construct can be achieved by using the item bank SF, employing computer adaptive tests, or selecting subsets of items tailored to specific research or clinical purposes. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Radioactivity of Consumer Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterson, David; Jokisch, Derek; Fulmer, Philip

2006-11-01

A variety of consumer products and household items contain varying amounts of radioactivity. Examples of these items include: FiestaWare and similar glazed china, salt substitute, bananas, brazil nuts, lantern mantles, smoke detectors and depression glass. Many of these items contain natural sources of radioactivity such as Uranium, Thorium, Radium and Potassium. A few contain man-made sources like Americium. This presentation will detail the sources and relative radioactivity of these items (including demonstrations). Further, measurements of the isotopic ratios of Uranium-235 and Uranium-238 in several pieces of china will be compared to historical uses of natural and depleted Uranium. Finally, the presenters will discuss radiation safety as it pertains to the use of these items.

Weighted Association Rule Mining for Item Groups with Different Properties and Risk Assessment for Networked Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jungja; Ceong, Heetaek; Won, Yonggwan

In market-basket analysis, weighted association rule (WAR) discovery can mine the rules that include more beneficial information by reflecting item importance for special products. In the point-of-sale database, each transaction is composed of items with similar properties, and item weights are pre-defined and fixed by a factor such as the profit. However, when items are divided into more than one group and the item importance must be measured independently for each group, traditional weighted association rule discovery cannot be used. To solve this problem, we propose a new weighted association rule mining methodology. The items should be first divided into subgroups according to their properties, and the item importance, i.e. item weight, is defined or calculated only with the items included in the subgroup. Then, transaction weight is measured by appropriately summing the item weights from each subgroup, and the weighted support is computed as the fraction of the transaction weights that contains the candidate items relative to the weight of all transactions. As an example, our proposed methodology is applied to assess the vulnerability to threats of computer systems that provide networked services. Our algorithm provides both quantitative risk-level values and qualitative risk rules for the security assessment of networked computer systems using WAR discovery. Also, it can be widely used for new applications with many data sets in which the data items are distinctly separated.

What counts? Visual and verbal cues interact to influence what is considered a countable thing.

PubMed

Chesney, Dana L; Gelman, Rochel

2015-07-01

Many famous paintings illustrate variations in what we here dub "referential depth." For example, paintings often include not only portrayals of uniquely referenced items, but also reflections of those items in mirrors or other polished surfaces. If a painting includes both a dancer and that dancer's reflection in a mirror, are there one or two dancers in the painting? Although there are two images of a dancer, both images reference the exact same dancer. Consequently, counting both may seem to violate the constraint against double counting (Gelman & Gallistel, 1978). This illustrates that determining which things "count" in a given context may not be straightforward. Here we used counting tasks paired with illustrations that manipulated referential depth to investigate the conceptual, perceptual, and language variables that may influence whether a "thing" is a "countable thing." Across four experiments, 316 participants counted items in displays that included both foreground items and items placed inside mirrors, picture frames, and windows. Referential depth and frame boundaries both influenced counting: For one thing, participants were more likely to count items contained by windows than by picture frames or mirrors. Moreover, items in mirrors were rarely counted unless they were interpreted as reflections of items "off screen." Also, the items contained inside windows were sometimes (~10% of trials) excluded from the counts, when counting them would require crossing frame boundaries. We concluded that conceptual and perceptual contexts both influence people's decisions about the physical boundaries of the to-be-counted set and which items within these boundaries are countable.

CTTITEM: SAS macro and SPSS syntax for classical item analysis.

PubMed

Lei, Pui-Wa; Wu, Qiong

2007-08-01

This article describes the functions of a SAS macro and an SPSS syntax that produce common statistics for conventional item analysis including Cronbach's alpha, item difficulty index (p-value or item mean), and item discrimination indices (D-index, point biserial and biserial correlations for dichotomous items and item-total correlation for polytomous items). These programs represent an improvement over the existing SAS and SPSS item analysis routines in terms of completeness and user-friendliness. To promote routine evaluations of item qualities in instrument development of any scale, the programs are available at no charge for interested users. The program codes along with a brief user's manual that contains instructions and examples are downloadable from suen.ed.psu.edu/-pwlei/plei.htm.

A Comprehensive List of Items to be Included on a Pediatric Drug Monograph

PubMed Central

Ito, Shinya; Woods, David; Nunn, Anthony J.; Taketomo, Carol; de Hoog, Matthijs; Offringa, Martin

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVES Children require special considerations for drug prescribing. Drug information summarized in a formulary containing drug monographs is essential for safe and effective prescribing. Currently, little is known about the information needs of those who prescribe and administer medicines to children. Our primary objective was to identify a list of important and relevant items to be included in a pediatric drug monograph. METHODS Following the establishment of an expert steering committee and an environmental scan of adult and pediatric formulary monograph items, 46 participants from 25 countries were invited to complete a 2-round Delphi survey. Questions regarding source of prescribing information and importance of items were recorded. An international consensus meeting to vote on and finalize the items list with the steering committee followed. RESULTS Pediatric formularies are most commonly the first resource consulted for information on medication used in children by 31 Delphi participants. After the Delphi rounds, 116 items were identified to be included in a comprehensive pediatric drug monograph, including general information, adverse drug reactions, dosages, precautions, drug-drug interactions, formulation, and drug properties. CONCLUSIONS Health care providers identified 116 monograph items as important for prescribing medicines for children by an international consensus-based process. This information will assist in setting standards for the creation of new pediatric drug monographs for international application and for those involved in pediatric formulary development. PMID:28337081

A Comprehensive List of Items to be Included on a Pediatric Drug Monograph.

PubMed

Kelly, Lauren E; Ito, Shinya; Woods, David; Nunn, Anthony J; Taketomo, Carol; de Hoog, Matthijs; Offringa, Martin

2017-01-01

Children require special considerations for drug prescribing. Drug information summarized in a formulary containing drug monographs is essential for safe and effective prescribing. Currently, little is known about the information needs of those who prescribe and administer medicines to children. Our primary objective was to identify a list of important and relevant items to be included in a pediatric drug monograph. Following the establishment of an expert steering committee and an environmental scan of adult and pediatric formulary monograph items, 46 participants from 25 countries were invited to complete a 2-round Delphi survey. Questions regarding source of prescribing information and importance of items were recorded. An international consensus meeting to vote on and finalize the items list with the steering committee followed. Pediatric formularies are most commonly the first resource consulted for information on medication used in children by 31 Delphi participants. After the Delphi rounds, 116 items were identified to be included in a comprehensive pediatric drug monograph, including general information, adverse drug reactions, dosages, precautions, drug-drug interactions, formulation, and drug properties. Health care providers identified 116 monograph items as important for prescribing medicines for children by an international consensus-based process. This information will assist in setting standards for the creation of new pediatric drug monographs for international application and for those involved in pediatric formulary development.

Web Cast on Arsenic Demonstration Program: Lessons Learned

EPA Science Inventory

Web cast presentation covered 10 Lessons Learned items selected from the Arsenic Demonstration Program with supporting information. The major items discussed include system design and performance items and the cost of the technologies.

Computerized Adaptive Testing: Overview and Introduction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meijer, Rob R.; Nering, Michael L.

1999-01-01

Provides an overview of computerized adaptive testing (CAT) and introduces contributions to this special issue. CAT elements discussed include item selection, estimation of the latent trait, item exposure, measurement precision, and item-bank development. (SLD)

Dimensions of vegetable parenting practices among preschoolers.

PubMed

Baranowski, Tom; Chen, Tzu-An; O'Connor, Teresia; Hughes, Sheryl; Beltran, Alicia; Frankel, Leslie; Diep, Cassandra; Baranowski, Janice C

2013-10-01

The objective of this study was to determine the factor structure of 31 effective and ineffective vegetable parenting practices used by parents of preschool children based on three theoretically proposed factors: responsiveness, control and structure. The methods employed included both corrected item-total correlations and confirmatory factor analysis. Acceptable fit was obtained only when effective and ineffective parenting practices were analyzed separately. Among effective items the model included one second order factor (effectiveness) and the three proposed first order factors. The same structure was revealed among ineffective items, but required correlated paths be specified among items. A theoretically specified three factor structure was obtained among 31 vegetable parenting practice items, but likely to be effective and ineffective items had to be analyzed separately. Research is needed on how these parenting practices factors predict child vegetable intake. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Guidelines 2.0: systematic development of a comprehensive checklist for a successful guideline enterprise.

PubMed

Schünemann, Holger J; Wiercioch, Wojtek; Etxeandia, Itziar; Falavigna, Maicon; Santesso, Nancy; Mustafa, Reem; Ventresca, Matthew; Brignardello-Petersen, Romina; Laisaar, Kaja-Triin; Kowalski, Sérgio; Baldeh, Tejan; Zhang, Yuan; Raid, Ulla; Neumann, Ignacio; Norris, Susan L; Thornton, Judith; Harbour, Robin; Treweek, Shaun; Guyatt, Gordon; Alonso-Coello, Pablo; Reinap, Marge; Brozek, Jan; Oxman, Andrew; Akl, Elie A

2014-02-18

Although several tools to evaluate the credibility of health care guidelines exist, guidance on practical steps for developing guidelines is lacking. We systematically compiled a comprehensive checklist of items linked to relevant resources and tools that guideline developers could consider, without the expectation that every guideline would address each item. We searched data sources, including manuals of international guideline developers, literature on guidelines for guidelines (with a focus on methodology reports from international and national agencies, and professional societies) and recent articles providing systematic guidance. We reviewed these sources in duplicate, extracted items for the checklist using a sensitive approach and developed overarching topics relevant to guidelines. In an iterative process, we reviewed items for duplication and omissions and involved experts in guideline development for revisions and suggestions for items to be added. We developed a checklist with 18 topics and 146 items and a webpage to facilitate its use by guideline developers. The topics and included items cover all stages of the guideline enterprise, from the planning and formulation of guidelines, to their implementation and evaluation. The final checklist includes links to training materials as well as resources with suggested methodology for applying the items. The checklist will serve as a resource for guideline developers. Consideration of items on the checklist will support the development, implementation and evaluation of guidelines. We will use crowdsourcing to revise the checklist and keep it up to date.

Guidelines 2.0: systematic development of a comprehensive checklist for a successful guideline enterprise

PubMed Central

Schünemann, Holger J.; Wiercioch, Wojtek; Etxeandia, Itziar; Falavigna, Maicon; Santesso, Nancy; Mustafa, Reem; Ventresca, Matthew; Brignardello-Petersen, Romina; Laisaar, Kaja-Triin; Kowalski, Sérgio; Baldeh, Tejan; Zhang, Yuan; Raid, Ulla; Neumann, Ignacio; Norris, Susan L.; Thornton, Judith; Harbour, Robin; Treweek, Shaun; Guyatt, Gordon; Alonso-Coello, Pablo; Reinap, Marge; Brožek, Jan; Oxman, Andrew; Akl, Elie A.

2014-01-01

Background: Although several tools to evaluate the credibility of health care guidelines exist, guidance on practical steps for developing guidelines is lacking. We systematically compiled a comprehensive checklist of items linked to relevant resources and tools that guideline developers could consider, without the expectation that every guideline would address each item. Methods: We searched data sources, including manuals of international guideline developers, literature on guidelines for guidelines (with a focus on methodology reports from international and national agencies, and professional societies) and recent articles providing systematic guidance. We reviewed these sources in duplicate, extracted items for the checklist using a sensitive approach and developed overarching topics relevant to guidelines. In an iterative process, we reviewed items for duplication and omissions and involved experts in guideline development for revisions and suggestions for items to be added. Results: We developed a checklist with 18 topics and 146 items and a webpage to facilitate its use by guideline developers. The topics and included items cover all stages of the guideline enterprise, from the planning and formulation of guidelines, to their implementation and evaluation. The final checklist includes links to training materials as well as resources with suggested methodology for applying the items. Interpretation: The checklist will serve as a resource for guideline developers. Consideration of items on the checklist will support the development, implementation and evaluation of guidelines. We will use crowdsourcing to revise the checklist and keep it up to date. PMID:24344144

48 CFR 252.211-7008 - Use of Government-assigned Serial Numbers

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... all levels of life cycle management. Major end items include aircraft; ships; boats; motorized wheeled... never changes in order to provide traceability of the item throughout its total life cycle. The term... items for use throughout the life of the major end item. The Contractor may elect, but is not required...

48 CFR 252.211-7008 - Use of Government-Assigned Serial Numbers

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... all levels of life cycle management. Major end items include aircraft; ships; boats; motorized wheeled... never changes in order to provide traceability of the item throughout its total life cycle. The term... items for use throughout the life of the major end item. The Contractor may elect, but is not required...

48 CFR 252.211-7008 - Use of Government-assigned Serial Numbers

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... all levels of life cycle management. Major end items include aircraft; ships; boats; motorized wheeled... never changes in order to provide traceability of the item throughout its total life cycle. The term... items for use throughout the life of the major end item. The Contractor may elect, but is not required...

48 CFR 252.211-7008 - Use of Government-assigned Serial Numbers

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... all levels of life cycle management. Major end items include aircraft; ships; boats; motorized wheeled... never changes in order to provide traceability of the item throughout its total life cycle. The term... items for use throughout the life of the major end item. The Contractor may elect, but is not required...

The Applicability of Interactive Item Templates in Varied Knowledge Types

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koong, Chorng-Shiuh; Wu, Chi-Ying

2011-01-01

A well-edited assessment can enhance student's learning motives. Applicability of items, which includes item content and template, plays a crucial role in authoring a good assessment. Templates in discussion contain not only conventional true & false, multiple choice, completion item and short answer but also of those interactive ones. Methods…

A Comparison of Linking and Concurrent Calibration under the Graded Response Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Seock-Ho; Cohen, Allan S.

Applications of item response theory to practical testing problems including equating, differential item functioning, and computerized adaptive testing, require that item parameter estimates be placed onto a common metric. In this study, two methods for developing a common metric for the graded response model under item response theory were…

Developing a Strategy for Using Technology-Enhanced Items in Large-Scale Standardized Tests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryant, William

2017-01-01

As large-scale standardized tests move from paper-based to computer-based delivery, opportunities arise for test developers to make use of items beyond traditional selected and constructed response types. Technology-enhanced items (TEIs) have the potential to provide advantages over conventional items, including broadening construct measurement,…

Missouri Assessment Program (MAP), Spring 2000: Elementary Health/Physical Education, Released Items, Grade 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Missouri State Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education, Jefferson City.

This document presents 10 released items from the Health/Physical Education Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) test given in the spring of 2000 to fifth graders. Items from the test sessions include: selected-response (multiple choice), constructed-response, and a performance event. The selected-response items consist of individual questions…

Real and Artificial Differential Item Functioning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrich, David; Hagquist, Curt

2012-01-01

The literature in modern test theory on procedures for identifying items with differential item functioning (DIF) among two groups of persons includes the Mantel-Haenszel (MH) procedure. Generally, it is not recognized explicitly that if there is real DIF in some items which favor one group, then as an artifact of this procedure, artificial DIF…

The Development of Practical Item Analysis Program for Indonesian Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muhson, Ali; Lestari, Barkah; Supriyanto; Baroroh, Kiromim

2017-01-01

Item analysis has essential roles in the learning assessment. The item analysis program is designed to measure student achievement and instructional effectiveness. This study was aimed to develop item-analysis program and verify its feasibility. This study uses a Research and Development (R & D) model. The procedure includes designing and…

Development of the PROMIS negative psychosocial expectancies of smoking item banks.

PubMed

Stucky, Brian D; Edelen, Maria Orlando; Tucker, Joan S; Shadel, William G; Cerully, Jennifer; Kuhfeld, Megan; Hansen, Mark; Cai, Li

2014-09-01

Negative psychosocial expectancies of smoking include aspects of social disapproval and disappointment in oneself. This paper describes analyses conducted to develop and evaluate item banks for assessing psychosocial expectancies among daily and nondaily smokers. Using data from a sample of daily (N = 4,201) and nondaily (N =1,183) smokers, we conducted a series of item factor analyses, item response theory analyses, and differential item functioning analyses (according to gender, age, and race/ethnicity) to arrive at a unidimensional set of psychosocial expectancies items for daily and nondaily smokers. We also evaluated performance of short forms (SFs) and computer adaptive tests (CATs) to efficiently assess psychosocial expectancies. A total of 21 items were included in the Psychosocial Expectancies item banks: 14 items are common across daily and nondaily smokers, 6 are unique to daily, and 1 is unique to nondaily. For both daily and nondaily smokers, the Psychosocial Expectancies item banks are strongly unidimensional, highly reliable (reliability = 0.95 and 0.93, respectively), and perform similarly across gender, age, and race/ethnicity groups. A SF common to daily and nondaily smokers consists of 6 items (reliability = 0.85). Results from simulated CATs showed that, on average, fewer than 8 items are needed to assess psychosocial expectancies with adequate precision when using the item banks. Psychosocial expectancies of smoking can be assessed on the basis of these item banks via the SF, by using CAT, or through a tailored set of items selected for a specific research purpose. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

[Development of competency to stand trial rating scale in offenders with mental disorders].

