Merkel Cell-Driven BDNF Signaling Specifies SAI Neuron Molecular and Electrophysiological Phenotypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Reed-Geaghan, Erin G; Wright, Margaret C; See, Lauren A; Adelman, Peter C; Lee, Kuan Hsien; Koerber, H Richard; Maricich, Stephen M

2016-04-13

The extent to which the skin instructs peripheral somatosensory neuron maturation is unknown. We studied this question in Merkel cell-neurite complexes, where slowly adapting type I (SAI) neurons innervate skin-derived Merkel cells. Transgenic mice lacking Merkel cells had normal dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neuron numbers, but fewer DRG neurons expressed the SAI markers TrkB, TrkC, and Ret. Merkel cell ablation also decreased downstream TrkB signaling in DRGs, and altered the expression of genes associated with SAI development and function. Skin- and Merkel cell-specific deletion of Bdnf during embryogenesis, but not postnatal Bdnf deletion or Ntf3 deletion, reproduced these results. Furthermore, prototypical SAI electrophysiological signatures were absent from skin regions where Bdnf was deleted in embryonic Merkel cells. We conclude that BDNF produced by Merkel cells during a precise embryonic period guides SAI neuron development, providing the first direct evidence that the skin instructs sensory neuron molecular and functional maturation. Peripheral sensory neurons show incredible phenotypic and functional diversity that is initiated early by cell-autonomous and local environmental factors found within the DRG. However, the contribution of target tissues to subsequent sensory neuron development remains unknown. We show that Merkel cells are required for the molecular and functional maturation of the SAI neurons that innervate them. We also show that this process is controlled by BDNF signaling. These findings provide new insights into the regulation of somatosensory neuron development and reveal a novel way in which Merkel cells participate in mechanosensation. Copyright © 2016 the authors 0270-6474/16/364362-15$15.00/0.

SAI/EPRI Albedo Information Library

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simmons, G.L.

1979-03-01

The SAI/EPRI Albedo Information Library (SAIL) is described. This description included the techniques used to develop the data and comparisons with albedo data. Albedo data are presented for Type 04 Concrete and Low Carbon Steel, the most common materials encountered in radiation streaming analysis. Applications of the SAIL data are presented and compared with experimental results

Kaitseliidu kool sai hinnalise kingituse / Kaire Kozlov

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kozlov, Kaire

2006-01-01

Oma viiendat tegutsemisaastat tähistav Kaitseliidu kool sai sünnipäevakingiks kuueteistkümnest sülearvutist ning lisaseadmetest koosneva arvutiklassi, kinkijateks osaühing SmartLink ning Riigikaitse Edendamise Sihtasutus

Jõgeva bussijaam sai liimpuidu kasutamise eripreemia

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2009-01-01

Konkursil Eesti Parim Puitehitis 2009 sai liimpuidu kasutamise eripreemia Jõgeva bussijaam, arhitektid Andres Lunge ja Mait Lauri firmast Lunge & Co OÜst. Peapreemia pälvis suvila Jõelähtmel, arhitekt Sten Ader büroost SKAD Arhitektid. Loetletud ka teisi auhinnalistele kohtadele tulnud töid

OÜ Same sai tootearendustoetust / Riina Mägi

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Mägi, Riina, 1957-

2008-01-01

Tabiveres põllu- ja teehooldusmasinaid tootev OÜ Same sai Ettevõtluse Arendamise Sihtasutuse kaudu üle poole miljoni krooni tootearendustoetust, mille abil töötab firma välja uue, senisest paindlikuma ja multifunktsionaalsema ketas-liivapuisturi

Eesti lühifilm sai erootikapreemia

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2005-01-01

Itaalias Montecatini lühifilmide festivalil sai kategoorias "Eros in short films" parima filmi auhinna lühimängufilm "Ring" : stsenaristid : Andrus Tuisk, Urmas Lennuk, Kaur Kender : režissöör Andrus Tuisk : osades Lembit Ulfsak, Merle Palmiste ja Karl Annus : Tuisk Film - Parunid ja Vonid 2004

Bi txitodun sai arrearen kabia Baztanen (Nafarroan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ELOSEGI ONANDIA, I., ELOSEGI IRURTIA, M.M.

2010-01-01

(Folin, 1893 saiak ehizatzeko leku egoki bezala agertzen bait da. Geroztik ordea, eta ia mende batez, ezezagun bilakatu da zientzialarientzat, 1971 urtean berriro ere bertan saiak kumatzen direla baieztatu zen arte. Urte horretatik aurrera hurbileko jarraipena egin zaio Itxusiko sai-arre koloniari.

Viru Vesi sai ISO sertifikaadid / Külli Kriis

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kriis, Külli, 1961-

2005-01-01

Ilmunud ka: Severnoje Poberezhje 23. märts lk. 4. AS Viru Vesi sai Eestis teise vee-ettevõttena veevarustuse, kanalisatsiooni ning reoveepuhastuse teenuse pakkumise alal keskkonna- ja kvaliteedijuhtimissüsteemi sertifikaadid

Eesti seosega film sai Rootsis neli auhinda

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2005-01-01

PÖFFi külalistena Rootsist Tallinna saabunud väliseestlased Andres Lokko ja Martin Luuk on stsenaristid rootsi režissööri Tomas Alfredsoni mängufilmile "Pruuni neli varjundit" ("Fyra nyanser av brunt"), mis sai äsja Rootsi Kuldse Põrnika filmiauhindade jagamisel neli auhinda

"Kaali saladus" sai Ungaris preemia / Inge Pitsner

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Pitsner, Inge

2003-01-01

Populaarteaduslik Eesti-Läti ühisfilm Kaali meteoriidiplahvatusest "Kaali saladus" : stsenarist ja režissöör Urmas E. Liiv : operaator Ago Ruus : produtsent Riho Västrik, sai teadusfilmide festivalil Szolnokis kolmanda koha. R. Västrik valmistab ette uut dokfilmi "Middendorffi jälgedes". Sama ka : Teleleht nr. 45, lk. 12

Piilupart Donald sai tähe Hollywoodi kuulsuste alleel

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2004-01-01

Walt Disney joonistatud Piilupart ilmus ekraanile esmakordselt 1934. aastal joonisfilmis "Tark tibu". Nüüd sai ka tema Hollywoodi tähtede alleel oma staaritähe Miki-Hiire, Pluuto ja Daisy kõrvale

Kuldse Palmioksa sai film iirlaste iseseisvusvõitlusest / Triin Tael

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Tael, Triin

2006-01-01

Cannes'i filmifestivali võitjad. Kuldse Palmioksa võitis Ken Loachi mängufilm "Tuul, mis sasib odrapõldu" ("The Wind That Shakes the Barley"), Grand Prix' sai prantslase Bruno Dumonti film "Flandria" ("Flandres")

Noor Eesti teadlane sai maineka Briti stipendiumi / Aive Sarjas

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Sarjas, Aive

2012-01-01

Eesti Maaülikooli veterinaarmeditsiini ja loomakasvatuse instituudi doktorant Kristi Kernerist sai esimene inimene väljaspool Ühendkuningriiki, kelle loomade heaolu teemalist projekti autasustas Humane Slaughter Association prestiižsse Dorothy Sidley nimelise stipendiumiga

Presence of e-EDCs in surface water and effluents of pollution sources in Sai Gon and Dong Nai river basin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tam Le Thi Minh

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to assess the presence of estrogenic endocrine disrupting compounds (e-EDCs including estriol, bisphenol A (BPA, atrazine (ATZ, octylphenol, octylphenol diethoxylate, octylphenol triethoxylate, nonylphenol, Nonylphenol triethoxylate (NPE3, nonylphenol diethoxylate (NPE2 and 17β-estradiol in: (i Sai Gon and Dong Nai river waters which have been major raw water sources for drinking water supply for Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC and neighbouring provinces, and (ii water pollution sources located in their catchment basin. NPE3 and NPE2 were detected in most of the surface water samples. Concentrations of NPE3 were in a range of less than 5.9–235 ng L−1, whereas BPA was detected at significantly high concentrations in the dry season in canals in HCMC. In the upstream of Sai Gon and Dong Nai Rivers, ATZ concentrations were observed at water intake of water treatment plants served for HCMC water supply system. Similarly, high potential risk of NPE2 and NPE3 contamination at Phu Cuong Bridge near Hoa Phu water intake was identified. The significant correlation between NPE2, dissolved organic carbon and total nitrogen was found. Estrogenic equivalent or estrogenic activity of Sai Gon and Dong Nai Rivers was lower than those of the previous studies. Compared with other studies, e-EDCs of pollution in Sai Gon river basin were relatively low.

Noormees sai Eesti Päevalehe abiga magistrikraadi / Piia Puuraid

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Puuraid, Piia

2013-01-01

Eile sai magistrikraadi Marek Süld, kelle isa Mati Süld Eesti Päevalehest tasuta õpingud võitis. Eesti Päevaleht loosis 2010. aastal välja 13 tasuta Estonian Business Schooli bakalaureuse- või magistriprogrammi

Pärnumaa väikesaar sai oma traktori / Silvi Kanoshina

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kanoshina, Silvi

2005-01-01

Ilmunud ka: Pärnu Postimees 10. sets, lk. 5. Tõstamaa vald ostis Manija saare rannaniitude korrastamiseks traktori, raha traktori ostmiseks sai vald Euroopa regionaalarengu fondist. Kaart: Manija saar

CAMSHIFT Tracker Design Experiments With Intel OpenCV and SAI

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Francois, Alexandre R

2004-01-01

... (including multi-modal) systems, must be specifically addressed. This report describes design and implementation experiments for CAMSHIFT-based tracking systems using Intel's Open Computer Vision library and SAI...

"Detsembrikuumuse" helirežissöör sai Emmy

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2008-01-01

Hollywoodis töötav helirežissöör Solange S. Schwalbe sai septembris Los Angeleses toimunud 2007-2008 Creative Arts Primetime Emmys tseremoonial Emmy minisarja "John Adams" heliefektide eest. Tema meeskond helindas ka meie uue mängufilmi

Rapla kihelkonna auhinna sai Ilse Rahkema / Margus Mikomägi

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Mikomägi, Margus, 1956-

2009-01-01

Rapla kihelkonna päeval 22. juulil sai Rapla kihelkonna auhinna Raikküla teadjanaine, koduloolane Ilse Rahkema. Kihelkonna auhind kujutab endast pronksist valmistatud Maarja Magdaleena kuju, mille autor on skulptor Tauno Kangro

Doktorant sai loomade heaolu uurimise eest haruldase stipendiumi / Mari Aigro

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Aigro, Mari

2012-01-01

Eesti Maaülikooli veterinaarmeditsiini ja loomakasvatuse instituudi doktorant Kristi Kernerist sai esimene inimene väljaspool Ühendkuningriiki, kelle loomade heaolu teemalist projekti autasustas Humane Slaughter Association prestiižsse Dorothy Sidley nimelise stipendiumiga

USA juhtivpoliitik sai süüdistuse pettuses / Neeme Raud

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Raud, Neeme, 1969-

2005-01-01

USA Kongressi vabariiklaste juht Tom DeLay astus ametist tagasi, kuna Texase osariigi Travise maakonna kohus esitas talle süüdistuse seotuse eest Texase valimiskampaania rahastamisskeemiga. Esindajatekoja uueks vabariiklaste juhiks sai Missouri osariigi kongresmen Roy Blunt

First-line bevacizumab-based therapy in advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer : analysis of the Italian patients enrolled in the SAiL study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bearz, Alessandra; Passalacqua, Rodolfo; Alabiso, Oscar; Cinieri, Saverio; Gridelli, Cesare; Cravesana, Claudia; Crinò, Lucio

2012-11-01

First-line bevacizumab-based therapy has been shown to improve outcomes in patients with advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The recent international phase IV SAiL study (a Study of Avastin [bevacizumab] in combination with platinum-containing chemotherapy in patients with advanced or recurrent non-squamous cell Lung cancer) evaluated the safety and efficacy of bevacizumab combined with standard chemotherapy regimens in routine clinical practice. Here we report the results of a subanalysis of baseline characteristics and efficacy data for Italian patients enrolled in SAiL. In the SAiL study, patients with untreated locally advanced, metastatic or recurrent non-squamous NSCLC received bevacizumab (7.5 or 15 mg/kg) every 3 weeks plus chemotherapy for up to six cycles, followed by single-agent bevacizumab until disease progression. Efficacy was assessed in terms of time to disease progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS). The Italian intent-to-treat population comprised 215 patients from a SAiL population of 2212 patients. At baseline, Italian patients tended to have less advanced disease than the overall population. Thus, the proportion of patients at enrollment with tumour stage IIIb and IV was 23.7 and 76.3 %, respectively, for the Italian population versus 19.7 and 80.3 % for the whole SAiL population. In addition, a higher proportion of Italian patients had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 (72.6 vs. 37.2 %) and the prevalence of co-morbid conditions was lower in Italian patients (59.5 % of Italian patients reported a co-morbid condition and 60.0 % were receiving non-oncological treatment compared with 73.3 and 73.4 %, respectively, of SAiL patients overall). The mean exposures to bevacizumab and to chemotherapy were comparable between the Italian patient group and overall patient population, although cisplatin doublets were more commonly employed in Italian patients whereas carboplatin doublets were more

Control and Autonomy—The SAIs in Norway, Denmark, and Germany as Watchdogs in an NPM-Era?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jantz, Bastian; Reichborn-Kjennerud, Kristin; Vrangbæk, Karsten

2015-01-01

on an evaluative role when judging NPM instruments. At the same time their emphasis on legality and compliance can be at odds with some of the operating principles in NPM. All in all the German SAI seems to be the most radical critic. This may be linked to the lack of openness of the German SAIs results that makes...... it more internally focused within a mindset of administrative accountability....

Ahistajat tabada aidanud naine sai aumärgi / Agnes Kuus

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kuus, Agnes

2005-01-01

Justiitsministeerium tunnustas kodanikujulguse aumärgiga seitset inimest, kes on kaasa aidanud kurjategijate tabamisele, teiste seas sai aumärgi Ingrid Lepp, kes aitas politseil kinni püüda Pärnu rannas tegutsenud ahistaja. Vt. samas: Turvamees nabis kinni muukija; Noored jälitasid telefonivarast; Tõnu Timma; Gennadi Kulla; Rita Parel. Lisa: Autasu julgetele

Force sensor in simulated skin and neural model mimic tactile SAI afferent spiking response to ramp and hold stimuli.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Elmer K; Wellnitz, Scott A; Bourdon, Sarah M; Lumpkin, Ellen A; Gerling, Gregory J

2012-07-23

The next generation of prosthetic limbs will restore sensory feedback to the nervous system by mimicking how skin mechanoreceptors, innervated by afferents, produce trains of action potentials in response to compressive stimuli. Prior work has addressed building sensors within skin substitutes for robotics, modeling skin mechanics and neural dynamics of mechanotransduction, and predicting response timing of action potentials for vibration. The effort here is unique because it accounts for skin elasticity by measuring force within simulated skin, utilizes few free model parameters for parsimony, and separates parameter fitting and model validation. Additionally, the ramp-and-hold, sustained stimuli used in this work capture the essential features of the everyday task of contacting and holding an object. This systems integration effort computationally replicates the neural firing behavior for a slowly adapting type I (SAI) afferent in its temporally varying response to both intensity and rate of indentation force by combining a physical force sensor, housed in a skin-like substrate, with a mathematical model of neuronal spiking, the leaky integrate-and-fire. Comparison experiments were then conducted using ramp-and-hold stimuli on both the spiking-sensor model and mouse SAI afferents. The model parameters were iteratively fit against recorded SAI interspike intervals (ISI) before validating the model to assess its performance. Model-predicted spike firing compares favorably with that observed for single SAI afferents. As indentation magnitude increases (1.2, 1.3, to 1.4 mm), mean ISI decreases from 98.81 ± 24.73, 54.52 ± 6.94, to 41.11 ± 6.11 ms. Moreover, as rate of ramp-up increases, ISI during ramp-up decreases from 21.85 ± 5.33, 19.98 ± 3.10, to 15.42 ± 2.41 ms. Considering first spikes, the predicted latencies exhibited a decreasing trend as stimulus rate increased, as is observed in afferent recordings. Finally, the SAI afferent's characteristic response

Karzai sai vähem kui kolmandiku küsitud rahast / Evelyn Kaldoja

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kaldoja, Evelyn, 1980-

2008-01-01

Pariisis toimuval Afganistani doonorite konverentsil 50 miljardit dollarit lisaraha nõutanud president Hamid Karzai sai esialgu 14 miljardit dollarit. Välisminister Urmas Paet lubas oma sõnavõtus, et Eesti suurendab oma abi

Tejiendo vínculos: tres mecanismos socioadaptativos desplegados por el movimiento Sai Baba en Argentina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodolfo Puglisi

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Luego de presentar los caracteres fundamentales del armazón institucional de la Or - ganización Sri Sathya Sai Baba ( osss B , surgida en la India, y de bosquejar la historia del movimiento Sai Baba en Argentina, en este artículo presento las que denomino tres estrategias socioadaptativas puestas en juego por el movimiento para favorecer la acomodación de sus creencias al campo sociorreligioso argentino, es decir, examino cómo se tejen puentes simbólicos con el trasfondo cultural local a fin de lograr una identificación con los valores de la sociedad receptora.

What Is Genetic Ancestry Testing?

Science.gov (United States)

... consumer genetic testing? What kinds of direct-to-consumer genetic tests are available? What is genetic ancestry testing? What are the benefits and risks of direct-to-consumer genetic testing? ...

Establishing strategic alliance among hospitals through SAIS: a case study in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, Won-Fu; Hwang, Hsin-Ginn; Liao, Chechen

2005-01-01

Due to a reformed healthcare insurance system and a gradually decreasing public affairs' budget by the government year by year, Central Taiwan Office (CTO), the Department of Health (DOH) in Taiwan, initiated a strategic alliance project of the hospitals subordinated to the DOH in November, 2001. This project was a five-year plan with an attempt to expand and develop three more strategic alliances covering the northern, southern and eastern regions of Taiwan respectively. Through a cooperative system, such an alliance allows the following: resource sharing, technique collaboration, marketing affiliations and so on. In order to decrease operation management costs and improve the quality of service at hospitals, the strategic alliance practice is supported by IS. We call this alignment the IS-enabled strategic alliance. All the IS-enabled functions are supported by the Strategic Alliance Information System (SAIS). In this article, the SAIS developed by the CTO of the DOH is introduced.

Rain Simmul sai mehise näitleja auhinna / Lauri Kärk

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kärk, Lauri, 1954-

2002-01-01

Bakuu rahvusvaheline filmilmifestival "Ida-Lääs", kus Rain Simmul sai oma rolli eest Arvo Iho filmis "Karu süda" diplomi. Näidati ka Peeter Simmi mängufilmi "Head käed" ja Andres Maimiku - Jaak Kilmi tõsielufilmi "Isamaa ilu". "Karu süda" on saanud ka Jack Londoni nimelise parima stsenaariumiga filmi auhinna California filmifestivalil Wine Country

Agar pronkssõduriga võitleja sai kanepisuitsetamise eest trahvi / Katrin Rohtla, Siim Randla

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Rohtla, Katrin, 1966-

2006-01-01

Aktiivse pronkssõduri vastasena tuntust kogunud Isamaaliidu liige Kalev Rebane sai Läänemaal Peraküla rannas kanepi suitsetamise eest politseilt 9000 krooni trahvi. Isamaa ja Res Publica Liidu liikmed on teinud ettepaneku noormees erakonnast välja arvata. Lisa: Mille eest koostati protokoll?

Hästi restaureeritud raekoda sai Euroopast kõrge tunnustuse / Askur Alas

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Alas, Askur, 1973-

2006-01-01

Tallinna raekoda sai Euroopa Liidu ja Euroopa pärandkultuuri organisatsiooni Europa Nostra kultuuripärandi medali. Europa Nostra nõukogu liikme Karin Hallas-Murula sõnul arvestatakse auhindade jagamisel nii mälestise säilitamist kui ka kasutamist tänapäeval. Mainekas auhind on tunnustus Teddy Böcklerile, kellele raekoja restaureerimine oli elutööks. Lisatud Europa Nostra peapreemiad

Robert Frazure mälestuspuu Sõpruse pargis sai graniitpotil tähistuse / Raivo Feldmann

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Feldmann, Raivo

2007-01-01

Esimese USA suursaadiku sõjajärgses Eestis, Robert Frazure' mälestuspuu sai Sõpruse pargis tähise, vajaliku raha ettevõtmise heaks annetasid Ameerika Suursaatkonna töötajad, nende delegatsioon viibis Põltsamaal Sõpruse pargis toimunud üritusel

SAI Intelligent Systems Conference (IntelliSys) 2015

CERN Document Server

Kapoor, Supriya; Bhatia, Rahul

2016-01-01

This book is a remarkable collection of chapters covering a wider range of topics, including unsupervised text mining, anomaly and Intrusion Detection, Self-reconfiguring Robotics, application of Fuzzy Logic to development aid, Design and Optimization, Context-Aware Reasoning, DNA Sequence Assembly and Multilayer Perceptron Networks. The twenty-one chapters present extended results from the SAI Intelligent Systems Conference (IntelliSys) 2015 and have been selected based on high recommendations during IntelliSys 2015 review process. This book presents innovative research and development carried out presently in fields of knowledge representation and reasoning, machine learning, and particularly in intelligent systems in a more broad sense. It provides state - of - the - art intelligent methods and techniques for solving real world problems along with a vision of the future research.

What Is Genetic Ancestry Testing?

Science.gov (United States)

... What is genetic ancestry testing? What is genetic ancestry testing? Genetic ancestry testing, or genetic genealogy, is ... with other groups. For more information about genetic ancestry testing: The University of Utah provides video tutorials ...

Effect of Gamma Irradiation to Yellow Flesh Watermelon cv. ''Huay Sai Thong''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Puripunyavanich, Vichai

2003-06-01

Yellow flesh watermelon seeds cv. Huay Sai Thong was irradiated with gamma rays. The experiment has been shown LD 50 dose at 420 Gy and GR 50 dose at 480 Gy approximately. Seeds of watermelon irradiated at 200 and 400 Gy were sown to find out mutation characteristics. The growth rate of M 1 plants was lower than the normal one. In M 2 plants, some irradiated lines showed non-dark green stripe on surface of fruit. Genetic testing was done according to skin color on watermelon fruit. It was found that the normal stripe characteristic was dominant and non-stripe characteristic was recessive. The Short length vine characteristic was selected till M 7 generation. The two lines of non-stripe watermelon and two lines of normal-stripe watermelon were selected for short length vine characteristic

Kuidas sai kirjanik Mart Raud endale kirjanik Albert Kivikase maja? : [Tallinn, Vaarika 3] / Stepan Karja

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Karja, Stepan

1995-01-01

Vastukaja : Raud, Valda; Raud, Anu. Vastuseks Stepan Karja artiklile 'Kuidas sai kirjanik Mart Raud endale kirjanik Albert Kivikase maja' // Postimees, 1995, 18.apr., lk.7 ; Rebane, Ilme. Alati on raske loobuda armsaks saanud elupaigast // Postimees, 1995, 25.mai, lk.6

The Strengths Assessment Inventory: Reliability of a New Measure of Psychosocial Strengths for Youth

Science.gov (United States)

Brazeau, James N.; Teatero, Missy L.; Rawana, Edward P.; Brownlee, Keith; Blanchette, Loretta R.

2012-01-01

A new measure, the Strengths Assessment Inventory-Youth self-report (SAI-Y), was recently developed to assess the strengths of children and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 18 years. The SAI-Y differs from similar measures in that it provides a comprehensive assessment of strengths that are intrinsic to the individual as well as strengths…

What Is Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing?

Science.gov (United States)

... consumer genetic testing? What kinds of direct-to-consumer genetic tests are available? What is genetic ancestry testing? What are the benefits and risks of direct-to-consumer genetic testing? ...

Kärstna lõvikuju sai käpa jälle tagasi / Aivar Aotäht

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Aotäht, Aivar, 1970-

2007-01-01

Kärstna Kabelimäel asuv malmist lõvikuju sai eelmisel aastal varastatu asemele uue käpa. Modelleeris skulptor Paul Uibopuu. Kunstimälestisena muinsuskaitse all olev lõvikuju pandi Kabelimäele 1844. aastal kindralleitnant Reinhold von Anrepi mälestuseks

Šampoonivõltsijast sai kardetud jäätmete töötleja / Mihkel Kärmas

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kärmas, Mihkel, 1974-

2009-01-01

OÜ Megonar omanik Ahto Laanemägi sai loa ladustada kuni 60 000 t tselluloositehase Estonian Cell jäätmeid Noonu külas Virumaal. Põllumajandusteadlane Valjo Masso on leidnud Estonian Celli jääkmudast ootamatuid keemilisi elemente, nt. raskmetalle. Austria labori hinnang Estonian Celli muda kohta

An Assessment of the Hypothetical Impact of Drug Abuse on Combat Capability. Volume I.

