48 CFR 352.239-71 - Standard for encryption language.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... product has been validated under the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (see http://csrc.nist.gov... of the validation documentation to the Contracting Officer and the Contracting Officer's Technical... computers, desktop computers, and other mobile devices and portable media that store or process sensitive...

48 CFR 352.239-71 - Standard for encryption language.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... product has been validated under the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (see http://csrc.nist.gov... of the validation documentation to the Contracting Officer and the Contracting Officer's Technical... computers, desktop computers, and other mobile devices and portable media that store or process sensitive...

Norming the odd: creation, norming, and validation of a stimulus set for the study of incongruities across music and language.

PubMed

Featherstone, Cara R; Waterman, Mitch G; Morrison, Catriona M

2012-03-01

Research into similarities between music and language processing is currently experiencing a strong renewed interest. Recent methodological advances have led to neuroimaging studies presenting striking similarities between neural patterns associated with the processing of music and language--notably, in the study of participants' responses to elements that are incongruous with their musical or linguistic context. Responding to a call for greater systematicity by leading researchers in the field of music and language psychology, this article describes the creation, selection, and validation of a set of auditory stimuli in which both congruence and resolution were manipulated in equivalent ways across harmony, rhythm, semantics, and syntax. Three conditions were created by changing the contexts preceding and following musical and linguistic incongruities originally used for effect by authors and composers: Stimuli in the incongruous-resolved condition reproduced the original incongruity and resolution into the same context; stimuli in the incongruous-unresolved condition reproduced the incongruity but continued postincongruity with a new context dictated by the incongruity; and stimuli in the congruous condition presented the same element of interest, but the entire context was adapted to match it so that it was no longer incongruous. The manipulations described in this article rendered unrecognizable the original incongruities from which the stimuli were adapted, while maintaining ecological validity. The norming procedure and validation study resulted in a significant increase in perceived oddity from congruous to incongruous-resolved and from incongruous-resolved to incongruous-unresolved in all four components of music and language, making this set of stimuli a theoretically grounded and empirically validated resource for this growing area of research.

Montreal-Toulouse Language Assessment Battery: evidence of criterion validity from patients with aphasia.

PubMed

Pagliarin, Karina Carlesso; Ortiz, Karin Zazo; Barreto, Simone dos Santos; Pimenta Parente, Maria Alice de Mattos; Nespoulous, Jean-Luc; Joanette, Yves; Fonseca, Rochele Paz

2015-10-15

The Montreal-Toulouse Language Assessment Battery - Brazilian version (MTL-BR) provides a general description of language processing and related components in adults with brain injury. The present study aimed at verifying the criterion-related validity of the Montreal-Toulouse Language Assessment Battery - Brazilian version (MTL-BR) by assessing its ability to discriminate between individuals with unilateral brain damage with and without aphasia. The investigation was carried out in a Brazilian community-based sample of 104 adults, divided into four groups: 26 participants with left hemisphere damage (LHD) with aphasia, 25 participants with right hemisphere damage (RHD), 28 with LHD non-aphasic, and 25 healthy adults. There were significant differences between patients with aphasia and the other groups on most total and subtotal scores on MTL-BR tasks. The results showed strong criterion-related validity evidence for the MTL-BR Battery, and provided important information regarding hemispheric specialization and interhemispheric cooperation. Future research is required to search for additional evidence of sensitivity, specificity and validity of the MTL-BR in samples with different types of aphasia and degrees of language impairment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Novel Model for Predicting Rehospitalization Risk Incorporating Physical Function, Cognitive Status, and Psychosocial Support Using Natural Language Processing.

PubMed

Greenwald, Jeffrey L; Cronin, Patrick R; Carballo, Victoria; Danaei, Goodarz; Choy, Garry

2017-03-01

With the increasing focus on reducing hospital readmissions in the United States, numerous readmissions risk prediction models have been proposed, mostly developed through analyses of structured data fields in electronic medical records and administrative databases. Three areas that may have an impact on readmission but are poorly captured using structured data sources are patients' physical function, cognitive status, and psychosocial environment and support. The objective of the study was to build a discriminative model using information germane to these 3 areas to identify hospitalized patients' risk for 30-day all cause readmissions. We conducted clinician focus groups to identify language used in the clinical record regarding these 3 areas. We then created a dataset including 30,000 inpatients, 10,000 from each of 3 hospitals, and searched those records for the focus group-derived language using natural language processing. A 30-day readmission prediction model was developed on 75% of the dataset and validated on the other 25% and also on hospital specific subsets. Focus group language was aggregated into 35 variables. The final model had 16 variables, a validated C-statistic of 0.74, and was well calibrated. Subset validation of the model by hospital yielded C-statistics of 0.70-0.75. Deriving a 30-day readmission risk prediction model through identification of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial issues using natural language processing yielded a model that performs similarly to the better performing models previously published with the added advantage of being based on clinically relevant factors and also automated and scalable. Because of the clinical relevance of the variables in the model, future research may be able to test if targeting interventions to identified risks results in reductions in readmissions.

The Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire: Development and Validation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vandergrift, Larry; Goh, Christine C. M.; Mareschal, Catherine J.; Tafaghodtari, Marzieh H.

2006-01-01

This article describes the development and validation of a listening questionnaire designed to assess second language (L2) listeners' metacognitive awareness and perceived use of strategies while listening to oral texts. The process of instrument development and validation is described, along with a review of the relevant literature related to…

Developing a Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) Assessment for Preservice Teachers Learning to Teach English as a Foreign Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baser, Derya; Kopcha, Theodore J.; Ozden, M. Yasar

2016-01-01

This paper reports the development and validation process of a self-assessment survey that examines technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) among preservice teachers learning to teach English as a foreign language (EFL). The survey, called TPACK-EFL, aims to provide an assessment tool for preservice foreign language teachers that…

Validation of the Slovenian version of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale in female cancer patients.

PubMed

Miklavcic, Ilonka Vucko; Snoj, Zvezdana; Mlakar, Janez; Pregelj, Peter

2008-06-01

The present study describes the translation process of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) into the Slovenian language and the testing of its reliability and validity on the psychological morbidity in female cancer patients. The English version of the HADS was translated into the Slovene language using the 'forward-backward' procedure. The questionnaire was used in a study of 202 female cancer patients together with a clinical structured interview (CSI) to measure psychological state. A biserial correlation coefficient was calculated. The value of biserial correlation coefficient was 0.81 for the depression scale and 0.91 for the anxiety scale. The validation process of the Slovenian HADS score version shows metric properties similar to those in international studies, suggesting that it measures the same constructs, in the same way, as the original HADS score form. This validation study of the Slovenian version of the HADS proved that it is an acceptable and valid measure of psychological distress among female cancer patients.

Automated identification of wound information in clinical notes of patients with heart diseases: Developing and validating a natural language processing application.

PubMed

Topaz, Maxim; Lai, Kenneth; Dowding, Dawn; Lei, Victor J; Zisberg, Anna; Bowles, Kathryn H; Zhou, Li

2016-12-01

Electronic health records are being increasingly used by nurses with up to 80% of the health data recorded as free text. However, only a few studies have developed nursing-relevant tools that help busy clinicians to identify information they need at the point of care. This study developed and validated one of the first automated natural language processing applications to extract wound information (wound type, pressure ulcer stage, wound size, anatomic location, and wound treatment) from free text clinical notes. First, two human annotators manually reviewed a purposeful training sample (n=360) and random test sample (n=1100) of clinical notes (including 50% discharge summaries and 50% outpatient notes), identified wound cases, and created a gold standard dataset. We then trained and tested our natural language processing system (known as MTERMS) to process the wound information. Finally, we assessed our automated approach by comparing system-generated findings against the gold standard. We also compared the prevalence of wound cases identified from free-text data with coded diagnoses in the structured data. The testing dataset included 101 notes (9.2%) with wound information. The overall system performance was good (F-measure is a compiled measure of system's accuracy=92.7%), with best results for wound treatment (F-measure=95.7%) and poorest results for wound size (F-measure=81.9%). Only 46.5% of wound notes had a structured code for a wound diagnosis. The natural language processing system achieved good performance on a subset of randomly selected discharge summaries and outpatient notes. In more than half of the wound notes, there were no coded wound diagnoses, which highlight the significance of using natural language processing to enrich clinical decision making. Our future steps will include expansion of the application's information coverage to other relevant wound factors and validation of the model with external data. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Item-Level Bias in the Bayley-III Language Subscales: The Validity and Utility of Standardized Language Assessment in a Multilingual Setting.

PubMed

Goh, Shaun K Y; Tham, Elaine K H; Magiati, Iliana; Sim, Litwee; Sanmugam, Shamini; Qiu, Anqi; Daniel, Mary L; Broekman, Birit F P; Rifkin-Graboi, Anne

2017-09-18

The purpose of this study was to improve standardized language assessments among bilingual toddlers by investigating and removing the effects of bias due to unfamiliarity with cultural norms or a distributed language system. The Expressive and Receptive Bayley-III language scales were adapted for use in a multilingual country (Singapore). Differential item functioning (DIF) was applied to data from 459 two-year-olds without atypical language development. This involved investigating if the probability of success on each item varied according to language exposure while holding latent language ability, gender, and socioeconomic status constant. Associations with language, behavioral, and emotional problems were also examined. Five of 16 items showed DIF, 1 of which may be attributed to cultural bias and another to a distributed language system. The remaining 3 items favored toddlers with higher bilingual exposure. Removal of DIF items reduced associations between language scales and emotional and language problems, but improved the validity of the expressive scale from poor to good. Our findings indicate the importance of considering cultural and distributed language bias in standardized language assessments. We discuss possible mechanisms influencing performance on items favoring bilingual exposure, including the potential role of inhibitory processing.

Using qualitative methods to improve questionnaires for Spanish speakers: assessing face validity of a food behavior checklist.

PubMed

Banna, Jinan C; Vera Becerra, Luz E; Kaiser, Lucia L; Townsend, Marilyn S

2010-01-01

Development of outcome measures relevant to health nutrition behaviors requires a rigorous process of testing and revision. Whereas researchers often report performance of quantitative data collection to assess questionnaire validity and reliability, qualitative testing procedures are often overlooked. This report outlines a procedure for assessing face validity of a Spanish-language dietary assessment tool. Reviewing the literature produced no rigorously validated Spanish-language food behavior assessment tools for the US Department of Agriculture's food assistance and education programs. In response to this need, this study evaluated the face validity of a Spanish-language food behavior checklist adapted from a 16-item English version of a food behavior checklist shown to be valid and reliable for limited-resource English speakers. The English version was translated using rigorous methods involving initial translation by one party and creation of five possible versions. Photos were modified based on client input and new photos were taken as necessary. A sample of low-income, Spanish-speaking women completed cognitive interviews (n=20). Spanish translation experts (n=7) fluent in both languages and familiar with both cultures made minor modifications but essentially approved client preferences. The resulting checklist generated a readability score of 93, indicating low reading difficulty. The Spanish-language checklist has adequate face validity in the target population and is ready for further validation using convergent measures. At the conclusion of testing, this instrument may be used to evaluate nutrition education interventions in California. These qualitative procedures provide a framework for designing evaluation tools for low-literate audiences participating in the US Department of Agriculture food assistance and education programs. Copyright 2010 American Dietetic Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Using Qualitative Methods to Improve Questionnaires for Spanish Speakers: Assessing Face Validity of a Food Behavior Checklist

PubMed Central

BANNA, JINAN C.; VERA BECERRA, LUZ E.; KAISER, LUCIA L.; TOWNSEND, MARILYN S.

2015-01-01

Development of outcome measures relevant to health nutrition behaviors requires a rigorous process of testing and revision. Whereas researchers often report performance of quantitative data collection to assess questionnaire validity and reliability, qualitative testing procedures are often overlooked. This report outlines a procedure for assessing face validity of a Spanish-language dietary assessment tool. Reviewing the literature produced no rigorously validated Spanish-language food behavior assessment tools for the US Department of Agriculture’s food assistance and education programs. In response to this need, this study evaluated the face validity of a Spanish-language food behavior checklist adapted from a 16-item English version of a food behavior checklist shown to be valid and reliable for limited-resource English speakers. The English version was translated using rigorous methods involving initial translation by one party and creation of five possible versions. Photos were modified based on client input and new photos were taken as necessary. A sample of low-income, Spanish-speaking women completed cognitive interviews (n=20). Spanish translation experts (n=7) fluent in both languages and familiar with both cultures made minor modifications but essentially approved client preferences. The resulting checklist generated a readability score of 93, indicating low reading difficulty. The Spanish-language checklist has adequate face validity in the target population and is ready for further validation using convergent measures. At the conclusion of testing, this instrument may be used to evaluate nutrition education interventions in California. These qualitative procedures provide a framework for designing evaluation tools for low-literate audiences participating in the US Department of Agriculture food assistance and education programs. PMID:20102831

Validity and Reliability of the Arabic Token Test for Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alkhamra, Rana A.; Al-Jazi, Aya B.

2016-01-01

Background: The Token Test for Children (2nd edition) (TTFC) is a measure for assessing receptive language. In this study we describe the translation process, validity and reliability of the Arabic Token Test for Children (A-TTFC). Aims: The aim of this study is to translate, validate and establish the reliability of the Arabic Token Test for…

Reliability and validity evidence of the Assessment of Language Use in Social Contexts for Adults (ALUSCA).

PubMed

Valente, Ana Rita S; Hall, Andreia; Alvelos, Helena; Leahy, Margaret; Jesus, Luis M T

2018-04-12

The appropriate use of language in context depends on the speaker's pragmatic language competencies. A coding system was used to develop a specific and adult-focused self-administered questionnaire to adults who stutter and adults who do not stutter, The Assessment of Language Use in Social Contexts for Adults, with three categories: precursors, basic exchanges, and extended literal/non-literal discourse. This paper presents the content validity, item analysis, reliability coefficients and evidences of construct validity of the instrument. Content validity analysis was based on a two-stage process: first, 11 pragmatic questionnaires were assessed to identify items that probe each pragmatic competency and to create the first version of the instrument; second, items were assessed qualitatively by an expert panel composed by adults who stutter and controls, and quantitatively and qualitatively by an expert panel composed by clinicians. A pilot study was conducted with five adults who stutter and five controls to analyse items and calculate reliability. Construct validity evidences were obtained using the hypothesized relationships method and factor analysis with 28 adults who stutter and 28 controls. Concerning content validity, the questionnaires assessed up to 13 pragmatic competencies. Qualitative and quantitative analysis revealed ambiguities in items construction. Disagreement between experts was solved through item modification. The pilot study showed that the instrument presented internal consistency and temporal stability. Significant differences between adults who stutter and controls and different response profiles revealed the instrument's underlying construct. The instrument is reliable and presented evidences of construct validity.

Formulaic Language in Computer-Supported Communication: Theory Meets Reality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wray, Alison

2002-01-01

Attempts to validate a psycholinguistic model of language processing. One experiment designed to provide insight into the model is TALK, is a system developed to promote conversational fluency in non-speaking individuals. TALK, designed primarily for people with cerebral palsy and motor neuron disease. Talk is demonstrated to be a viable tool for…

A Methodology for Zumbo's Third Generation DIF Analyses and the Ecology of Item Responding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zumbo, Bruno D.; Liu, Yan; Wu, Amery D.; Shear, Benjamin R.; Olvera Astivia, Oscar L.; Ark, Tavinder K.

2015-01-01

Methods for detecting differential item functioning (DIF) and item bias are typically used in the process of item analysis when developing new measures; adapting existing measures for different populations, languages, or cultures; or more generally validating test score inferences. In 2007 in "Language Assessment Quarterly," Zumbo…

Conceptual dissonance: evaluating the efficacy of natural language processing techniques for validating translational knowledge constructs.

PubMed

Payne, Philip R O; Kwok, Alan; Dhaval, Rakesh; Borlawsky, Tara B

2009-03-01

The conduct of large-scale translational studies presents significant challenges related to the storage, management and analysis of integrative data sets. Ideally, the application of methodologies such as conceptual knowledge discovery in databases (CKDD) provides a means for moving beyond intuitive hypothesis discovery and testing in such data sets, and towards the high-throughput generation and evaluation of knowledge-anchored relationships between complex bio-molecular and phenotypic variables. However, the induction of such high-throughput hypotheses is non-trivial, and requires correspondingly high-throughput validation methodologies. In this manuscript, we describe an evaluation of the efficacy of a natural language processing-based approach to validating such hypotheses. As part of this evaluation, we will examine a phenomenon that we have labeled as "Conceptual Dissonance" in which conceptual knowledge derived from two or more sources of comparable scope and granularity cannot be readily integrated or compared using conventional methods and automated tools.

31 CFR 592.307 - Kimberley Process Certificate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...- and forgery-resistant document that bears the following information in any language, provided that an... shipment; (k) Relevant Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System; and (l) Validation by the exporting authority. Note to paragraph (l): See § 592.301(a)(4) for procedures governing the validation of...

Reliability and validity of the C-BiLLT: a new instrument to assess comprehension of spoken language in young children with cerebral palsy and complex communication needs.

PubMed

Geytenbeek, Joke J; Mokkink, Lidwine B; Knol, Dirk L; Vermeulen, R Jeroen; Oostrom, Kim J

2014-09-01

In clinical practice, a variety of diagnostic tests are available to assess a child's comprehension of spoken language. However, none of these tests have been designed specifically for use with children who have severe motor impairments and who experience severe difficulty when using speech to communicate. This article describes the process of investigating the reliability and validity of the Computer-Based Instrument for Low Motor Language Testing (C-BiLLT), which was specifically developed to assess spoken Dutch language comprehension in children with cerebral palsy and complex communication needs. The study included 806 children with typical development, and 87 nonspeaking children with cerebral palsy and complex communication needs, and was designed to provide information on the psychometric qualities of the C-BiLLT. The potential utility of the C-BiLLT as a measure of spoken Dutch language comprehension abilities for children with cerebral palsy and complex communication needs is discussed.

Construction and validation of a measure of integrative well-being in seven languages: the Pemberton Happiness Index.

PubMed

Hervás, Gonzalo; Vázquez, Carmelo

2013-04-22

We introduce the Pemberton Happiness Index (PHI), a new integrative measure of well-being in seven languages, detailing the validation process and presenting psychometric data. The scale includes eleven items related to different domains of remembered well-being (general, hedonic, eudaimonic, and social well-being) and ten items related to experienced well-being (i.e., positive and negative emotional events that possibly happened the day before); the sum of these items produces a combined well-being index. A distinctive characteristic of this study is that to construct the scale, an initial pool of items, covering the remembered and experienced well-being domains, were subjected to a complete selection and validation process. These items were based on widely used scales (e.g., PANAS, Satisfaction With Life Scale, Subjective Happiness Scale, and Psychological Well-Being Scales). Both the initial items and reference scales were translated into seven languages and completed via Internet by participants (N = 4,052) aged 16 to 60 years from nine countries (Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, and USA). Results from this initial validation study provided very good support for the psychometric properties of the PHI (i.e., internal consistency, a single-factor structure, and convergent and incremental validity). Given the PHI's good psychometric properties, this simple and integrative index could be used as an instrument to monitor changes in well-being. We discuss the utility of this integrative index to explore well-being in individuals and communities.

Validation of Case Finding Algorithms for Hepatocellular Cancer From Administrative Data and Electronic Health Records Using Natural Language Processing.

PubMed

Sada, Yvonne; Hou, Jason; Richardson, Peter; El-Serag, Hashem; Davila, Jessica

2016-02-01

Accurate identification of hepatocellular cancer (HCC) cases from automated data is needed for efficient and valid quality improvement initiatives and research. We validated HCC International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD-9) codes, and evaluated whether natural language processing by the Automated Retrieval Console (ARC) for document classification improves HCC identification. We identified a cohort of patients with ICD-9 codes for HCC during 2005-2010 from Veterans Affairs administrative data. Pathology and radiology reports were reviewed to confirm HCC. The positive predictive value (PPV), sensitivity, and specificity of ICD-9 codes were calculated. A split validation study of pathology and radiology reports was performed to develop and validate ARC algorithms. Reports were manually classified as diagnostic of HCC or not. ARC generated document classification algorithms using the Clinical Text Analysis and Knowledge Extraction System. ARC performance was compared with manual classification. PPV, sensitivity, and specificity of ARC were calculated. A total of 1138 patients with HCC were identified by ICD-9 codes. On the basis of manual review, 773 had HCC. The HCC ICD-9 code algorithm had a PPV of 0.67, sensitivity of 0.95, and specificity of 0.93. For a random subset of 619 patients, we identified 471 pathology reports for 323 patients and 943 radiology reports for 557 patients. The pathology ARC algorithm had PPV of 0.96, sensitivity of 0.96, and specificity of 0.97. The radiology ARC algorithm had PPV of 0.75, sensitivity of 0.94, and specificity of 0.68. A combined approach of ICD-9 codes and natural language processing of pathology and radiology reports improves HCC case identification in automated data.

Examining the Reliability and Validity of ADEPT and CELDT: Comparing Two Assessments of Oral Language Proficiency for English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chavez, Gina

2013-01-01

Few classroom measures of English language proficiency have been evaluated for reliability and validity. This research examined the concurrent and predictive validity of an oral language test, titled A Developmental English Language Proficiency Test (ADEPT), and the relationship to the California English Language Development Test (CELDT) in the…

The role of the speech-language pathologist in identifying and treating children with auditory processing disorder.

PubMed

Richard, Gail J

2011-07-01

A summary of issues regarding auditory processing disorder (APD) is presented, including some of the remaining questions and challenges raised by the articles included in the clinical forum. Evolution of APD as a diagnostic entity within audiology and speech-language pathology is reviewed. A summary of treatment efficacy results and issues is provided, as well as the continuing dilemma for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) charged with providing treatment for referred APD clients. The role of the SLP in diagnosing and treating APD remains under discussion, despite lack of efficacy data supporting auditory intervention and questions regarding the clinical relevance and validity of APD.

Processing Relative Clauses by Hungarian Typically Developing Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kas, Bence; Lukacs, Agnes

2012-01-01

Hungarian is a language with morphological case marking and relatively free word order. These typological characteristics make it a good ground for testing the crosslinguistic validity of theories on processing sentences with relative clauses. Our study focused on effects of structural factors and processing capacity. We tested 43 typically…

Prediction of psychosis across protocols and risk cohorts using automated language analysis

PubMed Central

Corcoran, Cheryl M.; Carrillo, Facundo; Fernández‐Slezak, Diego; Bedi, Gillinder; Klim, Casimir; Javitt, Daniel C.; Bearden, Carrie E.; Cecchi, Guillermo A.

2018-01-01

Language and speech are the primary source of data for psychiatrists to diagnose and treat mental disorders. In psychosis, the very structure of language can be disturbed, including semantic coherence (e.g., derailment and tangentiality) and syntactic complexity (e.g., concreteness). Subtle disturbances in language are evident in schizophrenia even prior to first psychosis onset, during prodromal stages. Using computer‐based natural language processing analyses, we previously showed that, among English‐speaking clinical (e.g., ultra) high‐risk youths, baseline reduction in semantic coherence (the flow of meaning in speech) and in syntactic complexity could predict subsequent psychosis onset with high accuracy. Herein, we aimed to cross‐validate these automated linguistic analytic methods in a second larger risk cohort, also English‐speaking, and to discriminate speech in psychosis from normal speech. We identified an automated machine‐learning speech classifier – comprising decreased semantic coherence, greater variance in that coherence, and reduced usage of possessive pronouns – that had an 83% accuracy in predicting psychosis onset (intra‐protocol), a cross‐validated accuracy of 79% of psychosis onset prediction in the original risk cohort (cross‐protocol), and a 72% accuracy in discriminating the speech of recent‐onset psychosis patients from that of healthy individuals. The classifier was highly correlated with previously identified manual linguistic predictors. Our findings support the utility and validity of automated natural language processing methods to characterize disturbances in semantics and syntax across stages of psychotic disorder. The next steps will be to apply these methods in larger risk cohorts to further test reproducibility, also in languages other than English, and identify sources of variability. This technology has the potential to improve prediction of psychosis outcome among at‐risk youths and identify linguistic targets for remediation and preventive intervention. More broadly, automated linguistic analysis can be a powerful tool for diagnosis and treatment across neuropsychiatry. PMID:29352548

Prediction of psychosis across protocols and risk cohorts using automated language analysis.

PubMed

Corcoran, Cheryl M; Carrillo, Facundo; Fernández-Slezak, Diego; Bedi, Gillinder; Klim, Casimir; Javitt, Daniel C; Bearden, Carrie E; Cecchi, Guillermo A

2018-02-01

Language and speech are the primary source of data for psychiatrists to diagnose and treat mental disorders. In psychosis, the very structure of language can be disturbed, including semantic coherence (e.g., derailment and tangentiality) and syntactic complexity (e.g., concreteness). Subtle disturbances in language are evident in schizophrenia even prior to first psychosis onset, during prodromal stages. Using computer-based natural language processing analyses, we previously showed that, among English-speaking clinical (e.g., ultra) high-risk youths, baseline reduction in semantic coherence (the flow of meaning in speech) and in syntactic complexity could predict subsequent psychosis onset with high accuracy. Herein, we aimed to cross-validate these automated linguistic analytic methods in a second larger risk cohort, also English-speaking, and to discriminate speech in psychosis from normal speech. We identified an automated machine-learning speech classifier - comprising decreased semantic coherence, greater variance in that coherence, and reduced usage of possessive pronouns - that had an 83% accuracy in predicting psychosis onset (intra-protocol), a cross-validated accuracy of 79% of psychosis onset prediction in the original risk cohort (cross-protocol), and a 72% accuracy in discriminating the speech of recent-onset psychosis patients from that of healthy individuals. The classifier was highly correlated with previously identified manual linguistic predictors. Our findings support the utility and validity of automated natural language processing methods to characterize disturbances in semantics and syntax across stages of psychotic disorder. The next steps will be to apply these methods in larger risk cohorts to further test reproducibility, also in languages other than English, and identify sources of variability. This technology has the potential to improve prediction of psychosis outcome among at-risk youths and identify linguistic targets for remediation and preventive intervention. More broadly, automated linguistic analysis can be a powerful tool for diagnosis and treatment across neuropsychiatry. © 2018 World Psychiatric Association.

Establishing the Validity of the Task-Based English Speaking Test (TBEST) for International Teaching Assistants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Witt, Autumn Song

2010-01-01

This dissertation follows an oral language assessment tool from initial design and implementation to validity analysis. The specialized variables of this study are the population: international teaching assistants and the purpose: spoken assessment as a hiring prerequisite. However, the process can easily be applied to other populations and…

A Model of Substance Abuse Risk: Adapting to the Sri Lankan Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ismail, Anne Chandrika; Seneviratne, Rohini De Alwis; Newcombe, Peter A.; Wanigaratne, Shamil

2009-01-01

This study translated and validated the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS) among 13 to 18 year old Sri Lankan adolescents attending school. A standard systematic translation procedure was followed to translate the original SURPS into Sinhala language. A Delphi process was conducted to determine judgmental validity of Sinhala SURPS.…

You don't have to believe everything you read: background knowledge permits fast and efficient validation of information.

PubMed

Richter, Tobias; Schroeder, Sascha; Wöhrmann, Britta

2009-03-01

In social cognition, knowledge-based validation of information is usually regarded as relying on strategic and resource-demanding processes. Research on language comprehension, in contrast, suggests that validation processes are involved in the construction of a referential representation of the communicated information. This view implies that individuals can use their knowledge to validate incoming information in a routine and efficient manner. Consistent with this idea, Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrated that individuals are able to reject false assertions efficiently when they have validity-relevant beliefs. Validation processes were carried out routinely even when individuals were put under additional cognitive load during comprehension. Experiment 3 demonstrated that the rejection of false information occurs automatically and interferes with affirmative responses in a nonsemantic task (epistemic Stroop effect). Experiment 4 also revealed complementary interference effects of true information with negative responses in a nonsemantic task. These results suggest the existence of fast and efficient validation processes that protect mental representations from being contaminated by false and inaccurate information.

Compound nouns in spoken language production by speakers with aphasia compared to neurologically healthy speakers: an exploratory study.

PubMed

Eiesland, Eli Anne; Lind, Marianne

2012-03-01

Compounds are words that are made up of at least two other words (lexemes), featuring lexical and syntactic characteristics and thus particularly interesting for the study of language processing. Most studies of compounds and language processing have been based on data from experimental single word production and comprehension tasks. To enhance the ecological validity of morphological processing research, data from other contexts, such as discourse production, need to be considered. This study investigates the production of nominal compounds in semi-spontaneous spoken texts by a group of speakers with fluent types of aphasia compared to a group of neurologically healthy speakers. The speakers with aphasia produce significantly fewer nominal compound types in their texts than the non-aphasic speakers, and the compounds they produce exhibit fewer different types of semantic relations than the compounds produced by the non-aphasic speakers. The results are discussed in relation to theories of language processing.

Construction and validation of a measure of integrative well-being in seven languages: The Pemberton Happiness Index

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Purpose We introduce the Pemberton Happiness Index (PHI), a new integrative measure of well-being in seven languages, detailing the validation process and presenting psychometric data. The scale includes eleven items related to different domains of remembered well-being (general, hedonic, eudaimonic, and social well-being) and ten items related to experienced well-being (i.e., positive and negative emotional events that possibly happened the day before); the sum of these items produces a combined well-being index. Methods A distinctive characteristic of this study is that to construct the scale, an initial pool of items, covering the remembered and experienced well-being domains, were subjected to a complete selection and validation process. These items were based on widely used scales (e.g., PANAS, Satisfaction With Life Scale, Subjective Happiness Scale, and Psychological Well-Being Scales). Both the initial items and reference scales were translated into seven languages and completed via Internet by participants (N = 4,052) aged 16 to 60 years from nine countries (Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, and USA). Results Results from this initial validation study provided very good support for the psychometric properties of the PHI (i.e., internal consistency, a single-factor structure, and convergent and incremental validity). Conclusions Given the PHI’s good psychometric properties, this simple and integrative index could be used as an instrument to monitor changes in well-being. We discuss the utility of this integrative index to explore well-being in individuals and communities. PMID:23607679

Development, Translation and Validation of Enhanced Asian Rome III Questionnaires for Diagnosis of Functional Bowel Diseases in Major Asian Languages: A Rome Foundation-Asian Neurogastroenterology and Motility Association Working Team Report.

PubMed

Ghoshal, Uday C; Gwee, Kok-Ann; Chen, Minhu; Gong, Xiao R; Pratap, Nitesh; Hou, Xiaohua; Syam, Ari F; Abdullah, Murdani; Bak, Young-Tae; Choi, Myung-Gyu; Gonlachanvit, Sutep; Chua, Andrew S B; Chong, Kuck-Meng; Siah, Kewin T H; Lu, Ching-Liang; Xiong, Lishou; Whitehead, William E

2015-01-01

The development-processes by regional socio-cultural adaptation of an Enhanced Asian Rome III questionnaire (EAR3Q), a cultural adaptation of the Rome III diagnostic questionnaire (R3DQ), and its translation-validation in Asian languages are presented. As English is not the first language for most Asians, translation-validation of EAR3Q is essential. Hence, we aimed to culturally adapt the R3DQ to develop EAR3Q and linguistically validate it to show that the EAR3Q is able to allocate diagnosis according to Rome III criteria. After EAR3Q was developed by Asian experts by consensus, it was translated into Chinese, Hindi-Telugu, Indonesian, Korean and Thai, following Rome Foundation guidelines; these were then validated on native subjects (healthy [n = 60], and patients with irritable bowel syndrome [n = 59], functional dyspepsia [n = 53] and functional constipation [n = 61]) diagnosed by clinicians using Rome III criteria, negative alarm features and investigations. Experts noted words for constipation, bloating, fullness and heartburn, posed difficulty. The English back-translated questionnaires demonstrated concordance with the original EAR3Q. Sensitivity and specificity of the questionnaires were high enough to diagnose respective functional gastrointestinal disorders (gold standard: clinical diagnoses) in most except Korean and Indonesian languages. Questionnaires often uncovered overlapping functional gastrointestinal disorders. Test-retest agreement (kappa) values of the translated questionnaires were high (0.700-1.000) except in Korean (0.300-0.500) and Indonesian (0.100-0.400) languages at the initial and 2-week follow-up visit. Though Chinese, Hindi and Telugu translations were performed well, Korean and Indonesian versions were not. Questionnaires often uncovered overlapping FGIDs, which were quite common.

Benchmark Lisp And Ada Programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Gloria; Galant, David; Lim, Raymond; Stutz, John; Gibson, J.; Raghavan, B.; Cheesema, P.; Taylor, W.

1992-01-01

Suite of nonparallel benchmark programs, ELAPSE, designed for three tests: comparing efficiency of computer processing via Lisp vs. Ada; comparing efficiencies of several computers processing via Lisp; or comparing several computers processing via Ada. Tests efficiency which computer executes routines in each language. Available for computer equipped with validated Ada compiler and/or Common Lisp system.

First-language raters' opinions when validating word recordings for a newly developed speech reception threshold test.

PubMed

Panday, Seema; Kathard, Harsha; Pillay, Mershen; Wilson, Wayne

2018-03-29

 The purpose of this study was to consider the value of adding first-language speaker ratings to the process of validating word recordings for use in a new speech reception threshold (SRT) test in audiology. Previous studies had identified 28 word recordings as being suitable for use in a new SRT test. These word recordings had been shown to satisfy the linguistic criteria of familiarity, phonetic dissimilarity and tone, and the psychometric criterion of homogeneity of audibility. Objectives: The aim of the study was to consider the value of adding first-language speakers' ratings when validating word recordings for a new SRT test. Method: A single observation, cross-sectional design was used to collect and analyse quantitative data in this study. Eleven first-language isiZulu speakers, purposively selected, were asked to rate each of the word recordings for pitch, clarity, naturalness, speech rate and quality on a 5-point Likert scale. The percent agreement and Friedman test were used for analysis. Results: More than 20% of these 11 participants rated the three-word recordings below 'strongly agree' in the category of pitch or tone, and one-word recording below 'strongly agree' in the categories of pitch or tone, clarity or articulation and naturalness or dialect. Conclusion: The first-language speaker ratings proved to be a valuable addition to the process of selecting word recordings for use in a new SRT test. In particular, these ratings identified potentially problematic word recordings in the new SRT test that had been missed by the previously and more commonly used linguistic and psychometric selection criteria.

Validation of a Natural Language Processing Algorithm for Detecting Infectious Disease Symptoms in Primary Care Electronic Medical Records in Singapore.

PubMed

Hardjojo, Antony; Gunachandran, Arunan; Pang, Long; Abdullah, Mohammed Ridzwan Bin; Wah, Win; Chong, Joash Wen Chen; Goh, Ee Hui; Teo, Sok Huang; Lim, Gilbert; Lee, Mong Li; Hsu, Wynne; Lee, Vernon; Chen, Mark I-Cheng; Wong, Franco; Phang, Jonathan Siung King

2018-06-11

Free-text clinical records provide a source of information that complements traditional disease surveillance. To electronically harness these records, they need to be transformed into codified fields by natural language processing algorithms. The aim of this study was to develop, train, and validate Clinical History Extractor for Syndromic Surveillance (CHESS), an natural language processing algorithm to extract clinical information from free-text primary care records. CHESS is a keyword-based natural language processing algorithm to extract 48 signs and symptoms suggesting respiratory infections, gastrointestinal infections, constitutional, as well as other signs and symptoms potentially associated with infectious diseases. The algorithm also captured the assertion status (affirmed, negated, or suspected) and symptom duration. Electronic medical records from the National Healthcare Group Polyclinics, a major public sector primary care provider in Singapore, were randomly extracted and manually reviewed by 2 human reviewers, with a third reviewer as the adjudicator. The algorithm was evaluated based on 1680 notes against the human-coded result as the reference standard, with half of the data used for training and the other half for validation. The symptoms most commonly present within the 1680 clinical records at the episode level were those typically present in respiratory infections such as cough (744/7703, 9.66%), sore throat (591/7703, 7.67%), rhinorrhea (552/7703, 7.17%), and fever (928/7703, 12.04%). At the episode level, CHESS had an overall performance of 96.7% precision and 97.6% recall on the training dataset and 96.0% precision and 93.1% recall on the validation dataset. Symptoms suggesting respiratory and gastrointestinal infections were all detected with more than 90% precision and recall. CHESS correctly assigned the assertion status in 97.3%, 97.9%, and 89.8% of affirmed, negated, and suspected signs and symptoms, respectively (97.6% overall accuracy). Symptom episode duration was correctly identified in 81.2% of records with known duration status. We have developed an natural language processing algorithm dubbed CHESS that achieves good performance in extracting signs and symptoms from primary care free-text clinical records. In addition to the presence of symptoms, our algorithm can also accurately distinguish affirmed, negated, and suspected assertion statuses and extract symptom durations. ©Antony Hardjojo, Arunan Gunachandran, Long Pang, Mohammed Ridzwan Bin Abdullah, Win Wah, Joash Wen Chen Chong, Ee Hui Goh, Sok Huang Teo, Gilbert Lim, Mong Li Lee, Wynne Hsu, Vernon Lee, Mark I-Cheng Chen, Franco Wong, Jonathan Siung King Phang. Originally published in JMIR Medical Informatics (http://medinform.jmir.org), 11.06.2018.

Natural Language Processing Accurately Calculates Adenoma and Sessile Serrated Polyp Detection Rates.

PubMed

Nayor, Jennifer; Borges, Lawrence F; Goryachev, Sergey; Gainer, Vivian S; Saltzman, John R

2018-07-01

ADR is a widely used colonoscopy quality indicator. Calculation of ADR is labor-intensive and cumbersome using current electronic medical databases. Natural language processing (NLP) is a method used to extract meaning from unstructured or free text data. (1) To develop and validate an accurate automated process for calculation of adenoma detection rate (ADR) and serrated polyp detection rate (SDR) on data stored in widely used electronic health record systems, specifically Epic electronic health record system, Provation ® endoscopy reporting system, and Sunquest PowerPath pathology reporting system. Screening colonoscopies performed between June 2010 and August 2015 were identified using the Provation ® reporting tool. An NLP pipeline was developed to identify adenomas and sessile serrated polyps (SSPs) on pathology reports corresponding to these colonoscopy reports. The pipeline was validated using a manual search. Precision, recall, and effectiveness of the natural language processing pipeline were calculated. ADR and SDR were then calculated. We identified 8032 screening colonoscopies that were linked to 3821 pathology reports (47.6%). The NLP pipeline had an accuracy of 100% for adenomas and 100% for SSPs. Mean total ADR was 29.3% (range 14.7-53.3%); mean male ADR was 35.7% (range 19.7-62.9%); and mean female ADR was 24.9% (range 9.1-51.0%). Mean total SDR was 4.0% (0-9.6%). We developed and validated an NLP pipeline that accurately and automatically calculates ADRs and SDRs using data stored in Epic, Provation ® and Sunquest PowerPath. This NLP pipeline can be used to evaluate colonoscopy quality parameters at both individual and practice levels.

Validation environment for AIPS/ALS: Implementation and results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Segall, Zary; Siewiorek, Daniel; Caplan, Eddie; Chung, Alan; Czeck, Edward; Vrsalovic, Dalibor

1990-01-01

The work is presented which was performed in porting the Fault Injection-based Automated Testing (FIAT) and Programming and Instrumentation Environments (PIE) validation tools, to the Advanced Information Processing System (AIPS) in the context of the Ada Language System (ALS) application, as well as an initial fault free validation of the available AIPS system. The PIE components implemented on AIPS provide the monitoring mechanisms required for validation. These mechanisms represent a substantial portion of the FIAT system. Moreover, these are required for the implementation of the FIAT environment on AIPS. Using these components, an initial fault free validation of the AIPS system was performed. The implementation is described of the FIAT/PIE system, configured for fault free validation of the AIPS fault tolerant computer system. The PIE components were modified to support the Ada language. A special purpose AIPS/Ada runtime monitoring and data collection was implemented. A number of initial Ada programs running on the PIE/AIPS system were implemented. The instrumentation of the Ada programs was accomplished automatically inside the PIE programming environment. PIE's on-line graphical views show vividly and accurately the performance characteristics of Ada programs, AIPS kernel and the application's interaction with the AIPS kernel. The data collection mechanisms were written in a high level language, Ada, and provide a high degree of flexibility for implementation under various system conditions.

TMATS/ IHAL/ DDML Schema Validation

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-02-01

task was to create a method for performing IRIG eXtensible Markup Language (XML) schema validation. As opposed to XML instance document validation...TMATS / IHAL / DDML Schema Validation, RCC 126-17, February 2017 vii Acronyms DDML Data Display Markup Language HUD heads-up display iNET...system XML eXtensible Markup Language TMATS / IHAL / DDML Schema Validation, RCC 126-17, February 2017 viii This page intentionally left blank

Automatic Digital Hardware Synthesis

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-01

VHDL to PALASM, a hardware synthesis language. The PALASM description is then directly implemented into a field programmable gate array (FPGAI using...process of translating VHDL to PALASM, a hardware synthesis language. The PALASM description is then directly implemented into a field programmable gate...allows the engineer to use VHDL to create and validate a design, and then to implement it in a gate array. The development of software o translate VHDL

Validation of the Italian version of the Movement Disorder Society--Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale.

PubMed

Antonini, Angelo; Abbruzzese, Giovanni; Ferini-Strambi, Luigi; Tilley, Barbara; Huang, Jing; Stebbins, Glenn T; Goetz, Christopher G; Barone, Paolo; Bandettini di Poggio, Monica; Fabbrini, Giovanni; Di Stasio, Flavio; Tinazzi, Michele; Bovi, Tommaso; Ramat, Silvia; Meoni, Sara; Pezzoli, Gianni; Canesi, Margherita; Martinelli, Paolo; Maria Scaglione, Cesa Lorella; Rossi, Aroldo; Tambasco, Nicola; Santangelo, Gabriella; Picillo, Marina; Morgante, Letterio; Morgante, Francesca; Quatrale, Rocco; Sensi, MariaChiara; Pilleri, Manuela; Biundo, Roberta; Nordera, Giampietro; Caria, Antonella; Pacchetti, Claudio; Zangaglia, Roberta; Lopiano, Leonardo; Zibetti, Maurizio; Zappia, Mario; Nicoletti, Alessandra; Quattrone, Aldo; Salsone, Maria; Cossu, Gianni; Murgia, Daniela; Albanese, Alberto; Del Sorbo, Francesca

2013-05-01

The Movement Disorder Society-sponsored revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) has been available in English since 2008. As part of this process, the MDS-UPDRS organizing team developed guidelines for development of official non-English translations. We present here the formal process for completing officially approved non-English versions of the MDS-UPDRS and specifically focus on the first of these versions in Italian. The MDS-UPDRS was translated into Italian and tested in 377 native-Italian speaking PD patients. Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses determined whether the factor structure for the English-language MDS-UPDRS could be confirmed in data collected using the Italian translation. To be designated an 'Official MDS translation,' the Comparative Fit Index (CFI) had to be ≥0.90 relative to the English-language version. For all four parts of the Italian MDS-UPDRS, the CFI, in comparison with the English-language data, was ≥0.94. Exploratory factor analyses revealed some differences between the two datasets, however these differences were considered to be within an acceptable range. The Italian version of the MDS-UPDRS reaches the criterion to be designated as an Official Translation and is now available for use. This protocol will serve as outline for further validation of this in multiple languages.

Language-Specific Attention Treatment for Aphasia: Description and Preliminary Findings.

PubMed

Peach, Richard K; Nathan, Meghana R; Beck, Katherine M

2017-02-01

The need for a specific, language-based treatment approach to aphasic impairments associated with attentional deficits is well documented. We describe language-specific attention treatment, a specific skill-based approach for aphasia that exploits increasingly complex linguistic tasks that focus attention. The program consists of eight tasks, some with multiple phases, to assess and treat lexical and sentence processing. Validation results demonstrate that these tasks load on six attentional domains: (1) executive attention; (2) attentional switching; (3) visual selective attention/processing speed; (4) sustained attention; (5) auditory-verbal working memory; and (6) auditory processing speed. The program demonstrates excellent inter- and intrarater reliability and adequate test-retest reliability. Two of four people with aphasia exposed to this program demonstrated good language recovery whereas three of the four participants showed improvements in auditory-verbal working memory. The results provide support for this treatment program in patients with aphasia having no greater than a moderate degree of attentional impairment. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Methodological adaptations for investigating the perceptions of language-impaired adolescents regarding the relative importance of selected communication skills.

PubMed

Reed, Vicki A; Brammall, Helen

2006-01-01

This article describes the systematic and detailed processes undertaken to modify a research methodology for use with language-impaired adolescents. The original methodology had been used previously with normally achieving adolescents and speech pathologists to obtain their opinions about the relative importance of selected communication skills for adolescents' positive peer relationships. Modifications attempted to address language-impaired adolescents' characteristic metalinguistic, literacy, cognitive, and information processing weaknesses. Revising the original wording of the communication skills, reducing the reading level of the skills from grade 10 to 4.6, using a Q-sort approach to ranking the importance of the skills, and revising the instructions and administration procedures led to what pilot testing results indicated was a valid methodology for use with language-impaired adolescents. Results of a preliminary study using the revised methodology suggested that language-impaired adolescents may perceive the relative importance of some communication skills differently from their normally achieving peers.

LADO as a Language Test: Issues of Validity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNamara, Tim; Van Den Hazelkamp, Carolien; Verrips, Maaike

2016-01-01

This article brings together the theoretical field of language testing and the practical field of language analysis for the determination of the origin of asylum seekers. It considers what it would mean to think of language analysis as a form of language test, subject to the same validity constraints, and proposes a research agenda.

The Cognitive Processing of Candidates during Reading Tests: Evidence from Eye-Tracking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bax, Stephen

2013-01-01

The research described in this article investigates test takers' cognitive processing while completing onscreen IELTS (International English Language Testing System) reading test items. The research aims, among other things, to contribute to our ability to evaluate the cognitive validity of reading test items (Glaser, 1991; Field, in press). The…

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

Constraint processing in our extensible language for cooperative imaging system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aoki, Minoru; Murao, Yo; Enomoto, Hajime

1996-02-01

The extensible WELL (Window-based elaboration language) has been developed using the concept of common platform, where both client and server can communicate with each other with support from a communication manager. This extensible language is based on an object oriented design by introducing constraint processing. Any kind of services including imaging in the extensible language is controlled by the constraints. Interactive functions between client and server are extended by introducing agent functions including a request-respond relation. Necessary service integrations are satisfied with some cooperative processes using constraints. Constraints are treated similarly to data, because the system should have flexibilities in the execution of many kinds of services. The similar control process is defined by using intentional logic. There are two kinds of constraints, temporal and modal constraints. Rendering the constraints, the predicate format as the relation between attribute values can be a warrant for entities' validity as data. As an imaging example, a processing procedure of interaction between multiple objects is shown as an image application for the extensible system. This paper describes how the procedure proceeds in the system, and that how the constraints work for generating moving pictures.

Construct validity and internal consistency in the Leisure Practices Scale (EPL) for adults.

PubMed

Andrade, Rubian Diego; Schwartz, Gisele Maria; Tavares, Giselle Helena; Pelegrini, Andreia; Teixeira, Clarissa Stefani; Felden, Érico Pereira Gomes

2018-02-01

This study proposes and analyzes the construct validity and internal consistency of the Leisure Practices Scale (EPL). This survey seeks to identify the preferences and involvement in in different leisure practices in adults. The instrument was formed based on the cultural leisure content (artistic, manual, physical, sports, intellectual, social, tourist, virtual and contemplation/leisure). The validation process was conducted with: a) content analysis by leisure experts, who evaluated the instrument for clarity of language and practical relevance, which allowed the calculation of the content validity coefficient (CVC); b) reproducibility test-retest with 51 subjects to calculate the temporal variation coefficient; c) internal consistency analysis with 885 participants. The evaluation presented appropriate coefficients, both with respect to language clarity (CVCt = 0.883) and practical relevance (CVCt = 0.879). The reproducibility coefficients were moderate to excellent. The scale showed adequate internal consistency (0.72). The EPL has psychometric quality and acceptable values in its structure, and can be used to investigate adult involvement in leisure activities.

A Process for the Representation of openEHR ADL Archetypes in OWL Ontologies.

PubMed

Porn, Alex Mateus; Peres, Leticia Mara; Didonet Del Fabro, Marcos

2015-01-01

ADL is a formal language to express archetypes, independent of standards or domain. However, its specification is not precise enough in relation to the specialization and semantic of archetypes, presenting difficulties in implementation and a few available tools. Archetypes may be implemented using other languages such as XML or OWL, increasing integration with Semantic Web tools. Exchanging and transforming data can be better implemented with semantics oriented models, for example using OWL which is a language to define and instantiate Web ontologies defined by W3C. OWL permits defining significant, detailed, precise and consistent distinctions among classes, properties and relations by the user, ensuring the consistency of knowledge than using ADL techniques. This paper presents a process of an openEHR ADL archetypes representation in OWL ontologies. This process consists of ADL archetypes conversion in OWL ontologies and validation of OWL resultant ontologies using the mutation test.

Infant information processing and family history of specific language impairment: converging evidence for RAP deficits from two paradigms

PubMed Central

Choudhury, Naseem; Leppanen, Paavo H.T.; Leevers, Hilary J.; Benasich, April A.

2007-01-01

An infant’s ability to process auditory signals presented in rapid succession (i.e. rapid auditory processing abilities [RAP]) has been shown to predict differences in language outcomes in toddlers and preschool children. Early deficits in RAP abilities may serve as a behavioral marker for language-based learning disabilities. The purpose of this study is to determine if performance on infant information processing measures designed to tap RAP and global processing skills differ as a function of family history of specific language impairment (SLI) and/or the particular demand characteristics of the paradigm used. Seventeen 6- to 9-month-old infants from families with a history of specific language impairment (FH+) and 29 control infants (FH−) participated in this study. Infants’ performance on two different RAP paradigms (head-turn procedure [HT] and auditory-visual habituation/recognition memory [AVH/RM]) and on a global processing task (visual habituation/recognition memory [VH/RM]) was assessed at 6 and 9 months. Toddler language and cognitive skills were evaluated at 12 and 16 months. A number of significant group differences were seen: FH+ infants showed significantly poorer discrimination of fast rate stimuli on both RAP tasks, took longer to habituate on both habituation/recognition memory measures, and had lower novelty preference scores on the visual habituation/recognition memory task. Infants’ performance on the two RAP measures provided independent but converging contributions to outcome. Thus, different mechanisms appear to underlie performance on operantly conditioned tasks as compared to habituation/recognition memory paradigms. Further, infant RAP processing abilities predicted to 12- and 16-month language scores above and beyond family history of SLI. The results of this study provide additional support for the validity of infant RAP abilities as a behavioral marker for later language outcome. Finally, this is the first study to use a battery of infant tasks to demonstrate multi-modal processing deficits in infants at risk for SLI. PMID:17286846

Development, Translation and Validation of Enhanced Asian Rome III Questionnaires for Diagnosis of Functional Bowel Diseases in Major Asian Languages: A Rome Foundation-Asian Neurogastroenterology and Motility Association Working Team Report

PubMed Central

Ghoshal, Uday C; Gwee, Kok-Ann; Chen, Minhu; Gong, Xiao R; Pratap, Nitesh; Hou, Xiaohua; Syam, Ari F; Abdullah, Murdani; Bak, Young-Tae; Choi, Myung-Gyu; Gonlachanvit, Sutep; Chua, Andrew S B; Chong, Kuck-Meng; Siah, Kewin T H; Lu, Ching-Liang; Xiong, Lishou; Whitehead, William E

2015-01-01

Background/Aims The development-processes by regional socio-cultural adaptation of an Enhanced Asian Rome III questionnaire (EAR3Q), a cultural adaptation of the Rome III diagnostic questionnaire (R3DQ), and its translation-validation in Asian languages are presented. As English is not the first language for most Asians, translation-validation of EAR3Q is essential. Hence, we aimed to culturally adapt the R3DQ to develop EAR3Q and linguistically validate it to show that the EAR3Q is able to allocate diagnosis according to Rome III criteria. Methods After EAR3Q was developed by Asian experts by consensus, it was translated into Chinese, Hindi-Telugu, Indonesian, Korean, and Thai, following Rome Foundation guidelines; these were then validated on native subjects (healthy [n = 60], and patients with irritable bowel syndrome [n = 59], functional dyspepsia [n = 53] and functional constipation [n = 61]) diagnosed by clinicians using Rome III criteria, negative alarm features and investigations. Results Experts noted words for constipation, bloating, fullness and heartburn, posed difficulty. The English back-translated questionnaires demonstrated concordance with the original EAR3Q. Sensitivity and specificity of the questionnaires were high enough to diagnose respective functional gastrointestinal disorders (gold standard: clinical diagnoses) in most except Korean and Indonesian languages. Questionnaires often uncovered overlapping functional gastrointestinal disorders. Test-retest agreement (kappa) values of the translated questionnaires were high (0.700–1.000) except in Korean (0.300–0.500) and Indonesian (0.100–0.400) languages at the initial and 2-week follow-up visit. Conclusions Though Chinese, Hindi and Telugu translations were performed well, Korean and Indonesian versions were not. Questionnaires often uncovered overlapping FGIDs, which were quite common. PMID:25537673

Towards a Semantic Lexicon for Biological Language Processing

DOE PAGES

Verspoor, Karin

2005-01-01

This paper explores the use of the resources in the National Library of Medicine's Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) for the construction of a lexicon useful for processing texts in the field of molecular biology. A lexicon is constructed from overlapping terms in the UMLS SPECIALIST lexicon and the UMLS Metathesaurus to obtain both morphosyntactic and semantic information for terms, and the coverage of a domain corpus is assessed. Over 77% of tokens in the domain corpus are found in the constructed lexicon, validating the lexicon's coverage of the most frequent terms in the domain and indicating that the constructedmore » lexicon is potentially an important resource for biological text processing.« less

The Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML): Language Specification for Level 3 Version 1 Core

PubMed Central

Hucka, Michael; Bergmann, Frank T.; Hoops, Stefan; Keating, Sarah M.; Sahle, Sven; Schaff, James C.; Smith, Lucian P.; Wilkinson, Darren J.

2017-01-01

Summary Computational models can help researchers to interpret data, understand biological function, and make quantitative predictions. The Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) is a file format for representing computational models in a declarative form that can be exchanged between different software systems. SBML is oriented towards describing biological processes of the sort common in research on a number of topics, including metabolic pathways, cell signaling pathways, and many others. By supporting SBML as an input/output format, different tools can all operate on an identical representation of a model, removing opportunities for translation errors and assuring a common starting point for analyses and simulations. This document provides the specification for Version 1 of SBML Level 3 Core. The specification defines the data structures prescribed by SBML as well as their encoding in XML, the eXtensible Markup Language. This specification also defines validation rules that determine the validity of an SBML document, and provides many examples of models in SBML form. Other materials and software are available from the SBML project web site, http://sbml.org/. PMID:26528564

The Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML): Language Specification for Level 3 Version 1 Core.

PubMed

Hucka, Michael; Bergmann, Frank T; Hoops, Stefan; Keating, Sarah M; Sahle, Sven; Schaff, James C; Smith, Lucian P; Wilkinson, Darren J

2015-09-04

Computational models can help researchers to interpret data, understand biological function, and make quantitative predictions. The Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) is a file format for representing computational models in a declarative form that can be exchanged between different software systems. SBML is oriented towards describing biological processes of the sort common in research on a number of topics, including metabolic pathways, cell signaling pathways, and many others. By supporting SBML as an input/output format, different tools can all operate on an identical representation of a model, removing opportunities for translation errors and assuring a common starting point for analyses and simulations. This document provides the specification for Version 1 of SBML Level 3 Core. The specification defines the data structures prescribed by SBML as well as their encoding in XML, the eXtensible Markup Language. This specification also defines validation rules that determine the validity of an SBML document, and provides many examples of models in SBML form. Other materials and software are available from the SBML project web site, http://sbml.org/.

The Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML): Language Specification for Level 3 Version 1 Core.

PubMed

Hucka, Michael; Bergmann, Frank T; Hoops, Stefan; Keating, Sarah M; Sahle, Sven; Schaff, James C; Smith, Lucian P; Wilkinson, Darren J

2015-06-01

Computational models can help researchers to interpret data, understand biological function, and make quantitative predictions. The Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) is a file format for representing computational models in a declarative form that can be exchanged between different software systems. SBML is oriented towards describing biological processes of the sort common in research on a number of topics, including metabolic pathways, cell signaling pathways, and many others. By supporting SBML as an input/output format, different tools can all operate on an identical representation of a model, removing opportunities for translation errors and assuring a common starting point for analyses and simulations. This document provides the specification for Version 1 of SBML Level 3 Core. The specification defines the data structures prescribed by SBML as well as their encoding in XML, the eXtensible Markup Language. This specification also defines validation rules that determine the validity of an SBML document, and provides many examples of models in SBML form. Other materials and software are available from the SBML project web site, http://sbml.org/.