PubMed

Chen, Xiao-Bing; Cai, Wei-Xiong

2013-04-01

According with Chinese legal system, to develop a competency to stand trial rating scale in offenders with mental disorders. Proceeding from the juristical elements, 15 items were extracted and formulated a preliminary instrument named the competency to stand trial rating scale in offenders with mental disorders. The item analysis included six aspects, which were critical ratio, item-total correlation, corrected item-total correlation, alpha value if item deleted, communalities of items, and factor loading. The Logistic regression equation and cut-off score of ROC curve were used to explore the diagnostic efficiency. The data of critical ratio of extreme group were 18.390-46.763; item-total correlation, 0.639-0.952; corrected item-total correlation, 0.582-0.944; communalities of items, 0.377-0.916; and factor loadings, 0.614-0.957. Seven items were included in the regression equation and the accuracy of back substitution test was 96.0%. The score of 33 was ascertained as the cut-off score by ROC fitting curve, the overlapping ratio compared with the expertise was 95.8%. The sensibility and the specificity were 0.938 and 0.966, respectively, while the positive and negative likelihood ratios were 27.67 and 0.06, respectively. With all items satisfied the requirement of homogeneity test, the rating scale has a reasonable construct and excellent diagnostic efficiency.

Introducing the Postsecondary Instructional Practices Survey (PIPS): A Concise, Interdisciplinary, and Easy-to-Score Survey.

PubMed

Walter, Emily M; Henderson, Charles R; Beach, Andrea L; Williams, Cody T

Researchers, administrators, and policy makers need valid and reliable information about teaching practices. The Postsecondary Instructional Practices Survey (PIPS) is designed to measure the instructional practices of postsecondary instructors from any discipline. The PIPS has 24 instructional practice statements and nine demographic questions. Users calculate PIPS scores by an intuitive proportion-based scoring convention. Factor analyses from 72 departments at four institutions (N = 891) support a 2- or 5-factor solution for the PIPS; both models include all 24 instructional practice items and have good model fit statistics. Factors in the 2-factor model include (a) instructor-centered practices, nine items; and (b) student-centered practices, 13 items. Factors in the 5-factor model include (a) student-student interactions, six items; (b) content delivery, four items; (c) formative assessment, five items; (d) student-content engagement, five items; and (e) summative assessment, four items. In this article, we describe our development and validation processes, provide scoring conventions and outputs for results, and describe wider applications of the instrument. © 2016 E. M. Walter et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2016 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

[Study on influence between activated carbon property and immobilized biological activated carbon purification effect].

PubMed

Wang, Guang-zhi; Li, Wei-guang; He, Wen-jie; Han, Hong-da; Ding, Chi; Ma, Xiao-na; Qu, Yan-ming

2006-10-01

By means of immobilizing five kinds of activated carbon, we studied the influence between the chief activated carbon property items and immobilized bioactivated carbon (IBAC) purification effect with the correlation analysis. The result shows that the activated carbon property items which the correlation coefficient is up 0.7 include molasses, abrasion number, hardness, tannin, uniform coefficient, mean particle diameter and effective particle diameter; the activated carbon property items which the correlation coefficient is up 0.5 include pH, iodine, butane and tetrachloride. In succession, the partial correlation analysis shows that activated carbon property items mostly influencing on IBAC purification effect include molasses, hardness, abrasion number, uniform coefficient, mean particle diameter and effective particle diameter. The causation of these property items bringing influence on IBAC purification is that the activated carbon holes distribution (representative activated carbon property item is molasses) provides inhabitable location and adjust food for the dominance bacteria; the mechanical resist-crash property of activated carbon (representative activated carbon property items: abrasion number and hardness) have influence on the stability of biofilm; and the particle diameter size and distribution of activated carbon (representative activated carbon property items: uniform coefficient, mean particle diameter and effective particle diameter) can directly affect the force of water in IBAC filter bed, which brings influence on the dominance bacteria immobilizing on activated carbon.

What drives sleep-dependent memory consolidation: greater gain or less loss?

PubMed

Fenn, Kimberly M; Hambrick, David Z

2013-06-01

When memory is tested after a delay, performance is typically better if the retention interval includes sleep. However, it is unclear what accounts for this well-established effect. It is possible that sleep enhances the retrieval of information, but it is also possible that sleep protects against memory loss that normally occurs during waking activity. We developed a new research approach to investigate these possibilities. Participants learned a list of paired-associate items and were tested on the items after a 12-h interval that included waking or sleep. We analyzed the number of items gained versus the number of items lost across time. The sleep condition showed more items gained and fewer items lost than did the wake condition. Furthermore, the difference between the conditions (favoring sleep) in lost items was greater than the difference in gain, suggesting that loss prevention may primarily account for the effect of sleep on declarative memory consolidation. This finding may serve as an empirical constraint on theories of memory consolidation.

Emergency nurses' perception of department design as an obstacle to providing end-of-life care.

PubMed

Beckstrand, Renea L; Rasmussen, Ryan J; Luthy, Karlen E; Heaston, Sondra

2012-09-01

Of the 119.2 million visits to the emergency department in 2006, it was estimated that about 249,000 visits resulted in the patient dying or being pronounced dead on arrival. In 2 national studies of emergency nurses' perceptions of end-of-life (EOL) care, ED design was identified as a large and frequent obstacle to providing EOL care. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of ED design on EOL care as perceived by emergency nurses and to determine how much input emergency nurses have on the design of their emergency department. A 25-item questionnaire regarding ED design as it affects EOL care was sent to a national, geographically dispersed, random sample of 500 members of ENA. Inclusion criteria were nurses who could read English, worked in an emergency department, and had cared for at least one patient at the EOL. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the Likert-type and demographic items. Open-ended questions were analyzed using content analysis. Two mailings yielded 198 usable responses. Nurses did not report that ED design was as large an obstacle to EOL care as previous studies had suggested. Nurses reported that the ED design helped EOL care at a greater rate than it obstructed EOL care. Nurses also believed they had little input into unit design or layout changes. The most common request for design change was private places for family members to grieve. Thirteen nurses also responded with an optional drawing of suggested ED designs. Overall, nurses reported some dissatisfaction with ED design and believed they had little to no input in unit design improvement. Improvements to EOL care might be achieved if ED design suggestions from emergency nurses were considered by committees that oversee remodeling and construction of emergency departments. Further research is needed to determine the impact of ED design on EOL care in the emergency department. Copyright © 2012 Emergency Nurses Association. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

The proposed factor structure of temperament and personality in Japan: combining traits from TEMPS-A and MPT.

PubMed

Akiyama, Tsuyoshi; Tsuda, Hitoshi; Matsumoto, Satoko; Miyake, Yuko; Kawamura, Yoshiya; Noda, Toshie; Akiskal, Kareen K; Akiskal, Hagop S

2005-03-01

In Japan, Kraepelin's descriptions on four "fundamental states" of manic depressive illness, the concepts of schizoid temperament by Kretschmer and obsessional and melancholic type temperament by Shimoda and Tellenbach have been widely accepted. This research investigates the construct validity of these temperaments through factor analysis. TEMPS-A measured depressive, cyclothymic, hyperthymic and irritable temperaments and MPT rigidity, esoteric and isolation subscales measured, respectively, melancholic type and schizoid temperaments. Factor analysis was implemented with TEMPS-A alone and TEMPS-A and MPT combined data. With TEMPS-A alone analysis, Factor 1 included 1 depressive, 11 cyclothymic and 12 irritable temperament items with a factor loading higher than 0.4; Factor 2 included 1 depressive and 10 hyperthymic temperament items; and Factor 3 included 2 depressive temperament items only. With TEMPS-A and MPT combined data, Factor 1 included 3 depressive, 11 cyclothymic and 5 irritable temperament items with a factor loading higher than 0.4 (interpreted as the central cyclothymic tendency for all affective temperaments along Kretschmerian lines and accounting for 11.7% of the variance); Factor 2 included 6 hyperthymic temperament items (6.22% of variance); Factor 3 included 1 cyclothymic, 7 irritable and 1 schizoid temperament items (interpreted as the irritable temperament and accounting for 3.24% of the variance); Factor 4 included 1 depressive temperament and 5 melancholic type items (interpreted as the latter, accounting for 2.66% of the variance); Factor 5 included 5 depressive temperament items, along interpersonal sensitivity and passivity lines, and accounting for 2.31% of the variance; and Factor 6 included 4 schizoid temperament items accounting for 2.07% of the variance. We did not use the Kasahara scale, which some believe to better capture the Japanese melancholic type. Sample was 70% male. These analyses confirm the factor validity of depressive, hyperthymic, cyclothymic and irritable temperaments (TEMPS-A), as well as the melancholic type and the schizoid temperament (MPT). Traits of the depressive and melancholic types emerge as rather distinct. Indeed, our results permit the delineation of an interpersonally sensitive type that "gives in to others" as the core features of the depressive temperament; this is to be contrasted with the higher functioning, perfectionistic, work-oriented melancholic type. Mood dysregulation is represented by the largest number of traits in this population. Contrary to a widely held belief that the melancholic type with its devotion to work and to others is the signature temperament in Japan, cyclothymic traits account for the largest variance in this nonclinical population. Hyperthymic temperament, melancholic type and schizoid temperaments appear largely independent of mood dysregulation. In this Japanese population, TEMPS-A may identify temperament constructs more comprehensively when implemented with melancholic type and schizoid temperament question items added to it. The proposed new Japanese Temperament and Personality (JTP) Scale has self-rated items divided into six subscales.

Measuring grief and loss after spinal cord injury: Development, validation and psychometric characteristics of the SCI-QOL Grief and Loss item bank and short form

PubMed Central

Kalpakjian, Claire Z.; Tulsky, David S.; Kisala, Pamela A.; Bombardier, Charles H.

2015-01-01

Objective To develop an item response theory (IRT) calibrated Grief and Loss item bank as part of the Spinal Cord Injury – Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) measurement system. Design A literature review guided framework development of grief/loss. New items were created from focus groups. Items were revised based on expert review and patient feedback and were then field tested. Analyses included confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), graded response IRT modeling and evaluation of differential item functioning (DIF). Setting We tested a 20-item pool at several rehabilitation centers across the United States, including the University of Michigan, Kessler Foundation, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, the University of Washington, Craig Hospital and the James J. Peters/Bronx Department of Veterans Affairs hospital. Participants A total of 717 individuals with SCI answered the grief and loss questions. Results The final calibrated item bank resulted in 17 retained items. A unidimensional model was observed (CFI = 0.976; RMSEA = 0.078) and measurement precision was good (theta range between −1.48 to 2.48). Ten items were flagged for DIF, however, after examination of effect sizes found this to be negligible with little practical impact on score estimates. Conclusions This study indicates that the SCI-QOL Grief and Loss item bank represents a psychometrically robust measurement tool. Short form items are also suggested and computer adaptive tests are available. PMID:26010969

78 FR 77475 - National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-23

... items including the National Pain Strategy, a searchable data base for the Federally-funded pain... Committee business items including the National Pain Strategy, a searchable data base for the Federally...

Psychometric evaluation of an item bank for computerized adaptive testing of the EORTC QLQ-C30 cognitive functioning dimension in cancer patients.

PubMed

Dirven, Linda; Groenvold, Mogens; Taphoorn, Martin J B; Conroy, Thierry; Tomaszewski, Krzysztof A; Young, Teresa; Petersen, Morten Aa

2017-11-01

The European Organisation of Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Group is developing computerized adaptive testing (CAT) versions of all EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30) scales with the aim to enhance measurement precision. Here we present the results on the field-testing and psychometric evaluation of the item bank for cognitive functioning (CF). In previous phases (I-III), 44 candidate items were developed measuring CF in cancer patients. In phase IV, these items were psychometrically evaluated in a large sample of international cancer patients. This evaluation included an assessment of dimensionality, fit to the item response theory (IRT) model, differential item functioning (DIF), and measurement properties. A total of 1030 cancer patients completed the 44 candidate items on CF. Of these, 34 items could be included in a unidimensional IRT model, showing an acceptable fit. Although several items showed DIF, these had a negligible impact on CF estimation. Measurement precision of the item bank was much higher than the two original QLQ-C30 CF items alone, across the whole continuum. Moreover, CAT measurement may on average reduce study sample sizes with about 35-40% compared to the original QLQ-C30 CF scale, without loss of power. A CF item bank for CAT measurement consisting of 34 items was established, applicable to various cancer patients across countries. This CAT measurement system will facilitate precise and efficient assessment of HRQOL of cancer patients, without loss of comparability of results.

Calorie Changes in Large Chain Restaurants

PubMed Central

Bleich, Sara N.; Wolfson, Julia A.; Jarlenski, Marian P.

2015-01-01

Introduction Large chain restaurants reduced the number of calories in newly introduced menu items in 2013 by about 60 calories (or 12%) relative to 2012. This paper describes trends in calories available in large U.S. chain restaurants to understand whether previously documented patterns persist. Methods Data (a census of items for included restaurants) were obtained from the MenuStat project. This analysis included 66 of the 100 largest U.S. restaurants that are available in all three 3 of the data (2012–2014; N=23,066 items). Generalized linear models were used to examine: (1) per-item calorie changes from 2012 to 2014 among items on the menu in all years; and (2) mean calories in new items in 2013 and 2014 compared with items on the menu in 2012 only. Data were analyzed in 2014. Results Overall, calories in newly introduced menu items declined by 71 (or 15%) from 2012 to 2013 (p=0.001) and by 69 (or 14%) from 2012 to 2014 (p=0.03). These declines were concentrated mainly in new main course items (85 fewer calories in 2013 and 55 fewer calories in 2014; p=0.01). Although average calories in newly introduced menu items are declining, they are higher than items common to the menu in all 3 years. No differences in mean calories among items on menus in 2012, 2013, or 2014 were found. Conclusions The previously observed declines in newly introduced menu items among large restaurant chains have been maintained, which suggests the beginning of a trend toward reducing calories. PMID:26163168

Development of a testlet generator in re-engineering the Indonesian physics national-exams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mindyarto, Budi Naini; Mardapi, Djemari; Bastari

2017-08-01

The Indonesian Physics national-exams are end-of-course summative assessments that could be utilized to support the assessment for learning in physics educations. This paper discusses the development and evaluation of a testlet generator based on a re-engineering of Indonesian physics national exams. The exam problems were dissected and decomposed into testlets revealing the deeper understanding of the underlying physical concepts by inserting a qualitative question and its scientific reasoning question. A template-based generator was built to facilitate teachers in generating testlet variants that would be more conform to students' scientific attitude development than their original simple multiple-choice formats. The testlet generator was built using open source software technologies and was evaluated focusing on the black-box testing by exploring the generator's execution, inputs and outputs. The results showed the correctly-performed functionalities of the developed testlet generator in validating inputs, generating testlet variants, and accommodating polytomous item characteristics.

Experience with a sophisticated computer based authoring system

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

Gardner, P.R.

1984-04-01

In the November 1982 issue of ADCIS SIG CBT Newsletter the editor arrives at two conclusions regarding Computer Based Authoring Systems (CBAS): (1) CBAS drastically reduces programming time and the need for expert programmers, and (2) CBAS appears to have minimal impact on initial lesson design. Both of these comments have significant impact on any Cost-Benefit analysis for Computer-Based Training. The first tends to improve cost-effectiveness but only toward the limits imposed by the second. Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) recently purchased a sophisticated CBAS, the WISE/SMART system from Wicat (Orem, UT), for use in the Nuclear Power Industry. This reportmore » details our experience with this system relative to Items (1) and (2) above; lesson design time will be compared with lesson input time. Also provided will be the WHC experience in the use of subject matter experts (though computer neophytes) for the design and inputting of CBT materials.« less

Tracing lead contamination in foods in the city of Kolkata, India.