Science.gov (United States)

1979-12-01

25 I .4 Jill 1.6 MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART NATIONAt BIURIA OF gMANI£ IWOI) A LEVEL AD SAI-80-113-WA AN ASSESSMENT OF THE HYPOTHETICAL IMPACTo OF...potential loss of unit effectiveness in each of these units. The resulting measure of unit effectiveness provides a powerful analy- tic tool for comparing

Selfie Aging Index: An Index for the Self-assessment of Healthy and Active Aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonçalves, Judite; Gomes, Maria Isabel; Fonseca, Miguel; Teodoro, Tomás; Barros, Pedro Pita; Botelho, Maria-Amália

2017-01-01

Governments across Europe want to promote healthy and active aging, as a matter of both public health and economic sustainability. Designing policies focused on the most vulnerable groups requires information at the individual level. However, a measure of healthy and active aging at the individual level does not yet exist. This paper develops the Selfie Aging Index (SAI), an individual-level index of healthy and active aging. The SAI is developed thinking about a tool that would allow each person to take a selfie of her aging status. Therefore, it is based entirely on self-assessed indicators. This paper also illustrates how the SAI may look like in practice. The SAI is based on the Biopsychosocial Assessment Model (MAB), a tool for the multidimensional assessment of older adults along three domains: biological, psychological, and social. Indicators are selected and their weights determined based on an ordered probit model that relates the MAB indicators to self-assessed health, which proxies healthy and active aging. The ordered probit model predicts the SAI based on the estimated parameters. Finally, predictions are rescaled to the 0-1 interval. Data for the SAI development come from the Study of the Aging Profiles of the Portuguese Population and the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe. The selected indicators are BMI, having difficulties moving around indoors and performing the activities of daily living, feeling depressed, feeling nervous, lacking energy, time awareness score, marital status, having someone to confide in, education, type of job, exercise, and smoking status. The model also determines their weights. Results shed light on various factors that contribute significantly to healthy and active aging. Two examples are mental health and exercise, which deserve more attention from individuals themselves, health-care professionals, and public health policy. The SAI has the potential to put the individual at the center of the healthy and

Safety and efficacy of first-line bevacizumab with chemotherapy in Asian patients with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC: results from the phase IV MO19390 (SAiL) study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Chun-Ming; Au, Joseph Siu-kie; Chang, Gee-Chen; Cheng, Ashley Chi-kin; Zhou, Caicun; Wu, Yi-long

2011-06-01

First-line treatment with bevacizumab combined with chemotherapy has been shown to improve outcomes in patients with advanced, nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSNSCLC) in phase III clinical trials. SAiL (MO19390), an open-label, multicenter, single-arm study, evaluated the safety and efficacy of first-line bevacizumab-based treatment in clinical practice. This report presents the results of a preplanned subanalysis of Asian patients enrolled in SAiL. Patients with untreated, locally advanced, metastatic or recurrent NSNSCLC received bevacizumab 7.5 or 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks plus chemotherapy for up to six cycles, followed by single-agent bevacizumab until disease progression. Eligibility criteria for SAiL permitted enrolment of a broad patient population. The primary end point was safety; secondary end points included time to disease progression and overall survival. The Asian intent-to-treat population comprised 314 of the 2212 patients enrolled in the SAiL trial. In the Asian subanalysis, patients received a median of nine cycles of bevacizumab, and the median follow-up was 16.4 months. The incidence of clinically significant adverse events (grade ≥3) of special interest was relatively low in this population (15.6% overall); proteinuria (7.6%), hypertension (4.8%), and bleeding (2.5%) were the most common. A total of five adverse events related to bevacizumab were reported as grade 5. Disease control rate was 94.1%, median time to disease progression was 8.3 months, and median overall survival was 18.9 months. The safety and efficacy of first-line bevacizumab-based treatment in Asian patients with advanced NSNSCLC is consistent with that demonstrated in phase III studies and in the overall SAiL population. There were no new safety signals.

30 CFR 285.605 - What is a Site Assessment Plan (SAP)?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What is a Site Assessment Plan (SAP)? 285.605... Assessment Plan (SAP)? (a) A SAP describes the activities (e.g., installation of meteorological towers... project easement, or to test technology devices. (1) Your SAP must describe how you will conduct your...

Modelagem da intrusão da água de um rio com diferentes concentrações de sais

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriel C. Marino

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Para considerações de intrusão de água em meio subterrâneo a capilaridade, também entendida como força de sucção, é uma grandeza física que influencia a dinâmica do processo. Neste trabalho é apresentada uma investigação do comportamento do escoamento subterrâneo e as interações entre água doce e água salinizada na área de descarga de um rio. Objetivou-se realizar uma modelagem preditiva para identificar e representar o processo de intrusão das águas de um rio meio ao lençol freático comparando diferentes concentrações de sais nas águas do rio e águas subterrâneas. Como modelo conceitual foi definido um rio em região de descarga. A modelagem foi realizada no software SUTRA sendo o método de solução por elementos finitos. Observou-se a formação de uma camada de água doce sobre o lençol freático salinizado quando considerada intrusão de água doce. Para as considerações com intrusão de água salinizada foi identificada a formação de fingers. Os resultados do modelo possibilitaram identificar que a intrusão de água doce no lençol freático salinizado é dificultada pela presença de sais. A intrusão é mais difícil quanto maior a concentração de sais nas águas subterrâneas.

Counseling and Testing: What Counselors Need to Know about State Laws on Assessment and Testing

Science.gov (United States)

Naugle, Kim A.

2009-01-01

This article discusses testing in counseling, the history of psychology's attempts to restrict access to testing, and the potential impact on the public. Counselors are encouraged to obtain appropriate training in assessment and to understand that testing is not only consistent with fair testing policies but also essential for ethical practice.…

Professional Development Urban Schools: What Do Teachers Say?

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Tanya R.; Allen, Mishaleen

2015-01-01

This quantitative causal-comparative study compared perceptions of professional development opportunities between high-achieving and low-achieving elementary-middle school teachers in an urban school district using the Standards Assessment Inventory (SAI). A total of 271 teachers participated including 134 (n = 134) teachers from high-achieving…

An Alternative Approach to Assessing Laboratory and Field Notebooks: The Data Retrieval Test

Science.gov (United States)

Bedford, Hilary; Bedford, Alan; Thomas, Judith; Ashton, Paul

2010-01-01

Marking field and laboratory notebooks can be a time consuming and tedious task. This article describes a system whereby the contents of student's notebooks are assessed by testing the students on what they have included and their understanding of what has been done. It also tests the quality of the student's notes--detailed, organised notes…

Estresse salino e uso de biofertilizantes como mitigadores dos sais nos componentes morfofisiológicos e de produção de glicófitas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Lucínio de Oliveira Freire

2016-06-01

Full Text Available A salinidade elevada das águas de boa parte dos mananciais hídricos do semiárido do Nordeste brasileiro contribui para reduzir o potencial produtivo da maioria das culturas alimentícias e não alimentícias. O acúmulo de sais no solo, além de comprometer as propriedades físicas e quími­cas do meio edáfico, reduz o potencial osmótico da solução do solo, restringindo a disponibilidade de água, resultando em desbalanço nutricional e toxicidade, prejudicando os processos metabólicos e fisiológicos das plantas. O uso de condicionadores orgânicos do solo, como os biofertilizantes, vem sendo testado em glicófitas como ferramenta de ajustamento osmótico das plantas aos sais. Com isso, essa Revisão de Literatura objetivou relatar estudos que tratem do estresse salino e concatenar algumas experimentações com biofertilizantes utilizados para mitigarem os efeitos depressivos dos sais nos componentes morfofisiológicos e produtivos de plantas glicófitas.

Adubos foliares quelatizados e sais na absorção de boro, manganês e zinco em laranjeira ?Pera?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Santos Carlos Henrique dos

1999-01-01

Full Text Available O presente trabalho teve como objetivo comparar a eficiência de formulações de adubos foliares quelatizados na absorção dos micronutrientes boro, manganês e zinco, com a aplicação convencional de sais em plantas de laranjeira ?Pera? (Citrus sinensis (L. Osbeck. Para tanto foi conduzido experimento nas dependências do Departamento de Ciência do Solo da Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas UNESP/Campus de Botucatu, Estado de São Paulo. Utilizaram-se plantas de laranjeira ?Pera? (Citrus sinensis (L. Osbeck enxertadas sobre limoeiro ?Cravo? (Citrus limonia Osbeck, com 2 anos de idade, plantadas em caixas de 250 litros. Os adubos foliares utilizados foram: Grex Citros na dose de 1,0 mL L-1; Copas citros 2,0 mL L-1; Plantin Citros 1,0 mL L-1; Citrolino 2,0 mL L-1; Fertamin Citros 1,75 mL L-1; Yogen Citros 2,0 mL L-1; MS-2 1,0 mL L-1; Sais, Sais + 1,0 g L-1 de KCl e Sais substituindo o ZnSO4 pelo ZnCl2. O volume de aplicação, foi de 1 litro de calda planta-1. Em todos os tratamentos adicionou-se o espalhante adesivo do grupo químico dos alquifenoletoxilados a 0,03%. A amostragem das folhas foi realizada 30 dias após a aplicação dos tratamentos, coletando-se a 3a ou 4a folha de ramos vegetativos no início do florescimento, dos 4 quadrantes, localizados na região mediana da planta, totalizando 10 folhas por planta. A aplicação foliar de micronutrientes, favoreceu a absorção e resultou no aumento do teor foliar de Mn e Zn mas não de B, sendo que a presença de cloreto aumentou os teores de Zn na folhas de laranjeira ?Pera?, proporcionando maior absorção do que o sulfato e sulfato adicionado ao cloreto de potássio. Os resultados mostram, também, que os produtos quelatizados Yogen e MS-2, para as condições deste estudo, não foram eficientes como fontes fornecedoras de Mn.

Use of WhatsApp in Higher Education: What's Up with Assessing Peers Anonymously?

Science.gov (United States)

Güler, Çetin

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the use of WhatsApp application in anonymous peer assessment in higher education. The mobile phone application WhatsApp was used as both an anonymous and nonanonymous peer assessment tool in a classroom environment. The participants of the study were the students of two classes (sophomores and juniors), half…

Safety and efficacy of first-line bevacizumab combination therapy in Chinese population with advanced non-squamous NSCLC: data of subgroup analyses from MO19390 (SAiL) study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, C C; Bai, C X; Guan, Z Z; Jiang, G L; Shi, Y K; Wang, M Z; Wu, Y L; Zhang, Y P; Zhu, Y Z

2014-05-01

Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody with high antitumor activity against malignant diseases. Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of first-line bevacizumab combination therapy in advanced, non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NS-NSCLC). SAiL (MO19390), an open-label, multicenter, single-arm study, evaluated the safety and efficacy of first-line bevacizumab-based treatment in clinical practice. This report presents the results of a subgroup analysis of Chinese patients enrolled in SAiL. Chemo-naive Chinese patients with locally advanced, metastatic or recurrent NSCLC were randomized to receive Bev 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks plus carboplatin + paclitaxel for maximum of six cycles, followed by single-agent bevacizumab until disease progression. The primary endpoint was safety. Secondary endpoints included time to progression and overall survival. The Chinese intent-to-treat (ITT) population consists of 198 Chinese patients, among whom 107 (54 %) were non-smokers and 90 (45.5 %) were female. The median cycle of bevacizumab administration was 10 and median duration of bevacizumab treatment was 29.5 weeks. Only eight cases of severe adverse events were observed in the study, which were deemed to be related to bevacizumab. The incidence of AEs over grade 3 in Chinese ITT patients was generally low (SAiL study. No new safety signals were reported.

Automated Critical Test Findings Identification and Online Notification System Using Artificial Intelligence in Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Prevedello, Luciano M; Erdal, Barbaros S; Ryu, John L; Little, Kevin J; Demirer, Mutlu; Qian, Songyue; White, Richard D

2017-12-01

Purpose To evaluate the performance of an artificial intelligence (AI) tool using a deep learning algorithm for detecting hemorrhage, mass effect, or hydrocephalus (HMH) at non-contrast material-enhanced head computed tomographic (CT) examinations and to determine algorithm performance for detection of suspected acute infarct (SAI). Materials and Methods This HIPAA-compliant retrospective study was completed after institutional review board approval. A training and validation dataset of noncontrast-enhanced head CT examinations that comprised 100 examinations of HMH, 22 of SAI, and 124 of noncritical findings was obtained resulting in 2583 representative images. Examinations were processed by using a convolutional neural network (deep learning) using two different window and level configurations (brain window and stroke window). AI algorithm performance was tested on a separate dataset containing 50 examinations with HMH findings, 15 with SAI findings, and 35 with noncritical findings. Results Final algorithm performance for HMH showed 90% (45 of 50) sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI]: 78%, 97%) and 85% (68 of 80) specificity (95% CI: 76%, 92%), with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.91 with the brain window. For SAI, the best performance was achieved with the stroke window showing 62% (13 of 21) sensitivity (95% CI: 38%, 82%) and 96% (27 of 28) specificity (95% CI: 82%, 100%), with AUC of 0.81. Conclusion AI using deep learning demonstrates promise for detecting critical findings at noncontrast-enhanced head CT. A dedicated algorithm was required to detect SAI. Detection of SAI showed lower sensitivity in comparison to detection of HMH, but showed reasonable performance. Findings support further investigation of the algorithm in a controlled and prospective clinical setting to determine whether it can independently screen noncontrast-enhanced head CT examinations and notify the interpreting radiologist of critical findings. �

Heterogeneity of Monosymptomatic Resting Tremor in a Prospective Study: Clinical Features, Electrophysiological Test, and Dopamine Transporter Positron Emission Tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Hua-Guang; Zhang, Rong; Li, Xin; Li, Fang-Fei; Wang, Ya-Chen; Wang, Xue-Mei; Lu, Ling-Long; Feng, Tao

2015-07-05

The relationship between monosymptomatic resting tremor (mRT) and Parkinson's disease (PD) remains controversial. In this study, we aimed to assess the function of presynaptic dopaminergic neurons in patients with mRT by dopamine transporter positron emission tomography (DAT-PET) and to evaluate the utility of clinical features or electrophysiological studies in differential diagnosis. Thirty-three consecutive patients with mRT were enrolled prospectively. The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale and electromyography were tested before DAT-PET. Striatal asymmetry index (SAI) was calculated, and a normal DAT-PET was defined as a SAI of hygiene score, walking in motor experiences of daily living (Part II) and motor examination (Part III) were significant different between two groups (P postural tremor tend to be higher in the SWEDDs group (P = 0.08 and P = 0.05, respectively). mRT is heterogeneous in presynaptic nigrostriatal dopaminergic degeneration, which can be determined by DAT-PET brain imaging. Clinical and electrophysiological features may provide clues to distinguish PD from SWEDDs.

A Combined Ethical and Scientific Analysis of Large-scale Tests of Solar Climate Engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Ackerman, T. P.

2017-12-01

Our research group recently published an analysis of the combined ethical and scientific issues surrounding large-scale testing of stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI; Lenferna et al., 2017, Earth's Future). We are expanding this study in two directions. The first is extending this same analysis to other geoengineering techniques, particularly marine cloud brightening (MCB). MCB has substantial differences to SAI in this context because MCB can be tested over significantly smaller areas of the planet and, following injection, has a much shorter lifetime of weeks as opposed to years for SAI. We examine issues such as the role of intent, the lesser of two evils, and the nature of consent. In addition, several groups are currently considering climate engineering governance tools such as a code of ethics and a registry. We examine how these tools might influence climate engineering research programs and, specifically, large-scale testing. The second direction of expansion is asking whether ethical and scientific issues associated with large-scale testing are so significant that they effectively preclude moving ahead with climate engineering research and testing. Some previous authors have suggested that no research should take place until these issues are resolved. We think this position is too draconian and consider a more nuanced version of this argument. We note, however, that there are serious questions regarding the ability of the scientific research community to move to the point of carrying out large-scale tests.

Management of household waste on a farm in the municipality of Varre-Sai, RJ

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristiano Peixoto Maciel

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The study presents a diagnostic about the waste generated in a rural property, proposes and develops actions to mitigate the wrong accommodation made by the residents of the property. To remediate the problems detected, partnerships were implemented with the Varre Sai city government, the owner of the property, and the farm residents. A task force to collect the waste was organized, earthworm containers were constructed, and lectures were given. The project also included an agreement with the local government to collect the waste and supply recipients to the nine families of sharecroppers. The domestic waste was correctly allocated as well as the organic waste derived from the crops.

Palestinian-Israeli Scenario Planning - Phase II | IDRC ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

As currently foreseen, neither the two-state nor the one-state solution offers much hope of resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Scenario Planning Program of the Strategic Assessments Initiative (SAI) aims to launch a deeper examination of what a sustainable solution requires by shifting the debate from the ...

Avaliação dos Efeitos Toxicológicos e Ambientais de Nanopartículas de Sais de Prata

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francielle Tatiana Mathias

2014-01-01

Full Text Available As nanopartículas de sais de prata são compostos muito utilizados nas indústrias farmacêuticas e de cosméticos, além de seu uso hospitalar. Sua utilização, tanto em produtos comerciais como na medicina, e sua importante correlação com a saúde pública e meio ambiente despertaram grande interesse em ações diretas e indiretas sobre o ser humano. Particularmente as nanopartículas de sais de prata têm sido muito utilizadas como antimicrobianos na desinfecção de materiais hospitalares, desodorantes, materiais dentários, em próteses internas e cateteres intravenosos, e tem possibilitado a contaminação humana e ambiental. Seus efeitos, concentrações perigosas e valores aceitáveis como contaminante demandam estudos. Sua instabilidade frente a interações com outros produtos as torna de grande interesse em relação à contaminação e persistência no ambiente. Diversos trabalhos produzidos em nossos laboratórios demonstram a atividade desreguladora endócrina de vários produtos químicos contaminantes ambientais e prejudiciais à saúde humana. Deste modo buscou-se um levantamento das principais formas de uso, seus riscos e efeitos toxicológicos para a saúde pública e meio ambiente.

Self-Assessed Intelligence: Inter-Ethnic, Rural-Urban, and Sex Differences in Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Swami, Viren; Furnham, Adrian

2010-01-01

The present study examined inter-ethnic, rural-urban, and sex differences in self-assessed intelligence (SAI) in a Malaysian general population sample. In total, 633 individuals varying in rural or urban location, ethnicity (Malay, Kadazan, and Bajau), and sex (women versus men) provided their self-assessed overall intelligence and ten multiple…

Aplicabilidade e eficiência de dois métodos de saneamento de paredes degradadas por umidade e sais a partir de uma revisão bibliográfica e de um estudo de caso

OpenAIRE

Ursula Gewehr

2004-01-01

Este estudo faz um levantamento das diversas origens da umidade e sais solúveis presentes em edificações, contribuindo para uma melhor avaliação das causas das manifestações patológicas originadas. Serão abordados, também, dois métodos de recuperação de paredes degradas pela umidade e sais, que são o sistema de revestimento de recuperação e a eletroosmose ativa. Para tanto, seguiram-se as sugestões feitas por Bianchin (1999) sobre um estudo de traços de argamassas de saneamento que obtiveram ...

Explanatory item response modelling of an abstract reasoning assessment: A case for modern test design

OpenAIRE

Helland, Fredrik

2016-01-01

Assessment is an integral part of society and education, and for this reason it is important to know what you measure. This thesis is about explanatory item response modelling of an abstract reasoning assessment, with the objective to create a modern test design framework for automatic generation of valid and precalibrated items of abstract reasoning. Modern test design aims to strengthen the connections between the different components of a test, with a stress on strong theory, systematic it...

Effect of low-dose irradiation upon T cell subsets involved in the response of primed A/J mice to SaI cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, R.E.; Williams, W.L.; Tokuda, Sei

1988-01-01

A/Jax (A/J) mice primed to Sarcoma I (SaI) exhibit an augmented response in association with low-dose (0.15 Gy) irradiation. This phenomenon is best demonstrated in tumour neutralization (Winn assay) or cell transfer experiments utilizing mice depleted of thymus-derived (T) cells. It is particularly dependent upon the duration of priming and the growth characteristics of the tumour in the primary host. The importance of these two variables appears to relate to their influence upon the cell types responsible for the host response, and includes both an effector and a suppressor component. Radiation-induced inhibition of the suppressor component appears responsible for low-dose augmentation and results in injury to a T cell of the Lyt-1 - 2 + phenotype. In Winn assays employing equal numbers of immune spleen cells and SaI cells, the smallest tumours are associated with Lyt-1-positive (Lyt-1 + 2 - and Lyt-1 + 2 + ) cells and exposure to 0.15 Gy markedly inhibits their anti-SaI activity. Thus, even though the effect is in the opposite direction, both the effector and suppressor components of the anti-SaI response in A/J mice are exceedingly radiosensitive. (author)

What do educational test scores really measure?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McIntosh, James; D. Munk, Martin

Latent class Poisson count models are used to analyze a sample of Danish test score results from a cohort of individuals born in 1954-55 and tested in 1968. The procedure takes account of unobservable effects as well as excessive zeros in the data. The bulk of unobservable effects are uncorrelate......, and possible incentive problems make it more difficult to elicit true values of what the tests measure....

MO19390 (SAiL): bleeding events in a phase IV study of first-line bevacizumab with chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-squamous NSCLC.

Science.gov (United States)

Dansin, Eric; Cinieri, Saverio; Garrido, Pilar; Griesinger, Frank; Isla, Dolores; Koehler, Manfred; Kohlhaeufl, Martin

2012-06-01

The clinical benefit and safety profile associated with first-line bevacizumab with doublet chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was established in two large phase III studies, E4599 and AVAiL. SAiL, a single-arm phase IV study, was conducted to evaluate bevacizumab with a range of first-line chemotherapy regimens in a routine oncology practice setting. This analysis of the SAiL data was undertaken to specifically evaluate bleeding adverse events (AEs) in this study, and to explore potential associations between bleeding and baseline patient and disease characteristics. In total, 2212 patients were evaluated. Bleeding AEs (any grade) occurred in 38.2% of patients (grade ≥ 3 bleeding AEs: 3.6%). Grade ≥ 3 pulmonary hemorrhage and central nervous system bleeding events were observed in 0.7% and 0.1% of patients, respectively. The incidence of grade ≥ 3 bleeding AEs was comparable across patient subgroups defined by central tumor location, tumor cavitation, histology, concomitant anticoagulation therapy and age. The majority (88.6%) of bleeding events resolved or improved, 10.2% persisted and 1.3% led to death; 10.2% of bleeding events required bevacizumab interruption or discontinuation. This analysis from the SAiL trial reaffirms a comparable incidence of clinically significant bleeding associated with first-line bevacizumab and chemotherapy as previous phase III studies in NSCLC patients despite less stringent first-line selection criteria. Grade ≥ 3 bleeding appears to be comparable when analyzed for patient and tumor characteristics, including tumor cavitation and concomitant anticoagulation therapy. Most bleeding events resolved or improved, and interruption/discontinuation of bevacizumab was infrequent in a standard oncology practice setting. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sensory analysis of fermented alcoholic beverages from jabuticaba produced in the city of Varre-Sai, RJ

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leticia Tinoco Gonçalves

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Jabuticaba (Myrciariasp is a fruit native to the Atlantic Forest, belonging to the Myrtaceae family, and commonly found in Brazil. It presents considerable economic potential because it can be consumed as raw fruit or processed food. In Varre-Sai, RJ, jabuticaba is strongly used in the industrialization of alcoholic beverages. The production of fermented alcoholic alternative is used to avoid waste, and make the most of the considerable nutritional value of the fruit. The content of anthocyanins in jabuticaba ranges from 310 and 315mg/100g, relatively high value compared to other fruits considered rich in antioxidants. Therefore, sensory analyses of jabuticaba alcoholic beverages produced in Varre-Sai can improve the quality of the product and potential sales. Given that the part of jabuticaba rich in phenolic compounds is the bark, the whole use of the fruit is the best alternative to take advantage of its benefits. Sensory analysis evaluated the acceptance of fermented alcoholic of Jabuticaba, in relation to its overall rating attributes, color, flavor and aroma, based on a 9-point hedonic scale, with ends named strongly disliked (1 and strongly liked (9; as well as purchase intention of tasters by a 5-point hedonic scale, with anchor points would certainly buy (5 and would not certainly buy (1. The results showed that the products had good acceptance and the fermented Sweet Tinto was rated best in all attributes, obtaining 90.18% frequency in the acceptance of hedonic scale, with respect to global acceptance. Even in the hypothetical situation of purchase, it received 74.5% of the votes in the good range of the scale. This shows that the alcoholic fermented beverages may be an alternative for the consumption of antioxidants, and that their production can improve the income of farmers as well as help avoid fruit wasting.

Reduced Prefrontal Short—Latency Afferent Inhibition in Older Adults and Its Relation to Executive Function: A TMS-EEG Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel M. Blumberger

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Combining transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS with electroencephalography (EEG allows for the assessment of various neurophysiological processes in the human cortex. One of these paradigms, short-latency afferent inhibition (SAI, is thought to be a sensitive measure of cholinergic activity. In a previous study, we demonstrated the temporal pattern of this paradigm from both the motor (M1 and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC using simultaneous TMS–EEG recording. The SAI paradigm led to marked modulations at N100. In this study, we aimed to investigate the age-related effects on TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs with the SAI from M1 and the DLPFC in younger (18–59 years old and older (≥60 years old participants. Older participants showed significantly lower N100 modulation in M1–SAI as well as DLPFC–SAI compared to the younger participants. Furthermore, the modulation of N100 by DLPFC–SAI in the older participants correlated with executive function as measured with the Trail making test. This paradigm has the potential to non-invasively identify cholinergic changes in cortical regions related to cognition in older participants.

Decoding the Assessment Alphabet Soup

Science.gov (United States)

Engelhardt, Paula

2010-10-01

The number of assessment instruments that help physics instructors evaluate the conceptual learning of their students has grown over the last twenty years. Today, the number of tests that are available begin to look like an alphabet soup, FCI, MBT, TUG-K, CSE, CSM, CSEM, DIRECT, BEMA, LOCE, FMCE, SEMCO, etc. What can these assessment tests do for you that is different from what you regularly do? How do these tests differ from the tests and other assessments you already give in class? What is meant by formative and summative assessment and why should you care? What are some of the issues associated with giving one of these assessment tests? These are the questions that will be addressed in this talk.