Reliability and validity of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) for detecting perinatal common mental disorders (PCMDs) among women in low-and lower-middle-income countries: a systematic review.

PubMed

Shrestha, Sumitra Devi; Pradhan, Rina; Tran, Thach D; Gualano, Rosa C; Fisher, Jane R W

2016-04-04

The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), originally developed in Britain, is one of the most widely used screening instruments for assessing symptoms of the Perinatal Common Mental Disorders (PCMDs) of depression and anxiety. However, its potential to detect PCMDs in culturally diverse low- and lower-middle income countries (LALMICs) is unclear. This systematic review aimed to appraise formally validated local language versions of the EPDS from these resource-constrained settings. Following the PRISMA protocol, we searched MEDLINE-OVID, CINAHL-Plus and PUBMED to identify studies reporting translation, cultural adaptation and formal validation of the EPDS to detect PCMDs among women in LALMICs. The quality of the studies meeting inclusion criteria was assessed using standard criteria and a new process-based criteria; which was developed specifically for this study. We identified 1281 records among which 16 met inclusion criteria; three further papers were identified by hand-searching reference lists. The publications reported findings from 12 LALMICs in 14 native languages. Most of these local language versions of the EPDS (LLV-EPDS) had lower precision for identifying true cases of PCMDs among women in the general perinatal population compared to the original English version. Only one study met all criteria for culturally sensitive translation, the others had not established the comprehensibility of the local version amongst representative groups of women in pre-testing. Many studies tested the LLV-EPDS only amongst convenience samples recruited at single health facilities. Diagnostic interviews for confirmation of mental disorders could have been influenced by the mental health professionals' lack of blinding to the initial screening results. Additionally, even when diagnostic-interviews were carried out in the local language, questions might not have been understood as most studies followed standard diagnostic protocol which had not been culturally adapted. Most of the LLV-EPDS from non-English speaking low- and middle-income-countries did not meet all criteria for formal validation of a screening instrument. Psychometric properties of LLV-EPDS could be enhanced by adopting the new process-based criteria for translation, adaptation and validation.

Auditory processing disorders: an update for speech-language pathologists.

PubMed

DeBonis, David A; Moncrieff, Deborah

2008-02-01

Unanswered questions regarding the nature of auditory processing disorders (APDs), how best to identify at-risk students, how best to diagnose and differentiate APDs from other disorders, and concerns about the lack of valid treatments have resulted in ongoing confusion and skepticism about the diagnostic validity of this label. This poses challenges for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who are working with school-age children and whose scope of practice includes APD screening and intervention. The purpose of this article is to address some of the questions commonly asked by SLPs regarding APDs in school-age children. This article is also intended to serve as a resource for SLPs to be used in deciding what role they will or will not play with respect to APDs in school-age children. The methodology used in this article included a computerized database review of the latest published information on APD, with an emphasis on the work of established researchers and expert panels, including articles from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the American Academy of Audiology. The article concludes with the authors' recommendations for continued research and their views on the appropriate role of the SLP in performing careful screening, making referrals, and supporting intervention.

Validity of the American Sign Language Discrimination Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bochner, Joseph H.; Samar, Vincent J.; Hauser, Peter C.; Garrison, Wayne M.; Searls, J. Matt; Sanders, Cynthia A.

2016-01-01

American Sign Language (ASL) is one of the most commonly taught languages in North America. Yet, few assessment instruments for ASL proficiency have been developed, none of which have adequately demonstrated validity. We propose that the American Sign Language Discrimination Test (ASL-DT), a recently developed measure of learners' ability to…

A Proposal on the Validation Model of Equivalence between PBLT and CBLT

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Huilin

2014-01-01

The validity of the computer-based language test is possibly affected by three factors: computer familiarity, audio-visual cognitive competence, and other discrepancies in construct. Therefore, validating the equivalence between the paper-and-pencil language test and the computer-based language test is a key step in the procedure of designing a…

Object-oriented simulation model of a parabolic trough solar collector: Static and dynamic validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ubieta, Eduardo; Hoyo, Itzal del; Valenzuela, Loreto; Lopez-Martín, Rafael; Peña, Víctor de la; López, Susana

2017-06-01

A simulation model of a parabolic-trough solar collector developed in Modelica® language is calibrated and validated. The calibration is performed in order to approximate the behavior of the solar collector model to a real one due to the uncertainty in some of the system parameters, i.e. measured data is used during the calibration process. Afterwards, the validation of this calibrated model is done. During the validation, the results obtained from the model are compared to the ones obtained during real operation in a collector from the Plataforma Solar de Almeria (PSA).

Behavioral Signal Processing: Deriving Human Behavioral Informatics From Speech and Language

PubMed Central

Narayanan, Shrikanth; Georgiou, Panayiotis G.

2013-01-01

The expression and experience of human behavior are complex and multimodal and characterized by individual and contextual heterogeneity and variability. Speech and spoken language communication cues offer an important means for measuring and modeling human behavior. Observational research and practice across a variety of domains from commerce to healthcare rely on speech- and language-based informatics for crucial assessment and diagnostic information and for planning and tracking response to an intervention. In this paper, we describe some of the opportunities as well as emerging methodologies and applications of human behavioral signal processing (BSP) technology and algorithms for quantitatively understanding and modeling typical, atypical, and distressed human behavior with a specific focus on speech- and language-based communicative, affective, and social behavior. We describe the three important BSP components of acquiring behavioral data in an ecologically valid manner across laboratory to real-world settings, extracting and analyzing behavioral cues from measured data, and developing models offering predictive and decision-making support. We highlight both the foundational speech and language processing building blocks as well as the novel processing and modeling opportunities. Using examples drawn from specific real-world applications ranging from literacy assessment and autism diagnostics to psychotherapy for addiction and marital well being, we illustrate behavioral informatics applications of these signal processing techniques that contribute to quantifying higher level, often subjectively described, human behavior in a domain-sensitive fashion. PMID:24039277

Approaching sign language test construction: adaptation of the German sign language receptive skills test.

PubMed

Haug, Tobias

2011-01-01

There is a current need for reliable and valid test instruments in different countries in order to monitor deaf children's sign language acquisition. However, very few tests are commercially available that offer strong evidence for their psychometric properties. A German Sign Language (DGS) test focusing on linguistic structures that are acquired in preschool- and school-aged children (4-8 years old) is urgently needed. Using the British Sign Language Receptive Skills Test, that has been standardized and has sound psychometric properties, as a template for adaptation thus provides a starting point for tests of a sign language that is less documented, such as DGS. This article makes a novel contribution to the field by examining linguistic, cultural, and methodological issues in the process of adapting a test from the source language to the target language. The adapted DGS test has sound psychometric properties and provides the basis for revision prior to standardization. © The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

Using a simulation assistant in modeling manufacturing systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schroer, Bernard J.; Tseng, Fan T.; Zhang, S. X.; Wolfsberger, John W.

1988-01-01

Numerous simulation languages exist for modeling discrete event processes, and are now ported to microcomputers. Graphic and animation capabilities were added to many of these languages to assist the users build models and evaluate the simulation results. With all these languages and added features, the user is still plagued with learning the simulation language. Futhermore, the time to construct and then to validate the simulation model is always greater than originally anticipated. One approach to minimize the time requirement is to use pre-defined macros that describe various common processes or operations in a system. The development of a simulation assistant for modeling discrete event manufacturing processes is presented. A simulation assistant is defined as an interactive intelligent software tool that assists the modeler in writing a simulation program by translating the modeler's symbolic description of the problem and then automatically generating the corresponding simulation code. The simulation assistant is discussed with emphasis on an overview of the simulation assistant, the elements of the assistant, and the five manufacturing simulation generators. A typical manufacturing system will be modeled using the simulation assistant and the advantages and disadvantages discussed.

Psychometric comparability of English- and Spanish-language measures of anxiety and related affective symptoms.

PubMed

Novy, D M; Stanley, M A; Averill, P; Daza, P

2001-09-01

An array of measures of anxiety and related disorders (viz., Albany Panic and Phobia Questionnaire; Anxiety Sensitivity Index; Beck Anxiety Inventory; Beck Depression Inventory-II; Body Sensation Questionnaire; Fear Questionnaire; Padua Inventory; Penn State Worry Questionnaire; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Diagnostic Scale; Social Interaction Anxiety Inventory; and Worry Scale) was edited or translated from English into Spanish. Following an extensive edit and translation process, bilingual participants (n = 98) were assessed with the English and Spanish versions of these measures. Coefficient alphas were excellent and comparable across language versions. Means and standard deviations were also comparable across language versions. Evidence of convergent and discriminant validity was found for both language versions. The two language versions of each measure correlated highly with each other. This psychometric comparability adds confidence in using the newly edited or translated Spanish language measures in clinical practice and research.

Spanish language generation engine to enhance the syntactic quality of AAC systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Narváez A., Cristian; Sastoque H., Sebastián.; Iregui G., Marcela

2015-12-01

People with Complex Communication Needs (CCN) face difficulties to communicate their ideas, feelings and needs. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) approaches aim to provide support to enhance socialization of these individuals. However, there are many limitations in current applications related with systems operation, target scenarios and language consistency. This work presents an AAC approach to enhance produced messages by applying elements of Natural Language Generation. Specifically, a Spanish language engine, composed of a grammar ontology and a set of linguistic rules, is proposed to improve the naturalness in the communication process, when persons with CCN tell stories about their daily activities to non-disabled receivers. The assessment of the proposed method confirms the validity of the model to improve messages quality.

The DSM-5 social anxiety disorder severity scale: Evidence of validity and reliability in a clinical sample.

PubMed

LeBeau, Richard T; Mesri, Bita; Craske, Michelle G

2016-10-30

With DSM-5, the APA began providing guidelines for anxiety disorder severity assessment that incorporates newly developed self-report scales. The scales share a common template, are brief, and are free of copyright restrictions. Initial validation studies have been promising, but the English-language versions of the scales have not been formally validated in clinical samples. Forty-seven individuals with a principal diagnosis of Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) completed a diagnostic assessment, as well as the DSM-5 SAD severity scale and several previously validated measures. The scale demonstrated internal consistency, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. The next steps in the validation process are outlined. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development and validation of the Spanish-English Language Proficiency Scale (SELPS).

PubMed

Smyk, Ekaterina; Restrepo, M Adelaida; Gorin, Joanna S; Gray, Shelley

2013-07-01

This study examined the development and validation of a criterion-referenced Spanish-English Language Proficiency Scale (SELPS) that was designed to assess the oral language skills of sequential bilingual children ages 4-8. This article reports results for the English proficiency portion of the scale. The SELPS assesses syntactic complexity, grammatical accuracy, verbal fluency, and lexical diversity based on 2 story retell tasks. In Study 1, 40 children were given 2 story retell tasks to evaluate the reliability of parallel forms. In Study 2, 76 children participated in the validation of the scale against language sample measures and teacher ratings of language proficiency. Study 1 indicated no significant differences between the SELPS scores on the 2 stories. Study 2 indicated that the SELPS scores correlated significantly with their counterpart language sample measures. Correlations between the SELPS and teacher ratings were moderate. The 2 story retells elicited comparable SELPS scores, providing a valuable tool for test-retest conditions in the assessment of language proficiency. Correlations between the SELPS scores and external variables indicated that these measures assessed the same language skills. Results provided empirical evidence regarding the validity of inferences about language proficiency based on the SELPS score.

Translations of Developmental Screening Instruments: An Evidence Map of Available Research.

PubMed

El-Behadli, Ana F; Neger, Emily N; Perrin, Ellen C; Sheldrick, R Christopher

2015-01-01

Children whose parents do not speak English experience significant disparities in the identification of developmental delays and disorders; however, little is known about the availability and validity of translations of developmental screeners. The goal was to create a map of the scientific evidence regarding translations of the 9 Academy of Pediatrics-recommended screening instruments into languages other than English. The authors conducted a systematic search of Medline and PsycINFO, references of identified articles, publishers' Web sites, and official manuals. Through evidence mapping, a new methodology supported by AHRQ and the Cochrane Collaboration, the authors documented the extent and distribution of published evidence supporting translations of developmental screeners. Data extraction focused on 3 steps of the translation and validation process: (1) translation methods used, (2) collection of normative data in the target language, and (3) evidence for reliability and validity. The authors identified 63 distinct translations among the 9 screeners, of which 44 had supporting evidence published in peer-reviewed sources. Of the 63 translations, 35 had at least some published evidence regarding translation methods used, 28 involving normative data, and 32 regarding reliability and/or construct validity. One-third of the translations found were of the Denver Developmental Screening Test. Specific methods used varied greatly across screeners, as did the level of detail with which results were reported. Few developmental screeners have been translated into many languages. Evidence map of the authors demonstrates considerable variation in both the amount and the comprehensiveness of information available about translated instruments. Informal guidelines exist for conducting translation of psychometric instruments but not for documentation of this process. The authors propose that uniform guidelines be established for reporting translation research in peer-reviewed journals, similar to those for clinical trials and studies of diagnostic accuracy.

The semantics of Chemical Markup Language (CML): dictionaries and conventions.

PubMed

Murray-Rust, Peter; Townsend, Joe A; Adams, Sam E; Phadungsukanan, Weerapong; Thomas, Jens

2011-10-14

The semantic architecture of CML consists of conventions, dictionaries and units. The conventions conform to a top-level specification and each convention can constrain compliant documents through machine-processing (validation). Dictionaries conform to a dictionary specification which also imposes machine validation on the dictionaries. Each dictionary can also be used to validate data in a CML document, and provide human-readable descriptions. An additional set of conventions and dictionaries are used to support scientific units. All conventions, dictionaries and dictionary elements are identifiable and addressable through unique URIs.

CMLLite: a design philosophy for CML

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

CMLLite is a collection of definitions and processes which provide strong and flexible validation for a document in Chemical Markup Language (CML). It consists of an updated CML schema (schema3), conventions specifying rules in both human and machine-understandable forms and a validator available both online and offline to check conformance. This article explores the rationale behind the changes which have been made to the schema, explains how conventions interact and how they are designed, formulated, implemented and tested, and gives an overview of the validation service. PMID:21999395

The semantics of Chemical Markup Language (CML): dictionaries and conventions

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

The semantic architecture of CML consists of conventions, dictionaries and units. The conventions conform to a top-level specification and each convention can constrain compliant documents through machine-processing (validation). Dictionaries conform to a dictionary specification which also imposes machine validation on the dictionaries. Each dictionary can also be used to validate data in a CML document, and provide human-readable descriptions. An additional set of conventions and dictionaries are used to support scientific units. All conventions, dictionaries and dictionary elements are identifiable and addressable through unique URIs. PMID:21999509

Symbolic dynamic filtering and language measure for behavior identification of mobile robots.

PubMed

Mallapragada, Goutham; Ray, Asok; Jin, Xin

2012-06-01

This paper presents a procedure for behavior identification of mobile robots, which requires limited or no domain knowledge of the underlying process. While the features of robot behavior are extracted by symbolic dynamic filtering of the observed time series, the behavior patterns are classified based on language measure theory. The behavior identification procedure has been experimentally validated on a networked robotic test bed by comparison with commonly used tools, namely, principal component analysis for feature extraction and Bayesian risk analysis for pattern classification.

Linguistic validation of the US Spanish work productivity and activity impairment questionnaire, general health version.

PubMed

Gawlicki, Mary C; Reilly, Margaret C; Popielnicki, Ana; Reilly, Kate

2006-01-01

There are no measures of health-related absenteeism and presenteeism validated for use in the large and increasing US Spanish-speaking population. Before using a Spanish translation of an available English-language questionnaire, the linguistic validity of the Spanish version must be established to ensure its conceptual equivalence to the original and its cultural appropriateness. The objective of this study was to evaluate the linguistic validity of the US Spanish version of the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire, General Health Version (WPAI:GH). A US Spanish translation of the US English WPAI:GH was created through a reiterative process of creating harmonized forward and back translations by independent translators. Spanish-speaking and English-speaking subjects residing in the US self-administered the WPAI:GH in their primary language and were subsequently debriefed by a bilingual (Spanish-English) interviewer. US Spanish subjects (N = 31) and English subjects (N = 35), stratified equally by educational level, with and without a high school degree participated in the study. The WPAI-GH item comprehension rate was 98.6% for Spanish and 99.6% for English. Response revision rates during debriefing were 1.6% for Spanish and 0.5% for English. Responses to hypothetical scenarios indicated that both language versions adequately differentiate sick time taken for health and non-health reasons and between absenteeism and presenteeism. Linguistic validity of the US Spanish translation of the WPAI:GH was established among a diverse US Spanish-speaking population, including those with minimal education.

Translation, validity, and reliability of a persian version of the iowa tinnitus handicap questionnaire.

PubMed

Arian Nahad, Homa; Rouzbahani, Masomeh; Jarollahi, Farnoush; Jalaie, Shohreh; Pourbakht, Akram; Mokrian, Helnaz; Mahdi, Parvane; Amali, Amin; Nodin Zadeh, Abdolmajid

2014-04-01

Tinnitus is a common otologic symptom that can seriously affect a patient's quality of life. The purpose of the present study was to translate and validate the Iowa Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire (THQ) into the Persian language, and to make it applicable as a tool for determining the effects of tinnitus on a patient's life. The main version of the THQ was translated into the Persian language. The agreed Persian version was administered to 150 tinnitus patients. The validity of the Persian THQ was evaluated and internal reliability was confirmed using Cronbach's α-coefficient. Finally, the effect of independent variables such as age, mean patient threshold, gender, and duration of tinnitus were considered in order to determine the psychometric properties of tinnitus. After an exact translation process, the Persian THQ was found to exhibit face validity. In terms of content validity, content validity index in total questionnaire was 0.93. Further, in structural validity measurements, intermediate correlation with annoyance from tinnitus (r=0.49), low correlation with duration of tinnitus (r=0.34) and high correlation with the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) questionnaire (r=0.84) were demonstrated. Additionally, a negligible effect of gender and age was noted on degree of tinnitus handicap (P= 0.754, P= 0.573, respectively). In the internal reliability assessment for Factors 1, 2, 3, and the whole questionnaire, Cronbach`s α-coefficient was 0.95, 0.92, 0.25 and 0.88, respectively. The Persian version of the Iowa THQ demonstrates high validity and reliability and can be used for the determination of tinnitus handicap and for following-up in the intervention process in Persian tinnitus patients.

A Cognitive Neural Architecture Able to Learn and Communicate through Natural Language.

PubMed

Golosio, Bruno; Cangelosi, Angelo; Gamotina, Olesya; Masala, Giovanni Luca

2015-01-01

Communicative interactions involve a kind of procedural knowledge that is used by the human brain for processing verbal and nonverbal inputs and for language production. Although considerable work has been done on modeling human language abilities, it has been difficult to bring them together to a comprehensive tabula rasa system compatible with current knowledge of how verbal information is processed in the brain. This work presents a cognitive system, entirely based on a large-scale neural architecture, which was developed to shed light on the procedural knowledge involved in language elaboration. The main component of this system is the central executive, which is a supervising system that coordinates the other components of the working memory. In our model, the central executive is a neural network that takes as input the neural activation states of the short-term memory and yields as output mental actions, which control the flow of information among the working memory components through neural gating mechanisms. The proposed system is capable of learning to communicate through natural language starting from tabula rasa, without any a priori knowledge of the structure of phrases, meaning of words, role of the different classes of words, only by interacting with a human through a text-based interface, using an open-ended incremental learning process. It is able to learn nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns and other word classes, and to use them in expressive language. The model was validated on a corpus of 1587 input sentences, based on literature on early language assessment, at the level of about 4-years old child, and produced 521 output sentences, expressing a broad range of language processing functionalities.

LAnd surface remote sensing Products VAlidation System (LAPVAS) and its preliminary application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Xingwen; Wen, Jianguang; Tang, Yong; Ma, Mingguo; Dou, Baocheng; Wu, Xiaodan; Meng, Lumin

2014-11-01

The long term record of remote sensing product shows the land surface parameters with spatial and temporal change to support regional and global scientific research widely. Remote sensing product with different sensors and different algorithms is necessary to be validated to ensure the high quality remote sensing product. Investigation about the remote sensing product validation shows that it is a complex processing both the quality of in-situ data requirement and method of precision assessment. A comprehensive validation should be needed with long time series and multiple land surface types. So a system named as land surface remote sensing product is designed in this paper to assess the uncertainty information of the remote sensing products based on a amount of in situ data and the validation techniques. The designed validation system platform consists of three parts: Validation databases Precision analysis subsystem, Inter-external interface of system. These three parts are built by some essential service modules, such as Data-Read service modules, Data-Insert service modules, Data-Associated service modules, Precision-Analysis service modules, Scale-Change service modules and so on. To run the validation system platform, users could order these service modules and choreograph them by the user interactive and then compete the validation tasks of remote sensing products (such as LAI ,ALBEDO ,VI etc.) . Taking SOA-based architecture as the framework of this system. The benefit of this architecture is the good service modules which could be independent of any development environment by standards such as the Web-Service Description Language(WSDL). The standard language: C++ and java will used as the primary programming language to create service modules. One of the key land surface parameter, albedo, is selected as an example of the system application. It is illustrated that the LAPVAS has a good performance to implement the land surface remote sensing product validation.

The Unified Language Testing Plan: Speaking Proficiency Test. Russian Pilot Validation Studies. Report Number 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thornton, Julie A.

The report describes one segment of the Federal Language Testing Board's Unified Language Testing Plan (ULTP), the validation of the speaking proficiency test in Russian. The ULTP is a project to increase standardization of foreign language proficiency measurement and promote sharing of resources among testing programs in the federal government.…

The Unified Language Testing Plan: Speaking Proficiency Test. Spanish and English Pilot Validation Studies. Report Number 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thornton, Julie A.

This report describes one segment of the Federal Language Testing Board's Unified Language Testing Plan (ULTP), the validation of speaking proficiency tests in Spanish and English. The ULTP is a project to increase standardization of foreign language proficiency measurement and promote sharing of resources among testing programs in the federal…

Behavioral Signal Processing: Deriving Human Behavioral Informatics From Speech and Language: Computational techniques are presented to analyze and model expressed and perceived human behavior-variedly characterized as typical, atypical, distressed, and disordered-from speech and language cues and their applications in health, commerce, education, and beyond.

PubMed

Narayanan, Shrikanth; Georgiou, Panayiotis G

2013-02-07

The expression and experience of human behavior are complex and multimodal and characterized by individual and contextual heterogeneity and variability. Speech and spoken language communication cues offer an important means for measuring and modeling human behavior. Observational research and practice across a variety of domains from commerce to healthcare rely on speech- and language-based informatics for crucial assessment and diagnostic information and for planning and tracking response to an intervention. In this paper, we describe some of the opportunities as well as emerging methodologies and applications of human behavioral signal processing (BSP) technology and algorithms for quantitatively understanding and modeling typical, atypical, and distressed human behavior with a specific focus on speech- and language-based communicative, affective, and social behavior. We describe the three important BSP components of acquiring behavioral data in an ecologically valid manner across laboratory to real-world settings, extracting and analyzing behavioral cues from measured data, and developing models offering predictive and decision-making support. We highlight both the foundational speech and language processing building blocks as well as the novel processing and modeling opportunities. Using examples drawn from specific real-world applications ranging from literacy assessment and autism diagnostics to psychotherapy for addiction and marital well being, we illustrate behavioral informatics applications of these signal processing techniques that contribute to quantifying higher level, often subjectively described, human behavior in a domain-sensitive fashion.

Construct Validity of the Nepalese School Leaving English Reading Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dawadi, Saraswati; Shrestha, Prithvi N.

2018-01-01

There has been a steady interest in investigating the validity of language tests in the last decades. Despite numerous studies on construct validity in language testing, there are not many studies examining the construct validity of a reading test. This paper reports on a study that explored the construct validity of the English reading test in…

[Validity criteria of a short test to assess speech and language competence in 4-year-olds].

PubMed

Euler, H A; Holler-Zittlau, I; Minnen, S; Sick, U; Dux, W; Zaretsky, Y; Neumann, K

2010-11-01

A psychometrically constructed short test as a prerequisite for screening was developed on the basis of a revision of the Marburger Speech Screening to assess speech/language competence among children in Hessen (Germany). A total of 257 children (age 4.0 to 4.5 years) performed the test battery for speech/language competence; 214 children repeated the test 1 year later. Test scores correlated highly with scores of two competing language screenings (SSV, HASE) and with a combined score from four diagnostic tests of individual speech/language competences (Reynell III, patholinguistic diagnostics in impaired language development, PLAKSS, AWST-R). Validity was demonstrated by three comparisons: (1) Children with German family language had higher scores than children with another language. (2) The 3-month-older children achieved higher scores than younger children. (3) The difference between the children with German family language and those with another language was higher for the 3-month-older than for the younger children. The short test assesses the speech/language competence of 4-year-olds quickly, validly, and comprehensively.

Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS): international standards for validation.

PubMed

Benedict, Ralph H B; Amato, Maria Pia; Boringa, Jan; Brochet, Bruno; Foley, Fred; Fredrikson, Stan; Hamalainen, Paivi; Hartung, Hans; Krupp, Lauren; Penner, Iris; Reder, Anthony T; Langdon, Dawn

2012-07-16

An international expert consensus committee recently recommended a brief battery of tests for cognitive evaluation in multiple sclerosis. The Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS) battery includes tests of mental processing speed and memory. Recognizing that resources for validation will vary internationally, the committee identified validation priorities, to facilitate international acceptance of BICAMS. Practical matters pertaining to implementation across different languages and countries were discussed. Five steps to achieve optimal psychometric validation were proposed. In Step 1, test stimuli should be standardized for the target culture or language under consideration. In Step 2, examiner instructions must be standardized and translated, including all information from manuals necessary for administration and interpretation. In Step 3, samples of at least 65 healthy persons should be studied for normalization, matched to patients on demographics such as age, gender and education. The objective of Step 4 is test-retest reliability, which can be investigated in a small sample of MS and/or healthy volunteers over 1-3 weeks. Finally, in Step 5, criterion validity should be established by comparing MS and healthy controls. At this time, preliminary studies are underway in a number of countries as we move forward with this international assessment tool for cognition in MS.

The Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML): Language Specification for Level 3 Version 2 Core.

PubMed

Hucka, Michael; Bergmann, Frank T; Dräger, Andreas; Hoops, Stefan; Keating, Sarah M; Le Novère, Nicolas; Myers, Chris J; Olivier, Brett G; Sahle, Sven; Schaff, James C; Smith, Lucian P; Waltemath, Dagmar; Wilkinson, Darren J

2018-03-09

Computational models can help researchers to interpret data, understand biological functions, and make quantitative predictions. The Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) is a file format for representing computational models in a declarative form that different software systems can exchange. SBML is oriented towards describing biological processes of the sort common in research on a number of topics, including metabolic pathways, cell signaling pathways, and many others. By supporting SBML as an input/output format, different tools can all operate on an identical representation of a model, removing opportunities for translation errors and assuring a common starting point for analyses and simulations. This document provides the specification for Version 2 of SBML Level 3 Core. The specification defines the data structures prescribed by SBML, their encoding in XML (the eXtensible Markup Language), validation rules that determine the validity of an SBML document, and examples of models in SBML form. The design of Version 2 differs from Version 1 principally in allowing new MathML constructs, making more child elements optional, and adding identifiers to all SBML elements instead of only selected elements. Other materials and software are available from the SBML project website at http://sbml.org/.

On-Demand Associative Cross-Language Information Retrieval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geraldo, André Pinto; Moreira, Viviane P.; Gonçalves, Marcos A.

This paper proposes the use of algorithms for mining association rules as an approach for Cross-Language Information Retrieval. These algorithms have been widely used to analyse market basket data. The idea is to map the problem of finding associations between sales items to the problem of finding term translations over a parallel corpus. The proposal was validated by means of experiments using queries in two distinct languages: Portuguese and Finnish to retrieve documents in English. The results show that the performance of our proposed approach is comparable to the performance of the monolingual baseline and to query translation via machine translation, even though these systems employ more complex Natural Language Processing techniques. The combination between machine translation and our approach yielded the best results, even outperforming the monolingual baseline.

A Spanish-Language Risk Perception Survey for Developing Diabetes: Translation Process and Assessment of Psychometric Properties.

PubMed

Joiner, Kevin L; Sternberg, Rosa Maria; Kennedy, Christine; Chen, Jyu-Lin; Fukuoka, Yoshimi; Janson, Susan L

2016-12-01

Create a Spanish-language version of the Risk Perception Survey for Developing Diabetes (RPS-DD) and assess psychometric properties. The Spanish-language version was created through translation, harmonization, and presentation to the tool's original author. It was field tested in a foreignborn Latino sample and properties evaluated in principal components analysis. Personal Control, Optimistic Bias, and Worry multi-item Likert subscale responses did not cluster together. A clean solution was obtained after removing two Personal Control subscale items. Neither the Personal Disease Risk scale nor the Environmental Health Risk scale responses loaded onto single factors. Reliabilities ranged from .54 to .88. Test of knowledge performance varied by item. This study contributes to evidence of validation of a Spanish-language RPS-DD in foreign-born Latinos.

Different Dimensions of Cognitive Style in Typical and Atypical Cognition: New Evidence and a New Measurement Tool.

PubMed

Mealor, Andy D; Simner, Julia; Rothen, Nicolas; Carmichael, Duncan A; Ward, Jamie

2016-01-01

We developed the Sussex Cognitive Styles Questionnaire (SCSQ) to investigate visual and verbal processing preferences and incorporate global/local processing orientations and systemising into a single, comprehensive measure. In Study 1 (N = 1542), factor analysis revealed six reliable subscales to the final 60 item questionnaire: Imagery Ability (relating to the use of visual mental imagery in everyday life); Technical/Spatial (relating to spatial mental imagery, and numerical and technical cognition); Language & Word Forms; Need for Organisation; Global Bias; and Systemising Tendency. Thus, we replicate previous findings that visual and verbal styles are separable, and that types of imagery can be subdivided. We extend previous research by showing that spatial imagery clusters with other abstract cognitive skills, and demonstrate that global/local bias can be separated from systemising. Study 2 validated the Technical/Spatial and Language & Word Forms factors by showing that they affect performance on memory tasks. In Study 3, we validated Imagery Ability, Technical/Spatial, Language & Word Forms, Global Bias, and Systemising Tendency by issuing the SCSQ to a sample of synaesthetes (N = 121) who report atypical cognitive profiles on these subscales. Thus, the SCSQ consolidates research from traditionally disparate areas of cognitive science into a comprehensive cognitive style measure, which can be used in the general population, and special populations.

Different Dimensions of Cognitive Style in Typical and Atypical Cognition: New Evidence and a New Measurement Tool

PubMed Central

Mealor, Andy D.; Simner, Julia; Rothen, Nicolas; Carmichael, Duncan A.; Ward, Jamie

2016-01-01

We developed the Sussex Cognitive Styles Questionnaire (SCSQ) to investigate visual and verbal processing preferences and incorporate global/local processing orientations and systemising into a single, comprehensive measure. In Study 1 (N = 1542), factor analysis revealed six reliable subscales to the final 60 item questionnaire: Imagery Ability (relating to the use of visual mental imagery in everyday life); Technical/Spatial (relating to spatial mental imagery, and numerical and technical cognition); Language & Word Forms; Need for Organisation; Global Bias; and Systemising Tendency. Thus, we replicate previous findings that visual and verbal styles are separable, and that types of imagery can be subdivided. We extend previous research by showing that spatial imagery clusters with other abstract cognitive skills, and demonstrate that global/local bias can be separated from systemising. Study 2 validated the Technical/Spatial and Language & Word Forms factors by showing that they affect performance on memory tasks. In Study 3, we validated Imagery Ability, Technical/Spatial, Language & Word Forms, Global Bias, and Systemising Tendency by issuing the SCSQ to a sample of synaesthetes (N = 121) who report atypical cognitive profiles on these subscales. Thus, the SCSQ consolidates research from traditionally disparate areas of cognitive science into a comprehensive cognitive style measure, which can be used in the general population, and special populations. PMID:27191169

Modeling Learning Processes in Lexical CALL.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodfellow, Robin; Laurillard, Diana

1994-01-01

Studies the performance of a novice Spanish student using a Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) system designed for vocabulary enlargement. Results indicate that introspective evidence may be used to validate performance data within a theoretical framework that characterizes the learning approach as "surface" or "deep." (25 references)…

Understanding Foreign Language Learning Strategies: A Validation Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tragant, Elsa; Thompson, Marilyn S.; Victori, Mia

2013-01-01

The present work aims to contribute to our understanding of the underlying dimensions of language learning strategies in foreign language contexts. The study analyzes alternative factor structures underlying a recently developed instrument (Tragant and Victori, 2012) and it includes the age factor in the examination of its construct validity. The…

Generalizability Theory and the Fair and Valid Assessment of Linguistic Minorities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solano-Flores, Guillermo; Li, Min

2013-01-01

We discuss generalizability (G) theory and the fair and valid assessment of linguistic minorities, especially emergent bilinguals. G theory allows examination of the relationship between score variation and language variation (e.g., variation of proficiency across languages, language modes, and social contexts). Studies examining score variation…

A Historical Overview on the Concept of Validity in Language Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamavandy, Mehraban; Kiany, Gholam Reza

2014-01-01

This article provides an overview on language test validation theories, especially the Messickian view on construct validity and the way it's been translated into practice. First, a brief historical synopsis will be set forth, followed by recent views on test validity as advanced by Messick and Kane. The review goes on to lay out the similarities…

Computer-Assisted Update of a Consumer Health Vocabulary Through Mining of Social Network Data

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Consumer health vocabularies (CHVs) have been developed to aid consumer health informatics applications. This purpose is best served if the vocabulary evolves with consumers’ language. Objective Our objective was to create a computer assisted update (CAU) system that works with live corpora to identify new candidate terms for inclusion in the open access and collaborative (OAC) CHV. Methods The CAU system consisted of three main parts: a Web crawler and an HTML parser, a candidate term filter that utilizes natural language processing tools including term recognition methods, and a human review interface. In evaluation, the CAU system was applied to the health-related social network website PatientsLikeMe.com. The system’s utility was assessed by comparing the candidate term list it generated to a list of valid terms hand extracted from the text of the crawled webpages. Results The CAU system identified 88,994 unique terms 1- to 7-grams (“n-grams” are n consecutive words within a sentence) in 300 crawled PatientsLikeMe.com webpages. The manual review of the crawled webpages identified 651 valid terms not yet included in the OAC CHV or the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) Metathesaurus, a collection of vocabularies amalgamated to form an ontology of medical terms, (ie, 1 valid term per 136.7 candidate n-grams). The term filter selected 774 candidate terms, of which 237 were valid terms, that is, 1 valid term among every 3 or 4 candidates reviewed. Conclusion The CAU system is effective for generating a list of candidate terms for human review during CHV development. PMID:21586386

Computer-assisted update of a consumer health vocabulary through mining of social network data.

PubMed

Doing-Harris, Kristina M; Zeng-Treitler, Qing

2011-05-17

Consumer health vocabularies (CHVs) have been developed to aid consumer health informatics applications. This purpose is best served if the vocabulary evolves with consumers' language. Our objective was to create a computer assisted update (CAU) system that works with live corpora to identify new candidate terms for inclusion in the open access and collaborative (OAC) CHV. The CAU system consisted of three main parts: a Web crawler and an HTML parser, a candidate term filter that utilizes natural language processing tools including term recognition methods, and a human review interface. In evaluation, the CAU system was applied to the health-related social network website PatientsLikeMe.com. The system's utility was assessed by comparing the candidate term list it generated to a list of valid terms hand extracted from the text of the crawled webpages. The CAU system identified 88,994 unique terms 1- to 7-grams ("n-grams" are n consecutive words within a sentence) in 300 crawled PatientsLikeMe.com webpages. The manual review of the crawled webpages identified 651 valid terms not yet included in the OAC CHV or the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) Metathesaurus, a collection of vocabularies amalgamated to form an ontology of medical terms, (ie, 1 valid term per 136.7 candidate n-grams). The term filter selected 774 candidate terms, of which 237 were valid terms, that is, 1 valid term among every 3 or 4 candidates reviewed. The CAU system is effective for generating a list of candidate terms for human review during CHV development.

Language workbench user interfaces for data analysis

PubMed Central

Benson, Victoria M.

2015-01-01

Biological data analysis is frequently performed with command line software. While this practice provides considerable flexibility for computationally savy individuals, such as investigators trained in bioinformatics, this also creates a barrier to the widespread use of data analysis software by investigators trained as biologists and/or clinicians. Workflow systems such as Galaxy and Taverna have been developed to try and provide generic user interfaces that can wrap command line analysis software. These solutions are useful for problems that can be solved with workflows, and that do not require specialized user interfaces. However, some types of analyses can benefit from custom user interfaces. For instance, developing biomarker models from high-throughput data is a type of analysis that can be expressed more succinctly with specialized user interfaces. Here, we show how Language Workbench (LW) technology can be used to model the biomarker development and validation process. We developed a language that models the concepts of Dataset, Endpoint, Feature Selection Method and Classifier. These high-level language concepts map directly to abstractions that analysts who develop biomarker models are familiar with. We found that user interfaces developed in the Meta-Programming System (MPS) LW provide convenient means to configure a biomarker development project, to train models and view the validation statistics. We discuss several advantages of developing user interfaces for data analysis with a LW, including increased interface consistency, portability and extension by language composition. The language developed during this experiment is distributed as an MPS plugin (available at http://campagnelab.org/software/bdval-for-mps/). PMID:25755929

Toward Validation of the Genius Discipline-Specific Literacy Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellis, Edwin S.; Wills, Stephen; Deshler, Donald D.

2011-01-01

An analysis of the rationale and theoretical foundations of the Genius Discipline-specific Literacy Model and its use of SMARTvisuals to cue information-processing skills and strategies and focus attention on essential informational elements in high-frequency topics in history and the English language arts are presented. Quantitative data…

Challenging Venerable Assumptions: Literacy Instruction for Linguistically Different Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reyes, Maria de la Luz

1992-01-01

"One size fits all" literacy instruction works against the success of limited and non-English speaking students. Process instruction, tailoring literacy education to account for students' linguistic and cultural diversity, must begin with the premise that each learner brings a valid language and culture to the instructional context.…

Modeling and validating HL7 FHIR profiles using semantic web Shape Expressions (ShEx).

PubMed

Solbrig, Harold R; Prud'hommeaux, Eric; Grieve, Grahame; McKenzie, Lloyd; Mandel, Joshua C; Sharma, Deepak K; Jiang, Guoqian

2017-03-01

HL7 Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) is an emerging open standard for the exchange of electronic healthcare information. FHIR resources are defined in a specialized modeling language. FHIR instances can currently be represented in either XML or JSON. The FHIR and Semantic Web communities are developing a third FHIR instance representation format in Resource Description Framework (RDF). Shape Expressions (ShEx), a formal RDF data constraint language, is a candidate for describing and validating the FHIR RDF representation. Create a FHIR to ShEx model transformation and assess its ability to describe and validate FHIR RDF data. We created the methods and tools that generate the ShEx schemas modeling the FHIR to RDF specification being developed by HL7 ITS/W3C RDF Task Force, and evaluated the applicability of ShEx in the description and validation of FHIR to RDF transformations. The ShEx models contributed significantly to workgroup consensus. Algorithmic transformations from the FHIR model to ShEx schemas and FHIR example data to RDF transformations were incorporated into the FHIR build process. ShEx schemas representing 109 FHIR resources were used to validate 511 FHIR RDF data examples from the Standards for Trial Use (STU 3) Ballot version. We were able to uncover unresolved issues in the FHIR to RDF specification and detect 10 types of errors and root causes in the actual implementation. The FHIR ShEx representations have been included in the official FHIR web pages for the STU 3 Ballot version since September 2016. ShEx can be used to define and validate the syntax of a FHIR resource, which is complementary to the use of RDF Schema (RDFS) and Web Ontology Language (OWL) for semantic validation. ShEx proved useful for describing a standard model of FHIR RDF data. The combination of a formal model and a succinct format enabled comprehensive review and automated validation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Validity and reliability of four language mapping paradigms.

PubMed

Wilson, Stephen M; Bautista, Alexa; Yen, Melodie; Lauderdale, Stefanie; Eriksson, Dana K

2017-01-01

Language areas of the brain can be mapped in individual participants with functional MRI. We investigated the validity and reliability of four language mapping paradigms that may be appropriate for individuals with acquired aphasia: sentence completion, picture naming, naturalistic comprehension, and narrative comprehension. Five neurologically normal older adults were scanned on each of the four paradigms on four separate occasions. Validity was assessed in terms of whether activation patterns reflected the known typical organization of language regions, that is, lateralization to the left hemisphere, and involvement of the left inferior frontal gyrus and the left middle and/or superior temporal gyri. Reliability (test-retest reproducibility) was quantified in terms of the Dice coefficient of similarity, which measures overlap of activations across time points. We explored the impact of different absolute and relative voxelwise thresholds, a range of cluster size cutoffs, and limitation of analyses to a priori potential language regions. We found that the narrative comprehension and sentence completion paradigms offered the best balance of validity and reliability. However, even with optimal combinations of analysis parameters, there were many scans on which known features of typical language organization were not demonstrated, and test-retest reproducibility was only moderate for realistic parameter choices. These limitations in terms of validity and reliability may constitute significant limitations for many clinical or research applications that depend on identifying language regions in individual participants.

An Examination of Reliability and Validity Claims of a Foreign Language Proficiency Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mircea-Pines, Walter J.

2009-01-01

This dissertation study examined the reliability and validity claims of a modified version of the Spanish Modern Language Association Foreign Language Proficiency Test for Teachers and Advanced Students administered at George Mason University (GMU). The study used the 1999 computerized GMU version that was administered to 277 test-takers via…

Exploring the Validity of a Second Language Intercultural Pragmatics Assessment Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Timpe-Laughlin, Veronika; Choi, Ikkyu

2017-01-01

Pragmatics has been a key component of language competence frameworks. While the majority of second/foreign language (L2) pragmatics tests have targeted productive skills, the assessment of receptive pragmatic skills remains a developing field. This study explores validation evidence for a test of receptive L2 pragmatic ability called the American…

Seeking a Valid Gold Standard for an Innovative, Dialect-Neutral Language Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pearson, Barbara Zurer; Jackson, Janice E.; Wu, Haotian

2014-01-01

Purpose: In this study, the authors explored alternative gold standards to validate an innovative, dialect-neutral language assessment. Method: Participants were 78 African American children, ages 5;0 (years;months) to 6;11. Twenty participants had previously been identified as having language impairment. The Diagnostic Evaluation of Language…

Development and Validation of the Spanish-English Language Proficiency Scale (SELPS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smyk, Ekaterina; Restrepo, M. Adelaida; Gorin, Joanna S.; Gray, Shelley

2013-01-01

Purpose: This study examined the development and validation of a criterion-referenced Spanish-English Language Proficiency Scale (SELPS) that was designed to assess the oral language skills of sequential bilingual children ages 4-8. This article reports results for the English proficiency portion of the scale. Method: The SELPS assesses syntactic…

Interactional Competence: Challenges for Validity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Richard F.

One of the ways in which language testing interfaces with applied linguistics is in the definition and validation of the constructs that underlie language tests. When language testers and score users interpret scores on a test, they do so by implicit and explicit reference to the construct on which the test is based. Equally, when applied to new…

Voices from Test-Takers: Further Evidence for Language Assessment Validation and Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Liying; DeLuca, Christopher

2011-01-01

Test-takers' interpretations of validity as related to test constructs and test use have been widely debated in large-scale language assessment. This study contributes further evidence to this debate by examining 59 test-takers' perspectives in writing large-scale English language tests. Participants wrote about their test-taking experiences in…

Strategy Inventory for Language Learning-ELL Student Form: Testing for Factorial Validity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ardasheva, Yuliya; Tretter, Thomas R.

2013-01-01

As the school-aged English language learner (ELL) population continues to grow in the United States and other English-speaking countries, psychometrically sound instruments to measure their language learning strategies (LLS) become ever more critical. This study adapted and validated an adult-oriented measure of LLS (50-item "Strategy…

The Two-Systems Account of Theory of Mind: Testing the Links to Social- Perceptual and Cognitive Abilities

PubMed Central

Meinhardt-Injac, Bozana; Daum, Moritz M.; Meinhardt, Günter; Persike, Malte

2018-01-01

According to the two-systems account of theory of mind (ToM), understanding mental states of others involves both fast social-perceptual processes, as well as slower, reflexive cognitive operations (Frith and Frith, 2008; Apperly and Butterfill, 2009). To test the respective roles of specific abilities in either of these processes we administered 15 experimental procedures to a large sample of 343 participants, testing ability in face recognition and holistic perception, language, and reasoning. ToM was measured by a set of tasks requiring ability to track and to infer complex emotional and mental states of others from faces, eyes, spoken language, and prosody. We used structural equation modeling to test the relative strengths of a social-perceptual (face processing related) and reflexive-cognitive (language and reasoning related) path in predicting ToM ability. The two paths accounted for 58% of ToM variance, thus validating a general two-systems framework. Testing specific predictor paths revealed language and face recognition as strong and significant predictors of ToM. For reasoning, there were neither direct nor mediated effects, albeit reasoning was strongly associated with language. Holistic face perception also failed to show a direct link with ToM ability, while there was a mediated effect via face recognition. These results highlight the respective roles of face recognition and language for the social brain, and contribute closer empirical specification of the general two-systems account. PMID:29445336

Investigating language lateralization during phonological and semantic fluency tasks using functional transcranial Doppler sonography

PubMed Central

Gutierrez-Sigut, Eva; Payne, Heather; MacSweeney, Mairéad

2015-01-01

Although there is consensus that the left hemisphere plays a critical role in language processing, some questions remain. Here we examine the influence of overt versus covert speech production on lateralization, the relationship between lateralization and behavioural measures of language performance and the strength of lateralization across the subcomponents of language. The present study used functional transcranial Doppler sonography (fTCD) to investigate lateralization of phonological and semantic fluency during both overt and covert word generation in right-handed adults. The laterality index (LI) was left lateralized in all conditions, and there was no difference in the strength of LI between overt and covert speech. This supports the validity of using overt speech in fTCD studies, another benefit of which is a reliable measure of speech production. PMID:24875468

Testing Math or Testing Language? The Construct Validity of the KeyMath-Revised for Children With Intellectual Disability and Language Difficulties.

PubMed

Rhodes, Katherine T; Branum-Martin, Lee; Morris, Robin D; Romski, MaryAnn; Sevcik, Rose A

2015-11-01

Although it is often assumed that mathematics ability alone predicts mathematics test performance, linguistic demands may also predict achievement. This study examined the role of language in mathematics assessment performance for children with intellectual disability (ID) at less severe levels, on the KeyMath-Revised Inventory (KM-R) with a sample of 264 children, in grades 2-5. Using confirmatory factor analysis, the hypothesis that the KM-R would demonstrate discriminant validity with measures of language abilities in a two-factor model was compared to two plausible alternative models. Results indicated that KM-R did not have discriminant validity with measures of children's language abilities and was a multidimensional test of both mathematics and language abilities for this population of test users. Implications are considered for test development, interpretation, and intervention.

Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) Level 2 Version 5: Structures and Facilities for Model Definitions

PubMed Central

Hucka, Michael; Bergmann, Frank T.; Dräger, Andreas; Hoops, Stefan; Keating, Sarah M.; Le Novére, Nicolas; Myers, Chris J.; Olivier, Brett G.; Sahle, Sven; Schaff, James C.; Smith, Lucian P.; Waltemath, Dagmar; Wilkinson, Darren J.

2017-01-01

Summary Computational models can help researchers to interpret data, understand biological function, and make quantitative predictions. The Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) is a file format for representing computational models in a declarative form that can be exchanged between different software systems. SBML is oriented towards describing biological processes of the sort common in research on a number of topics, including metabolic pathways, cell signaling pathways, and many others. By supporting SBML as an input/output format, different tools can all operate on an identical representation of a model, removing opportunities for translation errors and assuring a common starting point for analyses and simulations. This document provides the specification for Version 5 of SBML Level 2. The specification defines the data structures prescribed by SBML as well as their encoding in XML, the eXtensible Markup Language. This specification also defines validation rules that determine the validity of an SBML document, and provides many examples of models in SBML form. Other materials and software are available from the SBML project web site, http://sbml.org/. PMID:26528569

Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) Level 2 Version 5: Structures and Facilities for Model Definitions.

PubMed

Hucka, Michael; Bergmann, Frank T; Dräger, Andreas; Hoops, Stefan; Keating, Sarah M; Le Novère, Nicolas; Myers, Chris J; Olivier, Brett G; Sahle, Sven; Schaff, James C; Smith, Lucian P; Waltemath, Dagmar; Wilkinson, Darren J

2015-09-04

Computational models can help researchers to interpret data, understand biological function, and make quantitative predictions. The Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) is a file format for representing computational models in a declarative form that can be exchanged between different software systems. SBML is oriented towards describing biological processes of the sort common in research on a number of topics, including metabolic pathways, cell signaling pathways, and many others. By supporting SBML as an input/output format, different tools can all operate on an identical representation of a model, removing opportunities for translation errors and assuring a common starting point for analyses and simulations. This document provides the specification for Version 5 of SBML Level 2. The specification defines the data structures prescribed by SBML as well as their encoding in XML, the eXtensible Markup Language. This specification also defines validation rules that determine the validity of an SBML document, and provides many examples of models in SBML form. Other materials and software are available from the SBML project web site, http://sbml.org.

Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) Level 2 Version 5: Structures and Facilities for Model Definitions.

PubMed

Hucka, Michael; Bergmann, Frank T; Dräger, Andreas; Hoops, Stefan; Keating, Sarah M; Le Novère, Nicolas; Myers, Chris J; Olivier, Brett G; Sahle, Sven; Schaff, James C; Smith, Lucian P; Waltemath, Dagmar; Wilkinson, Darren J

2015-06-01

Computational models can help researchers to interpret data, understand biological function, and make quantitative predictions. The Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) is a file format for representing computational models in a declarative form that can be exchanged between different software systems. SBML is oriented towards describing biological processes of the sort common in research on a number of topics, including metabolic pathways, cell signaling pathways, and many others. By supporting SBML as an input/output format, different tools can all operate on an identical representation of a model, removing opportunities for translation errors and assuring a common starting point for analyses and simulations. This document provides the specification for Version 5 of SBML Level 2. The specification defines the data structures prescribed by SBML as well as their encoding in XML, the eXtensible Markup Language. This specification also defines validation rules that determine the validity of an SBML document, and provides many examples of models in SBML form. Other materials and software are available from the SBML project web site, http://sbml.org/.

Development and validation of the Child Oral Health Impact Profile - Preschool version.

PubMed

Ruff, R R; Sischo, L; Chinn, C H; Broder, H L

2017-09-01

The Child Oral Health Impact Profile (COHIP) is a validated instrument created to measure the oral health-related quality of life of school-aged children. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a preschool version of the COHIP (COHIP-PS) for children aged 2-5. The COHIP-PS was developed and validated using a multi-stage process consisting of item selection, face validity testing, item impact testing, reliability and validity testing, and factor analysis. A cross-sectional convenience sample of caregivers having children 2-5 years old from four groups completed item clarity and impact forms. Groups were recruited from pediatric health clinics or preschools/daycare centers, speech clinics, dental clinics, or cleft/craniofacial centers. Participants had a variety of oral health-related conditions, including caries, congenital orofacial anomalies, and speech/language deficiencies such as articulation and language disorders. COHIP-PS. The COHIP-PS was found to have acceptable internal validity (a = 0.71) and high test-retest reliability (0.87), though internal validity was below the accepted threshold for the community sample. While discriminant validity results indicated significant differences across study groups, the overall magnitude of differences was modest. Results from confirmatory factor analyses support the use of a four-factor model consisting of 11 items across oral health, functional well-being, social-emotional well-being, and self-image domains. Quality of life is an integral factor in understanding and assessing children's well-being. The COHIP-PS is a validated oral health-related quality of life measure for preschool children with cleft or other oral conditions. Copyright© 2017 Dennis Barber Ltd.

A Validation of the Ski Hi Language Development Scale.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tonelson, Stephen W.

The purpose of the study was to assess the reliability and the validity of the Ski Hi Language Development Scale which was designed to determine the receptive and the expressive language levels of hearing impaired children from birth to age 5. The reliability of the instrument was estimated through: (1) internal consistency, (2) inter-rater…

Initial Assessment for K-12 English Language Support in Six Countries: Revisiting the Validity-Reliability Paradox

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinclair, Jeanne; Lau, Clarissa

2018-01-01

It is common practice for K-12 schools to assess multilingual students' language proficiency to determine language support program placement. Because such programs can provide essential scaffolding, the policies guiding these assessments merit careful consideration. It is well accepted that quality assessments must be valid (representative of the…

The Interface of Pacific and Other Knowledges in a Supplementary Education Site

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fairbairn-Dunlop, Peggy

2014-01-01

Because identity (language and culture) are central to Pacific knowledge and knowledge construction processes, Pacific students' educational experiences should be viewed through a cultural lens that sees Pacific knowledge and practices as valid and valued. This study explores the relationship between culture and educational outcomes as seen in how…

Proxemics and Kinesics of Adolescents in Dual-Gender Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terneus, Sandra K.; Malone, Yvonne

2004-01-01

Ethological research indicates that during courtship, men and women usually communicate their interests via body language and interpersonal space (kinesics and proxemics). Many studies have validated the usage of kinesics and the ebb and flow of proximity during the process of courtship. Although the majority of studies have focused on young…

A Validation of Parafoveal Semantic Information Extraction in Reading Chinese

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhou, Wei; Kliegl, Reinhold; Yan, Ming

2013-01-01

Parafoveal semantic processing has recently been well documented in reading Chinese sentences, presumably because of language-specific features. However, because of a large variation of fixation landing positions on pretarget words, some preview words actually were located in foveal vision when readers' eyes landed close to the end of the…

Finding One's Voice: The Pacesetter Model for More Equitable Assessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Badger, Elizabeth

1996-01-01

Describes the College Board's Pacesetter Program, high school courses developed using principles of ongoing performance testing and portfolios, standards, and curriculum. The model is illustrated in a description of the Voices of Modern Culture language arts course. Argues that this assessment process has systemic validity and is more relevant to…

Network Analysis with Stochastic Grammars

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-17

Language Processing ( NLP ) domain SCFG...sentence into starting symbol. Figure 2 is an NLP part-of- speech example modified from [38] of an SCFG production rule set that reads a limited set of...English sentences for the purpose of determining grammatical validity and meaning through part-of-speech assignment. In the NLP domain, each word is in

Validation of Linguistic and Communicative Oral Language Tests for Spanish-English Bilingual Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Politzer, Robert L.; And Others

1983-01-01

The development, administration, and scoring of a communicative test and its validation with tests of linguistic and sociolinguistic competence in English and Spanish are reported. Correlation with measures of home language use and school achievement are also presented, and issues of test validation for bilingual programs are discussed. (MSE)

Developing and Validating a Survey of Korean Early Childhood English Teachers' Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Jung In

2015-01-01

The main purpose of this study is to develop and validate a valid measure of the early childhood (EC) English teacher knowledge. Through extensive literature review on second/foreign language (L2/FL) teacher knowledge, early childhood teacher knowledge and early childhood language teacher knowledge, and semi-structured interviews from current…

The psychometric properties of the generalized anxiety disorder-7 scale in Hispanic Americans with English or Spanish language preference.

PubMed

Mills, Sarah D; Fox, Rina S; Malcarne, Vanessa L; Roesch, Scott C; Champagne, Brian R; Sadler, Georgia Robins

2014-07-01

The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (GAD-7) is a self-report questionnaire that is widely used to screen for anxiety. The GAD-7 has been translated into numerous languages, including Spanish. Previous studies evaluating the structural validity of the English and Spanish versions indicate a unidimensional factor structure in both languages. However, the psychometric properties of the Spanish language version have yet to be evaluated in samples outside of Spain, and the measure has not been tested for use among Hispanic Americans. This study evaluated the reliability, structural validity, and convergent validity of the English and Spanish language versions of the GAD-7 for Hispanic Americans in the United States. A community sample of 436 Hispanic Americans with an English (n = 210) or Spanish (n = 226) language preference completed the GAD-7. Multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the goodness-of-fit of the unidimensional factor structure of the GAD-7 across language-preference groups. Results from the multiple-group CFA indicated a similar unidimensional factor structure with equivalent response patterns and item intercepts, but different variances, across language-preference groups. Internal consistency was good for both English and Spanish language-preference groups. The GAD-7 also evidenced good convergent validity as demonstrated by significant correlations in expected directions with the Perceived Stress Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Physical Health domain of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF assessment. The unidimensional GAD-7 is suitable for use among Hispanic Americans with an English or Spanish language preference.