PubMed

Das, Avijit; Krishna, Kvss; Kumar, Rajeev; Das, Anindya; Sengupta, Siladitya; Ghosh, Joy Gopal

2016-11-01

Lead isotopic ratios (LIR) of eight common food items, street dust, coal, diesel, sediments, lead ore and rainwater from India have been reported for the first time in this paper. This study characterized the source and extent of lead pollution in the different foodstuff consumed in Kolkata, a major metropolis of eastern India. The atmospheric lead input to the food items, sold openly in busy roadside markets of the city, has been quantified. The mean 207/206 and 208/206 LIRs of the eight food items ranged from 0.8847 to 0.8924 and 2.145 to 2.167, respectively. Diesel had the highest mean 207/206 and 208/206 values of 0.9015 and 2.1869, respectively, apart from the lead ore. The food items had a mean lead concentration between 3.78 and 43.35 mg kg -1 . The two ratio scatter plots of all the different environmental matrices were spread linearly between the uncontaminated Ichapur sediment and diesel. The 207/206 LIRs of the coal with a mean of 0.8777 did not fall in the linear trend, while the street dust and food samples overlapped strongly. The rainwater sample had a 207/206 LIR of 0.9007. Contaminated sediments in Dhapa, the repository of the city's municipal garbage, had a mean 207/206 LIR of 0.8658. The corresponding value obtained from the sewage-fed vegetable grown there was 0.8058. The present study indicated that diesel was one of the main contributor to Pb pollution. The atmospheric lead contribution to the food items was in the range of 68.48-86.66 %.

Optimal segmentation and packaging process

DOEpatents

Kostelnik, Kevin M.; Meservey, Richard H.; Landon, Mark D.

1999-01-01

A process for improving packaging efficiency uses three dimensional, computer simulated models with various optimization algorithms to determine the optimal segmentation process and packaging configurations based on constraints including container limitations. The present invention is applied to a process for decontaminating, decommissioning (D&D), and remediating a nuclear facility involving the segmentation and packaging of contaminated items in waste containers in order to minimize the number of cuts, maximize packaging density, and reduce worker radiation exposure. A three-dimensional, computer simulated, facility model of the contaminated items are created. The contaminated items are differentiated. The optimal location, orientation and sequence of the segmentation and packaging of the contaminated items is determined using the simulated model, the algorithms, and various constraints including container limitations. The cut locations and orientations are transposed to the simulated model. The contaminated items are actually segmented and packaged. The segmentation and packaging may be simulated beforehand. In addition, the contaminated items may be cataloged and recorded.

Self-reported walking ability predicts functional mobility performance in frail older adults.

PubMed

Alexander, N B; Guire, K E; Thelen, D G; Ashton-Miller, J A; Schultz, A B; Grunawalt, J C; Giordani, B

2000-11-01

To determine how self-reported physical function relates to performance in each of three mobility domains: walking, stance maintenance, and rising from chairs. Cross-sectional analysis of older adults. University-based laboratory and community-based congregate housing facilities. Two hundred twenty-one older adults (mean age, 79.9 years; range, 60-102 years) without clinical evidence of dementia (mean Folstein Mini-Mental State score, 28; range, 24-30). We compared the responses of these older adults on a questionnaire battery used by the Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (EPESE) project, to performance on mobility tasks of graded difficulty. Responses to the EPESE battery included: (1) whether assistance was required to perform seven Katz activities of daily living (ADL) items, specifically with walking and transferring; (2) three Rosow-Breslau items, including the ability to walk up stairs and walk a half mile; and (3) five Nagi items, including difficulty stooping, reaching, and lifting objects. The performance measures included the ability to perform, and time taken to perform, tasks in three summary score domains: (1) walking ("Walking," seven tasks, including walking with an assistive device, turning, stair climbing, tandem walking); (2) stance maintenance ("Stance," six tasks, including unipedal, bipedal, tandem, and maximum lean); and (3) chair rise ("Chair Rise," six tasks, including rising from a variety of seat heights with and without the use of hands for assistance). A total score combines scores in each Walking, Stance, and Chair Rise domain. We also analyzed how cognitive/ behavioral factors such as depression and self-efficacy related to the residuals from the self-report and performance-based ANOVA models. Rosow-Breslau items have the strongest relationship with the three performance domains, Walking, Stance, and Chair Rise (eta-squared ranging from 0.21 to 0.44). These three performance domains are as strongly related to one Katz ADL item, walking (eta-squared ranging from 0.15 to 0.33) as all of the Katz ADL items combined (eta-squared ranging from 0.21 to 0.35). Tests of problem solving and psychomotor speed, the Trails A and Trails B tests, are significantly correlated with the residuals from the self-report and performance-based ANOVA models. Compared with the rest of the EPESE self-report items, self-report items related to walking (such as Katz walking and Rosow-Breslau items) are better predictors of functional mobility performance on tasks involving walking, stance maintenance, and rising from chairs. Compared with other self-report items, self-reported walking ability may be the best predictor of overall functional mobility.

The Effects of Testlets on Reliability and Differential Item Functioning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teker, Gulsen Tasdelen; Dogan, Nuri

2015-01-01

Reliability and differential item functioning (DIF) analyses were conducted on testlets displaying local item dependence in this study. The data set employed in the research was obtained from the answers given by 1,500 students to the 20 items included in six testlets given in English Proficiency Exam by the School of Foreign Languages of a state…

A Comparison of Alternate-Choice and True-False Item Forms Used in Classroom Examinations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maihoff, N. A.; Mehrens, Wm. A.

A comparison is presented of alternate-choice and true-false item forms used in an undergraduate natural science course. The alternate-choice item is a modified two-choice multiple-choice item in which the two responses are included within the question stem. This study (1) compared the difficulty level, discrimination level, reliability, and…

Estimation of Item Response Theory Parameters in the Presence of Missing Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finch, Holmes

2008-01-01

Missing data are a common problem in a variety of measurement settings, including responses to items on both cognitive and affective assessments. Researchers have shown that such missing data may create problems in the estimation of item difficulty parameters in the Item Response Theory (IRT) context, particularly if they are ignored. At the same…

Examination of Different Item Response Theory Models on Tests Composed of Testlets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kogar, Esin Yilmaz; Kelecioglu, Hülya

2017-01-01

The purpose of this research is to first estimate the item and ability parameters and the standard error values related to those parameters obtained from Unidimensional Item Response Theory (UIRT), bifactor (BIF) and Testlet Response Theory models (TRT) in the tests including testlets, when the number of testlets, number of independent items, and…

Missouri Assessment Program (MAP), Spring 2000: High School Health/Physical Education, Released Items, Grade 9.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Missouri State Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education, Jefferson City.

This document presents 10 released items from the Health/Physical Education Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) test given in the spring of 2000 to ninth graders. Items from the test sessions include: selected-response (multiple choice), constructed-response, and a performance event. The selected-response items consist of individual questions…

Development of an Instrument for Measuring Self-Efficacy in Cell Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reeve, Suzanne; Kitchen, Elizabeth; Sudweeks, Richard R.; Bell, John D.; Bradshaw, William S.

2011-01-01

This article describes the development of a ten-item scale to assess biology majors' self-efficacy towards the critical thinking and data analysis skills taught in an upper-division cell biology course. The original seven-item scale was expanded to include three additional items based on the results of item analysis. Evidence of reliability and…

The Effect of Including or Excluding Students with Testing Accommodations on IRT Calibrations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karkee, Thakur; Lewis, Dan M.; Barton, Karen; Haug, Carolyn

This study aimed to determine the degree to which the inclusion of accommodated students with disabilities in the calibration sample affects the characteristics of item parameters and the test results. Investigated were effects on test reliability, item fit to the applicable item response theory (IRT) model, item parameter estimates, and students'…

An Empirical Investigation of Methods for Assessing Item Fit for Mixed Format Tests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chon, Kyong Hee; Lee, Won-Chan; Ansley, Timothy N.

2013-01-01

Empirical information regarding performance of model-fit procedures has been a persistent need in measurement practice. Statistical procedures for evaluating item fit were applied to real test examples that consist of both dichotomously and polytomously scored items. The item fit statistics used in this study included the PARSCALE's G[squared],…

Development and psychometric characteristics of the SCI-QOL Bladder Management Difficulties and Bowel Management Difficulties item banks and short forms and the SCI-QOL Bladder Complications scale.

PubMed

Tulsky, David S; Kisala, Pamela A; Tate, Denise G; Spungen, Ann M; Kirshblum, Steven C

2015-05-01

To describe the development and psychometric properties of the Spinal Cord Injury--Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) Bladder Management Difficulties and Bowel Management Difficulties item banks and Bladder Complications scale. Using a mixed-methods design, a pool of items assessing bladder and bowel-related concerns were developed using focus groups with individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) and SCI clinicians, cognitive interviews, and item response theory (IRT) analytic approaches, including tests of model fit and differential item functioning. Thirty-eight bladder items and 52 bowel items were tested at the University of Michigan, Kessler Foundation Research Center, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, the University of Washington, Craig Hospital, and the James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY. Seven hundred fifty-seven adults with traumatic SCI. The final item banks demonstrated unidimensionality (Bladder Management Difficulties CFI=0.965; RMSEA=0.093; Bowel Management Difficulties CFI=0.955; RMSEA=0.078) and acceptable fit to a graded response IRT model. The final calibrated Bladder Management Difficulties bank includes 15 items, and the final Bowel Management Difficulties item bank consists of 26 items. Additionally, 5 items related to urinary tract infections (UTI) did not fit with the larger Bladder Management Difficulties item bank but performed relatively well independently (CFI=0.992, RMSEA=0.050) and were thus retained as a separate scale. The SCI-QOL Bladder Management Difficulties and Bowel Management Difficulties item banks are psychometrically robust and are available as computer adaptive tests or short forms. The SCI-QOL Bladder Complications scale is a brief, fixed-length outcomes instrument for individuals with a UTI.

Calorie Changes in Large Chain Restaurants: Declines in New Menu Items but Room for Improvement.

PubMed

Bleich, Sara N; Wolfson, Julia A; Jarlenski, Marian P

2016-01-01

Large chain restaurants reduced the number of calories in newly introduced menu items in 2013 by about 60 calories (or 12%) relative to 2012. This paper describes trends in calories available in large U.S. chain restaurants to understand whether previously documented patterns persist. Data (a census of items for included restaurants) were obtained from the MenuStat project. This analysis included 66 of the 100 largest U.S. restaurants that are available in all three of the data years (2012-2014; N=23,066 items). Generalized linear models were used to examine: (1) per-item calorie changes from 2012 to 2014 among items on the menu in all years; and (2) mean calories in new items in 2013 and 2014 compared with items on the menu in 2012 only. Data were analyzed in 2014. Overall, calories in newly introduced menu items declined by 71 (or 15%) from 2012 to 2013 (p=0.001) and by 69 (or 14%) from 2012 to 2014 (p=0.03). These declines were concentrated mainly in new main course items (85 fewer calories in 2013 and 55 fewer calories in 2014; p=0.01). Although average calories in newly introduced menu items are declining, they are higher than items common to the menu in all 3 years. No differences in mean calories among items on menus in 2012, 2013, or 2014 were found. The previously observed declines in newly introduced menu items among large restaurant chains have been maintained, which suggests the beginning of a trend toward reducing calories. Copyright © 2016 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hybrid powertrain system

DOEpatents

Hughes, Douglas A.

2006-08-01

A powertrain system is provided that includes a first prime mover and change-gear transmission having a first input shaft and a second input shaft. A twin clutch is disposed between the first prime mover and the transmission. The twin clutch includes a first main clutch positioned between the first prime mover and the first input shaft and a second main clutch positioned between the first prime mover and the second input shaft. The powertrain system also includes a second prime mover operably connected to one of the first and second input shafts.

Hybrid powertrain system

DOEpatents

Hughes, Douglas A.

2007-09-25

A powertrain system is provided that includes a first prime mover and change-gear transmission having a first input shaft and a second input shaft. A twin clutch is disposed between the first prime mover and the transmission. The twin clutch includes a first main clutch positioned between the first prime mover and the first input shaft and a second main clutch positioned between the first prime mover and the second input shaft. The powertrain system also includes a second prime mover operably connected to one of the first and second input shafts.

Method of data mining including determining multidimensional coordinates of each item using a predetermined scalar similarity value for each item pair

DOEpatents

Meyers, Charles E.; Davidson, George S.; Johnson, David K.; Hendrickson, Bruce A.; Wylie, Brian N.

1999-01-01

A method of data mining represents related items in a multidimensional space. Distance between items in the multidimensional space corresponds to the extent of relationship between the items. The user can select portions of the space to perceive. The user also can interact with and control the communication of the space, focusing attention on aspects of the space of most interest. The multidimensional spatial representation allows more ready comprehension of the structure of the relationships among the items.

Introducing Laboratory Safety.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeLorenzo, Ronald

1985-01-01

Presents a simple, 10-item quiz designed to make students aware that they must learn laboratory safety. The items include questions on acid/base accidents, several types of fire extinguishers, and safety glassses. Answers and some explanations are included. (DH)

Phase III study of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer satisfaction with cancer care core questionnaire (EORTC PATSAT-C33) and specific complementary outpatient module (EORTC OUT-PATSAT7).

PubMed

Brédart, A; Anota, A; Young, T; Tomaszewski, K A; Arraras, J I; Moura De Albuquerque Melo, H; Schmidt, H; Friend, E; Bergenmar, M; Costantini, A; Vassiliou, V; Hureaux, J; Marchal, F; Tomaszewska, I M; Chie, W-C; Ramage, J; Beaudeau, A; Conroy, T; Bleiker, E; Kulis, D; Bonnetain, F; Aaronson, N K

2018-01-01

Advances in cancer care delivery require revision and further development of questionnaires assessing patients' perceived quality of care. This study pre-tested the revised EORTC satisfaction with cancer care core questionnaire applicable in both the cancer inpatient and outpatient settings, and its new, outpatient-specific complementary module. The process of revision, development of the extended application, and pre-testing of these questionnaires was based on phases I to III of the "EORTC Quality of Life Group Module Development Guidelines." In phase III, patients in 11 countries in four European regions, South America and Asia completed provisional versions of the questionnaires. Fifty-seven relevant issues selected from literature reviews and input from experts were operationalized into provisional items, and subsequently translated into ten languages. Assessment of understanding, acceptability, redundancy and relevance by patients (n = 151) from oncology inpatient wards, and outpatient chemotherapy, radiotherapy and consultation settings, led to retention of, deletion of and merging of 40, 14 and 6 items respectively. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for hypothesized questionnaire scales were above 0.80. Our results provide preliminary support for the 33-item EORTC Satisfaction with cancer care core questionnaire and the 7-item complementary module specific for the outpatient care setting. A large scale phase IV cross-cultural psychometric study is now underway. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Marine litter on the seafloor of the Faial-Pico Passage, Azores Archipelago.

PubMed

Rodríguez, Yasmina; Pham, Christopher K

2017-03-15

Plastic pollution in the marine environment attracts much attention from both researchers and the general public. Plastic items and other debris are commonly observed everywhere in the ocean, from the surface down to the deep ocean floor. In this study, we analysed 45.2km of video footage, collected during 56 transects surveying the seafloor of the Faial-Pico Passage in order to quantify the abundance of marine litter and its interactions with benthic fauna. The footage was collected by a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) and a manned submersible at depths ranging between 40 and 525m. The mean litter density in the passage was 0.26±0.03 items·100m -1 (±SE) and was significantly higher between 151 and 250m compared to other depth strata. Overall, derelict fishing gear, mostly made of plastic, were the most common objects found on the seafloor, representing 64% of all items. Although we observed few evidence of direct deleterious effects by the litter, interactions with fauna were observed in more than half of the items. This study makes an important contribution in quantifying the abundance of marine litter on the seafloor of the Azores. The location of the Faial-Pico Passage, close to shore, makes it an appropriate site for long-term monitoring of litter on the seafloor and evaluate the efficiency of upcoming public policies aimed at reducing litter input into the oceans. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Validation of Caregiver-Centered Delirium Detection Tools: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Rosgen, Brianna; Krewulak, Karla; Demiantschuk, Danielle; Ely, E Wesley; Davidson, Judy E; Stelfox, Henry T; Fiest, Kirsten M

2018-04-18

To summarize the validity of caregiver-centered delirium detection tools in hospitalized adults and assess associated patient and caregiver outcomes. Systematic review. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Scopus from inception to May 15, 2017. Hospitalized adults. Caregiver-centered delirium detection tools. We drafted a protocol from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Two reviewers independently completed abstract and full-text review, data extraction, and quality assessment. We summarized findings using descriptive statistics including mean, median, standard deviation, range, frequencies (percentages), and Cohen's kappa. Studies that reported on the validity of caregiver-centered delirium detection tools or associated patient and caregiver outcomes and were cohort or cross-sectional in design were included. We reviewed 6,056 titles and abstracts, included 6 articles, and identified 6 caregiver-centered tools. All tools were designed to be administered in several minutes or less and had 11 items or fewer. Three tools were caregiver administered (completed independently by caregivers): Family Confusion Assessment Method (FAM-CAM), Informant Assessment of Geriatric Delirium (I-AGeD), and Sour Seven. Three tools were caregiver informed (administered by a healthcare professional using caregiver input): Single Question in Delirium (SQiD), Single Screening Question Delirium (SSQ-Delirium), and Stressful Caregiving Response to Experiences of Dying. Caregiver-administered tools had better psychometric properties (FAM-CAM sensitivity 75%, 95% confidence interval (CI)=35-95%, specificity 91%, 95% CI=74-97%; Sour Seven positive predictive value 89.5%, negative predictive value 90%) than caregiver-informed tools (SQiD: sensitivity 80%, 95% CI=28.4-99.5%; specificity 71%, 95% CI=41.9-91.6%; SSQ-Delirium sensitivity 79.6%, specificity 56.1%). Delirium detection is essential for appropriate delirium management. Caregiver-centered delirium detection tools show promise in improving delirium detection and associated patient and caregiver outcomes. Comparative studies using larger sample sizes and multiple centers are required to determine validity and reliability characteristics. © 2018, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2018, The American Geriatrics Society.