Scoping assessment on medical isotope production at the Fast Flux Test Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scott, S.W.

1997-01-01

The Scoping Assessment addresses the need for medical isotope production and the capability of the Fast Flux Test Facility to provide such isotopes. Included in the discussion are types of isotopes used in radiopharmaceuticals, which types of cancers are targets, and in what way isotopes provide treatment and/or pain relief for patients

Scoping assessment on medical isotope production at the Fast Flux Test Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scott, S.W.

1997-08-29

The Scoping Assessment addresses the need for medical isotope production and the capability of the Fast Flux Test Facility to provide such isotopes. Included in the discussion are types of isotopes used in radiopharmaceuticals, which types of cancers are targets, and in what way isotopes provide treatment and/or pain relief for patients.

What Are the Risks and Limitations of Genetic Testing?

Science.gov (United States)

... the person who is tested. The possibility of genetic discrimination in employment or insurance is also a concern. (Refer to What is genetic discrimination? for additional information.) Genetic testing can provide only ...

Standardised Testing and Assessment in Comprehensive School in Scandinavian Countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Karen Egedal; Eva, Hjörne,

Assessments can be considered to be an integrated part of formal educational settings, in different forms and used for different purposes. In this contribution we will discuss and analyse the use of assessments in comprehensive school in Scandinavian countries through time, as we will include....... If the comprehensive school is based on the general idea of a school for all, how can different ways of practising assessment support or work against this idea? What conclusions can be drawn from the experiences in the Scandinavian countries?...... different kinds of documentary and empirical studies in the argumentation. We will focus on which kinds of assessments has been used, for which purposes and the role of this in the perspective of society. More contemporary trends will be discussed, specially the use of standardised testing. Scandinavian...

"What If" Analyses: Ways to Interpret Statistical Significance Test Results Using EXCEL or "R"

Science.gov (United States)

Ozturk, Elif

2012-01-01

The present paper aims to review two motivations to conduct "what if" analyses using Excel and "R" to understand the statistical significance tests through the sample size context. "What if" analyses can be used to teach students what statistical significance tests really do and in applied research either prospectively to estimate what sample size…

40 CFR 60.1300 - What test methods must I use to stack test?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... to the Administrator for approval under § 60.8(b) to use a reference method with minor changes in... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What test methods must I use to stack test? 60.1300 Section 60.1300 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR...

The Impact of the 2004 Hurricanes on Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test Scores: Implications for School Counselors

Science.gov (United States)

Baggerly, Jennifer; Ferretti, Larissa K.

2008-01-01

What is the impact of natural disasters on students' statewide assessment scores? To answer this question, Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) scores of 55,881 students in grades 4 through 10 were analyzed to determine if there were significant decreases after the 2004 hurricanes. Results reveal that there was statistical but no practical…

Assessment Focus in Studio: What Is Most Prominent in Architecture, Art and Design?

Science.gov (United States)

de La Harpe, Barbara; Peterson, J. Fiona; Frankham, Noel; Zehner, Robert; Neale, Douglas; Musgrave, Elizabeth; McDermott, Ruth

2009-01-01

What can be learned about assessment from what educators in the creative practices focus their studio publications on? What should form the focus of assessment in architecture, art and design studios? In this article we draw on 118 journal articles on studio published over the last decade in three disciplines; architecture, art and design to…

Key U.S.-built part fails during testing for world's largest particle collider

CERN Multimedia

2007-01-01

"Scientists are scrambling to redesign a key U.S.-built part that broke "with a loud bang and a cloud of dust" during a high-pressure test for the world's largest particle physics collider that is supposed to start up in November, officials sais Tuesday." (1,5 page)

49 CFR 40.273 - What is the effect of a cancelled alcohol test?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false What is the effect of a cancelled alcohol test? 40.273 Section 40.273 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation PROCEDURES FOR TRANSPORTATION WORKPLACE DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAMS Problems in Alcohol Testing § 40.273 What is the...

40 CFR 1048.510 - What transient duty cycles apply for laboratory testing?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What transient duty cycles apply for... Procedures § 1048.510 What transient duty cycles apply for laboratory testing? (a) Starting with the 2007 model year, measure emissions by testing the engine on a dynamometer with the duty cycle described in...

49 CFR 40.207 - What is the effect of a cancelled drug test?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false What is the effect of a cancelled drug test? 40.207 Section 40.207 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation PROCEDURES FOR TRANSPORTATION WORKPLACE DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAMS Problems in Drug Tests § 40.207 What is the effect of...

Assessment and Testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Clapham, Caroline

2000-01-01

Explores the term "applied linguistics" and discusses the role of language testing within this discipline, the relationship between testing and teaching, and the relationship between testing and assessment (Author/VWL)

Mercury exposure in Munduruku Indians from the community of Sai Cinza, state of Para, Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira Santos, Elisabeth C. de; Maura de Jesus, Iracina; Camara, Volney e M.; Brabo, Edilson; Brito Loureiro, Edvaldo C.; Mascarenhas, Artur; Weirich, Judith; Ragio Luiz, Ronir; Cleary, David

2002-01-01

The objective of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate mercury exposure and health status among Munduruku Indians from the community of Sai inza, State of Para, Brazil. The population studied included 330 Indians, who submitted to a questionnaire, clinical exams, and collection of hair, blood, urine, and feces. Mercury was measured in hair and fish. Although no person was found to have overt mercury intoxication, the mean levels of mercury in hair were elevated (14.45 μg/g for children from 7 to 12 years ld, 15.70 μg/g for women between 14 and 44 years old, and 14.1 μg/g or the remaining population). Mercury levels in fish were below levels recommended by the World Health Organization, but rates of fish consumption ere high. These results place this indigenous population as a group under risk of mercury toxicity from the gold production

30 CFR 250.920 - What are the MMS requirements for assessment of fixed platforms?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What are the MMS requirements for assessment of... Structures Inspection, Maintenance, and Assessment of Platforms § 250.920 What are the MMS requirements for... in API RP 2A-WSD, Section 17.3. If MMS objects to the assessment category you used for your...

What Do Test Scores Really Mean? A Latent Class Analysis of Danish Test Score Performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Munk, Martin D.; McIntosh, James

2014-01-01

Latent class Poisson count models are used to analyze a sample of Danish test score results from a cohort of individuals born in 1954-55, tested in 1968, and followed until 2011. The procedure takes account of unobservable effects as well as excessive zeros in the data. We show that the test scores...... of intelligence explain a significant proportion of the variation in test scores. This adds to the complexity of interpreting test scores and suggests that school culture and possible incentive problems make it more di¢ cult to understand what the tests measure....

What Sensing Tells Us: Towards a Formal Theory of Testing for Dynamical Systems

Science.gov (United States)

McIlraith, Sheila; Scherl, Richard

2005-01-01

Just as actions can have indirect effects on the state of the world, so too can sensing actions have indirect effects on an agent's state of knowledge. In this paper, we investigate "what sensing actions tell us", i.e., what an agent comes to know indirectly from the outcome of a sensing action, given knowledge of its actions and state constraints that hold in the world. To this end, we propose a formalization of the notion of testing within a dialect of the situation calculus that includes knowledge and sensing actions. Realizing this formalization requires addressing the ramification problem for sensing actions. We formalize simple tests as sensing actions. Complex tests are expressed in the logic programming language Golog. We examine what it means to perform a test, and how the outcome of a test affects an agent's state of knowledge. Finally, we propose automated reasoning techniques for test generation and complex-test verification, under certain restrictions. The work presented in this paper is relevant to a number of application domains including diagnostic problem solving, natural language understanding, plan recognition, and active vision.

Quality Assurance in the National Tests of English: Investigating What Makes Reading Difficult

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angela Hasselgreen

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This article presents a piece of research, conducted in order to validate the claims made in test results, concerning what it means – in terms of reading ability – to be placed at a particular mastery level. It will consider the question of what makes reading tasks difficult, and whether data from the National Tests of English (NTE supports the progression of subskills/reading operations as presented in the mastery level descriptors, which are the basis of test results

What is needed to incorporate clinical pharmacogenetic tests into the practice of psychopharmacotherapy?

Science.gov (United States)

de Leon, Jose; Spina, Edoardo

2016-01-01

This editorial considers two questions in psychopharmacotherapy: 1) What is needed to market pharmacogenetic tests in the US, since the US appears to lead other countries? and 2) What is needed for US-marketed pharmacogenetic tests to be incorporated by prescribers into long-term practice? US marketing of pharmacogenetic tests requires 1) understanding the pharmacological complexity of drug response, 2) modifying the oversight of non-FDA regulatory agencies, 3) clarifying the FDA's role and 4) promoting innovative marketing. The incorporation of pharmacogenetic tests into long-term practice requires 1) not jeopardizing pharmacogenetic testing by short-sighted marketing of non-validated tests, 2) educating prescribers about benefits, 3) educating patients about limitations and 4) considering the differences between isolated testing and generalized testing incorporating big data.

What does the CBM-maze test measure?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Muijselaar, M.M.L.; Kendeou, P.; de Jong, P.F.; van den Broek, P.W.

2017-01-01

In this study, we identified the code-related (decoding, fluency) and language comprehension (vocabulary, listening comprehension) demands of the CBM-Maze test, a formative assessment, and compared them to those of the Gates–MacGinitie test, a standardized summative assessment. The demands of these

An Inquiry into the Efficiency of WhatsApp for Self- and Peer-Assessments of Oral Language Proficiency

Science.gov (United States)

Samaie, Mahmoud; Mansouri Nejad, Ali; Qaracholloo, Mahmoud

2018-01-01

Social networking applications such as WhatsApp have been extensively used for language research; however, they have rarely been applied for language assessment purposes. To explore the efficiency of WhatsApp for assessment purposes, 30 Iranian English learners doing self- and peer-assessments on WhatsApp are studied. The changes and the reasons…

From Test Takers to Test Makers

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Kari

2009-01-01

As a classroom teacher, Kari Smith realized that traditional objective tests don't always assess what students actually know. But tests are so deeply embedded in the education system that it would be difficult to do away with them entirely. Smith decided to make tests into learning tools. In this article, Smith describes three strategies for…

Pengaruh Kompetensi, Kompensasi, Dan Lingkungan Kerja Terhadap Kinerja Karyawan Melalui Motivasi Kerja Sebagai Variabel Intervening (Studi Kasus Pada Karyawan Bagian Produksi PT. Sai Apparel Industries Semarang)

OpenAIRE

Mudayana, Fansyuri Ilham; Suryoko, Sri

2016-01-01

Every company always requires its employees to provide the best contribution in the form of performance enhancement. However, the require is not enough if it is not supported by a performance boosters that provided by the company and employees themselves. The boosters are laborer competence, compensation, and good workplace which all of them will increase work motivation. Therefore, PT Sai Apparel Industries as one of the players in national textile industries, can use the result of this rese...

40 CFR 1068.405 - What is in a test order?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... CONTROLS GENERAL COMPLIANCE PROVISIONS FOR ENGINE PROGRAMS Selective Enforcement Auditing § 1068.405 What.../equipment for testing. The information would apply only for a single model year so it would be best to...

Model Test Bed for Evaluating Wave Models and Best Practices for Resource Assessment and Characterization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neary, Vincent Sinclair [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Water Power Technologies; Yang, Zhaoqing [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Coastal Sciences Division; Wang, Taiping [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Coastal Sciences Division; Gunawan, Budi [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Water Power Technologies; Dallman, Ann Renee [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Water Power Technologies

2016-03-01

A wave model test bed is established to benchmark, test and evaluate spectral wave models and modeling methodologies (i.e., best practices) for predicting the wave energy resource parameters recommended by the International Electrotechnical Commission, IEC TS 62600-101Ed. 1.0 ©2015. Among other benefits, the model test bed can be used to investigate the suitability of different models, specifically what source terms should be included in spectral wave models under different wave climate conditions and for different classes of resource assessment. The overarching goal is to use these investigations to provide industry guidance for model selection and modeling best practices depending on the wave site conditions and desired class of resource assessment. Modeling best practices are reviewed, and limitations and knowledge gaps in predicting wave energy resource parameters are identified.

Psychometric properties of the School Anxiety Inventory-Short Version in Spanish secondary education students.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Fernández, José M; Inglés, Cándido J; Marzo, Juan C; Martínez-Monteagudo, María C

2014-05-01

The School Anxiety Inventory (SAI) can be applied in different fields of psychology. However, due to the inventory's administration time, it may not be useful in certain situations. To address this concern, the present study developed a short version of the SAI (the SAI-SV). This study examined the reliability and validity evidence drawn from the scores of the School Anxiety Inventory-Short Version (SAI-SV) using a sample of 2,367 (47.91% boys) Spanish secondary school students, ranging from 12 to 18 years of age. To analyze the dimensional structure of the SAI-SV, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were applied. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were calculated for SAI-SV scores. A correlated three-factor structure related to school situations (Anxiety about Aggression, Anxiety about Social Evaluation, and Anxiety about Academic Failure) and a three-factor structure related to the response systems of anxiety (Physiological Anxiety, Cognitive Anxiety, and Behavioral Anxiety) were identified and supported. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability were determined to be appropriate. The reliability and validity evidence based on the internal structure of SAI-SV scores was satisfactory.

What Explains Criminal Violence in Mexico City? A Test of Two Theories of Crime

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Vilalta

2016-02-01

Full Text Available There are competing theories of what drives crime in cities and neighbourhoods. Two widely cited theoretical approaches focused on social disorganization and institutional anomie propose different explanations for the causes and dynamics of criminality. Yet these theories are seldom empirically tested, much less acknowledged, outside of North America and Western Europe. This article considers their applicability in Mexico’s capital, a sprawling metropolis of more than 20 million people. The authors administer spatial and general statistical tests to explain the geographical patterns of crime rates across multiple forms of criminality. The assessment demonstrates that both theories accurately predict the spatial distribution of crime. The article concludes with a host of policy conclusions, emphasizing social crime prevention over more traditional law and order measures. and consolidating families, parents and childcare.

The assessment of mindfulness skills: the "what" and the "how".

Science.gov (United States)

Iani, Luca; Lauriola, Marco; Cafaro, Valentina

2017-10-06

The five facets mindfulness questionnaire-short form (FFMQ-SF) is a new, brief measure for the assessment of mindfulness skills in clinical and nonclinical samples. The construct validity of the FFMQ-SF has not been previously assessed in community samples. The present study investigated the factor structure of the Italian version of the FFMQ-SF. Structured equation modeling was used to test the fit of three alternative models in a sample of highly educated adults (n = 211). A hierarchical model with a single second-order factor loaded by observing, describing, and acting with awareness (i.e. the mindfulness "what" skills) performed slightly better than both a five-factor model with correlated factors and a hierarchical model with a general second-order factor. The FFMQ-SF scores were significantly higher than those reported in both Dutch depressed patients and Australian undergraduate students for all facets (but nonreactivity for the Australian sample). Data support the multifaceted nature of mindfulness skills. Because of its brevity and simplicity of use, the FFMQ-SF is a promising questionnaire in longitudinal and clinical research. This questionnaire can serve as a guideline to help clinicians assess and monitor mindfulness skills acquisition, strengthening, and generalization, and prioritize mindfulness skills that need immediate attention.

What Is a Leaf? An Online Tutorial and Tests

Science.gov (United States)

Burrows, Geoffrey

2008-01-01

A leaf is a fundamental unit in botany and understanding what constitutes a leaf is fundamental to many plant science activities. My observations and subsequent testing indicated that many students could not confidently and consistently recognise a leaf from a leaflet, or recognise basic leaf arrangements and the various types of compound or…

Ionic liquid and aqueous two-phase extraction based on salting-out coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography for the determination of seven rare ginsenosides in Xue-Sai-Tong injection.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Lan-Jie; Jin, Yong-Ri; Wang, Xiao-Zhong; Liu, Ying; Wu, Qian; Shi, Xiao-Lei; Li, Xu-Wen

2015-09-01

A method of ionic liquid salt aqueous two-phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography has been developed for the analysis of seven rare ginsenosides including Rg6 , F4 , 20(S)-Rg3 , 20(R)-Rg3 , Rk3 , Rk1 , and Rg5 in Xue-Sai-Tong injection. The injection was mixed with ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide aqueous solution, and a mixture was obtained. With the addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate and dipotassium phosphate into the mixture, the aqueous two-phase mixture was formed after ultrasonic treatment and centrifuged. Rare ginsenosides were extracted into the upper phase. To obtain a high extraction factors, various influences were considered systematically, such as the volume of ionic liquid, the category and amount of salts, the amount of sodium dodecyl sulfate, the pH value of system, and the time of ultrasonic treatment. Under the optimal condition, rare ginsenosides in Xue-Sai-Tong injection were enriched and detected, the recoveries of seven rare ginsenosides ranged from 90.05 to 112.55%, while relative standard deviations were lower than 2.50%. The developed method was reliable, rapid and sensitive for the determination of seven rare ginsenosides in the injections. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Skateboarding injuries in Vienna: location, frequency, and severity.

Science.gov (United States)

Keilani, Mohammad; Krall, Christoph; Lipowec, Lucas; Posch, Martin; Komanadj, Tanya Sedghi; Crevenna, Richard

2010-07-01

To describe injury patterns of skateboard-associated injuries (SAIs) and to assess the frequency and severity of SAIs depending on an athlete's skateboarding experience. Cross-sectional observation. Skating areas. A total of 100 Viennese skateboarders. No intervention. The participants filled in a questionnaire that was used to assess selected sociodemographic data; duration and frequency of skateboarding; "stance"; and localization, rate, as well as the severity of SAIs during the past 24 months. Skating behavior and sociodemographic data were compared with frequency and severity of SAIs. Response rate of questionnaires was 75% (n=75) of the participants. Duration of skateboarding was 8+/-5 years, and training time was 18+/-11 hours/week. A total of 97% (73) of the respondents reported at least one injury: in 52% (39) of the respondents the most serious injury was mild to moderate (laceration, contusion, strain/sprain, and bruise), whereas in 45% (34) it was severe (ligament rupture, fracture). A total of 33% (13) of participants experiencing only mild-to-moderate injuries consulted a physician compared with 94% (32) with at least one serious injury. The most severely affected regions were lower leg/ankle/foot in 32% (24) of all respondents who experienced at least one severe injury and forearm/wrist/hand in 16% (12) who experienced at least one severe injury. Only 13% (10) used protective equipment. Multivariate logistic regression for the occurrence of at least one severe injury with all socioeconomic and sport-relevant data investigated revealed significant positive correlations with weekly training time (P=.037) and years of experience (P=.021). However, after correcting for multiple testing (Bonferroni adjustment for 8 tests), no significances remained. More experienced skateboarders seem to have a greater risk of incurring severe SAIs, but sociodemographic factors seem to have no influence on injury risk in this population. Only a minority of skateboarders

Resposta à regeneração e crescimento de brotos in vitro de Kielmeyera coriacea quando influenciado por diferentes concentrações dos sais e de sacarose In vitro regeneration and growth response of Kielmeyera coriacea shoots when affected by salts and sucrose concentrations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Eduardo Brasil Pereira Pinto

1996-04-01

Full Text Available Avaliaram-se diferentes concentrações de sacarose e sais do MS (MURASHIGE & SKOOG, J 962 na regeneração e crescimento de brotos de Kielmeyera coriacea in vitro. A redução e o aumento da quantidade de sacarose partindo de 30 e 45g/L, respectivamente, causou um decréscimo no número total de brotos. O uso integral ou da metade das concentrações dos sais do MS proporcionou maiores taxas de multiplicação. A maior porcentagem de brotos com mais de 1,0cm de comprimento pôde ser obtida empregando-se 30 g/l de sacarose associado a concentração 1/1 do MS. A porcentagem média de brotos decresceu linearmente com a diluição salina.Trials were carried out to test sucrose and salt concentrations added to growth medium on regeneration and growth response of Kielmeyera coriacea shoots. The reduction and increase of sucrose of 30 and 45g/l, rerspectively, caused a decrease in total number of shoots. A higher shoots percentage of with more than 1.0cm, occurred on media with 30g/L of sucrose. The use of total force (1/1 and half strength (1/2 of MS salt proportioned a higher shoot ratio and growth.

25 CFR 20.404 - What information is contained in a social services assessment?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What information is contained in a social services assessment? 20.404 Section 20.404 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HUMAN SERVICES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND SOCIAL SERVICES PROGRAMS Services to Children, Elderly, and Families § 20.404 What...

Functional plasticity in childhood brain disorders: when, what, how, and whom to assess.

Science.gov (United States)

Dennis, Maureen; Spiegler, Brenda J; Simic, Nevena; Sinopoli, Katia J; Wilkinson, Amy; Yeates, Keith Owen; Taylor, H Gerry; Bigler, Erin D; Fletcher, Jack M

2014-12-01

At every point in the lifespan, the brain balances malleable processes representing neural plasticity that promote change with homeostatic processes that promote stability. Whether a child develops typically or with brain injury, his or her neural and behavioral outcome is constructed through transactions between plastic and homeostatic processes and the environment. In clinical research with children in whom the developing brain has been malformed or injured, behavioral outcomes provide an index of the result of plasticity, homeostasis, and environmental transactions. When should we assess outcome in relation to age at brain insult, time since brain insult, and age of the child at testing? What should we measure? Functions involving reacting to the past and predicting the future, as well as social-affective skills, are important. How should we assess outcome? Information from performance variability, direct measures and informants, overt and covert measures, and laboratory and ecological measures should be considered. In whom are we assessing outcome? Assessment should be cognizant of individual differences in gene, socio-economic status (SES), parenting, nutrition, and interpersonal supports, which are moderators that interact with other factors influencing functional outcome.

For Men: A Positive Zika Virus Test, What Does It Mean for Me?

Science.gov (United States)

CDC’s Response to Zika FOR MEN: A POSITIVE ZIKA VIRUS TEST What does it mean for me? You’ ... Zika test result, which means that you have Zika virus. Zika is spread through mosquito bites and through ...

Assessing Learning in a Sociology Department: What Do Students Say That They Learn?

Science.gov (United States)

Bandini, Julia; Shostak, Sara; Cunningham, David; Cadge, Wendy

2016-01-01

Assessment plays a central role in evaluating and strengthening student learning in higher education, and sociology departments, in particular, have increasingly become interested in engaging in assessment activities to better understand students' learning. This qualitative study builds on previous research on assessment by asking what students in…

30 CFR 250.460 - What are the requirements for conducting a well test?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Other Drilling Requirements § 250.460 What are the requirements for conducting a well test? (a) If you intend to conduct a well test, you must include your projected plans for the test with your APD (form MMS...) You must give the District Manager at least 24-hours notice before starting a well test. [68 FR 8423...

An Assessment of IELTS Speaking Test

Science.gov (United States)

Karim, Shahzad; Haq, Naushaba

2014-01-01

The present study focused on assessing the speaking test of IELTS. The assessment discussed both positive aspects and weaknesses in IELTS speaking module. The researchers had also suggested some possible measures for the improvement in IELTS speaking test and increasing its validity and reliability. The researchers had analysed and assessed IELTS…

Preliminary Monitoring of Soil gas Radon in Potentially Active Faults, San Sai District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand

Science.gov (United States)

Pondthai, P.; Udphuay, S.

2013-05-01

The magnitude of 5.1 Mw earthquake occurred in San Sai District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand in December 2006 was considered an uncommon event due to the fact that there was no statistical record of such significant earthquake in the area. Therefore the earthquake might have been associated with a potentially active fault zone within the area. The objective of this study is to measure soil gas radon across this unknown fault zone within the Chiang Mai Basin, northern Thailand. Two profiles traversing the expected fault zone of soil gas radon measurements have been monitored, using TASTRAK solid state track nuclear detectors (SSNTDs). Radon signals from three periods of measurement show a distinctive consistent spatial distribution pattern. Anomalous radon areas along the profiles are connected to fault locations previously interpreted from other geophysical survey results. The increased radon signal changes from the radon background level with the signal-to-background ratio above 3 are considered anomalous. Such pattern of radon anomaly supports the existence of the faults. The radon measurement, therefore is a powerful technique in mapping active fault zone.

Effects of cyclophosphamide and irradiation singly and in combination upon SaI growth in A/J mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, R.E.; Williams, W.L.; Tokuda, S.