Self-Assessment of Individual Differences in Language Switching

PubMed Central

Rodriguez-Fornells, Antoni; Krämer, Ulrike M.; Lorenzo-Seva, Urbano; Festman, Julia; Münte, Thomas F.

2012-01-01

Language switching is omnipresent in bilingual individuals. In fact, the ability to switch languages (code switching) is a very fast, efficient, and flexible process that seems to be a fundamental aspect of bilingual language processing. In this study, we aimed to characterize psychometrically self-perceived individual differences in language switching and to create a reliable measure of this behavioral pattern by introducing a bilingual switching questionnaire. As a working hypothesis based on the previous literature about code switching, we decomposed language switching into four constructs: (i) L1 switching tendencies (the tendency to switch to L1; L1-switch); (ii) L2 switching tendencies (L2-switch); (iii) contextual switch, which indexes the frequency of switches usually triggered by a particular situation, topic, or environment; and (iv) unintended switch, which measures the lack of intention and awareness of the language switches. A total of 582 Spanish–Catalan bilingual university students were studied. Twelve items were selected (three for each construct). The correlation matrix was factor-analyzed using minimum rank factor analysis followed by oblique direct oblimin rotation. The overall proportion of common variance explained by the four extracted factors was 0.86. Finally, to assess the external validity of the individual differences scored with the new questionnaire, we evaluated the correlations between these measures and several psychometric (language proficiency) and behavioral measures related to cognitive and attentional control. The present study highlights the importance of evaluating individual differences in language switching using self-assessment instruments when studying the interface between cognitive control and bilingualism. PMID:22291668

Detection of Practice Pattern Trends through Natural Language Processing of Clinical Narratives and Biomedical Literature

PubMed Central

Chen, Elizabeth S.; Stetson, Peter D.; Lussier, Yves A.; Markatou, Marianthi; Hripcsak, George; Friedman, Carol

2007-01-01

Clinical knowledge, best evidence, and practice patterns evolve over time. The ability to track these changes and study practice trends may be valuable for performance measurement and quality improvement efforts. The goal of this study was to assess the feasibility and validity of methods to generate and compare trends in biomedical literature and clinical narrative. We focused on the challenge of detecting trends in medication usage over time for two diseases: HIV/AIDS and asthma. Information about disease-specific medications in published randomized control trials and discharge summaries at New York-Presbyterian Hospital over a ten-year period were extracted using Natural Language Processing. This paper reports on the ability of our semi-automated process to discover disease-drug practice pattern trends and interpretation of findings across the biomedical and clinical text sources. PMID:18693810

Evaluating the Predictive Validity of the Computerized Comprehension Task: Comprehension Predicts Production

PubMed Central

Friend, Margaret; Schmitt, Sara A.; Simpson, Adrianne M.

2017-01-01

Until recently, the challenges inherent in measuring comprehension have impeded our ability to predict the course of language acquisition. The present research reports on a longitudinal assessment of the convergent and predictive validity of the CDI: Words and Gestures and the Computerized Comprehension Task (CCT). The CDI: WG and the CCT evinced good convergent validity however the CCT better predicted subsequent parent reports of language production. Language sample data in the third year confirm this finding: the CCT accounted for 24% of the variance in unique word use. These studies provide evidence for the utility of a behavior-based approach to predicting the course of language acquisition into production. PMID:21928878

Content validity of the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for multiple sclerosis from the perspective of speech and language therapists.

PubMed

Renom, Marta; Conrad, Andrea; Bascuñana, Helena; Cieza, Alarcos; Galán, Ingrid; Kesselring, Jürg; Coenen, Michaela

2014-11-01

The Comprehensive International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Set for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a comprehensive framework to structure the information obtained in multidisciplinary clinical settings according to the biopsychosocial perspective of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and to guide the treatment and rehabilitation process accordingly. It is now undergoing validation from the user perspective for which it has been developed in the first place. To validate the content of the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for MS from the perspective of speech and language therapists (SLTs) involved in the treatment of persons with MS (PwMS). Within a three-round e-mail-based Delphi Study 34 SLTs were asked about PwMS' problems, resources and aspects of the environment treated by SLTs. Responses were linked to ICF categories. Identified ICF categories were compared with those included in the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for MS to examine its content validity. Thirty-four SLTs named 524 problems and resources, as well as aspects of environment. Statements were linked to 129 ICF categories (60 Body-functions categories, two Body-structures categories, 42 Activities-&-participation categories, and 25 Environmental-factors categories). SLTs confirmed 46 categories in the Comprehensive ICF Core Set. Twenty-one ICF categories were identified as not-yet-included categories. This study contributes to the content validity of the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for MS from the perspective of SLTs. Study participants agreed on a few not-yet-included categories that should be further discussed for inclusion in a revised version of the Comprehensive ICF Core Set to strengthen SLTs' perspective in PwMS' neurorehabilitation. © 2014 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

The relationship between information carrying words, memory and language skills in school age children with specific language impairment.

PubMed

Frizelle, Pauline; Harte, Jennifer; O'Sullivan, Kathleen; Fletcher, Paul; Gibbon, Fiona

2017-01-01

The receptive language measure information-carrying word (ICW) level, is used extensively by speech and language therapists in the UK and Ireland. Despite this it has never been validated via its relationship to any other relevant measures. This study aims to validate the ICW measure by investigating the relationship between the receptive ICW score of children with specific language impairment (SLI) and their performance on standardized memory and language assessments. Twenty-seven children with SLI, aged between 5;07 and 8;11, completed a sentence comprehension task in which the instructions gradually increased in number of ICWs. The children also completed subtests from The Working Memory Test Battery for children and The Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals- 4. Results showed that there was a significant positive relationship between both language and memory measures and children's ICW score. While both receptive and expressive language were significant in their contribution to children's ICW score, the contribution of memory was solely determined by children's working memory ability. ICW score is in fact a valid measure of the language ability of children with SLI. However therapists should also be cognisant of its strong association with working memory when using this construct in assessment or intervention methods.

Development of a Language Impairment Screener for Spanish Speaking Children--SSLIC: Phase 1--Task Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Restrepo, M. Adelaida; Gorin, Joanna S.; Gray, Shelley; Morgan, Gareth P.; Barona, Nicole

2010-01-01

The main purpose of this study is to develop a Spanish language screening measure that (a) is valid and reliable for the purpose of identifying Spanish-speaking (SS) children at risk for Language Impairment (LI), (b) is valid and reliable across different Spanish dialects, different socioeconomic groups, and different ethnicities, (c) uses a…

Frequency Discrimination Deficits in People with Specific Language Impairment: Reliability, Validity, and Linguistic Correlates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McArthur, G. M.; Bishop, D. V. M.

2004-01-01

The reliability and validity of a frequency discrimination (FD) task were tested in 16 people with specific language impairment (SLI) and 16 people with normal spoken language (controls). The FD thresholds of the 2 groups indicated that FD thresholds for 25-ms and 250-ms tones were remarkably stable across 18 months. The FD thresholds were lower…

Validating a Computer-Assisted Language Learning Attitude Instrument Used in Iranian EFL Context: An Evidence-Based Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aryadoust, Vahid; Mehran, Parisa; Alizadeh, Mehrasa

2016-01-01

A few computer-assisted language learning (CALL) instruments have been developed in Iran to measure EFL (English as a foreign language) learners' attitude toward CALL. However, these instruments have no solid validity argument and accordingly would be unable to provide a reliable measurement of attitude. The present study aimed to develop a CALL…

Validation and Application of the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey in English Language Teacher Education Classrooms in Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ebrahimi, Nabi. A.

2015-01-01

This article reports the validation and application of an English language teacher education (LTE) version of the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES). The instrument, called the CLES-LTE, was field tested with a sample of 622 Iranian English language student teachers in 28 classes. When principal components analysis led to the…

Do Some School-Age Children Have No Language? Some Problems of Construct Validity in the Pre-LAS Espanol.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacSwan, Jeff; Rolstad, Kellie; Glass, Gene V.

2002-01-01

Analysis of a dataset of 38,887 Spanish-speaking children aged 4-6 who took the Pre-Language Assessment Scales Espanol indicates serious concerns with test validity. The "non-non" label--nonverbal in both Spanish and English--may be an artifact of poor assessment. Policies requiring routine oral native-language assessment of…

Development and Validation of Extract the Base: An English Derivational Morphology Test for Third through Fifth Grade Monolingual Students and Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodwin, Amanda P.; Huggins, A. Corinne; Carlo, Maria; Malabonga, Valerie; Kenyon, Dorry; Louguit, Mohammed; August, Diane

2012-01-01

This study describes the development and validation of the Extract the Base test (ETB), which assesses derivational morphological awareness. Scores on this test were validated for 580 monolingual students and 373 Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs) in third through fifth grade. As part of the validation of the internal structure,…

Development and validation of a screening procedure to identify speech-language delay in toddlers with cleft palate.

PubMed

Jørgensen, Line Dahl; Willadsen, Elisabeth

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a clinically useful speech-language screening procedure for young children with cleft palate ± cleft lip (CP) to identify those in need of speech-language intervention. Twenty-two children with CP were assigned to a +/- need for intervention conditions based on assessment of consonant inventory using a real-time listening procedure in combination with parent-reported expressive vocabulary. These measures allowed evaluation of early speech-language skills found to correlate significantly with later speech-language performance in longitudinal studies of children with CP. The external validity of this screening procedure was evaluated by comparing the +/- need for intervention assignment determined by the screening procedure to experienced speech-language pathologist (SLP)s' clinical judgement of whether or not a child needed early intervention. The results of real-time listening assessment showed good-excellent inter-rater agreement on different consonant inventory measures. Furthermore, there was almost perfect agreement between the children selected for intervention with the screening procedure and the clinical judgement of experienced SLPs indicate that the screening procedure is a valid way of identifying children with CP who need early intervention.

Word Processing in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Evidence From Event-Related Potentials.

PubMed

Sandbank, Micheal; Yoder, Paul; Key, Alexandra P

2017-12-20

This investigation was conducted to determine whether young children with autism spectrum disorders exhibited a canonical neural response to word stimuli and whether putative event-related potential (ERP) measures of word processing were correlated with a concurrent measure of receptive language. Additional exploratory analyses were used to examine whether the magnitude of the association between ERP measures of word processing and receptive language varied as a function of the number of word stimuli the participants reportedly understood. Auditory ERPs were recorded in response to spoken words and nonwords presented with equal probability in 34 children aged 2-5 years with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder who were in the early stages of language acquisition. Average amplitudes and amplitude differences between word and nonword stimuli within 200-500 ms were examined at left temporal (T3) and parietal (P3) electrode clusters. Receptive vocabulary size and the number of experimental stimuli understood were concurrently measured using the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories. Across the entire participant group, word-nonword amplitude differences were diminished. The average word-nonword amplitude difference at T3 was related to receptive vocabulary only if 5 or more word stimuli were understood. If ERPs are to ever have clinical utility, their construct validity must be established by investigations that confirm their associations with predictably related constructs. These results contribute to accruing evidence, suggesting that a valid measure of auditory word processing can be derived from the left temporal response to words and nonwords. In addition, this measure can be useful even for participants who do not reportedly understand all of the words presented as experimental stimuli, though it will be important for researchers to track familiarity with word stimuli in future investigations. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.5614840.

Psychosocial work characteristics of personal care and service occupations: a process for developing meaningful measures for a multiethnic workforce.

PubMed

Hoppe, Annekatrin; Heaney, Catherine A; Fujishiro, Kaori; Gong, Fang; Baron, Sherry

2015-01-01

Despite their rapid increase in number, workers in personal care and service occupations are underrepresented in research on psychosocial work characteristics and occupational health. Some of the research challenges stem from the high proportion of immigrants in these occupations. Language barriers, low literacy, and cultural differences as well as their nontraditional work setting (i.e., providing service for one person in his/her home) make generic questionnaire measures inadequate for capturing salient aspects of personal care and service work. This study presents strategies for (1) identifying psychosocial work characteristics of home care workers that may affect their occupational safety and health and (2) creating survey measures that overcome barriers posed by language, low literacy, and cultural differences. We pursued these aims in four phases: (Phase 1) Six focus groups to identify the psychosocial work characteristics affecting the home care workers' occupational safety and health; (Phase 2) Selection of questionnaire items (i.e., questions or statements to assess the target construct) and first round of cognitive interviews (n = 30) to refine the items in an iterative process; (Phase 3) Item revision and second round of cognitive interviews (n = 11); (Phase 4) Quantitative pilot test to ensure the scales' reliability and validity across three language groups (English, Spanish, and Chinese; total n = 404). Analysis of the data from each phase informed the nature of subsequent phases. This iterative process ensured that survey measures not only met the reliability and validity criteria across groups, but were also meaningful to home care workers. This complex process is necessary when conducting research with nontraditional and multilingual worker populations.

Spanish Translation and Cross-Language Validation of a Sleep Habits Questionnaire for Use in Clinical and Research Settings

PubMed Central

Baldwin, Carol M.; Choi, Myunghan; McClain, Darya Bonds; Celaya, Alma; Quan, Stuart F.

2012-01-01

Study Objectives: To translate, back-translate and cross-language validate (English/Spanish) the Sleep Heart Health Study Sleep Habits Questionnaire for use with Spanish-speakers in clinical and research settings. Methods: Following rigorous translation and back-translation, this cross-sectional cross-language validation study recruited bilingual participants from academic, clinic, and community-based settings (N = 50; 52% women; mean age 38.8 ± 12 years; 90% of Mexican heritage). Participants completed English and Spanish versions of the Sleep Habits Questionnaire, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans II one week apart in randomized order. Psychometric properties were assessed, including internal consistency, convergent validity, scale equivalence, language version intercorrelations, and exploratory factor analysis using PASW (Version18) software. Grade level readability of the sleep measure was evaluated. Results: All sleep categories (duration, snoring, apnea, insomnia symptoms, other sleep symptoms, sleep disruptors, restless legs syndrome) showed Cronbach α, Spearman-Brown coefficients and intercorrelations ≥ 0.700, suggesting robust internal consistency, correlation, and agreement between language versions. The Epworth correlated significantly with snoring, apnea, sleep symptoms, restless legs, and sleep disruptors) on both versions, supporting convergent validity. Items loaded on 4 factors accounted for 68% and 67% of the variance on the English and Spanish versions, respectively. Conclusions: The Spanish-language Sleep Habits Questionnaire demonstrates conceptual and content equivalency. It has appropriate measurement properties and should be useful for assessing sleep health in community-based clinics and intervention studies among Spanish-speaking Mexican Americans. Both language versions showed readability at the fifth grade level. Further testing is needed with larger samples. Citation: Baldwin CM; Choi M; McClain DB; Celaya A; Quan SF. Spanish translation and cross-language validation of a Sleep Habits Questionnaire for use in clinical and research settings. J Clin Sleep Med 2012;8(2):137-146. PMID:22505858

Concurrent validity of caregiver/parent report measures of language for children who are learning both English and Spanish.

PubMed

Marchman, Virginia A; Martine-Sussmann, Carmen

2002-10-01

The validity of two analogous caregiver/parent report measures of early language development in young children who are learning both English and Spanish is examined. Caregiver/parent report indices of vocabulary production and grammar were obtained for 26 children using the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory: Words & Sentences (CDI; Fenson et al., 1994) and the Inventario del Desarrollo de Habilidades Comunicativas: Palabras y Enunciados (IDHC; Jackson-Maldonado, Bates, & Thal, 1992). Scores were significantly correlated with analogous laboratory measures in both English and Spanish, including a real-object naming task and spontaneous language use during free-play. The findings offer evidence that the CDI and IDHC provide valid assessments of early language milestones in young English- and Spanish-speaking children. Factors that may influence the validity of these tools for use with this population are also discussed.

Cross-Validating Chinese Language Mental Health Recovery Measures in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bola, John; Chan, Tiffany Hill Ching; Chen, Eric HY; Ng, Roger

2016-01-01

Objectives: Promoting recovery in mental health services is hampered by a shortage of reliable and valid measures, particularly in Hong Kong. We seek to cross validate two Chinese language measures of recovery and one of recovery-promoting environments. Method: A cross-sectional survey of people recovering from early episode psychosis (n = 121)…

Adaptation and validation of the Spanish-language Trauma Symptom Inventory in Puerto Rico.

PubMed

Gutiérrez Wang, Lisa; Cosden, Merith; Bernal, Guillermo

2011-02-01

This research was conducted to assess the Spanish-language Trauma Symptom Inventory's (Briere, 1995) suitability for use with a Puerto Rican sample. Minor revisions were made to the original instrument following a comprehensive appraisal involving a bilingual committee and pilot focus group. The present study outlines the review and adaptation process and examines the psychometric properties of the revised instrument, the Inventario de Síntomas de Trauma-Revisado (IST-R). A sample of 225 students (155 women, 70 men) at the University of Puerto Rico, age 20 to 59 (M = 23.24, SD = 4.69), participated in the validation study. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire; a self-report trauma exposure instrument; and measures of psychological distress, including Spanish-language versions of the Beck Depression Inventory, Symptom Checklist-36, and the Dissociative Experiences Scale. Reliability coefficients for the IST-R clinical scales ranged from .69 to .91 (mean α = .84), and correlation coefficients were strongest for scales measuring the same constructs. Factor loadings obtained were consistent with those reported in the literature. Results support the internal consistency and construct validity of the IST-R. Culturally and linguistically appropriate assessment instruments are needed to address the mental health needs of diverse populations. Results from this study provide evidence for the clinical and research promise of the IST-R as a screening tool for trauma-related symptoms.

Diminished Auditory Responses during NREM Sleep Correlate with the Hierarchy of Language Processing

PubMed Central

Furman-Haran, Edna; Arzi, Anat; Levkovitz, Yechiel; Malach, Rafael

2016-01-01

Natural sleep provides a powerful model system for studying the neuronal correlates of awareness and state changes in the human brain. To quantitatively map the nature of sleep-induced modulations in sensory responses we presented participants with auditory stimuli possessing different levels of linguistic complexity. Ten participants were scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during the waking state and after falling asleep. Sleep staging was based on heart rate measures validated independently on 20 participants using concurrent EEG and heart rate measurements and the results were confirmed using permutation analysis. Participants were exposed to three types of auditory stimuli: scrambled sounds, meaningless word sentences and comprehensible sentences. During non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, we found diminishing brain activation along the hierarchy of language processing, more pronounced in higher processing regions. Specifically, the auditory thalamus showed similar activation levels during sleep and waking states, primary auditory cortex remained activated but showed a significant reduction in auditory responses during sleep, and the high order language-related representation in inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) cortex showed a complete abolishment of responses during NREM sleep. In addition to an overall activation decrease in language processing regions in superior temporal gyrus and IFG, those areas manifested a loss of semantic selectivity during NREM sleep. Our results suggest that the decreased awareness to linguistic auditory stimuli during NREM sleep is linked to diminished activity in high order processing stations. PMID:27310812

Diminished Auditory Responses during NREM Sleep Correlate with the Hierarchy of Language Processing.

PubMed

Wilf, Meytal; Ramot, Michal; Furman-Haran, Edna; Arzi, Anat; Levkovitz, Yechiel; Malach, Rafael

2016-01-01

Natural sleep provides a powerful model system for studying the neuronal correlates of awareness and state changes in the human brain. To quantitatively map the nature of sleep-induced modulations in sensory responses we presented participants with auditory stimuli possessing different levels of linguistic complexity. Ten participants were scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during the waking state and after falling asleep. Sleep staging was based on heart rate measures validated independently on 20 participants using concurrent EEG and heart rate measurements and the results were confirmed using permutation analysis. Participants were exposed to three types of auditory stimuli: scrambled sounds, meaningless word sentences and comprehensible sentences. During non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, we found diminishing brain activation along the hierarchy of language processing, more pronounced in higher processing regions. Specifically, the auditory thalamus showed similar activation levels during sleep and waking states, primary auditory cortex remained activated but showed a significant reduction in auditory responses during sleep, and the high order language-related representation in inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) cortex showed a complete abolishment of responses during NREM sleep. In addition to an overall activation decrease in language processing regions in superior temporal gyrus and IFG, those areas manifested a loss of semantic selectivity during NREM sleep. Our results suggest that the decreased awareness to linguistic auditory stimuli during NREM sleep is linked to diminished activity in high order processing stations.

Measuring orthographic transparency and morphological-syllabic complexity in alphabetic orthographies: a narrative review.

PubMed

Borleffs, Elisabeth; Maassen, Ben A M; Lyytinen, Heikki; Zwarts, Frans

2017-01-01

This narrative review discusses quantitative indices measuring differences between alphabetic languages that are related to the process of word recognition. The specific orthography that a child is acquiring has been identified as a central element influencing reading acquisition and dyslexia. However, the development of reliable metrics to measure differences between language scripts hasn't received much attention so far. This paper therefore reviews metrics proposed in the literature for quantifying orthographic transparency, syllabic complexity, and morphological complexity of alphabetic languages. The review included searches of Web of Science, PubMed, PsychInfo, Google Scholar, and various online sources. Search terms pertained to orthographic transparency, morphological complexity, and syllabic complexity in relation to reading acquisition, and dyslexia. Although the predictive value of these metrics is promising, more research is needed to validate the value of the metrics discussed and to understand the 'developmental footprint' of orthographic transparency, morphological complexity, and syllabic complexity in the lexical organization and processing strategies.

Psychometric Properties of Language Assessments for Children Aged 4–12 Years: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Denman, Deborah; Speyer, Renée; Munro, Natalie; Pearce, Wendy M.; Chen, Yu-Wei; Cordier, Reinie

2017-01-01

Introduction: Standardized assessments are widely used by speech pathologists in clinical and research settings to evaluate the language abilities of school-aged children and inform decisions about diagnosis, eligibility for services and intervention. Given the significance of these decisions, it is important that assessments have sound psychometric properties. Objective: The aim of this systematic review was to examine the psychometric quality of currently available comprehensive language assessments for school-aged children and identify assessments with the best evidence for use. Methods: Using the PRISMA framework as a guideline, a search of five databases and a review of websites and textbooks was undertaken to identify language assessments and published material on the reliability and validity of these assessments. The methodological quality of selected studies was evaluated using the COSMIN taxonomy and checklist. Results: Fifteen assessments were evaluated. For most assessments evidence of hypothesis testing (convergent and discriminant validity) was identified; with a smaller number of assessments having some evidence of reliability and content validity. No assessments presented with evidence of structural validity, internal consistency or error measurement. Overall, all assessments were identified as having limitations with regards to evidence of psychometric quality. Conclusions: Further research is required to provide good evidence of psychometric quality for currently available language assessments. Of the assessments evaluated, the Assessment of Literacy and Language, the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-5th Edition, the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Preschool: 2nd Edition and the Preschool Language Scales-5th Edition presented with most evidence and are thus recommended for use. PMID:28936189

Spanish translation and cross-language validation of a sleep habits questionnaire for use in clinical and research settings.

PubMed

Baldwin, Carol M; Choi, Myunghan; McClain, Darya Bonds; Celaya, Alma; Quan, Stuart F

2012-04-15

To translate, back-translate and cross-language validate (English/Spanish) the Sleep Heart Health Study Sleep Habits Questionnaire for use with Spanish-speakers in clinical and research settings. Following rigorous translation and back-translation, this cross-sectional cross-language validation study recruited bilingual participants from academic, clinic, and community-based settings (N = 50; 52% women; mean age 38.8 ± 12 years; 90% of Mexican heritage). Participants completed English and Spanish versions of the Sleep Habits Questionnaire, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans II one week apart in randomized order. Psychometric properties were assessed, including internal consistency, convergent validity, scale equivalence, language version intercorrelations, and exploratory factor analysis using PASW (Version18) software. Grade level readability of the sleep measure was evaluated. All sleep categories (duration, snoring, apnea, insomnia symptoms, other sleep symptoms, sleep disruptors, restless legs syndrome) showed Cronbach α, Spearman-Brown coefficients and intercorrelations ≥ 0.700, suggesting robust internal consistency, correlation, and agreement between language versions. The Epworth correlated significantly with snoring, apnea, sleep symptoms, restless legs, and sleep disruptors) on both versions, supporting convergent validity. Items loaded on 4 factors accounted for 68% and 67% of the variance on the English and Spanish versions, respectively. The Spanish-language Sleep Habits Questionnaire demonstrates conceptual and content equivalency. It has appropriate measurement properties and should be useful for assessing sleep health in community-based clinics and intervention studies among Spanish-speaking Mexican Americans. Both language versions showed readability at the fifth grade level. Further testing is needed with larger samples.

The Cognitive Validity of Child English Language Tests: What Young Language Learners and Their Native-Speaking Peers Can Reveal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winke, Paula; Lee, Shinhye; Ahn, Jieun Irene; Choi, Ina; Cui, Yaqiong; Yoon, Hyung-Jo

2018-01-01

This study investigated the cognitive validity of two child English language tests. Some teachers maintain that these types of tests may be cognitively invalid because native-English-speaking children would not do well on them (Winke, 2011). So the researchers had native speakers and learners of English aged 7 to 9 take sample versions of two…

Predictive Validity of Curriculum-Based Measures in the Reading Assessment of Students Who Are English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muyskens, Paul; Betts, Joseph; Lau, Matthew Y.; Marston, Doug

2009-01-01

The inclusion of English Language Learners as a subgroup in the No Child Left Behind legislation has leant additional importance to the need for valid and efficient measures of reading for students whose first language is not English. This study examines the use of Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) reading fluency as a predictor of later reading…

Combat Simulation Using Breach Computer Language

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-09-01

simulation and weapon system analysis computer language Two types of models were constructed: a stochastic duel and a dynamic engagement model The... duel model validates the BREACH approach by comparing results with mathematical solutions. The dynamic model shows the capability of the BREACH...BREACH 2 Background 2 The Language 3 Static Duel 4 Background and Methodology 4 Validation 5 Results 8 Tank Duel Simulation 8 Dynamic Assault Model

Validity of the KABC-II Culture-Language Interpretive Matrix: A Comparison of Native English Speakers and Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Deth, Leah M.

2013-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the validity of the Culture-Language Interpretive Matrix (C-LIM; Flanagan, Ortiz, & Alfonso, 2013) when applied to scores from the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd Edition (KABC-II; Kaufman & Kaufman, 2004). Data were analyzed from the KABC-II standardization sample as well as…

The Psychometric Properties of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale in Hispanic Americans with English or Spanish Language Preference

PubMed Central

Mills, Sarah D.; Fox, Rina S.; Malcarne, Vanessa L.; Roesch, Scott C.; Champagne, Brian R.; Sadler, Georgia Robins

2014-01-01

The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (GAD-7) is a self-report questionnaire that is widely used to screen for anxiety. The GAD-7 has been translated into numerous languages, including Spanish. Previous studies evaluating the structural validity of the English and Spanish versions indicate a uni-dimensional factor structure in both languages. However, the psychometric properties of the Spanish language version have yet to be evaluated in samples outside of Spain, and the measure has not been tested for use among Hispanic Americans. This study evaluated the reliability, structural validity, and convergent validity of the English and Spanish language versions of the GAD-7 for Hispanic Americans in the United States. A community sample of 436 Hispanic Americans with an English (n = 210) or Spanish (n = 226) language preference completed the GAD-7. Multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the goodness of fit of the uni-dimensional factor structure of the GAD-7 across language-preference groups. Results from the multiple-group CFA indicated a similar unidimensional factor structure with equivalent response patterns and item intercepts, but different variances, across language-preference groups. Internal consistency was good for both English and Spanish language-preference groups. The GAD-7 also evidenced good convergent validity as demonstrated by significant correlations in expected directions with the Perceived Stress Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Physical health domain of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF assessment. The uni-dimensional GAD-7 is suitable for use among Hispanic Americans with an English or Spanish language preference. PMID:25045957

Syntactic and semantic restrictions on morphological recomposition: MEG evidence from Greek.

PubMed

Neophytou, K; Manouilidou, C; Stockall, L; Marantz, A

2018-05-16

Complex morphological processing has been extensively studied in the past decades. However, most of this work has either focused on only certain steps involved in this process, or it has been conducted on a few languages, like English. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the spatiotemporal cortical processing profile of the distinct steps previously reported in the literature, from decomposition to re-composition of morphologically complex items, in a relatively understudied language, Greek. Using magnetoencephalography, we confirm the role of the fusiform gyrus in early, form-based morphological decomposition, we relate the syntactic licensing of stem-suffix combinations to the ventral visual processing stream, somewhat independent from lexical access for the stem, and we further elucidate the role of orbitofrontal regions in semantic composition. Thus, the current study offers the most comprehensive test to date of visual morphological processing and additional, crosslinguistic validation of the steps involved in it. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated identification of patients with pulmonary nodules in an integrated health system using administrative health plan data, radiology reports, and natural language processing.

PubMed

Danforth, Kim N; Early, Megan I; Ngan, Sharon; Kosco, Anne E; Zheng, Chengyi; Gould, Michael K

2012-08-01

Lung nodules are commonly encountered in clinical practice, yet little is known about their management in community settings. An automated method for identifying patients with lung nodules would greatly facilitate research in this area. Using members of a large, community-based health plan from 2006 to 2010, we developed a method to identify patients with lung nodules, by combining five diagnostic codes, four procedural codes, and a natural language processing algorithm that performed free text searches of radiology transcripts. An experienced pulmonologist reviewed a random sample of 116 radiology transcripts, providing a reference standard for the natural language processing algorithm. With the use of an automated method, we identified 7112 unique members as having one or more incident lung nodules. The mean age of the patients was 65 years (standard deviation 14 years). There were slightly more women (54%) than men, and Hispanics and non-whites comprised 45% of the lung nodule cohort. Thirty-six percent were never smokers whereas 11% were current smokers. Fourteen percent of the patients were subsequently diagnosed with lung cancer. The sensitivity and specificity of the natural language processing algorithm for identifying the presence of lung nodules were 96% and 86%, respectively, compared with clinician review. Among the true positive transcripts in the validation sample, only 35% were solitary and unaccompanied by one or more associated findings, and 56% measured 8 to 30 mm in diameter. A combination of diagnostic codes, procedural codes, and a natural language processing algorithm for free text searching of radiology reports can accurately and efficiently identify patients with incident lung nodules, many of whom are subsequently diagnosed with lung cancer.

The Reliability and Validity of Tasks Measuring Perception of Rapid Sequences in Children with Dyslexia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heath, Steve M.; Hogben, John H.

2004-01-01

Background: Claims that children with reading and oral language deficits have impaired perception of sequential sounds are usually based on psychophysical measures of auditory temporal processing (ATP) designed to characterise group performance. If we are to use these measures (e.g., the Tallal, 1980, Repetition Test) as the basis for intervention…

ADP (Automated Data Processing) Requirements Definition and Documentation through User-Developed Prototypes.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-04-01

devices of the language. When you think of a television show, a mental picture quickly flashes in your mind of the actor or actress who represents that...iteratively determine and validate what data the user needs displayed, how should will look ( i.e. color vs black and while and resolution) to the user and

Development and Validation of a Natural Language Processing Tool to Identify Patients Treated for Pneumonia across VA Emergency Departments.

PubMed

Jones, B E; South, B R; Shao, Y; Lu, C C; Leng, J; Sauer, B C; Gundlapalli, A V; Samore, M H; Zeng, Q

2018-01-01

Identifying pneumonia using diagnosis codes alone may be insufficient for research on clinical decision making. Natural language processing (NLP) may enable the inclusion of cases missed by diagnosis codes. This article (1) develops a NLP tool that identifies the clinical assertion of pneumonia from physician emergency department (ED) notes, and (2) compares classification methods using diagnosis codes versus NLP against a gold standard of manual chart review to identify patients initially treated for pneumonia. Among a national population of ED visits occurring between 2006 and 2012 across the Veterans Affairs health system, we extracted 811 physician documents containing search terms for pneumonia for training, and 100 random documents for validation. Two reviewers annotated span- and document-level classifications of the clinical assertion of pneumonia. An NLP tool using a support vector machine was trained on the enriched documents. We extracted diagnosis codes assigned in the ED and upon hospital discharge and calculated performance characteristics for diagnosis codes, NLP, and NLP plus diagnosis codes against manual review in training and validation sets. Among the training documents, 51% contained clinical assertions of pneumonia; in the validation set, 9% were classified with pneumonia, of which 100% contained pneumonia search terms. After enriching with search terms, the NLP system alone demonstrated a recall/sensitivity of 0.72 (training) and 0.55 (validation), and a precision/positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.89 (training) and 0.71 (validation). ED-assigned diagnostic codes demonstrated lower recall/sensitivity (0.48 and 0.44) but higher precision/PPV (0.95 in training, 1.0 in validation); the NLP system identified more "possible-treated" cases than diagnostic coding. An approach combining NLP and ED-assigned diagnostic coding classification achieved the best performance (sensitivity 0.89 and PPV 0.80). System-wide application of NLP to clinical text can increase capture of initial diagnostic hypotheses, an important inclusion when studying diagnosis and clinical decision-making under uncertainty. Schattauer GmbH Stuttgart.

Validation of Case Finding Algorithms for Hepatocellular Cancer from Administrative Data and Electronic Health Records using Natural Language Processing

PubMed Central

Sada, Yvonne; Hou, Jason; Richardson, Peter; El-Serag, Hashem; Davila, Jessica

2013-01-01

Background Accurate identification of hepatocellular cancer (HCC) cases from automated data is needed for efficient and valid quality improvement initiatives and research. We validated HCC ICD-9 codes, and evaluated whether natural language processing (NLP) by the Automated Retrieval Console (ARC) for document classification improves HCC identification. Methods We identified a cohort of patients with ICD-9 codes for HCC during 2005–2010 from Veterans Affairs administrative data. Pathology and radiology reports were reviewed to confirm HCC. The positive predictive value (PPV), sensitivity, and specificity of ICD-9 codes were calculated. A split validation study of pathology and radiology reports was performed to develop and validate ARC algorithms. Reports were manually classified as diagnostic of HCC or not. ARC generated document classification algorithms using the Clinical Text Analysis and Knowledge Extraction System. ARC performance was compared to manual classification. PPV, sensitivity, and specificity of ARC were calculated. Results 1138 patients with HCC were identified by ICD-9 codes. Based on manual review, 773 had HCC. The HCC ICD-9 code algorithm had a PPV of 0.67, sensitivity of 0.95, and specificity of 0.93. For a random subset of 619 patients, we identified 471 pathology reports for 323 patients and 943 radiology reports for 557 patients. The pathology ARC algorithm had PPV of 0.96, sensitivity of 0.96, and specificity of 0.97. The radiology ARC algorithm had PPV of 0.75, sensitivity of 0.94, and specificity of 0.68. Conclusion A combined approach of ICD-9 codes and NLP of pathology and radiology reports improves HCC case identification in automated data. PMID:23929403

DDML Schema Validation

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-02-08

Data Display Markup Language HUD heads-up display IRIG Inter-Range Instrumentation Group RCC Range Commanders Council SVG Scalable Vector Graphics...T&E test and evaluation TMATS Telemetry Attributes Transfer Standard XML eXtensible Markup Language DDML Schema Validation, RCC 126-16, February...2016 viii This page intentionally left blank. DDML Schema Validation, RCC 126-16, February 2016 1 1. Introduction This Data Display Markup

Construct Validation of Analytic Rating Scales in a Speaking Assessment: Reporting a Score Profile and a Composite

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sawaki, Yasuyo

2007-01-01

This is a construct validation study of a second language speaking assessment that reported a language profile based on analytic rating scales and a composite score. The study addressed three key issues: score dependability, convergent/discriminant validity of analytic rating scales and the weighting of analytic ratings in the composite score.…

The Use of Authentic Assessment to Report Accountability Data on Young Children's Language, Literacy and Pre-Math Competency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gao, Xin; Grisham-Brown, Jennifer

2011-01-01

This validity study examined the validity of Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System, 2nd Edition (AEPS®), a curriculum-based, authentic assessment for infants and young children. The primary purposes were to: a) examine whether the AEPS® is a concurrently valid tool for measuring young children's language, literacy and pre-math skills for…

Ada Compiler Validation Summary Report: Certificate Number: 890420W1. 10075 International Business Machines Corporation. IBM Development System, for the Ada Language CMS/MVS Ada Cross Compiler, Version 2.1.1 IBM 3083 Host and IBM 4381 Target

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-04-20

International business Machines Corporati,:i IBM Development System for the Ada Language, CMS/MVS Ada Cross Compiler, Version 2.1.1, Wright-Patterson AFB, IBM...VALIDATION SUMMARY REPORT: Certificate Number: 890420W1.10075 International Business Machines Corporation IBM Development System for the Ada Language CMS...command scripts provided by International Business Machines Corporation and reviewed by the validation team. The compiler was tested using all default

Do "TOEFL iBT"® Scores Reflect Improvement in English-Language Proficiency? Extending the TOEFL iBT Validity Argument. Research Report. ETS RR-14-09

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ling, Guangming; Powers, Donald E.; Adler, Rachel M.

2014-01-01

One fundamental way to determine the validity of standardized English-language test scores is to investigate the extent to which they reflect anticipated learning effects in different English-language programs. In this study, we investigated the extent to which the "TOEFL iBT"® practice test reflects the learning effects of students at…

Adaptation of the QoL-AGHDA scale for adults with growth hormone deficiency in four Slavic languages.

PubMed

McKenna, Stephen P; Wilburn, Jeanette; Twiss, James; Crawford, Sigrid R; Hána, Václav; Karbownik-Lewinska, Malgorzata; Popovic, Vera; Pura, Mikulas; Koltowska-Häggström, Maria

2011-08-02

The Quality of Life in Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency Assessment (QoL-AGHDA) is a disease-specific quality of life measure specific to individuals who are growth hormone deficient. The present study describes the adaptation of the QoL-AGHDA for use in the following four Slavic languages; Czech, Polish, Serbian and Slovakian. The study involved three stages in each language; translation, cognitive debriefing and validation. The validation stage assessed internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), reproducibility (test-retest reliability using Spearman's rank correlations), convergent and divergent validity (Correlations with the NHP) and known group validity. The QoL-AGHDA was successfully translated into the target languages with minimal problems. Cognitive debriefing interviewees (n = 15-18) found the measures easy to complete and identified few problems with the content. Internal consistency (Czech Republic = 0.91, Poland = 0.91, Serbia = 0.91 and Slovakia = 0.89) and reproducibility (Czech Republic = 0.91, Poland = 0.91, Serbia = 0.88 and Slovakia = 0.93) were good in all adaptations. Convergent and divergent validity and known group validity data were not available for Slovakia. The QoL-AGHDA correlated as expected with the NHP scales most relevant to GHD. The QoL-AGHDA was able to distinguish between participants based on a range of variables. The QoL-AGHDA was successfully adapted for use in the Czech Republic, Poland, Serbia and Slovakia. Further validation of the Slovakian version would be beneficial. The addition of these new language versions will prove valuable to multinational clinical trials and to clinical practice in the respective countries.

Run-time implementation issues for real-time embedded Ada

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maule, Ruth A.

1986-01-01

A motivating factor in the development of Ada as the department of defense standard language was the high cost of embedded system software development. It was with embedded system requirements in mind that many of the features of the language were incorporated. Yet it is the designers of embedded systems that seem to comprise the majority of the Ada community dissatisfied with the language. There are a variety of reasons for this dissatisfaction, but many seem to be related in some way to the Ada run-time support system. Some of the areas in which the inconsistencies were found to have the greatest impact on performance from the standpoint of real-time systems are presented. In particular, a large part of the duties of the tasking supervisor are subject to the design decisions of the implementer. These include scheduling, rendezvous, delay processing, and task activation and termination. Some of the more general issues presented include time and space efficiencies, generic expansions, memory management, pragmas, and tracing features. As validated compilers become available for bare computer targets, it is important for a designer to be aware that, at least for many real-time issues, all validated Ada compilers are not created equal.

Cultural adaptation: translatability assessment and linguistic validation of the patient-reported outcome instrument for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea.

PubMed

Delgado-Herrera, Leticia; Lasch, Kathryn; Popielnicki, Ana; Nishida, Akito; Arbuckle, Rob; Banderas, Benjamin; Zentner, Susan; Gagainis, Ingrid; Zeiher, Bernhardt

2016-01-01

Following a 2009 US Food and Drug Administration guidance, a new patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument was developed to support end points in multinational clinical trials assessing irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) symptom severity. Our objective was to assess the translatability of the IBS-D PRO instrument into ten languages, and subsequently perform a cultural adaptation/linguistic validation of the questionnaire into Japanese and US Spanish. Translatability assessments of the US English version of the IBS-D PRO were performed by experienced PRO translators who were native speakers of each target language and currently residing in target-language countries. Languages were Chinese (People's Republic of China), Dutch (the Netherlands), French (Belgium), German (Germany), Japanese (Japan), Polish (Poland), Portuguese (Brazil), Russian (Russia), Spanish (Mexico), and Spanish (US). The project team assessed the instrument to identify potential linguistic and/or cultural adaptation issues. After the issues identified were resolved, the instrument was translated into Spanish (US) and Japanese through a process of two forward translations, one reconciled translation, and one backward translation. The project team reviewed the translated versions before the instruments were evaluated by cognitive debriefing interviews with samples of five Spanish (US) and five Japanese IBS-D patients. Linguistic and cultural adaptation concerns identified during the translatability assessment required minor revisions, mainly the presentation of dates/times and word structure. During the cognitive debriefing interviews, two of five Spanish respondents misunderstood the term "bowel movement" to mean only diarrhea in the Spanish version. Consequently, the term was changed from "movimiento intestinal" to "evacuaciones". None of the Japanese respondents identified issues with the Japanese version. The translatability of the IBS-D PRO instrument into ten target languages was confirmed, with only minor changes made to the translations of the instrument. The translation and linguistic validation into Spanish (US) and Japanese provide evidence that this instrument can be used in multinational trials and clinical settings.

Melasma in Latina patients: cross-cultural adaptation and validation of a quality-of-life questionnaire in Spanish language.

PubMed

Dominguez, Arturo R; Balkrishnan, Rajesh; Ellzey, Allison R; Pandya, Amit G

2006-07-01

Melasma has been shown to have a significant emotional and psychologic effect on affected patients. Although this pigmentary disorder is thought to be more prevalent among Latinos, the effect of melasma on quality of life (QOL) in this population is unknown. The goals of this study were to translate and culturally adapt the previously validated Melasma QOL (MELASQOL) scale into Spanish language, to confirm the new scale's reliability and validity, and to administer the scale to characterize melasma's effect on the health-related QOL of Spanish language-speaking Latino patients. Cross-cultural adaptation of the original questionnaire was performed using previously established guidelines. After pretesting the questionnaire in a group of 30 patients, it was tested in a group of 112 patients recruited from a community outpatient clinic. A Spanish-language health-related QOL assessment battery was also administered for validation purposes. The degree of melasma was determined on clinical examination by the investigator using the Melasma Area and Severity Index. Cross-cultural adaptation of the questionnaire was successful in producing a working and understandable Spanish-language version of the MELASQOL. The Spanish-language MELASQOL scale was internally reliable and demonstrated construct and content validity. The Spanish-language MELASQOL scores of patients with little to no formal education were significantly higher than those with at least a seventh-grade education. Scores were proportional to the length of time a patient had lived with melasma and were higher in patients who had previously sought treatment. Spanish-language MELASQOL score and Melasma Area and Severity Index were shown to be moderately correlated, but no differences were seen according to patient age, marital status, employment, or coexisting medical or psychiatric conditions. Limitations are a lack of data regarding socioeconomic status and limitation to Mexican and Central American female patients. We have developed a semantically equivalent translation of MELASQOL in the Spanish language and have begun to characterize the effects of melasma on the QOL in a population that has not been previously studied. Further studies in larger populations of Spanish language-speaking patients from various geographic and socioeconomic groups are warranted.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Revised Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test (V.2016) in Arabic: Translation and Validation

PubMed Central

Alhaiti, Ali Hassan; Alotaibi, Alanod Raffa; Jones, Linda Katherine; DaCosta, Cliff

2016-01-01

Objective. To translate the revised Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test into the Arabic language and examine its psychometric properties. Setting. Of the 139 participants recruited through King Fahad Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 34 agreed to the second-round sample for retesting purposes. Methods. The translation process followed the World Health Organization's guidelines for the translation and adaptation of instruments. All translations were examined for their validity and reliability. Results. The translation process revealed excellent results throughout all stages. The Arabic version received 0.75 for internal consistency via Cronbach's alpha test and excellent outcomes in terms of the test-retest reliability of the instrument with a mean of 0.90 infraclass correlation coefficient. It also received positive content validity index scores. The item-level content validity index for all instrument scales fell between 0.83 and 1 with a mean scale-level index of 0.96. Conclusion. The Arabic version is proven to be a reliable and valid measure of patient's knowledge that is ready to be used in clinical practices. PMID:27995149

An Investigation of the Validity and Reliability of the Adapted Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale-Short Version (MARS-SV) among Turkish Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baloglu, Mustafa

2010-01-01

This study adapted the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale-Short Version (MARS-SV) into Turkish and investigated the validity and reliability of the adapted instrument. Twenty-five bilingual experts agreed on the language validity, and 49 Turkish language experts agreed on the conformity and understandability of the scale's items. Thirty-two subject…

A Validation Study of the National Assessment Instruments for Young English Language Learners in Norway and Slovenia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pižorn, Karmen; Moe, Eli

2012-01-01

This article is a validation study of two national large-scale tests that measure the language proficiency of 11/12 year-old English learners in Norway and Slovenia. Following the example of Alderson and Banerjee (2008), the authors of the article have employed the EALTA guidelines for good practice to validate the tests, and to formulate major…

Sexual Self-Schemas in the Real World: Investigating the Ecological Validity of Language-Based Markers of Childhood Sexual Abuse

PubMed Central

Stanton, Amelia M.; Meston, Cindy M.

2017-01-01

Abstract This is the first study to examine language use and sexual self-schemas in natural language data extracted from posts to a large online forum. Recently, two studies applied advanced text analysis techniques to examine differences in language use and sexual self-schemas between women with and without a history of childhood sexual abuse. The aim of the current study was to test the ecological validity of the differences in language use and sexual self-schema themes that emerged between these two groups of women in the laboratory. Archival natural language data were extracted from a social media website and analyzed using LIWC2015, a computerized text analysis program, and other word counting approaches. The differences in both language use and sexual self-schema themes that manifested in recent laboratory research were replicated and validated in the large online sample. To our knowledge, these results provide the first empirical examination of sexual cognitions as they occur in the real world. These results also suggest that natural language analysis of text extracted from social media sites may be a potentially viable precursor or alternative to laboratory measurement of sexual trauma phenomena, as well as clinical phenomena, more generally. PMID:28570129

From Informal Safety-Critical Requirements to Property-Driven Formal Validation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cimatti, Alessandro; Roveri, Marco; Susi, Angelo; Tonetta, Stefano

2008-01-01

Most of the efforts in formal methods have historically been devoted to comparing a design against a set of requirements. The validation of the requirements themselves, however, has often been disregarded, and it can be considered a largely open problem, which poses several challenges. The first challenge is given by the fact that requirements are often written in natural language, and may thus contain a high degree of ambiguity. Despite the progresses in Natural Language Processing techniques, the task of understanding a set of requirements cannot be automatized, and must be carried out by domain experts, who are typically not familiar with formal languages. Furthermore, in order to retain a direct connection with the informal requirements, the formalization cannot follow standard model-based approaches. The second challenge lies in the formal validation of requirements. On one hand, it is not even clear which are the correctness criteria or the high-level properties that the requirements must fulfill. On the other hand, the expressivity of the language used in the formalization may go beyond the theoretical and/or practical capacity of state-of-the-art formal verification. In order to solve these issues, we propose a new methodology that comprises of a chain of steps, each supported by a specific tool. The main steps are the following. First, the informal requirements are split into basic fragments, which are classified into categories, and dependency and generalization relationships among them are identified. Second, the fragments are modeled using a visual language such as UML. The UML diagrams are both syntactically restricted (in order to guarantee a formal semantics), and enriched with a highly controlled natural language (to allow for modeling static and temporal constraints). Third, an automatic formal analysis phase iterates over the modeled requirements, by combining several, complementary techniques: checking consistency; verifying whether the requirements entail some desirable properties; verify whether the requirements are consistent with selected scenarios; diagnosing inconsistencies by identifying inconsistent cores; identifying vacuous requirements; constructing multiple explanations by enabling the fault-tree analysis related to particular fault models; verifying whether the specification is realizable.

Mexican sign language recognition using normalized moments and artificial neural networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solís-V., J.-Francisco; Toxqui-Quitl, Carina; Martínez-Martínez, David; H.-G., Margarita

2014-09-01

This work presents a framework designed for the Mexican Sign Language (MSL) recognition. A data set was recorded with 24 static signs from the MSL using 5 different versions, this MSL dataset was captured using a digital camera in incoherent light conditions. Digital Image Processing was used to segment hand gestures, a uniform background was selected to avoid using gloved hands or some special markers. Feature extraction was performed by calculating normalized geometric moments of gray scaled signs, then an Artificial Neural Network performs the recognition using a 10-fold cross validation tested in weka, the best result achieved 95.83% of recognition rate.

Evaluating the Validity of Accommodations for English Learners through Evidence Based on Response Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crotts, Katrina M.

2013-01-01

English learners (ELs) represent one of the fastest growing student populations in the United States. Given that language can serve as a barrier in EL performance, test accommodations are provided to help level the playing field and allow ELs to better demonstrate their true performance level. Test accommodations on the computer offer the ability…

Adaptation and validation of the Dutch version of the nasal obstruction symptom evaluation (NOSE) scale.

PubMed

van Zijl, Floris V W J; Timman, Reinier; Datema, Frank R

2017-06-01

The nasal obstruction symptom evaluation (NOSE) scale is a validated disease-specific, self-completed questionnaire for the assessment of quality of life related to nasal obstruction. The aim of this study was to validate the Dutch (NL-NOSE) questionnaire. A prospective instrument validation study was performed in a tertiary academic referral center. Guidelines for the cross-cultural adaptation process from the original English language scale into a Dutch language version were followed. Patients undergoing functional septoplasty or septorhinoplasty and asymptomatic controls completed the questionnaire both before and 3 months after surgery to test reliability and validity. Additionally, we explored the possibility to reduce the NOSE scale even further using graded response models. 129 patients and 50 controls were included. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.82) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.89) were good. The instrument showed excellent between-group discrimination (Mann-Whitney U = 85, p < 0.001) and high response sensitivity to change (Wilcoxon rank p < 0.001). The NL-NOSE correlated well with the score on a visual analog scale measuring the subjective sensation of nasal obstruction, with exception of item 4 (trouble sleeping). Item 4 provided the least information to the total scale and item 3 (trouble breathing through nose) the most, particularly in the postoperative group. The Dutch version of the NOSE (NL-NOSE) demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity. We recommend the use of the NL-NOSE as a validated instrument to measure subjective severity of nasal obstruction in Dutch adult patients.

The Relationship between Artificial and Second Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ettlinger, Marc; Morgan-Short, Kara; Faretta-Stutenberg, Mandy; Wong, Patrick C. M.

2016-01-01

Artificial language learning (ALL) experiments have become an important tool in exploring principles of language and language learning. A persistent question in all of this work, however, is whether ALL engages the linguistic system and whether ALL studies are ecologically valid assessments of natural language ability. In the present study, we…

Depression in Aboriginal men in central Australia: adaptation of the Patient Health Questionnaire 9

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background While Indigenous Australians are believed to be at a high risk of psychological illness, few screening instruments have been designed to accurately measure this burden. Rather than simply transposing western labels of symptoms, this paper describes the process by which a screening tool for depression was specifically adapted for use across multiple Indigenous Australian communities. Method Potential depression screening instruments were identified and interrogated according to a set of pre-defined criteria. A structured process was then developed which relied on the expertise of five focus groups comprising of members from primary Indigenous language groups in central Australia. First, focus group participants were asked to review and select a screening measure for adaptation. Bi-lingual experts then translated and back translated the language within the selected measure. Focus group participants re-visited the difficult items, explored their meaning and identified potential ways to achieve equivalence of meaning. Results All five focus groups independently selected the Primary Health Questionnaire 9, several key conceptual differences were exposed, largely related to the construction of hopelessness. Together with translated versions of each instrument for each of the five languages, a single, simplified English version for use across heterogeneous settings was negotiated. Importantly, the ‘code’ and specific conceptually equivalent words that could be used for other Indigenous language groups were also developed. Conclusions The extensive process of adaptation used in this study has demonstrated that within the context of Indigenous Australian communities, across multiple language groups, where English is often a third or fourth language, conceptual and linguistic equivalence of psychological constructs can be negotiated. A validation study is now required to assess the adapted instrument’s potential for measuring the burden of disease across all Indigenous Australian populations. PMID:24139186

Advantages and disadvantages of intraoperative language tasks in awake surgery: a three-task approach for prefrontal tumors.

PubMed

Rofes, A; Spena, G; Miozzo, A; Fontanella, M M; Miceli, G

2015-12-01

Multidisciplinary efforts are being made to provide surgical teams with sensitive and specific tasks for language mapping in awake surgery. Researchers and clinicians have elaborated different tasks over time. A fair amount of work has been directed to study the neurofunctional correlates of some of these tasks, and there is recent interest in their standardization. However, little discussion exists on the advantages and disadvantages that each task poses from the perspective of the cognitive neuroscience of language. Such an approach may be a relevant step to assess task validity, to avoid using tasks that tap onto similar processes, and to provide patients with a surgical treatment that ensures maximal tumor resection while avoiding postoperative language deficits. An understanding of the language components that each task entails may also be relevant to improve the current assessments and the ways in which tasks are administered, and to disentangle neurofunctional questions. We reviewed 17 language mapping tasks that have been used in awake surgery. Overt production tasks have been a preferred choice over comprehension tasks. Tasks tapping lexico-semantic processes, particularly object-naming, maintain their role as gold standards. Automated speech tasks are used to detect speech errors and to set the amplitude of the stimulator. Comprehension tasks, reading and writing tasks, and tasks that assess grammatical aspects of language may be regularly administered in the near future. We provide examples of a three-task approach we are administering to patients with prefrontal lesions. We believe that future advances in this area are contingent upon reviewing gold standards and introducing new assessment tools.

Dual Sticky Hierarchical Dirichlet Process Hidden Markov Model and Its Application to Natural Language Description of Motions.

PubMed

Hu, Weiming; Tian, Guodong; Kang, Yongxin; Yuan, Chunfeng; Maybank, Stephen

2017-09-25

In this paper, a new nonparametric Bayesian model called the dual sticky hierarchical Dirichlet process hidden Markov model (HDP-HMM) is proposed for mining activities from a collection of time series data such as trajectories. All the time series data are clustered. Each cluster of time series data, corresponding to a motion pattern, is modeled by an HMM. Our model postulates a set of HMMs that share a common set of states (topics in an analogy with topic models for document processing), but have unique transition distributions. For the application to motion trajectory modeling, topics correspond to motion activities. The learnt topics are clustered into atomic activities which are assigned predicates. We propose a Bayesian inference method to decompose a given trajectory into a sequence of atomic activities. On combining the learnt sources and sinks, semantic motion regions, and the learnt sequence of atomic activities, the action represented by the trajectory can be described in natural language in as automatic a way as possible. The effectiveness of our dual sticky HDP-HMM is validated on several trajectory datasets. The effectiveness of the natural language descriptions for motions is demonstrated on the vehicle trajectories extracted from a traffic scene.

Applying Semantic-based Probabilistic Context-Free Grammar to Medical Language Processing – A Preliminary Study on Parsing Medication Sentences

PubMed Central

Xu, Hua; AbdelRahman, Samir; Lu, Yanxin; Denny, Joshua C.; Doan, Son

2011-01-01

Semantic-based sublanguage grammars have been shown to be an efficient method for medical language processing. However, given the complexity of the medical domain, parsers using such grammars inevitably encounter ambiguous sentences, which could be interpreted by different groups of production rules and consequently result in two or more parse trees. One possible solution, which has not been extensively explored previously, is to augment productions in medical sublanguage grammars with probabilities to resolve the ambiguity. In this study, we associated probabilities with production rules in a semantic-based grammar for medication findings and evaluated its performance on reducing parsing ambiguity. Using the existing data set from 2009 i2b2 NLP (Natural Language Processing) challenge for medication extraction, we developed a semantic-based CFG (Context Free Grammar) for parsing medication sentences and manually created a Treebank of 4,564 medication sentences from discharge summaries. Using the Treebank, we derived a semantic-based PCFG (probabilistic Context Free Grammar) for parsing medication sentences. Our evaluation using a 10-fold cross validation showed that the PCFG parser dramatically improved parsing performance when compared to the CFG parser. PMID:21856440

Concurrent and Construct Validity of Oral Language Measures with School-Age Children with Specific Language Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoffman, LaVae M.; Loeb, Diane Frome; Brandel, Jayne; Gillam, Ronald B.