High dynamic range charge measurements

DOEpatents

De Geronimo, Gianluigi

2012-09-04

A charge amplifier for use in radiation sensing includes an amplifier, at least one switch, and at least one capacitor. The switch selectively couples the input of the switch to one of at least two voltages. The capacitor is electrically coupled in series between the input of the amplifier and the input of the switch. The capacitor is electrically coupled to the input of the amplifier without a switch coupled therebetween. A method of measuring charge in radiation sensing includes selectively diverting charge from an input of an amplifier to an input of at least one capacitor by selectively coupling an output of the at least one capacitor to one of at least two voltages. The input of the at least one capacitor is operatively coupled to the input of the amplifier without a switch coupled therebetween. The method also includes calculating a total charge based on a sum of the amplified charge and the diverted charge.

The effect of linguistic and visual salience in visual world studies.

PubMed

Cavicchio, Federica; Melcher, David; Poesio, Massimo

2014-01-01

Research using the visual world paradigm has demonstrated that visual input has a rapid effect on language interpretation tasks such as reference resolution and, conversely, that linguistic material-including verbs, prepositions and adjectives-can influence fixations to potential referents. More recent research has started to explore how this effect of linguistic input on fixations is mediated by properties of the visual stimulus, in particular by visual salience. In the present study we further explored the role of salience in the visual world paradigm manipulating language-driven salience and visual salience. Specifically, we tested how linguistic salience (i.e., the greater accessibility of linguistically introduced entities) and visual salience (bottom-up attention grabbing visual aspects) interact. We recorded participants' eye-movements during a MapTask, asking them to look from landmark to landmark displayed upon a map while hearing direction-giving instructions. The landmarks were of comparable size and color, except in the Visual Salience condition, in which one landmark had been made more visually salient. In the Linguistic Salience conditions, the instructions included references to an object not on the map. Response times and fixations were recorded. Visual Salience influenced the time course of fixations at both the beginning and the end of the trial but did not show a significant effect on response times. Linguistic Salience reduced response times and increased fixations to landmarks when they were associated to a Linguistic Salient entity not present itself on the map. When the target landmark was both visually and linguistically salient, it was fixated longer, but fixations were quicker when the target item was linguistically salient only. Our results suggest that the two types of salience work in parallel and that linguistic salience affects fixations even when the entity is not visually present.

System and method to determine electric motor efficiency nonintrusively

DOEpatents

Lu, Bin [Kenosha, WI; Habetler, Thomas G [Snellville, GA; Harley, Ronald G [Lawrenceville, GA

2011-08-30

A system and method for nonintrusively determining electric motor efficiency includes a processor programed to, while the motor is in operation, determine a plurality of stator input currents, electrical input data, a rotor speed, a value of stator resistance, and an efficiency of the motor based on the determined rotor speed, the value of stator resistance, the plurality of stator input currents, and the electrical input data. The determination of the rotor speed is based on one of the input power and the plurality of stator input currents. The determination of the value of the stator resistance is based on at least one of a horsepower rating and a combination of the plurality of stator input currents and the electrical input data. The electrical input data includes at least one of an input power and a plurality of stator input voltages.

The Swedish version of the Acceptance of Chronic Health Conditions Scale for people with multiple sclerosis: Translation, cultural adaptation and psychometric properties.

PubMed

Forslin, Mia; Kottorp, Anders; Kierkegaard, Marie; Johansson, Sverker

2016-11-11

To translate and culturally adapt the Acceptance of Chronic Health Conditions (ACHC) Scale for people with multiple sclerosis into Swedish, and to analyse the psychometric properties of the Swedish version. Ten people with multiple sclerosis participated in translation and cultural adaptation of the ACHC Scale; 148 people with multiple sclerosis were included in evaluation of the psychometric properties of the scale. Translation and cultural adaptation were carried out through translation and back-translation, by expert committee evaluation and pre-test with cognitive interviews in people with multiple sclerosis. The psychometric properties of the Swedish version were evaluated using Rasch analysis. The Swedish version of the ACHC Scale was an acceptable equivalent to the original version. Seven of the original 10 items fitted the Rasch model and demonstrated ability to separate between groups. A 5-item version, including 2 items and 3 super-items, demonstrated better psychometric properties, but lower ability to separate between groups. The Swedish version of the ACHC Scale with the original 10 items did not fit the Rasch model. Two solutions, either with 7 items (ACHC-7) or with 2 items and 3 super-items (ACHC-5), demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties. Use of the ACHC-5 Scale with super-items is recommended, since this solution adjusts for local dependency among items.

The relations between personality characteristics, work environment, and the professional well-being of music therapists.

PubMed

Fowler, Kelly L

2006-01-01

The purpose of this correlational study was to investigate the relations between professional well-being (as characterized by positive attitudes toward work and longevity as a practicing music therapist) and the following factors: age, level of education, income, attitudes regarding the workplace (e.g., perceived control, feeling valued, as well as the amount of perceived comfort and input into administrative policies), attitudes toward work as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (Maslach & Jackson, 1986a), and measures of stress and stress management as measured by the Stress Profile (Nowack, 1999a). Participants included 49 music therapists who had between one to 36 years of work experience. Correlations indicated that those respondents with greatest professional longevity tended to have higher ratings on items regarding cognitive coping strategies (e.g., positive appraisal and threat minimization) and greater perception of personal achievement. These correlational results are related to psychological theories regarding occupational burnout and cognitive hardiness.

Reactivation in Working Memory: An Attractor Network Model of Free Recall

PubMed Central

Lansner, Anders; Marklund, Petter; Sikström, Sverker; Nilsson, Lars-Göran

2013-01-01

The dynamic nature of human working memory, the general-purpose system for processing continuous input, while keeping no longer externally available information active in the background, is well captured in immediate free recall of supraspan word-lists. Free recall tasks produce several benchmark memory phenomena, like the U-shaped serial position curve, reflecting enhanced memory for early and late list items. To account for empirical data, including primacy and recency as well as contiguity effects, we propose here a neurobiologically based neural network model that unifies short- and long-term forms of memory and challenges both the standard view of working memory as persistent activity and dual-store accounts of free recall. Rapidly expressed and volatile synaptic plasticity, modulated intrinsic excitability, and spike-frequency adaptation are suggested as key cellular mechanisms underlying working memory encoding, reactivation and recall. Recent findings on the synaptic and molecular mechanisms behind early LTP and on spiking activity during delayed-match-to-sample tasks support this view. PMID:24023690

The Nombela 2.0 semantic battery: an updated Spanish instrument for the study of semantic processing.

PubMed

Moreno-Martínez, F Javier; Rodríguez-Rojo, Inmaculada C

2015-01-01

In this study, the Nombela 2.0 semantic battery is presented. This is a new version of its earlier precedent: the battery Nombela (I), in an attempt to improve it (dealing with ceiling effects) and reducing the application time by decreasing the number of tasks. The battery is constructed on a common set of 98 stimuli, including both living and nonliving semantic domains. It consists of five tasks designed to explore category specificity by tapping semantic production and comprehension, using both visual and verbal input. All of the items were rated according to Spanish norms, as stated in a previous study of our group, and all of the tasks were matched across domain on six nuisance variables. The present study has two goals: (i) to make available the updated version (2.0) of the Nombela semantic memory battery and (ii) to characterize and compare the neuropsychological profiles of two different patient groups: mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease, with regard to normal controls.

Reactivation in working memory: an attractor network model of free recall.

PubMed

Lansner, Anders; Marklund, Petter; Sikström, Sverker; Nilsson, Lars-Göran

2013-01-01

The dynamic nature of human working memory, the general-purpose system for processing continuous input, while keeping no longer externally available information active in the background, is well captured in immediate free recall of supraspan word-lists. Free recall tasks produce several benchmark memory phenomena, like the U-shaped serial position curve, reflecting enhanced memory for early and late list items. To account for empirical data, including primacy and recency as well as contiguity effects, we propose here a neurobiologically based neural network model that unifies short- and long-term forms of memory and challenges both the standard view of working memory as persistent activity and dual-store accounts of free recall. Rapidly expressed and volatile synaptic plasticity, modulated intrinsic excitability, and spike-frequency adaptation are suggested as key cellular mechanisms underlying working memory encoding, reactivation and recall. Recent findings on the synaptic and molecular mechanisms behind early LTP and on spiking activity during delayed-match-to-sample tasks support this view.

Measuring sexual orientation in adolescent health surveys: evaluation of eight school-based surveys.

PubMed

Saewyc, Elizabeth M; Bauer, Greta R; Skay, Carol L; Bearinger, Linda H; Resnick, Michael D; Reis, Elizabeth; Murphy, Aileen

2004-10-01

To examine the performance of various items measuring sexual orientation within 8 school-based adolescent health surveys in the United States and Canada from 1986 through 1999. Analyses examined nonresponse and unsure responses to sexual orientation items compared with other survey items, demographic differences in responses, tests for response set bias, and congruence of responses to multiple orientation items; analytical methods included frequencies, contingency tables with Chi-square, and ANOVA with least significant differences (LSD)post hoc tests; all analyses were conducted separately by gender. In all surveys, nonresponse rates for orientation questions were similar to other sexual questions, but not higher; younger students, immigrants, and students with learning disabilities were more likely to skip items or select "unsure." Sexual behavior items had the lowest nonresponse, but fewer than half of all students reported sexual behavior, limiting its usefulness for indicating orientation. Item placement in the survey, wording, and response set bias all appeared to influence nonresponse and unsure rates. Specific recommendations include standardizing wording across future surveys, and pilot testing items with diverse ages and ethnic groups of teens before use. All three dimensions of orientation should be assessed where possible; when limited to single items, sexual attraction may be the best choice. Specific wording suggestions are offered for future surveys.

Assessing Psychopathy Among Justice Involved Adolescents with the PCL: YV: An Item Response Theory Examination Across Gender

PubMed Central

Tsang, Siny; Schmidt, Karen M.; Vincent, Gina M.; Salekin, Randall T.; Moretti, Marlene M.; Odgers, Candice L.

2014-01-01

This study used an item response theory (IRT) model and a large adolescent sample of justice involved youth (N = 1,007, 38% female) to examine the item functioning of the Psychopathy Checklist – Youth Version (PCL: YV). Items that were most discriminating (or most sensitive to changes) of the latent trait (thought to be psychopathy) among adolescents included “Glibness/superficial charm”, “Lack of remorse”, and “Need for stimulation”, whereas items that were least discriminating included “Pathological lying”, “Failure to accept responsibility”, and “Lacks goals.” The items “Impulsivity” and “Irresponsibility” were the most likely to be rated high among adolescents, whereas “Parasitic lifestyle”, and “Glibness/superficial charm” were the most likely to be rated low. Evidence of differential item functioning (DIF) on four of the 13 items was found between boys and girls. “Failure to accept responsibility” and “Impulsivity” were endorsed more frequently to describe adolescent girls than boys at similar levels of the latent trait, and vice versa for “Grandiose sense of self-worth” and “Lacks goals.” The DIF findings suggest that four PCL: YV items function differently between boys and girls. PMID:25580672

Overview and current management of computerized adaptive testing in licensing/certification examinations.

PubMed

Seo, Dong Gi

2017-01-01

Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) has been implemented in high-stakes examinations such as the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurses in the United States since 1994. Subsequently, the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians in the United States adopted CAT for certifying emergency medical technicians in 2007. This was done with the goal of introducing the implementation of CAT for medical health licensing examinations. Most implementations of CAT are based on item response theory, which hypothesizes that both the examinee and items have their own characteristics that do not change. There are 5 steps for implementing CAT: first, determining whether the CAT approach is feasible for a given testing program; second, establishing an item bank; third, pretesting, calibrating, and linking item parameters via statistical analysis; fourth, determining the specification for the final CAT related to the 5 components of the CAT algorithm; and finally, deploying the final CAT after specifying all the necessary components. The 5 components of the CAT algorithm are as follows: item bank, starting item, item selection rule, scoring procedure, and termination criterion. CAT management includes content balancing, item analysis, item scoring, standard setting, practice analysis, and item bank updates. Remaining issues include the cost of constructing CAT platforms and deploying the computer technology required to build an item bank. In conclusion, in order to ensure more accurate estimations of examinees' ability, CAT may be a good option for national licensing examinations. Measurement theory can support its implementation for high-stakes examinations.

Overview and current management of computerized adaptive testing in licensing/certification examinations

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) has been implemented in high-stakes examinations such as the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurses in the United States since 1994. Subsequently, the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians in the United States adopted CAT for certifying emergency medical technicians in 2007. This was done with the goal of introducing the implementation of CAT for medical health licensing examinations. Most implementations of CAT are based on item response theory, which hypothesizes that both the examinee and items have their own characteristics that do not change. There are 5 steps for implementing CAT: first, determining whether the CAT approach is feasible for a given testing program; second, establishing an item bank; third, pretesting, calibrating, and linking item parameters via statistical analysis; fourth, determining the specification for the final CAT related to the 5 components of the CAT algorithm; and finally, deploying the final CAT after specifying all the necessary components. The 5 components of the CAT algorithm are as follows: item bank, starting item, item selection rule, scoring procedure, and termination criterion. CAT management includes content balancing, item analysis, item scoring, standard setting, practice analysis, and item bank updates. Remaining issues include the cost of constructing CAT platforms and deploying the computer technology required to build an item bank. In conclusion, in order to ensure more accurate estimations of examinees’ ability, CAT may be a good option for national licensing examinations. Measurement theory can support its implementation for high-stakes examinations. PMID:28811394

Guideline appraisal with AGREE II: online survey of the potential influence of AGREE II items on overall assessment of guideline quality and recommendation for use.

PubMed

Hoffmann-Eßer, Wiebke; Siering, Ulrich; Neugebauer, Edmund A M; Brockhaus, Anne Catharina; McGauran, Natalie; Eikermann, Michaela

2018-02-27

The AGREE II instrument is the most commonly used guideline appraisal tool. It includes 23 appraisal criteria (items) organized within six domains. AGREE II also includes two overall assessments (overall guideline quality, recommendation for use). Our aim was to investigate how strongly the 23 AGREE II items influence the two overall assessments. An online survey of authors of publications on guideline appraisals with AGREE II and guideline users from a German scientific network was conducted between 10th February 2015 and 30th March 2015. Participants were asked to rate the influence of the AGREE II items on a Likert scale (0 = no influence to 5 = very strong influence). The frequencies of responses and their dispersion were presented descriptively. Fifty-eight of the 376 persons contacted (15.4%) participated in the survey and the data of the 51 respondents with prior knowledge of AGREE II were analysed. Items 7-12 of Domain 3 (rigour of development) and both items of Domain 6 (editorial independence) had the strongest influence on the two overall assessments. In addition, Items 15-17 (clarity of presentation) had a strong influence on the recommendation for use. Great variations were shown for the other items. The main limitation of the survey is the low response rate. In guideline appraisals using AGREE II, items representing rigour of guideline development and editorial independence seem to have the strongest influence on the two overall assessments. In order to ensure a transparent approach to reaching the overall assessments, we suggest the inclusion of a recommendation in the AGREE II user manual on how to consider item and domain scores. For instance, the manual could include an a-priori weighting of those items and domains that should have the strongest influence on the two overall assessments. The relevance of these assessments within AGREE II could thereby be further specified.