1987-01-01

The effects of various doses of cyclophosphamide and low-dose (15 rads) radiation upon the size of tumors caused by 10(4) Sarcoma I (SaI) cells was determined. In intact A/Jax (A/J) recipients, the effect of the two agents singly and in combination was found to be dependent especially upon the dosage of cyclophosphamide and the time of its administration in relation to tumor inoculation. In cell transfer experiments to adult thymectomized, lethally irradiated, bone-marrow-restored (ATxXBM) mice, the effects of cyclophosphamide and irradiation appeared to be either overlapping (low dosages of cyclophosphamide) or additive (dosages of cyclophosphamide greater than or equal to 50 mg/kg), suggesting that the two agents exert their influence in dissimilar fashion, perhaps by injuring different cell types with the same basic function. The most pronounced conjoint effects are seen when low dosages of cyclophosphamide are given 3 days after the adoptive transfer of spleen cells from mice pretreated with low-dose irradiation. The implications of this observation with respect to immunotherapy are discussed

Histologia da pele da carpa prateada (Hypophtalmichthys molitrix e testes de resistência do couro Histology of silver-plated carp skin (Hypophtalmichthys molitrix and leather resistance tests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Luiza Rodrigues de Souza

2006-08-01

Full Text Available Este estudo foi realizado com os objetivos de analisar a histologia da pele e avaliar a influência da técnica de curtimento e da posição da retirada do corpo-de-prova sobre a qualidade da pele de carpa prateada (Hypophtalmichthys molitrix. Vinte e três peixes foram insensibilizados para retirada das peles para curtimento. Amostras referentes a três peixes foram fixadas em formol 10%. Após a inclusão em parafina, foram cortadas com aproximadamente 5 mm de espessura e coradas pela técnica de hematoxilina-eosina (HE. Após o curtimento das peles, foram retirados os corpos-de-prova para os testes de resistência. Os testes foram realizados com dinamômetro EMIC, com velocidade de afastamento entre cargas de 100 ± 20 mm/mm, em ambiente climatizado a 23ºC e umidade relativa do ar de 50% por um período de 24 horas. As peles curtidas com sais de cromo apresentaram maior resistência à tração (16,96 N/mm², ao alongamento (51,49% e ao rasgamento progressivo (16,75 N/mm quando comparadas àquelas curtidas sem sais de cromo (tração = 9,12 N/mm², alongamento = 17,48% e rasgamento = 11,36 N/mm. O sentido da retirada dos corpos-de-prova não interferiu nas características de tração, elongação, carga de ruptura, rasgo, força máxima e carga de força. A técnica de curtimento (utilizando ou não sais de cromo influencia a resistência das peles de carpa prateada. A técnica empregando os sais de cromo proporciona maior resistência ao couro.The objectives of this trial were to analyze the skin histology and to evaluate the influence of tanning technique and the direction removal of samples on skin quality of silver-plated carp (Hypophtalmichthys molitrix. Twenty-three fishes were sacrificed and the skin was removed for tanning. Samples of three fishes were settled in formol 10% and, after inclusion in paraffin, the samples were cut with approximately 5 mm of thickness and colored by the hematoxylin-eosin technique (HE. After skin

What types of learning are enhanced by a cued recall test?

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, Shana K; Pashler, Harold; Vul, Edward

2006-10-01

In two experiments, we investigated what types of learning benefit from a cued recall test. After initial exposure to a word pair (A+B), subjects experienced either an intervening cued recall test (A-->?) with feedback, or a restudy presentation (A-->B). The final test could be cued recall in the same (A-->?) or opposite (?-->B) direction, or free recall of just the cues (Recall As) or just the targets (Recall Bs). All final tests revealed a benefit for testing as opposed to restudying. Tests produced a direct benefit for information that was retrieved on the intervening test (B). This benefit also "spilled over" to facilitate recall of information that was present on the test but not retrieved (A). Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Professional Testing Standards: What Educators Need To Know.

Science.gov (United States)

Camara, Wayne J.

Real and perceived misuses of educational tests, errors in test scoring and test use, and incidents of cheating on tests have been widely reported in local and national media. As educational tests take on additional importance for students, teachers, and schools, there is appropriate concern about the quality of assessments and the appropriate use…

Intelligence Is What the Intelligence Test Measures. Seriously

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Han L. J. van der Maas

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The mutualism model, an alternative for the g-factor model of intelligence, implies a formative measurement model in which “g” is an index variable without a causal role. If this model is accurate, the search for a genetic of brain instantiation of “g” is deemed useless. This also implies that the (weighted sum score of items of an intelligence test is just what it is: a weighted sum score. Preference for one index above the other is a pragmatic issue that rests mainly on predictive value.

Inter- and intrarater reliability of goniometry and hand held dynamometry for patients with subacromial impingement syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Fieseler, Georg; Laudner, Kevin G; Irlenbusch, Lars; Meyer, Henrike; Schulze, Stephan; Delank, Karl-Stefan; Hermassi, Souhail; Bartels, Thomas; Schwesig, René

2017-12-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the intra- and interrater reliability of measuring shoulder range of motion (ROM) and strength among patients diagnosed with subacromial impingement syndrome (SAIS). Twenty-five patients (14 female patients; mean age, 60.4± 7.84 years) diagnosed with SAIS were assessed to determine the intrarater reliability for glenohumeral ROM. Twenty-five patients (16 female patients; mean age, 60.4± 7.80 years) and 76 asymptomatic volunteers (52 female volunteers; mean age, 29.4± 14.1 years) were assessed for interrater reliability. Dependent variables were active shoulder ROM and isometric strength. Intrarater reliability was fair-to-excellent for the SAIS patients (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC], 0.52-0.97; standard error of measurement [SEM], 4.4°-9.9° N; coefficient of variation [CV], 7.1%-44.9%). Based on the ICC, 11 of 12 parameters (92%) displayed an excellent reliability (ICC> 0.75). The interrater reliability showed fair-to-excellent results (SAIS patients: ICC, 0.13-0.98; SEM, 2.3°-8.8°; CV, 3.6%-37.0%; controls: ICC, 0.11-0.96; SEM, 3.0°-35.4°; CV, 5.6%-26.4%). In accordance with the intrarater reliability, glenohumeral adduction ROM was the only parameter with an ICC below 0.75 for both samples. Painful shoulder ROM in the SAIS patients showed no influence on the quality of reliability for measurement. Therefore, these protocols should be considered reliable assessment techniques in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of painful shoulder conditions such as SAIS.

Technical quality of delivery care in private- and public-sector health facilities in Enugu and Lagos States, Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirose, Atsumi; Yisa, Ibrahim O; Aminu, Amina; Afolabi, Nathanael; Olasunmbo, Makinde; Oluka, George; Muhammad, Khalilu; Hussein, Julia

2018-06-01

Private-sector providers are increasingly being recognized as important contributors to the delivery of healthcare. Countries with high disease burdens and limited public-sector resources are considering using the private sector to achieve universal health coverage. However, evidence for the technical quality of private-sector care is lacking. This study assesses the technical quality of maternal healthcare during delivery in public- and private-sector facilities in resource-limited settings, from a systems and programmatic perspective. A summary index (the skilled attendance index, SAI), was used. Two-staged cluster sampling with stratification was used to select representative samples of case records in public- and private-sector facilities in Enugu and Lagos States, Nigeria. Information to assess criteria was extracted, and the SAI calculated. Linear regression models examined the relationship between SAI and the private and public sectors, controlling for confounders. The median SAI was 54.8% in Enugu and 85.7% in Lagos. The private for-profit sector's SAI was lower than and the private not-for-profit sector's SAI was higher than the public sector in Enugu [coefficient = -3.6 (P = 0.018) and 12.6 (P private for-profit sector's SAI was higher and the private not-for-profit sector's SAI was lower than the public sector [3.71 (P = 0.005) and -3.92 (P private for-profit providers' care was poorer than public providers where the public provision of care was weak, while private for-profit facilities provided better technical quality care than public facilities where the public sector was strong and there was a relatively strong regulatory body. Our findings raise important considerations relating to the quality of maternity care, the public-private mix and needs for regulation in global efforts to achieve universal healthcare.

Interpreting Statistical Significance Test Results: A Proposed New "What If" Method.

Science.gov (United States)

Kieffer, Kevin M.; Thompson, Bruce

As the 1994 publication manual of the American Psychological Association emphasized, "p" values are affected by sample size. As a result, it can be helpful to interpret the results of statistical significant tests in a sample size context by conducting so-called "what if" analyses. However, these methods can be inaccurate…

Balancing technical and regulatory concerns related to testing and control of performance assessment software

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seitz, R.R.; Matthews, S.D.; Kostelnik, K.M.

1990-01-01

What activities are required to assure that a performance assessment (PA) computer code operates as it is intended? Answers to this question will vary depending on the individual's area of expertise. Different perspectives on testing and control of PA software are discussed based on interpretations of the testing and control process associated with the different involved parties. This discussion leads into the presentation of a general approach to software testing and control that address regulatory requirements. Finally, the need for balance between regulatory and scientific concerns is illustrated through lessons learned in previous implementations of software testing and control programs. Configuration control and software testing are required to provide assurance that a computer code performs as intended. Configuration control provides traceability and reproducibility of results produced with PA software and provides a system to assure that users have access to the current version of the software. Software testing is conducted to assure that the computer code has been written properly, solution techniques have been properly implemented, and the software is capable of representing the behavior of the specific system to be modeled. Comprehensive software testing includes: software analysis, verification testing, benchmark testing, and site-specific calibration/validation testing

Use of social adaptability index to explain self-care and diabetes outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Jennifer A; Walker, Rebekah J; Smalls, Brittany L; Egede, Leonard E

2017-06-20

To examine whether the social adaptability index (SAI) alone or components of the index provide a better explanatory model for self-care and diabetes outcomes. Six hundred fifteen patients were recruited from two primary care settings. A series of multiple linear regression models were run to assess (1) associations between the SAI and diabetes self-care/outcomes, and (2) associations between individual SAI indicator variables and diabetes self-care/outcomes. Separate models were run for each self-care behavior and outcome. Two models were run for each dependent variable to compare associations with the SAI and components of the index. The SAI has a significant association with the mental component of quality of life (0.23, p < 0.01). In adjusted analyses, the SAI score did not have a significant association with any of the self-care behaviors. Individual components from the index had significant associations between self-care and multiple SAI indicator variables. Significant associations also exist between outcomes and the individual SAI indicators for education and employment. In this population, the SAI has low explanatory power and few significant associations with diabetes self-care/outcomes. While the use of a composite index to predict outcomes within a diabetes population would have high utility, particularly for clinical settings, this SAI lacks statistical and clinical significance in a representative diabetes population. Based on these results, the index does not provide a good model fit and masks the relationship of individual components to diabetes self-care and outcomes. These findings suggest that five items alone are not adequate to explain or predict outcomes for patients with type 2 diabetes.

Variability in effective radiating area and output power of new ultrasound transducers at 3 MHz.

Science.gov (United States)

Johns, Lennart D; Straub, Stephen J; Howard, Samuel M

2007-01-01

Spatial average intensity (SAI) is often used by clinicians to gauge therapeutic ultrasound dosage, yet SAI measures are not directly regulated by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards. Current FDA guidelines permit a possible 50% to 150% minimum to maximum range of SAI values, potentially contributing to variability in clinical outcomes. To measure clinical values that describe ultrasound transducers and to determine the degree of intramanufacturer and intermanufacturer variability in effective radiating area, power, and SAI when the transducer is functioning at 3 MHz. A descriptive and interferential approach was taken to this quasi-experimental design. Measurement laboratory. Sixty-six 5-cm(2) ultrasound transducers were purchased from 6 different manufacturers. All transducers were calibrated and then assessed using standardized measurement techniques; SAI was normalized to account for variability in effective radiating area, resulting in an nSAI. Effective radiating area, power, and nSAI. All manufacturers with the exception of Omnisound (P = .534) showed a difference between the reported and measured effective radiating area values (P nSAI (P < .05) than all other manufacturers functioning at 3 MHz. Intramanufacturer variability in SAI ranged from 16% to 35%, and intermanufacturer variability ranged from 22% to 61%. Clinicians should consider treatment values of each individual transducer, regardless of the manufacturer. In addition, clinicians should scrutinize the power calibration and recalibration record of the transducer and adjust clinical settings as needed for the desired level of heating. Our data may aid in explaining the reported heating differences among transducers from different manufacturers. Stricter FDA standards regarding effective radiating area and total power are needed, and standards regulating SAI should be established.

49 CFR 40.247 - What procedures does the BAT or STT follow after a screening test result?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false What procedures does the BAT or STT follow after a... What procedures does the BAT or STT follow after a screening test result? (a) If the test result is an alcohol concentration of less than 0.02, as the BAT or STT, you must do the following: (1) Sign and date...

Teor de clorofila e perfil de sais minerais de Chlorella vulgaris cultivada em solução hidropônica residual Chlorophyll content and minerals profile in the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris cultivated in hydroponic wastewater

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabiano Cleber Bertoldi

2008-02-01

Full Text Available O cultivo de microalgas representa uma potencial fonte de biomassa rica em clorofila e sais minerais como: fósforo, ferro, manganês, cobre, zinco, magnésio e cálcio. Este experimento teve como objetivo avaliar a composição de minerais, bem como determinar o teor de clorofila a e b da microalga Chlorella vulgaris cultivada em solução hidropônica residual em três diferentes concentrações comparadas com um cultivo controle. Os resultados mostraram que os teores de clorofila a e b da microalga não apresentaram diferença significativa entre os cultivos. Com relação à composição dos sais minerais, a Chlorella cultivada na solução residual mais concentrada apresentou valores superiores quando comparada com a cultivada nos demais cultivos. Dessa forma, a biomassa da Chlorella vulgaris demonstrou ser uma potencial fonte de clorofila e de sais minerais, quando cultivada em solução hidropônica residual, possibilitando a utilização desse resíduo de forma sustentável.The microalgaes cultive represents a potential source of biomass rich in chlorophyll and minerals as: P, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mg and Ca. This research was aimed at evaluating the composition of minerals, as well as, determining the content of chlorophyll a and b from the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris cultivated in hydroponic wastewater in three different concentrations compared with the control cultive. The results showed that the contents of chlorophyll a and b of the microalgae did not show significant difference between the cultives. In relation to the composition of the minerals, the Chlorella cultivated in the most concentrated wastewater, showed higher values when compared with the one cultivated in the others cultures. In this manner, the Chlorella vulgaris biomass demonstrated to be a potential source of chlorophyll and minerals, when cultivated in hydroponic wastewater, allowing the use of this residue in a sustainable way.

Heterogeneity of Monosymptomatic Resting Tremor in a Prospective Study: Clinical Features, Electrophysiological Test, and Dopamine Transporter Positron Emission Tomography

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Hua-Guang Zheng; Rong Zhang; Xin Li; Fang-Fei Li; Ya-Chen Wang; Xue-Mei Wang; Ling-Long Lu

2015-01-01

Background:The relationship between monosymptomatic resting tremor (mRT) and Parkinson's disease (PD) remains controversial.In this study,we aimed to assess the function ofpresynaptic dopaminergic neurons in patients with mRT by dopamine transporter positron emission tomography (DAT-PET) and to evaluate the utility of clinical features or electrophysiological studies in differential diagnosis.Methods:Thirty-three consecutive patients with mRT were enrolled prospectively.The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale and electromyography were tested before DAT-PET.Striatal asymmetry index (SAI) was calculated,and a normal DAT-PET was defined as a SAI of ＜15％.Scans without evidence of dopaminergic deficits (SWEDDs) were diagnosed in patients with a subsequent normal DAT-PET and structural magnetic resonance imaging.Results:Twenty-eight mRT patients with a significant reduction in uptake of DAT binding in the striatum were diagnosed with PD,while the remained 5 with a normal DAT-PET scan were SWEDDs.As for UPRDS,the dressing and hygiene score,walking in motor experiences of daily living (Part Ⅱ) and motor examination (Part Ⅲ) were significant different between two groups (P ＜ 0.05 andP＜ 0.01,respectively).Bilateral tremor was more frequent in the SWEDDs group (P ＜ 0.05).The frequency of resting tremor and the amplitude of postural tremor tend to be higher in the SWEDDs group (P =0.08 and P =0.05,respectively).Conclusions:mRT is heterogeneous in presynaptic nigrostriatal dopaminergic degeneration,which can be determined by DAT-PET brain imaging.Clinical and electrophysiological features may provide clues to distinguish PD from SWEDDs.

30 CFR 250.407 - What tests must I conduct to determine reservoir characteristics?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Gas Drilling Operations General Requirements § 250.407 What tests must I conduct to determine... of oil, gas, sulphur, and water in the formations penetrated by logging, formation sampling, or well...

Distribuição espacial e lixiviação natural de sais em solos do Perímetro Irrigado Califórnia, em Sergipe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ronaldo S. Resende

Full Text Available RESUMO Em regiões áridas e semiáridas do planeta, a elevada demanda evaporativa e as características pedogenéticas dos solos, associadas a deficiências no sistema de drenagem de alguns perímetros irrigados, contribuem para um elevado potencial de salinização desses solos. Assim, constituíram objetivos deste estudo determinar o grau de salinização na área irrigada e avaliar o processo de acumulação de sais no período seco e o potencial de lixiviação destes pela água das chuvas no Perímetro Irrigado Califórnia, em Sergipe. Medidas da condutividade elétrica do extrato de saturação do solo (CEes, em dS m-1 a 25 ºC, foram efetuadas no início e final do período chuvoso dos anos de 2008 e 2009. A densidade amostral foi igualmente distribuída em toda área do Perímetro. Os dados foram submetidos à análise geoestatística e gerados mapas da distribuição espacial da CEes por meio do programa ArcGis®. Os valores médios da CEes obtidos revelaram que, apesar da prática de agricultura irrigada intensiva por longo período, o processo de acumulação de sais não foi significativo, tanto na camada superficial (0-0,20 m quanto em subsuperfície (0,20-0,40 m. Os valores médios da CEes em superfície variaram de 0,47 a 1,10 dS m-1, ficando abaixo de valores da salinidade limiar para a maioria das culturas anuais e perenes.

40 CFR 1051.501 - What procedures must I use to test my vehicles or engines?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... vehicles or engines? 1051.501 Section 1051.501 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR POLLUTION CONTROLS CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM RECREATIONAL ENGINES AND VEHICLES Test Procedures § 1051.501 What procedures must I use to test my vehicles or engines? This section describes test...

40 CFR 80.582 - What are the sampling and testing methods for the fuel marker?

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2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 16 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What are the sampling and testing... commercially available diesel fuel which meets the applicable industry consensus and federal regulatory...) Qualification of test methods approved by voluntary consensus-based standards bodies. Any standard test method...

49 CFR 40.321 - What is the general confidentiality rule for drug and alcohol test information?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Transportation PROCEDURES FOR TRANSPORTATION WORKPLACE DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAMS Confidentiality and Release of Information § 40.321 What is the general confidentiality rule for drug and alcohol test... DOT drug or alcohol testing process, you are prohibited from releasing individual test results or...

The Social Awareness Inventory: Development and Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheldon, Kennon M.

1996-01-01

The Social Awareness Inventory (SAI), which assesses individual differences in eight social-perceptual styles, is introduced and applied in three studies. The model is derived by crossing the three binary dimensions of target (self or other), perspective (own or other's), and content (overt appearance or covert experience). The SAI appears to…

Sentence completion tests: a review of the literature and results of a survey of members of the Society for Personality Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Holaday, M; Smith, D A; Sherry, A

2000-06-01

Test usage surveys consistently find that sentence completion tests (SCTs) are among the most popular personality assessment instruments used by practitioners. What is not noted is which SCTs practitioners are using, why these tests are so popular, and whether practitioners are using formal scoring. We surveyed a random selection of 100 members of the Society for Personality Assessment. With a 60% return rate on a single mailing, we found that most psychologists who use incomplete sentence tests use the Rotter (1951) Incomplete Sentences Blank with children (18%), adolescents (32%), and adults (47%). Most practitioners said they do not read stems aloud and record answers themselves, and even fewer said they use formal scoring. The most common reasons for using an SCT are (a) to use it as part of an assessment battery (41 endorsements), (b) to determine personality structure (18 endorsements), and (c) to elicit quotable quotes (17 endorsements). Implications for practitioners and training suggestions for academicians who prepare future psychologists are noted.

Assessment of the beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test using statistical process control.

Science.gov (United States)

Cher, Daniel J; Deubner, David C; Kelsh, Michael A; Chapman, Pamela S; Ray, Rose M

2006-10-01

Despite more than 20 years of surveillance and epidemiologic studies using the beryllium blood lymphocyte proliferation test (BeBLPT) as a measure of beryllium sensitization (BeS) and as an aid for diagnosing subclinical chronic beryllium disease (CBD), improvements in specific understanding of the inhalation toxicology of CBD have been limited. Although epidemiologic data suggest that BeS and CBD risks vary by process/work activity, it has proven difficult to reach specific conclusions regarding the dose-response relationship between workplace beryllium exposure and BeS or subclinical CBD. One possible reason for this uncertainty could be misclassification of BeS resulting from variation in BeBLPT testing performance. The reliability of the BeBLPT, a biological assay that measures beryllium sensitization, is unknown. To assess the performance of four laboratories that conducted this test, we used data from a medical surveillance program that offered testing for beryllium sensitization with the BeBLPT. The study population was workers exposed to beryllium at various facilities over a 10-year period (1992-2001). Workers with abnormal results were offered diagnostic workups for CBD. Our analyses used a standard statistical technique, statistical process control (SPC), to evaluate test reliability. The study design involved a repeated measures analysis of BeBLPT results generated from the company-wide, longitudinal testing. Analytical methods included use of (1) statistical process control charts that examined temporal patterns of variation for the stimulation index, a measure of cell reactivity to beryllium; (2) correlation analysis that compared prior perceptions of BeBLPT instability to the statistical measures of test variation; and (3) assessment of the variation in the proportion of missing test results and how time periods with more missing data influenced SPC findings. During the period of this study, all laboratories displayed variation in test results that

Assessment of the tests results of the two CERN-INFN 10 m long superconducting dipole prototypes for the LHC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bona, M.; Perin, R.; Acerbi, E.; Rossi, L.

1996-01-01

In the first phase of the R and D program for LHC dipoles, seven 10-m-long, 50-mm-aperture prototypes have been manufactured by European Industries. The first two prototypes, fabricated under a CERN-INFN Collaboration, were successfully tested in 1994. This paper provides a first assessment of the main test results of these two magnets, in particular for what concerns kinematics and evolution of the stress distribution in the magnet during cooldown, energization and warmup. The influence of some adopted technological solutions is also discussed. Based on test results, some design corrections are proposed for adoption in the design of the future 15-m-long LHC dipole prototype

Using an On-Line Test To Assess Reading Skills and Predict the Ability To Successfully Pass a Reading SOL Test.

Science.gov (United States)

Simpson, Katherine P.

Designing a remediation program to meet students' needs involves finding out what a student knows and needs to know. An online testing program, such as eduTest, may provide the answers. This test is a versatile instrument that offers benchmark tests, grade specific tests, and strand tests in the four content areas for grades K through 8. The…

A qualitative systematic review of the evidence base for non-cross-resistance between steroidal and non-steroidal aromatase inhibitors in metastatic breast cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Beresford, M; Tumur, I; Chakrabarti, J; Barden, J; Rao, N; Makris, A

2011-04-01

The most effective sequence of tamoxifen and both steroidal (SAIs) and non-steroidal aromatase inhibitors (NSAIs) has been extensively studied in the adjuvant setting. However, treatments for women who have failed initial aromatase inhibitor therapy in the metastatic setting have received relatively little attention. A systematic review was undertaken to assess the use of SAIs and NSAIs in metastatic breast cancer. Medline, Embase and the Cochrane library were searched using free text and MeSH terms. Studies assessing the cross-resistance, efficacy and safety of SAIs and NSAIs for postmenopausal women with advanced metastatic breast cancer confirmed by histology/cytology were included. Patients had progressed/relapsed from previous adjuvant, first- or second-line aromatase inhibitor treatment and had undergone treatment with at least two regimens consisting of aminoglutethimide, anastrozole, letrozole and/or exemestane. Nine studies reported results for patients treated with an SAI after treatment failure with an NSAI. For SAI after NSAI, clinical benefit was the most frequently reported outcome. The clinical benefit for exemestane (SAI) after any NSAI failure or before treatment ranged from 12% (complete response not recorded, partial response 2%, stable disease 10%) to 55% (complete response 6%, partial response 13%, stable disease 35%) Survival outcomes were infrequently reported; four studies reported disease progression. The time to progression ranged from 3.7 to 5.2 months. Only one study reported a median overall survival with exemestane at 15.2 months. Only one study reported information for an NSAI after SAI and an NSAI followed by another NSAI. This review suggests that switching from an NSAI to an SAI is a reasonable option. This would be particularly important for patients who would probably respond to further endocrine manoeuvres; strongly oestrogen receptor-positive disease, non-visceral disease, a good prior response or a long duration of response

Semen analysis and sperm function tests: How much to test?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S S Vasan

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Semen analysis as an integral part of infertility investigations is taken as a surrogate measure for male fecundity in clinical andrology, male fertility, and pregnancy risk assessments. Clearly, laboratory seminology is still very much in its infancy. In as much as the creation of a conventional semen profile will always represent the foundations of male fertility evaluation, the 5th edition of the World Health Organization (WHO manual is a definitive statement on how such assessments should be carried out and how the quality should be controlled. A major advance in this new edition of the WHO manual, resolving the most salient critique of previous editions, is the development of the first well-defined reference ranges for semen analysis based on the analysis of over 1900 recent fathers. The methodology used in the assessment of the usual variables in semen analysis is described, as are many of the less common, but very valuable, sperm function tests. Sperm function testing is used to determine if the sperm have the biologic capacity to perform the tasks necessary to reach and fertilize ova and ultimately result in live births. A variety of tests are available to evaluate different aspects of these functions. To accurately use these functional assays, the clinician must understand what the tests measure, what the indications are for the assays, and how to interpret the results to direct further testing or patient management.

Test reactor risk assessment methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jennings, R.H.; Rawlins, J.K.; Stewart, M.E.

1976-04-01

A methodology has been developed for the identification of accident initiating events and the fault modeling of systems, including common mode identification, as these methods are applied in overall test reactor risk assessment. The methods are exemplified by a determination of risks to a loss of primary coolant flow in the Engineering Test Reactor

What Is the Basis for Self-Assessment of Comprehension When Reading Mathematical Expository Texts?

Science.gov (United States)

Österholm, Magnus

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to characterize students' self-assessments when reading mathematical texts, in particular regarding what students use as a basis for evaluations of their own reading comprehension. A total of 91 students read two mathematical texts, and for each text, they performed a self-assessment of their comprehension and…

Assessment of the measurement control program for solution assay instruments at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Plutonium Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldman, A.S.