2011-01-01

Purpose: This study investigated the psychometric properties of 2 oral language measures that are commonly used for diagnostic purposes with school-age children who have language impairments. Method: Two hundred sixteen children with specific language impairment were assessed with the Test of Language Development--Primary, Third Edition (TOLD-P:3;…

Validation of a Russian Language Oswestry Disability Index Questionnaire.

PubMed

Yu, Elizabeth M; Nosova, Emily V; Falkenstein, Yuri; Prasad, Priya; Leasure, Jeremi M; Kondrashov, Dimitriy G

2016-11-01

Study Design  Retrospective reliability and validity study. Objective  To validate a recently translated Russian language version of the Oswestry Disability Index (R-ODI) using standardized methods detailed from previous validations in other languages. Methods  We included all subjects who were seen in our spine surgery clinic, over the age of 18, and fluent in the Russian language. R-ODI was translated by six bilingual people and combined into a consensus version. R-ODI and visual analog scale (VAS) questionnaires for leg and back pain were distributed to subjects during both their initial and follow-up visits. Test validity, stability, and internal consistency were measured using standardized psychometric methods. Results Ninety-seven subjects participated in the study. No change in the meaning of the questions on R-ODI was noted with translation from English to Russian. There was a significant positive correlation between R-ODI and VAS scores for both the leg and back during both the initial and follow-up visits ( p  < 0.01 for all). The instrument was shown to have high internal consistency (Cronbach α = 0.82) and moderate test-retest stability (interclass correlation coefficient = 0.70). Conclusions  The R-ODI is both valid and reliable for use among the Russian-speaking population in the United States.

Can syntax appear in a mirror (system)?

PubMed

Tettamanti, Marco; Moro, Andrea

2012-07-01

Converging evidence indicates that the processing of some aspects related to the phonetic and the semantic components of language is tightly associated with both the perceptual and the motor neural systems. It has been suggested that mirror neurons contribute to language understanding by virtue of a neurophysiological response matching perceptual linguistic information onto corresponding motor plans. This proposal has sometimes been extended to advocate that the language competence as a whole, including syntax, may be ascribed to this kind of perceptuo-motor mappings. This position paper examines what kinds of empirical and theoretical challenges such general mirror neuron language accounts need to face in order to proof their validity--challenges that we think have not been adequately addressed yet. We highlight that the most important limitation is constituted by the fact that some core defining properties of human language, at the phonetic, semantic, and especially at the syntactic level, are not transparent to the bodily senses and thus they cannot be the direct source of mirror neuron perceptuo-motor matching. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Srl. All rights reserved.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Initial Validation of the Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Scale into the Yoruba Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akinpelu, Aderonke O.; Odetunde, Marufat O.; Odole, Adesola C.

2012-01-01

Stroke-Specific Quality of Life 2.0 (SS-QoL 2.0) scale is used widely and has been cross-culturally adapted to many languages. This study aimed at the cross-cultural adaptation of SS-QoL 2.0 to Yoruba, the indigenous language of south-western Nigeria, and to carry out an initial investigation on its validity. English SS-QoL 2.0 was first adapted…

Specific language impairment: a convenient label for whom?

PubMed

Reilly, Sheena; Tomblin, Bruce; Law, James; McKean, Cristina; Mensah, Fiona K; Morgan, Angela; Goldfeld, Sharon; Nicholson, Jan M; Wake, Melissa

2014-01-01

The term 'specific language impairment' (SLI), in use since the 1980s, describes children with language impairment whose cognitive skills are within normal limits where there is no identifiable reason for the language impairment. SLI is determined by applying exclusionary criteria, so that it is defined by what it is not rather than by what it is. The recent decision to not include SLI in DSM-5 provoked much debate and concern from researchers and clinicians. To explore how the term 'specific language impairment' emerged, to consider how disorders, including SLI, are generally defined and to explore how societal changes might impact on use the term. We reviewed the literature to explore the origins of the term 'specific language impairment' and present published evidence, as well as new analyses of population data, to explore the validity of continuing to use the term. We support the decision to exclude the term 'specific language impairment' from DSM-5 and conclude that the term has been a convenient label for researchers, but that the current classification is unacceptably arbitrary. Furthermore, we argue there is no empirical evidence to support the continued use of the term SLI and limited evidence that it has provided any real benefits for children and their families. In fact, the term may be disadvantageous to some due to the use of exclusionary criteria to determine eligibility for and access to speech pathology services. We propose the following recommendations. First, that the word 'specific' be removed and the label 'language impairment' be used. Second, that the exclusionary criteria be relaxed and in their place inclusionary criteria be adopted that take into account the fluid nature of language development particularly in the preschool period. Building on the goodwill and collaborations between the clinical and research communities we propose the establishment of an international consensus panel to develop an agreed definition and set of criteria for language impairment. Given the rich data now available in population studies it is possible to test the validity of these definitions and criteria. Consultation with service users and policy-makers should be incorporated into the decision-making process. © 2014 The Authors International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Cross-cultural adaptation, reliability, and validity of the work role functioning questionnaire to Brazilian Portuguese.

PubMed

Gallasch, Cristiane Helena; Alexandre, Neusa Maria Costa; Amick, Benjamin

2007-12-01

The study objectives were to translate and adapt the Work Role Functioning Questionnaire (WRFQ) into the Brazilian Portuguese language and evaluate its reliability in patients experiencing musculoskeletal disorders. The cross-cultural adaptation was performed according to the internationally recommended methodology, using the following guidelines: translation, back-translation, revision by a committee, and pretest. At first, the questionnaire was independently translated by two bilingual translators, who had Portuguese as their mother language. Subsequently, two other translators whose mother language was English did the back-translation. A committee composed of five specialists revised and compared the translations obtained, developing the final version for pretest application. The pretest was carried out with 30 patients experiencing musculoskeletal disorders. Psychometric properties were evaluated by administering the questionnaire to 105 subjects with musculoskeletal disorders and receiving physical therapy treatment. The reliability was estimated through stability and homogeneity assessment. The construct validity was tested comparing subjects experiencing musculoskeletal disorders to healthy workers. The results indicated good content validity and internal consistency (Cronbach alpha = 0.95). Cronbach alpha for each scale was >0.85, except for the social demand scale. The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient for the test-retest reliability was satisfactory for mental demands (ICC = 0.68) and excellent for the others (0.82-0.91). In relation to the construct validity, the mean score obtained for each scale was lower for physical, work scheduling, and output demands in the subjects with musculoskeletal disorders. There was a significant difference (p < 0.001) between the groups in comparison to work scheduling, physical, and output demands. The data showed that the cross-cultural adaptation process was successful and the adapted instrument demonstrated psychometric properties making it reliable to use in Brazilian culture.

Translation, adaptation and validation of two versions of the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire in Malaysian patients for speakers of both English and Malay languages: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Khairullah, Shasha; Mahadeva, Sanjiv

2017-01-01

Objective We aimed to adapt, translate and validate the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ) in Malaysian patients with chronic liver diseases of various aetiologies. Setting Tertiary level teaching institution in Malaysia. Participants The validation process involved 211 adult patients (English language n=101, Malay language n=110) with chronic liver disease. Characteristics of the study subjects were as follows: mean (SD) age was 56 (12.8) years, 58.3% were male and 41.7% female. The inclusion criteria were patients 18 years or older with chronic hepatitis and/or liver cirrhosis of any aetiology. The exclusion criteria were as follows: presence of hepatic encephalopathy, ongoing treatment with interferon and presence of other chronic conditions that have an impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted. Cultural adaptation of the English version of the CLDQ was performed, and a Malay version was developed following standard forward–backward translation by independent native speakers. Psychometric properties of both versions were determined by assessing their internal consistency, test–retest reliability and discriminant and convergent validity. Results Cronbach’s alpha for internal consistency across the various domains of the CLDQ was 0.95 for the English version and 0.92 for the Malay version. Test–retest analysis showed excellent reliability with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.89 for the English version and 0.93 for the Malay version. The average scores of both the English and Malay versions of the CLDQ demonstrated adequate discriminant validity by differentiating between non-cirrhosis (English 6.3, Malay 6.1), compensated cirrhosis (English 5.6, Malay 6.0) and decompensated cirrhosis (English 5.1, Malay 4.9) (p<0.001). Convergent validity showed that correlation was fair between the English (ρ=0.59) and Malay (p=0.47) CLDQ versions with the EQ-5D, a generic HRQOL instrument. Conclusion The English and Malay versions of the CLDQ are reliable and valid disease-specific instruments for assessing HRQOL in Malaysian patients with chronic liver disease. PMID:28550020

In Infants' Hands: Identification of Preverbal Infants at Risk for Primary Language Delay

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lüke, Carina; Grimminger, Angela; Rohlfing, Katharina J.; Liszkowski, Ulf; Ritterfeld, Ute

2017-01-01

Early identification of primary language delay is crucial to implement effective prevention programs. Available screening instruments are based on parents' reports and have only insufficient predictive validity. This study employed observational measures of preverbal infants' gestural communication to test its predictive validity for identifying…

Development and Validation of an Instructional Willingness to Communicate Questionnaire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khatib, Mohammad; Nourzadeh, Saeed

2015-01-01

The current study was undertaken with the purpose of developing and validating a willingness to communicate (WTC) questionnaire for instructional language teaching and learning contexts. Six instructional WTC (IWTC) components were identified after (1) undertaking a comprehensive review of the literature on second language (L2) WTC and other…

Personality, gender, and age in the language of social media: the open-vocabulary approach.

PubMed

Schwartz, H Andrew; Eichstaedt, Johannes C; Kern, Margaret L; Dziurzynski, Lukasz; Ramones, Stephanie M; Agrawal, Megha; Shah, Achal; Kosinski, Michal; Stillwell, David; Seligman, Martin E P; Ungar, Lyle H

2013-01-01

We analyzed 700 million words, phrases, and topic instances collected from the Facebook messages of 75,000 volunteers, who also took standard personality tests, and found striking variations in language with personality, gender, and age. In our open-vocabulary technique, the data itself drives a comprehensive exploration of language that distinguishes people, finding connections that are not captured with traditional closed-vocabulary word-category analyses. Our analyses shed new light on psychosocial processes yielding results that are face valid (e.g., subjects living in high elevations talk about the mountains), tie in with other research (e.g., neurotic people disproportionately use the phrase 'sick of' and the word 'depressed'), suggest new hypotheses (e.g., an active life implies emotional stability), and give detailed insights (males use the possessive 'my' when mentioning their 'wife' or 'girlfriend' more often than females use 'my' with 'husband' or 'boyfriend'). To date, this represents the largest study, by an order of magnitude, of language and personality.

Language-driven anticipatory eye movements in virtual reality.

PubMed

Eichert, Nicole; Peeters, David; Hagoort, Peter

2018-06-01

Predictive language processing is often studied by measuring eye movements as participants look at objects on a computer screen while they listen to spoken sentences. This variant of the visual-world paradigm has revealed that information encountered by a listener at a spoken verb can give rise to anticipatory eye movements to a target object, which is taken to indicate that people predict upcoming words. The ecological validity of such findings remains questionable, however, because these computer experiments used two-dimensional stimuli that were mere abstractions of real-world objects. Here we present a visual-world paradigm study in a three-dimensional (3-D) immersive virtual reality environment. Despite significant changes in the stimulus materials and the different mode of stimulus presentation, language-mediated anticipatory eye movements were still observed. These findings thus indicate that people do predict upcoming words during language comprehension in a more naturalistic setting where natural depth cues are preserved. Moreover, the results confirm the feasibility of using eyetracking in rich and multimodal 3-D virtual environments.

The Language Exposure Assessment Tool: Quantifying Language Exposure in Infants and Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeAnda, Stephanie; Bosch, Laura; Poulin-Dubois, Diane; Zesiger, Pascal; Friend, Margaret

2016-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop the Language Exposure Assessment Tool (LEAT) and to examine its cross-linguistic validity, reliability, and utility. The LEAT is a computerized interview-style assessment that requests parents to estimate language exposure. The LEAT yields an automatic calculation of relative language exposure and…

Reliability and validity of the Perceived Stress Scale-10 in Hispanic Americans with English or Spanish language preference.

PubMed

Baik, Sharon H; Fox, Rina S; Mills, Sarah D; Roesch, Scott C; Sadler, Georgia Robins; Klonoff, Elizabeth A; Malcarne, Vanessa L

2017-01-01

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Perceived Stress Scale-10 among 436 community-dwelling Hispanic Americans with English or Spanish language preference. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis examined the factorial invariance of the Perceived Stress Scale-10 across language groups. Results supported a two-factor model (negative, positive) with equivalent response patterns and item intercepts but different factor covariances across languages. Internal consistency reliability of the Perceived Stress Scale-10 total and subscale scores was good in both language groups. Convergent validity was supported by expected relationships of Perceived Stress Scale-10 scores to measures of anxiety and depression. These results support the use of the Perceived Stress Scale-10 among Hispanic Americans.

Harmonic biases in child learners: In support of language universals

PubMed Central

Culbertson, Jennifer; Newport, Elissa L.

2015-01-01

A fundamental question for cognitive science concerns the ways in which languages are shaped by the biases of language learners. Recent research using laboratory language learning paradigms, primarily with adults, has shown that structures or rules that are common in the languages of the world are learned or processed more easily than patterns that are rare or unattested. Here we target child learners, investigating a set of biases for word order learning in the noun phrase studied by Culbertson, Smolensky & Legendre (2012) in college-age adults. We provide the first evidence that child learners exhibit a preference for typologically common harmonic word order patterns—those which preserve the order of the head with respect to its complements—validating the psychological reality of a principle formalized in many different linguistic theories. We also discuss important differences between child and adult learners in terms of both the strength and content of the biases at play during language learning. In particular, the bias favoring harmonic patterns is markedly stronger in children than adults, and children (unlike adults) acquire adjective ordering more readily than numeral ordering. The results point to the importance of investigating learning biases across development in order to understand how these biases may shape the history and structure of natural languages. PMID:25800352

Construction and validation of logMAR visual acuity charts in seven Indian languages.

PubMed

Negiloni, Kalpa; Mazumdar, Deepmala; Neog, Aditya; Das, Biman; Medhi, Jnanankar; Choudhury, Mitalee; George, Ronnie Jacob; Ramani, Krishna Kumar

2018-05-01

The evaluation of visual impairment requires the measurement of visual acuity with a validated and standard logMAR visual acuity chart. We aimed to construct and validate new logMAR visual acuity chart in Indian languages (Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Urdu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Assamese). The commonly used font in each language was chosen as the reference and designed to fit the 5 × 5 grid (Adobe Photoshop). Ten letters (easiest to difficult) around median legibility score calculated for each language based on the results of legibility experiment and differing by 10% were selected. The chart was constructed based on the standard recommendations. The repeatability of charts was tested and also compared with a standard English Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) logMAR chart for validation. A total of 14 rows (1.0 to -0.3 logMAR) with five letters in each line were designed with the range of row legibility between 4.7 and 5.3 for all the language charts. Each chart showed good repeatability, and a maximum difference of four letters was noted. The median difference in visual acuity was 0.16 logMAR for Urdu and Assamese chart compared to ETDRS English chart. Hindi and Malayalam chart had a median difference of 0.12 logMAR. When compared to the English chart a median difference of 0.14 logMAR was noted in Telugu, Kannada, and Bengali chart. The newly developed Indian language visual acuity charts are designed based on the standard recommendations and will help to assess visual impairment in people of these languages across the country.

Concurrent validity and clinical usefulness of several individually administered tests of children's social-emotional cognition.

PubMed

McKown, Clark

2007-03-01

In this study, the validity of 5 tests of children's social-emotional cognition, defined as their encoding, memory, and interpretation of social information, was tested. Participants were 126 clinic-referred children between the ages of 5 and 17. All 5 tests were evaluated in terms of their (a) concurrent validity, (b) incremental validity, and (c) clinical usefulness in predicting social functioning. Tests included measures of nonverbal sensitivity, social language, and social problem solving. Criterion measures included parent and teacher report of social functioning. Analyses support the concurrent validity of all measures, and the incremental validity and clinical usefulness of tests of pragmatic language and problem solving.

Validation of the Spanish-language version of the Rapid Assessment for Adolescent Preventive Services among Colombian adolescents.

PubMed

Suárez-Pinto, Tatiana A; Blanco-Gómez, Argénida; Díaz-Martínez, Luis A

2016-10-01

Seventy percent of adolescent morbidity and mortality is related to six risky behaviors. The Rapid Assessment for Adolescent Preventive Services is a screening questionnaire consisting of 21 questions but there is not a validated Spanish-language version. The obj ective of this study was to validate the Spanish-language version of the Rapid Assessment for Adolescent Preventive Services in two Colombian cities: Bucaramanga and Medellin. The questionnaire was administered to 270 randomly selected adolescent students aged between 11 and 19 years old. Its internal consistency measured using Cronbach's alpha was 0.7207. The factor analysis showed that two factors accounted for 84.5% of variance, but factor loading indicates that only one of these is valid in Colombia: substance use (tobacco, alcohol, narcotics, and psychoactive substances). Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría.

Backward Dependencies and in-Situ wh-Questions as Test Cases on How to Approach Experimental Linguistics Research That Pursues Theoretical Linguistics Questions

PubMed Central

Pablos, Leticia; Doetjes, Jenny; Cheng, Lisa L.-S.

2018-01-01

The empirical study of language is a young field in contemporary linguistics. This being the case, and following a natural development process, the field is currently at a stage where different research methods and experimental approaches are being put into question in terms of their validity. Without pretending to provide an answer with respect to the best way to conduct linguistics related experimental research, in this article we aim at examining the process that researchers follow in the design and implementation of experimental linguistics research with a goal to validate specific theoretical linguistic analyses. First, we discuss the general challenges that experimental work faces in finding a compromise between addressing theoretically relevant questions and being able to implement these questions in a specific controlled experimental paradigm. We discuss the Granularity Mismatch Problem (Poeppel and Embick, 2005) which addresses the challenges that research that is trying to bridge the representations and computations of language and their psycholinguistic/neurolinguistic evidence faces, and the basic assumptions that interdisciplinary research needs to consider due to the different conceptual granularity of the objects under study. To illustrate the practical implications of the points addressed, we compare two approaches to perform linguistic experimental research by reviewing a number of our own studies strongly grounded on theoretically informed questions. First, we show how linguistic phenomena similar at a conceptual level can be tested within the same language using measurement of event-related potentials (ERP) by discussing results from two ERP experiments on the processing of long-distance backward dependencies that involve coreference and negative polarity items respectively in Dutch. Second, we examine how the same linguistic phenomenon can be tested in different languages using reading time measures by discussing the outcome of four self-paced reading experiments on the processing of in-situ wh-questions in Mandarin Chinese and French. Finally, we review the implications that our findings have for the specific theoretical linguistics questions that we originally aimed to address. We conclude with an overview of the general insights that can be gained from the role of structural hierarchy and grammatical constraints in processing and the existing limitations on the generalization of results. PMID:29375417

Backward Dependencies and in-Situ wh-Questions as Test Cases on How to Approach Experimental Linguistics Research That Pursues Theoretical Linguistics Questions.

PubMed

Pablos, Leticia; Doetjes, Jenny; Cheng, Lisa L-S

2017-01-01

The empirical study of language is a young field in contemporary linguistics. This being the case, and following a natural development process, the field is currently at a stage where different research methods and experimental approaches are being put into question in terms of their validity. Without pretending to provide an answer with respect to the best way to conduct linguistics related experimental research, in this article we aim at examining the process that researchers follow in the design and implementation of experimental linguistics research with a goal to validate specific theoretical linguistic analyses. First, we discuss the general challenges that experimental work faces in finding a compromise between addressing theoretically relevant questions and being able to implement these questions in a specific controlled experimental paradigm. We discuss the Granularity Mismatch Problem (Poeppel and Embick, 2005) which addresses the challenges that research that is trying to bridge the representations and computations of language and their psycholinguistic/neurolinguistic evidence faces, and the basic assumptions that interdisciplinary research needs to consider due to the different conceptual granularity of the objects under study. To illustrate the practical implications of the points addressed, we compare two approaches to perform linguistic experimental research by reviewing a number of our own studies strongly grounded on theoretically informed questions. First, we show how linguistic phenomena similar at a conceptual level can be tested within the same language using measurement of event-related potentials (ERP) by discussing results from two ERP experiments on the processing of long-distance backward dependencies that involve coreference and negative polarity items respectively in Dutch. Second, we examine how the same linguistic phenomenon can be tested in different languages using reading time measures by discussing the outcome of four self-paced reading experiments on the processing of in-situ wh -questions in Mandarin Chinese and French. Finally, we review the implications that our findings have for the specific theoretical linguistics questions that we originally aimed to address. We conclude with an overview of the general insights that can be gained from the role of structural hierarchy and grammatical constraints in processing and the existing limitations on the generalization of results.

Don't believe everything you hear: Routine validation of audiovisual information in children and adults.

PubMed

Piest, Benjamin A; Isberner, Maj-Britt; Richter, Tobias

2018-04-05

Previous research has shown that the validation of incoming information during language comprehension is a fast, efficient, and routine process (epistemic monitoring). Previous research on this topic has focused on epistemic monitoring during reading. The present study extended this research by investigating epistemic monitoring of audiovisual information. In a Stroop-like paradigm, participants (Experiment 1: adults; Experiment 2: 10-year-old children) responded to the probe words correct and false by keypress after the presentation of auditory assertions that could be either true or false with respect to concurrently presented pictures. Results provide evidence for routine validation of audiovisual information. Moreover, the results show a stronger and more stable interference effect for children compared with adults.

Developing and Validating a Science Notebook Rubric for Fifth-Grade Non-Mainstream Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huerta, Margarita; Lara-Alecio, Rafael; Tong, Fuhui; Irby, Beverly J.

2014-07-01

We present the development and validation of a science notebook rubric intended to measure the academic language and conceptual understanding of non-mainstream students, specifically fifth-grade male and female economically disadvantaged Hispanic English language learner (ELL) and African-American or Hispanic native English-speaking students. The science notebook rubric is based on two main constructs: academic language and conceptual understanding. The constructs are grounded in second-language acquisition theory and theories of writing and conceptual understanding. We established content validity and calculated reliability measures using G theory and percent agreement (for comparison) with a sample of approximately 144 unique science notebook entries and 432 data points. Results reveal sufficient reliability estimates, indicating that the instrument is promising for use in future research studies including science notebooks in classrooms with populations of economically disadvantaged Hispanic ELL and African-American or Hispanic native English-speaking students.

Beliefs about language development: construct validity evidence.

PubMed

Donahue, Mavis L; Fu, Qiong; Smith, Everett V

2012-01-01

Understanding language development is incomplete without recognizing children's sociocultural environments, including adult beliefs about language development. Yet there is a need for data supporting valid inferences to assess these beliefs. The current study investigated the psychometric properties of data from a survey (MODeL) designed to explore beliefs in the popular culture, and their alignment with more formal theories. Support for the content, substantive, structural, generalizability, and external aspects of construct validity of the data were investigated. Subscales representing Behaviorist, Cognitive, Nativist, and Sociolinguistic models were identified as dimensions of beliefs. More than half of the items showed a high degree of consensus, suggesting culturally-transmitted beliefs. Behaviorist ideas were most popular. Bilingualism and ethnicity were related to Cognitive and Sociolinguistic beliefs. Identifying these beliefs may clarify the nature of child-directed speech, and enable the design of language intervention programs that are congruent with family and cultural expectations.

"Thinking Creatively with Sounds and Words: Sounds and Images IIA" Validity Study in the Turkish Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaya, Asli; Bilen, Sermin

2017-01-01

Creativity, although it had existed since the existence of humanity, nowadays it is gaining more and more importance. In this process, creativity have been addressed in a variety of ways such as the studies of development on creativity and determination of the level of creativity. For this reason some scales or tests have been developed. Developed…

Importance of multi-modal approaches to effectively identify cataract cases from electronic health records.

PubMed

Peissig, Peggy L; Rasmussen, Luke V; Berg, Richard L; Linneman, James G; McCarty, Catherine A; Waudby, Carol; Chen, Lin; Denny, Joshua C; Wilke, Russell A; Pathak, Jyotishman; Carrell, David; Kho, Abel N; Starren, Justin B

2012-01-01

There is increasing interest in using electronic health records (EHRs) to identify subjects for genomic association studies, due in part to the availability of large amounts of clinical data and the expected cost efficiencies of subject identification. We describe the construction and validation of an EHR-based algorithm to identify subjects with age-related cataracts. We used a multi-modal strategy consisting of structured database querying, natural language processing on free-text documents, and optical character recognition on scanned clinical images to identify cataract subjects and related cataract attributes. Extensive validation on 3657 subjects compared the multi-modal results to manual chart review. The algorithm was also implemented at participating electronic MEdical Records and GEnomics (eMERGE) institutions. An EHR-based cataract phenotyping algorithm was successfully developed and validated, resulting in positive predictive values (PPVs) >95%. The multi-modal approach increased the identification of cataract subject attributes by a factor of three compared to single-mode approaches while maintaining high PPV. Components of the cataract algorithm were successfully deployed at three other institutions with similar accuracy. A multi-modal strategy incorporating optical character recognition and natural language processing may increase the number of cases identified while maintaining similar PPVs. Such algorithms, however, require that the needed information be embedded within clinical documents. We have demonstrated that algorithms to identify and characterize cataracts can be developed utilizing data collected via the EHR. These algorithms provide a high level of accuracy even when implemented across multiple EHRs and institutional boundaries.

Natural language processing of clinical notes for identification of critical limb ischemia.

PubMed

Afzal, Naveed; Mallipeddi, Vishnu Priya; Sohn, Sunghwan; Liu, Hongfang; Chaudhry, Rajeev; Scott, Christopher G; Kullo, Iftikhar J; Arruda-Olson, Adelaide M

2018-03-01

Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is a complication of advanced peripheral artery disease (PAD) with diagnosis based on the presence of clinical signs and symptoms. However, automated identification of cases from electronic health records (EHRs) is challenging due to absence of a single definitive International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9 or ICD-10) code for CLI. In this study, we extend a previously validated natural language processing (NLP) algorithm for PAD identification to develop and validate a subphenotyping NLP algorithm (CLI-NLP) for identification of CLI cases from clinical notes. We compared performance of the CLI-NLP algorithm with CLI-related ICD-9 billing codes. The gold standard for validation was human abstraction of clinical notes from EHRs. Compared to billing codes the CLI-NLP algorithm had higher positive predictive value (PPV) (CLI-NLP 96%, billing codes 67%, p < 0.001), specificity (CLI-NLP 98%, billing codes 74%, p < 0.001) and F1-score (CLI-NLP 90%, billing codes 76%, p < 0.001). The sensitivity of these two methods was similar (CLI-NLP 84%; billing codes 88%; p < 0.12). The CLI-NLP algorithm for identification of CLI from narrative clinical notes in an EHR had excellent PPV and has potential for translation to patient care as it will enable automated identification of CLI cases for quality projects, clinical decision support tools and support a learning healthcare system. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mothers' questionnaire of preschoolers' language and motor skills: a validation study.

PubMed

Gudmundsson, E; Gretarsson, S J

2013-03-01

Parent questionnaires of child motor and language skills are useful in many contexts. This study validates one such measure, the Preschool Child Development Inventory (PCDI), a mother-answered standardized measure of motor (fine and gross) and language (expression and comprehension) skills of 3-6-year-old children. Eighty-one mothers answered the inventory and their children were concurrently tested on six verbal subtests of WPPSI-R(IS). The six language and motor subtests of the PCDI revealed the predicted convergent and divergent correlations with the verbal subtests of the WPPSI-R(IS). As predicted, the motor subtests diverged and the language subtests converged with the expected WPPSI-R(IS) subtests. Principal components analysis of all the measures (the PCDI and the WPPSI-R(IS) subtests) revealed two components, verbal and motor in content. The findings support the validity of a mother-answered inventory to assess language and motor development. It is pointed out that such inventories are a viable brief and cost effective alternative to individual testing, both to supplement such measures in clinical practice and as main information in research, for example on determinants of development. Some suggestions are made for future research and applications. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The Construct Validity of Language Aptitude: A Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Shaofeng

2016-01-01

A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the construct validity of language aptitude by synthesizing the existing research that has been accumulated over the past five decades. The study aimed to provide a thorough understanding of the construct by aggregating the data reported in the primary research on its correlations with other individual…

Developing and Validating a Science Notebook Rubric for Fifth-Grade Non-Mainstream Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huerta, Margarita; Lara-Alecio, Rafael; Tong, Fuhui; Irby, Beverly J.

2014-01-01

We present the development and validation of a science notebook rubric intended to measure the academic language and conceptual understanding of non-mainstream students, specifically fifth-grade male and female economically disadvantaged Hispanic English language learner (ELL) and African-American or Hispanic native English-speaking students. The…

A Conversation Analysis-Informed Test of L2 Aural Pragmatic Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walters, F. Scott

2009-01-01

Speech act theory-based, second language pragmatics testing (SLPT) raises test-validation issues owing to a lack of correspondence with empirical conversational data. On the assumption that conversation analysis (CA) provides a more accurate account of language use, it is suggested that CA serve as a more empirically valid basis for SLPT…

Predictive Validity of Early Literacy Measures for Korean English Language Learners in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Han, Jeanie Nam; Vanderwood, Michael L.; Lee, Catherine Y.

2015-01-01

This study examined the predictive validity of early literacy measures with first-grade Korean English language learners (ELLs) in the United States at varying levels of English proficiency. Participants were screened using Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF), DIBELS Nonsense Word Fluency…

Considerations for Test Selection: How Do Validity and Reliability Impact Diagnostic Decisions?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friberg, Jennifer C.

2010-01-01

Nine preschool and school-age language assessment tools found to have acceptable levels of identification accuracy were evaluated to determine their overall levels of psychometric validity for use in diagnosing the presence/absence of language impairment. Eleven specific criteria based on those initially devised by McCauley and Swisher (1984) were…

Validity Inferences under High-Stakes Conditions: A Response from Language Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Kathryn; McNamara, Tim

2015-01-01

Those who work in second- and foreign-language testing often find Koretz's concern for validity inferences under high-stakes (VIHS) conditions both welcome and familiar. While the focus of the article is more narrowly on the potential for two instructional responses to test-based accountability, "reallocation" and "coaching,"…

XML and Bibliographic Data: The TVS (Transport, Validation and Services) Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Carvalho, Joaquim; Cordeiro, Maria Ines

This paper discusses the role of XML in library information systems at three major levels: as are presentation language that enables the transport of bibliographic data in a way that is technologically independent and universally understood across systems and domains; as a language that enables the specification of complex validation rules…

Validity Evidence in Accommodations for English Language Learners and Students with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Camara, Wayne

2009-01-01

The five papers in this special issue of the "Journal of Applied Testing Technology" address fundamental issues of validity when tests are modified or accommodations are provided to English Language Learners (ELL) or students with disabilities. Three papers employed differential item functioning (DIF) and factor analysis and found the…

Adaptation of Internet Addiction Scale in Azerbaijani Language: A Validity-Reliability and Prevalence Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kerimova, Melek; Gunuc, Selim

2016-01-01

The purpose of the present paper was to adapt Gunuc and Kayri's (2010) "Internet Addiction Scale," with show validity and reliability for many various sampling groups, into the Azerbaijani language. Another objective of the study is to determine the prevalence of Internet addiction among Azerbaijani adolescents and youth, which…

Discriminant Validity of the WISC-IV Culture-Language Interpretive Matrix

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Styck, Kara M.; Watkins, Marley W.

2014-01-01

The Culture-Language Interpretive Matrix (C-LIM) was developed to help practitioners determine the validity of test scores obtained from students who are culturally and linguistically different from the normative group of a test. The present study used an idiographic approach to investigate the diagnostic utility of the C-LIM for the Wechsler…

Meta-Analysis of Criterion Validity for Curriculum-Based Measurement in Written Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Romig, John Elwood; Therrien, William J.; Lloyd, John W.

2017-01-01

We used meta-analysis to examine the criterion validity of four scoring procedures used in curriculum-based measurement of written language. A total of 22 articles representing 21 studies (N = 21) met the inclusion criteria. Results indicated that two scoring procedures, correct word sequences and correct minus incorrect sequences, have acceptable…

Building validation tools for knowledge-based systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stachowitz, R. A.; Chang, C. L.; Stock, T. S.; Combs, J. B.

1987-01-01

The Expert Systems Validation Associate (EVA), a validation system under development at the Lockheed Artificial Intelligence Center for more than a year, provides a wide range of validation tools to check the correctness, consistency and completeness of a knowledge-based system. A declarative meta-language (higher-order language), is used to create a generic version of EVA to validate applications written in arbitrary expert system shells. The architecture and functionality of EVA are presented. The functionality includes Structure Check, Logic Check, Extended Structure Check (using semantic information), Extended Logic Check, Semantic Check, Omission Check, Rule Refinement, Control Check, Test Case Generation, Error Localization, and Behavior Verification.

Report on the Formal Trialling of the Australian Second Language Proficiency Ratings (ASLPR).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ingram, D. E.

Results of testing the validity and reliability of the Australian second language proficiency ratings (ASLPR) are presented. In addition to providing a framework for planning English as a second language programs for immigrants to Australia, the ASLPR was developed to specify second language proficiency in terms of practical language skills. The…

Predicting Later Language Outcomes from the Language Use Inventory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pesco, Diane; O'Neill, Daniela K.

2012-01-01

Purpose: To examine the predictive validity of the Language Use Inventory (LUI), a parent report of language use by children 18-47 months old (O'Neill, 2009). Method: 348 children whose parents had completed the LUI were reassessed at 5-6 years old with standardized, norm-referenced language measures and parent report of developmental history. The…

Issues and Trends in Language Testing and Assessment in Thailand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prapphal, Kanchana

2008-01-01

This paper aims to present an overview of language testing in Thailand. Language testing practices in the past are also reviewed. Attention is paid to the washback effects of language tests, the use of language tests in school admissions, questions of test validity, the emergence of standardized tests, the influence of societal values on testing…

Knowledge Structure Measures of Reader's Situation Models across Languages: Translation Engenders Richer Structure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Kyung; Clariana, Roy B.

2015-01-01

In order to further validate and extend the application of recent knowledge structure (KS) measures to second language settings, this investigation explores how second language (L2, English) situation models are influenced by first language (L1, Korean) translation tasks. Fifty Korean low proficient English language learners were asked to read an…

Content validation: clarity/relevance, reliability and internal consistency of enunciative signs of language acquisition.

PubMed

Crestani, Anelise Henrich; Moraes, Anaelena Bragança de; Souza, Ana Paula Ramos de

2017-08-10

To analyze the results of the validation of building enunciative signs of language acquisition for children aged 3 to 12 months. The signs were built based on mechanisms of language acquisition in an enunciative perspective and on clinical experience with language disorders. The signs were submitted to judgment of clarity and relevance by a sample of six experts, doctors in linguistic in with knowledge of psycholinguistics and language clinic. In the validation of reliability, two judges/evaluators helped to implement the instruments in videos of 20% of the total sample of mother-infant dyads using the inter-evaluator method. The method known as internal consistency was applied to the total sample, which consisted of 94 mother-infant dyads to the contents of the Phase 1 (3-6 months) and 61 mother-infant dyads to the contents of Phase 2 (7 to 12 months). The data were collected through the analysis of mother-infant interaction based on filming of dyads and application of the parameters to be validated according to the child's age. Data were organized in a spreadsheet and then converted to computer applications for statistical analysis. The judgments of clarity/relevance indicated no modifications to be made in the instruments. The reliability test showed an almost perfect agreement between judges (0.8 ≤ Kappa ≥ 1.0); only the item 2 of Phase 1 showed substantial agreement (0.6 ≤ Kappa ≥ 0.79). The internal consistency for Phase 1 had alpha = 0.84, and Phase 2, alpha = 0.74. This demonstrates the reliability of the instruments. The results suggest adequacy as to content validity of the instruments created for both age groups, demonstrating the relevance of the content of enunciative signs of language acquisition.

Passive fMRI mapping of language function for pediatric epilepsy surgical planning: validation using Wada, ECS, and FMAER.

PubMed

Suarez, Ralph O; Taimouri, Vahid; Boyer, Katrina; Vega, Clemente; Rotenberg, Alexander; Madsen, Joseph R; Loddenkemper, Tobias; Duffy, Frank H; Prabhu, Sanjay P; Warfield, Simon K

2014-12-01

In this study we validate passive language fMRI protocols designed for clinical application in pediatric epilepsy surgical planning as they do not require overt participation from patients. We introduced a set of quality checks that assess reliability of noninvasive fMRI mappings utilized for clinical purposes. We initially compared two fMRI language mapping paradigms, one active in nature (requiring participation from the patient) and the other passive in nature (requiring no participation from the patient). Group-level analysis in a healthy control cohort demonstrated similar activation of the putative language centers of the brain in the inferior frontal (IFG) and temporoparietal (TPG) regions. Additionally, we showed that passive language fMRI produced more left-lateralized activation in TPG (LI=+0.45) compared to the active task; with similarly robust left-lateralized IFG (LI=+0.24) activations using the passive task. We validated our recommended fMRI mapping protocols in a cohort of 15 pediatric epilepsy patients by direct comparison against the invasive clinical gold-standards. We found that language-specific TPG activation by fMRI agreed to within 9.2mm to subdural localizations by invasive functional mapping in the same patients, and language dominance by fMRI agreed with Wada test results at 80% congruency in TPG and 73% congruency in IFG. Lastly, we tested the recommended passive language fMRI protocols in a cohort of very young patients and confirmed reliable language-specific activation patterns in that challenging cohort. We concluded that language activation maps can be reliably achieved using the passive language fMRI protocols we proposed even in very young (average 7.5 years old) or sedated pediatric epilepsy patients. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Adaptation of the osteoarthritis-specific quality of life scale (the OAQoL) for use in Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain and Turkey.

PubMed

Wilburn, Jeanette; McKenna, Stephen P; Kutlay, Şehim; Bender, Tamas; Braun, Jürgen; Castillo-Gallego, Concepcion; Favero, Marta; Geher, Pal; Kiltz, Uta; Martin-Mola, Emilio; Ramonda, Roberta; Rouse, Matthew; Tennant, Alan; Küçükdeveci, Ayşe A

2017-05-01

The Osteoarthritis Quality of Life scale (OAQoL) is specific to individuals with osteoarthritis. The present study describes the adaptation of the OAQoL for use in the following five European languages: German, Hungarian, Italian, Spanish and Turkish. The study involved three stages in each language; translation, cognitive debriefing (face and content validity) and validation. The validation stage assessed internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), reproducibility (test-retest reliability using Spearman's rank correlations), convergent and divergent validity (correlations with the Health Assessment Questionnaire, The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Index of osteoarthritis and Nottingham Health Profile) and known group validity. The OAQoL was successfully translated into the target languages with minimal problems. Cognitive debriefing interviewees found the measures easy to complete and identified few problems with content. Internal consistency ranged from 0.94 to 0.97 and test-retest reliability (reproducibility) from 0.87 to 0.98. These values indicate that the new language versions produce very low levels of measurement error. Median OAQoL scores were higher for patients reporting a current flare of osteoarthritis in all countries. Scores were also related, as expected, to perceived severity of osteoarthritis. The OAQoL was successfully adapted for use in Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain and Turkey. The addition of these new language versions will prove valuable to multinational clinical trials and to clinical practice in the respective countries.

Development and Validation of the Bicultural Youth Acculturation Questionnaire

PubMed Central

Kukaswadia, Atif; Janssen, Ian; Pickett, William; Bajwa, Jasmine; Georgiades, Katholiki; Lalonde, Richard N.; Quon, Elizabeth C.; Safdar, Saba; Pike, Ian

2016-01-01

Objectives Acculturation is a multidimensional process involving changes in behaviour and beliefs. Questionnaires developed to measure acculturation are typically designed for specific ethnic populations and adult experiences. This study developed a questionnaire that measures acculturation among ethnically diverse populations of youth that can be included as a module in population surveys. Methods Questionnaires measuring acculturation in youth were identified in the literature. The importance of items from the existing questionnaires was determined using a Delphi process and this informed the development of our questionnaire. The questionnaire was then pilot tested using a sample of 248 Canadians aged 18–25 via an online system. Participants identified as East and South East Asian (27.8%), South Asian (17.7%) and Black (13.7%). The majority were 1st (33.5%) or 2nd generation immigrants (52.0%). After redundant items were eliminated, exploratory factor analysis grouped items into domains, and, for each domain, internal consistency, and convergent validity with immigrant generation then age at immigration estimated. A subset of participants re-completed the questionnaire for reliability estimation. Results The literature review yielded 117 articles that used 13 questionnaires with a total of 440 questions. The Delphi process reduced these to 32 questions. Pilot testing occurred in 248 Canadians aged 18–25. Following item reduction, 16 questions in three domains remained: dominant culture, heritage language, and heritage culture. All had good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alphas > .75). The mean dominant domain score increased with immigrant generation (1st generation: 3.69 (95% CI: 3.49–3.89), 2nd: 4.13 (4.00–4.26), 3rd: 4.40 (4.19–4.61)), and mean heritage language score was higher among those who immigrated after age 12 than before (p = .0001), indicative of convergent validity. Conclusions This Bicultural Youth Acculturation Questionnaire has demonstrated validity. It can be incorporated into population health surveys to elucidate the impact of acculturation on health outcomes among bicultural youth. PMID:27557080

Development and Validation of the Bicultural Youth Acculturation Questionnaire.

PubMed

Kukaswadia, Atif; Janssen, Ian; Pickett, William; Bajwa, Jasmine; Georgiades, Katholiki; Lalonde, Richard N; Quon, Elizabeth C; Safdar, Saba; Pike, Ian

2016-01-01

Acculturation is a multidimensional process involving changes in behaviour and beliefs. Questionnaires developed to measure acculturation are typically designed for specific ethnic populations and adult experiences. This study developed a questionnaire that measures acculturation among ethnically diverse populations of youth that can be included as a module in population surveys. Questionnaires measuring acculturation in youth were identified in the literature. The importance of items from the existing questionnaires was determined using a Delphi process and this informed the development of our questionnaire. The questionnaire was then pilot tested using a sample of 248 Canadians aged 18-25 via an online system. Participants identified as East and South East Asian (27.8%), South Asian (17.7%) and Black (13.7%). The majority were 1st (33.5%) or 2nd generation immigrants (52.0%). After redundant items were eliminated, exploratory factor analysis grouped items into domains, and, for each domain, internal consistency, and convergent validity with immigrant generation then age at immigration estimated. A subset of participants re-completed the questionnaire for reliability estimation. The literature review yielded 117 articles that used 13 questionnaires with a total of 440 questions. The Delphi process reduced these to 32 questions. Pilot testing occurred in 248 Canadians aged 18-25. Following item reduction, 16 questions in three domains remained: dominant culture, heritage language, and heritage culture. All had good internal consistency (Cronbach's alphas > .75). The mean dominant domain score increased with immigrant generation (1st generation: 3.69 (95% CI: 3.49-3.89), 2nd: 4.13 (4.00-4.26), 3rd: 4.40 (4.19-4.61)), and mean heritage language score was higher among those who immigrated after age 12 than before (p = .0001), indicative of convergent validity. This Bicultural Youth Acculturation Questionnaire has demonstrated validity. It can be incorporated into population health surveys to elucidate the impact of acculturation on health outcomes among bicultural youth.

Natural language processing in pathology: a scoping review.

PubMed

Burger, Gerard; Abu-Hanna, Ameen; de Keizer, Nicolette; Cornet, Ronald

2016-07-22

Encoded pathology data are key for medical registries and analyses, but pathology information is often expressed as free text. We reviewed and assessed the use of NLP (natural language processing) for encoding pathology documents. Papers addressing NLP in pathology were retrieved from PubMed, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Digital Library and Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL) Anthology. We reviewed and summarised the study objectives; NLP methods used and their validation; software implementations; the performance on the dataset used and any reported use in practice. The main objectives of the 38 included papers were encoding and extraction of clinically relevant information from pathology reports. Common approaches were word/phrase matching, probabilistic machine learning and rule-based systems. Five papers (13%) compared different methods on the same dataset. Four papers did not specify the method(s) used. 18 of the 26 studies that reported F-measure, recall or precision reported values of over 0.9. Proprietary software was the most frequently mentioned category (14 studies); General Architecture for Text Engineering (GATE) was the most applied architecture overall. Practical system use was reported in four papers. Most papers used expert annotation validation. Different methods are used in NLP research in pathology, and good performances, that is, high precision and recall, high retrieval/removal rates, are reported for all of these. Lack of validation and of shared datasets precludes performance comparison. More comparative analysis and validation are needed to provide better insight into the performance and merits of these methods. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Measuring and assessing maintainability at the end of high level design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Briand, Lionel C.; Morasca, Sandro; Basili, Victor R.

1993-01-01

Software architecture appears to be one of the main factors affecting software maintainability. Therefore, in order to be able to predict and assess maintainability early in the development process we need to be able to measure the high-level design characteristics that affect the change process. To this end, we propose a measurement approach, which is based on precise assumptions derived from the change process, which is based on Object-Oriented Design principles and is partially language independent. We define metrics for cohesion, coupling, and visibility in order to capture the difficulty of isolating, understanding, designing and validating changes.

An Examination of the Validity and Reliability of a Measure of Sexual Orientation Identity Exploration, Resolution, and Affirmation

PubMed Central

Toomey, Russell B.; Anhalt, Karla; Shramko, Maura

2016-01-01

The processes of identity exploration and resolution are salient during adolescence and young adulthood, and awareness of sexual orientation identity, in particular, is heightened in early adolescence. Much of the research on sexual orientation identity development has focused on identity milestones (e.g., age of awareness and disclosure) or internalized homonegativity, rather than the developmental processes of exploration and resolution. Psychometric properties of the Sexual Orientation Identity Development Scale, which was adapted from a developmentally-informed measure of ethnic-racial identity, were evaluated in a sample of 382 Latina/o sexual minority adolescents and young adults. Results supported the reliability and validity of the adapted measure, as well as measurement equivalence across language (Spanish and English) and development (adolescence and young adulthood). PMID:27398072

Validity and reliability of the Spanish-language version of the self-administered Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (S-LANSS) pain scale.

PubMed

López-de-Uralde-Villanueva, I; Gil-Martínez, A; Candelas-Fernández, P; de Andrés-Ares, J; Beltrán-Alacreu, H; La Touche, R

2016-12-08

The self-administered Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (S-LANSS) scale is a tool designed to identify patients with pain with neuropathic features. To assess the validity and reliability of the Spanish-language version of the S-LANSS scale. Our study included a total of 182 patients with chronic pain to assess the convergent and discriminant validity of the S-LANSS; the sample was increased to 321 patients to evaluate construct validity and reliability. The validated Spanish-language version of the ID-Pain questionnaire was used as the criterion variable. All participants completed the ID-Pain, the S-LANSS, and the Numerical Rating Scale for pain. Discriminant validity was evaluated by analysing sensitivity, specificity, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Construct validity was assessed with factor analysis and by comparing the odds ratio of each S-LANSS item to the total score. Convergent validity and reliability were evaluated with Pearson's r and Cronbach's alpha, respectively. The optimal cut-off point for S-LANSS was ≥12 points (AUC=.89; sensitivity=88.7; specificity=76.6). Factor analysis yielded one factor; furthermore, all items contributed significantly to the positive total score on the S-LANSS (P<.05). The S-LANSS showed a significant correlation with ID-Pain (r=.734, α=.71). The Spanish-language version of the S-LANSS is valid and reliable for identifying patients with chronic pain with neuropathic features. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Foreign Language Management in Lazio SMEs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Incelli, Ersilia

2008-01-01

This paper investigates the foreign language management strategies of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Lazio, Italy. Based on empirical data from a questionnaire survey and ethnographic interviews, it also aims to validate the hypothesis that macro-level language planning (on a national scale) may not reflect language problems…

Beyond static assessment of children's receptive vocabulary: the dynamic assessment of word learning (DAWL).

PubMed

Camilleri, Bernard; Botting, Nicola

2013-01-01

Children's low scores on vocabulary tests are often erroneously interpreted as reflecting poor cognitive and/or language skills. It may be necessary to incorporate the measurement of word-learning ability in estimating children's lexical abilities. To explore the reliability and validity of the Dynamic Assessment of Word Learning (DAWL), a new dynamic assessment of receptive vocabulary. A dynamic assessment (DA) of word learning ability was developed and adopted within a nursery school setting with 15 children aged between 3;07 and 4;03, ten of whom had been referred to speech and language therapy. A number of quantitative measures were derived from the DA procedure, including measures of children's ability to identify the targeted items and to generalize to a second exemplar, as well as measures of children's ability to retain the targeted items. Internal, inter-rater and test-retest reliability of the DAWL was established as well as correlational measures of concurrent and predictive validity. The DAWL was found to provide both quantitative and qualitative information which could be used to improve the accuracy of differential diagnosis and the understanding of processes underlying the child's performance. The latter can be used for the purpose of designing more individualized interventions. © 2013 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Cross-cultural adaptation of the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire.

PubMed

Koopmans, Linda; Bernaards, Claire M; Hildebrandt, Vincent H; Lerner, Debra; de Vet, Henrica C W; van der Beek, Allard J

2015-01-01

The Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ), measuring task performance, contextual performance, and counterproductive work behavior, was developed in The Netherlands. To cross-culturally adapt the IWPQ from the Dutch to the American-English language, and assess the questionnaire's internal consistency and content validity in the American-English context. A five stage translation and adaptation process was used: forward translation, synthesis, back-translation, expert committee review, and pilot-testing. During the pilot-testing, cognitive interviews with 40 American workers were performed, to examine the comprehensibility, applicability, and completeness of the American-English IWPQ. Questionnaire instructions were slightly modified to aid interpretation in the American-English language. Inconsistencies with verb tense were identified, and it was decided to consistently use simple past tense. The wording of five items was modified to better suit the American-English language. In general, participants were positive on the comprehensibility, applicability and completeness of the questionnaire during the pilot-testing phase. Furthermore, the study showed positive results concerning the internal consistency (Cronbach's alphas for the scales between 0.79-0.89) and content validity of the American-English IWPQ. The results indicate that the cross-cultural adaptation of the American-English IWPQ was successful and that the measurement properties of the translated version are promising.

Task difficulty differentially affects two measures of processing load: the pupil response during sentence processing and delayed cued recall of the sentences.

PubMed

Zekveld, Adriana A; Festen, Joost M; Kramer, Sophia E

2013-08-01

In this study, the authors assessed the influence of masking level (29% or 71% sentence perception) and test modality on the processing load during language perception as reflected by the pupil response. In addition, the authors administered a delayed cued stimulus recall test to examine whether processing load affected the encoding of the stimuli in memory. Participants performed speech and text reception threshold tests, during which the pupil response was measured. In the cued recall test, the first half of correctly perceived sentences was presented, and participants were asked to complete the sentences. Reading and listening span tests of working memory capacity were presented as well. Regardless of test modality, the pupil response indicated higher processing load in the 29% condition than in the 71% correct condition. Cued recall was better for the 29% condition. The consistent effect of masking level on the pupil response during listening and reading support the validity of the pupil response as a measure of processing load during language perception. The absent relation between pupil response and cued recall may suggest that cued recall is not directly related to processing load, as reflected by the pupil response.

Validation of the Intelligibility in Context Scale for school students in Fiji.

PubMed

Hopf, Suzanne C; McLeod, Sharynne; McDonagh, Sarah H

2017-01-01

Fiji is a multilingual nation with few assessment tools addressing children's communication. This article describes the validation of the Intelligibility in Context Scale for Fiji English, Standard Fijian, and Fiji Hindi. Informants were caregivers of 65 typically developing multilingual children (aged 5;3-10;5) attending a Fiji primary school. The students spoke an average of 2.9 languages (range = 1-5). Their main language was Standard Fijian (41.5%), Fiji Hindi (23.1%), Fiji English (20.0%), or Fijian dialect (15.4%). An ICS mean score of 4.6 was obtained for main language (ICS-ML) and 4.4 for Fiji English (ICS-FE) indicating that students were usually to always intelligible. There were no significant differences between main language, number of languages spoken, gender, age, or socio-economic status. Both scales had good internal consistency, but were not correlated with speech accuracy measures possibly due to ceiling effects. Further validation with younger children is recommended. The ICS may be a useful tool for Fiji with comparative results to other international studies.

Validation of an educative manual for patients with head and neck cancer submitted to radiation therapy 1

PubMed Central

da Cruz, Flávia Oliveira de Almeida Marques; Ferreira, Elaine Barros; Vasques, Christiane Inocêncio; da Mata, Luciana Regina Ferreira; dos Reis, Paula Elaine Diniz

2016-01-01

Abstract Objective: develop the content and face validation of an educative manual for patients with head and neck cancer submitted to radiation therapy. Method: descriptive methodological research. The Theory of Psychometrics was used for the validation process, developed by 15 experts in the theme area of the educative manual and by two language and publicity professionals. A minimum agreement level of 80% was considered to guarantee the validity of the material. Results: the items addressed in the assessment tool of the educative manual were divided in three blocks: objectives, structure and format, and relevance. Only one item, related to the sociocultural level of the target public, obtained an agreement rate <80%, and was reformulated based on the participants' suggestions. All other items were considered appropriate and/or complete appropriate in the three blocks proposed: objectives - 92.38%, structure and form - 89.74%, and relevance - 94.44%. Conclusion: the face and content validation of the educative manual proposed were attended to. This can contribute to the understanding of the therapeutic process the head and neck cancer patient is submitted to during the radiation therapy, besides supporting clinical practice through the nursing consultation. PMID:27305178

Stroke and aphasia quality-of-life scale-39: Reliability and validity of the Turkish version.

PubMed

Noyan-ErbaŞ, AyŞin; Toğram, Bülent

2016-10-01

The aim of this study was to adapt the stroke and aphasia quality-of-life scale-39 (SAQoL-39) to the Turkish language and carry out a reliability and validity study of the instrument in a group of patients with aphasia. The study was a descriptive study and contained three phases: adaptation of the SAQoL-39 to the Turkish language, administration of the scale to 30 aphasia patients and reliability and validity studies of the scale. Internal consistency was assessed with Cronbach's alpha and test-re-test reliability was explored (n = 14). The adaptation process was completed based on inter-rater agreement on the translated items and within the scope of final editing by the authors of the study. The SAQoL-39 in Turkish exhibited high test-re-test reliability (ICC =0.97) as well as acceptability with minimal missing data (0-1.4). This instrument exhibited high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.70-0.97), domain-total correlations (r = 0.76-0.85) and inter-domain correlations (r = 0.40-0.68). The analysis shows that the Turkish version of SAQoL-39 is a scale that is highly acceptable, valid and reliable and can be easily used in evaluating the quality-of-life of Turkish people with aphasia.

Observation of Spontaneous Expressive Language (OSEL): A New Measure for Spontaneous and Expressive Language of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Other Communication Disorders

PubMed Central

Kim, So Hyun; Junker, Dörte; Lord, Catherine

2014-01-01

A new language measure, the Observation of Spontaneous Expressive Language (OSEL), is intended to document spontaneous use of syntax, pragmatics, and semantics in 2-12-year-old children with ASD and other communication disorders with expressive language levels comparable to typical 2-5 year olds. Because the purpose of the OSEL is to provide developmental norms for use of language, the first step involves assessment of the scale’s feasibility, validity, and reliability using a sample of 180 2-5 year-old typically developing children. Pilot data from the OSEL shows strong internal consistency, high reliabilities and validity. Once replicated with a large population-based sample and in special populations, the scale should be helpful in designing appropriate interventions for children with ASD and other communication disorders. PMID:25022249

Observation of Spontaneous Expressive Language (OSEL): a new measure for spontaneous and expressive language of children with autism spectrum disorders and other communication disorders.

PubMed

Kim, So Hyun; Junker, Dörte; Lord, Catherine

2014-12-01

A new language measure, the Observation of Spontaneous Expressive Language (OSEL), is intended to document spontaneous use of syntax, pragmatics, and semantics in 2-12-year-old children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other communication disorders with expressive language levels comparable to typical 2-5 year olds. Because the purpose of the OSEL is to provide developmental norms for use of language, the first step involves assessment of the scale's feasibility, validity, and reliability using a sample of 180 2-5 year-old typically developing children. Pilot data from the OSEL shows strong internal consistency, high reliabilities and validity. Once replicated with a large population-based sample and in special populations, the scale should be helpful in designing appropriate interventions for children with ASD and other communication disorders.

How to reach linguistic consensus: a proof of convergence for the naming game.