Better assessment of physical function: item improvement is neglected but essential

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Introduction Physical function is a key component of patient-reported outcome (PRO) assessment in rheumatology. Modern psychometric methods, such as Item Response Theory (IRT) and Computerized Adaptive Testing, can materially improve measurement precision at the item level. We present the qualitative and quantitative item-evaluation process for developing the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Physical Function item bank. Methods The process was stepwise: we searched extensively to identify extant Physical Function items and then classified and selectively reduced the item pool. We evaluated retained items for content, clarity, relevance and comprehension, reading level, and translation ease by experts and patient surveys, focus groups, and cognitive interviews. We then assessed items by using classic test theory and IRT, used confirmatory factor analyses to estimate item parameters, and graded response modeling for parameter estimation. We retained the 20 Legacy (original) Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) and the 10 SF-36's PF-10 items for comparison. Subjects were from rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and healthy aging cohorts (n = 1,100) and a national Internet sample of 21,133 subjects. Results We identified 1,860 items. After qualitative and quantitative evaluation, 124 newly developed PROMIS items composed the PROMIS item bank, which included revised Legacy items with good fit that met IRT model assumptions. Results showed that the clearest and best-understood items were simple, in the present tense, and straightforward. Basic tasks (like dressing) were more relevant and important versus complex ones (like dancing). Revised HAQ-DI and PF-10 items with five response options had higher item-information content than did comparable original Legacy items with fewer response options. IRT analyses showed that the Physical Function domain satisfied general criteria for unidimensionality with one-, two-, three-, and four-factor models having comparable model fits. Correlations between factors in the test data sets were > 0.90. Conclusions Item improvement must underlie attempts to improve outcome assessment. The clear, personally important and relevant, ability-framed items in the PROMIS Physical Function item bank perform well in PRO assessment. They will benefit from further study and application in a wider variety of rheumatic diseases in diverse clinical groups, including those at the extremes of physical functioning, and in different administration modes. PMID:20015354

Better assessment of physical function: item improvement is neglected but essential.

PubMed

Bruce, Bonnie; Fries, James F; Ambrosini, Debbie; Lingala, Bharathi; Gandek, Barbara; Rose, Matthias; Ware, John E

2009-01-01

Physical function is a key component of patient-reported outcome (PRO) assessment in rheumatology. Modern psychometric methods, such as Item Response Theory (IRT) and Computerized Adaptive Testing, can materially improve measurement precision at the item level. We present the qualitative and quantitative item-evaluation process for developing the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Physical Function item bank. The process was stepwise: we searched extensively to identify extant Physical Function items and then classified and selectively reduced the item pool. We evaluated retained items for content, clarity, relevance and comprehension, reading level, and translation ease by experts and patient surveys, focus groups, and cognitive interviews. We then assessed items by using classic test theory and IRT, used confirmatory factor analyses to estimate item parameters, and graded response modeling for parameter estimation. We retained the 20 Legacy (original) Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) and the 10 SF-36's PF-10 items for comparison. Subjects were from rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and healthy aging cohorts (n = 1,100) and a national Internet sample of 21,133 subjects. We identified 1,860 items. After qualitative and quantitative evaluation, 124 newly developed PROMIS items composed the PROMIS item bank, which included revised Legacy items with good fit that met IRT model assumptions. Results showed that the clearest and best-understood items were simple, in the present tense, and straightforward. Basic tasks (like dressing) were more relevant and important versus complex ones (like dancing). Revised HAQ-DI and PF-10 items with five response options had higher item-information content than did comparable original Legacy items with fewer response options. IRT analyses showed that the Physical Function domain satisfied general criteria for unidimensionality with one-, two-, three-, and four-factor models having comparable model fits. Correlations between factors in the test data sets were > 0.90. Item improvement must underlie attempts to improve outcome assessment. The clear, personally important and relevant, ability-framed items in the PROMIS Physical Function item bank perform well in PRO assessment. They will benefit from further study and application in a wider variety of rheumatic diseases in diverse clinical groups, including those at the extremes of physical functioning, and in different administration modes.

Item Banks for Measuring Emotional Distress from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS[R]): Depression, Anxiety, and Anger

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pilkonis, Paul A.; Choi, Seung W.; Reise, Steven P.; Stover, Angela M.; Riley, William T.; Cella, David

2011-01-01

The authors report on the development and calibration of item banks for depression, anxiety, and anger as part of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS[R]). Comprehensive literature searches yielded an initial bank of 1,404 items from 305 instruments. After qualitative item analysis (including focus groups and…

26 CFR 1.1312-1 - Double inclusion of an item of gross income.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 11 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Double inclusion of an item of gross income. 1....1312-1 Double inclusion of an item of gross income. (a) Paragraph (1) of section 1312 applies if the determination requires the inclusion in a taxpayer's gross income of an item which was erroneously included in...

Retention of Esperanto Is Affected by Delay-Interval Task and Item Closure: A Partial Resolution of the Delay-Retention Effect

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brosvic, Gary M.; Epstein, Michael L.; Dihoff, Roberta E.; Cook, Michael L.

2006-01-01

The present studies were undertaken to examine the effects of manipulating delay-interval task (Study 1) and timing of feedback (Study 2) on acquisition and retention. Participants completed a 100-item cumulative final examination, which included 50 items from each laboratory examination, plus 50 entirely new items. Acquisition and retention were…

Development and Content Validation of the Transition Readiness Inventory Item Pool for Adolescent and Young Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer.

PubMed

Schwartz, Lisa A; Hamilton, Jessica L; Brumley, Lauren D; Barakat, Lamia P; Deatrick, Janet A; Szalda, Dava E; Bevans, Katherine B; Tucker, Carole A; Daniel, Lauren C; Butler, Eliana; Kazak, Anne E; Hobbie, Wendy L; Ginsberg, Jill P; Psihogios, Alexandra M; Ver Hoeve, Elizabeth; Tuchman, Lisa K

2017-10-01

The development of the Transition Readiness Inventory (TRI) item pool for adolescent and young adult childhood cancer survivors is described, aiming to both advance transition research and provide an example of the application of NIH Patient Reported Outcomes Information System methods. Using rigorous measurement development methods including mixed methods, patient and parent versions of the TRI item pool were created based on the Social-ecological Model of Adolescent and young adult Readiness for Transition (SMART). Each stage informed development and refinement of the item pool. Content validity ratings and cognitive interviews resulted in 81 content valid items for the patient version and 85 items for the parent version. TRI represents the first multi-informant, rigorously developed transition readiness item pool that comprehensively measures the social-ecological components of transition readiness. Discussion includes clinical implications, the application of TRI and the methods to develop the item pool to other populations, and next steps for further validation and refinement. © The Author 2017. 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

Search systems and computer-implemented search methods

DOEpatents

Payne, Deborah A.; Burtner, Edwin R.; Hampton, Shawn D.; Gillen, David S.; Henry, Michael J.

2017-03-07

Search systems and computer-implemented search methods are described. In one aspect, a search system includes a communications interface configured to access a plurality of data items of a collection, wherein the data items include a plurality of image objects individually comprising image data utilized to generate an image of the respective data item. The search system may include processing circuitry coupled with the communications interface and configured to process the image data of the data items of the collection to identify a plurality of image content facets which are indicative of image content contained within the images and to associate the image objects with the image content facets and a display coupled with the processing circuitry and configured to depict the image objects associated with the image content facets.

Search systems and computer-implemented search methods

DOEpatents

Payne, Deborah A.; Burtner, Edwin R.; Bohn, Shawn J.; Hampton, Shawn D.; Gillen, David S.; Henry, Michael J.

2015-12-22

Search systems and computer-implemented search methods are described. In one aspect, a search system includes a communications interface configured to access a plurality of data items of a collection, wherein the data items include a plurality of image objects individually comprising image data utilized to generate an image of the respective data item. The search system may include processing circuitry coupled with the communications interface and configured to process the image data of the data items of the collection to identify a plurality of image content facets which are indicative of image content contained within the images and to associate the image objects with the image content facets and a display coupled with the processing circuitry and configured to depict the image objects associated with the image content facets.

Item-focussed Trees for the Identification of Items in Differential Item Functioning.

PubMed

Tutz, Gerhard; Berger, Moritz

2016-09-01

A novel method for the identification of differential item functioning (DIF) by means of recursive partitioning techniques is proposed. We assume an extension of the Rasch model that allows for DIF being induced by an arbitrary number of covariates for each item. Recursive partitioning on the item level results in one tree for each item and leads to simultaneous selection of items and variables that induce DIF. For each item, it is possible to detect groups of subjects with different item difficulties, defined by combinations of characteristics that are not pre-specified. The way a DIF item is determined by covariates is visualized in a small tree and therefore easily accessible. An algorithm is proposed that is based on permutation tests. Various simulation studies, including the comparison with traditional approaches to identify items with DIF, show the applicability and the competitive performance of the method. Two applications illustrate the usefulness and the advantages of the new method.

PROCESS KNOWLEDGE DATA GATHERING AND REPORTING IN SUPPORT OF DECOMMISSIONING Health Physics Society Annual Meeting West Palm Beach, Florida June 27, 2011

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

David A. King

2011-06-27

Summary of recent ORAU decommissioning activities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP). Project objective was to generate approved Waste Lot Profiles for legacy facilities scheduled for demolition and shipment to the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility (EMWMF) or appropriate alternate facility. The form and content of process knowledge (PK) reports were developed with input from the EMWMF Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) Attainment Team and regulators. PK may be defined as the knowledge of the design and the history of operations that occurs during the life cycle of a facility (paraphrased from SRNLmore » guidance) - similar to the MARSSIM historical site assessment. Some types of PK data used to decommission ORNL and ETTP facilities include: (1) Design drawings; (2) Historical documents [e.g., History of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory by Thomas (1963) and A Brief History of the Chemical Technical Division (ORNL/M-2733)]; (3) Historical photographs; (4) Radiological survey reports; (5) Facility-specific databases - (a) Spill history, (b) Waste Information Tracking System (WITS), and (c) Hazardous Materials Management Information System (HMMIS); (6) Facility walkdown summary reports; and (7) Living memory data. Facility walkdowns are critical for worker safety planning and to assure on-the-ground-conditions match historical descriptions. For Oak Ridge operations, investigators also document the nature and number of items requiring special handling or disposition planning, such as the following: (1) Items containing polychlorinated biphenyls, asbestos, lead, or refrigerants; (2) Items with physical WAC restriction (e.g., large items, pipes, and concrete); and (3) Too 'hot' for EMWMF. Special emphasis was made to interview facility managers, scientists, technicians, or anyone with direct knowledge of process-related activities. Interviews often led to more contact names and reports but also offered anecdotal accounts of releases, process-related operations, maintenance activities, and other relevant information not addressed in the written record. 'Fun' part of PK data gathering. Often got not-so-useful information such as, 'The operations manager was a jerk and we all hated him.' PK data are used to indicate the presence or absence of contaminants. Multiple lines of investigation are necessary for characterization planning and to help determine which disposal facility is best suited for targeted wastes. The model used by ORAU assisted remediation contractors and EMWMF managers by identifying anomalous waste and items requiring special handling.« less

Construction of In-house Databases in a Corporation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujii, Yohzo

The author outlines the inhouse technical information system, OSTI of Osaka Research Institute, Sumitomo Chemical company as an example of inhouse database construction and use at a chemical industry. This system is to compile database for technical information generated inside the Laboratory and to provide online searching as well as title lists of the latest data output from it aiming at effective use of information among the departments, prevention from overlapped research thema, and support of research activities. The system outline, characteristics, materials to be covered, input items and search examples are described.

Evaluating innovative items for the NCLEX, part I: usability and pilot testing.

PubMed

Wendt, Anne; Harmes, J Christine

2009-01-01

National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) has recently conducted preliminary research on the feasibility of including various types of innovative test questions (items) on the NCLEX. This article focuses on the participants' reactions to and their strategies for interacting with various types of innovative items. Part 2 in the May/June issue will focus on the innovative item templates and evaluation of the statistical characteristics and the level of cognitive processing required to answer the examination items.

7 CFR 2902.50 - Multipurpose cleaners.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GUIDELINES FOR DESIGNATING BIOBASED PRODUCTS FOR FEDERAL PROCUREMENT Designated Items § 2902.50 Multipurpose cleaners. (a) Definition. Products used to clean dirt, grease, and grime from a variety of items in both industrial and domestic settings. This designated item does not include...

Pulmonary rehabilitation referral and participation are commonly influenced by environment, knowledge, and beliefs about consequences: a systematic review using the Theoretical Domains Framework.

PubMed

Cox, Narelle S; Oliveira, Cristino C; Lahham, Aroub; Holland, Anne E

2017-04-01

What are the barriers and enablers of referral, uptake, attendance and completion of pulmonary rehabilitation for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)? Systematic review of qualitative or quantitative studies reporting data relating to referral, uptake, attendance and/or completion in pulmonary rehabilitation. People aged >18years with a diagnosis of COPD and/or their healthcare professionals. Data were extracted regarding the nature of barriers and enablers of pulmonary rehabilitation referral and participation. Extracted data items were mapped to the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). A total of 6969 references were screened, with 48 studies included and 369 relevant items mapped to the TDF. The most frequently represented domain was 'Environment' (33/48 included studies, 37% of mapped items), which included items such as waiting time, burden of illness, travel, transport and health system resources. Other frequently represented domains were 'Knowledge' (18/48 studies, including items such as clinician knowledge of referral processes, patient understanding of rehabilitation content) and 'Beliefs about consequences' (15/48 studies, including items such as beliefs regarding role and safety of exercise, expectations of rehabilitation outcomes). Barriers to referral, uptake, attendance or completion represented 71% (n=183) of items mapped to the TDF. All domains of the TDF were represented; however, items were least frequently coded to the domains of 'Optimism' and 'Memory'. The methodological quality of included studies was fair (mean quality score 9/12, SD 2). Many factors - particularly those related to environment, knowledge, attitudes and behaviours - interact to influence referral, uptake, attendance and completion of pulmonary rehabilitation. Overcoming the challenges associated with the personal and/or healthcare system environment will be imperative to improving access and uptake of pulmonary rehabilitation. PROSPERO CRD42015015976. [Cox NS, Oliveira CC, Lahham A, Holland AE (2017) Pulmonary rehabilitation referral and participation are commonly influenced by environment, knowledge, and beliefs about consequences: a systematic review using the Theoretical Domains Framework. Journal of Physiotherapy 63: 84-93]. Copyright © 2017 Australian Physiotherapy Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Measuring impairments of functioning and health in patients with axial spondyloarthritis by using the ASAS Health Index and the Environmental Item Set: translation and cross-cultural adaptation into 15 languages.

PubMed

Kiltz, U; van der Heijde, D; Boonen, A; Bautista-Molano, W; Burgos-Vargas, R; Chiowchanwisawakit, P; Duruoz, T; El-Zorkany, B; Essers, I; Gaydukova, I; Géher, P; Gossec, L; Grazio, S; Gu, J; Khan, M A; Kim, T J; Maksymowych, W P; Marzo-Ortega, H; Navarro-Compán, V; Olivieri, I; Patrikos, D; Pimentel-Santos, F M; Schirmer, M; van den Bosch, F; Weber, U; Zochling, J; Braun, J

2016-01-01

The Assessments of SpondyloArthritis international society Health Index (ASAS HI) measures functioning and health in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) across 17 aspects of health and 9 environmental factors (EF). The objective was to translate and adapt the original English version of the ASAS HI, including the EF Item Set, cross-culturally into 15 languages. Translation and cross-cultural adaptation has been carried out following the forward-backward procedure. In the cognitive debriefing, 10 patients/country across a broad spectrum of sociodemographic background, were included. The ASAS HI and the EF Item Set were translated into Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai and Turkish. Some difficulties were experienced with translation of the contextual factors indicating that these concepts may be more culturally-dependent. A total of 215 patients with axial SpA across 23 countries (62.3% men, mean (SD) age 42.4 (13.9) years) participated in the field test. Cognitive debriefing showed that items of the ASAS HI and EF Item Set are clear, relevant and comprehensive. All versions were accepted with minor modifications with respect to item wording and response option. The wording of three items had to be adapted to improve clarity. As a result of cognitive debriefing, a new response option 'not applicable' was added to two items of the ASAS HI to improve appropriateness. This study showed that the items of the ASAS HI including the EFs were readily adaptable throughout all countries, indicating that the concepts covered were comprehensive, clear and meaningful in different cultures.