1985-05-01

This report documents and reviews the measurement control program (MCP) over a 27-month period for four solution assay instruments (SAIs) Facility. SAI measurement data collected during the period January 1982 through March 1984 were analyzed. The sources of these data included computer listings of measurements emanating from operator entries on computer terminals, logbook entries of measurements transcribed by operators, and computer listings of measurements recorded internally in the instruments. Data were also obtained from control charts that are available as part of the MCP. As a result of our analyses we observed agreement between propagated and historical variances and concluded instruments were functioning properly from a precision aspect. We noticed small, persistent biases indicating slight instrument inaccuracies. We suggest that statistical tests for bias be incorporated in the MCP on a monthly basis and if the instrument bias is significantly greater than zero, the instrument should undergo maintenance. We propose the weekly precision test be replaced by a daily test to provide more timely detection of possible problems. We observed that one instrument showed a trend of increasing bias during the past six months and recommend a randomness test be incorporated to detect trends in a more timely fashion. We detected operator transcription errors during data transmissions and advise direct instrument transmission to the MCP to eliminate these errors. A transmission error rate based on those errors that affected decisions in the MCP was estimated as 1%. 11 refs., 10 figs., 4 tabs

APA's Role in Fostering Good Testing Practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Camara, Wayne J.

Psychological testing has played a major role in the American Psychological Association (APA) because testing and assessment are important aspects of what psychologists do; tests assist psychologists in diagnosis and treatment. From its earliest years, APA has had one or more committees concerned with testing. The present Committee on…

Attention modulates specific motor cortical circuits recruited by transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirdamadi, J L; Suzuki, L Y; Meehan, S K

2017-09-17

Skilled performance and acquisition is dependent upon afferent input to motor cortex. The present study used short-latency afferent inhibition (SAI) to probe how manipulation of sensory afference by attention affects different circuits projecting to pyramidal tract neurons in motor cortex. SAI was assessed in the first dorsal interosseous muscle while participants performed a low or high attention-demanding visual detection task. SAI was evoked by preceding a suprathreshold transcranial magnetic stimulus with electrical stimulation of the median nerve at the wrist. To isolate different afferent intracortical circuits in motor cortex SAI was evoked using either posterior-anterior (PA) or anterior-posterior (PA) monophasic current. In an independent sample, somatosensory processing during the same attention-demanding visual detection tasks was assessed using somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEP) elicited by median nerve stimulation. SAI elicited by AP TMS was reduced under high compared to low visual attention demands. SAI elicited by PA TMS was not affected by visual attention demands. SEPs revealed that the high visual attention load reduced the fronto-central P20-N30 but not the contralateral parietal N20-P25 SEP component. P20-N30 reduction confirmed that the visual attention task altered sensory afference. The current results offer further support that PA and AP TMS recruit different neuronal circuits. AP circuits may be one substrate by which cognitive strategies shape sensorimotor processing during skilled movement by altering sensory processing in premotor areas. Copyright © 2017 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Urban renewal based wind environment at pedestrian level in high-density and high-rise urban areas in Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, J. W.; Zheng, J. Y.; Zhao, Y.; Shao, Y. H.; Yuan, F.

2017-11-01

In high-density and high-rise urban areas, pedestrian level winds contribute to improve comfort, safety and diffusion of heat in urban areas. Outdoor wind study is extremely vital and a prerequisite in high-density cities considering that the immediate pedestrian level wind environment is fundamentally impacted by the presence of a series of high-rise buildings. In this paper, the research site of Sai Ying Pun in Hong Kong will be analysed in terms of geography, climate and urban morphology, while the surrounding natural ventilation has also been simulated by the wind tunnel experiment Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). It has found that, the existing problems in this district are the contradiction between planning control and commercial interests, which means some areas around tall buildings are not benefit to the residents because of the unhealthy wind environment. Therefore, some recommendation of urban renewal strategy has been provided.

MONITORAMENTO DE SAIS NA ÁGUA E NOS SOLOS IRRIGADOS DO PROJETO VEREDA GRANDE, PB

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ladilson de Souza Macêdo

1998-04-01

Full Text Available RESUMO Avaliaram-se a variabilidade temporal dos sais na água de irrigação e seus efeitos sobre os solos irrigados do Projeto Vereda Grande, em Boqueirão, PB, através de amostragem aleatória estratificada em três lotes de agricultores. Foram coletadas 66 amostras de solo e 33 de água, no período de janeiro de 1987 a dezembro de 1989, sendo que a água apresentou crescente risco de salinização ao longo do tempo, com elevados níveis de sódio e cloreto - 8,6 e 10,5 mmolc.L-1, respectivamente. A presença de solos Bruno Não Cálcico e Litólicos na área de captação do manancial impede a melhoria da qualidade da água, predispondo os solos irrigados à alcalinização. Dentre as lavouras exploradas pelos irrigantes, apenas as capineiras são moderadamente tolerantes à concentração salina na zona radicular. A presença significativa de bicarbonato (1 a 3,2 mmolc.L-1 na água restringe a prática da irrigação por aspersão devido, principalmente, às condições de alta evaporação, aridez do local e toxidez específica do sódio e cloreto em plantas sensíveis.

Constructing Aligned Assessments Using Automated Test Construction

Science.gov (United States)

Porter, Andrew; Polikoff, Morgan S.; Barghaus, Katherine M.; Yang, Rui

2013-01-01

We describe an innovative automated test construction algorithm for building aligned achievement tests. By incorporating the algorithm into the test construction process, along with other test construction procedures for building reliable and unbiased assessments, the result is much more valid tests than result from current test construction…

49 CFR 40.307 - What is the SAP's function in prescribing the employee's follow-up tests?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false What is the SAP's function in prescribing the... the Return-to-Duty Process § 40.307 What is the SAP's function in prescribing the employee's follow-up tests? (a) As a SAP, for each employee who has committed a DOT drug or alcohol regulation violation, and...

21 CFR 1271.80 - What are the general requirements for donor testing?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... ADMINISTRATION HUMAN CELLS, TISSUES, AND CELLULAR AND TISSUE-BASED PRODUCTS Donor Eligibility § 1271.80 What are... mother instead of a specimen from the donor. (b) Timing of specimen collection. You must collect the donor specimen for testing at the time of recovery of cells or tissue from the donor; or up to 7 days...

Assessment on separate effect tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernard, M.; Kukita, Y.; Renault, C.

1985-01-01

In the general frame of Cathare assessment this operation is aimed to qualify the set of constitutive laws by reconstitution of experimental tests. The experimental tests are selected following 2 objectives: to be able to qualify separately (as far as possible) the constitutive laws, and, to cover the entire parameter range which is of interest for safety studies. This selection has led to a set of 135 separate effect tests taken from 15 experimental facilities and which can be arranged in 3 main categories: Adiabatic flow tests, without significant external heat exchange; non adiabatic flow tests, in which external heating or cooling is applied to the test section but not being driven by wall heat exchange; and, heat transfer tests, in which wall heat transfer plays the dominant role

Assessment of Student Outcomes in Undergraduate Health Information Administration Programs

OpenAIRE

Smith, Jody

2006-01-01

The purpose of this research was to a) determine what assessment methods are being used in undergraduate health information administration programs to assess student learning and the usefulness of those methods, b) determine to what extent programs have incorporated good student learning assessment practices. Programs use a variety of assessment tools to measure student learning; the most useful include assessments by the professional practice supervisor, course tests, assignments, presentati...

29 CFR 578.3 - What types of violations may result in a penalty being assessed?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... assessed? 578.3 Section 578.3 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR REGULATIONS MINIMUM WAGE AND OVERTIME VIOLATIONS-CIVIL MONEY PENALTIES § 578.3 What types... be assessed against any person who repeatedly or willfully violates section 6 (minimum wage) or...

49 CFR 192.923 - How is direct assessment used and for what threats?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

...) PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) PIPELINE SAFETY TRANSPORTATION OF NATURAL AND OTHER GAS BY PIPELINE: MINIMUM FEDERAL SAFETY STANDARDS Gas Transmission Pipeline Integrity Management § 192.923 How is direct assessment used and for what threats? (a...

Assessing children's inference generation: what do tests of reading comprehension measure?

Science.gov (United States)

Bowyer-Crane, Claudine; Snowling, Margaret J

2005-06-01

Previous research suggests that children with specific comprehension difficulties have problems with the generation of inferences. This raises important questions as to whether poor comprehenders have poor comprehension skills generally, or whether their problems are confined to specific inference types. The main aims of the study were (a) using two commonly used tests of reading comprehension to classify the questions requiring the generation of inferences, and (b) to investigate the relative performance of skilled and less-skilled comprehenders on questions tapping different inference types. The performance of 10 poor comprehenders (mean age 110.06 months) was compared with the performance of 10 normal readers (mean age 112.78 months) on two tests of reading comprehension. A qualitative analysis of the NARA II (form 1) and the WORD comprehension subtest was carried out. Participants were then administered the NARA II, WORD comprehension subtest and a test of non-word reading. The NARA II was heavily reliant on the generation of knowledge-based inferences, while the WORD comprehension subtest was biased towards the retention of literal information. Children identified by the NARA II as having comprehension difficulties performed in the normal range on the WORD comprehension subtests. Further, children with comprehension difficulties performed poorly on questions requiring the generation of knowledge-based and elaborative inferences. However, they were able to answer questions requiring attention to literal information or use of cohesive devices at a level comparable to normal readers. Different reading tests tap different types of inferencing skills. Lessskilled comprehenders have particular difficulty applying real-world knowledge to a text during reading, and this has implications for the formulation of effective intervention strategies.

Assessing What We Value

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, William

2014-01-01

In the June 2010 "Harvard Business Review," Dan Ariely, a professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University, wrote a column entitled "You Are What You Measure." In it, he thoughtfully prods business leaders to consider the problematic correlation between the tools for measuring progress and actual…

Cholinergic dysfunction and amnesia in patients with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome: a transcranial magnetic stimulation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Nardone, Raffaele; Bergmann, Jürgen; De Blasi, Pierpaolo; Kronbichler, Martin; Kraus, Jörg; Caleri, Francesca; Tezzon, Frediano; Ladurner, Gunther; Golaszewski, Stefan

2010-03-01

The specific neurochemical substrate underlying the amnesia in patients with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS) is still poorly defined. Memory impairment has been linked to dysfunction of neurons in the cholinergic system. A transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) protocol, the short latency afferent inhibition (SAI), may give direct information about the function of some cholinergic pathways in the human motor cortex. In the present study, we measured SAI in eight alcoholics with WKS and compared the data with those from a group of age-matched healthy individuals; furthermore, we correlated the individual SAI values of the WKS patients with memory and other cognitive functions. Mean SAI was significantly reduced in WKS patients when compared with the controls. SAI was increased after administration of a single dose of donezepil in a subgroup of four patients. The low score obtained in the Rey Complex Figure delayed recall test, the Digit Span subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) and the Corsi's Block Span subtest of the WAIS-R documented a severe impairment in the anterograde memory and short-term memory. None of the correlations between SAI values and these neuropsychological tests reached significance. We provide physiological evidence of cholinergic involvement in WKS. However, this putative marker of central cholinergic activity did not significantly correlate with the memory deficit in our patients. These findings suggest that the cholinergic dysfunction does not account for the memory disorder and that damage to the cholinergic system is not sufficient to cause a persisting amnesic syndrome in WKS.

Globalising Assessment: An Ethnography of Literacy Assessment, Camels and Fast Food in the Mongolian Gobi

Science.gov (United States)

Maddox, Bryan

2014-01-01

What happens when standardised literacy assessments travel globally? The paper presents an ethnographic account of adult literacy assessment events in rural Mongolia. It examines the dynamics of literacy assessment in terms of the movement and re-contextualisation of test items as they travel globally and are received locally by Mongolian…

Quantitative adaptation analytics for assessing dynamic systems of systems: LDRD Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gauthier, John H. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). System Readiness & Sustainment Technologies (6133, M/S 1188); Miner, Nadine E. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Military & Energy Systems Analysis (6114, M/S 1188); Wilson, Michael L. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Resilience and Regulatory Effects (6921, M/S 1138); Le, Hai D. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). System Readiness & Sustainment Technologies (6133, M/S 1188); Kao, Gio K. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Networked System Survivability & Assurance (5629, M/S 0671); Melander, Darryl J. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Software Systems R& D (9525, M/S 1188); Longsine, Dennis Earl [Sandia National Laboratories, Unknown, Unknown; Vander Meer, Jr., Robert C. [SAIC, Inc., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2015-01-01

Our society is increasingly reliant on systems and interoperating collections of systems, known as systems of systems (SoS). These SoS are often subject to changing missions (e.g., nation- building, arms-control treaties), threats (e.g., asymmetric warfare, terrorism), natural environments (e.g., climate, weather, natural disasters) and budgets. How well can SoS adapt to these types of dynamic conditions? This report details the results of a three year Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project aimed at developing metrics and methodologies for quantifying the adaptability of systems and SoS. Work products include: derivation of a set of adaptability metrics, a method for combining the metrics into a system of systems adaptability index (SoSAI) used to compare adaptability of SoS designs, development of a prototype dynamic SoS (proto-dSoS) simulation environment which provides the ability to investigate the validity of the adaptability metric set, and two test cases that evaluate the usefulness of a subset of the adaptability metrics and SoSAI for distinguishing good from poor adaptability in a SoS. Intellectual property results include three patents pending: A Method For Quantifying Relative System Adaptability, Method for Evaluating System Performance, and A Method for Determining Systems Re-Tasking.

Characterization and classification or the first meteorite fall in Varre-Sai town, southeast Brazil, using X-ray microfluorescence technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alves, Haimon D.L. [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (COPPE/UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-Graduacao de Engenharia. Programa de Engenharia Nuclear; Assis, Joaquim T. de, E-mail: joaquim@iprj.uerj.b [Instituto Politecnico do Rio de Janeiro (IPRJ/UERJ), Nova Friburgo, RJ (Brazil); Valeriano, Claudio [Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), RJ (Brazil). Dept. de Geologia; Turbay, Caio [Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo (UFES), Alegre, ES (Brazil). Dept. de Geologia

2011-07-01

On the night of June 19th, 2010, a meteorite fell nearby the town of Varre-Sai, Rio de Janeiro state, southeast Brazil. A small part of it was found and taken for analysis. A meteorite analysis can give researchers a better understanding of the origins of the Universe. However, some of the most traditionalist methods of characterization and classification of meteorites are destructive. In this paper we present the results of a chemical analysis and classification of this particular meteorite using X-ray microfluorescence ({mu}XRF), a non-destructive technique that allows for a quick and easy elemental analysis within the range of micrometers. Both sides of the meteorite were measured, 35 points in total, using Artax, a state of the art {mu}XRF system developed by Bruker, at 50 kV tension and 700 {mu}A current. Quantitative analysis using direct comparison of counting rates method showed concentrations of iron and nickel together of roughly 7.86%. We found that it is possible to distinguish this meteorite from most of the categories as an ordinary L-type chondrite but a more thorough analysis might be necessary so as to obtain a more detailed classification. (author)

Doctor, what does my positive test mean? From Bayesian textbook tasks to personalized risk communication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gorka eNavarrete

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Most of the research on Bayesian reasoning aims to answer theoretical questions about the extent to which people are able to update their beliefs according to the Bayes Theorem (Baratgin & Politzer, 2006; Barbey & Sloman, 2007; Gigerenzer & Hoffrage, 1995 about the evolutionary nature of Bayesian inference (Brase, 2002, 2007; Gigerenzer & Hoffrage, 1995, or about the role of cognitive abilities in Bayesian inference (Johnson & Tubau, 2013; Lesage, Navarrete, & De Neys, 2013; Sirota, Juanchich, & Hagmayer, 2014. Few studies aim to answer practical, mainly health-related questions, such as, questions such as ‘What does it mean to have a positive test in a context of cancer screening?’ or ‘What is the best way to communicate a medical test result so a patient will understand it?. This type of research aims to translate the empirical finding into effective ways of providing risk information. In addition, the applied research often adopts the paradigms and methods of the theoretically-motivated research. But sometimes it works the other way around, and the theoretical research borrows the importance of the practical question in the medical context. The study of Bayesian reasoning is relevant to risk communication in that,, to be as useful as possible, applied research should employ specifically tailored methods and contexts specific to the recipients of the risk information. In this paper, we concentrate on the communication of the result of medical tests and outline the epidemiological and test parameters that affect the predictive power of a test – whether it is correct or not. Building on this, we draw up recommendations for better practice to convey the results of medical tests that could inform health policy makers (e.g. what are the drawbacks of mass screenings?, be used by health practitioners and, in turn, help patients to make better and more informed decisions.

40 CFR 63.6620 - What performance tests and other procedures must I use?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... an oxidation catalyst, if you comply with the emission limitation to reduce formaldehyde and you are... formaldehyde in the stationary RICE exhaust and you are not using an oxidation catalyst or NSCR, you must... 40 Protection of Environment 13 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What performance tests and other...

Thermally Induced Vibrations of the Hubble Space Telescope's Solar Array 3 in a Test Simulated Space Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Early, Derrick A.; Haile, William B.; Turczyn, Mark T.; Griffin, Thomas J. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the European Space Agency (ESA) conducted a disturbance verification test on a flight Solar Array 3 (SA3) for the Hubble Space Telescope using the ESA Large Space Simulator (LSS) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. The LSS cyclically illuminated the SA3 to simulate orbital temperature changes in a vacuum environment. Data acquisition systems measured signals from force transducers and accelerometers resulting from thermally induced vibrations of the SAI The LSS with its seismic mass boundary provided an excellent background environment for this test. This paper discusses the analysis performed on the measured transient SA3 responses and provides a summary of the results.

Ação de diferentes agentes curtentes utilizados no curtimento de peles de coelhos: testes físico-mecânicos dos couros = Action of different tanning agents used on rabbit hide tanning: physicalmechanic tests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nilson do Prado Franco

2009-10-01

Full Text Available O objetivo do experimento foi avaliar a ação de diferentes agentes curtentes no processamento das peles de coelhos, sobre a resistência do couro. Cinquenta peles de coelhos foram submetidas a diferentes agentes curtentes na etapa de curtimento (T1 = 6% sais de cromoChromossal B®, T2 = 22% tanino vegetal Clarotan-x8®; T3 = 22% tanino sintético Syntac CW®; T4 = 12% tanino vegetal Weibull® + 10% tanino sintético Syntac F®; T5 = 22% tanino vegetal Weibull®. Foram retirados os corpos de prova do couro, na região dorsal, no sentidolongitudinal e transversal em relação ao eixo céfalo-caudal. Os agentes curtentes e retirada dos corpos de prova não influenciaram no teste de tração (9,28 N mm-2 a 11,63 N mm-2 e força aplicada (17,91 N a 24,85 N nos testes. Os curtimentos com sais de cromo (62,85% e Clarotan–x8® (70,28% proporcionaram maiores valores de alongamento em relação aos demais agentes curtentes utilizados. Os corpos de prova do couro no sentido transversal (59,12% apresentaram maior alongamento comparado ao longitudinal (49,72%. Os curtimentos com sais de cromo (22,70 N mm-1, Clarotan–x8® (25,94 N mm-1 e Weibull® (21,58 N mm-1 proporcionaram couros com maior resistência ao rasgamento. O sentido de retirada dos corpos de prova no couro não influenciou no rasgamento progressivo. As técnicas de curtimento com sais de cromo e Clarotan-x8® proporcionaram couros com melhores valores de resistência ao alongamento e rasgamento progressivo.The objective of the experiment was to evaluate the action of different tanning agents in the processing of rabbit hides over skin resistance. Fifty skins of rabbit hides were submitted to different tanning agents in the tanning stage (T1 = 6% Chromossal B® chromesalts; T2 = 22% Clarotan–x8® vegetable tannin; T3 = 22% Syntac CW® synthetic tannin; T4 = 12% Weibull® vegetable tannin + 10% Syntac F® synthetic tannin; T5 = 22% Weibull® vegetable tannin. The specimens were removed

Short-latency afferent inhibition is a poor predictor of individual susceptibility to rTMS-induced plasticity in the motor cortex of young and older adults.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marielle eYoung-Bernier

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Cortical plasticity, including long-term potentiation (LTP-like plasticity, can be assessed non-invasively with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS protocols. In this study, we examined age differences in responses to intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS in a group of 20 young and 18 healthy older adults. Because the cholinergic system plays a role in the neural processes underlying learning and memory, including LTP, we also investigated whether short latency afferent inhibition (SAI, a neurophysiological marker of central cholinergic activity, would be associated with age-related differences in LTP-like plasticity induced by iTBS. Methods: SAI was first assessed by examining the modulation of motor evoked potentials (MEPs in response to median nerve conditioning 20 ms prior to TMS. Participants then underwent iTBS (3 pulses at 50 HZ every 200 ms for 2 s with 8 s between trains, repeated 20 times. MEP responses (120% RMT were assessed immediately after iTBS and 5, 10, and 20 min post-application. Results: Responses to iTBS were quite variable in both age groups, with only approximately 60% of the participants (n=13 young and 10 older adults showing the expected facilitation of MEP responses. There were no significant age group differences in MEP facilitation following iTBS. Although older adults exhibited reduced SAI, individual variations were not associated with susceptibility to express LTP-like induced plasticity after iTBS. Conclusion: Overall, these results are consistent with reports of high inter-individual variability in responses to iTBS. Although SAI was reduced in older adults, consistent with a deterioration of the cholinergic system with age, SAI levels were not associated with LTP-like plasticity as assessed with iTBS.

Short-latency afferent inhibition is a poor predictor of individual susceptibility to rTMS-induced plasticity in the motor cortex of young and older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Young-Bernier, Marielle; Tanguay, Annick N; Davidson, Patrick S R; Tremblay, François

2014-01-01

Cortical plasticity, including long-term potentiation (LTP)-like plasticity, can be assessed non-invasively with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) protocols. In this study, we examined age differences in responses to intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) in a group of 20 young and 18 healthy older adults. Because the cholinergic system plays a role in the neural processes underlying learning and memory, including LTP, we also investigated whether short latency afferent inhibition (SAI), a neurophysiological marker of central cholinergic activity, would be associated with age-related differences in LTP-like plasticity induced by iTBS. SAI was first assessed by examining the modulation of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in response to median nerve conditioning 20 ms prior to TMS. Participants then underwent iTBS (3 pulses at 50 Hz every 200 ms for 2 s with 8 s between trains, repeated 20 times). MEP responses (120% resting motor threshold (RMT)) were assessed immediately after iTBS and 5, 10, and 20 min post-application. Responses to iTBS were quite variable in both age groups, with only approximately 60% of the participants (n = 13 young and 10 older adults) showing the expected facilitation of MEP responses. There were no significant age group differences in MEP facilitation following iTBS. Although older adults exhibited reduced SAI, individual variations were not associated with susceptibility to express LTP-like induced plasticity after iTBS. Overall, these results are consistent with reports of high inter-individual variability in responses to iTBS. Although SAI was reduced in older adults, consistent with a deterioration of the cholinergic system with age, SAI levels were not associated with LTP-like plasticity as assessed with iTBS.

40 CFR 1048.401 - What testing requirements apply to my engines that have gone into service?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... engines that have gone into service? 1048.401 Section 1048.401 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR POLLUTION CONTROLS CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM NEW, LARGE NONROAD SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES Testing In-use Engines § 1048.401 What testing requirements apply to my engines that have...

Earthworm avoidance test for soil assessments. An alternative for acute and reproduction tests

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hund-Rinke, K.; Wiechering, H. [Fraunhofer-Inst. fuer Umweltchemie und Oekotoxikologie, Schmallenberg (Germany)

2001-07-01

For ecotoxicological assessments of contaminated or remediated soils pointing to the habitat function of soils for biocenoses, standardized tests with earthworms (acute test, reproduction test) are available among others. Tests used for routine applications should be sensitive and indicate impacts on test organisms after short test periods. The usually applied earthworm tests do not satisfactorily fulfil these criteria. Therefore, in the present work, a behavioural test with earthworms (test criterion: avoidance) was investigated in detail using uncontaminated, artificially contaminated and originally contaminated soils. It was demonstrated that the avoidance behaviour is primarily determined by pollutants, and not by chemical-physical soil properties. The sensitivity of the presented test reaches the sensitivity of established tests. For waste sites, a considerably higher sensitivity was determined. An avoidance behaviour of at least 80% of the worms leaving the soil to be assessed is proposed as a criterion for toxicity. (orig.)

The Legal Side of Campus Threat Assessment and Management: What Student Counselors Need to Know

Science.gov (United States)

Nolan, Jeffrey J.; Moncure, Thomas M., Jr.

2012-01-01

This article identifies what student mental health professionals need to know about legal issues of relevance to threat assessment and management. The article summarizes the common law duties and the common law and statutory standards of care that are likely to apply to the work of college and university threat assessment and management teams. The…

Assessing K-5 Teacher Leaders' Mathematical Understanding: What Have the Test Makers and the Test Takers Learned?

Science.gov (United States)

Ellington, Aimee J.; Whitenack, Joy W.; Inge, Vickie L.; Murray, Megan K.; Schneider, Patti J.

2012-01-01

This article describes the design and implementation of an assessment instrument for Numbers and Operations, the first course in a program to train elementary mathematics specialists. We briefly describe the course and its content, and then we elaborate on the process we used to develop the assessment instrument and the corresponding rubric for…

49 CFR 40.203 - What problems cause a drug test to be cancelled unless they are corrected?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false What problems cause a drug test to be cancelled unless they are corrected? 40.203 Section 40.203 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation PROCEDURES FOR TRANSPORTATION WORKPLACE DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAMS Problems in Drug Tests § 40.203...