PubMed

De Vylder, Bart; Tuyls, Karl

2006-10-21

In this paper we introduce a mathematical model of naming games. Naming games have been widely used within research on the origins and evolution of language. Despite the many interesting empirical results these studies have produced, most of this research lacks a formal elucidating theory. In this paper we show how a population of agents can reach linguistic consensus, i.e. learn to use one common language to communicate with one another. Our approach differs from existing formal work in two important ways: one, we relax the too strong assumption that an agent samples infinitely often during each time interval. This assumption is usually made to guarantee convergence of an empirical learning process to a deterministic dynamical system. Two, we provide a proof that under these new realistic conditions, our model converges to a common language for the entire population of agents. Finally the model is experimentally validated.

Data-Flow Based Model Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saad, Christian; Bauer, Bernhard

2010-01-01

The concept of (meta) modeling combines an intuitive way of formalizing the structure of an application domain with a high expressiveness that makes it suitable for a wide variety of use cases and has therefore become an integral part of many areas in computer science. While the definition of modeling languages through the use of meta models, e.g. in Unified Modeling Language (UML), is a well-understood process, their validation and the extraction of behavioral information is still a challenge. In this paper we present a novel approach for dynamic model analysis along with several fields of application. Examining the propagation of information along the edges and nodes of the model graph allows to extend and simplify the definition of semantic constraints in comparison to the capabilities offered by e.g. the Object Constraint Language. Performing a flow-based analysis also enables the simulation of dynamic behavior, thus providing an "abstract interpretation"-like analysis method for the modeling domain.

[Cross-cultural validated adaptation of dysfunctional voiding symptom score (DVSS) to Japanese language and cognitive linguistics in questionnaire for pediatric patients].

PubMed

Imamura, Masaaki; Usui, Tomoko; Johnin, Kazuyoshi; Yoshimura, Koji; Farhat, Walid; Kanematsu, Akihiro; Ogawa, Osamu

2014-07-01

Validated questionnaire for evaluation of pediatric lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is of a great need. We performed cross-cultural validated adaptation of Dysfunctional Voiding Symptom Score (DVSS) to Japanese language, and assessed whether children understand and respond to questionnaire correctly, using cognitive linguistic approach. We translated DVSS into two Japanese versions according to a standard validation methodology: translation, synthesis, back-translation, expert review, and pre-testing. One version was written in adult language for parents, and the other was written in child language for children. Pre-testing was done with 5 to 15-year-old patients visiting us, having normal intelligence. A specialist in cognitive linguistics observed the response by children and parents to DVSS as an interviewer. When a child could not understand a question without adding or paraphrasing the question by the parents, it was defined as 'misidentification'. We performed pretesting with 2 trial versions of DVSS before having the final version. The pre-testing for the first trial version was done for 32 patients (male to female ratio was 19 : 13). The pre-testing for the second trial version was done for 11 patients (male to female ratio was 8 : 3). In DVSS in child language, misidentification was consistently observed for representation of time or frequency. We completed the formal validated translation by amending the problems raised in the pre-testing. The cross-cultural validated adaptation of DVSS to child and adult Japanese was completed. Since temporal perception is not fully developed in children, caution should be taken for using the terms related with time or frequency in the questionnaires for children.

Spanish-language screening scales: A critical review.

PubMed

Torres-Castro, S; Mena-Montes, B; González-Ambrosio, G; Zubieta-Zavala, A; Torres-Carrillo, N M; Acosta-Castillo, G I; Espinel-Bermúdez, M C

2018-05-09

Dementia is a chronic, degenerative disease with a strong impact on families and health systems. The instruments currently in use for measuring cognitive impairment have different psychometric characteristics in terms of application time, cut-off point, reliability, and validity. The objective of this review is to describe the characteristics of the validated, Spanish-language versions of the Mini-Cog, Clock-Drawing Test, and Mini-Mental State Examination scales for cognitive impairment screening. We performed a three-stage literature search of articles published on Medline since 1953. We selected articles on validated, Spanish-language versions of the scales that included data on reliability, validity, sensitivity, and specificity. The 3 screening tools assessed in this article provide support for primary care professionals. Timely identification of mild cognitive impairment and dementia is crucial for the prognosis of these patients. Copyright © 2018 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

cluML: A markup language for clustering and cluster validity assessment of microarray data.

PubMed

Bolshakova, Nadia; Cunningham, Pádraig

2005-01-01

cluML is a new markup language for microarray data clustering and cluster validity assessment. The XML-based format has been designed to address some of the limitations observed in traditional formats, such as inability to store multiple clustering (including biclustering) and validation results within a dataset. cluML is an effective tool to support biomedical knowledge representation in gene expression data analysis. Although cluML was developed for DNA microarray analysis applications, it can be effectively used for the representation of clustering and for the validation of other biomedical and physical data that has no limitations.

Developing a Non-Language Related Span Test for the Use in Language-Specific and Cross-Language Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shahnazari-Dorcheh, Mohammadtaghi; Roshan, Saeed

2012-01-01

Due to the lack of span test for the use in language-specific and cross-language studies, this study provides L1 and L2 researchers with a reliable language-independent span test (math span test) for the measurement of working memory capacity. It also describes the development, validation, and scoring method of this test. This test included 70…

A Framework for Conducting ESL/EFL Construct Validation Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mouw, John T.; Perkins, Kyle

The purpose for which a test is used and the examinees' stage of learning are two anchor points that are incorporated into a suggested framework for conducting construct validation studies for tests of students with English as a second language (ESL) or English as a foreign language (EFL). The framework includes the use of generalizability theory,…

Growth of Finiteness in the Third Year of Life: Replication and Predictive Validity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hadley, Pamela A.; Rispoli, Matthew; Holt, Janet K.; Fitzgerald, Colleen; Bahnsen, Alison

2014-01-01

Purpose: The authors of this study investigated the validity of tense and agreement productivity (TAP) scoring in diverse sentence frames obtained during conversational language sampling as an alternative measure of finiteness for use with young children. Method: Longitudinal language samples were used to model TAP growth from 21 to 30 months of…

Considering the Needs of English Language Learner Populations: An Examination of the Population Validity of Reading Intervention Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Brooke A.; Klingner, Janette K.

2014-01-01

This article synthesizes reading intervention research studies intended for use with struggling or at-risk students to determine which studies adequately address population validity, particularly in regard to the diverse reading needs of English language learners. An extensive search of the professional literature between 2001 and 2010 yielded a…

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

Accommodations for English Language Learners Taking Large-Scale Assessments: A Meta-Analysis on Effectiveness and Validity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kieffer, Michael J.; Lesaux, Nonie K.; Rivera, Mabel; Francis, David J.

2009-01-01

Including English language learners (ELLs) in large-scale assessments raises questions about the validity of inferences based on their scores. Test accommodations for ELLs are intended to reduce the impact of limited English proficiency on the assessment of the target construct, most often mathematic or science proficiency. This meta-analysis…

Fairness versus Justice in Language Testing: The Place of English Literacy in the Australian Citizenship Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNamara, Tim; Ryan, Kerry

2011-01-01

This article proposes a distinction between "fairness" and "justice" in relation to language tests. Basing its discussion on the validity theory of Samuel Messick, it discusses the way in which these terms have been used in the existing literature, and their relationship to the concept of validity. Fairness, broadly speaking,…

Utilization of a Text and Translation Application for Communication With a Foreign Deaf Family: A Call for Validation of This Technology-A Case Report.

PubMed

Fernandez, Patrick G; Brockel, Megan A; Lipscomb, Lisa L; Ing, Richard J; Tailounie, Muayyad

2017-07-15

Effective communication with patients is essential to quality care. Obviously, language barriers significantly impact this and can increase the risk of poor patient outcomes. Smartphones and mobile health technology are valuable resources that are beginning to break down language barriers in health care. We present a case of a challenging language barrier where successful perioperative communication was achieved using mobile technology. Although quite beneficial, use of technology that is not validated exposes providers to unnecessary medicolegal risk. We hope to highlight the need for validation of such technology to ensure that these tools are an effective way to accurately communicate with patients in the perioperative setting.

Assessing Measurement Invariance for Spanish Sentence Repetition and Morphology Elicitation Tasks.

PubMed

Kapantzoglou, Maria; Thompson, Marilyn S; Gray, Shelley; Restrepo, M Adelaida

2016-04-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate evidence supporting the construct validity of two grammatical tasks (sentence repetition, morphology elicitation) included in the Spanish Screener for Language Impairment in Children (Restrepo, Gorin, & Gray, 2013). We evaluated if the tasks measured the targeted grammatical skills in the same way across predominantly Spanish-speaking children with typical language development and those with primary language impairment. A multiple-group, confirmatory factor analytic approach was applied to examine factorial invariance in a sample of 307 predominantly Spanish-speaking children (177 with typical language development; 130 with primary language impairment). The 2 newly developed grammatical tasks were modeled as measures in a unidimensional confirmatory factor analytic model along with 3 well-established grammatical measures from the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Fourth Edition, Spanish (Wiig, Semel, & Secord, 2006). Results suggest that both new tasks measured the construct of grammatical skills for both language-ability groups in an equivalent manner. There was no evidence of bias related to children's language status for the Spanish Screener for Language Impairment in Children Sentence Repetition or Morphology Elicitation tasks. Results provide support for the validity of the new tasks as measures of grammatical skills.

Accurate Identification of Fatty Liver Disease in Data Warehouse Utilizing Natural Language Processing.

PubMed

Redman, Joseph S; Natarajan, Yamini; Hou, Jason K; Wang, Jingqi; Hanif, Muzammil; Feng, Hua; Kramer, Jennifer R; Desiderio, Roxanne; Xu, Hua; El-Serag, Hashem B; Kanwal, Fasiha

2017-10-01

Natural language processing is a powerful technique of machine learning capable of maximizing data extraction from complex electronic medical records. We utilized this technique to develop algorithms capable of "reading" full-text radiology reports to accurately identify the presence of fatty liver disease. Abdominal ultrasound, computerized tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging reports were retrieved from the Veterans Affairs Corporate Data Warehouse from a random national sample of 652 patients. Radiographic fatty liver disease was determined by manual review by two physicians and verified with an expert radiologist. A split validation method was utilized for algorithm development. For all three imaging modalities, the algorithms could identify fatty liver disease with >90% recall and precision, with F-measures >90%. These algorithms could be used to rapidly screen patient records to establish a large cohort to facilitate epidemiological and clinical studies and examine the clinic course and outcomes of patients with radiographic hepatic steatosis.

"When Music Speaks": Auditory Cortex Morphology as a Neuroanatomical Marker of Language Aptitude and Musicality.

PubMed

Turker, Sabrina; Reiterer, Susanne M; Seither-Preisler, Annemarie; Schneider, Peter

2017-01-01

Recent research has shown that the morphology of certain brain regions may indeed correlate with a number of cognitive skills such as musicality or language ability. The main aim of the present study was to explore the extent to which foreign language aptitude, in particular phonetic coding ability, is influenced by the morphology of Heschl's gyrus (HG; auditory cortex), working memory capacity, and musical ability. In this study, the auditory cortices of German-speaking individuals ( N = 30; 13 males/17 females; aged 20-40 years) with high and low scores in a number of language aptitude tests were compared. The subjects' language aptitude was measured by three different tests, namely a Hindi speech imitation task (phonetic coding ability), an English pronunciation assessment, and the Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT). Furthermore, working memory capacity and musical ability were assessed to reveal their relationship with foreign language aptitude. On the behavioral level, significant correlations were found between phonetic coding ability, English pronunciation skills, musical experience, and language aptitude as measured by the MLAT. Parts of all three tests measuring language aptitude correlated positively and significantly with each other, supporting their validity for measuring components of language aptitude. Remarkably, the number of instruments played by subjects showed significant correlations with all language aptitude measures and musicality, whereas, the number of foreign languages did not show any correlations. With regard to the neuroanatomy of auditory cortex, adults with very high scores in the Hindi testing and the musicality test (AMMA) demonstrated a clear predominance of complete posterior HG duplications in the right hemisphere. This may reignite the discussion of the importance of the right hemisphere for language processing, especially when linked or common resources are involved, such as the inter-dependency between phonetic and musical aptitude.

An Investigation of a Process By which a Division Officer Can Gain Empathy with His Men.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-12-01

There was too much emphasis being placed on the Personnel Record of the subordinate. Though a valid source of demographic information, it provides only...to get the sub- ordinate to listen. One aspect of this common "language" is the mutual perception of situations or "knowing one’s men." This process...arm chair. You place yourself in the fighter’s shoes; you draw back, shift to the side, simulate a punch and when a heavy blow falls, you feel it to

Ada (Trade Name) Compiler Validation Summary Report: International Business Machines Corporation. IBM Development System for the Ada Language System, Version 1.1.0, IBM 4381 under MVS.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-05-22

TITLE (andSubtile) 5. TYPE OF REPORT & PERIOD COVERED Ada Compler Validation Summary Report: 22 May 1987 to 22 May 1988 International Business Machines...IBM Development System for the Ada Language System, Version 1.1.0, International Business Machines Corporation, Wright-Patterson AFB. IBM 4381 under...SUMMARY REPORT: International Business Machines Corporation IBM Development System f’or the Ada Language System, Version 1.1.0 IBM 4381 under MVS

Ada Compiler Validation Summary Report: Certificate Number: 890420W1. 10066 International Business Machines Corporation, IBM Development System for the Ada Language, AIX/RT Ada Compiler, Version 1.1.1, IBM RT PC 6150-125

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-04-20

International Business Machines Corporation, IBM Development System. for the Ada Language AIX/RT Ada Compiler, Version 1.1.1, Wright-Patterson APB...Certificate Number: 890420V1.10066 International Business Machines Corporation IBM Development System for the Ada Language AIX/RT Ada Compiler, Version 1.1.1...TEST INFORMATION The compiler was tested using command scripts provided by International Business Machines Corporation and reviewed by the validation

Specific language impairment: a convenient label for whom?

PubMed Central

Reilly, Sheena; Tomblin, Bruce; Law, James; McKean, Cristina; Mensah, Fiona K; Morgan, Angela; Goldfeld, Sharon; Nicholson, Jan M; Wake, Melissa

2014-01-01

Background The term ‘specific language impairment’ (SLI), in use since the 1980s, describes children with language impairment whose cognitive skills are within normal limits where there is no identifiable reason for the language impairment. SLI is determined by applying exclusionary criteria, so that it is defined by what it is not rather than by what it is. The recent decision to not include SLI in DSM-5 provoked much debate and concern from researchers and clinicians. Aims To explore how the term ‘specific language impairment’ emerged, to consider how disorders, including SLI, are generally defined and to explore how societal changes might impact on use the term. Methods & Procedures We reviewed the literature to explore the origins of the term ‘specific language impairment’ and present published evidence, as well as new analyses of population data, to explore the validity of continuing to use the term. Outcomes & Results and Conclusions & Implications We support the decision to exclude the term ‘specific language impairment’ from DSM-5 and conclude that the term has been a convenient label for researchers, but that the current classification is unacceptably arbitrary. Furthermore, we argue there is no empirical evidence to support the continued use of the term SLI and limited evidence that it has provided any real benefits for children and their families. In fact, the term may be disadvantageous to some due to the use of exclusionary criteria to determine eligibility for and access to speech pathology services. We propose the following recommendations. First, that the word ‘specific’ be removed and the label ‘language impairment’ be used. Second, that the exclusionary criteria be relaxed and in their place inclusionary criteria be adopted that take into account the fluid nature of language development particularly in the preschool period. Building on the goodwill and collaborations between the clinical and research communities we propose the establishment of an international consensus panel to develop an agreed definition and set of criteria for language impairment. Given the rich data now available in population studies it is possible to test the validity of these definitions and criteria. Consultation with service users and policy-makers should be incorporated into the decision-making process. PMID:25142091

Longitudinal Measurement Equivalence of Subjective Language Brokering Experiences Scale in Mexican American Adolescents

PubMed Central

Kim, Su Yeong; Hou, Yang; Shen, Yishan; Zhang, Minyu

2016-01-01

Objectives Language brokering occurs frequently in immigrant families and can have significant implications for the well-being of family members involved. The present study aimed to develop and validate a measure that can be used to assess multiple dimensions of subjective language brokering experiences among Mexican American adolescents. Methods Participants were 557 adolescent language brokers (54.2% female, Mage.wave1 =12.96, SD=.94) in Mexican American families. Results Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, we were able to identify seven reliable subscales of language brokering: linguistic benefits, socio-emotional benefits, efficacy, positive parent-child relationships, parental dependence, negative feelings, and centrality. Tests of factorial invariance show that these subscales demonstrate, at minimum, partial strict invariance across time and across experiences of translating for mothers and fathers, and in most cases, also across adolescent gender, nativity, and translation frequency. Thus, in general, the means of the subscales and the relations among the subscales with other variables can be compared across these different occasions and groups. Tests of criterion-related validity demonstrated that these subscales correlated, concurrently and longitudinally, with parental warmth and hostility, parent-child alienation, adolescent family obligation, depressive symptoms, resilience, and life meaning. Conclusions This reliable and valid subjective language brokering experiences scale will be helpful for gaining a better understanding of adolescents’ language brokering experiences with their mothers and fathers, and how such experiences may influence their development. PMID:27362872

Automatic personality assessment through social media language.

PubMed

Park, Gregory; Schwartz, H Andrew; Eichstaedt, Johannes C; Kern, Margaret L; Kosinski, Michal; Stillwell, David J; Ungar, Lyle H; Seligman, Martin E P

2015-06-01

Language use is a psychologically rich, stable individual difference with well-established correlations to personality. We describe a method for assessing personality using an open-vocabulary analysis of language from social media. We compiled the written language from 66,732 Facebook users and their questionnaire-based self-reported Big Five personality traits, and then we built a predictive model of personality based on their language. We used this model to predict the 5 personality factors in a separate sample of 4,824 Facebook users, examining (a) convergence with self-reports of personality at the domain- and facet-level; (b) discriminant validity between predictions of distinct traits; (c) agreement with informant reports of personality; (d) patterns of correlations with external criteria (e.g., number of friends, political attitudes, impulsiveness); and (e) test-retest reliability over 6-month intervals. Results indicated that language-based assessments can constitute valid personality measures: they agreed with self-reports and informant reports of personality, added incremental validity over informant reports, adequately discriminated between traits, exhibited patterns of correlations with external criteria similar to those found with self-reported personality, and were stable over 6-month intervals. Analysis of predictive language can provide rich portraits of the mental life associated with traits. This approach can complement and extend traditional methods, providing researchers with an additional measure that can quickly and cheaply assess large groups of participants with minimal burden. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Indigenous knowledge and languages in the teaching and learning of science: A focus on a rural primary school in Zimbabwe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shizha, Edward

Teachers are known for their "gate-keeping" roles in schools, especially in the classroom setting. They process and decide what "knowledge" is "valid" and "appropriate" for students. They also decide when and how the knowledge should be mediated to students. Their gate-keeping role marginalizes some forms of knowledge while validating and legitimating others. This qualitative and constructivist-interpretive case study is an exploration and description of ten rural primary school teachers' experiences in teaching science using indigenous perspectives in Zimbabwe. The purpose of the study was to discover and describe, using qualitative inquiry, how teachers incorporate indigenous knowledge and languages in teaching science in a rural primary school in Zimbabwe. The study also sought to understand teachers' mediation techniques in the process of bridging the cultural gap between formal science and indigenous knowledge that students bring into the classroom from home. In this study, I elicited, from teachers, their understanding of the interconnectedness of indigenous knowledge and Western science. I employed qualitative inquiry to collect data from them in their natural working environment, the school and the classroom. Purposive sampling was utilized to select ten teachers who were observed teaching two science lessons each. All the lessons were captured using a video recorder, which facilitated the collection of as much information as possible from events occurring in the classroom. Later, semi-structured interviews/conversations were audio-recorded from the same teachers to elicit their insights and experiences in teaching science using indigenous perspectives and languages. Policy documents and science syllabuses were also perused for information on what teachers were expected to teach in science. Inductive analysis was employed to interpret findings that resulted in thick and in-depth narratives. The findings from these narratives revealed differences and similarities in teachers' views and experiences, and their fears and concerns in using indigenous knowledge and languages to teach science in Zimbabwe. The conclusions derived from these findings, though specific to the teachers in this study, gave rise to policy and pedagogical recommendations for increasing the use of indigenous knowledge and languages in the science curriculum in Zimbabwe.

Improvement of Computer Software Quality through Software Automated Tools.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-08-31

requirement for increased emphasis on software quality assurance has lead to the creation of various methods of verification and validation. Experience...result was a vast array of methods , systems, languages and automated tools to assist in the process. Given that the primary role of quality assurance is...Unfortunately, there is no single method , tool or technique that can insure accurate, reliable and cost effective software. Therefore, government and industry

Automatic reconstruction of a bacterial regulatory network using Natural Language Processing

PubMed Central

Rodríguez-Penagos, Carlos; Salgado, Heladia; Martínez-Flores, Irma; Collado-Vides, Julio

2007-01-01

Background Manual curation of biological databases, an expensive and labor-intensive process, is essential for high quality integrated data. In this paper we report the implementation of a state-of-the-art Natural Language Processing system that creates computer-readable networks of regulatory interactions directly from different collections of abstracts and full-text papers. Our major aim is to understand how automatic annotation using Text-Mining techniques can complement manual curation of biological databases. We implemented a rule-based system to generate networks from different sets of documents dealing with regulation in Escherichia coli K-12. Results Performance evaluation is based on the most comprehensive transcriptional regulation database for any organism, the manually-curated RegulonDB, 45% of which we were able to recreate automatically. From our automated analysis we were also able to find some new interactions from papers not already curated, or that were missed in the manual filtering and review of the literature. We also put forward a novel Regulatory Interaction Markup Language better suited than SBML for simultaneously representing data of interest for biologists and text miners. Conclusion Manual curation of the output of automatic processing of text is a good way to complement a more detailed review of the literature, either for validating the results of what has been already annotated, or for discovering facts and information that might have been overlooked at the triage or curation stages. PMID:17683642

Students classified as LD and the college foreign language requirement: a quantitative analysis.

PubMed

Sparks, R L; Philips, L; Ganschow, L; Javorsky, J

1999-01-01

This study was conducted to determine whether students classified as learning disabled (LD) who were permitted to substitute courses for the college foreign language (FL) requirement at one university would display significant cognitive and academic achievement differences when grouped by level of discrepancy between IQ and achievement, by discrepancy between achievement according to different measures, and by level of performance on phonological-orthographic processing measures, on the Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT), and in FL courses. Results showed that there were no differences among students with different levels of discrepancy (i.e., < 1.0 SD, 1.0-1.49 SD, and > 1.50 SD) on MLAT and American College Testing (ACT) scores, graduating grade point average (GPA) or college FL GPA. Results also showed that among students who scored below versus at or above the 25th percentile on phonological-orthographic processing measures, there were no differences on measures of IQ, ACT, MLAT, and GPA, as well as most measures of academic achievement. Implications for the use of the LD label to grant FL course substitutions or waivers, use of the MLAT in the diagnostic and course substitution/waiver process, and the validity and reliability of traditional criteria for the classification as LD are discussed.

Implicit Language Learning: Adults' Ability to Segment Words in Norwegian

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kittleson, Megan M.; Aguilar, Jessica M.; Tokerud, Gry Line; Plante, Elena; Asbjornsen, Arve E.

2010-01-01

Previous language learning research reveals that the statistical properties of the input offer sufficient information to allow listeners to segment words from fluent speech in an artificial language. The current pair of studies uses a natural language to test the ecological validity of these findings and to determine whether a listener's language…

Comparability of a Paper-Based Language Test and a Computer-Based Language Test.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Inn-Chull; Kim, Kyoung Sung; Boo, Jaeyool

2003-01-01

Utilizing the Test of English Proficiency, developed by Seoul National University (TEPS), examined comparability between the paper-based language test and the computer-based language test based on content and construct validation employing content analyses based on corpus linguistic techniques in addition to such statistical analyses as…

The Issues in the Measurement of Bilingual Language Dominance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeh, Mary C. L.

This paper deals with measurement of language dominance at the early-childhood level using a rating scale to help bilingual programs with student classification and placement. Some of the assumptions unique in the measurement of language dominance are discussed and applied to the validation procedure on a Spanish/English language dominance scale…

Cross-Language Priming of Word Meaning during Second Language Sentence Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuan, Yanli; Woltz, Dan; Zheng, Robert

2010-01-01

The experiment investigated the benefit to second language (L2) sentence comprehension of priming word meanings with brief visual exposure to first language (L1) translation equivalents. Native English speakers learning Mandarin evaluated the validity of aurally presented Mandarin sentences. For selected words in half of the sentences there was…

Why bother with testing? The validity of immigrants' self-assessed language proficiency.

PubMed

Edele, Aileen; Seuring, Julian; Kristen, Cornelia; Stanat, Petra

2015-07-01

Due to its central role in social integration, immigrants' language proficiency is a matter of considerable societal concern and scientific interest. This study examines whether commonly applied self-assessments of linguistic skills yield results that are similar to those of competence tests and thus whether these self-assessments are valid measures of language proficiency. Analyses of data for immigrant youth reveal moderate correlations between language test scores and two types of self-assessments (general ability estimates and concrete performance estimates) for the participants' first and second languages. More importantly, multiple regression models using self-assessments and models using test scores yield different results. This finding holds true for a variety of analyses and for both types of self-assessments. Our findings further suggest that self-assessed language skills are systematically biased in certain groups. Subjective measures thus seem to be inadequate estimates of language skills, and future research should use them with caution when research questions pertain to actual language skills rather than self-perceptions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bayley-III: Cultural differences and language scale validity in a Danish sample.

PubMed

Krogh, Marianne T; Vaever, Mette S

2016-12-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate cultural differences between Danish and American children at 2 and 3 years as measured with the developmental test Bayley-III, and to investigate the Bayley-III Language Scale validity. The Danish children (N = 43) were tested with the Bayley-III and their parents completed an additional language questionnaire (the MacArthur-Bates CDI). Results showed that scores from the Danish children did not differ significantly from the American norms on the Cognitive or Motor Scale, but the Danish sample scored significantly higher on the Language Scale. A comparison of the Bayley-III Language subtests with the CDI showed that the two measures correlated significantly, but the percentile score from the CDI was significantly higher than the percentile score from the Bayley-III Language subtests. This could be because the two instruments measure slightly different areas of language development, or because the Bayley-III overestimates language development in Danish children. However, due to the limitations of the current study, further research is needed to clarify this issue. © 2016 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

An instrument to measure nurses' knowledge in palliative care: Validation of the Spanish version of Palliative Care Quiz for Nurses

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Background Palliative care is nowadays essential in nursing care, due to the increasing number of patients who require attention in final stages of their life. Nurses need to acquire specific knowledge and abilities to provide quality palliative care. Palliative Care Quiz for Nurses is a questionnaire that evaluates their basic knowledge about palliative care. The Palliative Care Quiz for Nurses (PCQN) is useful to evaluate basic knowledge about palliative care, but its adaptation into the Spanish language and the analysis of its effectiveness and utility for Spanish culture is lacking. Purpose To report the adaptation into the Spanish language and the psychometric analysis of the Palliative Care Quiz for Nurses. Method The Palliative Care Quiz for Nurses-Spanish Version (PCQN-SV) was obtained from a process including translation, back-translation, comparison with versions in other languages, revision by experts, and pilot study. Content validity and reliability of questionnaire were analyzed. Difficulty and discrimination indexes of each item were also calculated according to Item Response Theory (IRT). Findings Adequate internal consistency was found (S-CVI = 0.83); Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.67 and KR-20 test result of 0,72 reflected the reliability of PCQN-SV. The questionnaire had a global difficulty index of 0,55, with six items which could be considered as difficult or very difficult, and five items with could be considered easy or very easy. The discrimination indexes of the 20 items, show us that eight items are good or very good while six items are bad to discriminate between good and bad respondents. Discussion Although in shows internal consistency, reliability and difficulty indexes similar to those obtained by versions of PCQN in other languages, a reformulation of the items with lowest content validity or discrimination indexes and those showing difficulties with their comprehension is an aspect to take into account in order to improve the PCQN-SV. Conclusion The PCQN-SV is a useful Spanish language instrument for measuring Spanish nurses’ knowledge in palliative care and it is adequate to establish international comparisons. PMID:28545037

Cultural adaptation: translatability assessment and linguistic validation of the patient-reported outcome instrument for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea

PubMed Central

Delgado-Herrera, Leticia; Lasch, Kathryn; Popielnicki, Ana; Nishida, Akito; Arbuckle, Rob; Banderas, Benjamin; Zentner, Susan; Gagainis, Ingrid; Zeiher, Bernhardt

2016-01-01

Background and objective Following a 2009 US Food and Drug Administration guidance, a new patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument was developed to support end points in multinational clinical trials assessing irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) symptom severity. Our objective was to assess the translatability of the IBS-D PRO instrument into ten languages, and subsequently perform a cultural adaptation/linguistic validation of the questionnaire into Japanese and US Spanish. Materials and methods Translatability assessments of the US English version of the IBS-D PRO were performed by experienced PRO translators who were native speakers of each target language and currently residing in target-language countries. Languages were Chinese (People’s Republic of China), Dutch (the Netherlands), French (Belgium), German (Germany), Japanese (Japan), Polish (Poland), Portuguese (Brazil), Russian (Russia), Spanish (Mexico), and Spanish (US). The project team assessed the instrument to identify potential linguistic and/or cultural adaptation issues. After the issues identified were resolved, the instrument was translated into Spanish (US) and Japanese through a process of two forward translations, one reconciled translation, and one backward translation. The project team reviewed the translated versions before the instruments were evaluated by cognitive debriefing interviews with samples of five Spanish (US) and five Japanese IBS-D patients. Results Linguistic and cultural adaptation concerns identified during the translatability assessment required minor revisions, mainly the presentation of dates/times and word structure. During the cognitive debriefing interviews, two of five Spanish respondents misunderstood the term “bowel movement” to mean only diarrhea in the Spanish version. Consequently, the term was changed from “movimiento intestinal” to “evacuaciones”. None of the Japanese respondents identified issues with the Japanese version. Conclusion The translatability of the IBS-D PRO instrument into ten target languages was confirmed, with only minor changes made to the translations of the instrument. The translation and linguistic validation into Spanish (US) and Japanese provide evidence that this instrument can be used in multinational trials and clinical settings. PMID:27382346

An instrument to measure nurses' knowledge in palliative care: Validation of the Spanish version of Palliative Care Quiz for Nurses.

PubMed

Chover-Sierra, Elena; Martínez-Sabater, Antonio; Lapeña-Moñux, Yolanda Raquel

2017-01-01

Palliative care is nowadays essential in nursing care, due to the increasing number of patients who require attention in final stages of their life. Nurses need to acquire specific knowledge and abilities to provide quality palliative care. Palliative Care Quiz for Nurses is a questionnaire that evaluates their basic knowledge about palliative care. The Palliative Care Quiz for Nurses (PCQN) is useful to evaluate basic knowledge about palliative care, but its adaptation into the Spanish language and the analysis of its effectiveness and utility for Spanish culture is lacking. To report the adaptation into the Spanish language and the psychometric analysis of the Palliative Care Quiz for Nurses. The Palliative Care Quiz for Nurses-Spanish Version (PCQN-SV) was obtained from a process including translation, back-translation, comparison with versions in other languages, revision by experts, and pilot study. Content validity and reliability of questionnaire were analyzed. Difficulty and discrimination indexes of each item were also calculated according to Item Response Theory (IRT). Adequate internal consistency was found (S-CVI = 0.83); Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.67 and KR-20 test result of 0,72 reflected the reliability of PCQN-SV. The questionnaire had a global difficulty index of 0,55, with six items which could be considered as difficult or very difficult, and five items with could be considered easy or very easy. The discrimination indexes of the 20 items, show us that eight items are good or very good while six items are bad to discriminate between good and bad respondents. Although in shows internal consistency, reliability and difficulty indexes similar to those obtained by versions of PCQN in other languages, a reformulation of the items with lowest content validity or discrimination indexes and those showing difficulties with their comprehension is an aspect to take into account in order to improve the PCQN-SV. The PCQN-SV is a useful Spanish language instrument for measuring Spanish nurses' knowledge in palliative care and it is adequate to establish international comparisons.

[Spanish translation and validation of the EMPATHIC-30 questionnaire to measure parental satisfaction in intensive care units].

PubMed

Pilar Orive, Francisco Javier; Basabe Lozano, Jasone; López Zuñiga, Aurora; López Fernández, Yolanda M; Escudero Argaluza, Julene; Latour, Jos M

2017-11-03

Few validated surveys measuring parental satisfaction in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) are available, and none of them in Spanish language. The aim of this study is to translate and validate the questionnaire EMpowerment of PArents in THe Intensive Care (EMPATHIC). This questionnaire measures parental perceptions of paediatric intensive care-related satisfaction items in the Spanish language. A prospective cohort study was carried out using questionnaires completed by relatives of children (range 0-17 years old) admitted into a tertiary PICU. Inclusion criteria were a length of stay more than 24h, and a suitable understanding of Spanish language by parents or guardians. Exclusion criteria were re-admissions and deceased patients. The questionnaire was translated from English to Spanish language using a standardised procedure, after which it was used in a cross-sectional observational study was performed to confirm its validity and consistency. Reliability was estimated using Cronbach's α, and content validity using Spearman's correlation analysis. A total of 150 questionnaires were collected. A Cronbach's α was obtained for domains greater than 0.7, showing a high internal consistency from the questionnaire. Validity was measured by correlating 5 domains with 4 general satisfaction items, documenting an adequate correlation (Rs: 0.41-0.66, P<.05). The Spanish version of EMPHATIC 30 is a feasible, easy, and suitable tool in this specific environment, based on the results. EMPATHIC 30 is able to measure parental satisfaction, and may serve as a valid indicator to measure quality of care in Spanish PICUs. Copyright © 2017. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.

English Second Language, General, Special Education, and Speech/Language Personal Teacher Efficacy, English Language Arts Scientifically-Validated Intervention Practice, and Working Memory Development of English Language Learners in High and Low Performing Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Barbara J.

2013-01-01

The researcher investigated teacher factors contributing to English language arts (ELA) achievement of English language learners (ELLs) over 2 consecutive years, in high and low performing elementary schools with a Hispanic/Latino student population greater than or equal to 30 percent. These factors included personal teacher efficacy, teacher…

Linguistic validation of translation of the self-assessment goal achievement (saga) questionnaire from English

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background A linguistic validation of the Self-Assessment Goal Achievement (SAGA) questionnaire was conducted for 12 European languages, documenting that each translation adequately captures the concepts of the original English-language version of the questionnaire and is readily understood by subjects in the target population. Methods Native-speaking residents of the target countries who reported urinary problems/lower urinary tract problems were asked to review a translation of the SAGA questionnaire, which was harmonized among 12 languages: Danish, Dutch, English (UK), Finnish, French, German, Greek, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, and Swedish. During a cognitive debriefing interview, participants were asked to identify any words that were difficult to understand and explain in their own words the meaning of each sentence in the questionnaire. The qualitative analysis was conducted by local linguistic validation teams (original translators, back translator, project manager, interviewer, and survey research expert). Results Translations of the SAGA questionnaire from English to 12 European languages were well understood by the participants with an overall comprehension rate across language of 98.9%. In addition, the translations retained the original meaning of the SAGA items and instructions. Comprehension difficulties were identified, and after review by the translation team, minor changes were made to 7 of the 12 translations to improve clarity and comprehension. Conclusions Conceptual, semantic, and cultural equivalence of each translation of the SAGA questionnaire was achieved thus confirming linguistic validation. PMID:22525050

Linguistic validation of translation of the Self-Assessment Goal Achievement (SAGA) questionnaire from English.

PubMed

Piault, Elisabeth; Doshi, Sameepa; Brandt, Barbara A; Angün, Çolpan; Evans, Christopher J; Bergqvist, Agneta; Trocio, Jeffrey

2012-04-23

A linguistic validation of the Self-Assessment Goal Achievement (SAGA) questionnaire was conducted for 12 European languages, documenting that each translation adequately captures the concepts of the original English-language version of the questionnaire and is readily understood by subjects in the target population. Native-speaking residents of the target countries who reported urinary problems/lower urinary tract problems were asked to review a translation of the SAGA questionnaire, which was harmonized among 12 languages: Danish, Dutch, English (UK), Finnish, French, German, Greek, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, and Swedish. During a cognitive debriefing interview, participants were asked to identify any words that were difficult to understand and explain in their own words the meaning of each sentence in the questionnaire. The qualitative analysis was conducted by local linguistic validation teams (original translators, back translator, project manager, interviewer, and survey research expert). Translations of the SAGA questionnaire from English to 12 European languages were well understood by the participants with an overall comprehension rate across language of 98.9%. In addition, the translations retained the original meaning of the SAGA items and instructions. Comprehension difficulties were identified, and after review by the translation team, minor changes were made to 7 of the 12 translations to improve clarity and comprehension. Conceptual, semantic, and cultural equivalence of each translation of the SAGA questionnaire was achieved thus confirming linguistic validation.

Portuguese-language version of the COPD Assessment Test: validation for use in Brazil*

PubMed Central

da Silva, Guilherme Pinheiro Ferreira; Morano, Maria Tereza Aguiar Pessoa; Viana, Cyntia Maria Sampaio; Magalhães, Clarissa Bentes de Araujo; Pereira, Eanes Delgado Barros

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To validate a Portuguese-language version of the COPD assessment test (CAT) for use in Brazil and to assess the reproducibility of this version. METHODS: This was multicenter study involving patients with stable COPD at two teaching hospitals in the city of Fortaleza, Brazil. Two independent observers (twice in one day) administered the Portuguese-language version of the CAT to 50 patients with COPD. One of those observers again administered the scale to the same patients one week later. At baseline, the patients were submitted to pulmonary function testing and the six-minute walk test (6MWT), as well as completing the previously validated Portuguese-language versions of the Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) dyspnea scale, and hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS). RESULTS: Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.96; 95% CI: 0.93-0.97; p < 0.001; and ICC = 0.98; 95% CI: 0.96-0.98; p < 0.001, respectively). Bland Altman plots showed good test-retest reliability. The CAT total score correlated significantly with spirometry results, 6MWT distance, SGRQ scores, MMRC dyspnea scale scores, and HADS-depression scores. CONCLUSIONS: The Portuguese-language version of the CAT is a valid, reproducible, and reliable instrument for evaluating patients with COPD in Brazil. PMID:24068260

Development and validation of the Australian version of the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R).

PubMed

Jefford, Elaine; Hollins Martin, Caroline J; Martin, Colin R

2018-02-01

The 10-item Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R) has recently been endorsed by international expert consensus for global use as the birth satisfaction outcome measure of choice. English-language versions of the tool include validated UK and US versions; however, the instrument has not, to date, been contextualised and validated in an Australian English-language version. The current investigation sought to develop and validate an English-language version of the tool for use within the Australian context. A two-stage study. Following review and modification by expert panel, the Australian BSS-R (A-BSS-R) was (Stage 1) evaluated for factor structure, internal consistency, known-groups discriminant validity and divergent validity. Stage 2 directly compared the A-BSS-R data set with the original UK data set to determine the invariance characteristics of the new instrument. Participants were a purposive sample of Australian postnatal women (n = 198). The A-BSS-R offered a good fit to data consistent with the BSS-R tridimensional measurement model and was found to be conceptually and measurement equivalent to the UK version. The A-BSS-R demonstrated excellent known-groups discriminant validity, generally good divergent validity and overall good internal consistency. The A-BSS-R represents a robust and valid measure of the birth satisfaction concept suitable for use within Australia and appropriate for application to International comparative studies.

Analysis of Item-Level Bias in the Bayley-III Language Subscales: The Validity and Utility of Standardized Language Assessment in a Multilingual Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goh, Shaun K. Y.; Tham, Elaine K. H.; Magiati, Iliana; Sim, Litwee; Sanmugam, Shamini; Qiu, Anqi; Daniel, Mary L.; Broekman, Birit F. P.; Rifkin-Graboi, Anne

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to improve standardized language assessments among bilingual toddlers by investigating and removing the effects of bias due to unfamiliarity with cultural norms or a distributed language system. Method: The Expressive and Receptive Bayley-III language scales were adapted for use in a multilingual country…

A Systematic Translation and Cultural Adaptation Process for Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-R21).

PubMed

Rosnah, I; Noor Hassim, I; Shafizah, A S

2013-10-01

The Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire was first constructed to measure eating behavior in an English population in the United States. It has been validated and translated for various populations in different languages. The aim of this article is to describe a systematic process for translating the questionnaire from English to Malay language. The report of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcome Research (ISPOR) Task Force was used as the basis for the systematic translation process. The process began with preparation; followed by forward translation (2 independent translators), reconciliation, back translation (2 independent translators), back translation review, harmonization, cognitive debriefing, review of cognitive debriefing results and finalization, proofreading; and ended with the final report. Four independent Malay translators who fluent in English and reside in Malaysia were involved in the process. A team of health care researchers had assisted the review of the new translated questionnaires. Majority of the TFEQ-R21 items were experiencing, conceptually and semantically equivalence between original English and translated English. However, certain phrase such as "feels like bottomless pit" was difficult to translate by forward translators. Cognitive debriefing was a very helpful process to ensure the TFEQ-R21 Malay version was appropriate in term of wording and culturally accepted. A total of four redundant comments in regards to response scale wording, word confusion and wording arrangement. The systematic translation process is a way to reduce the linguistic discrepancies between the English and Malay language in order to promote equivalence and culturally adapted TFEQ-R21 questionnaire.

Validation of a Malay Version of the Smartphone Addiction Scale among Medical Students in Malaysia.

PubMed

Ching, Siew Mooi; Yee, Anne; Ramachandran, Vasudevan; Sazlly Lim, Sazlyna Mohd; Wan Sulaiman, Wan Aliaa; Foo, Yoke Loong; Hoo, Fan Kee

2015-01-01

This study was initiated to determine the psychometric properties of the Smart Phone Addiction Scale (SAS) by translating and validating this scale into the Malay language (SAS-M), which is the main language spoken in Malaysia. This study can distinguish smart phone and internet addiction among multi-ethnic Malaysian medical students. In addition, the reliability and validity of the SAS was also demonstrated. A total of 228 participants were selected between August 2014 and September 2014 to complete a set of questionnaires, including the SAS and the modified Kimberly Young Internet addiction test (IAT) in the Malay language. There were 99 males and 129 females with ages ranging from 19 to 22 years old (21.7±1.1) included in this study. Descriptive and factor analyses, intra-class coefficients, t-tests and correlation analyses were conducted to verify the reliability and validity of the SAS. Bartlett's test of sphericity was significant (p <0.01), and the Kaiser-Mayer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy for the SAS-M was 0.92, indicating meritoriously that the factor analysis was appropriate. The internal consistency and concurrent validity of the SAS-M were verified (Cronbach's alpha = 0.94). All of the subscales of the SAS-M, except for positive anticipation, were significantly related to the Malay version of the IAT. This study developed the first smart phone addiction scale among medical students. This scale was shown to be reliable and valid in the Malay language.

Research to Establish the Validity, Reliability, and Clinical Utility of a Comprehensive Language Assessment of Mandarin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Xueman Lucy; de Villiers, Jill; Ning, Chunyan; Rolfhus, Eric; Hutchings, Teresa; Lee, Wendy; Jiang, Fan; Zhang, Yi Wen

2017-01-01

Purpose: With no existing gold standard for comparison, challenges arise for establishing the validity of a new standardized Mandarin language assessment normed in mainland China. Method: A new assessment, Diagnostic Receptive and Expressive Assessment of Mandarin (DREAM), was normed with a stratified sample of 969 children ages 2;6 (years;months)…

The Glasgow Sensory Questionnaire: Validation of a French Language Version and Refinement of Sensory Profiles of People with High Autism-Spectrum Quotient

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sapey-Triomphe, Laurie-Anne; Moulin, Annie; Sonié, Sandrine; Schmitz, Christina

2018-01-01

Sensory sensitivity peculiarities represent an important characteristic of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). We first validated a French language version of the Glasgow Sensory Questionnaire (GSQ) (Robertson and Simmons in "J Autism Dev Disord" 43(4):775-784, 2013). The GSQ score was strongly positively correlated with the Autism-Spectrum…

The Reliability and Validity of the Concepts About Print and Record of Oral Language.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Day, H. D.; Day, Kaaren C.

The Concepts about Print (Sand) and Record of Oral Language (ROL) tests were administered three times to 29 male and 27 female kindergarten children as part of a study to determine the reliability and concurrent validity of the tests. The Sand and Metropolitan Readiness Test (MRT) were administered to the returning participants (27 males and 24…

Toward Validation of Tests for Teachers in Spanish/English Bilingual Education Programs. Research and Development Memorandum No. 151.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merino, Barbara J.; Politzer, Robert L.

This memorandum reports the validation of the SCRDT Tests for Teachers in Spanish/English Bilingual Education Programs. The tests, which are designed for elementary and secondary teachers and aides, measure knowledge of methods used in teaching English as a second language (ESL), teaching Spanish as a second language (SSL), and teaching reading in…

Validating the Language Domain Subtest in a Developmental Assessment Scale for Preschool Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Anita M. -Y.; Leung, Cynthia; Siu, Elaine K. -L.; Lam, Catherine C. -C.

2012-01-01

This study reports on the validation of the language domain subtest of a developmental assessment scale for Cantonese Chinese preschool children. Three hundred and seventy eight multi-stage randomly selected children between 3;4 and 6;3 years of age were tested on the 104-item subtest. Fifty-four of these children, spreading across three age…

Criterion-Related Validity of the TOEFL iBT Listening Section. TOEFL iBT Research Report. RR-09-02

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sawaki, Yasuyo; Nissan, Susan

2009-01-01

The study investigated the criterion-related validity of the "Test of English as a Foreign Language"[TM] Internet-based test (TOEFL[R] iBT) Listening section by examining its relationship to a criterion measure designed to reflect language-use tasks that university students encounter in everyday academic life: listening to academic…

A Long-Term Predictive Validity Study: Can the CDI Short Form be Used to Predict Language and Early Literacy Skills Four Years Later?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Can, Dilara Deniz; Ginsburg-Block, Marika; Golinkoff, Roberta Michnick; Hirsh-Pasek, Kathryn

2013-01-01

This longitudinal study examined the predictive validity of the MacArthur Communicative Developmental Inventories-Short Form (CDI-SF), a parent report questionnaire about children's language development (Fenson, Pethick, Renda, Cox, Dale & Reznick, 2000). Data were first gathered from parents on the CDI-SF vocabulary scores for seventy-six…

Specificity rates for non-clinical, bilingual, Mexican Americans on three popular performance validity measures.

PubMed

Gasquoine, Philip G; Weimer, Amy A; Amador, Arnoldo

2017-04-01

To measure specificity as failure rates for non-clinical, bilingual, Mexican Americans on three popular performance validity measures: (a) the language format Reliable Digit Span; (b) visual-perceptual format Test of Memory Malingering; and (c) visual-perceptual format Dot Counting, using optimal/suboptimal effort cut scores developed for monolingual, English-speakers. Participants were 61 consecutive referrals, aged between 18 and 65 years, with <16 years of education who were subjectively bilingual (confirmed via formal assessment) and chose the language of assessment, Spanish or English, for the performance validity tests. Failure rates were 38% for Reliable Digit Span, 3% for the Test of Memory Malingering, and 7% for Dot Counting. For Reliable Digit Span, the failure rates for Spanish (46%) and English (31%) languages of administration did not differ significantly. Optimal/suboptimal effort cut scores derived for monolingual English-speakers can be used with Spanish/English bilinguals when using the visual-perceptual format Test of Memory Malingering and Dot Counting. The high failure rate for Reliable Digit Span suggests it should not be used as a performance validity measure with Spanish/English bilinguals, irrespective of the language of test administration, Spanish or English.

[Language and aphasias].

PubMed

Porta-Etessam, J; Núñez-López, R; Balsalobre, J; López, E; Hernández, A; Luna, A

1997-08-01

Approximately 400,000 years ago men started to use language. Initially it was probably poor with few phonemes. With social evolution it became more complex, with the appearance of new phonemes and a more complete grammatical structure. The current concept of the processing of language dates, with little change, from the nineteenth century. With the birth of phrenology language began to be studied. This lead to the hypothesis of Wernicke, with two main areas joined by the fasciculo arcuato, which is still held to be valid with modifications by Gerchwind and Damasio, amongst others. Important advances in the study of language are due to Chomsky and his transformational grammar. This supports the universal structure of language, since one learns it following genetically determined laws. Language has three main aspects: creativity which makes both the transmitter and the receiver active participants in communication, the form from which words are constructed and the content of the message. Aphasia is an alteration in the comprehension and understanding of language, which may be the clinical expression of many different aetiologies. They help us to localize the lesion topographically. They are divided depending on the clinical signs, into motor or Broca's aphasia, in which understanding is conserved but the patient uses a language with poor grammatical structure, although the semantic content is acceptable: sensitive or Wernicke's aphasia, with inability to understand and language which is fluid but unintelligible; conduction aphasia due to limitation in the transmission of impulses from Wernicke's area to that of Broca, with acceptable understanding and fluid language and the trans-cortical aphasias where the main characteristic is indemnity of the capacity of repetition. The aphasias, as the expression of an alteration of language are an important support in the topographical localization of lesions, even before these can be shown on computerized tomography.

The 'biliterate' ballot controversy: language acquisition and cultural shift among immigrants.

PubMed

Loo, C M

1985-01-01

This US study tested the validity of assumptions made regarding multilingual electoral ballot provisions. Rationale for language assistance was found to exist on the basis of number and proportion of recent immigrants, proportion of foreign born, lag of biliterate skill behind bilingual ability, linguistic differences between the Chinese language and English, and the discriminatory structure of the labor market. In California, where close to 1/2 the population is an ethnic minority, the issue is particularly relevant. Bilingual advocates view English-only advocates as "un-American" on legal and ideological grounds, while English-only advocates consider it "un-American" to be non-English speaking. In addition to census data and the existing literature, this study relies on the structured interview survey data of a representative sample of the Chinese adult population of San Francisco's Chinatown. 2/3 of the immigrants believed an immigrant should make some cultural changes, and 1/2 of the immigrants had done so. Data failed to support the claim that immigrants are uninformed that English is necessary for sociopolitical participation. Their more recent pattern of immigration, the linguistic differences between Asian languages and the English language, and structural constraints of US society make successive language acquisition difficult for Chinese migrant adults. Policy recommendations include: 1) changing language assistance criteria in the electoral process, 2) adding Vietnamese as a single language minority, 3) not considering Asian language minorities as 1 generic category, 4) justifying electoral assistance on several grounds, 5) disseminating data bearing directly on misguided assumptions related to language and cultural shift factors, and 6) renaming the "bilingual ballots" to "biliterate ballots."

Translation and validation of a Spanish-language genetic health literacy screening tool.

PubMed

Rodríguez, Sally Ann; Roter, Debra L; Castillo-Salgado, Carlos; Hooker, Gillian W; Erby, Lori H

2015-02-01

Literacy deficits and underutilization of medical services have been linked to health disparities among minorities, and this appears especially relevant for the Latino population. Given the increasing importance of genetics, assessment of genetic health literacy may direct future efforts to better serve this vulnerable population. The current study was designed to contribute to this area by translating and validating a Spanish-language genetic health literacy measure. This was a cross-sectional study involving an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Eligible individuals were Latinos between the ages of 18 and 75 residing in Maryland, who self-reported Spanish as their primary language, recruited through convenience sampling. The genetic health literacy measure components were adapted from existing English-language measures [Erby, Roter, Larson, & Cho's (2008) Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Genetics (REAL-G) and Hooker et al.'s (2014) Genetic Literacy and Comprehension]. An existing Spanish-language general health literacy measure was used to establish preliminary concurrent validity [Lee, Bender, Ruiz, & Cho's (2006) SAHLSA]. 116 individuals completed the assessment. The Spanish-language REAL-G (REAL-G-Sp) was found to correlate well with the SAHLSA (Pearson's r = .77, p < .01). A cut-off score of 59 (out of 62) distinguished low versus high genetic health literacy with a sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 71%, identifying 28% of participants as having inadequate genetic health literacy. The REAL-G-Sp was found to have preliminary concurrent validity with an existing health literacy measure in the Latino population residing in Maryland. Significant proportions of this population are predicted to have limitations in genetic health literacy, even when information is provided in Spanish.

Considering the needs of English language learner populations: an examination of the population validity of reading intervention research.

PubMed

Moore, Brooke A; Klingner, Janette K

2014-01-01

This article synthesizes reading intervention research studies intended for use with struggling or at-risk students to determine which studies adequately address population validity, particularly in regard to the diverse reading needs of English language learners. An extensive search of the professional literature between 2001 and 2010 yielded a total of 67 reading intervention studies targeting at-risk elementary students. Findings revealed that many current research studies fail to adequately describe the sample, including the accessible and target populations, and to disaggregate their findings based on demographic characteristics. When population validity issues are not addressed, researchers cannot generalize findings to other populations of students, and it becomes unclear what intervention strategies work, especially with English language learner student populations. However, 25 studies did specifically recognize and address the needs of English language learners, indicating more researchers are taking into consideration the diverse needs of other struggling student populations. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2012.

Acquiring and Producing Sentences: Whether Learners Use Verb-Specific or Verb-General Information Depends on Cue Validity

PubMed Central

Thothathiri, Malathi; Rattinger, Michelle G.

2016-01-01

Learning to produce sentences involves learning patterns that enable the generation of new utterances. Language contains both verb-specific and verb-general regularities that are relevant to this capacity. Previous research has focused on whether one source is more important than the other. We tested whether the production system can flexibly learn to use either source, depending on the predictive validity of different cues in the input. Participants learned new sentence structures in a miniature language paradigm. In three experiments, we manipulated whether individual verbs or verb-general mappings better predicted the structures heard during learning. Evaluation of participants’ subsequent production revealed that they could use either the structural preferences of individual verbs or abstract meaning-to-form mappings to construct new sentences. Further, this choice varied according to cue validity. These results demonstrate flexibility within the production architecture and the importance of considering how language was learned when discussing how language is used. PMID:27047428

A new test for the assessment of working memory in clinical settings: Validation and norming of a month ordering task.

PubMed

Buekenhout, Imke; Leitão, José; Gomes, Ana A

2018-05-24

Month ordering tasks have been used in experimental settings to obtain measures of working memory (WM) capacity in older/clinical groups based solely on their face validity. We sought to assess the appropriateness of using a month ordering task in other contexts, including clinical settings, as a psychometrically sound WM assessment. To this end, we constructed a month ordering task (ucMOT), studied its reliability (internal consistency and temporal stability), and gathered construct-related and criterion-related validity evidence for its use as a WM assessment. The ucMOT proved to be internally consistent and temporally stable, and analyses of the criterion-related validity evidence revealed that its scores predicted the efficiency of language comprehension processes known to depend crucially on WM resources, namely, processes involved in pronoun interpretation. Furthermore, all ucMOT items discriminated between younger and older age groups; the global scores were significantly correlated with scores on well-established WM tasks and presented lower correlations with instruments that evaluate different (although related) processes, namely, inhibition and processing speed. We conclude that the ucMOT possesses solid psychometric properties. Accordingly, we acquired normative data for the Portuguese population, which we present as a regression-based algorithm that yields z scores adjusted for age, gender, and years of formal education. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

The Impact of World Englishes on Language Assessment: Rater Attitude, Rating Behavior, and Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Huei-Lien

2012-01-01

By centralizing the issue of test fairness in language proficiency assessments, this study responds to a call by researchers for developing greater social responsibility in the language testing agenda. As inquiries into language attitude and psychology indicate, there is an underlying uncertainty pertaining to the validity of test use and score…

Validation of the "Chinese Language Classroom Learning Environment Inventory" for Investigating the Nature of Chinese Language Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lian, Chua Siew; Wong, Angela F. L.; Der-Thanq, Victor Chen

2006-01-01

The Chinese Language Classroom Environment Inventory (CLCEI) is a bilingual instrument developed for use in measuring students' and teachers' perceptions toward their Chinese Language classroom learning environments in Singapore secondary schools. The English version of the CLCEI was customised from the English version of the "What is…

Approaching Sign Language Test Construction: Adaptation of the German Sign Language Receptive Skills Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haug, Tobias

2011-01-01

There is a current need for reliable and valid test instruments in different countries in order to monitor deaf children's sign language acquisition. However, very few tests are commercially available that offer strong evidence for their psychometric properties. A German Sign Language (DGS) test focusing on linguistic structures that are acquired…

Preliminary Validation of a Spanish Language Translation of the Children's Hope Scale.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Lisa M.; McDermott, Diane; Pedrotti, Jennifer Teramoto; LaRue, Stephanie; Stone, Marion E.; Diamond, Kandi L.; Spalitto, Susan V.