Measuring impairments of functioning and health in patients with axial spondyloarthritis by using the ASAS Health Index and the Environmental Item Set: translation and cross-cultural adaptation into 15 languages

PubMed Central

Kiltz, U; van der Heijde, D; Boonen, A; Bautista-Molano, W; Burgos-Vargas, R; Chiowchanwisawakit, P; Duruoz, T; El-Zorkany, B; Essers, I; Gaydukova, I; Géher, P; Gossec, L; Grazio, S; Gu, J; Khan, M A; Kim, T J; Maksymowych, W P; Marzo-Ortega, H; Navarro-Compán, V; Olivieri, I; Patrikos, D; Pimentel-Santos, F M; Schirmer, M; van den Bosch, F; Weber, U; Zochling, J; Braun, J

2016-01-01

Introduction The Assessments of SpondyloArthritis international society Health Index (ASAS HI) measures functioning and health in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) across 17 aspects of health and 9 environmental factors (EF). The objective was to translate and adapt the original English version of the ASAS HI, including the EF Item Set, cross-culturally into 15 languages. Methods Translation and cross-cultural adaptation has been carried out following the forward–backward procedure. In the cognitive debriefing, 10 patients/country across a broad spectrum of sociodemographic background, were included. Results The ASAS HI and the EF Item Set were translated into Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai and Turkish. Some difficulties were experienced with translation of the contextual factors indicating that these concepts may be more culturally-dependent. A total of 215 patients with axial SpA across 23 countries (62.3% men, mean (SD) age 42.4 (13.9) years) participated in the field test. Cognitive debriefing showed that items of the ASAS HI and EF Item Set are clear, relevant and comprehensive. All versions were accepted with minor modifications with respect to item wording and response option. The wording of three items had to be adapted to improve clarity. As a result of cognitive debriefing, a new response option ‘not applicable’ was added to two items of the ASAS HI to improve appropriateness. Discussion This study showed that the items of the ASAS HI including the EFs were readily adaptable throughout all countries, indicating that the concepts covered were comprehensive, clear and meaningful in different cultures. PMID:27752358

[Impact of passing items above the ceiling on the assessment results of Peabody developmental motor scales].

PubMed

Zhao, Gai; Bian, Yang; Li, Ming

2013-12-18

To analyze the impact of passing items above the roof level in the gross motor subtest of Peabody development motor scales (PDMS-2) on its assessment results. In the subtests of PDMS-2, 124 children from 1.2 to 71 months were administered. Except for the original scoring method, a new scoring method which includes passing items above the ceiling were developed. The standard scores and quotients of the two scoring methods were compared using the independent-samples t test. Only one child could pass the items above the ceiling in the stationary subtest, 19 children in the locomotion subtest, and 17 children in the visual-motor integration subtest. When the scores of these passing items were included in the raw scores, the total raw scores got the added points of 1-12, the standard scores added 0-1 points and the motor quotients added 0-3 points. The diagnostic classification was changed only in two children. There was no significant difference between those two methods about motor quotients or standard scores in the specific subtest (P>0.05). The passing items above a ceiling of PDMS-2 isn't a rare situation. It usually takes place in the locomotion subtest and visual-motor integration subtest. Including these passing items into the scoring system will not make significant difference in the standard scores of the subtests or the developmental motor quotients (DMQ), which supports the original setting of a ceiling established by upassing 3 items in a row. However, putting the passing items above the ceiling into the raw score will improve tracking of children's developmental trajectory and intervention effects.

Investigation of Science Inquiry Items for Use on an Alternate Assessment Based on Modified Achievement Standards Using Cognitive Lab Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickenson, Tammiee S.; Gilmore, Joanna A.; Price, Karen J.; Bennett, Heather L.

2013-01-01

This study evaluated the benefits of item enhancements applied to science-inquiry items for incorporation into an alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards for high school students. Six items were included in the cognitive lab sessions involving both students with and without disabilities. The enhancements (e.g., use of visuals,…

Performance of the Generalized S-X[Superscript 2] Item Fit Index for Polytomous IRT Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kang, Taehoon; Chen, Troy T.

2008-01-01

Orlando and Thissen's S-X[superscript 2] item fit index has performed better than traditional item fit statistics such as Yen' s Q[subscript 1] and McKinley and Mill' s G[superscript 2] for dichotomous item response theory (IRT) models. This study extends the utility of S-X[superscript 2] to polytomous IRT models, including the generalized partial…

Developing a scale to measure "attachment to the local community" in late middle aged individuals.

PubMed

Sakai, Taichi; Omori, Junko; Takahashi, Kazuko; Mitsumori, Yasuko; Kobayashi, Maasa; Ono, Wakanako; Miyazaki, Toshie; Anzai, Hitomi; Saito, Mika

2016-01-01

Objectives This study was conducted to develop a scale for measuring "attachment to the local community" for its use in health services. The scale is also intended to nurture new social relationships in late middle-aged individuals.Methods Thirty items were initially planned to be included in the scale to measure "attachment to the local community", according to a previous study that identified the concept. The study subjects were late middle-aged residents of City B in Prefecture A, located in Tokyo suburbs. From the basic resident register data, 1,000 individuals (local residents in the 50-69 year age group) were selected by a multi-stage random sampling technique, on the basis of their residential area, age, and sex (while maintaining the male to female ratio). An unsigned self-administered questionnaire was distributed to the subjects, and the responses were collected by postal mail. The collected data was analyzed using psychometric study of scale.Results Valid responses were obtained from 583 subjects, and the response rate was 58.3%. In an item analysis, none of the items were rejected. In a subsequent factor analysis, 7 items were eliminated. These items included 2 items with a factor loading of <0.40, 3 items loading on multiple factors and showing a factor loading of ≥0.40, and 2 items with a low factor correlation (0.04-0.16). These items included factors that related to only these 2 items. Consequently, 23 items in the following 4-factor structure were selected as the scale items: "Source of vitality to live life," "Intention to cherish ties with people," "Place where one can be oneself," and "Pride of being a resident." Cronbach's coefficient α for the entire scale of "attachment to the local community" was 0.95, demonstrating internal consistency. We then examined the correlation with an existing scale to measure social support; the results revealed a statistically significant correlation and confirmed criterion-related validity (P<0.001). In addition, the fit indices in a covariance structure analysis showed adequate values.Conclusions The developed scale was considered reliable and appropriate for measuring "attachment to the local community."

75 FR 9814 - Airworthiness Directives; Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica S.A. (EMBRAER) Model ERJ 190-100 STD...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-04

... airplane Airworthiness Limitation Items (ALI), to include new inspections tasks or modification of existing... (ALI), to include new inspections tasks or modification of existing ones and its respective thresholds... resulted in modifications on the airplane Airworthiness Limitation Items (ALI), to include new inspections...

High Performance Input/Output for Parallel Computer Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ligon, W. B.

1996-01-01

The goal of our project is to study the I/O characteristics of parallel applications used in Earth Science data processing systems such as Regional Data Centers (RDCs) or EOSDIS. Our approach is to study the runtime behavior of typical programs and the effect of key parameters of the I/O subsystem both under simulation and with direct experimentation on parallel systems. Our three year activity has focused on two items: developing a test bed that facilitates experimentation with parallel I/O, and studying representative programs from the Earth science data processing application domain. The Parallel Virtual File System (PVFS) has been developed for use on a number of platforms including the Tiger Parallel Architecture Workbench (TPAW) simulator, The Intel Paragon, a cluster of DEC Alpha workstations, and the Beowulf system (at CESDIS). PVFS provides considerable flexibility in configuring I/O in a UNIX- like environment. Access to key performance parameters facilitates experimentation. We have studied several key applications fiom levels 1,2 and 3 of the typical RDC processing scenario including instrument calibration and navigation, image classification, and numerical modeling codes. We have also considered large-scale scientific database codes used to organize image data.

Atmospheric lidar multi-user instrument system definition study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greco, R. V. (Editor)

1980-01-01

A spaceborne lidar system for atmospheric studies was defined. The primary input was the Science Objectives Experiment Description and Evolutionary Flow Document. The first task of the study was to perform an experiment evolutionary analysis of the SEED. The second task was the system definition effort of the instrument system. The third task was the generation of a program plan for the hardware phase. The fourth task was the supporting studies which included a Shuttle deficiency analysis, a preliminary safety hazard analysis, the identification of long lead items, and development studies required. As a result of the study an evolutionary Lidar Multi-User Instrument System (MUIS) was defined. The MUIS occupies a full Spacelab pallet and has a weight of 1300 kg. The Lidar MUIS laser provides a 2 joule frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser that can also pump a tuneable dye laser wide frequency range and bandwidth. The MUIS includes a 1.25 meter diameter aperture Cassegrain receiver, with a moveable secondary mirror to provide precise alignment with the laser. The receiver can transmit the return signal to three single and multiple photomultiple tube detectors by use of a rotating fold mirror. It is concluded that the Lidar MUIS proceed to program implementation.

Taxi driver training in Madagascar: the first step in developing a functioning prehospital emergency care system.

PubMed

Geduld, Heike; Wallis, Lee

2011-09-01

Prehospital care in developing countries is severely lacking. Few countries can afford the relatively expensive formalised Western model of a prehospital emergency medical system. The WHO has highlighted the development of layperson first responder programmes as the most basic step in the development of a functioning prehospital system. To describe the first training programme of its kind, run in Mahajanga, Madagascar. The faculty was invited by Mahajanga Medical School. Local input was taken into account in developing the curriculum. 26 taxi drivers were invited to attend in cooperation with the local municipality. The faculty consisted of five instructors from the Division of Emergency Medicine and EMSSA, plus local doctors from University Hospital Mahajanga. The 1-day course included workshops on prehospital scene management, bleeding and broken bones, immobilisation and patient movement, and labour and delivery. The workshops made use of commonly available items only including packets, string and towels; French and Malagasy translators were available throughout. Both faculty and candidates deemed the course a success and plans for formal evaluation of knowledge and skill retention are underway. Future plans are to continue the training using local instructors and in rural districts.

Language Measures of the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery

PubMed Central

Gershon, Richard C.; Cook, Karon F.; Mungas, Dan; Manly, Jennifer J.; Slotkin, Jerry; Beaumont, Jennifer L.; Weintraub, Sandra

2015-01-01

Language facilitates communication and efficient encoding of thought and experience. Because of its essential role in early childhood development, in educational achievement and in subsequent life adaptation, language was included as one of the subdomains in the NIH Toolbox for the Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB). There are many different components of language functioning, including syntactic processing (i.e., morphology and grammar) and lexical semantics. For purposes of the NIHTB-CB, two tests of language—a picture vocabulary test and a reading recognition test—were selected by consensus based on literature reviews, iterative expert input, and a desire to assess in English and Spanish. NIHTB-CB’s picture vocabulary and reading recognition tests are administered using computer adaptive testing and scored using item response theory. Data are presented from the validation of the English versions in a sample of adults ages 20–85 years (Spanish results will be presented in a future publication). Both tests demonstrated high test–retest reliability and good construct validity compared to corresponding gold-standard measures. Scores on the NIH Toolbox measures were consistent with age-related expectations, namely, growth in language during early development, with relative stabilization into late adulthood. PMID:24960128

[Activities of System Studies and Simulation, Inc.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

Contents include the following: 1. Launch Vehicle Interface Work Performed: a. S3 provided to KSC the new launch inclination targets needed for the April '04 launch date. 2. Prelaunch operations work performed: a. S3 updated the staffing plan for MSFC on-console personnel\\during the Final Countdown prior to launch. 3. Software Assessment Work Performed: a. S3 evaluated and recommended approval for Program Control Board (PCB) proposed change 649 for ground software changes, as well as change 650 and 650A for Stored Program Commands. 4. Education and Public Outreach Work Performed: a. S3 continues to coordinate the effort for the design and fabrication of scale models of the GP-3 for use at the launch site, education forums, and management/technical briefings. S3 also prepared a Change Request for additional funds needed for fabrication of additional scale models. S3 drafted the planned uses of these models, including the possibility of participation in the Boston, MA showings of the traveling Einstein Exhibit. 5. Program Management Support Work Performed: a. S3 prepared the input for and closed three MSFC Centerwide Action Item Tracking Systems (CAITS) actions during this period.

Orienting attention to locations in mental representations

PubMed Central

Astle, Duncan Edward; Summerfield, Jennifer; Griffin, Ivan; Nobre, Anna Christina

2014-01-01

Many cognitive processes depend on our ability to hold information in mind, often well beyond the offset of the original sensory input. The capacity of this ‘visual short-term memory’ (VSTM) is limited to around three to four items. Recent research has demonstrated that the content of VSTM can be modulated by top-down attentional biases. This has been demonstrated using retrodictive spatial cues, termed ‘retro-cues’, which orient participants’ attention to spatial locations within VSTM. In the current paper, we tested whether the use of these cues is modulated by memory load and cue delay. There are a number of important conclusions: i) top-down biases can operate upon very brief iconic traces as well as older VSTM representations (Experiment 1); ii) when operating within capacity, subjects use the cue to prioritize where they initiate their memory search, rather than to discard un-cued items (Experiments 2 and 3); iii) when capacity is exceeded there is little benefit to top-down biasing relative to a neutral condition, however, unattended items are lost, with there being a substantial cost of invalid spatial cueing (Experiment 3); iv) these costs and benefits of orienting spatial attention differ across iconic memory and VSTM representations when VSTM capacity is exceeded (Experiment 4). PMID:21972046

High-Dimensional Brain: A Tool for Encoding and Rapid Learning of Memories by Single Neurons.

PubMed

Tyukin, Ivan; Gorban, Alexander N; Calvo, Carlos; Makarova, Julia; Makarov, Valeri A

2018-03-19

Codifying memories is one of the fundamental problems of modern Neuroscience. The functional mechanisms behind this phenomenon remain largely unknown. Experimental evidence suggests that some of the memory functions are performed by stratified brain structures such as the hippocampus. In this particular case, single neurons in the CA1 region receive a highly multidimensional input from the CA3 area, which is a hub for information processing. We thus assess the implication of the abundance of neuronal signalling routes converging onto single cells on the information processing. We show that single neurons can selectively detect and learn arbitrary information items, given that they operate in high dimensions. The argument is based on stochastic separation theorems and the concentration of measure phenomena. We demonstrate that a simple enough functional neuronal model is capable of explaining: (i) the extreme selectivity of single neurons to the information content, (ii) simultaneous separation of several uncorrelated stimuli or informational items from a large set, and (iii) dynamic learning of new items by associating them with already "known" ones. These results constitute a basis for organization of complex memories in ensembles of single neurons. Moreover, they show that no a priori assumptions on the structural organization of neuronal ensembles are necessary for explaining basic concepts of static and dynamic memories.

Emotion assessment using the NIH Toolbox

PubMed Central

Butt, Zeeshan; Pilkonis, Paul A.; Cyranowski, Jill M.; Zill, Nicholas; Hendrie, Hugh C.; Kupst, Mary Jo; Kelly, Morgen A. R.; Bode, Rita K.; Choi, Seung W.; Lai, Jin-Shei; Griffith, James W.; Stoney, Catherine M.; Brouwers, Pim; Knox, Sarah S.; Cella, David

2013-01-01

One of the goals of the NIH Toolbox for Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function was to identify or develop brief measures of emotion for use in prospective epidemiologic and clinical research. Emotional health has significant links to physical health and exerts a powerful effect on perceptions of life quality. Based on an extensive literature review and expert input, the Emotion team identified 4 central subdomains: Negative Affect, Psychological Well-Being, Stress and Self-Efficacy, and Social Relationships. A subsequent psychometric review identified several existing self-report and proxy measures of these subdomains with measurement characteristics that met the NIH Toolbox criteria. In cases where adequate measures did not exist, robust item banks were developed to assess concepts of interest. A population-weighted sample was recruited by an online survey panel to provide initial item calibration and measure validation data. Participants aged 8 to 85 years completed self-report measures whereas parents/guardians responded for children aged 3 to 12 years. Data were analyzed using a combination of classic test theory and item response theory methods, yielding efficient measures of emotional health concepts. An overview of the development of the NIH Toolbox Emotion battery is presented along with preliminary results. Norming activities led to further refinement of the battery, thus enhancing the robustness of emotional health measurement for researchers using the NIH Toolbox. PMID:23479549

Science Cafés: Engaging Scientists and Community through Health and Science Dialogue

PubMed Central

Ahmed, Syed; Connors, Emily R.; Kissack, Anne; Franco, Zeno

2014-01-01

Abstract Engagement of the community through informal dialogue with researchers and physicians around health and science topics is an important avenue to build understanding and affect health and science literacy. Science Cafés are one model for this casual interchange; however the impact of this approach remains under researched. The Community Engagement Key Function of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute of Southeast Wisconsin hosted a series of Science Cafés in which topics were collaboratively decided upon by input from the community. Topics ranged from Personalized Medicine to Alzheimer's and Dementia to BioMedical Innovation. A systematic evaluation of the impact of Science Cafés on attendees' self‐confidence related to five health and scientific literacy concepts showed statistically significant increases across all items (Mean differences between mean retrospective pre‐scores and post‐scores, one tailed, paired samples t‐test, n = 141, p < .0001 for all items). The internal consistency of the five health and scientific literacy items was excellent (n = 126, α = 0.87). Thematic analysis of attendees' comments provides more nuance about positive experience and suggestions for possible improvements. The evaluation provides important evidence supporting the effectiveness of brief, casual dialogue as a way to increase the public's self‐rated confidence in health and science topics. PMID:24716626

Science cafés: engaging scientists and community through health and science dialogue.