Social adaptability and substance abuse: Predictors of depression among hemodialysis patients?

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Several aspects linked to social are involved in the onset of depressive feelings. We aimed to find out if social adaptability and substance abuse predict depression among end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). Methods We included 145 ESRD patients undergoing HD. Social adaptability was estimated by the Social Adaptability Index (SAI). Substance abuse was defined according to SAI. We screened for depression by applying the 20-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. A score ≥ 24 classified the patients as depressed. Comparisons between depressed and non-depressed patients were carried out and logistic regression was performed to test gender, age, total SAI, SAI without the substance abuse item, only the substance abuse score and substance abuse as a categorical variable (yes/no) as predictors of depression. Results There were 36 (24.8%) depressed patients. There were no differences regarding demographic and laboratory data between the depressed and non-depressed patients. Mean SAI among depressed and non-depressed patients was, respectively, 6.1 ± 1.6 vs. 6.2 ± 1.9 (p=0.901). The percentage of patients with or without substance abuse among depressed patients was, respectively, 13.8% vs. 13.9% (p=1.000). Gender, age, total SAI, SAI without the substance abuse item, only the substance abuse score and substance abuse as a categorical variable did not predict depression. Conclusions Social adaptability and substance abuse did not predict depression in HD patients. We propose that aspects related to socioeconomic status not comprised in SAI items should be ruled out as predictors of depression. PMID:23320829

21 CFR 212.60 - What requirements apply to the laboratories where I test components, in-process materials, and...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... maintenance. Each laboratory must have and follow written procedures to ensure that equipment is routinely... 21 Food and Drugs 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What requirements apply to the laboratories where...) Laboratory Controls § 212.60 What requirements apply to the laboratories where I test components, in-process...

The GP tests of competence assessment: which part best predicts fitness to practise decisions?

Science.gov (United States)

Jayaweera, Hirosha Keshani; Potts, Henry W W; Keshwani, Karim; Valerio, Chris; Baker, Magdalen; Mehdizadeh, Leila; Sturrock, Alison

2018-01-02

The General Medical Council (GMC) conducts Tests of Competence (ToC) for doctors referred for Fitness to Practise (FtP) issues. GPs take a single best answer knowledge test, an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), and a Simulated Surgery (SimSurg) assessment which is a simulated GP consultation. The aim of this study was to examine the similarities between OSCEs and SimSurg to determine whether each assessment contributed something unique to GP ToCs. A mixed methods approach was used. Data were collated on 153 GPs who were required to undertake a ToC as a part of being investigated for FtP issues between February 2010 and October 2016. Using correlation analysis, we examined to what degree performance on the knowledge test, OSCE, and SimSurg related to case examiner recommendations and FtP outcomes, including the unique predictive power of these three assessments. The outcome measures were case examiner recommendations (i) not fit to practise; ii) fit to practise on a limited basis; or iii) fit to practise) as well as FtP outcomes (i) erased/removed from the register; ii) having restrictions/conditions; or iii) be in good standing). For the qualitative component, 45 GP assessors were asked to rate whether they assess the same competencies and which assessment provides better feedback about candidates. There was significant overlap between OSCEs and SimSurg, p < 0.001. SimSurg had additional predictive power in the presence of OSCEs and the knowledge test (p = 0.030) in distinguishing doctors from different FtP categories, while OSCEs did not (p = 0.080). Both the OSCEs (p = 0.004) and SimSurg (p < 0.001) had significant negative correlations with case examiner recommendations when accounting for the effects of the other two assessments. Inductive thematic analysis of the responses to the questionnaire showed that assessors perceived OSCEs to be better suited to target specific knowledge and skills. SimSurg was thought to produce a

14 CFR 61.307 - What tests do I have to take to obtain a sport pilot certificate?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... sport pilot certificate? 61.307 Section 61.307 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION... INSTRUCTORS Sport Pilots § 61.307 What tests do I have to take to obtain a sport pilot certificate? To obtain a sport pilot certificate, you must pass the following tests: (a) Knowledge test. You must pass a...

Assessment of NDE Methods on Inspection of HDPE Butt Fusion Piping Joints for Lack of Fusion with Validation from Mechanical Testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, Michael T.; Cinson, Anthony D.; Crawford, Susan L.; Doctor, Steven R.; Moran, Traci L.; Watts, Michael W.

2010-01-01

Studies at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Washington, are being conducted to evaluate nondestructive examinations (NDE) coupled with mechanical testing of butt fusion joints in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe for assessing lack of fusion. The work provides information to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on the effectiveness of volumetric inspection techniques of HDPE butt fusion joints in Section III, Division 1, Class 3, buried piping systems in nuclear power plants. This paper describes results from preliminary assessments using ultrasonic and microwave nondestructive techniques and mechanical testing with the high-speed tensile impact test and the side-bend test for determining joint integrity. A series of butt joints were fabricated in 3408, 12-in. IPS DR-11 HDPE material by varying the fusion parameters to create good joints and joints containing a range of lack-of-fusion conditions. Six of these butt joints were volumetrically examined with time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD), phased-array (PA) ultrasound, and the Evisive microwave system. The outer-diameter weld beads were removed for the microwave inspection. In two of the four pipes, both the outer and inner weld beads were removed and the pipe joints re-evaluated. The pipes were sectioned and the joints destructively evaluated with the side-bend test by cutting portions of the fusion joint into slices that were planed and bent. The last step in this limited study will be to correlate the fusion parameters, nondestructive, and destructive evaluation results to validate the effectiveness of what each NDE technology detects and what each does not detect. The results of the correlation will be used in identifying any future work that is needed.

High prevalence of normal tests assessing hypercortisolism in subjects with mild and episodic Cushing's syndrome suggests that the paradigm for diagnosis and exclusion of Cushing's syndrome requires multiple testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Friedman, T C; Ghods, D E; Shahinian, H K; Zachery, L; Shayesteh, N; Seasholtz, S; Zuckerbraun, E; Lee, M L; McCutcheon, I E

2010-11-01

Many Endocrinologists believe that a single determination of eucortisolism or a single demonstration of appropriate suppression to dexamethasone excluded Cushing's syndrome, except in what was previously thought to be the rare patient with episodic or periodic Cushing's syndrome. We hypothesize that episodic Cushing's syndrome is relatively common and a single test assessing hypercortisolism may not be sufficient to accurately rule out or diagnose Cushing's syndrome and retrospectively examined the number of normal and abnormal tests assessing hypercortisolism performed on multiple occasions in 66 patients found to have mild and/or episodic Cushing's syndrome compared to a similar group of 54 patients evaluated for, but determined not to have Cushing's syndrome. We found that 65 of the 66 patients with Cushing's syndrome had at least one normal test of cortisol status and most patients had several normal tests. The probability of having Cushing's syndrome when one test was negative was 92% for 23:00 h salivary cortisol, 88% for 24-h UFC, 86% for 24-h 17OHS, and 54% for nighttime plasma cortisol. These results demonstrated that episodic hypercortisolism is highly prevalent in subjects with mild Cushing's syndrome and no single test was effective in conclusively diagnosing or excluding the condition. Rather, the paradigm for the diagnosis should be a careful history and physical examination and in those patients in whom mild Cushing's syndrome/disease is strongly suspected, multiple tests assessing hypercortisolism should be performed on subsequent occasions, especially when the patient is experiencing signs and symptoms of short-term hypercortisolism. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

A Comparison of What Is Part of Usability Testing in Three Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Clemmensen, Torkil

The cultural diversity of users of technology challenges our methods for usability evaluation. In this paper we report and compare three ethnographic interview studies of what is a part of a standard (typical) usability test in a company in Mumbai, Beijing and Copenhagen. At each of these three locations, we use structural and contrast questions do a taxonomic and paradigm analysis of a how a company performs a usability test. We find similar parts across the three locations. We also find different results for each location. In Mumbai, most parts of the usability test are not related to the interactive application that is tested, but to differences in user characteristics, test preparation, method, and location. In Copenhagen, considerations about the client's needs are part of a usability test. In Beijing, the only varying factor is the communication pattern and relation to the user. These results are then contrasted in a cross cultural matrix to identify cultural themes that can help interpret results from existing laboratory research in usability test methods.

The COPD assessment test and St George's Respiratory Questionnaire: are they equivalent in subjects with COPD?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morishita-Katsu M

2016-07-01

.668, P<0.001. Correlations of CAT scores with parameters related to pulmonary function, dyspnea, exercise performance, and psychological factors were inferior to correlations with those parameters with SGRQ total scores. Both multiple regression analyses and principal component analyses revealed that there were slight differences between SGRQ total scores and CAT scores.Conclusion: The CAT is similar to SGRQ in terms of discriminating health status. However, we demonstrated that what is assessed by the CAT may differ slightly from what is measured by SGRQ. Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire, COPD assessment test, health status

Abnormal corticospinal excitability in patients with disorders of consciousness.

Science.gov (United States)

Lapitskaya, Natallia; Gosseries, Olivia; De Pasqua, Victor; Pedersen, Asger Roer; Nielsen, Joergen Feldbaek; de Noordhout, Alain Maertens; Laureys, Steven

2013-07-01

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been frequently used to explore changes in the human motor cortex in different conditions, while the extent of motor cortex reorganization in patients in vegetative state (VS) (now known as unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, UWS) and minimally conscious (MCS) states due to severe brain damage remains largely unknown. It was hypothesized that cortical motor excitability would be decreased and would correlate to the level of consciousness in patients with disorders of consciousness. Corticospinal excitability was assessed in 47 patients (24 VS/UWS and 23 MCS) and 14 healthy controls. The test parameters included maximal peak-to-peak M-wave (Mmax), F-wave persistence, peripheral and central motor conduction times, sensory (SEP) and motor evoked (MEP) potential latencies and amplitudes, resting motor threshold (RMT), stimulus/response curves, and short latency afferent inhibition (SAI). TMS measurements were correlated to the level of consciousness (assessed using the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised). On average, the patient group had lower Mmax, lower MEP and SEP amplitudes, higher RMTs, narrower stimulus/response curves, and reduced SAI compared to the healthy controls (P < 0.05). The SAI alterations were correlated to the level of consciousness (P < 0.05). The findings demonstrated the impairment of the cortical inhibitory circuits in patients with disorders of consciousness. Moreover, the significant relationship was found between cortical inhibition and clinical consciousness dysfunction. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[The methodological assessment and qualitative evaluation of psychometric performance tests based on the example of modern tests that assess reading and spelling skills].

Science.gov (United States)

Galuschka, Katharina; Rothe, Josefine; Schulte-Körne, Gerd

2015-09-01

This article looks at a means of objectively evaluating the quality of psychometric tests. This approach enables users to evaluate psychometric tests based on their methodological characteristics, in order to decide which instrument should be used. Reading and spelling assessment tools serve as examples. The paper also provides a review of German psychometric tests for the assessment of reading and spelling skills. This method facilitates the identification of psychometric tests.of high methodological quality which can be used for the assessment of reading and spelling skills. Reading performance should ideally be assessed with the following instruments: ELFE 1-6, LGVT 6-12, LESEN 6-7, LESEN 8-9, or WLLP-R. The tests to be used for the evaluation of spelling skills are DERET 1-2+, DERET 3-4+, WRT 1+, WRT 2+, WRT 3+, WRT 4+ or HSP 1-10.

Rectal mucosal electrosensitivity - what is being tested?

Science.gov (United States)

Meagher, A P; Kennedy, M L; Lubowski, D Z

1996-01-01

The results of rectal mucosal electrosensitivity (RME) testing have been used to support theories regarding the aetiology of both idiopathic constipation and bowel dysfunction following rectopexy. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of tests of RME. Sixty-eight patients, comprising three groups (group 1: 50 patients undergoing assessment in the Anorectal Physiology Unit, group 2: 10 patients with coloanal or ileoanal anastomosis, group 3: 8 patients with a stoma) underwent mucosal electrosensitivity testing, with the threshold stimulus required to elicit sensation being recorded. In addition the RME was measured in groups 1 and 2 when placing the electrode, mounted on a catheter with a central wire, against the anterior, posterior, right and left rectal or neorectal walls. To asses the influence on this test of loss of mucosal contact due to faeces, a further 8 cases with a normal rectum had RME performed with and without a layer of water soaked gauze around the electrode to stimulate faeces and prevent the electrode from making contact with the rectal mucosa. There was marked variance in the sensitivity of the different regions of rectal wall tested (P < 0.001). In group 1 patients the mean sensitivities were: central 36.6 mA, anterior 27.4 mA, posterior 37.9 mA, right 22.3 mA and left 25.6 mA. This circumferential variation suggests that the pelvic floor rather than rectal mucosa was being stimulated. All patients in group 2 had recordable sensitivities, and the mean sensitivity threshold was significantly higher than group 1 patients in the central (P = 0.03), right (P = 0.03) and left (P = 0.007) positions. In group 3 the sensitivity was greater within the stoma at the level of the abdominal wall muscle than intra-abdominally or subcutaneously, again suggesting an extra-colonic origin of the sensation. The sensitivity threshold was significantly greater with the electrode wrapped in gauze (P < 0.01), and loss of mucosal contact was not detected by

Assessment practices of third- and fifth-grade science teachers: A comparison to the style/format, process, and content of Ohio's proficiency tests

Science.gov (United States)

Janson, David C.

This descriptive study is addressed to policy-makers, textbook publisher, teachers, principals, and curriculum directors. It compares the assessment practices of ten elementary teachers over a period of 11 weeks with Ohio's fourth and sixth grade science Proficiency Tests. Results show that the teachers' assessment practices were not aligned with Ohio's Proficiency Test. The tests used in the participants' classroom contained a disproportionate number of items characterized as low-level in terms of their cognitive function. Classroom test items generally fell into three categories---true/false, completion, and matching. The remaining items were predominantly low-level multiple-choice items requiring simple recall of information. The teachers in this study showed a heavy reliance on the packaged assessments that accompanied their adopted textbook series with little use of teacher-designed instruments. This differs from the findings of previous researchers who reported that most teacher assessments were done with teacher-made tests. The lack of alignment between classroom tests and Ohio's Proficiency Test is a concern because previous researchers and the teachers in this study believe that aligning classroom tests with high-stakes assessment improves student performance. Other research shows teachers teach what they test suggesting that the curriculum would be better aligned with State expectations if classroom tests were more in line with the proficiency tests. This study found that textbooks and their assessment packages are not aligned to most state standards and that teachers need help developing better assessments. The results of this study suggest directions school administrators might take to facilitate inservice training for current teachers and could be helpful to textbook publishers as well as educators serving on adoption committees. Since high-stakes testing of students in the nation's public schools and school accountability seem destined to remain a

21 CFR 111.320 - What requirements apply to laboratory methods for testing and examination?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What requirements apply to laboratory methods for testing and examination? 111.320 Section 111.320 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION CURRENT GOOD MANUFACTURING...

Adapting the Critical Thinking Assessment Test for Palestinian Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Basha, Sami; Drane, Denise; Light, Gregory

2016-01-01

Critical thinking is a key learning outcome for Palestinian students. However, there are no validated critical thinking tests in Arabic. Suitability of the US developed Critical Thinking Assessment Test (CAT) for use in Palestine was assessed. The test was piloted with university students in English (n = 30) and 4 questions were piloted in Arabic…

Evaluation of a Picture-Based Test for the Assessment of Gelotophobia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Willibald Ruch

2017-11-01

Full Text Available This study examines whether coding open answers in a picture-based test, as to the extent they reflect the fear of being laughed at (i.e., gelotophobia, demonstrates sufficient validity to construct a semi-projective test for the assessment of gelotophobia. Previous findings indicate that cartoon stimuli depicting laughter situations (i.e., in the pilot version of the Picture-Geloph; Ruch et al., 2009 on average elicit fear-typical responses in gelotophobes stronger than in non-gelotophobes. The present study aims to (a develop a standardized scoring procedure based on a coding scheme, and (b examine the properties of the pilot version of the Picture-Geloph in order to select the most acceptable items for a standard form of the test. For Study 1, a sample of N = 126 adults, with scores evenly distributed across the gelotophobia spectrum, completed the pilot version of the Picture-Geloph by noting down what they assumed the protagonist in each of 20 cartoons would say or think. Furthermore, participants answered the GELOPH<15> (Ruch and Proyer, 2008, the established questionnaire for the subjective assessment of the fear of being laughed at. Agreement between two independent raters indicated that the developed coding scheme allows for objective and reliable scoring of the Picture-Geloph (mean of intraclass correlations = 0.66. Nine items met the criteria employed to identify the psychometrically most reliable and valid items. These items were unidimensional and internally consistent (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.78. The total score of this selection (i.e., the Picture-Geloph<9> discriminated significantly between non-fearful, slightly, markedly, and extremely fearful individuals; furthermore, it correlated sufficiently high (r = 0.66; rc = 0.79 when corrected for reliability of both measures with the GELOPH<15>. Cronbach’s alpha (0.73 was largely comparable whereas the estimate of convergent validity was found to be lower in one (r = 0.50; rc = 0

Construct validation of teacher portfolio assessment : Procedures for improving teacher competence assessment illustrated by teaching students research skills

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schaaf, M.F. van der

2005-01-01

The study aims to design and test procedures for teacher portfolio assessments. What are suitable procedures to assess teachers' competencies in developing students' research skills? We first searched into the tasks teachers have in teaching students research skills and the competencies needed to

40 CFR 86.1920 - What in-use testing information must I report to EPA?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... type or application (such as delivery, line haul, or dump truck). Also, identify the type of trailer... (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM NEW AND IN-USE HIGHWAY VEHICLES AND ENGINES (CONTINUED) Manufacturer-Run In-Use Testing Program for Heavy-Duty Diesel Engines § 86.1920 What in-use...

Potential Errors and Test Assessment in Software Product Line Engineering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hartmut Lackner

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Software product lines (SPL are a method for the development of variant-rich software systems. Compared to non-variable systems, testing SPLs is extensive due to an increasingly amount of possible products. Different approaches exist for testing SPLs, but there is less research for assessing the quality of these tests by means of error detection capability. Such test assessment is based on error injection into correct version of the system under test. However to our knowledge, potential errors in SPL engineering have never been systematically identified before. This article presents an overview over existing paradigms for specifying software product lines and the errors that can occur during the respective specification processes. For assessment of test quality, we leverage mutation testing techniques to SPL engineering and implement the identified errors as mutation operators. This allows us to run existing tests against defective products for the purpose of test assessment. From the results, we draw conclusions about the error-proneness of the surveyed SPL design paradigms and how quality of SPL tests can be improved.

Non-animal assessment of skin sensitization hazard: Is an integrated testing strategy needed, and if so what should be integrated?

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, David W; Patlewicz, Grace

2018-01-01

There is an expectation that to meet regulatory requirements, and avoid or minimize animal testing, integrated approaches to testing and assessment will be needed that rely on assays representing key events (KEs) in the skin sensitization adverse outcome pathway. Three non-animal assays have been formally validated and regulatory adopted: the direct peptide reactivity assay (DPRA), the KeratinoSens™ assay and the human cell line activation test (h-CLAT). There have been many efforts to develop integrated approaches to testing and assessment with the "two out of three" approach attracting much attention. Here a set of 271 chemicals with mouse, human and non-animal sensitization test data was evaluated to compare the predictive performances of the three individual non-animal assays, their binary combinations and the "two out of three" approach in predicting skin sensitization potential. The most predictive approach was to use both the DPRA and h-CLAT as follows: (1) perform DPRA - if positive, classify as sensitizing, and (2) if negative, perform h-CLAT - a positive outcome denotes a sensitizer, a negative, a non-sensitizer. With this approach, 85% (local lymph node assay) and 93% (human) of non-sensitizer predictions were correct, whereas the "two out of three" approach had 69% (local lymph node assay) and 79% (human) of non-sensitizer predictions correct. The findings are consistent with the argument, supported by published quantitative mechanistic models that only the first KE needs to be modeled. All three assays model this KE to an extent. The value of using more than one assay depends on how the different assays compensate for each other's technical limitations. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Pragmatics of Testing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

İsmail Fırat ALTAY

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Teaching of a language is a very complicated issue and testing is anindispensable part of this matter. Thanks to testing teachers can assess efficiency ofteaching and learning atmosphere, and can get feedback about their learners. In order torealize this, a test should have some qualifications. One of these qualifications is aboutpragmatics. This paper aims at explaining what makes a test pragmatic and howpragmatic tests can be formed. So, examples of pragmatic tests of different types arepresented with explanations. Their pragmatic components and nature are focused on bygiving example test items on the problematic area of test questions prepared. Finally,the writer states his last words by making further comments and explanations onpragmatics of testing in the conclusion part.

Insight in psychotic disorder: relation with psychopathology and frontal lobe function.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Atmesh; Sharma, Pranjal; Das, Shyamanta; Nath, Kamal; Talukdar, Uddip; Bhagabati, Dipesh

2014-01-01

Through conceptualising poor insight in psychotic disorders as a form of anosognosia, frontal lobe dysfunction is often ascribed a vital role in its pathogenesis. The objective of this study was to compare the relation of insight in patients with psychotic illness to that of psychopathology and frontal lobe function. Forty patients with psychotic disorder were selected from those attending the Department of Psychiatry in a tertiary care teaching hospital. The evaluation of insight was carried out using the Schedule for Assessment of Insight (SAI), that of frontal lobe function by the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) and psychopathology by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). The correlation coefficients were determined. A negative correlation between SAI and BPRS scores means that the BPRS score is opposite to SAI scores. When the SAI total score was compared with the FAB total score, the correlation coefficient demonstrated a positive correlation. Better insight predicted lesser psychopathology and also that poor insight would exist with greater psychopathology. Better insight predicted a higher functional status of frontal lobes and prefrontal cortex in particular. Insight deficits in schizophrenia and other psychotic illnesses are multidimensional. Integration of different aetiological factors like biological, psychopathological, environmental ones and others are necessary for a better understanding of insight in psychosis. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Puzzle test: A tool for non-analytical clinical reasoning assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Monajemi, Alireza; Yaghmaei, Minoo

2016-01-01

Most contemporary clinical reasoning tests typically assess non-automatic thinking. Therefore, a test is needed to measure automatic reasoning or pattern recognition, which has been largely neglected in clinical reasoning tests. The Puzzle Test (PT) is dedicated to assess automatic clinical reasoning in routine situations. This test has been introduced first in 2009 by Monajemi et al in the Olympiad for Medical Sciences Students.PT is an item format that has gained acceptance in medical education, but no detailed guidelines exist for this test's format, construction and scoring. In this article, a format is described and the steps to prepare and administer valid and reliable PTs are presented. PT examines a specific clinical reasoning task: Pattern recognition. PT does not replace other clinical reasoning assessment tools. However, it complements them in strategies for assessing comprehensive clinical reasoning.

Early Phonological Development: Creating an Assessment Test

Science.gov (United States)

Stoel-Gammon, Carol; Williams, A. Lynn

2013-01-01

This paper describes a new protocol for assessing the phonological systems of two-year-olds with typical development and older children with delays in vocabulary acquisition. The test (Profiles of Early Expressive Phonological Skills ("PEEPS"), Williams & Stoel-Gammon, in preparation) differs from currently available assessments in…

Development of a Safety Assessment Information System for the Management of Periodic Safety Assessment Activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Tae Young

2007-01-01

At present, the 10-year Periodic Safety Review(PSR) has been performing to confirm all the aspects of safety issues for all the operating plants in compliance with domestic nuclear law of article 23, subarticle 3. For each plant, in addition, Probabilistic Safety Assessment(PSA) and Severe Accident Management Guideline(SAMG) are being implemented and revised periodically to reflect the latest safety level according to principle fulfillment of severe accident policy statement. The assessment reports, as one of outcomes from these activities, are submitted into and reviewed by domestic regulatory body. During reviewing (in-office duty) and licensing (regulatory duty) process, a large number of outcomes of which most are the formal technical reports and licensing materials, are inevitably produced. Moreover, repeated review process over the plants can make them accumulated and produce a variety of documents additionally. This circumstance motivates to develop effective tool or system for the management of these reports and related technical documents for the future use in licensing process and for subsequent plant assessments. This paper presents the development status of Safety Assessment Information System(SAIS) which manages safety-related documents of PSR, PSA and SAMG for practical use for experienced engineers in charge of these areas

Development of a Safety Assessment Information System for the Management of Periodic Safety Assessment Activities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Tae Young [Nuclear Engineering and Technology Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2007-07-01

At present, the 10-year Periodic Safety Review(PSR) has been performing to confirm all the aspects of safety issues for all the operating plants in compliance with domestic nuclear law of article 23, subarticle 3. For each plant, in addition, Probabilistic Safety Assessment(PSA) and Severe Accident Management Guideline(SAMG) are being implemented and revised periodically to reflect the latest safety level according to principle fulfillment of severe accident policy statement. The assessment reports, as one of outcomes from these activities, are submitted into and reviewed by domestic regulatory body. During reviewing (in-office duty) and licensing (regulatory duty) process, a large number of outcomes of which most are the formal technical reports and licensing materials, are inevitably produced. Moreover, repeated review process over the plants can make them accumulated and produce a variety of documents additionally. This circumstance motivates to develop effective tool or system for the management of these reports and related technical documents for the future use in licensing process and for subsequent plant assessments. This paper presents the development status of Safety Assessment Information System(SAIS) which manages safety-related documents of PSR, PSA and SAMG for practical use for experienced engineers in charge of these areas.

Advanced Test Reactor probabilistic risk assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atkinson, S.A.; Eide, S.A.; Khericha, S.T.; Thatcher, T.A.