As society becomes increasingly diverse, the issue about language used for assessments becomes critical. Research suggests that completing measures in a language other than one's native language may result in inaccurate scores. The Children's Hope Scale (Snyder et al., 1997), a scale assessing dispositional hope in children ages 8 to 16, was…

Practitioners' Evaluation on the Procedural Aspects of an English Language Portfolio

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karababa, Canan; Suzer, Sezgi Sarac

2010-01-01

This study aims to share English language practitioners' reflections on the adaptation of teaching methods and materials during the pre-validation period of the European Language Portfolio (ELP). In order to achieve this aim, a high school was selected as the scope of research, since it has started to adapt the English language teaching…

Development and validation of a structured query language implementation of the Elixhauser comorbidity index.

PubMed

Epstein, Richard H; Dexter, Franklin

2017-07-01

Comorbidity adjustment is often performed during outcomes and health care resource utilization research. Our goal was to develop an efficient algorithm in structured query language (SQL) to determine the Elixhauser comorbidity index. We wrote an SQL algorithm to calculate the Elixhauser comorbidities from Diagnosis Related Group and International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes. Validation was by comparison to expected comorbidities from combinations of these codes and to the 2013 Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD). The SQL algorithm matched perfectly with expected comorbidities for all combinations of ICD-9 or ICD-10, and Diagnosis Related Groups. Of 13 585 859 evaluable NRD records, the algorithm matched 100% of the listed comorbidities. Processing time was ∼0.05 ms/record. The SQL Elixhauser code was efficient and computationally identical to the SAS algorithm used for the NRD. This algorithm may be useful where preprocessing of large datasets in a relational database environment and comorbidity determination is desired before statistical analysis. A validated SQL procedure to calculate Elixhauser comorbidities and the van Walraven index from ICD-9 or ICD-10 discharge diagnosis codes has been published. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Culturally competent social work research: methodological considerations for research with language minorities.

PubMed

Casado, Banghwa Lee; Negi, Nalini Junko; Hong, Michin

2012-01-01

Despite the growing number of language minorities, foreign-born individuals with limited English proficiency, this population has been largely left out of social work research, often due to methodological challenges involved in conducting research with this population. Whereas the professional standard calls for cultural competence, a discussion of how to implement strategies for culturally competent research with language minorities is regrettably limited in the social work literature. This article is, to the authors' knowledge, one of the first within the field of social work to tie together unique methodological issues that may arise throughout the research conceptualization, development, and implementation process with this population. Strategies for how to overcome such issues are provided by adapting and expanding on a conceptual framework by Meleis. The incorporation of such research practices with language minorities has the potential to enhance trust and, thus, improve the recruitment and retention of this hard-to-reach population. More important, studies that aim to include such culturally responsive criteria may produce results that have improved validity and, thus, contribute to the advancement of knowledge regarding this population.

Personality, Gender, and Age in the Language of Social Media: The Open-Vocabulary Approach

PubMed Central

Schwartz, H. Andrew; Eichstaedt, Johannes C.; Kern, Margaret L.; Dziurzynski, Lukasz; Ramones, Stephanie M.; Agrawal, Megha; Shah, Achal; Kosinski, Michal; Stillwell, David; Seligman, Martin E. P.; Ungar, Lyle H.

2013-01-01

We analyzed 700 million words, phrases, and topic instances collected from the Facebook messages of 75,000 volunteers, who also took standard personality tests, and found striking variations in language with personality, gender, and age. In our open-vocabulary technique, the data itself drives a comprehensive exploration of language that distinguishes people, finding connections that are not captured with traditional closed-vocabulary word-category analyses. Our analyses shed new light on psychosocial processes yielding results that are face valid (e.g., subjects living in high elevations talk about the mountains), tie in with other research (e.g., neurotic people disproportionately use the phrase ‘sick of’ and the word ‘depressed’), suggest new hypotheses (e.g., an active life implies emotional stability), and give detailed insights (males use the possessive ‘my’ when mentioning their ‘wife’ or ‘girlfriend’ more often than females use ‘my’ with ‘husband’ or 'boyfriend’). To date, this represents the largest study, by an order of magnitude, of language and personality. PMID:24086296

Arabic translation, cultural adaptation, and validation study of Knee Outcome Survey: Activities of Daily Living Scale (KOS-ADLS).

PubMed

Algarni, Abdulrahman D; Alrabai, Hamza M; Al-Ahaideb, Abdulaziz; Kachanathu, Shaji John; AlShammari, Sulaiman A

2017-09-01

Knee complaints and their accompanying functional impairments are frequent problems encountered by healthcare practitioners worldwide. Plenty of functional scoring systems were developed and validated to give a relative estimation about the knee function. Despite the wide geographic distribution of Arabic language in the Middle East and North Africa, it is rare to find a validated knee function scale in Arabic. The present study is aimed to translate, validate, and culturally adjust the Knee Outcome Survey: Activities of Daily Living Scale (KOS-ADLS) into Arabic language for future use among Arabic-speaking patients. Permission for translation was obtained from the copyrights holder. Two different teams of high-level clinical and linguistic expertise conducted translation process blindly. Forward-backward translation technique was implemented to ensure preservation of the main conceptual content. Main study consisted of 280 subjects. Reliability was examined by test-retest pilot study. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Get Up and Go (GUG) Test, Ascending/Descending Stairs (A/D Stairs), and Subjective Assessment of Function (SAF) were conducted concurrently to show the validity of Arabic KOS-ADLS statistically in relation to these scales. Final translated version showed no significant discrepancies. Minor adaptive adjustment was required to fit Arabian cultural background. Internal consistency was favourable (Cronbach's alpha 0.90). Patients' scoring on Arabic KOS-ADLS appeared relatively consistent with their scoring on VAS, GUG, A/D Stairs, and SAF. A significant linear relationship was demonstrated between SAF and total KOS-ADLS scores on regression analysis (adj. R 2  = 0.548). Arabic KOS-ADLS, as its English counterpart, was found to be a simple, valid, and useful instrument for knee function evaluation. Arabic version of KOS-ADLS represents a promising candidate for unconditional use among Arabic-speaking patients with knee complaints.

Using natural language processing for identification of herpes zoster ophthalmicus cases to support population-based study.

PubMed

Zheng, Chengyi; Luo, Yi; Mercado, Cheryl; Sy, Lina; Jacobsen, Steven J; Ackerson, Brad; Lewin, Bruno; Tseng, Hung Fu

2018-06-19

Diagnosis codes are inadequate for accurately identifying herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO). There is significant lack of population-based studies on HZO due to the high expense of manual review of medical records. To assess whether HZO can be identified from the clinical notes using natural language processing (NLP). To investigate the epidemiology of HZO among HZ population based on the developed approach. A retrospective cohort analysis. A total of 49,914 southern California residents aged over 18 years, who had a new diagnosis of HZ. An NLP-based algorithm was developed and validated with the manually curated validation dataset (n=461). The algorithm was applied on over 1 million clinical notes associated with the study population. HZO versus non-HZO cases were compared by age, sex, race, and comorbidities. We measured the accuracy of NLP algorithm. NLP algorithm achieved 95.6% sensitivity and 99.3% specificity. Compared to the diagnosis codes, NLP identified significant more HZO cases among HZ population (13.9% versus 1.7%). Compared to the non-HZO group, the HZO group was older, had more males, had more Whites, and had more outpatient visits. We developed and validated an automatic method to identify HZO cases with high accuracy. As one of the largest studies on HZO, our finding emphasizes the importance of preventing HZ in the elderly population. This method can be a valuable tool to support population-based studies and clinical care of HZO in the era of big data. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Importance of multi-modal approaches to effectively identify cataract cases from electronic health records

PubMed Central

Rasmussen, Luke V; Berg, Richard L; Linneman, James G; McCarty, Catherine A; Waudby, Carol; Chen, Lin; Denny, Joshua C; Wilke, Russell A; Pathak, Jyotishman; Carrell, David; Kho, Abel N; Starren, Justin B

2012-01-01

Objective There is increasing interest in using electronic health records (EHRs) to identify subjects for genomic association studies, due in part to the availability of large amounts of clinical data and the expected cost efficiencies of subject identification. We describe the construction and validation of an EHR-based algorithm to identify subjects with age-related cataracts. Materials and methods We used a multi-modal strategy consisting of structured database querying, natural language processing on free-text documents, and optical character recognition on scanned clinical images to identify cataract subjects and related cataract attributes. Extensive validation on 3657 subjects compared the multi-modal results to manual chart review. The algorithm was also implemented at participating electronic MEdical Records and GEnomics (eMERGE) institutions. Results An EHR-based cataract phenotyping algorithm was successfully developed and validated, resulting in positive predictive values (PPVs) >95%. The multi-modal approach increased the identification of cataract subject attributes by a factor of three compared to single-mode approaches while maintaining high PPV. Components of the cataract algorithm were successfully deployed at three other institutions with similar accuracy. Discussion A multi-modal strategy incorporating optical character recognition and natural language processing may increase the number of cases identified while maintaining similar PPVs. Such algorithms, however, require that the needed information be embedded within clinical documents. Conclusion We have demonstrated that algorithms to identify and characterize cataracts can be developed utilizing data collected via the EHR. These algorithms provide a high level of accuracy even when implemented across multiple EHRs and institutional boundaries. PMID:22319176

Development of a Natural Language Processing Engine to Generate Bladder Cancer Pathology Data for Health Services Research.

PubMed

Schroeck, Florian R; Patterson, Olga V; Alba, Patrick R; Pattison, Erik A; Seigne, John D; DuVall, Scott L; Robertson, Douglas J; Sirovich, Brenda; Goodney, Philip P

2017-12-01

To take the first step toward assembling population-based cohorts of patients with bladder cancer with longitudinal pathology data, we developed and validated a natural language processing (NLP) engine that abstracts pathology data from full-text pathology reports. Using 600 bladder pathology reports randomly selected from the Department of Veterans Affairs, we developed and validated an NLP engine to abstract data on histology, invasion (presence vs absence and depth), grade, the presence of muscularis propria, and the presence of carcinoma in situ. Our gold standard was based on an independent review of reports by 2 urologists, followed by adjudication. We assessed the NLP performance by calculating the accuracy, the positive predictive value, and the sensitivity. We subsequently applied the NLP engine to pathology reports from 10,725 patients with bladder cancer. When comparing the NLP output to the gold standard, NLP achieved the highest accuracy (0.98) for the presence vs the absence of carcinoma in situ. Accuracy for histology, invasion (presence vs absence), grade, and the presence of muscularis propria ranged from 0.83 to 0.96. The most challenging variable was depth of invasion (accuracy 0.68), with an acceptable positive predictive value for lamina propria (0.82) and for muscularis propria (0.87) invasion. The validated engine was capable of abstracting pathologic characteristics for 99% of the patients with bladder cancer. NLP had high accuracy for 5 of 6 variables and abstracted data for the vast majority of the patients. This now allows for the assembly of population-based cohorts with longitudinal pathology data. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Translation, adaptation and validation of two versions of the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire in Malaysian patients for speakers of both English and Malay languages: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Khairullah, Shasha; Mahadeva, Sanjiv

2017-05-25

We aimed to adapt, translate and validate the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ) in Malaysian patients with chronic liver diseases of various aetiologies. Tertiary level teaching institution in Malaysia. The validation process involved 211 adult patients (English language n=101, Malay language n=110) with chronic liver disease. Characteristics of the study subjects were as follows: mean (SD) age was 56 (12.8) years, 58.3% were male and 41.7% female. The inclusion criteria were patients 18 years or older with chronic hepatitis and/or liver cirrhosis of any aetiology. The exclusion criteria were as follows: presence of hepatic encephalopathy, ongoing treatment with interferon and presence of other chronic conditions that have an impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). A cross-sectional study was conducted. Cultural adaptation of the English version of the CLDQ was performed, and a Malay version was developed following standard forward-backward translation by independent native speakers. Psychometric properties of both versions were determined by assessing their internal consistency, test-retest reliability and discriminant and convergent validity. Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency across the various domains of the CLDQ was 0.95 for the English version and 0.92 for the Malay version. Test-retest analysis showed excellent reliability with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.89 for the English version and 0.93 for the Malay version. The average scores of both the English and Malay versions of the CLDQ demonstrated adequate discriminant validity by differentiating between non-cirrhosis (English 6.3, Malay 6.1), compensated cirrhosis (English 5.6, Malay 6.0) and decompensated cirrhosis (English 5.1, Malay 4.9) (p<0.001). Convergent validity showed that correlation was fair between the English (ρ=0.59) and Malay (p=0.47) CLDQ versions with the EQ-5D, a generic HRQOL instrument. The English and Malay versions of the CLDQ are reliable and valid disease-specific instruments for assessing HRQOL in Malaysian patients with chronic liver disease. © 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.

Cross-cultural adaptation, validation and reliability of the brazilian version of the Richmond Compulsive Buying Scale.

PubMed

Leite, Priscilla; Rangé, Bernard; Kukar-Kiney, Monika; Ridgway, Nancy; Monroe, Kent; Ribas Junior, Rodolfo; Landeira Fernandez, J; Nardi, Antonio Egidio; Silva, Adriana

2013-03-01

To present the process of transcultural adaptation of the Richmond Compulsive Buying Scale to Brazilian Portuguese. For the semantic adaptation step, the scale was translated to Portuguese and then back-translated to English by two professional translators and one psychologist, without any communication between them. The scale was then applied to 20 participants from the general population for language adjustments. For the construct validation step, an exploratory factor analysis was performed, using the scree plot test, principal component analysis for factor extraction, and Varimax rotation. For convergent validity, the correlation matrix was analyzed through Pearson's coefficient. The scale showed easy applicability, satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=.87), and a high correlation with other rating scales for compulsive buying disorder, indicating that it is suitable to be used in the assessment and diagnosis of compulsive buying disorder, as it presents psychometric validity. The Brazilian Portuguese version of the Richmond Compulsive Buying Scale has good validity and reliability.

German translation, cultural adaptation, and validation of the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ).

PubMed

Nolte, Sandra; Osborne, Richard H; Dwinger, Sarah; Elsworth, Gerald R; Conrad, Melanie L; Rose, Matthias; Härter, Martin; Dirmaier, Jörg; Zill, Jördis M

2017-01-01

The Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ), developed in Australia in 2012 using a 'validity-driven' approach, has been rapidly adopted and is being applied in many countries and languages. It is a multidimensional measure comprising nine distinct domains that may be used for surveys, needs assessment, evaluation and outcomes assessment as well as for informing service improvement and the development of interventions. The aim of this paper is to describe the German translation of the HLQ and to present the results of the validation of the culturally adapted version. The HLQ comprises 44 items, which were translated and culturally adapted to the German context. This study uses data collected from a sample of 1,058 persons with chronic conditions. Statistical analyses include descriptive and confirmatory factor analyses. In one-factor congeneric models, all scales demonstrated good fit after few model adjustments. In a single, highly restrictive nine-factor model (no cross-loadings, no correlated errors) replication of the original English-language version was achieved with fit indices and psychometric properties similar to the original HLQ. Reliability for all scales was excellent, with a Cronbach's Alpha of at least 0.77. High to very high correlations between some HLQ factors were observed, suggesting that higher order factors may be present. Our rigorous development and validation protocol, as well as strict adaptation processes, have generated a remarkable reproduction of the HLQ in German. The results of this validation provide evidence that the HLQ is robust and can be recommended for use in German-speaking populations. German Clinical Trial Registration (DRKS): DRKS00000584. Registered 23 March 2011.

Assessing Face Validity of a Food Behavior Checklist for Limited-resource Filipinos

PubMed Central

Buchthal, Opal Vanessa; Tauyan, Socorro

2015-01-01

Abstract Diet-related chronic health conditions are prevalent in the Filipino American community; however, there is a lack of rigorously validated nutrition education evaluation tools in Tagalog for use in this population. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the face validity of a Tagalog-language food behavior checklist (FBC). A multi-step method was used, involving translation of questionnaire text from English to Tagalog by a team of professionals, creation of accompanying color photographs, cognitive testing with the target population, final review by the team of professionals, and assessment of readability. Subjects for cognitive testing were men (n=6) and women (n=14) 18 years or older in Hawai‘i who received or were eligible to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, self-identified as Filipino, and preferred Tagalog rather than English. Participants were recruited from churches, the Filipino Center, and other community sites. Cognitive interviews revealed several issues with text and photographs, such as preferences for specific terms, and images that did not adequately illustrate the text. Image changes were made to reflect items most commonly consumed. The team of professionals agreed with participant suggestions. Assessment of readability revealed a reading level appropriate for a low-literacy population of grade 5.9. The multi-step process, which allowed members of the target audience to reveal the appropriateness of the questionnaire, yielded a Tagalog-language FBC found to have adequate face validity. After further evaluation of validity and reliability, this tool may be used to evaluate behavior change resulting from the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) nutrition education programs. PMID:26535163

Quality of life assessment in cosmetics: specificity and interest of the international BeautyQol instrument.

PubMed

Beresniak, Ariel; Auray, Jean-Paul; Duru, Gérard; Aractingi, Selim; Krueger, Gerald G; Talarico, Sergio; Tsutani, Kiichiro; Dupont, Danielle; de Linares, Yolaine

2015-09-01

The wide use of cosmetics and their perceived benefits upon well-being imply objective descriptions of their effects upon the different dimensions contributing to the quality of life (QoL). Such a goal pleas for using relevant and validated scientific instruments with robust measurement methods. This paper discusses the interest of the new validated questionnaire BeautyQoL specifically designed to assess the effect of cosmetic products on physical appearance and QoL. After conducting a review of skin appearance and QoL, three phases of the international codevelopment have been carried out in the following sequence: semi-directed interviews (Phase 1), acceptability study (Phase 2), and validation study (Phase 3). Data collection and validation process have been carried out in 16 languages. This review confirms that QoL instruments developed in dermatology are not suitable to assess cosmetic products, mainly because of their lack of sensitivity. General acceptability of BeautyQol was very good. Forty-two questions have been structured in five dimensions that explained 76.7% of the total variance: Social Life, Self-confidence, Mood, Vitality, and Attractiveness. Cronbach's alpha coefficients are between 0.932 and 0.978, confirming the good internal consistency of the results. The BeautyQol questionnaire is the first international instrument specific to cosmetic products and physical appearance that has been validated in 16 languages and could be used in a number of clinical trials and descriptive studies to demonstrate the added value of these products on the QoL. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Web-based data acquisition and management system for GOSAT validation Lidar data analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okumura, Hiroshi; Takubo, Shoichiro; Kawasaki, Takeru; Abdullah, Indra N.; Uchino, Osamu; Morino, Isamu; Yokota, Tatsuya; Nagai, Tomohiro; Sakai, Tetsu; Maki, Takashi; Arai, Kohei

2012-11-01

An web-base data acquisition and management system for GOSAT (Greenhouse gases Observation SATellite) validation lidar data analysis is developed. The system consists of data acquisition sub-system (DAS) and data management sub-system (DMS). DAS written in Perl language acquires AMeDAS ground-level meteorological data, Rawinsonde upper-air meteorological data, ground-level oxidant data, skyradiometer data, skyview camera images, meteorological satellite IR image data and GOSAT validation lidar data. DMS written in PHP language demonstrates satellite-pass date and all acquired data.

Ada (Tradename) Compiler Validation Summary Report. International Business Machines Corporation. IBM Development System for the Ada Language for VM/CMS, Version 1.0. IBM 4381 (IBM System/370) under VM/CMS.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-04-29

COMPILER VALIDATION SUMMARY REPORT: International Business Machines Corporation IBM Development System for the Ada Language for VM/CMS, Version 1.0 IBM 4381...tested using command scripts provided by International Business Machines Corporation. These scripts were reviewed by the validation team. Test.s were run...s): IBM 4381 (System/370) Operating System: VM/CMS, release 3.6 International Business Machines Corporation has made no deliberate extensions to the

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the VISA-A questionnaire for German-speaking achilles tendinopathy patients.

PubMed

Lohrer, Heinz; Nauck, Tanja

2009-10-30

Achilles tendinopathy is the predominant overuse injury in runners. To further investigate this overload injury in transverse and longitudinal studies a valid, responsive and reliable outcome measure is demanded. Most questionnaires have been developed for English-speaking populations. This is also true for the VISA-A score, so far representing the only valid, reliable, and disease specific questionnaire for Achilles tendinopathy. To internationally compare research results, to perform multinational studies or to exclude bias originating from subpopulations speaking different languages within one country an equivalent instrument is demanded in different languages. The aim of this study was therefore to cross-cultural adapt and validate the VISA-A questionnaire for German-speaking Achilles tendinopathy patients. According to the "guidelines for the process of cross-cultural adaptation of self-report measures" the VISA-A score was cross-culturally adapted into German (VISA-A-G) using six steps: Translation, synthesis, back translation, expert committee review, pretesting (n = 77), and appraisal of the adaptation process by an advisory committee determining the adequacy of the cross-cultural adaptation. The resulting VISA-A-G was then subjected to an analysis of reliability, validity, and internal consistency in 30 Achilles tendinopathy patients and 79 asymptomatic people. Concurrent validity was tested against a generic tendon grading system (Percy and Conochie) and against a classification system for the effect of pain on athletic performance (Curwin and Stanish). The "advisory committee" determined the VISA-A-G questionnaire as been translated "acceptable". The VISA-A-G questionnaire showed moderate to excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.60 to 0.97). Concurrent validity showed good coherence when correlated with the grading system of Curwin and Stanish (rho = -0.95) and for the Percy and Conochie grade of severity (rho 0.95). Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) for the total VISA-A-G scores of the patients was calculated to be 0.737. The VISA-A questionnaire was successfully cross-cultural adapted and validated for use in German speaking populations. The psychometric properties of the VISA-A-G questionnaire are similar to those of the original English version. It therefore can be recommended as a sufficiently robust tool for future measuring clinical severity of Achilles tendinopathy in German speaking patients.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the VISA-A questionnaire for German-speaking Achilles tendinopathy patients

PubMed Central

Lohrer, Heinz; Nauck, Tanja

2009-01-01

Background Achilles tendinopathy is the predominant overuse injury in runners. To further investigate this overload injury in transverse and longitudinal studies a valid, responsive and reliable outcome measure is demanded. Most questionnaires have been developed for English-speaking populations. This is also true for the VISA-A score, so far representing the only valid, reliable, and disease specific questionnaire for Achilles tendinopathy. To internationally compare research results, to perform multinational studies or to exclude bias originating from subpopulations speaking different languages within one country an equivalent instrument is demanded in different languages. The aim of this study was therefore to cross-cultural adapt and validate the VISA-A questionnaire for German-speaking Achilles tendinopathy patients. Methods According to the "guidelines for the process of cross-cultural adaptation of self-report measures" the VISA-A score was cross-culturally adapted into German (VISA-A-G) using six steps: Translation, synthesis, back translation, expert committee review, pretesting (n = 77), and appraisal of the adaptation process by an advisory committee determining the adequacy of the cross-cultural adaptation. The resulting VISA-A-G was then subjected to an analysis of reliability, validity, and internal consistency in 30 Achilles tendinopathy patients and 79 asymptomatic people. Concurrent validity was tested against a generic tendon grading system (Percy and Conochie) and against a classification system for the effect of pain on athletic performance (Curwin and Stanish). Results The "advisory committee" determined the VISA-A-G questionnaire as been translated "acceptable". The VISA-A-G questionnaire showed moderate to excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.60 to 0.97). Concurrent validity showed good coherence when correlated with the grading system of Curwin and Stanish (rho = -0.95) and for the Percy and Conochie grade of severity (rho 0.95). Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) for the total VISA-A-G scores of the patients was calculated to be 0.737. Conclusion The VISA-A questionnaire was successfully cross-cultural adapted and validated for use in German speaking populations. The psychometric properties of the VISA-A-G questionnaire are similar to those of the original English version. It therefore can be recommended as a sufficiently robust tool for future measuring clinical severity of Achilles tendinopathy in German speaking patients. PMID:19878572

The semantics of Chemical Markup Language (CML) for computational chemistry : CompChem.

PubMed

Phadungsukanan, Weerapong; Kraft, Markus; Townsend, Joe A; Murray-Rust, Peter

2012-08-07

: This paper introduces a subdomain chemistry format for storing computational chemistry data called CompChem. It has been developed based on the design, concepts and methodologies of Chemical Markup Language (CML) by adding computational chemistry semantics on top of the CML Schema. The format allows a wide range of ab initio quantum chemistry calculations of individual molecules to be stored. These calculations include, for example, single point energy calculation, molecular geometry optimization, and vibrational frequency analysis. The paper also describes the supporting infrastructure, such as processing software, dictionaries, validation tools and database repositories. In addition, some of the challenges and difficulties in developing common computational chemistry dictionaries are discussed. The uses of CompChem are illustrated by two practical applications.

The semantics of Chemical Markup Language (CML) for computational chemistry : CompChem

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

This paper introduces a subdomain chemistry format for storing computational chemistry data called CompChem. It has been developed based on the design, concepts and methodologies of Chemical Markup Language (CML) by adding computational chemistry semantics on top of the CML Schema. The format allows a wide range of ab initio quantum chemistry calculations of individual molecules to be stored. These calculations include, for example, single point energy calculation, molecular geometry optimization, and vibrational frequency analysis. The paper also describes the supporting infrastructure, such as processing software, dictionaries, validation tools and database repositories. In addition, some of the challenges and difficulties in developing common computational chemistry dictionaries are discussed. The uses of CompChem are illustrated by two practical applications. PMID:22870956

Ada Compiler Validation Summary Report: Certificate Number 89020W1. 10073: International Business Machines Corporation, IBM Development System for the Ada Language, VM/CMS Ada Compiler, Version 2.1.1, IBM 3083 (Host and Target)

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-04-20

International Business Machines Corporation) IBM Development System for the Ada Language, VN11/CMS Ada Compiler, Version 2.1.1, Wright-Patterson AFB, IBM 3083...890420W1.10073 International Business Machines Corporation IBM Development System for the Ada Language VM/CMS Ada Compiler Version 2.1.1 IBM 3083... International Business Machines Corporation and reviewed by the validation team. The compiler was tested using all default option settings except for the

The Quebec Sleep Questionnaire on quality of life in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: translation into Portuguese and cross-cultural adaptation for use in Brazil.

PubMed

Melo, José Tavares de; Maurici, Rosemeri; Tavares, Michelle Gonçalves de Souza; Pizzichini, Marcia Margareth Menezes; Pizzichini, Emilio

2017-01-01

To translate the Quebec Sleep Questionnaire (QSQ), a specific instrument for the assessment of quality of life in patients with sleep obstructive apnea, into Portuguese and to create a version that is cross-culturally adapted for use in Brazil. The Portuguese-language version was developed according to a rigorous methodology, which included the following steps: preparation; translation from English into Portuguese in three versions; reconciliation to a single version; back-translation of that version into English; comparison and harmonization of the back-translation with the original version; review of the Portuguese-language version; cognitive debriefing; text review; and arrival at the final version. The Portuguese-language version of the QSQ for use in Brazil had a clarity score, as measured by cognitive debriefing, ranging from 0.81 to 0.99, demonstrating the consistency of translation and cross-cultural adaptation processes. The process of translating the QSQ into Portuguese and creating a version that is cross-culturally adapted for use in Brazil produced a valid instrument to assess the quality of life in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

The Quebec Sleep Questionnaire on quality of life in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: translation into Portuguese and cross-cultural adaptation for use in Brazil

PubMed Central

de Melo, José Tavares; Maurici, Rosemeri; Tavares, Michelle Gonçalves de Souza; Pizzichini, Marcia Margareth Menezes; Pizzichini, Emilio

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: To translate the Quebec Sleep Questionnaire (QSQ), a specific instrument for the assessment of quality of life in patients with sleep obstructive apnea, into Portuguese and to create a version that is cross-culturally adapted for use in Brazil. Methods: The Portuguese-language version was developed according to a rigorous methodology, which included the following steps: preparation; translation from English into Portuguese in three versions; reconciliation to a single version; back-translation of that version into English; comparison and harmonization of the back-translation with the original version; review of the Portuguese-language version; cognitive debriefing; text review; and arrival at the final version. Results: The Portuguese-language version of the QSQ for use in Brazil had a clarity score, as measured by cognitive debriefing, ranging from 0.81 to 0.99, demonstrating the consistency of translation and cross-cultural adaptation processes. Conclusions: The process of translating the QSQ into Portuguese and creating a version that is cross-culturally adapted for use in Brazil produced a valid instrument to assess the quality of life in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. PMID:28767769

Assessment of Young English Language Learners in Arizona: Questioning the Validity of the State Measure of English Proficiency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia, Eugene E.; Lawton, Kerry; Diniz de Figueiredo, Eduardo H.

2010-01-01

This study analyzes the Arizona policy of utilizing a single assessment of English proficiency to determine if students should be exited from the ELL program, which is ostensibly designed to make it possible for them to succeed in the mainstream classroom without any further language support. The study examines the predictive validity of this…

A Concise Protocol for the Validation of Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) Conversational Turn Counts in Vietnamese

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ganek, Hillary V.; Eriks-Brophy, Alice

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to present a protocol for the validation of the Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) System's conversational turn count (CTC) for Vietnamese speakers. Ten families of children aged between 22 and 42 months, recruited near Ho Chi Minh City, participated in this project. Each child wore the LENA audio recorder for a full…

Self-Efficacy for Managing Work-Family Conflict: Validating the English Language Version of a Hebrew Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hennessy, Kelly D.; Lent, Robert W.

2008-01-01

The Self-Efficacy for Work-Family Conflict Management Scale (SE-WFC), developed in Israel, was designed to assess beliefs regarding one's ability to manage conflict between work and family roles. This study examined the factor structure, reliability, and validity of an English language version of the SE-WFC in a sample of 159 working mothers in…

Mean Length of Utterance in Children with Specific Language Impairment and in Younger Control Children Shows Concurrent Validity and Stable and Parallel Growth Trajectories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rice, Mabel L.; Redmond, Sean M.; Hoffman, Lesa

2006-01-01

Purpose: Although mean length of utterance (MLU) is a useful benchmark in studies of children with specific language impairment (SLI), some empirical and interpretive issues are unresolved. The authors report on 2 studies examining, respectively, the concurrent validity and temporal stability of MLU equivalency between children with SLI and…

KAPSE Interface Team (KIT) Public Report. Volume 7

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-10-01

e E&V STATUS - Ray Szymanski (Wriaht-Patterson) was announced as the new chairman of the Evaluation and Validation Team. Two RFP’s are coming, for...are language interoperability problems (implementations using multiple languages where interoperability problems are experienced such as transferring...visitors were introduced. Ray Szymanski , the Evaluation & Validation Team Leader, is replacing Jinny Castor from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Dr

Conversion of Radiology Reporting Templates to the MRRT Standard.

PubMed

Kahn, Charles E; Genereaux, Brad; Langlotz, Curtis P

2015-10-01

In 2013, the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) Radiology workgroup developed the Management of Radiology Report Templates (MRRT) profile, which defines both the format of radiology reporting templates using an extension of Hypertext Markup Language version 5 (HTML5), and the transportation mechanism to query, retrieve, and store these templates. Of 200 English-language report templates published by the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), initially encoded as text and in an XML schema language, 168 have been converted successfully into MRRT using a combination of automated processes and manual editing; conversion of the remaining 32 templates is in progress. The automated conversion process applied Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XSLT) scripts, an XML parsing engine, and a Java servlet. The templates were validated for proper HTML5 and MRRT syntax using web-based services. The MRRT templates allow radiologists to share best-practice templates across organizations and have been uploaded to the template library to supersede the prior XML-format templates. By using MRRT transactions and MRRT-format templates, radiologists will be able to directly import and apply templates from the RSNA Report Template Library in their own MRRT-compatible vendor systems. The availability of MRRT-format reporting templates will stimulate adoption of the MRRT standard and is expected to advance the sharing and use of templates to improve the quality of radiology reports.

Validation of the United States Marine Corps Qualified Candidate Population Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-03-01

time. Fields are created in the database to support this forecasting. User forms and a macro are programmed in Microsoft VBA to develop the...at 0.001. To accomplish 50,000 iterations of a minimization problem, this study wrote a macro in the VBA programming language that guides the solver...success in the commissioning process. **To improve the diagnostics of this propensity model, other factors were considered as well. Applying SQL

Reliability and validity of a Swedish language version of the Resilience Scale.

PubMed

Nygren, Björn; Randström, Kerstin Björkman; Lejonklou, Anna K; Lundman, Beril

2004-01-01

The purpose of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the Swedish language version of the Resilience Scale (RS). Participants were 142 adults between 19-85 years of age. Internal consistency reliability, stability over time, and construct validity were evaluated using Cronbach's alpha, principal components analysis with varimax rotation and correlations with scores on the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE). The mean score on the RS was 142 (SD = 15). The possible scores on the RS range from 25 to 175, and scores higher than 146 are considered high. The test-retest correlation was .78. Correlations with the SOC and the RSE were .41 (p < 0.01) and .37 (p < 0.01), respectively. Personal Assurance and Acceptance of Self and Life emerged as components from the principal components analysis. These findings provide evidence for the reliability and validity of the Swedish language version of the RS.

The Reliability and Validity of Prostate Cancer Fatalism Inventory in Turkish Language.

PubMed

Aydoğdu, Nihal Gördes; Çapık, Cantürk; Ersin, Fatma; Kissal, Aygul; Bahar, Zuhal

2017-10-01

This study aimed to conduct the reliability and validity study of the Prostate Cancer Fatalism Inventory in Turkish language. The study carried out in methodological type and consisted of 171 men. The ages of the participants ranged between 40 and 82. The content validity index was determined to be 0.80, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value 0.825, Bartlett's test X 2  = 750.779 and p = 0.000. Then the principal component analysis was applied to the 15-item inventory. The inventory consisted of one dimension, and the load factors were over 0.30 for all items. The explained variance of the inventory was found 33.3 %. The Kuder-Richardson-20 coefficient was determined to be 0.849 and the item-total correlations ranged between 0.335 and 0.627. The Prostate Cancer Fatalism Inventory was a reliable and valid measurement tool in Turkish language. Integrating psychological strategies for prostate cancer screening may be required to strengthen the positive effects of nursing education.

Content validation of terms and definitions in a wound glossary.

PubMed

Milne, Catherine T; Paine, Tim; Sullivan, Valerie; Sawyer, Allen

2011-12-01

A common language and lexicon provide the easiest means of mutual understanding. Inconsistency in terminology makes effective information exchange difficult. Previous studies identified the need to determine standard, accepted definitions for the vocabulary frequently used in wound care. The objective of this study was to establish content validation for these terms and develop an evidence-based glossary for this specialty. Members of the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care Quality of Care Task Force reviewed literature to determine glossary content generation and the associated literature-based definitions. Thirty-nine wound care professionals from wound care stakeholder professional organizations in the United States and Canada participated in the content validation process. Participants were asked to quantify the degree of validity using a 367-item, 4-point Likert-type scale. On a scale of 1 to 4, the mean score of the entire instrument was 3.84. The instrument's overall scale content validity index was 0.96. Terms with an item content validity index of less than 0.70 were removed from the glossary, leaving 365 items with established content validity. Qualitative data analysis revealed themes suggesting that enhanced communication between providers improves patient outcomes. The need for ongoing updates of the glossary was also identified. The wound care glossary in its finalized form proved valid. An evidence-based glossary bridges the chasm of miscommunication and nonstandardization so that wound care, as an emerging specialized medical science field, can move forward to optimize both process and clinical outcomes.

The Communication Function Classification System: cultural adaptation, validity, and reliability of the Farsi version for patients with cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Soleymani, Zahra; Joveini, Ghodsiye; Baghestani, Ahmad Reza

2015-03-01

This study developed a Farsi language Communication Function Classification System and then tested its reliability and validity. Communication Function Classification System is designed to classify the communication functions of individuals with cerebral palsy. Up until now, there has been no instrument for assessment of this communication function in Iran. The English Communication Function Classification System was translated into Farsi and cross-culturally modified by a panel of experts. Professionals and parents then assessed the content validity of the modified version. A backtranslation of the Farsi version was confirmed by the developer of the English Communication Function Classification System. Face validity was assessed by therapists and parents of 10 patients. The Farsi Communication Function Classification System was administered to 152 individuals with cerebral palsy (age, 2 to 18 years; median age, 10 years; mean age, 9.9 years; standard deviation, 4.3 years). Inter-rater reliability was analyzed between parents, occupational therapists, and speech and language pathologists. The test-retest reliability was assessed for 75 patients with a 14 day interval between tests. The inter-rater reliability of the Communication Function Classification System was 0.81 between speech and language pathologists and occupational therapists, 0.74 between parents and occupational therapists, and 0.88 between parents and speech and language pathologists. The test-retest reliability was 0.96 for occupational therapists, 0.98 for speech and language pathologists, and 0.94 for parents. The findings suggest that the Farsi version of Communication Function Classification System is a reliable and valid measure that can be used in clinical settings to assess communication function in patients with cerebral palsy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Study Abroad and Intercultural Communication. The Challenge of Communication. ACTFL Review of Foreign Language Education, Vol. 6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bourque, Jane M.

Preparation for study abroad is a valid part of the foreign language program. One advantage of study abroad is the motivational focus it gives to home-based foreign languages programs. The possibility of participating in the foreign culture and actually using the language are incentives. Teaching intercultural communication and understanding is a…

The Cerebral Basis for Language Learner Strategies: A Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takeuchi, Osamu; Ikeda, Maiko; Mizumoto, Atsushi

2012-01-01

In this paper, we validate Macaro's (2006) model of strategy use among language learners by assessing the amount of neural activity around the prefrontal cortex, the supposed locus of working memory (WM). We also examine whether WM activation during first language (L1) strategy deployment is lower than WM activation during second language (L2)…

Screening Bilingual Preschoolers for Language Difficulties: Utility of Teacher and Parent Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pua, Emmanuel Peng Kiat; Lee, Mary Lay Choo; Rickard Liow, Susan J.

2017-01-01

Purpose: The utility of parent and teacher reports for screening 3 types of bilingual preschoolers (English-first language [L1]/Mandarin-second language[L2], Mandarin-L1/English-L2, or Malay-L1/English-L2) for language difficulty was investigated in Singapore with reference to measures of reliability, validity, sensitivity, and specificity in an…

Adaptation, validity, and reliability of the Preschool Language Scale-Fifth Edition (PLS-5) in the Turkish context: The Turkish Preschool Language Scale-5 (TPLS-5).

PubMed

Sahli, A Sanem; Belgin, Erol

2017-07-01

Speech and language assessment is very important in early diagnosis of children with hearing and speech disorders. Aim of this study is to determine the validity and reliability of Preschool Language Scale (5th edition) test with its Turkish translation and adaptation. Our study is conducted on 1320 children aged between 0-7 years 11 months. While 1044 of these children have normal hearing, language and speech development, 276 of them have receptive and/or expressive language disorder. After the English-Turkish and Turkish-English translations of PLS-5 made by two experts command of both languages, some of the test items are reorganized because of the grammatical features of Turkish and the cultural structure of the country. The pilot study was conducted with 378 children. The test which is reorganized in the light of data obtained in pilot application, is applied to children chosen randomly with layering technique from different regions of Turkey, then 15 days later the first test applied again to 120 children. While 1044 of 1320 children aged between 0 and 7 years 11 months are normal, 276 of them have receptive and/or expressive language disorder. While 98 of 103 healthy children of 120 taken under the second evaluation have normal language development, 8 of 9 who used to have language development disorder in the past still remaining (Kappa coefficient:0,468, p<0,001). Pearson correaltion coefficient for TPLS-5 standard gauge are; IA raw score:0,937, IED raw score: 0,908 and TDP: 0,887 respectively. Correlation coefficient for age equivalance is found as IA:0,871, IED: 0,896, TDP: 0,887. TPLS-5 is the first and only language test in our country that can evaluate receptive and/or expressive language skills of children aged between 0-7 years 11 months. Results of the study show that TPLS-5 is a valid and reliable language test for the Turkish children. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A Survey of Aviation English Tests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alderson, J. Charles

2010-01-01

The Lancaster Language Testing Research Group was commissioned in 2006 by the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol) to conduct a validation study of the development of a test called ELPAC (English Language Proficiency for Aeronautical Communication), intended to assess the language proficiency of air traffic…

[Fool's gold standards in language screening. Sensitivity and specificity of the Hessian child language screening test (Kindersprachscreening, KiSS)].

PubMed

Neumann, K; Holler-Zittlau, I; van Minnen, S; Sick, U; Zaretsky, Y; Euler, H A

2011-01-01

The German Kindersprachscreening (KiSS) is a universal speech and language screening test for large-scale identification of Hessian kindergarten children requiring special educational language training or clinical speech/language therapy. To calculate the procedural screening validity, 257 children (aged 4.0 to 4.5 years) were tested using KiSS and four language tests (Reynell Development Language Scales III, Patholinguistische Diagnostik, PLAKSS, AWST-R). The majority or consensus judgements of three speech-language professionals, based on the language test results, served as a reference criterion. The base (fail) rates of the professionals were either self-determined or preset based on known prevalence rates. Screening validity was higher for preset than for self-determined base rates due to higher inter-judge agreement. The confusion matrices of the overall index classification of the KiSS (speech-language abnormalities with educational or clinical needs) with the fixed base rate expert judgement about language impairment, including fluency or voice disorders, yielded a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 78%, for just language impairment 84% and 75%, respectively. Specificities for disorders requiring clinical diagnostics in the KiSS (language impairment alone or combined with fluency/voice disorders) related to the test-based consensus expert judgment was about 93%. Sensitivities were unsatisfactory because the differentiation between educational and clinical needs requires improvement. Since the judgement concordances between the speech-language professionals was only moderate, the development of a comprehensive German reference test for speech and language disorders with evidence-based algorithmic decision rules rather than subjective clinical judgement is advocated.

Validation of a Malay Version of the Smartphone Addiction Scale among Medical Students in Malaysia

PubMed Central

Sazlly Lim, Sazlyna Mohd; Wan Sulaiman, Wan Aliaa; Foo, Yoke Loong; Hoo, Fan kee

2015-01-01

Introduction This study was initiated to determine the psychometric properties of the Smart Phone Addiction Scale (SAS) by translating and validating this scale into the Malay language (SAS-M), which is the main language spoken in Malaysia. This study can distinguish smart phone and internet addiction among multi-ethnic Malaysian medical students. In addition, the reliability and validity of the SAS was also demonstrated. Materials and Methods A total of 228 participants were selected between August 2014 and September 2014 to complete a set of questionnaires, including the SAS and the modified Kimberly Young Internet addiction test (IAT) in the Malay language. Results There were 99 males and 129 females with ages ranging from 19 to 22 years old (21.7±1.1) included in this study. Descriptive and factor analyses, intra-class coefficients, t-tests and correlation analyses were conducted to verify the reliability and validity of the SAS. Bartlett’s test of sphericity was significant (p <0.01), and the Kaiser-Mayer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy for the SAS-M was 0.92, indicating meritoriously that the factor analysis was appropriate. The internal consistency and concurrent validity of the SAS-M were verified (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.94). All of the subscales of the SAS-M, except for positive anticipation, were significantly related to the Malay version of the IAT. Conclusions This study developed the first smart phone addiction scale among medical students. This scale was shown to be reliable and valid in the Malay language. PMID:26431511

Adaptation and Validation of the Basque Version of the Emotional Creativity Inventory in Higher Education.

PubMed

Soroa, Goretti; Aritzeta, Aitor; Balluerka, Nekane; Gorostiaga, Arantxa

2016-06-03

Emotional creativity is defined as the ability to feel and express emotions in a new, effective and authentic way. There are currently no Basque-language self-report instruments to provide valid and reliable measures of this construct. Thus, this paper describes the process of adapting and validating the Emotional Creativity Inventory (ECI) for the Basque-speaking population. The sample was comprised of 594 higher education students (388 women and 206 men) aged between 18 and 32 years old (Mage = 20.47; SD = 2.48). The Basque version of the ECI was administered along with the TMMS-23, NEO PI-R, and PANAS. The results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on the Basque ECI corroborated the original scale's three-factor structure (preparedness, novelty, and effectiveness/authenticity). Those dimensions showed acceptable indexes of internal consistency (α = .80, .83, and .83) and temporal stability (r = .70, .69, and .74). The study also provided some evidence of external validity (p < .05) based on the relationships found between emotional creativity and emotional intelligence, personality, affect, and sex. The Basque ECI can be regarded as a useful tool to evaluate perceived emotional creativity during the preparation and verification phases of the creative process.

HDF-EOS 5 Validator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ullman, Richard; Bane, Bob; Yang, Jingli

2008-01-01

A computer program partly automates the task of determining whether an HDF-EOS 5 file is valid in that it conforms to specifications for such characteristics as attribute names, dimensionality of data products, and ranges of legal data values. ["HDF-EOS" and variants thereof are defined in "Converting EOS Data From HDF-EOS to netCDF" (GSC-15007-1), which is the first of several preceding articles in this issue of NASA Tech Briefs.] Previously, validity of a file was determined in a tedious and error-prone process in which a person examined human-readable dumps of data-file-format information. The present software helps a user to encode the specifications for an HDFEOS 5 file, and then inspects the file for conformity with the specifications: First, the user writes the specifications in Extensible Markup Language (XML) by use of a document type definition (DTD) that is part of the program. Next, the portion of the program (denoted the validator) that performs the inspection is executed, using, as inputs, the specifications in XML and the HDF-EOS 5 file to be validated. Finally, the user examines the output of the validator.

Solving LR Conflicts Through Context Aware Scanning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leon, C. Rodriguez; Forte, L. Garcia

2011-09-01

This paper presents a new algorithm to compute the exact list of tokens expected by any LR syntax analyzer at any point of the scanning process. The lexer can, at any time, compute the exact list of valid tokens to return only tokens in this set. In the case than more than one matching token is in the valid set, the lexer can resort to a nested LR parser to disambiguate. Allowing nested LR parsing requires some slight modifications when building the LR parsing tables. We also show how LR parsers can parse conflictive and inherently ambiguous languages using a combination of nested parsing and context aware scanning. These expanded lexical analyzers can be generated from high level specifications.

Viability of Construct Validity of the Speaking Modules of International Language Examinations (IELTS vs. TOEFL iBT): Evidence from Iranian Test-Takers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zahedi, Keivan; Shamsaee, Saeedeh

2012-01-01

The aim of the present research is to examine the viability of the construct validity of the speaking modules of two internationally recognized language proficiency examinations, namely IELTS and TOEFL iBT. High-stake standardized tests play a crucial and decisive role in determining the future academic life of many people. Overall obtained scores…

Testing-Based Compiler Validation for Synchronous Languages

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garoche, Pierre-Loic; Howar, Falk; Kahsai, Temesghen; Thirioux, Xavier

2014-01-01

In this paper we present a novel lightweight approach to validate compilers for synchronous languages. Instead of verifying a compiler for all input programs or providing a fixed suite of regression tests, we extend the compiler to generate a test-suite with high behavioral coverage and geared towards discovery of faults for every compiled artifact. We have implemented and evaluated our approach using a compiler from Lustre to C.

The Development and Validation of a Spanish Language Version of the Test Anxiety Inventory for Children and Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Unruh, Susan M.; Lowe, Patricia A.

2010-01-01

This study details the development and validation of a Spanish language version of the Test Anxiety Inventory for Children and Adolescents (TAICA) for elementary and secondary students. In this study, the TAICA was adapted and administered to a sample of 197 students, 87 males and 110 females, aged 9 to 19 years, in Grades 4 to 12. Results of an…

Reliability and validity of the Pragmatics Observational Measure (POM): a new observational measure of pragmatic language for children.

PubMed

Cordier, Reinie; Munro, Natalie; Wilkes-Gillan, Sarah; Speyer, Renée; Pearce, Wendy M

2014-07-01

There is a need for a reliable and valid assessment of childhood pragmatic language skills during peer-peer interactions. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of a newly developed pragmatic assessment, the Pragmatic Observational Measure (POM). The psychometric properties of the POM were investigated from observational data of two studies - study 1 involved 342 children aged 5-11 years (108 children with ADHD; 108 typically developing playmates; 126 children in the control group), and study 2 involved 9 children with ADHD who attended a 7-week play-based intervention. The psychometric properties of the POM were determined based on the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) taxonomy of psychometric properties and definitions for health-related outcomes; the Pragmatic Protocol was used as the reference tool against which the POM was evaluated. The POM demonstrated sound psychometric properties in all the reliability, validity and interpretability criteria against which it was assessed. The findings showed that the POM is a reliable and valid measure of pragmatic language skills of children with ADHD between the age of 5 and 11 years and has clinical utility in identifying children with pragmatic language difficulty. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Concurrent and Predictive Validity of Parent Reports of Child Language at Ages 2 and 3 Years

PubMed Central

Campbell, Thomas F.; Kurs-Lasky, Marcia; Rockette, Howard E.; Dale, Philip S.; Colborn, D. Kathleen; Paradise, Jack L.

2005-01-01

The MacArthur–Bates Communicative Development Inventories (CDI; Dale, 1996; Fenson et al., 1994), parent reports about language skills, are being used increasingly in studies of theoretical and public health importance. This study (N = 113) correlated scores on the CDI at ages 2 and 3 years with scores at age 3 years on tests of cognition and receptive language and measures from parent–child conversation. Associations indicated reasonable concurrent and predictive validity. The findings suggest that satisfactory vocabulary scores at age 2 are likely to predict normal language skills at age 3, although some children with limited skills at age 3 will have had satisfactory scores at age 2. Many children with poor vocabulary scores at 2 will have normal skills at 3. PMID:16026501

International English Language Testing: A Critical Response

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Graham

2010-01-01

Uysal's article provides a research agenda for IELTS and lists numerous issues concerning the test's reliability and validity. She asks useful questions, but her analysis ignores the uncertainties inherent in all language test development and the wider social and political context of international high-stakes language testing. In this response, I…

A Functional Approach to Discourse: Interactional vs. Transactional Telephone Conversations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Hao

A study examined the validity of the distinction between interactional language, used to express social relations and personal attitudes, and transactional language, which conveys factual or prepositional information and is message oriented, within and across languages and cultures. Data were drawn from natural telephone conversations of three…

Assessing Toddler Language Competence: Agreement of Parents' and Preschool Teachers' Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marjanovic-Umek, Ljubica; Fekonja, Urska; Podlesek, Anja; Kranjc, Simona

2011-01-01

According to the findings of several studies, parents' assessments of their toddler's language are valid and reliable evaluations of children's language competence, especially at early development stages. This study examined whether preschool teachers, who spend a relatively great deal of time with toddlers in various preschool activities and…

The Prediction of Success in Intensive Foreign Language Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carroll, John B.

After a review of the problem of predicting foreign language success, this booklet describes the development, refinement, and validation of a battery of psychological tests, some involving tape-recorded auditory stimuli, for predicting rate of progress in learning a foreign language. Although the battery was developed for more general application…

Clinical Validity of the ADI-R in a US-Based Latino Population.

PubMed

Vanegas, Sandra B; Magaña, Sandra; Morales, Miguel; McNamara, Ellyn

2016-05-01

The Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) has been validated as a tool to aid in the diagnosis of Autism; however, given the growing diversity in the United States, the ADI-R must be validated for different languages and cultures. This study evaluates the validity of the ADI-R in a US-based Latino, Spanish-speaking population of 50 children and adolescents with ASD and developmental disability. Sensitivity and specificity of the ADI-R as a diagnostic tool were moderate, but lower than previously reported values. Validity of the social reciprocity and restrictive and repetitive behaviors domains was high, but low in the communication domain. Findings suggest that language discordance between caregiver and child may influence reporting of communication symptoms and contribute to lower sensitivity and specificity.

Unlocking echocardiogram measurements for heart disease research through natural language processing.

PubMed

Patterson, Olga V; Freiberg, Matthew S; Skanderson, Melissa; J Fodeh, Samah; Brandt, Cynthia A; DuVall, Scott L

2017-06-12

In order to investigate the mechanisms of cardiovascular disease in HIV infected and uninfected patients, an analysis of echocardiogram reports is required for a large longitudinal multi-center study. A natural language processing system using a dictionary lookup, rules, and patterns was developed to extract heart function measurements that are typically recorded in echocardiogram reports as measurement-value pairs. Curated semantic bootstrapping was used to create a custom dictionary that extends existing terminologies based on terms that actually appear in the medical record. A novel disambiguation method based on semantic constraints was created to identify and discard erroneous alternative definitions of the measurement terms. The system was built utilizing a scalable framework, making it available for processing large datasets. The system was developed for and validated on notes from three sources: general clinic notes, echocardiogram reports, and radiology reports. The system achieved F-scores of 0.872, 0.844, and 0.877 with precision of 0.936, 0.982, and 0.969 for each dataset respectively averaged across all extracted values. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is the most frequently extracted measurement. The precision of extraction of the LVEF measure ranged from 0.968 to 1.0 across different document types. This system illustrates the feasibility and effectiveness of a large-scale information extraction on clinical data. New clinical questions can be addressed in the domain of heart failure using retrospective clinical data analysis because key heart function measurements can be successfully extracted using natural language processing.

Experiments in concept modeling for radiographic image reports.

PubMed Central

Bell, D S; Pattison-Gordon, E; Greenes, R A

1994-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Development of methods for building concept models to support structured data entry and image retrieval in chest radiography. DESIGN: An organizing model for chest-radiographic reporting was built by analyzing manually a set of natural-language chest-radiograph reports. During model building, clinician-informaticians judged alternative conceptual structures according to four criteria: content of clinically relevant detail, provision for semantic constraints, provision for canonical forms, and simplicity. The organizing model was applied in representing three sample reports in their entirety. To explore the potential for automatic model discovery, the representation of one sample report was compared with the noun phrases derived from the same report by the CLARIT natural-language processing system. RESULTS: The organizing model for chest-radiographic reporting consists of 62 concept types and 17 relations, arranged in an inheritance network. The broadest types in the model include finding, anatomic locus, procedure, attribute, and status. Diagnoses are modeled as a subtype of finding. Representing three sample reports in their entirety added 79 narrower concept types. Some CLARIT noun phrases suggested valid associations among subtypes of finding, status, and anatomic locus. CONCLUSIONS: A manual modeling process utilizing explicitly stated criteria for making modeling decisions produced an organizing model that showed consistency in early testing. A combination of top-down and bottom-up modeling was required. Natural-language processing may inform model building, but algorithms that would replace manual modeling were not discovered. Further progress in modeling will require methods for objective model evaluation and tools for formalizing the model-building process. PMID:7719807

Information literacy of U.S. and Indian engineering undergraduates.

PubMed

Taraban, Roman; Suar, Damodar; Oliver, Kristin

2013-12-01

To be competitive, contemporary engineers must be capable of both processing and communicating information effectively. Available research suggests that Indian students would be disadvantaged in information literacy in their language of instruction (English) compared to U.S. students because English is not Indian students' native language. Compared to U.S. students, Indian students (a) were predicted to apply practical text processing strategies to a greater extent than analytic strategies and (b) endorse the direct transmission of information over critical, interpretive analysis of information. Two validated scales measuring self-reported use of reading strategies and beliefs about interpreting and critiquing written information were administered to engineering students at an Indian Institute of Technology in their freshman to senior years. Neither prediction was supported: Indian students reported applying analytic strategies over pragmatic strategies and were more disposed to critically analyze information rather than accept it passively. Further, Indian students reported being more analytic and more reflective in their reading behaviors than U.S. engineering students. Additional data indicated that U.S. and Indian students' text-processing strategies and beliefs are associated with the texts that they read and their academic behaviors.

Natural Language Processing Techniques for Extracting and Categorizing Finding Measurements in Narrative Radiology Reports.

PubMed

Sevenster, M; Buurman, J; Liu, P; Peters, J F; Chang, P J

2015-01-01

Accumulating quantitative outcome parameters may contribute to constructing a healthcare organization in which outcomes of clinical procedures are reproducible and predictable. In imaging studies, measurements are the principal category of quantitative para meters. The purpose of this work is to develop and evaluate two natural language processing engines that extract finding and organ measurements from narrative radiology reports and to categorize extracted measurements by their "temporality". The measurement extraction engine is developed as a set of regular expressions. The engine was evaluated against a manually created ground truth. Automated categorization of measurement temporality is defined as a machine learning problem. A ground truth was manually developed based on a corpus of radiology reports. A maximum entropy model was created using features that characterize the measurement itself and its narrative context. The model was evaluated in a ten-fold cross validation protocol. The measurement extraction engine has precision 0.994 and recall 0.991. Accuracy of the measurement classification engine is 0.960. The work contributes to machine understanding of radiology reports and may find application in software applications that process medical data.

Validation of an Arabic Version of the Obesity-Related Wellbeing (ORWELL 97) Questionnaire in Adults with Obesity.