PubMed

Ahmed, Syed; DeFino, Mia C; Connors, Emily R; Kissack, Anne; Franco, Zeno

2014-06-01

Engagement of the community through informal dialogue with researchers and physicians around health and science topics is an important avenue to build understanding and affect health and science literacy. Science Cafés are one model for this casual interchange; however the impact of this approach remains under researched. The Community Engagement Key Function of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute of Southeast Wisconsin hosted a series of Science Cafés in which topics were collaboratively decided upon by input from the community. Topics ranged from Personalized Medicine to Alzheimer's and Dementia to BioMedical Innovation. A systematic evaluation of the impact of Science Cafés on attendees' self-confidence related to five health and scientific literacy concepts showed statistically significant increases across all items (Mean differences between mean retrospective pre-scores and post-scores, one tailed, paired samples t-test, n=141, p<.0001 for all items). The internal consistency of the five health and scientific literacy items was excellent (n=126, α=0.87). Thematic analysis of attendees' comments provides more nuance about positive experience and suggestions for possible improvements. The evaluation provides important evidence supporting the effectiveness of brief, casual dialogue as a way to increase the public's self-rated confidence in health and science topics. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Preliminary Development of an Informational Media Use Measure for Patients with Implanted Defibrillators: Toward a Model of Social-Ecological Assessment of Patient Education and Support.

PubMed

Knoepke, Christopher E; Matlock, Daniel D

2017-11-01

Social work interventions in health care, particularly those that involve working with people being treated for chronic and life-threatening conditions, frequently involve efforts to educate patients about their disease, treatment options, safety planning, medical adherence, and other associated issues. Despite an intuitive notion that patients access information about all of these issues through a variety of media-both inside and outside the clinical encounter, created by professionals and by others-there currently exists no validated means of assessing patients' use of these forms of information. To address this gap, authors first created candidate item measures with input from both physicians and a small group of diverse patients who currently have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), a sophisticated cardiac device for which a trajectory model of social work intervention was recently outlined. Authors then surveyed a group of 205 individuals who have these devices, assessing their use of various media to learn about ICDs. They then conducted factor and item analysis to refine and remove poorly performing items while delineating forms of media use by type. The resultant preliminary measure of informational media use can be further refined and adapted for use with any clinical population. © 2017 National Association of Social Workers.

Processing prosodic structure by adults with language-based learning disability.

PubMed

Bahl, Megha; Plante, Elena; Gerken, LouAnn

2009-01-01

Two experiments investigated the ability of adults with a history of language-based learning disability (hLLD) and their normal language (NL) peers to learn prosodic patterns of a novel language. Participants were exposed to stimuli from an artificial language and tested on items that required generalization of the stress patterns and the hierarchical principles of stress assignment that could be inferred from the input. In Study 1, the NL group successfully generalized the patterns of stress heard during familiarization, but failed to show generalization of the hierarchical principles. The hLLD group performed at chance for both types of generalization items. In Study 2, the intensity of stress elements was increased. The performance of the NL group improved whereas the hLLD groups' performance decreased on both types of generalization items. The results indicate that NL adults are able to successfully abstract the complex hierarchical rules of stress if the prosodic cues are made sufficiently salient, but this same task is difficult for adults with hLLD. The reader will be able to understand: (1) the difference in the ability of hLLD and NL adults to process stress assignment in an implicit learning context and (2) that typical adults can abstract complex hierarchical rules of stress assignment when provided with strong cues.

Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA): Analysis of the manned maneuvering unit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bailey, P. S.

1986-01-01

Results of the Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA) of the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Critical Items List (CIL) are presented. The IOA approach features a top-down analysis of the hardware to determine failure modes, criticality, and potential critical items (PCIs). To preserve indepedence, this analysis was accomplished without reliance upon the results contained within the NASA FMEA/CIL documentation. This report documents the independent analysis results corresponding to the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) hardware. The MMU is a propulsive backpack, operated through separate hand controllers that input the pilot's translational and rotational maneuvering commands to the control electronics and then to the thrusters. The IOA analysis process utilized available MMU hardware drawings and schematics for defining hardware subsystems, assemblies, components, and hardware items. Final levels of detail were evaluated and analyzed for possible failure modes and effects. Criticality was assigned based upon the worst case severity of the effect for each identified failure mode. The IOA analysis of the MMU found that the majority of the PCIs identified are resultant from the loss of either the propulsion or control functions, or are resultant from inability to perform an immediate or future mission. The five most severe criticalities identified are all resultant from failures imposed on the MMU hand controllers which have no redundancy within the MMU.

Power selective optical filter devices and optical systems using same

DOEpatents

Koplow, Jeffrey P

2014-10-07

In an embodiment, a power selective optical filter device includes an input polarizer for selectively transmitting an input signal. The device includes a wave-plate structure positioned to receive the input signal, which includes at least one substantially zero-order, zero-wave plate. The zero-order, zero-wave plate is configured to alter a polarization state of the input signal passing in a manner that depends on the power of the input signal. The zero-order, zero-wave plate includes an entry and exit wave plate each having a fast axis, with the fast axes oriented substantially perpendicular to each other. Each entry wave plate is oriented relative to a transmission axis of the input polarizer at a respective angle. An output polarizer is positioned to receive a signal output from the wave-plate structure and selectively transmits the signal based on the polarization state.

Checklist content on a standardized patient assessment: an ex post facto review.

PubMed

Boulet, John R; van Zanten, Marta; de Champlain, André; Hawkins, Richard E; Peitzman, Steven J

2008-03-01

While checklists are often used to score standardized patient based clinical assessments, little research has focused on issues related to their development or the level of agreement with respect to the importance of specific items. Five physicians independently reviewed checklists from 11 simulation scenarios that were part of the former Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduate's Clinical Skills Assessment and classified the clinical appropriateness of each of the checklist items. Approximately 78% of the original checklist items were judged to be needed, or indicated, given the presenting complaint and the purpose of the assessment. Rater agreement was relatively poor with pairwise associations (Kappa coefficient) ranging from 0.09 to 0.29. However, when only consensus indicated items were included, there was little change in examinee scores, including their reliability over encounters. Although most checklist items in this sample were judged to be appropriate, some could potentially be eliminated, thereby minimizing the scoring burden placed on the standardized patients. Periodic review of checklist items, concentrating on their clinical importance, is warranted.

Optimal segmentation and packaging process

DOEpatents

Kostelnik, K.M.; Meservey, R.H.; Landon, M.D.

1999-08-10

A process for improving packaging efficiency uses three dimensional, computer simulated models with various optimization algorithms to determine the optimal segmentation process and packaging configurations based on constraints including container limitations. The present invention is applied to a process for decontaminating, decommissioning (D and D), and remediating a nuclear facility involving the segmentation and packaging of contaminated items in waste containers in order to minimize the number of cuts, maximize packaging density, and reduce worker radiation exposure. A three-dimensional, computer simulated, facility model of the contaminated items are created. The contaminated items are differentiated. The optimal location, orientation and sequence of the segmentation and packaging of the contaminated items is determined using the simulated model, the algorithms, and various constraints including container limitations. The cut locations and orientations are transposed to the simulated model. The contaminated items are actually segmented and packaged. The segmentation and packaging may be simulated beforehand. In addition, the contaminated items may be cataloged and recorded. 3 figs.

Multiplexer and time duration measuring circuit

DOEpatents

Gray, Jr., James

1980-01-01

A multiplexer device is provided for multiplexing data in the form of randomly developed, variable width pulses from a plurality of pulse sources to a master storage. The device includes a first multiplexer unit which includes a plurality of input circuits each coupled to one of the pulse sources, with all input circuits being disabled when one input circuit receives an input pulse so that only one input pulse is multiplexed by the multiplexer unit at any one time.

Natural interaction for unmanned systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Glenn; Purman, Ben; Schermerhorn, Paul; Garcia-Sampedro, Guillermo; Lanting, Matt; Quist, Michael; Kawatsu, Chris

2015-05-01

Military unmanned systems today are typically controlled by two methods: tele-operation or menu-based, search-andclick interfaces. Both approaches require the operator's constant vigilance: tele-operation requires constant input to drive the vehicle inch by inch; a menu-based interface requires eyes on the screen in order to search through alternatives and select the right menu item. In both cases, operators spend most of their time and attention driving and minding the unmanned systems rather than on being a warfighter. With these approaches, the platform and interface become more of a burden than a benefit. The availability of inexpensive sensor systems in products such as Microsoft Kinect™ or Nintendo Wii™ has resulted in new ways of interacting with computing systems, but new sensors alone are not enough. Developing useful and usable human-system interfaces requires understanding users and interaction in context: not just what new sensors afford in terms of interaction, but how users want to interact with these systems, for what purpose, and how sensors might enable those interactions. Additionally, the system needs to reliably make sense of the user's inputs in context, translate that interpretation into commands for the unmanned system, and give feedback to the user. In this paper, we describe an example natural interface for unmanned systems, called the Smart Interaction Device (SID), which enables natural two-way interaction with unmanned systems including the use of speech, sketch, and gestures. We present a few example applications SID to different types of unmanned systems and different kinds of interactions.

Qualitative Development and Content Validation of the PROMIS Pediatric Sleep Health Items.

PubMed

Bevans, Katherine B; Meltzer, Lisa J; De La Motte, Anna; Kratchman, Amy; Viél, Dominique; Forrest, Christopher B

2018-04-25

To develop the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pediatric Sleep Health item pool and evaluate its content validity. Participants included 8 expert sleep clinician-researchers, 64 children ages 8-17 years, and 54 parents of children ages 5-17 years. We started with item concepts and expressions from the PROMIS Sleep Disturbance and Sleep Related Impairment adult measures. Additional pediatric sleep health concepts were generated by expert (n = 8), child (n = 28), and parent (n = 33) concept elicitation interviews and a systematic review of existing pediatric sleep health questionnaires. Content validity of the item pool was evaluated with item translatability review, readability analysis, and child (n = 36) and parent (n = 21) cognitive interviews. The final pediatric Sleep Health item pool includes 43 items that assess sleep disturbance (children's capacity to fall and stay asleep, sleep quality, dreams, and parasomnias) and sleep-related impairments (daytime sleepiness, low energy, difficulty waking up, and the impact of sleep and sleepiness on cognition, affect, behavior, and daily activities). Items are translatable and relevant and well understood by children ages 8-17 and parents of children ages 5-17. Rigorous qualitative procedures were used to develop and evaluate the content validity of the PROMIS Pediatric Sleep Health item pool. Once the item pool's psychometric properties are established, the scales will be useful for measuring children's subjective experiences of sleep.

Physical function metric over measure: An illustration with the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT).

PubMed

Kaat, Aaron J; Schalet, Benjamin D; Rutsohn, Joshua; Jensen, Roxanne E; Cella, David

2018-01-01

Measuring patient-reported outcomes (PROs) is becoming an integral component of quality improvement initiatives, clinical care, and research studies in cancer, including comparative effectiveness research. However, the number of PROs limits comparability across studies. Herein, the authors attempted to link the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General Physical Well-Being (FACT-G PWB) subscale with the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Physical Function (PF) calibrated item bank. The also sought to augment a subset of the conceptually most similar FACT-G PWB items with PROMIS PF items to improve the linking. Baseline data from 5506 participants in the Measuring Your Health (MY-Health) study were used to identify the optimal items for linking FACT-G PWB with PROMIS PF. A mixed methods approach identified the optimal items for creating the 5-item FACT/PROMIS-PF5 scale. Both the linked and augmented relationships were cross-validated using the follow-up MY-Health data. A 5-item FACT-G PWB item subset was found to be optimal for linking with PROMIS PF. In addition, a 2-item subset, including only items that were conceptually very similar to the PROMIS item bank content, were augmented with 3 PROMIS PF items. This new FACT/PROMIS-PF5 provided superior score recovery. The PROMIS PF metric allows for the evaluation of the extent to which similar questionnaires can be linked and therefore expressed on the same metric. These results allow for the aggregation of existing data and provide an optimal measure for future studies wishing to use the FACT yet also report on the PROMIS PF metric. Cancer 2018;124:153-60. © 2017 American Cancer Society. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Method and system for edge cladding of laser gain media

DOEpatents

Bayramian, Andrew James; Caird, John Allyn; Schaffers, Kathleen Irene

2014-03-25

A gain medium operable to amplify light at a gain wavelength and having reduced transverse ASE includes an input surface and an output surface opposing the input surface. The gain medium also includes a central region including gain material and extending between the input surface and the output surface along a longitudinal optical axis of the gain medium. The gain medium further includes an edge cladding region surrounding the central region and extending between the input surface and the output surface along the longitudinal optical axis of the gain medium. The edge cladding region includes the gain material and a dopant operable to absorb light at the gain wavelength.

Dual side control for inductive power transfer

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

Wu, Hunter; Sealy, Kylee; Gilchrist, Aaron

An apparatus for dual side control includes a measurement module that measures a voltage and a current of an IPT system. The voltage includes an output voltage and/or an input voltage and the current includes an output current and/or an input current. The output voltage and the output current are measured at an output of the IPT system and the input voltage and the input current measured at an input of the IPT system. The apparatus includes a max efficiency module that determines a maximum efficiency for the IPT system. The max efficiency module uses parameters of the IPT systemmore » to iterate to a maximum efficiency. The apparatus includes an adjustment module that adjusts one or more parameters in the IPT system consistent with the maximum efficiency calculated by the max efficiency module.« less

15 CFR 740.12 - Gift parcels and humanitarian donations (GFT).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... destinations, no items controlled for chemical and biological weapons (CB), missile technology (MT), national... (including vitamins); medicines, medical supplies and devices (including hospital supplies and equipment and... hygiene items; seeds; veterinary medicines and supplies; fishing equipment and supplies; soap-making...

15 CFR 740.12 - Gift parcels and humanitarian donations (GFT).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... destinations, no items controlled for chemical and biological weapons (CB), missile technology (MT), national... (including vitamins); medicines, medical supplies and devices (including hospital supplies and equipment and... hygiene items; seeds; veterinary medicines and supplies; fishing equipment and supplies; soap-making...

Student Questionnaire. [Harvard Project Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welch, Wayne W.; Ahlgren, Andrew

This 60-item questionnaire was designed to gather general background information from students who had used the Harvard Project Physics curriculum. The instrument includes three 20-item subscales: (1) attitude toward physics, (2) career interest, and (3) student characteristics. Items are multiple choice (5 options), and the introductory material…

17 CFR 229.1107 - (Item 1107) Issuing entities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false (Item 1107) Issuing entities....1107 (Item 1107) Issuing entities. Provide the following information about the issuing entity: (a) State the issuing entity's name and describe the issuing entity's form of organization, including the...

17 CFR 229.1107 - (Item 1107) Issuing entities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false (Item 1107) Issuing entities....1107 (Item 1107) Issuing entities. Provide the following information about the issuing entity: (a) State the issuing entity's name and describe the issuing entity's form of organization, including the...

17 CFR 210.3A-04 - Intercompany items and transactions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Financial Statements § 210.3A-04 Intercompany items and transactions. In general, there shall be eliminated intercompany items and transactions between persons included in the (a) consolidated financial statements being... FORM AND CONTENT OF AND REQUIREMENTS FOR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, SECURITIES...

Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Climate DEOCS 4.1 Construct Validity Summary

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-08-01

DEOCS, (7) examining variance and descriptive statistics (8) examining the relationship among items/areas to reduce multicollinearity, and (9...selecting items that demonstrate the strongest scale properties. Included is a review of the 4.0 description and items, followed by the proposed...Tables 1 – 7 for the description of each measure and corresponding items. Table 1. DEOCS 4.0 Perceptions of Safety Measure Description

The Value of the Studied Item in the Matching Criterion in Differential Item Functioning (DIF) Analysis. Research Report. ETS RR-10-13

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, Xuan; Xiang, Bihua; Dorans, Neil J.; Qu, Yanxuan

2010-01-01

The nature of the matching criterion (usually the total score) in the study of differential item functioning (DIF) has been shown to impact the accuracy of different DIF detection procedures. One of the topics related to the nature of the matching criterion is whether the studied item should be included. Although many studies exist that suggest…

A Sixteen Item Trait Anxiety Scale for Children and Children, Physiological Sweating, Teaching Approaches and Anxiety. Research Reports, Volume III, Issue IV.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rupnow, Allan A.