1993-01-01

This report discusses Level 1 probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) incorporating a full-scope external events analysis which has been completed for the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) located at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory

40 CFR 63.2161 - What performance tests and other procedures must I use if I monitor brew ethanol?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

...: Manufacturing of Nutritional Yeast Testing and Initial Compliance Requirements § 63.2161 What performance tests... equation as specified in paragraph (f) of this section. (2) For each fermentation stage, conduct one run of... fermentation stages do not have to be from the same production run. (3) Do the test at a point in the exhaust...

Preliminary Options Assessment of Versatile Irradiation Test Reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sen, Ramazan Sonat [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2017-01-01

The objective of this report is to summarize the work undertaken at INL from April 2016 to January 2017 and aimed at analyzing some options for designing and building a versatile test reactor; the scope of work was agreed upon with DOE-NE. Section 2 presents some results related to KNK II and PRISM Mod A. Section 3 presents some alternatives to the VCTR presented in [ ] as well as a neutronic parametric study to assess the minimum power requirement needed for a 235U metal fueled fast test reactor capable to generate a fast (>100 keV) flux of 4.0 x 1015 n /cm2-s at the test location. Section 4 presents some results regarding a fundamental characteristic of test reactors, namely displacement per atom (dpa) in test samples. Section 5 presents the INL assessment of the ANL fast test reactor design FASTER. Section 6 presents a summary.

What should we want to know about our future? A Kantian view on predictive genetic testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Heinrichs, Bert

2005-01-01

Recent advances in genomic research have led to the development of new diagnostic tools, including tests which make it possible to predict the future occurrence of monogenetic diseases (e.g. Chorea Huntington) or to determine increased susceptibilities to the future development of more complex diseases (e.g. breast cancer). The use of such tests raises a number of ethical, legal and social issues which are usually discussed in terms of rights. However, in the context of predictive genetic tests a key question arises which lies beyond the concept of rights, namely, What should we want to know about our future? In the following I shall discuss this question against the background of Kant's Doctrine of Virtue. It will be demonstrated that the system of duties of virtue that Kant elaborates in the second part of his Metaphysics of Morals offers a theoretical framework for addressing the question of a proper scope of future knowledge as provided by genetic tests. This approach can serve as a source of moral guidance complementary to a justice perspective. It does, however, not rest on the-rather problematic--claim to be able to define what the "good life" is.

Psychological testing and psychological assessment. A review of evidence and issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, G J; Finn, S E; Eyde, L D; Kay, G G; Moreland, K L; Dies, R R; Eisman, E J; Kubiszyn, T W; Reed, G M

2001-02-01

This article summarizes evidence and issues associated with psychological assessment. Data from more than 125 meta-analyses on test validity and 800 samples examining multimethod assessment suggest 4 general conclusions: (a) Psychological test validity is strong and compelling, (b) psychological test validity is comparable to medical test validity, (c) distinct assessment methods provide unique sources of information, and (d) clinicians who rely exclusively on interviews are prone to incomplete understandings. Following principles for optimal nomothetic research, the authors suggest that a multimethod assessment battery provides a structured means for skilled clinicians to maximize the validity of individualized assessments. Future investigations should move beyond an examination of test scales to focus more on the role of psychologists who use tests as helpful tools to furnish patients and referral sources with professional consultation.

What Snippets Say About Pages in Federated Web Search

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Demeester, Thomas; Nguyen, Dong-Phuong; Trieschnigg, Rudolf Berend; Develder, Chris; Hiemstra, Djoerd; Hou, Yuexian; Nie, Jian-Yun; Sun, Le; Wang, Bo; Zhang, Peng

2012-01-01

What is the likelihood that a Web page is considered relevant to a query, given the relevance assessment of the corresponding snippet? Using a new federated IR test collection that contains search results from over a hundred search engines on the internet, we are able to investigate such research

77 FR 2280 - Request for Information To Gather Technical Expertise Pertaining to Testing Integrity

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-17

...? What are the potential threats to, and weak points in, computer-based assessment systems? Where are... breach in test security or improper administration of State academic testing. This RFI is issued solely... maintain assessment systems that are valid, reliable, and consistent with nationally recognized...

Quality assurance of pre-operative assessment--a review of quality assurance activities related to pre-operative assessment in nine hospitals in The Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klazinga, N. S.; Helsloot, R.

1989-01-01

Pre-operative assessment of patients for surgery is one of the most prevalent topics for quality assurance by peer-review in Dutch hospitals. This article describes the experiences with pre-operative assessment in nine hospitals. It is discussed why preoperative assessment is performed, what tests

What was retained? The assessment of the training for the peer trainers' course on short and long term basis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ozcakar Nilgun

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In Turkey, the studies have reported that the age at which sexual intercourse and sexual activity starts has been steadily declining. There is an urgent need to increase social and health services for young people in order to provide them with a healthy life by changing their risky behaviors, avoiding unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs. Sexual and reproductive health training particularly for adolescents warrants special attention and consideration. The objective of our study is to find out the short and long term effectiveness of a training course on peer education. Methods The study was conducted on 237 students who participated in a 40 hour Peer Trainer Training course. We utilized two types of evaluation methods to measure the effectiveness of the training on students' knowledge and attitude. The first method consisted of administering 3 tests comprised of the same 45 questions at 3 separate time intervals. Prior to the training a pre-test was given to obtain a measurement of base knowledge, and then an immediate post-test was given to evaluate the change in the knowledge and opinion of the participants. Finally, 6 months later the same test was administered to measure the retention of knowledge by the students. In the second type of evaluation, the participants' assessment of the training itself was sought by asking them to complete a Short Course Evaluation Form. We utilized SPSS 12.0 for descriptive analysis, and the Wilcoxon two related sample t-test were run. Results According to the pre and immediate post-test results, the training resulted in an increase in knowledge learned by an average of 21.6% (p 0.05. Participants thought that they had fun during training, and they became aware of what they knew and what they did not know. Conclusion Peer trainers with the training methods utilized, the knowledge and counseling acquired during training sessions will be able to provide counseling to

What influences the choice of assessment methods in health technology assessments? Statistical analysis of international health technology assessments from 1989 to 2002.

Science.gov (United States)

Draborg, Eva; Andersen, Christian Kronborg

2006-01-01

Health technology assessment (HTA) has been used as input in decision making worldwide for more than 25 years. However, no uniform definition of HTA or agreement on assessment methods exists, leaving open the question of what influences the choice of assessment methods in HTAs. The objective of this study is to analyze statistically a possible relationship between methods of assessment used in practical HTAs, type of assessed technology, type of assessors, and year of publication. A sample of 433 HTAs published by eleven leading institutions or agencies in nine countries was reviewed and analyzed by multiple logistic regression. The study shows that outsourcing of HTA reports to external partners is associated with a higher likelihood of using assessment methods, such as meta-analysis, surveys, economic evaluations, and randomized controlled trials; and with a lower likelihood of using assessment methods, such as literature reviews and "other methods". The year of publication was statistically related to the inclusion of economic evaluations and shows a decreasing likelihood during the year span. The type of assessed technology was related to economic evaluations with a decreasing likelihood, to surveys, and to "other methods" with a decreasing likelihood when pharmaceuticals were the assessed type of technology. During the period from 1989 to 2002, no major developments in assessment methods used in practical HTAs were shown statistically in a sample of 433 HTAs worldwide. Outsourcing to external assessors has a statistically significant influence on choice of assessment methods.

Predictors of early infection in cerebral ischemic stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashour, Wmr; Al-Anwar, A D; Kamel, A E; Aidaros, M A

2016-01-01

Infection is the most common complication of stroke. To determine the risk factors and predictors of post-stroke infection (PSI), which developed within 7 days from the onset of acute ischemic stroke. The study included 60 ischemic stroke patients admitted in the Neurology Department of Zagazig University, Egypt, who were subdivided into: [Non Stroke Associated Infection group (nSAI); 30 patients having stroke without any criteria of infection within 7 days from the onset and Stroke Associated Infection group (SAI); 30 patients having stroke with respiratory tract infection (RTI) or urinary tract infection within 7 days], in addition to 30 healthy sex and age-matching subjects as control. All the patients had a detailed history taking, thorough clinical general and neurological examination, laboratory tests (Urine analysis & urine culture, blood sugar, lipid profile and serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-10), a chest radiography to assess RTI and brain computed tomography (CT) to exclude the hemorrhagic stroke and to confirm the ischemic stroke. SAI patients were found to be significantly older with higher baseline blood glucose level. Also the number of patients with tube feeding, lower conscious level, more stroke severity and more large size infarcts were significantly higher in SAI patients. There was a significant elevation in the IL-10, a significant decrease in the TNF-α and a significant decrease in the TNF-α/ IL-10 ratio, in the SAI group. The baseline serum level of IL-10 ≥ 14.5 pg/ ml and size of infarct area > 3.5 cm3 were found to be the independent predictors of PSI. Patients with older age, tube feeding, lower conscious level, worse baseline stroke severity, large cerebral infarcts in CT scan, and increased IL-10 serum level were more susceptible to infection. The baseline serum level of IL-10 ≥ 14.5 pg/ ml and the size of infarct area > 3.5 cm3 were the independent predictors of PSI.

Wald Sequential Probability Ratio Test for Space Object Conjunction Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, James R.; Markley, F Landis

2014-01-01

This paper shows how satellite owner/operators may use sequential estimates of collision probability, along with a prior assessment of the base risk of collision, in a compound hypothesis ratio test to inform decisions concerning collision risk mitigation maneuvers. The compound hypothesis test reduces to a simple probability ratio test, which appears to be a novel result. The test satisfies tolerances related to targeted false alarm and missed detection rates. This result is independent of the method one uses to compute the probability density that one integrates to compute collision probability. A well-established test case from the literature shows that this test yields acceptable results within the constraints of a typical operational conjunction assessment decision timeline. Another example illustrates the use of the test in a practical conjunction assessment scenario based on operations of the International Space Station.

Operational Based Vision Assessment Automated Vision Test Collection User Guide

Science.gov (United States)

2017-05-15

AFRL-SA-WP-SR-2017-0012 Operational Based Vision Assessment Automated Vision Test Collection User Guide Elizabeth Shoda, Alex...June 2015 – May 2017 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Operational Based Vision Assessment Automated Vision Test Collection User Guide 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER... automated vision tests , or AVT. Development of the AVT was required to support threshold-level vision testing capability needed to investigate the

Using a Bedside Video-assisted Test Tube Test to Assess Stoma Viability: A Report of 4 Cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Sarwat; Turner, Keli; Shah, Paulesh; Diaz, Jose

2016-07-01

Mucosal discoloration of an intestinal stoma may indicate self-limited venous congestion or necrosis necessitating operative revision. A common bedside technique to assess stoma viability is the "test tube test". A clear tube is inserted into the stoma and a hand-held light is used to assess the color of the stoma. A technique (video-assisted test tube test [VATTT]) developed by the authors utilizes a standard video bronchoscope inserted into a clear plastic blood collection tube to visually inspect and assess the mucosa. This technique was evaluated in 4 patients (age range 49-72 years, all critically ill) with a discolored stoma after emergency surgery. In each case, physical exam revealed ischemic mucosa at the surface either immediately after surgery or after worsening hypotension weeks later. Serial test tube test assessments were ambiguous when trying to assess deeper mucosa. The VATTT assessment showed viable pink mucosa beneath the surface and until the fascia was revealed in 3 patients. One (1) patient had mucosal ischemia down to the fascia, which prompted operative revision of the stoma. The new stoma was assessed with a VATTT and was viable for the entire length of the stoma. VATTT provided an enhanced, magnified, and clearer way to visually assess stoma viability in the postoperative period that can be performed at the bedside with no adverse events. It may prevent unnecessary relaparotomy or enable earlier diagnosis of deep ostomy necrosis. Validity and reliability studies are warranted.

Development and Preliminary Face and Content Validation of the "Which Health Approaches and Treatments Are You Using?" (WHAT) Questionnaires Assessing Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Pediatric Rheumatology.

Science.gov (United States)

Toupin April, Karine; Stinson, Jennifer; Boon, Heather; Duffy, Ciarán M; Huber, Adam M; Gibbon, Michele; Descarreaux, Martin; Spiegel, Lynn; Vohra, Sunita; Tugwell, Peter

2016-01-01

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is commonly used by children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), yet no validated questionnaires assess that use. The objective of this study was to develop child self- and parent proxy-report questionnaires assessing CAM use and to determine the face and content validity of the "Which Health Approaches and Treatments are you using?" (WHAT) questionnaires in pediatric rheumatology. A sequential phased mixed methods approach was used to develop the questionnaires. A Delphi Survey of 126 experts followed by an interdisciplinary consensus conference of 14 stakeholders in CAM, general pediatrics and pediatric rheumatology was held to develop consensus on the content of the questionnaires using a nominal group technique. To determine face and content validity of the questionnaires, two groups, including (a) a purposive sample of 22 children with JIA 8 to 18 years and their parents from the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and the Hospital for Sick Children, and (b) 21 Canadian pediatric rheumatology experts, participated in interviews. Participants were independently asked about the goal, understandability and comprehensiveness of the WHAT questionnaires, as well as the relevance of items. Consensus was reached on 17 items of the WHAT questionnaires. The domains found to be relevant were child's CAM use, factors associated with CAM use, perceived impact of CAM use, and communication about CAM. A total of 15 items in the parent proxy-report questionnaire and 13 items in the child report questionnaire showed adequate content validity. Consensus was reached by experts on the content of a pediatric CAM questionnaire. Face and content validity testing and modifications made to the WHAT questionnaires have helped ensure adequate preliminary validity for use in pediatric rheumatology. This constitutes the basis for further testing of these questionnaires in pediatric rheumatology and for adaptation to other chronic

Development and Preliminary Face and Content Validation of the "Which Health Approaches and Treatments Are You Using?" (WHAT Questionnaires Assessing Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Pediatric Rheumatology.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karine Toupin April

Full Text Available Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM is commonly used by children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA, yet no validated questionnaires assess that use. The objective of this study was to develop child self- and parent proxy-report questionnaires assessing CAM use and to determine the face and content validity of the "Which Health Approaches and Treatments are you using?" (WHAT questionnaires in pediatric rheumatology.A sequential phased mixed methods approach was used to develop the questionnaires. A Delphi Survey of 126 experts followed by an interdisciplinary consensus conference of 14 stakeholders in CAM, general pediatrics and pediatric rheumatology was held to develop consensus on the content of the questionnaires using a nominal group technique. To determine face and content validity of the questionnaires, two groups, including (a a purposive sample of 22 children with JIA 8 to 18 years and their parents from the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and the Hospital for Sick Children, and (b 21 Canadian pediatric rheumatology experts, participated in interviews. Participants were independently asked about the goal, understandability and comprehensiveness of the WHAT questionnaires, as well as the relevance of items.Consensus was reached on 17 items of the WHAT questionnaires. The domains found to be relevant were child's CAM use, factors associated with CAM use, perceived impact of CAM use, and communication about CAM. A total of 15 items in the parent proxy-report questionnaire and 13 items in the child report questionnaire showed adequate content validity.Consensus was reached by experts on the content of a pediatric CAM questionnaire. Face and content validity testing and modifications made to the WHAT questionnaires have helped ensure adequate preliminary validity for use in pediatric rheumatology. This constitutes the basis for further testing of these questionnaires in pediatric rheumatology and for adaptation to other

40 CFR 63.8687 - What performance tests, design evaluations, and other procedures must I use?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... evaluations, and other procedures must I use? 63.8687 Section 63.8687 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... What performance tests, design evaluations, and other procedures must I use? (a) You must conduct each... run must last at least 1 hour. (e) You must use the following equations to determine compliance with...

Caveats for using statistical significance tests in research assessments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schneider, Jesper Wiborg

2013-01-01

controversial and numerous criticisms have been leveled against their use. Based on examples from articles by proponents of the use statistical significance tests in research assessments, we address some of the numerous problems with such tests. The issues specifically discussed are the ritual practice......This article raises concerns about the advantages of using statistical significance tests in research assessments as has recently been suggested in the debate about proper normalization procedures for citation indicators by Opthof and Leydesdorff (2010). Statistical significance tests are highly...... argue that applying statistical significance tests and mechanically adhering to their results are highly problematic and detrimental to critical thinking. We claim that the use of such tests do not provide any advantages in relation to deciding whether differences between citation indicators...

Towards answering the "so what" question in marine renewables environmental impact assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Degraer, Steven; Birchenough, Silvana N. R.; Braeckman, Ulrike; Coolen, Joop W. P.; Dannheim, Jennifer; De Mesel, Ilse; Grégoire, Marilaure; Kerckhof, Francis; Lacroix, Geneviève; Lindeboom, Han; Moens, Tom; Soetaert, Karline; Vanaverbeke, Jan; Van Hoey, Gert

2016-04-01

Marine renewable energy (MRE) projects are increasingly occupying the European North-Atlantic coasts and this is clearly observed in the North Sea. Given the expected impacts on the marine environment, each individual project is accompanied by a legally mandatory, environmental monitoring programme. These programmes are focused on the resultant effects on ecosystem component structure (e.g. species composition, numbers and densities) of single industrial projects. To date, there is a tendency to further narrow down to only a selection of ecosystem components (e.g. marine mammals and birds). While a wide knowledge-based understanding of structural impacts on (a selection of) ecosystem components exists, this evidence is largely lacking when undertaking impact assessments at the ecosystem functioning level (e.g. trophic interactions, dispersal and nutrient cycling). This critical knowledge gap compromises a scientifically-underpinned answer to the "so what" question of environmental impacts, i.e. whether the observed impacts are considered to be good or bad, or acceptable or unacceptable. The importance of ecosystem functioning is further acknowledged in the descriptors 4 and 6 of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (EU MSFD) and is at the heart of a sustainable use and management of our marine resources. There hence is a fundamental need to focus on ecosystem functioning at the spatial scales at which marine ecosystems function when assessing MRE impacts. Here, we make a plea for an increased investment in a large (spatial) scale impact assessment of MRE projects focused on ecosystem functioning. This presentation will cover a selection of examples from North Sea MRE monitoring programmes, where the current knowledge has limited conclusions on the "so what" question. We will demonstrate how an ecosystem functioning-focused approach at an appropriate spatial scale could advance our current understanding, whilst assessing these issues. These examples will cover

Development and quality assessments of commercial heat production of ATF FeCrAl tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamamoto, Yukinori [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2015-09-01

Development and quality assessment of the 2^nd generation ATF FeCrAl tube production with commercial manufacturers were conducted. The manufacturing partners include Sophisticated Alloys, Inc. (SAI), Butler, PA for FeCrAl alloy casting via vacuum induction melting, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for extrusion process to prepare the master bars/tubes to be tube-drawn, and Rhenium Alloys, Inc. (RAI), North Ridgeville, OH, for tube-drawing process. The masters bars have also been provided to Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) who works with Century Tubes, Inc., (CTI), San Diego, CA, as parallel tube production effort under the current program.

Practice effects and test-re-test reliability of the Five Digit Test in patients with stroke over four serial assessments.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, En-Chi; Koh, Chia-Lin; Tsai, Chia-Yin; Lu, Wen-Shian; Sheu, Ching-Fan; Hsueh, I-Ping; Hsieh, Ching-Lin

2014-01-01

To investigate practice effect and test-re-test reliability of the Five Digit Test (FDT) over four serial assessments in patients with stroke. Single-group repeated measures design. Twenty-five patients with stroke were administered the FDT in four consecutive assessments every 2 weeks. The FDT contains four parts with five indices: 'basic measures of attention and processing speed', 'selective attention', 'alternating attention', 'ability of inhibition' and 'ability of switching'. The five indices of the FDT showed trivial-to-small practice effects (Cohen's d = 0.03-0.47) and moderate-to-excellent test-re-test reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient = 0.59-0.97). Practice effects of the five indices all appeared cumulative, but one index, 'basic measures of attention and processing speed', reached a plateau after the second assessment. The minimum and maximum values of the 90% confidence interval (CI) of reliable change index modified for practice (RCIp) for this index were [-17.6, 11.2]. One of five indices of the FDT reached a plateau, whose minimum and maximum values of the 90% CI RCIp are useful to determine whether the change in an individual's score is real. However, clinicians and researchers should be cautious when interpreting the test results of these four indices over repeated assessments.

Causal null hypotheses of sustained treatment strategies: What can be tested with an instrumental variable?

Science.gov (United States)

Swanson, Sonja A; Labrecque, Jeremy; Hernán, Miguel A

2018-05-02

Sometimes instrumental variable methods are used to test whether a causal effect is null rather than to estimate the magnitude of a causal effect. However, when instrumental variable methods are applied to time-varying exposures, as in many Mendelian randomization studies, it is unclear what causal null hypothesis is tested. Here, we consider different versions of causal null hypotheses for time-varying exposures, show that the instrumental variable conditions alone are insufficient to test some of them, and describe additional assumptions that can be made to test a wider range of causal null hypotheses, including both sharp and average causal null hypotheses. Implications for interpretation and reporting of instrumental variable results are discussed.

40 CFR 59.626 - What emission testing must I perform for my application for a certificate of conformity?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What emission testing must I perform for my application for a certificate of conformity? 59.626 Section 59.626 Protection of Environment... application for a certificate of conformity? This section describes the emission testing you must perform to...

FY11 Facility Assessment Study for Aeronautics Test Program

Science.gov (United States)

Loboda, John A.; Sydnor, George H.

2013-01-01

This paper presents the approach and results for the Aeronautics Test Program (ATP) FY11 Facility Assessment Project. ATP commissioned assessments in FY07 and FY11 to aid in the understanding of the current condition and reliability of its facilities and their ability to meet current and future (five year horizon) test requirements. The principle output of the assessment was a database of facility unique, prioritized investments projects with budgetary cost estimates. This database was also used to identify trends for the condition of facility systems.

Test method to assess interface adhesion in composite bonding

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Teixeira de Freitas, S.; Sinke, J.

2015-01-01

This paper introduces a new type of peel tests dedicated to composite bonding: Composite Peel Tests. This test is inspired on the standard floating roller peel test widely used for metal bonding. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential of the Composite Peel Test to assess interface

THEORY AND PRACTICE OF DESIGNING COURSES ON LANGUAGE TESTING AND ASSESSMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olha Kvasova

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The paper considers the theoretical underpinnings and practices of designing courses on language testing and assessment for pre-service FL teacher training. The author analyses definitions of assessment literacy offered in the studies of world experts including teaching content and objectives of such long implemented courses. She further reasons the urgent need in introducing courses on language testing and assessment in Ukrainian universities; specifies the goal of the courses which lies in training student teachers in developing quality tests and administering assessments on the outset of their teaching career; outlines the content area to be covered in the course placing emphasis on its being based on professional needs; specifies course objectives such as building students’ awareness of key concepts and principles of language testing, developing ability to critically analyze available ready-made tests and make decisions about their fitting particular assessment needs, building skills to develop own or adapt ready-made tests and tailor them to the educational context; discusses preconditions of efficient running and attaining good outcomes of such courses which, in her view, are predetermined by traditionally high standards of teaching language pedagogy in Ukraine. An innovative structure of the course based on principles of testing cycle as well as interactive and constructivist methods of teaching language testing and assessment to student teachers are offered in the article.

Maritime over the Horizon Sensor Integration: High Frequency Surface-Wave-Radar and Automatic Identification System Data Integration Algorithm.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikolic, Dejan; Stojkovic, Nikola; Lekic, Nikola

2018-04-09

To obtain the complete operational picture of the maritime situation in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) which lies over the horizon (OTH) requires the integration of data obtained from various sensors. These sensors include: high frequency surface-wave-radar (HFSWR), satellite automatic identification system (SAIS) and land automatic identification system (LAIS). The algorithm proposed in this paper utilizes radar tracks obtained from the network of HFSWRs, which are already processed by a multi-target tracking algorithm and associates SAIS and LAIS data to the corresponding radar tracks, thus forming an integrated data pair. During the integration process, all HFSWR targets in the vicinity of AIS data are evaluated and the one which has the highest matching factor is used for data association. On the other hand, if there is multiple AIS data in the vicinity of a single HFSWR track, the algorithm still makes only one data pair which consists of AIS and HFSWR data with the highest mutual matching factor. During the design and testing, special attention is given to the latency of AIS data, which could be very high in the EEZs of developing countries. The algorithm is designed, implemented and tested in a real working environment. The testing environment is located in the Gulf of Guinea and includes a network of HFSWRs consisting of two HFSWRs, several coastal sites with LAIS receivers and SAIS data provided by provider of SAIS data.

40 CFR 63.9620 - On which units and by what date must I conduct performance tests or other initial compliance...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... units and by what date must I conduct performance tests or other initial compliance demonstrations? (a... similar emission units together and conduct an initial compliance test on one representative emission unit... meet the criteria in paragraph (f) of this section. If you decide to test representative emission units...

Test Bench Development for Femur Stability Assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samuel SANCHEZ-CABALLERO

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper shows the design and development of a test bench for humanfemurs. The main uses of this test bench will run from artificial femurs comparisonwith real femurs, to join stability assessment after bone a fracture repair. Amongthis uses is specially designed for condylar fractures testing. The test bench isdeveloped from a self-made existing tensile/compression testing machine. Thedesign procedure is supported by a literature review about the bone mechanicalbehavior and composition generally and the knee joint performance and repairparticularly. On the basis of this review, the machine was designed to simulate theadduction and abduction movements of the joint. The magnitudes to be measuredare: the compression force, the bone displacement (vertical and the knee jointrotation

40 CFR 60.4212 - What test methods and other procedures must I use if I am an owner or operator of a stationary CI...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What test methods and other procedures... Requirements for Owners and Operators § 60.4212 What test methods and other procedures must I use if I am an... CFR 94.8, as applicable, must not exceed the NTE numerical requirements, rounded to the same number of...