PubMed

Itani, Leila; Calugi, Simona; Kreidieh, Dima; El Kassas, Germine; El Masri, Dana; Tannir, Hana; Dalle Grave, Riccardo; Harfoush, Aya; El Ghoch, Marwan

2018-01-10

No specific questionnaire that evaluates Health-Related Quality Of Life (HRQOL) in individuals with obesity is available in the Arabic language. The aim of this study was therefore to propose and examine the validity and reliability of an Arabic language version of the ORWELL 97, a validated obesity-related HRQOL questionnaire. The ORWELL 97 questionnaire was translated from English to Arabic language and administered to 318 Arabic-speaking participants (106 from clinical and 212 from community samples), and underwent internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct and discriminative validity analysis. Internal consistency and the test-retest reliability were excellent for ORWELL 97 global scores in the clinical sample. Participants with obesity displayed significantly higher ORWELL 97 scores than participants from the community sample, confirming the good discriminant validity of the questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis in the clinical sample revealed a good fit for a modified two-factor structure. Overall, the Arabic version of the ORWELL 97 can be considered validated in Arabic adult patients with obesity, paving the way to further assessment of its responsiveness in measuring changes in health-related quality of life associated with obesity treatment. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Methodological and Theoretical Issues in the Adaptation of Sign Language Tests: An Example from the Adaptation of a Test to German Sign Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haug, Tobias

2012-01-01

Despite the current need for reliable and valid test instruments in different countries in order to monitor the sign language acquisition of deaf children, very few tests are commercially available that offer strong evidence for their psychometric properties. This mirrors the current state of affairs for many sign languages, where very little…

Detecting Over- and Underreporting of Psychopathology with the Spanish-Language Personality Assessment Inventory: Findings from a Simulation Study with Bilingual Speakers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernandez, Krissie; Boccaccini, Marcus T.; Noland, Ramona M.

2008-01-01

Existing research on the Spanish-language translation of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI; L. C. Morey, 1991) suggests that the validity scales from the English- and Spanish-language versions may not be equivalent measures. In the current study, 72 bilingual participants completed both the English- and Spanish-language versions of the PAI…

English Word-Level Decoding and Oral Language Factors as Predictors of Third and Fifth Grade English Language Learners' Reading Comprehension Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Landon, Laura L.

2017-01-01

This study examines the application of the Simple View of Reading (SVR), a reading comprehension theory focusing on word recognition and linguistic comprehension, to English Language Learners' (ELLs') English reading development. This study examines the concurrent and predictive validity of two components of the SVR, oral language and word-level…

The Discourse of Language Testing as a Tool for Shaping National, Global, and Transnational Identities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shohamy, Elana

2013-01-01

While much of the work in language testing is concerned with constructing quality tests in order to measure language knowledge in reliable and valid ways, there has been a significant movement in language testing research that examines tests in the context of their use in education and society. This line of research exits from the notion that…

An initial reliability and validity study of the Interaction, Communication, and Literacy Skills Audit.

PubMed

El-Choueifati, Nisrine; Purcell, Alison; McCabe, Patricia; Heard, Robert; Munro, Natalie

2014-06-01

Early childhood educators (ECEs) have an important role in promoting positive outcomes for children's language and literacy development. This paper reports the development of a new tool, The Interaction Communication and Literacy (ICL) Skills Audit, and pilots its reliability and validity. Intra- and inter-rater reliability was examined by three speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Five skill areas relating to ECE language and literacy practice were rated. The face and content validity of the ICL Skills Audit was examined by expert SLPs (n = 8) and expert ECEs (n = 4) via questionnaire. The overall intra-rater reliability for the ICL Skills Audit was excellent with percentage close agreement (PCA) of 91-94. Inter-rater agreement was PCA 68-80. Expert SLPs and ECEs agreed that the content was comprehensive and practical. Based on this preliminary study, the ICL Skills Audit appears to be a promising tool that can be used by SLPs and ECEs in collaboration to measure the skills of ECEs in the areas of language and literacy support. Future psychometric and outcome research on the revised ICL Skills Audit is warranted.

Portuguese-language version of the Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire: a validity and reproducibility study.

PubMed

Moreira, Graciane Laender; Pitta, Fábio; Ramos, Dionei; Nascimento, Cinthia Sousa Carvalho; Barzon, Danielle; Kovelis, Demétria; Colange, Ana Lúcia; Brunetto, Antonio Fernando; Ramos, Ercy Mara Cipulo

2009-08-01

To determine the validity and reproducibility of a Portuguese-language version of the Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ) in patients with COPD. A Portuguese-language version of the CRQ (provided by McMaster University, the holder of the questionnaire copyright) was applied to 50 patients with COPD (70 +/- 8 years of age; 32 males; FEV1 = 47 +/- 18% of predicted) on two occasions, one week apart. The CRQ has four domains (dyspnea, fatigue, emotional function, and mastery) and was applied as an interviewer-administered instrument. The Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), already validated for use in Brazil, was used as the criterion for validation. Spirometry and the six-minute walk test (6MWT) were performed to analyze the correlations with the CRQ scores. There were no significant CRQ test-retest differences (p > 0.05 for all domains). The test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.98, 0.97, 0.98 and 0.95 for the dyspnea, fatigue, emotional function and mastery domains, respectively. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.91. The CRQ domains correlated significantly with the SGRQ domains (-0.30 < r < -0.67; p < 0.05). There were no significant correlations between spirometric variables and the CRQ domains or between the CRQ domains and the 6MWT, with the exception of the fatigue domain (r = 0.30; p = 0.04). The Portuguese-language version of the CRQ proved to be reproducible and valid for use in Brazilian patients with COPD.

Validity of the language development survey in infants born preterm.

PubMed

Beaulieu-Poulin, Camille; Simard, Marie-Noëlle; Babakissa, Hélène; Lefebvre, Francine; Luu, Thuy Mai

2016-07-01

Preterm infants are at greater risk of language delay. Early identification of language delay is essential to improve functional outcome in these children. To examine the concurrent validity of Rescorla's Language Development Survey and the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (Bayley-III) at 18months corrected age in preterm infants. Test accuracy study. 189 preterm infants born <29weeks were assessed at 18months. The Language Development Survey, a parent-reported screening instrument, was administered in French concurrently with the Language Scales of the Bayley-III. Receiver-Operating-Characteristics curves were used to determine optimal cut-off score on the Language Development Survey to identify Bayley-III score <85. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and κ coefficient were calculated. Using Rescorla's original cut-off scores of ≤10 words for boys and ≤24 for girls, sensitivity was 76% and 88% for boys and girls, respectively, and specificity was 73% and 52% for boys and girls, respectively, in identifying language delay as per the Bayley-III. The optimal threshold was ≤10 words for both boys and girls. In girls, lowering the cut-off score decreased sensitivity (79%), but improved specificity (82%), thus lowering the number of false-positives. Our findings support using the Language Development Survey as an expressive language screener in preterm infants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Validation of an instrument for assessing teacher knowledge of basic language constructs of literacy.

PubMed

Binks-Cantrell, Emily; Joshi, R Malatesha; Washburn, Erin K

2012-10-01

Recent national reports have stressed the importance of teacher knowledge in teaching reading. However, in the past, teachers' knowledge of language and literacy constructs has typically been assessed with instruments that are not fully tested for validity. In the present study, an instrument was developed; and its reliability, item difficulty, and item discrimination were computed and examined to identify model fit by applying exploratory factor analysis. Such analyses showed that the instrument demonstrated adequate estimates of reliability in assessing teachers' knowledge of language constructs. The implications for professional development of in-service teachers as well as preservice teacher education are also discussed.

Ada Compiler Validation Summary Report. Certificate Number: 891129W1. 10198 International Business Machines Corporation, the IBM Development System for the Ada Language AIX/RT Follow-on, Version 1.1 IBM RT Follow-on. Completion of On-Site Testing: 29 November 1989

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-11-29

nvmbe’j International Business Machines Corporation Wright-Patterson AFB, The IBM Development System for the Ada Language AIX/RT follow-on, Version 1.1...Certificate Number: 891129W1.10198 International Business Machines Corporation The IBM Development System for the Ada Language AIX/RT Follow-on, Version 1.1 IBM...scripts provided by International Business Machines Corporation and reviewed by the validation team. The compiler was tested using all the following

Development of a physically-based planar inductors VHDL-AMS model for integrated power converter design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ammouri, Aymen; Ben Salah, Walid; Khachroumi, Sofiane; Ben Salah, Tarek; Kourda, Ferid; Morel, Hervé

2014-05-01

Design of integrated power converters needs prototype-less approaches. Specific simulations are required for investigation and validation process. Simulation relies on active and passive device models. Models of planar devices, for instance, are still not available in power simulator tools. There is, thus, a specific limitation during the simulation process of integrated power systems. The paper focuses on the development of a physically-based planar inductor model and its validation inside a power converter during transient switching. The planar inductor model remains a complex device to model, particularly when the skin, the proximity and the parasitic capacitances effects are taken into account. Heterogeneous simulation scheme, including circuit and device models, is successfully implemented in VHDL-AMS language and simulated in Simplorer platform. The mixed simulation results has been favorably tested and compared with practical measurements. It is found that the multi-domain simulation results and measurements data are in close agreement.

Acoustic evidence for phonologically mismatched speech errors.

PubMed

Gormley, Andrea

2015-04-01

Speech errors are generally said to accommodate to their new phonological context. This accommodation has been validated by several transcription studies. The transcription methodology is not the best choice for detecting errors at this level, however, as this type of error can be difficult to perceive. This paper presents an acoustic analysis of speech errors that uncovers non-accommodated or mismatch errors. A mismatch error is a sub-phonemic error that results in an incorrect surface phonology. This type of error could arise during the processing of phonological rules or they could be made at the motor level of implementation. The results of this work have important implications for both experimental and theoretical research. For experimentalists, it validates the tools used for error induction and the acoustic determination of errors free of the perceptual bias. For theorists, this methodology can be used to test the nature of the processes proposed in language production.

Sentence alignment using feed forward neural network.

PubMed

Fattah, Mohamed Abdel; Ren, Fuji; Kuroiwa, Shingo

2006-12-01

Parallel corpora have become an essential resource for work in multi lingual natural language processing. However, sentence aligned parallel corpora are more efficient than non-aligned parallel corpora for cross language information retrieval and machine translation applications. In this paper, we present a new approach to align sentences in bilingual parallel corpora based on feed forward neural network classifier. A feature parameter vector is extracted from the text pair under consideration. This vector contains text features such as length, punctuate score, and cognate score values. A set of manually prepared training data has been assigned to train the feed forward neural network. Another set of data was used for testing. Using this new approach, we could achieve an error reduction of 60% over length based approach when applied on English-Arabic parallel documents. Moreover this new approach is valid for any language pair and it is quite flexible approach since the feature parameter vector may contain more/less or different features than that we used in our system such as lexical match feature.

Focus-on-form instructional methods promote deaf college students' improvement in English grammar.

PubMed

Berent, Gerald P; Kelly, Ronald R; Aldersley, Stephen; Schmitz, Kathryn L; Khalsa, Baldev Kaur; Panara, John; Keenan, Susan

2007-01-01

Focus-on-form English teaching methods are designed to facilitate second-language learners' noticing of target language input, where "noticing" is an acquisitional prerequisite for the comprehension, processing, and eventual integration of new grammatical knowledge. While primarily designed for teaching hearing second-language learners, many focus-on-form methods lend themselves to visual presentation. This article reports the results of classroom research on the visually based implementation of focus-on-form methods with deaf college students learning English. Two of 3 groups of deaf students received focus-on-form instruction during a 10-week remedial grammar course; a third control group received grammatical instruction that did not involve focus-on-form methods. The 2 experimental groups exhibited significantly greater improvement in English grammatical knowledge relative to the control group. These results validate the efficacy of visually based focus-on-form English instruction for deaf students of English and set the stage for the continual search for innovative and effective English teaching methodologies.

Robust model selection and the statistical classification of languages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García, J. E.; González-López, V. A.; Viola, M. L. L.

2012-10-01

In this paper we address the problem of model selection for the set of finite memory stochastic processes with finite alphabet, when the data is contaminated. We consider m independent samples, with more than half of them being realizations of the same stochastic process with law Q, which is the one we want to retrieve. We devise a model selection procedure such that for a sample size large enough, the selected process is the one with law Q. Our model selection strategy is based on estimating relative entropies to select a subset of samples that are realizations of the same law. Although the procedure is valid for any family of finite order Markov models, we will focus on the family of variable length Markov chain models, which include the fixed order Markov chain model family. We define the asymptotic breakdown point (ABDP) for a model selection procedure, and we show the ABDP for our procedure. This means that if the proportion of contaminated samples is smaller than the ABDP, then, as the sample size grows our procedure selects a model for the process with law Q. We also use our procedure in a setting where we have one sample conformed by the concatenation of sub-samples of two or more stochastic processes, with most of the subsamples having law Q. We conducted a simulation study. In the application section we address the question of the statistical classification of languages according to their rhythmic features using speech samples. This is an important open problem in phonology. A persistent difficulty on this problem is that the speech samples correspond to several sentences produced by diverse speakers, corresponding to a mixture of distributions. The usual procedure to deal with this problem has been to choose a subset of the original sample which seems to best represent each language. The selection is made by listening to the samples. In our application we use the full dataset without any preselection of samples. We apply our robust methodology estimating a model which represent the main law for each language. Our findings agree with the linguistic conjecture, related to the rhythm of the languages included on our dataset.

Multinational trials-recommendations on the translations required, approaches to using the same language in different countries, and the approaches to support pooling the data: the ISPOR Patient-Reported Outcomes Translation and Linguistic Validation Good Research Practices Task Force report.

PubMed

Wild, Diane; Eremenco, Sonya; Mear, Isabelle; Martin, Mona; Houchin, Caroline; Gawlicki, Mary; Hareendran, Asha; Wiklund, Ingela; Chong, Lee Yee; von Maltzahn, Robyn; Cohen, Lawrence; Molsen, Elizabeth

2009-06-01

With the internationalization of clinical trial programs, there is an increased need to translate and culturally adapt patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures. Although guidelines for good practices in translation and linguistic validation are available, the ISPOR Patient-Reported Outcomes Translation and Linguistic Validation Task Force identified a number of areas where they felt that further discussion around methods and best practices would be beneficial. The areas identified by the team were as follows: 1) the selection of the languages required for multinational trials; 2) the approaches suggested when the same language is required across two or more countries; and 3) the assessment of measurement equivalence to support the aggregation of data from different countries. The task force addressed these three areas, reviewed the available literature, and had multiple discussions to develop this report. Decision aid tools have also been developed and presented for the selection of languages and the approaches suggested for the use of the same language in different countries. It is hoped that this report and the decision tools proposed will assist those involved with multinational trials to 1) decide on the translations required for each country; 2) choose the approach to use when the same language is spoken in more than one country; and 3) choose methods to gather evidence to support the pooling of data collected using different language versions of the same tool.

What Box: A task for assessing language lateralization in young children.

PubMed

Badcock, Nicholas A; Spooner, Rachael; Hofmann, Jessica; Flitton, Atlanta; Elliott, Scott; Kurylowicz, Lisa; Lavrencic, Louise M; Payne, Heather M; Holt, Georgina K; Holden, Anneka; Churches, Owen F; Kohler, Mark J; Keage, Hannah A D

2018-07-01

The assessment of active language lateralization in infants and toddlers is challenging. It requires an imaging tool that is unintimidating, quick to setup, and robust to movement, in addition to an engaging and cognitively simple language processing task. Functional Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound (fTCD) offers a suitable technique and here we report on a suitable method to elicit active language production in young children. The 34-second "What Box" trial presents an animated face "searching" for an object. The face "finds" a box that opens to reveal a to-be-labelled object. In a sample of 95 children (1 to 5 years of age), 81% completed the task-32% with ≥10 trials. The task was validated (ρ = 0.4) against the gold standard Word Generation task in a group of older adults (n = 65, 60-85 years of age), though was less likely to categorize lateralization as left or right, indicative of greater measurement variability. Existing methods for active language production have been used with 2-year-old children while passive listening has been conducted with sleeping 6-month-olds. This is the first active method to be successfully employed with infants through to pre-schoolers, forming a useful tool for populations in which complex instructions are problematic.

Improving the Plasticity of LIMS Implementation: LIMS Extension through Microsoft Excel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Culver, Mark

2017-01-01

A Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) is a databasing software with many built-in tools ideal for handling and documenting most laboratory processes in an accurate and consistent manner, making it an indispensable tool for the modern laboratory. However, a lot of LIMS end users will find that in the performance of analyses that have unique considerations such as standard curves, multiple stages incubations, or logical considerations, a base LIMS distribution may not ideally suit their needs. These considerations bring about the need for extension languages, which can extend the functionality of a LIMS. While these languages do provide the implementation team the functionality required to accommodate these special laboratory analyses, they are usually too complex for the end user to modify to compensate for natural changes in laboratory operations. The LIMS utilized by our laboratory offers a unique and easy-to-use choice for an extension language, one that is already heavily relied upon not only in science but also in most academic and business pursuits: Microsoft Excel. The validity of Microsoft Excel as a pseudo programming language and its usability and versatility as a LIMS extension language will be discussed. The NELAC implications and overall drawbacks of this LIMS configuration will also be discussed.

[Huntington's disease: molecular foundations and implications in the characterisation of the neuronal mechanisms responsible for linguistic processing].

PubMed

Benítez-Burraco, A

Certain neuronal models of linguistic processing suggest that the basal ganglia play a key role in this processing, thanks to their integration within the so-called cortico-striato-cortical circuits. A comparative analysis, at a phenotypic and molecular level, of the pathologies, syndromes and disorders that entail a structural alteration and/or a dysfunction of the basal ganglia is essential for validating and optimising such models, as well as for achieving a suitable characterisation of the genetic program responsible for the development and functioning of the 'language organ'. One of the most significant pathologies in this respect is Huntington's disease, which is caused by the destruction of certain groups of neurons in the caudate nucleus. This type of analysis seems to confirm the hypothesis that, during linguistic processing, the basal ganglia would be responsible for planning and modulating the sequential tasks related to the so-called procedural (or computational or rule-applying) component of language. Equally plausible, however, is the hypothesis that, inside them, there would be regions that are specifically dedicated to processing the different (morphological and syntactical) rules that go to make up said component. Additionally, the nature of these subcortical structures and the function they perform would explain the simultaneous presence of an articulatory and a linguistic deficit in disorders in which the basal ganglia are affected. Lastly, this kind of analysis is also making it possible to characterise some of the genes that constitute the genetic program responsible for the development and functioning of this region of the brain and, by extension, of the 'language organ'.

Reliability and validity of an adapted Arabic version of the Scoliosis Research Society-22r Questionnaire.

PubMed

Haidar, Rachid K; Kassak, Kassem; Masrouha, Karim; Ibrahim, Kamal; Mhaidli, Hani

2015-09-01

Cross-sectional validation and reliability assessment study of Arabic version of Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22r) Questionnaire. To develop and validate the Arabic version of the SRS-22r questionnaire. The diagnosis and treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis may influence patient quality of life. SRS-22r is an internationally validated questionnaire used to assess function/activity, pain, self-image, and mental health of patients with scoliosis. It has been translated into several languages but not into Arabic language. Therefore, a valid health-related quality-of-life outcome questionnaire for patients with spinal deformity is still lacking in Arabic language. The English version of SRS-22r questionnaire was translated, back-translated, and culturally adapted to Arabic language. Then, 81 patients with idiopathic adolescent scoliosis were allocated randomly into either the reliability testing group (group 1) or the validity testing group (group 2). Group 1 patients completed Arabic version of SRS-22r questionnaire twice with 1-week interval in-between. Cronbach α and intraclass correlation coefficient were measured to determine internal consistency and temporal reliability. Group 2 patients completed the Arabic version of SRS-22r questionnaire and the previously validated Arabic version of 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (Short Form-36) questionnaire concurrently, and Pearson correlation coefficient was obtained to assess validity. Content analysis, internal consistency reliability, test/retest reproducibility (intraclass correlation coefficient range: 0.82-0.90), and test of concurrent validity showed satisfactory results. Function/activity and satisfaction with management domains had a lower Cronbach α (0.58 and 0.44, respectively, vs. 0.71-0.85 range for others). Self-image/appearance and satisfaction with management had a lower correlation with domains of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey. An Arabic version of the SRS-22r questionnaire has been developed and validated. This questionnaire will aid health care workers and researchers in evaluation of patient perception of the deformity, satisfaction with treatment, and quality of life in Arabic-speaking populations. 3.

The Process of Translation and Linguistic Validation of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Brain Quality of Life Instrument from English to Malayalam: The Challenges Faced.

PubMed

Menon, Durgapoorna; Venkateswaran, Chitra

2017-01-01

Both brain tumors and their treatments have a major negative impact on the quality of life (QoL). EORTC BN20 and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Brain (FACT-BR) are the most commonly used tools to assess QoL. The FACT-BR is a 23-item questionnaire, especially about the psychosocial aspects of QoL. This paper describes the challenges we faced during the process of translation and validation of the FACT-BR into Malayalam. We first screened the patients to ensure their mental status was satisfactory and that they could communicate well in both languages. According to the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy methodology, there were two forward translations from English to Malayalam by two independent translators, a reconciliation of the two forward translations, a back-translation into English, a review/finalization by a fifth translator, proofreading, and then testing on a small cohort of patients. The whole process of translation was fraught with small and large hurdles - from small technical issues to the gaps in sociocultural norms. The sub item BR 7, due to the lack of an exact equivalent word, had issues that persisted up to the validation phase. The postquestionnaire debriefing interviews confirmed that the translations were well understood and conceptually equivalent to the original English one. Translation of the FACT-BR into Malayalam nearly completely reproduced the concepts of the original English questionnaire, as proved in the subsequent validation process.

“When Music Speaks”: Auditory Cortex Morphology as a Neuroanatomical Marker of Language Aptitude and Musicality

PubMed Central

Turker, Sabrina; Reiterer, Susanne M.; Seither-Preisler, Annemarie; Schneider, Peter

2017-01-01

Recent research has shown that the morphology of certain brain regions may indeed correlate with a number of cognitive skills such as musicality or language ability. The main aim of the present study was to explore the extent to which foreign language aptitude, in particular phonetic coding ability, is influenced by the morphology of Heschl’s gyrus (HG; auditory cortex), working memory capacity, and musical ability. In this study, the auditory cortices of German-speaking individuals (N = 30; 13 males/17 females; aged 20–40 years) with high and low scores in a number of language aptitude tests were compared. The subjects’ language aptitude was measured by three different tests, namely a Hindi speech imitation task (phonetic coding ability), an English pronunciation assessment, and the Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT). Furthermore, working memory capacity and musical ability were assessed to reveal their relationship with foreign language aptitude. On the behavioral level, significant correlations were found between phonetic coding ability, English pronunciation skills, musical experience, and language aptitude as measured by the MLAT. Parts of all three tests measuring language aptitude correlated positively and significantly with each other, supporting their validity for measuring components of language aptitude. Remarkably, the number of instruments played by subjects showed significant correlations with all language aptitude measures and musicality, whereas, the number of foreign languages did not show any correlations. With regard to the neuroanatomy of auditory cortex, adults with very high scores in the Hindi testing and the musicality test (AMMA) demonstrated a clear predominance of complete posterior HG duplications in the right hemisphere. This may reignite the discussion of the importance of the right hemisphere for language processing, especially when linked or common resources are involved, such as the inter-dependency between phonetic and musical aptitude. PMID:29250017

An Integrative Theory of Psychotherapy: Research and Practice

PubMed Central

Epstein, Seymour; Epstein, Martha L.

2016-01-01

A dual-process personality theory and supporting research are presented. The dual processes comprise an experiential system and a rational system. The experiential system is an adaptive, associative learning system that humans share with other higher-order animals. The rational system is a uniquely human, primarily verbal, reasoning system. It is assumed that when humans developed language they did not abandon their previous ways of adapting, they simply added language to their experiential system. The two systems are assumed to operate in parallel and are bi-directionally interactive. The validity of these assumptions is supported by extensive research. Of particular relevance for psychotherapy, the experiential system, which is compatible with evolutionary theory, replaces the Freudian maladaptive unconscious system that is indefensible from an evolutionary perspective, as sub-human animals would then have only a single system that is maladaptive. The aim of psychotherapy is to produce constructive changes in the experiential system. Changes in the rational system are useful only to the extent that they contribute to constructive changes in the experiential system. PMID:27672302

An Integrative Theory of Psychotherapy: Research and Practice.

PubMed

Epstein, Seymour; Epstein, Martha L

2016-06-01

A dual-process personality theory and supporting research are presented. The dual processes comprise an experiential system and a rational system. The experiential system is an adaptive, associative learning system that humans share with other higher-order animals. The rational system is a uniquely human, primarily verbal, reasoning system. It is assumed that when humans developed language they did not abandon their previous ways of adapting, they simply added language to their experiential system. The two systems are assumed to operate in parallel and are bi-directionally interactive. The validity of these assumptions is supported by extensive research. Of particular relevance for psychotherapy, the experiential system, which is compatible with evolutionary theory, replaces the Freudian maladaptive unconscious system that is indefensible from an evolutionary perspective, as sub-human animals would then have only a single system that is maladaptive. The aim of psychotherapy is to produce constructive changes in the experiential system. Changes in the rational system are useful only to the extent that they contribute to constructive changes in the experiential system.

Chinese Sentence Classification Based on Convolutional Neural Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Chengwei; Wu, Ming; Zhang, Chuang

2017-10-01

Sentence classification is one of the significant issues in Natural Language Processing (NLP). Feature extraction is often regarded as the key point for natural language processing. Traditional ways based on machine learning can not take high level features into consideration, such as Naive Bayesian Model. The neural network for sentence classification can make use of contextual information to achieve greater results in sentence classification tasks. In this paper, we focus on classifying Chinese sentences. And the most important is that we post a novel architecture of Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to apply on Chinese sentence classification. In particular, most of the previous methods often use softmax classifier for prediction, we embed a linear support vector machine to substitute softmax in the deep neural network model, minimizing a margin-based loss to get a better result. And we use tanh as an activation function, instead of ReLU. The CNN model improve the result of Chinese sentence classification tasks. Experimental results on the Chinese news title database validate the effectiveness of our model.

A methodology for extending domain coverage in SemRep.

PubMed

Rosemblat, Graciela; Shin, Dongwook; Kilicoglu, Halil; Sneiderman, Charles; Rindflesch, Thomas C

2013-12-01

We describe a domain-independent methodology to extend SemRep coverage beyond the biomedical domain. SemRep, a natural language processing application originally designed for biomedical texts, uses the knowledge sources provided by the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS©). Ontological and terminological extensions to the system are needed in order to support other areas of knowledge. We extended SemRep's application by developing a semantic representation of a previously unsupported domain. This was achieved by adapting well-known ontology engineering phases and integrating them with the UMLS knowledge sources on which SemRep crucially depends. While the process to extend SemRep coverage has been successfully applied in earlier projects, this paper presents in detail the step-wise approach we followed and the mechanisms implemented. A case study in the field of medical informatics illustrates how the ontology engineering phases have been adapted for optimal integration with the UMLS. We provide qualitative and quantitative results, which indicate the validity and usefulness of our methodology. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Converting CSV Files to RKSML Files

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trebi-Ollennu, Ashitey; Liebersbach, Robert

2009-01-01

A computer program converts, into a format suitable for processing on Earth, files of downlinked telemetric data pertaining to the operation of the Instrument Deployment Device (IDD), which is a robot arm on either of the Mars Explorer Rovers (MERs). The raw downlinked data files are in comma-separated- value (CSV) format. The present program converts the files into Rover Kinematics State Markup Language (RKSML), which is an Extensible Markup Language (XML) format that facilitates representation of operations of the IDD and enables analysis of the operations by means of the Rover Sequencing Validation Program (RSVP), which is used to build sequences of commanded operations for the MERs. After conversion by means of the present program, the downlinked data can be processed by RSVP, enabling the MER downlink operations team to play back the actual IDD activity represented by the telemetric data against the planned IDD activity. Thus, the present program enhances the diagnosis of anomalies that manifest themselves as differences between actual and planned IDD activities.

Brief Report: Concurrent Validity of the Leiter-R and KBIT-2 Scales of Nonverbal Intelligence for Children with Autism and Language Impairments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scattone, Dorothy; Raggio, Donald J.; May, Warren

2012-01-01

The concurrent validity of the KBIT-2 Nonverbal IQ and Leiter-R Brief IQ was evaluated for two groups of children: those with high functioning autism and those with language impairments without autism. Fifty-three children between the ages of 4 and 13 years of age participated in the study. The correlation between the scales was large (r = 0.62)…

Applying an MVC Framework for The System Development Life Cycle with Waterfall Model Extended

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hardyanto, W.; Purwinarko, A.; Sujito, F.; Masturi; Alighiri, D.

2017-04-01

This paper describes the extension of the waterfall model using MVC architectural pattern for software development. The waterfall model is the based model of the most widely used in software development, yet there are still many problems in it. The general issue usually happens on data changes that cause the delays on the process itself. On the other hand, the security factor on the software as well as one of the major problems. This study uses PHP programming language for implementation. Although this model can be implemented in several programming languages with the same concept. This study is based on MVC architecture so that it can improve the performance of both software development and maintenance, especially concerning security, validation, database access, and routing.

Automated chart review utilizing natural language processing algorithm for asthma predictive index.

PubMed

Kaur, Harsheen; Sohn, Sunghwan; Wi, Chung-Il; Ryu, Euijung; Park, Miguel A; Bachman, Kay; Kita, Hirohito; Croghan, Ivana; Castro-Rodriguez, Jose A; Voge, Gretchen A; Liu, Hongfang; Juhn, Young J

2018-02-13

Thus far, no algorithms have been developed to automatically extract patients who meet Asthma Predictive Index (API) criteria from the Electronic health records (EHR) yet. Our objective is to develop and validate a natural language processing (NLP) algorithm to identify patients that meet API criteria. This is a cross-sectional study nested in a birth cohort study in Olmsted County, MN. Asthma status ascertained by manual chart review based on API criteria served as gold standard. NLP-API was developed on a training cohort (n = 87) and validated on a test cohort (n = 427). Criterion validity was measured by sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the NLP algorithm against manual chart review for asthma status. Construct validity was determined by associations of asthma status defined by NLP-API with known risk factors for asthma. Among the eligible 427 subjects of the test cohort, 48% were males and 74% were White. Median age was 5.3 years (interquartile range 3.6-6.8). 35 (8%) had a history of asthma by NLP-API vs. 36 (8%) by abstractor with 31 by both approaches. NLP-API predicted asthma status with sensitivity 86%, specificity 98%, positive predictive value 88%, negative predictive value 98%. Asthma status by both NLP and manual chart review were significantly associated with the known asthma risk factors, such as history of allergic rhinitis, eczema, family history of asthma, and maternal history of smoking during pregnancy (p value < 0.05). Maternal smoking [odds ratio: 4.4, 95% confidence interval 1.8-10.7] was associated with asthma status determined by NLP-API and abstractor, and the effect sizes were similar between the reviews with 4.4 vs 4.2 respectively. NLP-API was able to ascertain asthma status in children mining from EHR and has a potential to enhance asthma care and research through population management and large-scale studies when identifying children who meet API criteria.

Why Are You Learning a Second Language? Motivational Orientations and Self-Determination Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noels, Kimberly A.; Pelletier, Luc G.; Clement, Richard; Vallerand, Robert J.

2003-01-01

Examined self-determination theory (SDT) in the language learning context. Involved the development of a valid and reliable instrument to assess different subtypes of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and explored the link between these motivational sub-types and various orientations to language learning. Showed instrumental orientation and the…

Sensitivity to the Learning Needs of Newcomers in Foreign Language Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klein, Ana Maria

2008-01-01

This article focuses on the instructional needs of newcomers to the North American classrooms who already speak one or more foreign languages and who are coping with classroom-related language issues. It taps into positive instructional strategies that are culturally-validating and welcoming for these students. Inspired by an invited Oxford Round…

Speech Recognition Software for Language Learning: Toward an Evaluation of Validity and Student Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cordier, Deborah

2009-01-01

A renewed focus on foreign language (FL) learning and speech for communication has resulted in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) software developed with Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR). ASR features for FL pronunciation (Lafford, 2004) are functional components of CALL designs used for FL teaching and learning. The ASR features…

Tracing the Signature Dynamics of Language Teacher Immunity: A Retrodictive Qualitative Modeling Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hiver, Phil

2017-01-01

This article describes a validation study using Retrodictive Qualitative Modeling, a framework for conducting research from a dynamic and situated perspective, to establish an empirical foundation for a new phenomenological construct--language teacher immunity. Focus groups (N = 44) conducted with second language (L2) practitioners and teacher…

Assess the Critical Period Hypothesis in Second Language Acquisition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Du, Lihong

2010-01-01

The Critical Period Hypothesis aims to investigate the reason for significant difference between first language acquisition and second language acquisition. Over the past few decades, researchers carried out a series of studies to test the validity of the hypothesis. Although there were certain limitations in these studies, most of their results…

Intercultural Language Learning at Work: A Student-Designed Module

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadoux, Marion

2016-01-01

During the academic year 2014-15, the Language Centre at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) worked in partnership with students on the design and validation of accredited work placement modules in the Language Centre. This initiative, endorsed by the UK campus within the Students As Change Agents (SACA) programme, aimed to address…

What Is a National Language Good for?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coulmas, Florian

The question of what a national language is good for has been asked and answered many times, and the validity of each answer depends on historical circumstances. Many assume that there is a direct relationship between language and nation. Leibniz argued in 1683, at a time when bilingualism was socially stratifying, that nation and language…

A Study of Foreign Language Learning Outcomes Assessment in U.S. Undergraduate Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ricardo-Osorio, Jose G.

2008-01-01

This article reports on findings obtained from an online survey answered by 97 foreign language department chairs. The Web survey was pilot tested for validity and reliability and obtained a Cronbach's reliability coefficient of .80. The results suggest that student learning outcomes assessment in American undergraduate foreign language education…

TESL Reporter, Vol. 11, No. 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pack, Alice C., Ed.

This issue contains five articles on teaching English as a second language. "Predictive Validity of the CELT" by R. T. Moran and J. G. Erion discusses use of the Comprehensive English Language Test for Speakers of English as a Second Language to predict later success in a setting where nearly all students speak English as their second…

Psychometric properties of a sign language version of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI).

PubMed

Øhre, Beate; Saltnes, Hege; von Tetzchner, Stephen; Falkum, Erik

2014-05-22

There is a need for psychiatric assessment instruments that enable reliable diagnoses in persons with hearing loss who have sign language as their primary language. The objective of this study was to assess the validity of the Norwegian Sign Language (NSL) version of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). The MINI was translated into NSL. Forty-one signing patients consecutively referred to two specialised psychiatric units were assessed with a diagnostic interview by clinical experts and with the MINI. Inter-rater reliability was assessed with Cohen's kappa and "observed agreement". There was 65% agreement between MINI diagnoses and clinical expert diagnoses. Kappa values indicated fair to moderate agreement, and observed agreement was above 76% for all diagnoses. The MINI diagnosed more co-morbid conditions than did the clinical expert interview (mean diagnoses: 1.9 versus 1.2). Kappa values indicated moderate to substantial agreement, and "observed agreement" was above 88%. The NSL version performs similarly to other MINI versions and demonstrates adequate reliability and validity as a diagnostic instrument for assessing mental disorders in persons who have sign language as their primary and preferred language.

The validity and clinical utility of the Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand questionnaire for hand injuries in developing country contexts: A systematic review.

PubMed

de Klerk, Susan; Buchanan, Helen; Jerosch-Herold, Christina

Systematic review. The Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire has multiple language versions from many countries around the world. In addition there is extensive research evidence of its psychometric properties. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the evidence available on the validity and clinical utility of the Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand as a measure of activity and participation in patients with musculoskeletal hand injuries in developing country contexts. We registered the review with international prospective register of systematic reviews prior to conducting a comprehensive literature search and extracting descriptive data. Two reviewers independently assessed methodological quality with the Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments critical appraisal tool, the checklist to operationalize measurement characteristics of patient-rated outcome measures and the multidimensional model of clinical utility. Fourteen studies reporting 12 language versions met the eligibility criteria. Two language versions (Persian and Turkish) had an overall rating of good, and one (Thai) had an overall rating of excellent for cross-cultural validity. The remaining 9 language versions had an overall poor rating for cross-cultural validity. Content and construct validity and clinical utility yielded similar results. Poor quality ratings for validity and clinical utility were due to insufficient documentation of results and inadequate psychometric testing. With the increase in migration and globalization, hand therapists are likely to require a range of culturally adapted and translated versions of the Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand. Recommendations include rigorous application and reporting of cross-cultural adaptation, appropriate psychometric testing, and testing of clinical utility in routine clinical practice. Copyright © 2017 Hanley & Belfus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Validation of the Focus on the Outcomes of Communication under Six outcome measure

PubMed Central

Thomas-Stonell, Nancy; Oddson, Bruce; Robertson, Bernadette; Rosenbaum, Peter

2013-01-01

Aim The aim of this study was to establish the construct validity of the Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six (FOCUS©),a tool designed to measure changes in communication skills in preschool children. Method Participating families' children (n=97; 68 males, 29 females; mean age 2y 8mo; SD 1.04y, range 10mo–4y 11mo) were recruited through eight Canadian organizations. The children were on a waiting list for speech and language intervention. Parents completed the Ages and Stages Questionnaire – Social/Emotional (ASQ-SE) and the FOCUS three times: at assessment and at the start and end of treatment. A second sample (n=28; 16 males 12 females) was recruited from another organization to correlate the FOCUS scores with speech, intelligibility and language measures. Second sample participants ranged in age from 3 years 1 month to 4 years 9 months (mean 3y 11mo; SD 0.41y). At the start and end of treatment, children were videotaped to obtain speech and language samples. Parents and speech–language pathologists (SLPs) independently completed the FOCUS tool. SLPs who were blind to the pre/post order of the videotapes analysed the samples. Results The FOCUS measured significantly more change (p<0.01) during treatment than during the waiting list period. It demonstrated both convergent and discriminant validity against the ASQ-SE. The FOCUS change corresponded to change measured by a combination of clinical speech and language measures (κ=0.31, p<0.05). Conclusion The FOCUS shows strong construct validity as a change-detecting instrument. PMID:23461266

Validation of psoriatic arthritis diagnoses in electronic medical records using natural language processing

PubMed Central

Cai, Tianxi; Karlson, Elizabeth W.

2013-01-01

Objectives To test whether data extracted from full text patient visit notes from an electronic medical record (EMR) would improve the classification of PsA compared to an algorithm based on codified data. Methods From the > 1,350,000 adults in a large academic EMR, all 2318 patients with a billing code for PsA were extracted and 550 were randomly selected for chart review and algorithm training. Using codified data and phrases extracted from narrative data using natural language processing, 31 predictors were extracted and three random forest algorithms trained using coded, narrative, and combined predictors. The receiver operator curve (ROC) was used to identify the optimal algorithm and a cut point was chosen to achieve the maximum sensitivity possible at a 90% positive predictive value (PPV). The algorithm was then used to classify the remaining 1768 charts and finally validated in a random sample of 300 cases predicted to have PsA. Results The PPV of a single PsA code was 57% (95%CI 55%–58%). Using a combination of coded data and NLP the random forest algorithm reached a PPV of 90% (95%CI 86%–93%) at sensitivity of 87% (95% CI 83% – 91%) in the training data. The PPV was 93% (95%CI 89%–96%) in the validation set. Adding NLP predictors to codified data increased the area under the ROC (p < 0.001). Conclusions Using NLP with text notes from electronic medical records improved the performance of the prediction algorithm significantly. Random forests were a useful tool to accurately classify psoriatic arthritis cases to enable epidemiological research. PMID:20701955

The Language Use Inventory for Young Children: A Parent-Report Measure of Pragmatic Language Development for 18- to 47-Month-Old Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Neill, Daniela K.

2007-01-01

Purpose: To demonstrate the internal reliability and discriminative validity of the Language Use Inventory for Young Children (LUI; D. K. O'Neill, 2002), a newly developed parent-report measure designed to assess pragmatic language development in 18-47-month-olds. Method: To examine internal reliability, the LUI was completed by mail by 177…

Measurement properties and classification accuracy of two spanish parent surveys of language development for preschool-age children.

PubMed

Guiberson, Mark; Rodríguez, Barbara L

2010-08-01

To describe the concurrent validity and classification accuracy of 2 Spanish parent surveys of language development, the Spanish Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ; Squires, Potter, & Bricker, 1999) and the Pilot Inventario-III (Pilot INV-III; Guiberson, 2008a). Forty-eight Spanish-speaking parents of preschool-age children participated. Twenty-two children had expressive language delays, and 26 had typical language development. The parents completed the Spanish ASQ and the Pilot INV-III at home, and the Preschool Language Scale, Fourth Edition: Spanish Edition (PLS-4 Spanish; Zimmerman, Steiner, & Pond, 2002) was administered to the children at preschool centers. The Spanish ASQ and Pilot INV-III were significantly correlated with the PLS-4 Spanish, establishing concurrent validity. On both surveys, children with expressive language delays scored significantly lower than children with typical development. The Spanish ASQ demonstrated unacceptably low sensitivity (59%) and good specificity (92%), while the Pilot INV-III demonstrated fair sensitivity (82%) and specificity (81%). Likelihood ratios and posttest probability revealed that the Pilot INV-III may assist in detection of expressive language delays, but viewed alone it is insufficient to make an unconditional screening determination. Results suggest that Spanish parent surveys hold promise for screening language delay in Spanish-speaking preschool children; however, further refinement of these tools is needed.

Guideline for translation and national validation of the Quality of Life in Hand Eczema Questionnaire (QOLHEQ).

PubMed

Oosterhaven, Jart A F; Schuttelaar, Marie L A; Apfelbacher, Christian; Diepgen, Thomas L; Ofenloch, Robert F

2017-08-01

There is a need for well-developed and validated questionnaires to measure patient reported outcomes. The Quality of Life in Hand Eczema Questionnaire (QOLHEQ) is such a validated instrument measuring disease-specific health-related quality of life in hand eczema patients. A re-validation of measurement properties is required before an instrument is used in a new population. With the objective of arriving at a guideline for translation and national validation of the QOLHEQ, we have developed the design of a reference study on how to adequately assess measurement properties of the QOLHEQ based on interdisciplinary discussions and current standards. We present a step-by-step guideline to assess translation (including cross-cultural adaptation), scale structure, validity, reproducibility, responsiveness, and interpretability. We describe which outcomes should be reported for each measurement property, and give advice on how to calculate these. It is also specified which sample size is needed, how to deal with missing data, and which cutoff values should be applied for the measurement properties assessed during the validation process. In conclusion, this guideline, presenting a reference validation study for the QOLHEQ, creates the possibility to harmonize the national validation of the various language versions of the QOLHEQ. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A tutorial on aphasia test development in any language: Key substantive and psychometric considerations

PubMed Central

Ivanova, Maria V.; Hallowell, Brooke

2013-01-01

Background There are a limited number of aphasia language tests in the majority of the world's commonly spoken languages. Furthermore, few aphasia tests in languages other than English have been standardized and normed, and few have supportive psychometric data pertaining to reliability and validity. The lack of standardized assessment tools across many of the world's languages poses serious challenges to clinical practice and research in aphasia. Aims The current review addresses this lack of assessment tools by providing conceptual and statistical guidance for the development of aphasia assessment tools and establishment of their psychometric properties. Main Contribution A list of aphasia tests in the 20 most widely spoken languages is included. The pitfalls of translating an existing test into a new language versus creating a new test are outlined. Factors to consider in determining test content are discussed. Further, a description of test items corresponding to different language functions is provided, with special emphasis on implementing important controls in test design. Next, a broad review of principal psychometric properties relevant to aphasia tests is presented, with specific statistical guidance for establishing psychometric properties of standardized assessment tools. Conclusions This article may be used to help guide future work on developing, standardizing and validating aphasia language tests. The considerations discussed are also applicable to the development of standardized tests of other cognitive functions. PMID:23976813

Compositional and enumerative designs for medical language representation.

PubMed Central

Rassinoux, A. M.; Miller, R. A.; Baud, R. H.; Scherrer, J. R.

1997-01-01

Medical language is in essence highly compositional, allowing complex information to be expressed from more elementary pieces. Embedding the expressive power of medical language into formal systems of representation is recognized in the medical informatics community as a key step towards sharing such information among medical record, decision support, and information retrieval systems. Accordingly, such representation requires managing both the expressiveness of the formalism and its computational tractability, while coping with the level of detail expected by clinical applications. These desiderata can be supported by enumerative as well as compositional approaches, as argued in this paper. These principles have been applied in recasting a frame-based system for general medical findings developed during the 1980s. The new system captures the precise meaning of a subset of over 1500 medical terms for general internal medicine identified from the Quick Medical Reference (QMR) lexicon. In order to evaluate the adequacy of this formal structure in reflecting the deep meaning of the QMR findings, a validation process was implemented. It consists of automatically rebuilding the semantic representation of the QMR findings by analyzing them through the RECIT natural language analyzer, whose semantic components have been adjusted to this frame-based model for the understanding task. PMID:9357700

Compositional and enumerative designs for medical language representation.

PubMed

Rassinoux, A M; Miller, R A; Baud, R H; Scherrer, J R

1997-01-01

Medical language is in essence highly compositional, allowing complex information to be expressed from more elementary pieces. Embedding the expressive power of medical language into formal systems of representation is recognized in the medical informatics community as a key step towards sharing such information among medical record, decision support, and information retrieval systems. Accordingly, such representation requires managing both the expressiveness of the formalism and its computational tractability, while coping with the level of detail expected by clinical applications. These desiderata can be supported by enumerative as well as compositional approaches, as argued in this paper. These principles have been applied in recasting a frame-based system for general medical findings developed during the 1980s. The new system captures the precise meaning of a subset of over 1500 medical terms for general internal medicine identified from the Quick Medical Reference (QMR) lexicon. In order to evaluate the adequacy of this formal structure in reflecting the deep meaning of the QMR findings, a validation process was implemented. It consists of automatically rebuilding the semantic representation of the QMR findings by analyzing them through the RECIT natural language analyzer, whose semantic components have been adjusted to this frame-based model for the understanding task.

Using Speech Recall in Hearing Aid Fitting and Outcome Evaluation Under Ecological Test Conditions.

PubMed

Lunner, Thomas; Rudner, Mary; Rosenbom, Tove; Ågren, Jessica; Ng, Elaine Hoi Ning

2016-01-01

In adaptive Speech Reception Threshold (SRT) tests used in the audiological clinic, speech is presented at signal to noise ratios (SNRs) that are lower than those generally encountered in real-life communication situations. At higher, ecologically valid SNRs, however, SRTs are insensitive to changes in hearing aid signal processing that may be of benefit to listeners who are hard of hearing. Previous studies conducted in Swedish using the Sentence-final Word Identification and Recall test (SWIR) have indicated that at such SNRs, the ability to recall spoken words may be a more informative measure. In the present study, a Danish version of SWIR, known as the Sentence-final Word Identification and Recall Test in a New Language (SWIRL) was introduced and evaluated in two experiments. The objective of experiment 1 was to determine if the Swedish results demonstrating benefit from noise reduction signal processing for hearing aid wearers could be replicated in 25 Danish participants with mild to moderate symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss. The objective of experiment 2 was to compare direct-drive and skin-drive transmission in 16 Danish users of bone-anchored hearing aids with conductive hearing loss or mixed sensorineural and conductive hearing loss. In experiment 1, performance on SWIRL improved when hearing aid noise reduction was used, replicating the Swedish results and generalizing them across languages. In experiment 2, performance on SWIRL was better for direct-drive compared with skin-drive transmission conditions. These findings indicate that spoken word recall can be used to identify benefits from hearing aid signal processing at ecologically valid, positive SNRs where SRTs are insensitive.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Sinus and Nasal Quality of Life Survey (SN-5) into Brazilian Portuguese.

PubMed

Uchoa, Priscila Regina Candido Espinola; Bezerra, Thiago Freire Pinto; Lima, Élcio Duarte; Fornazieri, Marco Aurélio; Pinna, Fabio de Rezende; Sperandio, Fabiana de Araújo; Voegels, Richard Louis

The concept of quality of life is subjective and variable definition, which depends on the individual's perception of their state of health. Quality of life questionnaires are instruments designed to measure quality of life, but most are developed in a language other than Portuguese. Questionnaires can identify the most important symptoms, focus on consultation, and assist in defining the goals of treatment. Some of these have been validated for the Portuguese language, but none in children. To validate the translation with cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Sinus and Nasal Quality of Life Survey (SN-5) into Portuguese. Prospective study of children aged 2-12 years with sinonasal symptoms of over 30 days. The study comprised two stages: (I) translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the SN-5 into Portuguese (SN-5p); and (II) validation of the SN5-p. Statistical analysis was performed to assess internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and sensitivity, as well as construct and discriminant validity and standardization. The SN-5 was translated and adapted into Portuguese (SN-5p) and the author of the original version approved the process. Validation was carried out by administration of the SN-5p to 51 pediatric patients with sinonasal complaints (mean age, 5.8±2.5 years; range, 2-12 years). The questionnaire exhibited adequate construct validity (0.62, p<0.01), internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.73), and discriminant validity (p<0.01), as well as good test-retest reproducibility (Goodman-Kruskal gamma=0.957, p<0.001), good correlation with a visual analog scale (r=0.62, p<0.01), and sensitivity to change. This study reports the successful translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the SN-5 instrument into Brazilian Portuguese. The translated version exhibited adequate psychometric properties for assessment of disease-specific quality of life in pediatric patients with sinonasal complaints. Copyright © 2016 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Argentinian/Chilean validation of the Spanish-language version of Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination III for diagnosing dementia.

PubMed

Bruno, D; Slachevsky, A; Fiorentino, N; Rueda, D S; Bruno, G; Tagle, A R; Olavarria, L; Flores, P; Lillo, P; Roca, M; Torralva, T

2017-08-30

The Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination III (ACE-III), an adaptation of the ACE cognitive screening test, has been demonstrated to have high sensitivity and specificity in detecting cognitive impairment in patients with dementia and other neurological and psychiatric disorders. Although the Spanish-language version of the ACE-III has already been validated in Spain, it is yet to be validated in Latin America. The aim of this study was to validate the ACE-III test in an Argentinean and Chilean population. ACE-III was administered to 70 patients with Alzheimer disease, 31 patients with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia, and a control group of 139 healthy volunteers. Participants were recruited at centres in both countries. The Spanish-language version of ACE-III was found to have good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.87). We found significant differences in total ACE-III scores between patients with Alzheimer disease and controls (p< .05) and between patients with Alzheimer disease and bvFTD (p< .05). With a cut-off point of 86, 98.6% of AD patients, 83.9% of behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia patients, and 84.2% of controls were correctly classified. This study shows that the Spanish-language version of ACE-III continues to be an effective tool for detecting cognitive dysfunction in patients with dementia. Copyright © 2017. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.

[Information system for supporting the Nursing Care Systematization].

PubMed

Malucelli, Andreia; Otemaier, Kelly Rafaela; Bonnet, Marcel; Cubas, Marcia Regina; Garcia, Telma Ribeiro

2010-01-01

It is an unquestionable fact, the importance, relevance and necessity of implementing the Nursing Care Systematization in the different environments of professional practice. Considering it as a principle, emerged the motivation for the development of an information system to support the Nursing Care Systematization, based on Nursing Process steps and Human Needs, using the diagnoses language, nursing interventions and outcomes for professional practice documentation. This paper describes the methodological steps and results of the information system development - requirements elicitation, modeling, object-relational mapping, implementation and system validation.

Voice disorder outcome profile (V-DOP)-translation and validation in Tamil language.

PubMed

Mahalingam, Shenbagavalli; Boominathan, Prakash; Subramaniyan, Balasubramaniyan

2014-11-01

This study sought to translate and validate the voice disorder outcome profile (V-DOP) for Tamil-speaking populations. It was implemented in two phases: the English language V-DOP developed for an Indian population was first translated into Tamil, a south Indian Dravidian language. Five Tamil language experts verified the translated version for exactness of meaning and usage. The expert's comments and suggestions were used to select the questions for the final V-DOP, thus establishing content validity. Then the translated V-DOP was administered to 95 subjects (75 in clinical and 20 in nonclinical group) for reliability (item-total correlation) and validity (construct) measures. The overall Cronbach coefficient α for V-DOP was 0.89 whereas the mean total V-DOP score was zero for the nonclinical group and 104.28 for the clinical group (standard deviation = 64.71). The emotional and functional domains indicated a statistically significant correlation (r = 0.91 and r = 0.90 respectively), followed by the physical domain (r = 0.82) with the total scores. A significant, but moderate correlation was obtained across V-DOP domains (r = 0.50 to 0.60; P < 0.05 and 0.01) and between total score and overall severity of V-DOP (r = 0.62; P < 0.01). Thus the self-perception measuring V-DOP in Tamil is a valid and reliable tool for evaluating the impact of voice disorders in Tamil-speaking population. Copyright © 2014 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automatic Determination of the Need for Intravenous Contrast in Musculoskeletal MRI Examinations Using IBM Watson's Natural Language Processing Algorithm.

PubMed

Trivedi, Hari; Mesterhazy, Joseph; Laguna, Benjamin; Vu, Thienkhai; Sohn, Jae Ho

2018-04-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocoling can be time- and resource-intensive, and protocols can often be suboptimal dependent upon the expertise or preferences of the protocoling radiologist. Providing a best-practice recommendation for an MRI protocol has the potential to improve efficiency and decrease the likelihood of a suboptimal or erroneous study. The goal of this study was to develop and validate a machine learning-based natural language classifier that can automatically assign the use of intravenous contrast for musculoskeletal MRI protocols based upon the free-text clinical indication of the study, thereby improving efficiency of the protocoling radiologist and potentially decreasing errors. We utilized a deep learning-based natural language classification system from IBM Watson, a question-answering supercomputer that gained fame after challenging the best human players on Jeopardy! in 2011. We compared this solution to a series of traditional machine learning-based natural language processing techniques that utilize a term-document frequency matrix. Each classifier was trained with 1240 MRI protocols plus their respective clinical indications and validated with a test set of 280. Ground truth of contrast assignment was obtained from the clinical record. For evaluation of inter-reader agreement, a blinded second reader radiologist analyzed all cases and determined contrast assignment based on only the free-text clinical indication. In the test set, Watson demonstrated overall accuracy of 83.2% when compared to the original protocol. This was similar to the overall accuracy of 80.2% achieved by an ensemble of eight traditional machine learning algorithms based on a term-document matrix. When compared to the second reader's contrast assignment, Watson achieved 88.6% agreement. When evaluating only the subset of cases where the original protocol and second reader were concordant (n = 251), agreement climbed further to 90.0%. The classifier was relatively robust to spelling and grammatical errors, which were frequent. Implementation of this automated MR contrast determination system as a clinical decision support tool may save considerable time and effort of the radiologist while potentially decreasing error rates, and require no change in order entry or workflow.

"It Depends on the Students Themselves": Independent Language Learning at an Indonesian State School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamb, Martin

2004-01-01

There is continuing interest in the notion of learner autonomy, both as an effective means and valid goal of a language learning curriculum. However, the concept is recognised as emanating from Western tertiary educational contexts and as open to question in different sociocultural settings. This paper reports on a study of language learning…

Classification Accuracy of Brief Parent Report Measures of Language Development in Spanish-Speaking Toddlers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guiberson, Mark; Rodriguez, Barbara L.; Dale, Philip S.

2011-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to examine the concurrent validity and classification accuracy of 3 parent report measures of language development in Spanish-speaking toddlers. Method: Forty-five Spanish-speaking parents and their 2-year-old children participated. Twenty-three children had expressive language delays (ELDs) as…

Atypical Speech and Language Development: A Consensus Study on Clinical Signs in the Netherlands

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Visser-Bochane, Margot I.; Gerrits, Ellen; van der Schans, Cees P.; Reijneveld, Sijmen A.; Luinge, Margreet R.

2017-01-01

Background: Atypical speech and language development is one of the most common developmental difficulties in young children. However, which clinical signs characterize atypical speech-language development at what age is not clear. Aim: To achieve a national and valid consensus on clinical signs and red flags (i.e. most urgent clinical signs) for…

Corpus Linguistics and Language Testing: Navigating Uncharted Waters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Egbert, Jesse

2017-01-01

The use of corpora and corpus linguistic methods in language testing research is increasing at an accelerated pace. The growing body of language testing research that uses corpus linguistic data is a testament to their utility in test development and validation. Although there are many reasons to be optimistic about the future of using corpus data…

From Fulcher to PLEVALEX: Issues in Interface Design, Validity and Reliability in Internet Based Language Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia Laborda, Jesus

2007-01-01

Interface design and ergonomics, while already studied in much of educational theory, have not until recently been considered in language testing (Fulcher, 2003). In this paper, we revise the design principles of PLEVALEX, a fully operational prototype Internet based language testing platform. Our focus here is to show PLEVALEX's interfaces and…

Mobile Sign Language Learning Outside the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weaver, Kimberly A.; Starner, Thad

2012-01-01

The majority of deaf children in the United States are born to hearing parents with limited prior exposure to American Sign Language (ASL). Our research involves creating and validating a mobile language tool called SMARTSign. The goal is to help hearing parents learn ASL in a way that fits seamlessly into their daily routine. (Contains 3 figures.)