Two research reports are included in this document. The first is a study of children's anxiety. A sixteen-item trait anxiety scale was used on a population of students in grades 4 through 6. The first ten items measured anxiety about making mistakes in performing physical education activities, and the remaining six items measured general anxiety.…

Assessment of item-writing flaws in multiple-choice questions.

PubMed

Nedeau-Cayo, Rosemarie; Laughlin, Deborah; Rus, Linda; Hall, John

2013-01-01

This study evaluated the quality of multiple-choice questions used in a hospital's e-learning system. Constructing well-written questions is fraught with difficulty, and item-writing flaws are common. Study results revealed that most items contained flaws and were written at the knowledge/comprehension level. Few items had linked objectives, and no association was found between the presence of objectives and flaws. Recommendations include education for writing test questions.

Elicited Speech from Graph Items on the Test of Spoken English[TM]. Research Reports. Report 74. RR-04-06

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katz, Irvin R.; Xi, Xiaoming; Kim, Hyun-Joo; Cheng, Peter C. H.

2004-01-01

This research applied a cognitive model to identify item features that lead to irrelevant variance on the Test of Spoken English[TM] (TSE[R]). The TSE is an assessment of English oral proficiency and includes an item that elicits a description of a statistical graph. This item type sometimes appears to tap graph-reading skills--an irrelevant…

Innovative Application of a Multidimensional Item Response Model in Assessing the Influence of Social Desirability on the Pseudo-Relationship between Self-Efficacy and Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Kathy; Baranowski, Tom; Thompson, Debbe; Jago, Russell; Baranowski, Janice; Klesges, Lisa M.

2006-01-01

This study examined multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) modeling to assess social desirability (SocD) influences on self-reported physical activity self-efficacy (PASE) and fruit and vegetable self-efficacy (FVSE). The observed sample included 473 Houston-area adolescent males (10-14 years). SocD (nine items), PASE (19 items) and FVSE (21…

Development of a Food Frequency Questionnaire for Assessing Dietary Intake in Children and Adolescents in South America.

PubMed

Saravia, Luisa; González-Zapata, Laura I; Rendo-Urteaga, Tara; Ramos, Jamile; Collese, Tatiana Sadalla; Bove, Isabel; Delgado, Carlos; Tello, Florencia; Iglesia, Iris; Gonçalves Sousa, Ederson Dassler; De Moraes, Augusto César Ferreira; Carvalho, Heráclito Barbosa; Moreno, Luis A

2018-03-01

This study aimed to describe the development of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to assess dietary intake in South American children and adolescents. A total of 345 children (aged 3-10 years) and 357 adolescents (aged 11-17 years) were included for analysis. The FFQ was designed to be self-administered and to assess dietary intake over the past 3 months. It was developed in Spanish and translated into Portuguese. Multiple approaches were considered to compile the food list, and 11 food groups were included. A food photo booklet was produced as supporting material. The FFQ items maintained a common core list among centers (47 items) and country-specific foods. The FFQ for Buenos Aires and Lima had a total of 63 items; there were 55 items for the FFQ in Medelin, 60 items for Montevideo, 58 items for Santiago, 67 items for Sao Paulo, and 68 items for Teresina. Alcohol was also incorporated in the adolescents' FFQ. We developed a semiquantitative, culturally adapted FFQ to assess dietary intake in children and adolescents in South America. It has an optimal size allowing its completion in a high proportion of the population; therefore, it can be used in epidemiological studies with South American children and adolescents. © 2018 The Obesity Society.

A buffer model of memory encoding and temporal correlations in retrieval.

PubMed

Lehman, Melissa; Malmberg, Kenneth J

2013-01-01

Atkinson and Shiffrin's (1968) dual-store model of memory includes structural aspects of memory along with control processes. The rehearsal buffer is a process by which items are kept in mind and long-term episodic traces are formed. The model has been both influential and controversial. Here, we describe a novel variant of Atkinson and Shiffrin's buffer model within the framework of the retrieving effectively from memory theory (REM; Shiffrin & Steyvers, 1997) that accounts for findings previously thought to be difficult for such models to explain. This model assumes a limited-capacity buffer where information is stored about items, along with information about associations between items and between items and the context in which they are studied. The strength of association between items and context is limited by the number of items simultaneously occupying the buffer (Lehman & Malmberg, 2009). The contents of the buffer are managed by complementary processes of rehearsal and compartmentalization (Lehman & Malmberg, 2011). New findings that directly test a priori predictions of the model are reported, including serial position effects and conditional and first recall probabilities in immediate and delayed free recall, in a continuous distractor paradigm, and in experiments using list-length manipulations of single-item and paired-item study lists.

Rasch analysis of the UK Functional Assessment Measure in patients with complex disability after stroke.

PubMed

Medvedev, Oleg N; Turner-Stokes, Lynne; Ashford, Stephen; Siegert, Richard J

2018-02-28

To determine whether the UK Functional Assessment Measure (UK FIM+FAM) fits the Rasch model in stroke patients with complex disability and, if so, to derive a conversion table of Rasch-transformed interval level scores. The sample included a UK multicentre cohort of 1,318 patients admitted for specialist rehabilitation following a stroke. Rasch analysis was conducted for the 30-item scale including 3 domains of items measuring physical, communication and psychosocial functions. The fit of items to the Rasch model was examined using 3 different analytical approaches referred to as "pathways". The best fit was achieved in the pathway where responses from motor, communication and psychosocial domains were summarized into 3 super-items and where some items were split because of differential item functioning (DIF) relative to left and right hemisphere location (χ2 (10) = 14.48, p = 0.15). Re-scoring of items showing disordered thresholds did not significantly improve the overall model fit. The UK FIM+FAM with domain super-items satisfies expectations of the unidimensional Rasch model without the need for re-scoring. A conversion table was produced to convert the total scale scores into interval-level data based on person estimates of the Rasch model. The clinical benefits of interval-transformed scores require further evaluation.

Active suppression of distractors that match the contents of visual working memory

PubMed Central

Sawaki, Risa; Luck, Steven J.

2011-01-01

The biased competition theory proposes that items matching the contents of visual working memory will automatically have an advantage in the competition for attention. However, evidence for an automatic effect has been mixed, perhaps because the memory-driven attentional bias can be overcome by top-down suppression. To test this hypothesis, the Pd component of the event-related potential waveform was used as a marker of attentional suppression. While observers maintained a color in working memory, task-irrelevant probe arrays were presented that contained an item matching the color being held in memory. We found that the memory-matching probe elicited a Pd component, indicating that it was being actively suppressed. This result suggests that sensory inputs matching the information being held in visual working memory are automatically detected and generate an “attend-to-me” signal, but this signal can be overridden by an active suppression mechanism to prevent the actual capture of attention. PMID:22053147

Acoustic and Vibration Environment for Crew Launch Vehicle Mobile Launcher

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vu, Bruce T.

2007-01-01

A launch-induced acoustic environment represents a dynamic load on the exposed facilities and ground support equipment (GSE) in the form of random pressures fluctuating around the ambient atmospheric pressure. In response to these fluctuating pressures, structural vibrations are generated and transmitted throughout the structure and to the equipment items supported by the structure. Certain equipment items are also excited by the direct acoustic input as well as by the vibration transmitted through the supporting structure. This paper presents the predicted acoustic and vibration environments induced by the launch of the Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV) from Launch Complex (LC) 39. The predicted acoustic environment depicted in this paper was calculated by scaling the statistically processed measured data available from Saturn V launches to the anticipated environment of the CLV launch. The scaling was accomplished by using the 5-segment Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) engine parameters. Derivation of vibration environment for various Mobile Launcher (ML) structures throughout the base and tower was accomplished by scaling the Saturn V vibration environment.

The promise and challenge of including multimedia items in medical licensure examinations: some insights from an empirical trial.

PubMed

Shen, Linjun; Li, Feiming; Wattleworth, Roberta; Filipetto, Frank

2010-10-01

The Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination conducted a trial of multimedia items in the 2008-2009 Level 3 testing cycle to determine (1) if multimedia items were able to test additional elements of medical knowledge and skills and (2) how to develop effective multimedia items. Forty-four content-matched multimedia and text multiple-choice items were randomly delivered to Level 3 candidates. Logistic regression and paired-samples t tests were used for pairwise and group-level comparisons, respectively. Nine pairs showed significant differences in either difficulty or/and discrimination. Content analysis found that, if text narrations were less direct, multimedia materials could make items easier. When textbook terminologies were replaced by multimedia presentations, multimedia items could become more difficult. Moreover, a multimedia item was found not uniformly difficult for candidates at different ability levels, possibly because multimedia and text items tested different elements of a same concept. Multimedia items may be capable of measuring some constructs different from what text items can measure. Effective multimedia items with reasonable psychometric properties can be intentionally developed.

XML: James Webb Space Telescope Database Issues, Lessons, and Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Detter, Ryan; Mooney, Michael; Fatig, Curtis

2003-01-01

This paper will present the current concept using extensible Markup Language (XML) as the underlying structure for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) database. The purpose of using XML is to provide a JWST database, independent of any portion of the ground system, yet still compatible with the various systems using a variety of different structures. The testing of the JWST Flight Software (FSW) started in 2002, yet the launch is scheduled for 2011 with a planned 5-year mission and a 5-year follow on option. The initial database and ground system elements, including the commands, telemetry, and ground system tools will be used for 19 years, plus post mission activities. During the Integration and Test (I&T) phases of the JWST development, 24 distinct laboratories, each geographically dispersed, will have local database tools with an XML database. Each of these laboratories database tools will be used for the exporting and importing of data both locally and to a central database system, inputting data to the database certification process, and providing various reports. A centralized certified database repository will be maintained by the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. One of the challenges for the database is to be flexible enough to allow for the upgrade, addition or changing of individual items without effecting the entire ground system. Also, using XML should allow for the altering of the import and export formats needed by the various elements, tracking the verification/validation of each database item, allow many organizations to provide database inputs, and the merging of the many existing database processes into one central database structure throughout the JWST program. Many National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) projects have attempted to take advantage of open source and commercial technology. Often this causes a greater reliance on the use of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS), which is often limiting. In our review of the database requirements and the COTS software available, only very expensive COTS software will meet 90% of requirements. Even with the high projected initial cost of COTS, the development and support for custom code over the 19-year mission period was forecasted to be higher than the total licensing costs. A group did look at reusing existing database tools and formats. If the JWST database was already in a mature state, the reuse made sense, but with the database still needing to handing the addition of different types of command and telemetry structures, defining new spacecraft systems, accept input and export to systems which has not been defined yet, XML provided the flexibility desired. It remains to be determined whether the XML database will reduce the over all cost for the JWST mission.

40 CFR 60.1425 - What must I include in the semiannual out-of-compliance reports?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...)) show emissions above the limits specified in table 1 of this subpart for dioxins/furans, cadmium, lead... units that apply activated carbon to control dioxins/furans or mercury emissions, include two items: (1... mercury and dioxins/furans stack test (as specified in § 60.1370(a)(1)). Include four items: (i) Eight...

The Sound Access Parent Outcomes Instrument (SAPOI): Construction of a new instrument for children with severe multiple disabilities who use cochlear implants or hearing aids.

PubMed

Hayward, Denyse V; Ritter, Kathryn; Mousavi, Amin; Vatanapour, Shabnam

2016-01-01

To report on the Phase 2 development of the Sound Access Parent Outcomes Instrument (SAPOI), a new instrument focused on formalizing outcomes that parents of children with severe multiple disabilities (SMD) who use amplification prioritize as important. Phase 2 of this project involved item selection and refinement of the SAPOI based on (a) Phase 1 study participant input, (b) clinical specialist feedback, and (c) test-retest instrument reliability. Phase 1 participant responses were utilized to construct a draft version of the SAPOI. Next, clinical specialists examined the instrument for content validity and utility and instrument reliability was examined through a test-retest process with parents of children with SMD. The draft SAPOI was constructed based on Phase 1 participant input. Clinical specialists supported content validity and utility of the instrument and the inclusion of 19 additional items across four categories, namely Child Affect, Child Interaction, Parent Well-being, and Child's Device Use. The SAPOI was completed twice at one-month intervals by parents of children with SMD to examine instrument reliability across the four categories (Child Affect, Child Interaction, Parent Well-being, and Child's Device Use). Instrument reliability was strong-to-excellent across all four sections. The SAPOI shows promise as a much-needed addition to the assessment battery currently used for children with SMD who use cochlear implants and hearing aids. It provides valuable information regarding outcomes resulting from access to sound in this population that currently used assessments do not identify.

Using Necessary Information to Identify Item Dependence in Passage-Based Reading Comprehension Tests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baldonado, Angela Argo; Svetina, Dubravka; Gorin, Joanna

2015-01-01

Applications of traditional unidimensional item response theory models to passage-based reading comprehension assessment data have been criticized based on potential violations of local independence. However, simple rules for determining dependency, such as including all items associated with a particular passage, may overestimate the dependency…

Item Response Modeling of Multivariate Count Data with Zero Inflation, Maximum Inflation, and Heaping

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magnus, Brooke E.; Thissen, David

2017-01-01

Questionnaires that include items eliciting count responses are becoming increasingly common in psychology. This study proposes methodological techniques to overcome some of the challenges associated with analyzing multivariate item response data that exhibit zero inflation, maximum inflation, and heaping at preferred digits. The modeling…

Fractionating the Neural Substrates of Incidental Recognition Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greene, Ciara M.; Vidaki, Kleio; Soto, David

2015-01-01

Familiar stimuli are typically accompanied by decreases in neural response relative to the presentation of novel items, but these studies often include explicit instructions to discriminate old and new items; this creates difficulties in partialling out the contribution of top-down intentional orientation to the items based on recognition goals.…

Capturing, Codifying and Scoring Complex Data for Innovative, Computer-Based Items.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luecht, Richard M.

The Microsoft Certification Program (MCP) includes many new computer-based item types, based on complex cases involving the Windows 2000 (registered) operating system. This Innovative Item Technology (IIT) has presented challenges beyond traditional psychometric considerations such as capturing and storing the relevant response data from…

38 CFR 3.1606 - Transportation items.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Transportation items. 3... Burial Benefits § 3.1606 Transportation items. The transportation costs of those persons who come within... shipment. (6) Cost of transportation by common carrier including amounts paid as Federal taxes. (7) Cost of...

22 CFR 121.8 - End-items, components, accessories, attachments, parts, firmware, software, and systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

..., parts, firmware, software, and systems. 121.8 Section 121.8 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE...-items, components, accessories, attachments, parts, firmware, software, and systems. (a) An end-item is.... Firmware includes but is not limited to circuits into which software has been programmed. (f) Software...

22 CFR 121.8 - End-items, components, accessories, attachments, parts, firmware, software and systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

..., parts, firmware, software and systems. 121.8 Section 121.8 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE...-items, components, accessories, attachments, parts, firmware, software and systems. (a) An end-item is.... Firmware includes but is not limited to circuits into which software has been programmed. (f) Software...

22 CFR 121.8 - End-items, components, accessories, attachments, parts, firmware, software and systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

..., parts, firmware, software and systems. 121.8 Section 121.8 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE...-items, components, accessories, attachments, parts, firmware, software and systems. (a) An end-item is.... Firmware includes but is not limited to circuits into which software has been programmed. (f) Software...

22 CFR 121.8 - End-items, components, accessories, attachments, parts, firmware, software and systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

..., parts, firmware, software and systems. 121.8 Section 121.8 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE...-items, components, accessories, attachments, parts, firmware, software and systems. (a) An end-item is.... Firmware includes but is not limited to circuits into which software has been programmed. (f) Software...

22 CFR 121.8 - End-items, components, accessories, attachments, parts, firmware, software and systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

..., parts, firmware, software and systems. 121.8 Section 121.8 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE...-items, components, accessories, attachments, parts, firmware, software and systems. (a) An end-item is.... Firmware includes but is not limited to circuits into which software has been programmed. (f) Software...

38 CFR 3.1606 - Transportation items.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Transportation items. 3... Burial Benefits § 3.1606 Transportation items. The transportation costs of those persons who come within... shipment. (6) Cost of transportation by common carrier including amounts paid as Federal taxes. (7) Cost of...

38 CFR 3.1606 - Transportation items.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Transportation items. 3... Burial Benefits § 3.1606 Transportation items. The transportation costs of those persons who come within... shipment. (6) Cost of transportation by common carrier including amounts paid as Federal taxes. (7) Cost of...

38 CFR 3.1606 - Transportation items.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Transportation items. 3... Burial Benefits § 3.1606 Transportation items. The transportation costs of those persons who come within... shipment. (6) Cost of transportation by common carrier including amounts paid as Federal taxes. (7) Cost of...