Classification System for English Language Learners: Issues and Recommendations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abedi, Jamal

2008-01-01

High-stakes decisions for the instruction and assessment of English language learner (ELL) students are made based on the premise that ELL classification is a valid dichotomy that distinguishes between those who are proficient in the use of the English language and those who are not. However, recent research findings draw a vague picture of the…

A Curriculum-Based Measure of Language Comprehension for Preschoolers: Reliability and Validity of the Assessment of Story Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spencer, Trina D.; Goldstein, Howard; Kelley, Elizabeth Spencer; Sherman, Amber; McCune, Luke

2017-01-01

Despite research demonstrating the importance of language comprehension to later reading abilities, curriculum-based measures to assess language comprehension abilities in preschoolers remain lacking. The Assessment of Story Comprehension (ASC) features brief, child-relevant stories and a series of literal and inferential questions with a focus on…

A Curriculum-Based Measure of Language Comprehension for Preschoolers: Reliability and Validity of the Assessment of Story Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spencer, Trina D.; Goldstein, Howard; Kelley, Elizabeth Spencer; Sherman, Amber; McCune, Luke

2017-01-01

Despite research demonstrating the importance of language comprehension to later reading abilities, curriculum based measures to assess language comprehension abilities in preschoolers remain lacking. The Assessment of Story Comprehension (ASC) features brief, child-relevant stories and a series of literal and inferential questions with a focus on…

The Science of Numbers: Does Language Help or Hinder?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calude, Andreea S.

2011-01-01

This paper examines Roy Harris' discussion of number and the language of science in his book "History, Science and the Limits of Language" in light of recent work in cognitive linguistics. While many of his points are valid, linguistic theory has since addressed some of these concerns by formulating usage-based, cognitive frameworks to explore and…

Online Formative Assessments as Valid Correlates of Foreign Language Proficiency Levels as Measured by IL/DLPT5 Summative Tests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castro-Peet, Alma Sandra

2017-01-01

Purpose: This study explored a technological contribution to education made by the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) in the formative assessment field. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to identify the relationship between online formative (Online Diagnostic Assessment; ODA) and summative (Defense…

Examining Samoan Language Development in Samoan Bilingual Students' Understanding of Texts in English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amituanai-Toloa, Meaola; McNaughton, Stuart; Kuin Lai, Mei

2009-01-01

This paper examines language development of Samoan students in bilingual contexts in Aotearoa, New Zealand. In the absence of valid and standardized assessments tools in Samoan, one was designed to test reading comprehension and oral language development for Samoan students using common narratives as a base. For reading comprehension, the tool…

Areal Analysis of Language Attitudes and Practices: A Case Study from Nepal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hildebrandt, Kristine A.; Hu, Shunfu

2017-01-01

This paper has two aims. One aim is to consider non-structural (language attitude and use) variables as valid in the field of dialect and linguistic geography in an inner Himalayan valley of Nepal, where four languages have traditionally coexisted asymmetrically and which demonstrate different degrees of vitality vs. endangerment. The other aim is…

Examining the Validity of the Arizona English Language Learners Assessment Cut Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florez, Ida Rose

2012-01-01

The Arizona English Language Learners Assessment (AZELLA) is used by the Arizona Department of Education to determine which children should receive English support services. AZELLA results are used to determine if children are either proficient in English or have English language skills in one of four non-proficient categories (pre-emergent,…

Prognostic Indicators: Predicting Degree of Change from Interventions for Adolescents at Risk for Language Weakness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poll, Gerard H.; Burke, Lisa; Miller, Carol A.; Fiene, Judy

2017-01-01

Prognostic statements are a standard component of assessments for adolescents at risk for language-learning disabilities, but there is limited evidence on the validity of prognostic indicators. In two studies, we collected measures of language ability and candidate prognostic indicators from adolescents age 12 to 13. We conducted an expository…

Hyper-resolution monitoring of urban flooding with social media and crowdsourcing data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ruo-Qian; Mao, Huina; Wang, Yuan; Rae, Chris; Shaw, Wesley

2018-02-01

Hyper-resolution datasets for urban flooding are rare. This problem prevents detailed flooding risk analysis, urban flooding control, and the validation of hyper-resolution numerical models. We employed social media and crowdsourcing data to address this issue. Natural Language Processing and Computer Vision techniques are applied to the data collected from Twitter and MyCoast (a crowdsourcing app). We found these big data based flood monitoring approaches can complement the existing means of flood data collection. The extracted information is validated against precipitation data and road closure reports to examine the data quality. The two data collection approaches are compared and the two data mining methods are discussed. A series of suggestions is given to improve the data collection strategy.

The Wartegg Zeichen Test: a literature overview and a meta-analysis of reliability and validity.

PubMed

Soilevuo Grønnerød, Jarna; Grønnerød, Cato

2012-06-01

All available studies on the Wartegg Zeichen Test (WZT; Wartegg, 1939) were collected and evaluated through a literature overview and a meta-analysis. The literature overview shows that the history of the WZT reflects the geographical and language-based processes of marginalization where relatively isolated traditions have lived and vanished in different parts of the world. The meta-analytic review indicates a high average interscorer reliability of rw = .74 and high validity effect size for studies with clear hypotheses of rw = .33. Although the results were strong, we conclude that the WZT research has not been able to establish cumulative knowledge of the method because of the isolation of research traditions. (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved

Learning to perceive and recognize a second language: the L2LP model revised.

PubMed

van Leussen, Jan-Willem; Escudero, Paola

2015-01-01

We present a test of a revised version of the Second Language Linguistic Perception (L2LP) model, a computational model of the acquisition of second language (L2) speech perception and recognition. The model draws on phonetic, phonological, and psycholinguistic constructs to explain a number of L2 learning scenarios. However, a recent computational implementation failed to validate a theoretical proposal for a learning scenario where the L2 has less phonemic categories than the native language (L1) along a given acoustic continuum. According to the L2LP, learners faced with this learning scenario must not only shift their old L1 phoneme boundaries but also reduce the number of categories employed in perception. Our proposed revision to L2LP successfully accounts for this updating in the number of perceptual categories as a process driven by the meaning of lexical items, rather than by the learners' awareness of the number and type of phonemes that are relevant in their new language, as the previous version of L2LP assumed. Results of our simulations show that meaning-driven learning correctly predicts the developmental path of L2 phoneme perception seen in empirical studies. Additionally, and to contribute to a long-standing debate in psycholinguistics, we test two versions of the model, with the stages of phonemic perception and lexical recognition being either sequential or interactive. Both versions succeed in learning to recognize minimal pairs in the new L2, but make diverging predictions on learners' resulting phonological representations. In sum, the proposed revision to the L2LP model contributes to our understanding of L2 acquisition, with implications for speech processing in general.

Modeling the Arden Syntax for medical decisions in XML.

PubMed

Kim, Sukil; Haug, Peter J; Rocha, Roberto A; Choi, Inyoung

2008-10-01

A new model expressing Arden Syntax with the eXtensible Markup Language (XML) was developed to increase its portability. Every example was manually parsed and reviewed until the schema and the style sheet were considered to be optimized. When the first schema was finished, several MLMs in Arden Syntax Markup Language (ArdenML) were validated against the schema. They were then transformed to HTML formats with the style sheet, during which they were compared to the original text version of their own MLM. When faults were found in the transformed MLM, the schema and/or style sheet was fixed. This cycle continued until all the examples were encoded into XML documents. The original MLMs were encoded in XML according to the proposed XML schema and reverse-parsed MLMs in ArdenML were checked using a public domain Arden Syntax checker. Two hundred seventy seven examples of MLMs were successfully transformed into XML documents using the model, and the reverse-parse yielded the original text version of MLMs. Two hundred sixty five of the 277 MLMs showed the same error patterns before and after transformation, and all 11 errors related to statement structure were resolved in XML version. The model uses two syntax checking mechanisms, first an XML validation process, and second, a syntax check using an XSL style sheet. Now that we have a schema for ArdenML, we can also begin the development of style sheets for transformation ArdenML into other languages.

Leveraging workflow control patterns in the domain of clinical practice guidelines.

PubMed

Kaiser, Katharina; Marcos, Mar

2016-02-10

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) include recommendations describing appropriate care for the management of patients with a specific clinical condition. A number of representation languages have been developed to support executable CPGs, with associated authoring/editing tools. Even with tool assistance, authoring of CPG models is a labor-intensive task. We aim at facilitating the early stages of CPG modeling task. In this context, we propose to support the authoring of CPG models based on a set of suitable procedural patterns described in an implementation-independent notation that can be then semi-automatically transformed into one of the alternative executable CPG languages. We have started with the workflow control patterns which have been identified in the fields of workflow systems and business process management. We have analyzed the suitability of these patterns by means of a qualitative analysis of CPG texts. Following our analysis we have implemented a selection of workflow patterns in the Asbru and PROforma CPG languages. As implementation-independent notation for the description of patterns we have chosen BPMN 2.0. Finally, we have developed XSLT transformations to convert the BPMN 2.0 version of the patterns into the Asbru and PROforma languages. We showed that although a significant number of workflow control patterns are suitable to describe CPG procedural knowledge, not all of them are applicable in the context of CPGs due to their focus on single-patient care. Moreover, CPGs may require additional patterns not included in the set of workflow control patterns. We also showed that nearly all the CPG-suitable patterns can be conveniently implemented in the Asbru and PROforma languages. Finally, we demonstrated that individual patterns can be semi-automatically transformed from a process specification in BPMN 2.0 to executable implementations in these languages. We propose a pattern and transformation-based approach for the development of CPG models. Such an approach can form the basis of a valid framework for the authoring of CPG models. The identification of adequate patterns and the implementation of transformations to convert patterns from a process specification into different executable implementations are the first necessary steps for our approach.

Measuring Acculturation Among Central American Women with the Use of a Brief Language Scale

PubMed Central

Wallen, Gwenyth R.; Feldman, Robert H.; Anliker, Jean

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to test the reliability and validity of a brief language usage scale as a measure of acculturation in 197 Central American immigrant women. This study presents an analysis of cross-sectional survey data collected during face-to-face interviews conducted in Spanish as part of the program evaluation of the Infant Feeding for Hispanic Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Populations a Peer Education Model. The Short Acculturation Scale, a four-item language usage scale exploring the participants’ language preferences, was used as a measure of acculturation. The participant’s age, length of time in the United States, and perceived social support for breastfeeding were used as validation measures. Results demonstrated good internal reliability for the acculturation summary scale. Consistent with previous studies, significant correlations (p < 0.01) were found between acculturation and mother’s age, perceived social support for breastfeeding, and mother’s length of time in the United States. The reliability and validity data from this group of Central American immigrants support the continued use of this brief measure of acculturation in diverse Latino subpopulations when multidimensional measures are neither practical nor feasible. PMID:16228765

The MINERVA Software Development Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Narkawicz, Anthony; Munoz, Cesar A.; Dutle, Aaron M.

2017-01-01

This paper presents a software development process for safety-critical software components of cyber-physical systems. The process is called MINERVA, which stands for Mirrored Implementation Numerically Evaluated against Rigorously Verified Algorithms. The process relies on formal methods for rigorously validating code against its requirements. The software development process uses: (1) a formal specification language for describing the algorithms and their functional requirements, (2) an interactive theorem prover for formally verifying the correctness of the algorithms, (3) test cases that stress the code, and (4) numerical evaluation on these test cases of both the algorithm specifications and their implementations in code. The MINERVA process is illustrated in this paper with an application to geo-containment algorithms for unmanned aircraft systems. These algorithms ensure that the position of an aircraft never leaves a predetermined polygon region and provide recovery maneuvers when the region is inadvertently exited.

[Information technology in learning sign language].

PubMed

Hernández, Cesar; Pulido, Jose L; Arias, Jorge E

2015-01-01

To develop a technological tool that improves the initial learning of sign language in hearing impaired children. The development of this research was conducted in three phases: the lifting of requirements, design and development of the proposed device, and validation and evaluation device. Through the use of information technology and with the advice of special education professionals, we were able to develop an electronic device that facilitates the learning of sign language in deaf children. This is formed mainly by a graphic touch screen, a voice synthesizer, and a voice recognition system. Validation was performed with the deaf children in the Filadelfia School of the city of Bogotá. A learning methodology was established that improves learning times through a small, portable, lightweight, and educational technological prototype. Tests showed the effectiveness of this prototype, achieving a 32 % reduction in the initial learning time for sign language in deaf children.

Critical review of the validity of patient satisfaction questionnaires pertaining to oral health care.

PubMed

Nair, Rahul; Ishaque, Sana; Spencer, Andrew John; Luzzi, Liana; Do, Loc Giang

2018-03-30

Review the validation process reported for oral healthcare satisfaction scales that intended to measure general oral health care that is not restricted to specific subspecialties or interventions. After preliminary searches, PUBMED and EMBASE were searched using a broad search strategy, followed by a snowball strategy using the references of the publications included from database searches. Title and abstract were screened for assessing inclusion, followed by a full-text screening of these publications. English language publications on multi-item questionnaires that report on a scale measuring patient satisfaction for oral health care were included. Publications were excluded when they did not report on any psychometric validation, or the scales were addressing specific treatments or subspecialities in oral health care. Fourteen instruments were identified from as many publications that report on their initial validation, while five more publications reported on further testing of the validity of these instruments. Number of items (range: 8-42) and dimension reported (range: 2-13) were often dissimilar between the assessed measurement instruments. There was also a lack of methodologies to incorporate patient's subjective perspective. Along with a limited reporting of psychometric properties of instruments, cross-cultural adaptations were limited to translation processes. The extent of validity and reliability of the included instruments was largely unassessed, and appropriate instruments for populations outside of those belonging to general adult populations were not present. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Overal cognitive assessment in Basque-speaking people with advanced dementia. Validation to the Basque language of the Severe Mini-Mental State Examination SMMSE (SMMSE-eus)].

PubMed

Buiza, Cristina; Yanguas, Javier; Zulaica, Amaia; Antón, Iván; Arriola, Enrique; García, Alvaro

2018-04-13

Adaptation and validation to the Basque language of tests to assess advanced cognitive impairment is a not covered need for Basque-speaking people. The present work shows the validation of the Basque version of the Severe Mini Mental State Examination (SMMSE). A total of 109 people with advanced dementia (MEC<15) took part in the validation study, and were classified as GDS 5-7 on the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). All participants were Spanish-Basque bilingual. It was shown that SMMSE-eus has a high internal consistency (alpha=0.92), a good test-retest reliability (r=0.88; P<.01), and a high inter-rater reliability (CCI=0.99; P<.00) for the overall score, as well as for each item. Both the high internal consistency and inter-rater reliability, and to a lesser extent, test-retest reliability, made the SMMSE-eus a valid test for the brief assessment of cognitive status in people with advanced dementia in Basque-speaking people. For this reason, the SMMSE-eus is a usable and reliable alternative for assessing Basque-speaking people in their mother-tongue, or preferred language. Copyright © 2017 SEGG. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Validation of the Acoustic Voice Quality Index Version 03.01 and the Acoustic Breathiness Index in the Spanish language.

PubMed

Delgado Hernández, Jonathan; León Gómez, Nieves M; Jiménez, Alejandra; Izquierdo, Laura M; Barsties V Latoszek, Ben

2018-05-01

The aim of this study was to validate the Acoustic Voice Quality Index 03.01 (AVQIv3) and the Acoustic Breathiness Index (ABI) in the Spanish language. Concatenated voice samples of continuous speech (cs) and sustained vowel (sv) from 136 subjects with dysphonia and 47 vocally healthy subjects were perceptually judged for overall voice quality and breathiness severity. First, to reach a higher level of ecological validity, the proportions of cs and sv were equalized regarding the time length of 3 seconds sv part and voiced cs part, respectively. Second, concurrent validity and diagnostic accuracy were verified. A moderate reliability of overall voice quality and breathiness severity from 5 experts was used. It was found that 33 syllables as standardization of the cs part, which represents 3 seconds of voiced cs, allows the equalization of both speech tasks. A strong correlation was revealed between AVQIv3 and overall voice quality and ABI and perceived breathiness severity. Additionally, the best diagnostic outcome was identified at a threshold of 2.28 and 3.40 for AVQIv3 and ABI, respectively. The AVQIv3 and ABI showed in the Spanish language valid and robust results to quantify abnormal voice qualities regarding overall voice quality and breathiness severity.

Specifications and programs for computer software validation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Browne, J. C.; Kleir, R.; Davis, T.; Henneman, M.; Haller, A.; Lasseter, G. L.

1973-01-01

Three software products developed during the study are reported and include: (1) FORTRAN Automatic Code Evaluation System, (2) the Specification Language System, and (3) the Array Index Validation System.

Understanding Language: An Information-Processing Analysis of Speech Perception, Reading, and Psycholinguistics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Massaro, Dominic W., Ed.

In an information-processing approach to language processing, language processing is viewed as a sequence of psychological stages that occur between the initial presentation of the language stimulus and the meaning in the mind of the language processor. This book defines each of the processes and structures involved, explains how each of them…

Spoken Language Processing Model: Bridging Auditory and Language Processing to Guide Assessment and Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Medwetsky, Larry

2011-01-01

Purpose: This article outlines the author's conceptualization of the key mechanisms that are engaged in the processing of spoken language, referred to as the spoken language processing model. The act of processing what is heard is very complex and involves the successful intertwining of auditory, cognitive, and language mechanisms. Spoken language…

Multinational development of a questionnaire assessing patient satisfaction with anticoagulant treatment: the 'Perception of Anticoagulant Treatment Questionnaire' (PACT-Q©)

PubMed Central

Prins, Martin H; Marrel, Alexia; Carita, Paulo; Anderson, David; Bousser, Marie-Germaine; Crijns, Harry; Consoli, Silla; Arnould, Benoit

2009-01-01

Background The side effects and burden of anticoagulant treatments may contribute to poor compliance and consequently to treatment failure. A specific questionnaire is necessary to assess patients' needs and their perceptions of anticoagulant treatment. Methods A conceptual model of expectation and satisfaction with anticoagulant treatment was designed by an advisory board and used to guide patient (n = 31) and clinician (n = 17) interviews in French, US English and Dutch. Patients had either atrial fibrillation (AF), deep venous thrombosis (DVT), or pulmonary embolism (PE). Following interviews, three PACT-Q language versions were developed simultaneously and further pilot-tested by 19 patients. Linguistic validations were performed for additional language versions. Results Initial concepts were developed to cover three areas of interest: 'Treatment', 'Disease and Complications' and 'Information about disease and anticoagulant treatment'. After clinician and patient interviews, concepts were further refined into four domains and 17 concepts; test versions of the PACT-Q were then created simultaneously in three languages, each containing 27 items grouped into four domains: "Treatment Expectations" (7 items), "Convenience" (11 items), "Burden of Disease and Treatment" (2 items) and "Anticoagulant Treatment Satisfaction" (7 items). No item was deleted or added after pilot testing as patients found the PACT-Q easy to understand and appropriate in length in all languages. The PACT-Q was divided into two parts: the first part to measure the expectations and the second to measure the convenience, burden and treatment satisfaction, for evaluation prior to and after anticoagulant treatment, respectively. Eleven additional language versions were linguistically validated. Conclusion The PACT-Q has been rigorously developed and linguistically validated. It is available in 14 languages for use with thromboembolic patients, including AF, PE and DVT patients. Its validation and psychometric properties have been tested and are presented in a separate manuscript. PMID:19196486

Allgemeine Sprachfaehigkeit und Fremdsprachenerwerb. Zur Struktur von Leistungsdimensionen und linguistischer Kompetenz des Fremdsprachenlerners (General Language Ability and Foreign Language Acquisition. On the Structure of Performance Dimensions and the Linguistic Competence of the Foreign Language Learner). Diskussions beitraege aus dem Institute fuer Bildungsforschung, No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sang, Fritz; Vollmer, Helmut J.

This study investigates the theoretical plausibility and empirical validity of the assumption that all performance in a foreign language can be traced back to a single factor, the general language ability factor. The theoretical background of this hypothesis is reviewed in detail. The concept of a unitary linguistic competence, interpreted as an…

Increasing spontaneous language in three autistic children.

PubMed Central

Matson, J L; Sevin, J A; Fridley, D; Love, S R

1990-01-01

A time delay procedure was used to increase spontaneous verbalizations of 3 autistic children. Multiple baseline across behaviors designs were used with target responses, selected via a social validation procedure, of two spontaneous responses ("please" and "thank you") and one verbally prompted response ("you're welcome"). The results indicate gains across target behaviors for all children, with occurrence across other stimuli and settings. These gains were validated socially with 10 adults. Furthermore, increases in appropriate language had no effect on levels of inappropriate speech. PMID:2373659

Ada (Tradename) Compiler Validation Summary Report. International Business Machines Corporation. IBM Development System for the Ada Language for MVS, Version 1.0. IBM 4381 (IBM System/370) under MVS.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-05-05

AVF-VSR-36.0187 Ada" COMPILER VALIDATION SUMMARY REPORT: International Business Machines Corporation IBM Development System for the Ada Language for...withdrawn from ACVC Version 1.7 were not run. The compiler was tested using command scripts provided by International Business Machines Corporation. These...APPENDIX A COMPLIANCE STATEMENT International Business Machines Corporation has submitted the following compliance statement concerning the IBM

A systematic review and appraisal of methods of developing and validating lifestyle cardiovascular disease risk factors questionnaires.

PubMed

Nse, Odunaiya; Quinette, Louw; Okechukwu, Ogah

2015-09-01

Well developed and validated lifestyle cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors questionnaires is the key to obtaining accurate information to enable planning of CVD prevention program which is a necessity in developing countries. We conducted this review to assess methods and processes used for development and content validation of lifestyle CVD risk factors questionnaires and possibly develop an evidence based guideline for development and content validation of lifestyle CVD risk factors questionnaires. Relevant databases at the Stellenbosch University library were searched for studies conducted between 2008 and 2012, in English language and among humans. Using the following databases; pubmed, cinahl, psyc info and proquest. Search terms used were CVD risk factors, questionnaires, smoking, alcohol, physical activity and diet. Methods identified for development of lifestyle CVD risk factors were; review of literature either systematic or traditional, involvement of expert and /or target population using focus group discussion/interview, clinical experience of authors and deductive reasoning of authors. For validation, methods used were; the involvement of expert panel, the use of target population and factor analysis. Combination of methods produces questionnaires with good content validity and other psychometric properties which we consider good.

The Bilingual Language Interaction Network for Comprehension of Speech*

PubMed Central

Marian, Viorica

2013-01-01

During speech comprehension, bilinguals co-activate both of their languages, resulting in cross-linguistic interaction at various levels of processing. This interaction has important consequences for both the structure of the language system and the mechanisms by which the system processes spoken language. Using computational modeling, we can examine how cross-linguistic interaction affects language processing in a controlled, simulated environment. Here we present a connectionist model of bilingual language processing, the Bilingual Language Interaction Network for Comprehension of Speech (BLINCS), wherein interconnected levels of processing are created using dynamic, self-organizing maps. BLINCS can account for a variety of psycholinguistic phenomena, including cross-linguistic interaction at and across multiple levels of processing, cognate facilitation effects, and audio-visual integration during speech comprehension. The model also provides a way to separate two languages without requiring a global language-identification system. We conclude that BLINCS serves as a promising new model of bilingual spoken language comprehension. PMID:24363602

Children's comprehension of an unfamiliar speaker accent: a review.

PubMed

Harte, Jennifer; Oliveira, Ana; Frizelle, Pauline; Gibbon, Fiona

2016-05-01

The effect of speaker accent on listeners' comprehension has become a key focus of research given the increasing cultural diversity of society and the increased likelihood of an individual encountering a clinician with an unfamiliar accent. To review the studies exploring the effect of an unfamiliar accent on language comprehension in typically developing (TD) children and in children with speech and language difficulties. This review provides a methodological analysis of the relevant studies by exploring the challenges facing this field of research and highlighting the current gaps in the literature. A total of nine studies were identified using a systematic search and organized under studies investigating the effect of speaker accent on language comprehension in (1) TD children and (2) children with speech and/or language difficulties. This review synthesizes the evidence that an unfamiliar speaker accent may lead to a breakdown in language comprehension in TD children and in children with speech difficulties. Moreover, it exposes the inconsistencies found in this field of research and highlights the lack of studies investigating the effect of speaker accent in children with language deficits. Overall, research points towards a developmental trend in children's ability to comprehend accent-related variations in speech. Vocabulary size, language exposure, exposure to different accents and adequate processing resources (e.g. attention) seem to play a key role in children's ability to understand unfamiliar accents. This review uncovered some inconsistencies in the literature that highlight the methodological issues that must be considered when conducting research in this field. It explores how such issues may be controlled in order to increase the validity and reliability of future research. Key clinical implications are also discussed. © 2016 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Passive language mapping combining real-time oscillation analysis with cortico-cortical evoked potentials for awake craniotomy.

PubMed

Tamura, Yukie; Ogawa, Hiroshi; Kapeller, Christoph; Prueckl, Robert; Takeuchi, Fumiya; Anei, Ryogo; Ritaccio, Anthony; Guger, Christoph; Kamada, Kyousuke

2016-12-01

OBJECTIVE Electrocortical stimulation (ECS) is the gold standard for functional brain mapping; however, precise functional mapping is still difficult in patients with language deficits. High gamma activity (HGA) between 80 and 140 Hz on electrocorticography is assumed to reflect localized cortical processing, whereas the cortico-cortical evoked potential (CCEP) can reflect bidirectional responses evoked by monophasic pulse stimuli to the language cortices when there is no patient cooperation. The authors propose the use of "passive" mapping by combining HGA mapping and CCEP recording without active tasks during conscious resections of brain tumors. METHODS Five patients, each with an intraaxial tumor in their dominant hemisphere, underwent conscious resection of their lesion with passive mapping. The authors performed functional localization for the receptive language area, using real-time HGA mapping, by listening passively to linguistic sounds. Furthermore, single electrical pulses were delivered to the identified receptive temporal language area to detect CCEPs in the frontal lobe. All mapping results were validated by ECS, and the sensitivity and specificity were evaluated. RESULTS Linguistic HGA mapping quickly identified the language area in the temporal lobe. Electrical stimulation by linguistic HGA mapping to the identified temporal receptive language area evoked CCEPs on the frontal lobe. The combination of linguistic HGA and frontal CCEPs needed no patient cooperation or effort. In this small case series, the sensitivity and specificity were 93.8% and 89%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The described technique allows for simple and quick functional brain mapping with higher sensitivity and specificity than ECS mapping. The authors believe that this could improve the reliability of functional brain mapping and facilitate rational and objective operations. Passive mapping also sheds light on the underlying physiological mechanisms of language in the human brain.

Social Justice and English Language Learners in the Borderland: A Personal Narrative of a Committed Principal Determined to Take the Steps Necessary for English Language Learners to Achieve and Succeed in Academic Content

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lechuga, Mary Helen

2009-01-01

This study embraces the pedagogy that this school's educators believed in and utilized to enhance and expand the academic knowledge of those students who posses a language different from the English language. This research study, represented in a personal narrative, attempts to question the widespread thinking that places all validity on using…

Development and validation of the Cancer Exercise Stereotypes Scale.

PubMed

Falzon, Charlène; Sabiston, Catherine; Bergamaschi, Alessandro; Corrion, Karine; Chalabaev, Aïna; D'Arripe-Longueville, Fabienne

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to develop and validate a French-language questionnaire measuring stereotypes related to exercise in cancer patients: The Cancer Exercise Stereotypes Scale (CESS). Four successive steps were carried out with 806 participants. First, a preliminary version was developed on the basis of the relevant literature and qualitative interviews. A test of clarity then led to the reformulation of six of the 30 items. Second, based on the modification indices of the first confirmatory factorial analysis, 11 of the 30 initial items were deleted. A new factorial structure analysis showed a good fit and validated a 19-item instrument with five subscales. Third, the stability of the instrument was tested over time. Last, tests of construct validity were conducted to examine convergent validity and discriminant validity. The French-language CESS appears to have good psychometric qualities and can be used to test theoretical tenets and inform intervention strategies on ways to foster exercise in cancer patients.

Analysis of expert validation on developing integrated science worksheet to improve problem solving skills of natural science prospective teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widodo, W.; Sudibyo, E.; Sari, D. A. P.

2018-04-01

This study aims to develop student worksheets for higher education that apply integrated science learning in discussing issues about motion in humans. These worksheets will guide students to solve the problem about human movement. They must integrate their knowledge about biology, physics, and chemistry to solve the problem. The worksheet was validated by three experts in Natural Science Integrated Science, especially in Human Movement topic. The aspects of the validation were feasibility of the content, the construction, and the language. This research used the Likert scale to measure the validity of each aspect, which is 4.00 for very good validity criteria, 3.00 for good validity criteria, 2.00 for more or less validity criteria, and 1.00 for not good validity criteria. Data showed that the validity for each aspect were in the range of good validity and very good validity criteria (3.33 to 3.67 for the content aspect, 2.33 to 4.00 for the construction aspect, and 3.33 to 4.00 for language aspect). However, there was a part of construction aspect that needed to improve. Overall, this students’ worksheet can be applied in classroom after some revisions based on suggestions from the validators.

Monitoring Different Phonological Parameters of Sign Language Engages the Same Cortical Language Network but Distinctive Perceptual Ones.

PubMed

Cardin, Velia; Orfanidou, Eleni; Kästner, Lena; Rönnberg, Jerker; Woll, Bencie; Capek, Cheryl M; Rudner, Mary

2016-01-01

The study of signed languages allows the dissociation of sensorimotor and cognitive neural components of the language signal. Here we investigated the neurocognitive processes underlying the monitoring of two phonological parameters of sign languages: handshape and location. Our goal was to determine if brain regions processing sensorimotor characteristics of different phonological parameters of sign languages were also involved in phonological processing, with their activity being modulated by the linguistic content of manual actions. We conducted an fMRI experiment using manual actions varying in phonological structure and semantics: (1) signs of a familiar sign language (British Sign Language), (2) signs of an unfamiliar sign language (Swedish Sign Language), and (3) invented nonsigns that violate the phonological rules of British Sign Language and Swedish Sign Language or consist of nonoccurring combinations of phonological parameters. Three groups of participants were tested: deaf native signers, deaf nonsigners, and hearing nonsigners. Results show that the linguistic processing of different phonological parameters of sign language is independent of the sensorimotor characteristics of the language signal. Handshape and location were processed by different perceptual and task-related brain networks but recruited the same language areas. The semantic content of the stimuli did not influence this process, but phonological structure did, with nonsigns being associated with longer RTs and stronger activations in an action observation network in all participants and in the supramarginal gyrus exclusively in deaf signers. These results suggest higher processing demands for stimuli that contravene the phonological rules of a signed language, independently of previous knowledge of signed languages. We suggest that the phonological characteristics of a language may arise as a consequence of more efficient neural processing for its perception and production.

Implicit Knowledge, Explicit Knowledge, and Achievement in Second Language (L2) Spanish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gutierrez, Xavier

2012-01-01

Implicit and explicit knowledge of the second language (L2) are two central constructs in the field of second language acquisition (SLA). In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in obtaining valid and reliable measures of L2 learners' implicit and explicit knowledge (e.g., Bowles, 2011; R. Ellis, 2005). The purpose of the present study…

Do the AZELLA Cut Scores Meet the Standards? A Validation Review of Arizona English Language Learner Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florez, Ida Rose

2010-01-01

The Arizona English Language Learners Assessment (AZELLA) is used by the Arizona Department of Education to determine which children should receive English support services. AZELLA results are used to determine if children are either proficient in English or have English language skills in one of four pre-proficient categories (pre-emergent,…

A Measure of Proficiency or Short-Term Memory? Validation of an Elicited Imitation Test for SLA Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Youjin; Tracy-Ventura, Nicole; Jung, Yeonjoo

2016-01-01

Elicited imitation requires listeners to listen and repeat sentences as accurately as possible. In second language acquisition (SLA) research it has been used for a variety of purposes. Recently, versions of the same elicited imitation test (EIT) have been created in 6 languages with the purpose of measuring second language proficiency (Ortega…

The Development and Validation of a Spanish Elicited Imitation Test of Oral Language Proficiency for the Missionary Training Center

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Carrie A.

2013-01-01

The Missionary Training Center (MTC), affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, needs a reliable and cost effective way to measure the oral language proficiency of missionaries learning Spanish. The MTC needed to measure incoming missionaries' Spanish language proficiency for training and classroom assignment as well as to…

Developing Testing Accommodations for English Language Learners: Illustrations as Visual Supports for Item Accessibility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solano-Flores, Guillermo; Wang, Chao; Kachchaf, Rachel; Soltero-Gonzalez, Lucinda; Nguyen-Le, Khanh

2014-01-01

We address valid testing for English language learners (ELLs)--students in the United States who are schooled in English while they are still acquiring English as a second language. Also, we address the need for procedures for systematically developing ELL testing accommodations--changes in tests intended to support ELLs to gain access to the…

Assessment of English Language Learners in the Era of New Academic Content Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, Alison L.; Carroll, Patricia E.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this chapter is twofold: (1) to provide a detailed review of current language assessment policies and practices with English language learner (ELL) students under the federal requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB; 2001) and relevant research in order to evaluate their technical quality and validity, and (2) to examine…

Development and Validation of Early Childhood Language Teacher Knowledge: A Survey Study of Korean Teachers of English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Jung In

2013-01-01

As English becomes an international language in the world, there is a growing interest in developing English skills from early childhood. In Korea, the demand for English as a foreign language education for young children has increased considerably in the past decade. However, little is still known about the professional knowledge of an early…

The Use of Language Learning Apps as a Didactic Tool for EFL Vocabulary Building

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guaqueta, Cesar A.; Castro-Garces, Angela Yicely

2018-01-01

This study explores the use of language learning apps as a didactic tool for vocabulary building in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. It was developed through a mixed-methods approach, with a concurrent design in order to collect, analyze and validate qualitative and quantitative data. Although there was controversy on the use of…

Measuring Implicit and Explicit Linguistic Knowledge: What Can Heritage Language Learners Contribute?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowles, Melissa A.

2011-01-01

Although claims about explicit and implicit language knowledge are central to many debates in SLA, little research has been dedicated to measuring the two knowledge types (R. Ellis, 2004, 2005). The purpose of this study was to validate the use of the battery of tests reported in Ellis (2005) to measure implicit and explicit language knowledge.…

Testing Math or Testing Language? The Construct Validity of the KeyMath-Revised for Children with Intellectual Disability and Language Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhodes, Katherine T.; Branum-Martin, Lee; Morris, Robin D.; Romski, MaryAnn; Sevcik, Rose A.

2015-01-01

Although it is often assumed that mathematics ability alone predicts mathematics test performance, linguistic demands may also predict achievement. This study examined the role of language in mathematics assessment performance for children with intellectual disability (ID) at less severe levels, on the KeyMath-Revised Inventory (KM-R) with a…

CBM Progress Monitoring in Foreign Language Learning for Secondary School Students: Technical Adequacy of Different Measures and Scoring Procedures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chung, Siuman; Espin, Christine A.

2013-01-01

The reliability and validity of three curriculum-based measures as indicators of learning English as a foreign language were examined. Participants were 260 Dutch students in Grades 8 and 9 who were receiving English-language instruction. Predictor measures were maze-selection, Dutch-to-English word translation, and English-to-Dutch word…

A Comparative Discourse Study of Simulated Clinical Roleplays in Two Assessment Contexts: Validating a Specific-Purpose Language Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodward-Kron, Robyn; Elder, Catherine

2016-01-01

The aim of this paper is to investigate from a discourse analytic perspective task authenticity in the speaking component of the Occupational English Test (OET), an English language screening test for clinicians designed to reflect the language demands of health professional-patient communication. The study compares the OET speaking sub-test…

Implementation and Initial Validation of the Combined English Language Skills Assessment (CELSA) at Golden West College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isonio, Steven

During spring 1992, the Combined English Language Skills Assessment (CELSA) test was piloted with a sample of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes at Golden West College (GWC) in Huntington Beach, California. The CELSA, which utilizes a cloze format including parts of conversations and short dialogues, combines items from beginning,…

Comparison of fMRI and PEPSI during language processing in children.

PubMed

Serafini, S; Steury, K; Richards, T; Corina, D; Abbott, R; Dager, S R; Berninger, V

2001-02-01

The present study explored the correlation between lactate as detected by MR spectroscopy (MRS) and blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) responses in male children during auditory-based language tasks. All subjects (N = 8) participated in one proton echo planar spectroscopic imaging (PEPSI) and one functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) session that required phonological and lexical judgments to aurally presented stimuli. Valid PEPSI data was limited in the frontal areas of the brain due to the magnetic susceptibility of the eye orbits and frontal sinuses. Findings from the remainder of the brain indicate that subjects show a significant consistency across imaging techniques in the left temporal area during the lexical task, but not in any other measurable area or during the phonological task. Magn Reson Med 45:217-225, 2001. Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

NEREC, an effective brain mapping protocol for combined language and long-term memory functions.

PubMed

Perrone-Bertolotti, Marcela; Girard, Cléa; Cousin, Emilie; Vidal, Juan Ricardo; Pichat, Cédric; Kahane, Philippe; Baciu, Monica

2015-12-01

Temporal lobe epilepsy can induce functional plasticity in temporoparietal networks involved in language and long-term memory processing. Previous studies in healthy subjects have revealed the relative difficulty for this network to respond effectively across different experimental designs, as compared to more reactive regions such as frontal lobes. For a protocol to be optimal for clinical use, it has to first show robust effects in a healthy cohort. In this study, we developed a novel experimental paradigm entitled NEREC, which is able to reveal the robust participation of temporoparietal networks in a uniquely combined language and memory task, validated in an fMRI study with healthy subjects. Concretely, NEREC is composed of two runs: (a) an intermixed language-memory task (confrontation naming associated with encoding in nonverbal items, NE) to map language (i.e., word retrieval and lexico-semantic processes) combined with simultaneous long-term verbal memory encoding (NE items named but also explicitly memorized) and (b) a memory retrieval task of items encoded during NE (word recognition, REC) intermixed with new items. Word recognition is based on both perceptual-semantic familiarity (feeling of 'know') and accessing stored memory representations (remembering). In order to maximize the remembering and recruitment of medial temporal lobe structures, we increased REC difficulty by changing the modality of stimulus presentation (from nonverbal during NE to verbal during REC). We report that (a) temporoparietal activation during NE was attributable to both lexico-semantic (language) and memory (episodic encoding and semantic retrieval) processes; that (b) encoding activated the left hippocampus, bilateral fusiform, and bilateral inferior temporal gyri; and that (c) task recognition (recollection) activated the right hippocampus and bilateral but predominant left fusiform gyrus. The novelty of this protocol consists of (a) combining two tasks in one (language and long-term memory encoding/recall) instead of applying isolated tasks to map temporoparietal regions, (b) analyzing NE data based on performances recorded during REC, (c) double-mapping networks involved in naming and in long-term memory encoding and retrieval, (d) focusing on remembering with hippocampal activation and familiarity judgment with lateral temporal cortices activation, and (e) short duration of examination and feasibility. These aspects are of particular interest in patients with TLE, who frequently show impairment of these cognitive functions. Here, we show that the novel protocol is suited for this clinical evaluation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integrated Task And Data Parallel Programming: Language Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grimshaw, Andrew S.; West, Emily A.

1998-01-01

his research investigates the combination of task and data parallel language constructs within a single programming language. There are an number of applications that exhibit properties which would be well served by such an integrated language. Examples include global climate models, aircraft design problems, and multidisciplinary design optimization problems. Our approach incorporates data parallel language constructs into an existing, object oriented, task parallel language. The language will support creation and manipulation of parallel classes and objects of both types (task parallel and data parallel). Ultimately, the language will allow data parallel and task parallel classes to be used either as building blocks or managers of parallel objects of either type, thus allowing the development of single and multi-paradigm parallel applications. 1995 Research Accomplishments In February I presented a paper at Frontiers '95 describing the design of the data parallel language subset. During the spring I wrote and defended my dissertation proposal. Since that time I have developed a runtime model for the language subset. I have begun implementing the model and hand-coding simple examples which demonstrate the language subset. I have identified an astrophysical fluid flow application which will validate the data parallel language subset. 1996 Research Agenda Milestones for the coming year include implementing a significant portion of the data parallel language subset over the Legion system. Using simple hand-coded methods, I plan to demonstrate (1) concurrent task and data parallel objects and (2) task parallel objects managing both task and data parallel objects. My next steps will focus on constructing a compiler and implementing the fluid flow application with the language. Concurrently, I will conduct a search for a real-world application exhibiting both task and data parallelism within the same program m. Additional 1995 Activities During the fall I collaborated with Andrew Grimshaw and Adam Ferrari to write a book chapter which will be included in Parallel Processing in C++ edited by Gregory Wilson. I also finished two courses, Compilers and Advanced Compilers, in 1995. These courses complete my class requirements at the University of Virginia. I have only my dissertation research and defense to complete.

A computational language approach to modeling prose recall in schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Rosenstein, Mark; Diaz-Asper, Catherine; Foltz, Peter W.; Elvevåg, Brita

2014-01-01

Many cortical disorders are associated with memory problems. In schizophrenia, verbal memory deficits are a hallmark feature. However, the exact nature of this deficit remains elusive. Modeling aspects of language features used in memory recall have the potential to provide means for measuring these verbal processes. We employ computational language approaches to assess time-varying semantic and sequential properties of prose recall at various retrieval intervals (immediate, 30 min and 24 h later) in patients with schizophrenia, unaffected siblings and healthy unrelated control participants. First, we model the recall data to quantify the degradation of performance with increasing retrieval interval and the effect of diagnosis (i.e., group membership) on performance. Next we model the human scoring of recall performance using an n-gram language sequence technique, and then with a semantic feature based on Latent Semantic Analysis. These models show that automated analyses of the recalls can produce scores that accurately mimic human scoring. The final analysis addresses the validity of this approach by ascertaining the ability to predict group membership from models built on the two classes of language features. Taken individually, the semantic feature is most predictive, while a model combining the features improves accuracy of group membership prediction slightly above the semantic feature alone as well as over the human rating approach. We discuss the implications for cognitive neuroscience of such a computational approach in exploring the mechanisms of prose recall. PMID:24709122

The Short International Physical Activity Questionnaire: cross-cultural adaptation, validation and reliability of the Hausa language version in Nigeria.

PubMed

Oyeyemi, Adewale L; Oyeyemi, Adetoyeje Y; Adegoke, Babatunde O; Oyetoke, Fatima O; Aliyu, Habeeb N; Aliyu, Salamatu U; Rufai, Adamu A

2011-11-22

Accurate assessment of physical activity is important in determining the risk for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer and obesity. The absence of culturally relevant measures in indigenous languages could pose challenges to epidemiological studies on physical activity in developing countries. The purpose of this study was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the Short International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF) to the Hausa language, and to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Hausa version of IPAQ-SF in Nigeria. The English IPAQ-SF was translated into the Hausa language, synthesized, back translated, and subsequently subjected to expert committee review and pre-testing. The final product (Hausa IPAQ-SF) was tested in a cross-sectional study for concurrent (correlation with the English version) and construct validity, and test-retest reliability in a sample of 102 apparently healthy adults. The Hausa IPAQ-SF has good concurrent validity with Spearman correlation coefficients (ρ) ranging from 0.78 for vigorous activity (Min Week-1) to 0.92 for total physical activity (Metabolic Equivalent of Task [MET]-Min Week-1), but poor construct validity, with cardiorespiratory fitness (ρ = 0.21, p = 0.01) and body mass index (ρ = 0.22, p = 0.04) significantly correlated with only moderate activity and sitting time (Min Week-1), respectively. Reliability was good for vigorous (ICC = 0.73, 95% C.I = 0.55-0.84) and total physical activity (ICC = 0.61, 95% C.I = 0.47-0.72), but fair for moderate activity (ICC = 0.33, 95% C.I = 0.12-0.51), and few meaningful differences were found in the gender and socioeconomic status specific analyses. The Hausa IPAQ-SF has acceptable concurrent validity and test-retest reliability for vigorous-intensity activity, walking, sitting and total physical activity, but demonstrated only fair construct validity for moderate and sitting activities. The Hausa IPAQ-SF can be used for physical activity measurements in Nigeria, but further construct validity testing with objective measures such as an accelerometer is needed.

Scale for positive aspects of caregiving experience: development, reliability, and factor structure.

PubMed

Kate, N; Grover, S; Kulhara, P; Nehra, R

2012-06-01

OBJECTIVE. To develop an instrument (Scale for Positive Aspects of Caregiving Experience [SPACE]) that evaluates positive caregiving experience and assess its psychometric properties. METHODS. Available scales which assess some aspects of positive caregiving experience were reviewed and a 50-item questionnaire with a 5-point rating was constructed. In all, 203 primary caregivers of patients with severe mental disorders were asked to complete the questionnaire. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, cross-language reliability, split-half reliability, and face validity were evaluated. Principal component factor analysis was run to assess the factorial validity of the scale. RESULTS. The scale developed as part of the study was found to have good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, cross-language reliability, split-half reliability, and face validity. Principal component factor analysis yielded a 4-factor structure, which also had good test-retest reliability and cross-language reliability. There was a strong correlation between the 4 factors obtained. CONCLUSION. The SPACE developed as part of this study has good psychometric properties.

Cross-cultural Adaptation of Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire Needs to Assess the Measurement Properties: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Yao, Min; Zhu, Sen; Tian, Zi-Rui; Song, Yong-Jia; Yang, Long; Wang, Yong-Jun; Cui, Xue-Jun

2018-03-26

To assess the cross cultural-adaptations of the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ). English and Chinese databases were searched through December 2017. Cross-cultural adaptation and measurement properties were evaluated using the Guidelines for the Process of Cross-Cultural Adaptation of Self-Report Measures and the Quality Criteria for Psychometric Properties of Health Status Questionnaire. Among 34 studies, there were 31 RMDQ adaptations for 26 different languages/cultures. In the cross-cultural adaptation process, few studies reported expert committees completely constituted (3/31), and only ten studies complete the test of the pre-final version (10/31) due to insufficient sample sizes. As for the measurement properties, content validity (31/31) and construct validity (24/31) were assessed in most of the adaptations, whereas internal consistency (0/31), agreement (5/31), responsiveness (3/31), interpretability (6/31), and floor and ceiling effects (6/31) were not. The Hungarian and Moon's Korean adaptations were the highest quality translations. Where there were multiple adaptations for a language/culture, the Moon's Korean and Fan's simplified Chinese-Chinese Mainland adaptations are recommended over the other Korean or simplified Chinese-Chinese Mainland adaptations. Further studies are required to fully assess the measurement properties of the Arabic-Moroccan, Arabic-Tunisian, German- Austrian, Greek, Guajarati, Kim's Korean, Persian-Iranian, Polish, He's simplified Chinese-Chinese Mainland, Spanish, Spanish-Chilean, Thai, traditional Chinese-Taiwan, and Turkish adaptations of the RMDQ. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Native-language N400 and P600 predict dissociable language-learning abilities in adults

PubMed Central

Qi, Zhenghan; Beach, Sara D.; Finn, Amy S.; Minas, Jennifer; Goetz, Calvin; Chan, Brian; Gabrieli, John D.E.

2018-01-01

Language learning aptitude during adulthood varies markedly across individuals. An individual’s native-language ability has been associated with success in learning a new language as an adult. However, little is known about how native-language processing affects learning success and what neural markers of native-language processing, if any, are related to success in learning. We therefore related variation in electrophysiology during native-language processing to success in learning a novel artificial language. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded while native English speakers judged the acceptability of English sentences prior to learning an artificial language. There was a trend towards a double dissociation between native-language ERPs and their relationships to novel syntax and vocabulary learning. Individuals who exhibited a greater N400 effect when processing English semantics showed better future learning of the artificial language overall. The N400 effect was related to syntax learning via its specific relationship to vocabulary learning. In contrast, the P600 effect size when processing English syntax predicted future syntax learning but not vocabulary learning. These findings show that distinct neural signatures of native-language processing relate to dissociable abilities for learning novel semantic and syntactic information. PMID:27737775

Hebrew Brain vs. English Brain: Language Modulates the Way It Is Processed

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bick, Atira S.; Goelman, Gadi; Frost, Ram

2011-01-01

Is language processing universal? How do the specific properties of each language influence the way it is processed? In this study, we compare the neural correlates of morphological processing in Hebrew--a Semitic language with a rich and systematic morphology, to those revealed in English--an Indo-European language with a linear morphology. Using…

Translation, Cultural Adaptation, and Validation of Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (LANSS) and Self-Complete Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (S-LANSS) Questionnaires into the Greek Language.

PubMed

Batistaki, Chrysanthi; Lyrakos, George; Drachtidi, Kalliopi; Stamatiou, Georgia; Kitsou, Maria-Chrysanthi; Kostopanagiotou, Georgia

2016-06-01

The LANSS and S-LANSS questionnaires represent two widely accepted and validated instruments used to assist the identification of neuropathic pain worldwide. The aim of this study was to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the LANSS and S-LANSS questionnaires into the Greek language. Forward and backward translations of both questionnaires were performed from the English to Greek language. The final versions were assessed by a committee of clinical experts, and they were then pilot-tested in 20 patients with chronic pain. Both questionnaires were validated in 200 patients with chronic pain (100 patients for each questionnaire), using as the "gold standard" the diagnosis of a clinical expert in pain management. Sensitivity and specificity of questionnaires were assessed, as well as the internal consistency (using Cronbach's alpha coefficient) and correlation with the "gold standard" diagnosis (using Pearson correlation coefficient). Sensitivity and specificity of the LANSS questionnaire were calculated to be 82.76% and 95.24%, while for the S-LANSS 86.21% and 95.24%, respectively. Positive predictive value for neuropathic pain was 96% for the LANSS and 96.15% for the S-LANSS. Cronbach's alpha was revealed to be acceptable for both questionnaires (0.65 for LANSS and 0.67 for the S-LANSS), while a significant correlation was observed compared to the "gold standard" diagnosis (rLANSS   = 0.79 και tSLANSS   = 0.77, respectively, P = 0.01). The LANSS and the S-LANSS diagnostic tools have been translated and validated into the Greek language and can be adequately used to assist the identification of neuropathic pain in everyday clinical practice. © 2015 World Institute of Pain.

Validation of a Spanish-language version of the ADHD Rating Scale IV in a Spanish sample.

PubMed

Vallejo-Valdivielso, M; Soutullo, C A; de Castro-Manglano, P; Marín-Méndez, J J; Díez-Suárez, A

2017-07-14

The purpose of this study is to validate a Spanish-language version of the 18-item ADHD Rating Scale-IV (ADHD-RS-IV.es) in a Spanish sample. From a total sample of 652 children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years (mean age was 11.14±3.27), we included 518 who met the DSM-IV-TR criteria for ADHD and 134 healthy controls. To evaluate the factorial structure, validity, and reliability of the scale, we performed a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using structural equation modelling on a polychoric correlation matrix and maximum likelihood estimation. The scale's discriminant validity and predictive value were estimated using ROC (receiver operating characteristics) curve analysis. Both the full scale and the subscales of the Spanish-language version of the ADHD-RS-IV showed good internal consistency. Cronbach's alpha was 0.94 for the full scale and ≥ 0.90 for the subscales, and ordinal alpha was 0.95 and ≥ 0.90, respectively. CFA showed that a two-factor model (inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity) provided the best fit for the data. ADHD-RS-IV.es offered good discriminant ability to distinguish between patients with ADHD and controls (AUC=0.97). The two-factor structure of the Spanish-language version of the ADHD-RS-IV (ADHD-RS-IV.es) is consistent with those of the DSM-IV-TR and DSM-5 as well as with the model proposed by the author of the original scale. Furthermore, it has good discriminant ability. ADHD-RS-IV.es is therefore a valid and reliable tool for determining presence and severity of ADHD symptoms in the Spanish population. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Translation, validity and reliability of the British Sign Language (BSL) version of the EQ-5D-5L.

PubMed

Rogers, Katherine D; Pilling, Mark; Davies, Linda; Belk, Rachel; Nassimi-Green, Catherine; Young, Alys

2016-07-01

To translate the health questionnaire EuroQol EQ-5D-5L into British Sign Language (BSL), to test its reliability with the signing Deaf population of BSL users in the UK and to validate its psychometric properties. The EQ-5D-5L BSL was developed following the international standard for translation required by EuroQol, with additional agreed features appropriate to a visual language. Data collection used an online platform to view the signed (BSL) version of the tests. The psychometric testing included content validity, assessed by interviewing a small sample of Deaf people. Reliability was tested by internal consistency of the items and test-retest, and convergent validity was assessed by determining how well EQ-5D-5L BSL correlates with CORE-10 BSL and CORE-6D BSL. The psychometric properties of the EQ-5D-5L BSL are good, indicating that it can be used to measure health status in the Deaf signing population in the UK. Convergent validity between EQ-5D-5L BSL and CORE-10 BSL and CORE-6D BSL is consistent, demonstrating that the BSL version of EQ-5D-5L is a good measure of the health status of an individual. The test-retest reliability of EQ-5D-5L BSL, for each dimension of health, was shown to have Cohen's kappa values of 0.47-0.61; these were in the range of moderate to good and were therefore acceptable. This is the first time EQ-5D-5L has been translated into a signed language for use with Deaf people and is a significant step forward towards conducting studies of health status and cost-effectiveness in this population.

Language and vertical space: on the automaticity of language action interconnections.

PubMed

Dudschig, Carolin; de la Vega, Irmgard; De Filippis, Monica; Kaup, Barbara

2014-09-01

Grounded models of language processing propose a strong connection between language and sensorimotor processes (Barsalou, 1999, 2008; Glenberg & Kaschak, 2002). However, it remains unclear how functional and automatic these connections are for understanding diverse sets of words (Ansorge, Kiefer, Khalid, Grassl, & König, 2010). Here, we investigate whether words referring to entities with a typical location in the upper or lower visual field (e.g., sun, ground) automatically influence subsequent motor responses even when language-processing levels are kept minimal. The results show that even subliminally presented words influence subsequent actions, as can be seen in a reversed compatibility effect. These finding have several implications for grounded language processing models. Specifically, these results suggest that language-action interconnections are not only the result of strategic language processes, but already play an important role during pre-attentional language processing stages. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Understand the neurodevelopment of language: a necessity to prevent learning disabilities in children].

PubMed

Charollais, A; Marret, S; Stumpf, M-H; Lemarchand, M; Delaporte, B; Philip, E; Monom-Diverre; Guillois, B; Datin-Dorriere, V; Debillon, T; Simon, M-J; De Barace, C; Pasquet, F; Saliba, E; Zebhib, R

2013-09-01

Clinical and radiological knowledge of language development in the former premature infant compared to the newborn allows us to argue for exploration of the sensorimotor co-factors required for proper language development. There are early representations of the maternal language in the infant's visual, auditory, and sensorimotor areas, activated or stabilized by orofacial and articulatory movements. The functional architecture of language is different for vulnerable children such as premature infants. We have already mentioned the impact of early dysfunction of the facial praxis fine motor skills in this population presenting comprehension disorders. A recent meta-analysis confirms the increasing difficulty of understanding between 3 and 12 years, questioning the quality of the initial linguistic processes. A precise analysis of language, referenced from 3 years of age, should be completed by sensorimotor tests to assess possible constraints in automating neurolinguistic foundations. The usual assessment at this age can exclude sensory disturbances and communication and offers guidance and socialization. However, a recent study shows the ineffectiveness of "language-reinforced immersion" at 2 and 3 years in a population of vulnerable children. The LAMOPRESCO study of language and motor skills in the premature infant (National PHRC 2010) has assessed language and sensorimotor skills of preterm-born (<33 weeks) 3.5-year-old children without cerebral palsy. Fragile children were randomized into 2 groups, 1 stimulated by a specific individual protocol, the other given guidance. The primary endpoint was phonology, assuming that it is composed of very early good-quality sensorimotor integration stabilized by the child's oral facial motor skills before 5 years of age. This developmental integrative dynamic validates the "motor theory of speech perception." Early and accurate assessment of language and the patient's constraints should differentiate and specify management strategies for all children, whatever their background and pathologies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Real-Time Language Processing in School-Age Children with Specific Language Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montgomery, James W.

2006-01-01

Background:School-age children with specific language impairment (SLI) exhibit slower real-time (i.e. immediate) language processing relative to same-age peers and younger, language-matched peers. Results of the few studies that have been done seem to indicate that the slower language processing of children with SLI is due to inefficient…