49 CFR 40.208 - What problem requires corrective action but does not result in the cancellation of a test?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false What problem requires corrective action but does not result in the cancellation of a test? 40.208 Section 40.208 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation PROCEDURES FOR TRANSPORTATION WORKPLACE DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAMS Problems...

On the assessment of usability testing methods for children

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Markopoulos, P.; Bekker, M.M.

2003-01-01

The paper motivates the need to acquire methodological knowledge for involving children as test users in usability testing. It introduces a methodological framework for delineating comparative assessments of usability testing methods for children participants. This framework consists in three

What Is Diagnostic Testing?

Science.gov (United States)

... your family Plan for the future Insurance and financial planning Transition for children Emergency preparedness Testing & Services Testing ... Support Genetic Disease Information Find a Support Group Financial Planning Who Should I Tell? Genetic Testing & Counseling Compensation ...

The most frequently used tests for assessing executive functions in aging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Camila de Assis Faria

Full Text Available There are numerous neuropsychological tests for assessing executive functions in aging, which vary according to the different domains assessed. OBJECTIVE: To present a systematic review of the most frequently used instruments for assessing executive functions in older adults with different educational levels in clinical and experimental research. METHODS: We searched for articles published in the last five years, using the PubMed database with the following terms: "neuropsychological tests", "executive functions", and "mild cognitive impairment". There was no language restriction. RESULTS: 25 articles fulfilled all the inclusion criteria. The seven neuropsychological tests most frequently used to evaluate executive functions in aging were: [1] Trail Making Test (TMT Form B; [2] Verbal Fluency Test (VFT - F, A and S; [3] VFT Animals category; [4] Clock Drawing Test (CDT; [5] Digits Forward and Backward subtests (WAIS-R or WAIS-III; [6] Stroop Test; and [7] Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST and its variants. The domains of executive functions most frequently assessed were: mental flexibility, verbal fluency, planning, working memory, and inhibitory control. CONCLUSION: The study identified the tests and domains of executive functions most frequently used in the last five years by research groups worldwide to evaluate older adults. These results can direct future research and help build evaluation protocols for assessing executive functions, taking into account the different educational levels and socio-demographic profiles of older adults in Brazil.

Diagnostic performance of susceptibility-weighted magnetic resonance imaging for the assessment of sub-coracoacromial spurs causing subacromial impingement syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Nörenberg, Dominik; Armbruster, Marco; Bender, Yi-Na; Walter, Thula; Ebersberger, Hans U; Diederichs, Gerd; Hamm, Bernd; Ockert, Ben; Makowski, Marcus R

2017-03-01

To evaluate the potential of susceptibility-weighted-magnetic-resonance-imaging (SWMR) for the detection of sub-coracoacromial spurs in patients with clinically suspected subacromial impingement syndrome (SAIS), compared to standard MR-sequences and radiographs. Forty-four patients with suspected SAIS were included. All patients underwent radiography, standard MRI of the shoulder and SWMR. Radiograph-based identification of sub-coracoacromial spurs served as goldstandard. Radiographs identified twenty-three spurs in twenty-three patients. Twenty-one patients without spur formation served as reference group. Detection rate, sensitivity/specificity and interobserver-agreements were calculated. Linear regression was applied to determine the relationship between size measurements on radiographs and MRI. Detection rates for spurs on standard MRI and SWMR were 47.8 % and 91.3 % compared to radiography (pformation in patients with SAIS and is superior to standard MR-sequences using radiography as goldstandard. • SWMR has the potential to reliably identify sub-coracoacromial spurs without radiation exposure. • SWMR provides comparable detection rates to conventional radiography for sub-coracoacromial spur formation. • SWMR yields higher detection rates compared to standard-MR regarding sub-coracoacromial spur formation. • SWMR can be implemented in routine shoulder MRI protocols.

Environmental Assessment for the LGF Spill Test Facility at Frenchman Flat, Nevada Test Site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patton, S.E.; Novo, M.G.; Shinn, J.H.

1986-04-01

The LGF Spill Test Facility at Frenchman Flat, Nevada Test Site, is being constructed by the United States Department of Energy (DOE). In this Environmental Assessment, environmental consequences of spilling hazardous materials in the Frenchman Flat basin are evaluated and mitigations and recommendations are stated in order to protect natural resources and reduce land-use impacts. Guidelines and restrictions concerning spill-test procedures will be determined by the LGF Test Facility Operations Manager and DOE based on toxicity documentation for the test material, provided by the user, and mitigations imposed by the Environmental Assessment. In addition to Spill Test Facility operational procedures, certain assumptions have been made in preparation of this document: no materials will be considered for testing that have cumulative, long-term persistence in the environment; spill tests will consist of releases of 15 min or less; and sufficient time will be allowed between tests for recovery of natural resources. Geographic limits to downwind concentrations of spill materials were primarily determined from meteorological data, human occupational exposure standards to hazardous materials and previous spill tests. These limits were established using maximum spill scenarios and environmental impacts are discussed as worst case scenarios; however, spill-test series will begin with smaller spills, gradually increasing in size after the impacts of the initial tests have been evaluated.

Environmental Assessment for the LGF Spill Test Facility at Frenchman Flat, Nevada Test Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patton, S.E.; Novo, M.G.; Shinn, J.H.

1986-04-01

The LGF Spill Test Facility at Frenchman Flat, Nevada Test Site, is being constructed by the United States Department of Energy (DOE). In this Environmental Assessment, environmental consequences of spilling hazardous materials in the Frenchman Flat basin are evaluated and mitigations and recommendations are stated in order to protect natural resources and reduce land-use impacts. Guidelines and restrictions concerning spill-test procedures will be determined by the LGF Test Facility Operations Manager and DOE based on toxicity documentation for the test material, provided by the user, and mitigations imposed by the Environmental Assessment. In addition to Spill Test Facility operational procedures, certain assumptions have been made in preparation of this document: no materials will be considered for testing that have cumulative, long-term persistence in the environment; spill tests will consist of releases of 15 min or less; and sufficient time will be allowed between tests for recovery of natural resources. Geographic limits to downwind concentrations of spill materials were primarily determined from meteorological data, human occupational exposure standards to hazardous materials and previous spill tests. These limits were established using maximum spill scenarios and environmental impacts are discussed as worst case scenarios; however, spill-test series will begin with smaller spills, gradually increasing in size after the impacts of the initial tests have been evaluated

Evidence-based severity assessment: Impact of repeated versus single open-field testing on welfare in C57BL/6J mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Bodden, Carina; Siestrup, Sophie; Palme, Rupert; Kaiser, Sylvia; Sachser, Norbert; Richter, S Helene

2018-01-15

According to current guidelines on animal experiments, a prospective assessment of the severity of each procedure is mandatory. However, so far, the classification of procedures into different severity categories mainly relies on theoretic considerations, since it is not entirely clear which of the various procedures compromise the welfare of animals, or, to what extent. Against this background, a systematic empirical investigation of the impact of each procedure, including behavioral testing, seems essential. Therefore, the present study was designed to elucidate the effects of repeated versus single testing on mouse welfare, using one of the most commonly used paradigms for behavioral phenotyping in behavioral neuroscience, the open-field test. In an independent groups design, laboratory mice (Mus musculus f. domestica) experienced either repeated, single, or no open-field testing - procedures that are assigned to different severity categories. Interestingly, testing experiences did not affect fecal corticosterone metabolites, body weights, elevated plus-maze or home cage behavior differentially. Thus, with respect to the assessed endocrinological, physical, and behavioral outcome measures, no signs of compromised welfare could be detected in mice that were tested in the open-field repeatedly, once, or, not at all. These findings challenge current classification guidelines and may, furthermore, stimulate systematic research on the severity of single procedures involving living animals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Knowledge brokerage context factors – What matters in knowledge exchange in impact assessment?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saarela, Sanna-Riikka; Söderman, Tarja; Lyytimäki, Jari

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Different knowledge brokerage strategies can be applied in impact assessment. • A conceptual framework for knowledge brokering is introduced. • Six test cases from different areas and jurisdictions are reviewed. • Various context factors affect the success of knowledge brokering in IA. - Abstract: The success of an impact assessment (IA) can mean both instrumental success of applying IA results directly in decision-making, and conceptual success linked to learning about policy problems more generally. Both instrumental and conceptual success can be claimed to be reliant on the knowledge exchange context of the IA, shaped by factors such as the complexity of the policy problem, type of policy area, organisational norms, actor constellations and continuance and openness of information sharing. Even though such context factors may be pre-set, they are nevertheless contested and reformulated during each IA process. This paper ties together lessons from six different IA processes that were performed between 2011 and 2013. The cases include agricultural policy at the EU and regional level in Greece, national-level climate change and energy policy in Finland and Estonia, resource efficiency policy at the German national level, and sustainable land use policy in Inner Mongolia, China. The paper introduces and applies a typology of knowledge brokerage context factors. The paper asks how knowledge brokerage is shaped by different contexts and what determines the consequent application (or non-application) of IA tools and the use of IA results. The paper concludes by highlighting the significance of identification and acknowledgement of different knowledge exchange contexts in IA

Blood Test: Bilirubin

Science.gov (United States)

... Videos for Educators Search English Español Blood Test: Bilirubin KidsHealth / For Parents / Blood Test: Bilirubin What's in ... liver or kidneys) is working. What Is a Bilirubin Test? A bilirubin test measures how much bilirubin ...

Assessing difference between classical test theory and item ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Assessing difference between classical test theory and item response theory methods in scoring primary four multiple choice objective test items. ... All research participants were ranked on the CTT number correct scores and the corresponding IRT item pattern scores from their performance on the PRISMADAT. Wilcoxon ...

Development and Preliminary Face and Content Validation of the “Which Health Approaches and Treatments Are You Using?” (WHAT) Questionnaires Assessing Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Pediatric Rheumatology

Science.gov (United States)

Toupin April, Karine; Stinson, Jennifer; Boon, Heather; Duffy, Ciarán M.; Huber, Adam M.; Gibbon, Michele; Descarreaux, Martin; Spiegel, Lynn; Vohra, Sunita; Tugwell, Peter

2016-01-01

Objective Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is commonly used by children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), yet no validated questionnaires assess that use. The objective of this study was to develop child self- and parent proxy-report questionnaires assessing CAM use and to determine the face and content validity of the “Which Health Approaches and Treatments are you using?” (WHAT) questionnaires in pediatric rheumatology. Methods A sequential phased mixed methods approach was used to develop the questionnaires. A Delphi Survey of 126 experts followed by an interdisciplinary consensus conference of 14 stakeholders in CAM, general pediatrics and pediatric rheumatology was held to develop consensus on the content of the questionnaires using a nominal group technique. To determine face and content validity of the questionnaires, two groups, including (a) a purposive sample of 22 children with JIA 8 to 18 years and their parents from the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and the Hospital for Sick Children, and (b) 21 Canadian pediatric rheumatology experts, participated in interviews. Participants were independently asked about the goal, understandability and comprehensiveness of the WHAT questionnaires, as well as the relevance of items. Results Consensus was reached on 17 items of the WHAT questionnaires. The domains found to be relevant were child’s CAM use, factors associated with CAM use, perceived impact of CAM use, and communication about CAM. A total of 15 items in the parent proxy-report questionnaire and 13 items in the child report questionnaire showed adequate content validity. Conclusions Consensus was reached by experts on the content of a pediatric CAM questionnaire. Face and content validity testing and modifications made to the WHAT questionnaires have helped ensure adequate preliminary validity for use in pediatric rheumatology. This constitutes the basis for further testing of these questionnaires in pediatric

Safety and risk assessments for the SNR 300

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maschek, W.; Froehlich, R.; Jacobs, H.; Schikorr, M.; Heusener, G.; Caldarola, L.; Royl, P.; Struwe, D.

1983-01-01

Under the official inquiry ''Future Nuclear Energy Policies'', KfK have carried out a number of studies concerning the hazards arising from core-destructive accidents at the SNR-300 reactor. Among these, there was the so-called ''Upper Limit Study'' providing a critical evaluation of literature on all research done on core-destructive accidents (Bethe-Tait excursion) with a high mechanic energy release potential; the other one was the so-called ''SAI Study'' (a cooperation of KfK, Science Applications, Inc. (SAI) and Interatom (IA)) which investigated the hazards of an uncontrolled coolant flow rate disturbance occurring in the SNR-300 reactor. KfK also took part in the analysis of hazards comparing the SNR-300 reactor with an LWR-type reactor like the one at Biblis B, ordered by the Federal Ministry of Research and Technology (BMFT). These studies have already been dealt with KfK-Nachrichten, 14th annual set issue 4/1982. The article on hand summarizes and evaluates once more the most important results. (orig./RW) [de

What can They do When we Give Them the Chance? Assessing the Impact of Data- Immersive Technology-Enabled Inquiry Projects on High School Students' Understanding of Geoscience

Science.gov (United States)

Zalles, D.; Quellmalz, E.; Gobert, J.; Pallant, A.

2006-12-01

geoscience curriculum programs. The units provide extended multi-day inquiry-based investigations centered on real geoscience data sets and data visualizations. The performance assessments provide evidence of geoscience knowledge and inquiry strategies seldom captured in traditional test formats. In the assessments, students apply the inquiry they practiced in the units to similar yet contrasting problems. We have chosen to focus on the highly-contrasting subjects of geology and climatology. In the geology unit, the students use a time-based simulation tool that provides three-dimensional data about earthquakes around the world in order to explore their relationship to the characteristics of plate boundaries in the Earth's crust. In the climatology unit, the students compare historical climate data about a particular city in relation to its state, to other communities in its state, and to North America in order to draw conclusions about the extent to which the characteristics of local climate change mirror what is happening elsewhere. They think critically about what can and cannot be known from the available data and conceptualize what would be a more ideal research study if sufficient resources were available. In our presentation, we will report on the progress we have made developing and pilot testing the units and assessments in high school classrooms. We will also report preliminary results and describe rubrics we have devised to assess the results.

40 CFR 80.584 - What are the precision and accuracy criteria for approval of test methods for determining the...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... criteria for approval of test methods for determining the sulfur content of motor vehicle diesel fuel, NRLM....584 What are the precision and accuracy criteria for approval of test methods for determining the... available gravimetric sulfur standard in the range of 1-10 ppm sulfur shall not differ from the accepted...

40 CFR 63.9915 - What test methods and other procedures must I use to demonstrate initial compliance with dioxin...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... must I use to demonstrate initial compliance with dioxin/furan emission limits? 63.9915 Section 63.9915....9915 What test methods and other procedures must I use to demonstrate initial compliance with dioxin... limit for dioxins/furans in Table 1 to this subpart, you must follow the test methods and procedures...

Kauai Test Facility hazards assessment document

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Swihart, A

1995-05-01

The Department of Energy Order 55003A requires facility-specific hazards assessment be prepared, maintained, and used for emergency planning purposes. This hazards assessment document describes the chemical and radiological hazards associated with the Kauai Test Facility, Barking Sands, Kauai, Hawaii. The Kauai Test Facility`s chemical and radiological inventories were screened according to potential airborne impact to onsite and offsite individuals. The air dispersion model, ALOHA, estimated pollutant concentrations downwind from the source of a release, taking into consideration the toxicological and physical characteristics of the release site, the atmospheric conditions, and the circumstances of the release. The greatest distance to the Early Severe Health Effects threshold is 4.2 kilometers. The highest emergency classification is a General Emergency at the {open_quotes}Main Complex{close_quotes} and a Site Area Emergency at the Kokole Point Launch Site. The Emergency Planning Zone for the {open_quotes}Main Complex{close_quotes} is 5 kilometers. The Emergency Planning Zone for the Kokole Point Launch Site is the Pacific Missile Range Facility`s site boundary.

Kauai Test Facility hazards assessment document

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swihart, A.

1995-05-01

The Department of Energy Order 55003A requires facility-specific hazards assessment be prepared, maintained, and used for emergency planning purposes. This hazards assessment document describes the chemical and radiological hazards associated with the Kauai Test Facility, Barking Sands, Kauai, Hawaii. The Kauai Test Facility's chemical and radiological inventories were screened according to potential airborne impact to onsite and offsite individuals. The air dispersion model, ALOHA, estimated pollutant concentrations downwind from the source of a release, taking into consideration the toxicological and physical characteristics of the release site, the atmospheric conditions, and the circumstances of the release. The greatest distance to the Early Severe Health Effects threshold is 4.2 kilometers. The highest emergency classification is a General Emergency at the open-quotes Main Complexclose quotes and a Site Area Emergency at the Kokole Point Launch Site. The Emergency Planning Zone for the open-quotes Main Complexclose quotes is 5 kilometers. The Emergency Planning Zone for the Kokole Point Launch Site is the Pacific Missile Range Facility's site boundary

Fitoextração de sais pela Atriplex nummularia lindl. sob estresse hídrico em solo salino sódico Phytoextraction of salts by Atriplex nummularia lindl. under water stress in saline sodic soils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edivan R. de Souza

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Objetivou-se avaliar a extração de sais pela Atriplex cultivada em solo salino sódico sob condições de estresse hídrico e comparar propriedades do solo antes e após seu cultivo. O experimento foi desenvolvido em casa de vegetação durante 134 dias, com cultivo em vasos com 20 kg de solo salino sódico em quatro níveis de umidade (35, 55, 75 e 95% da capacidade de campo, com um tratamento controle (sem cultivo, montado em blocos casualizados, com oito repetições. As altas concentrações de Ca2+, Mg2+, K+ e, especialmente Na+ e Cl- nas folhas de Atriplex nummularia, associadas à elevada produção de massa seca, caracterizam esta espécie como planta fitoextratora de sais, chegando a extrair, nas folhas e caule, o equivalente a: 644,25; 757,81; 1.058,55 e 1.182,00 kg ha-1 desses elementos, para 35, 55, 75 e 95% da capacidade de campo, respectivamente. As variáveis do complexo sortivo do solo (Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, soma de bases e o carbono orgânico total, permaneceram estáveis entre o início e o final do experimento, em todos os tratamentos, enquanto o Na+ e a percentagem de sódio trocável diminuíram após o cultivo da planta. A Atriplex respondeu ao incremento de umidade do solo quando se considera a produção de biomassa e a extração de sais.This study aims to evaluate the growth, production and extraction of salts by Atriplex grown on saline-sodic soil under water stress conditions and to compare soil properties before and after their cultivation. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse during 134 days growing Atriplex nummularia in pots with 20 kg of saline sodic soil with four levels of soil moisture (35, 55, 75 and 95% of field capacity with a control (soil without plant. The experiment was performed in a randomized block with eight replications. The high concentrations of Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, and especially Na+ and Cl- in leaves of Atriplex nummularia, associated with high dry matter production characterizes this species

Testing Trends: Considerations for Choosing and Using Assessments

Science.gov (United States)

Woods, Julie Rowland

2015-01-01

While federal law requires students to be tested in math, English-language arts and science in particular grades, states are still struggling to mount the resources and expertise necessary to fully implement college and career readiness standards, let alone new assessments aligned to these higher standards. New assessments are not only more…

Insight and satisfaction with life among adolescents with mental disorders: assessing associations with self-stigma and parental insight.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaziel, M; Hasson-Ohayon, I; Morag-Yaffe, M; Schapir, L; Zalsman, G; Shoval, G

2015-02-01

The purpose of the current study was to assess the associations of illness perception-related variables with satisfaction with life (SwL) among adolescents with mental disorders. Insight into mental disorder (SAI-E), Internalized stigma of mental illness (ISMI) and Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS) were administrated to 30 adolescent patients. Adapted version for parents of the SAI-E was also administrated to 37 of their parents. Significant positive correlations were found between insight into the illness, self-stigma and parental insight. Insight and self-stigma were significantly negatively related to the total score of SwL and few of its dimensions while parental insight was significantly associated only with the SwL dimensions of school and self. Regression models revealed main negative effects of insight and self-stigma on SwL and no interaction effect. The possible independent contribution of insight and self-stigma to SwL should be addressed in interventions designed for family and adolescents coping with mental illness. Special attention should be given to the possible negative implications that insight possesses. In lack of support of the moderation role of self-stigma, reported in studies among adults with mental illness, future studies should trace other variables in order to further understand the insight paradox among adolescents. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Produção de lodo e comportamento químico de sais de ferro empregados no pós-tratamento de esgoto sanitário por precipitação química

OpenAIRE

Ferreira Filho,Sidney Seckler; Marguti,André Luiz; Piveli,Roque Passos

2009-01-01

A combinação de processos físico-químicos e biológicos no tratamento de esgotos sanitários tem se apresentado como uma alternativa na remoção de fósforo. No entanto, uma das limitações é a sua maior produção de lodo. Desse modo, este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar a produção de lodo resultante da aplicação de sais de ferro para diferentes tipos de efluentes, bem como estudar o impacto de sua aplicação nas características físico-químicas dos efluentes estudados. Concluiu-se que os valores ...

Questions Arising from the Assessment of EFL Narrative Writing

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Yong

2013-01-01

This article questions how narrative writing is assessed, seeking to understand what we test, what we value, and why. It uses a single anomalous case that arose in the course of my recent PhD thesis to highlight the issues, asking if sufficient attention is being given to the value of emotional content in a piece of writing in comparison to its…

40 CFR 1051.325 - What happens if an engine family fails the production-line testing requirements?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... ENGINES AND VEHICLES Testing Production-Line Vehicles and Engines § 1051.325 What happens if an engine... for an engine family if it fails under § 1051.315. The suspension may apply to all facilities producing vehicles or engines from an engine family, even if you find noncompliant vehicles or engines only...

Putting social impact assessment to the test as a method for implementing responsible tourism practice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCombes, Lucy; Vanclay, Frank; Evers, Yvette

2015-01-01

The discourse on the social impacts of tourism needs to shift from the current descriptive critique of tourism to considering what can be done in actual practice to embed the management of tourism's social impacts into the existing planning, product development and operational processes of tourism businesses. A pragmatic approach for designing research methodologies, social management systems and initial actions, which is shaped by the real world operational constraints and existing systems used in the tourism industry, is needed. Our pilot study with a small Bulgarian travel company put social impact assessment (SIA) to the test to see if it could provide this desired approach and assist in implementing responsible tourism development practice, especially in small tourism businesses. Our findings showed that our adapted SIA method has value as a practical method for embedding a responsible tourism approach. While there were some challenges, SIA proved to be effective in assisting the staff of our test case tourism business to better understand their social impacts on their local communities and to identify actions to take. - Highlights: • Pragmatic approach is needed for the responsible management of social impacts of tourism. • Our adapted Social impact Assessment (SIA) method has value as a practical method. • SIA can be embedded into tourism businesses existing ‘ways of doing things’. • We identified challenges and ways to improve our method to better suit small tourism business context

Putting social impact assessment to the test as a method for implementing responsible tourism practice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McCombes, Lucy, E-mail: l.mccombes@leedsbeckett.ac.uk [International Centre for Research in Events, Tourism and Hospitality (ICRETH), Leeds Beckett University, Headingley Campus, Macaulay Hall 103, Leeds LS6 3QS (United Kingdom); Vanclay, Frank, E-mail: frank.vanclay@rug.nl [Professor of Cultural Geography, Faculty of Spatial Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 800, 9700AV Groningen (Netherlands); Evers, Yvette, E-mail: y.evers@tft-earth.org [The Forest Trust, Chemin de Chantavril 2, 1260 Nyon (Switzerland)

2015-11-15

The discourse on the social impacts of tourism needs to shift from the current descriptive critique of tourism to considering what can be done in actual practice to embed the management of tourism's social impacts into the existing planning, product development and operational processes of tourism businesses. A pragmatic approach for designing research methodologies, social management systems and initial actions, which is shaped by the real world operational constraints and existing systems used in the tourism industry, is needed. Our pilot study with a small Bulgarian travel company put social impact assessment (SIA) to the test to see if it could provide this desired approach and assist in implementing responsible tourism development practice, especially in small tourism businesses. Our findings showed that our adapted SIA method has value as a practical method for embedding a responsible tourism approach. While there were some challenges, SIA proved to be effective in assisting the staff of our test case tourism business to better understand their social impacts on their local communities and to identify actions to take. - Highlights: • Pragmatic approach is needed for the responsible management of social impacts of tourism. • Our adapted Social impact Assessment (SIA) method has value as a practical method. • SIA can be embedded into tourism businesses existing ‘ways of doing things’. • We identified challenges and ways to improve our method to better suit small tourism business context.

A new adaptive testing algorithm for shortening health literacy assessments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Currie Leanne M

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Low health literacy has a detrimental effect on health outcomes, as well as ability to use online health resources. Good health literacy assessment tools must be brief to be adopted in practice; test development from the perspective of item-response theory requires pretesting on large participant populations. Our objective was to develop a novel classification method for developing brief assessment instruments that does not require pretesting on large numbers of research participants, and that would be suitable for computerized adaptive testing. Methods We present a new algorithm that uses principles of measurement decision theory (MDT and Shannon's information theory. As a demonstration, we applied it to a secondary analysis of data sets from two assessment tests: a study that measured patients' familiarity with health terms (52 participants, 60 items and a study that assessed health numeracy (165 participants, 8 items. Results In the familiarity data set, the method correctly classified 88.5% of the subjects, and the average length of test was reduced by about 50%. In the numeracy data set, for a two-class classification scheme, 96.9% of the subjects were correctly classified with a more modest reduction in test length of 35.7%; a three-class scheme correctly classified 93.8% with a 17.7% reduction in test length. Conclusions MDT-based approaches are a promising alternative to approaches based on item-response theory, and are well-suited for computerized adaptive testing in the health domain.

Validating High-Stakes Testing Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Kane, Michael

2002-01-01

Makes the point that the interpretations and use of high-stakes test scores rely on policy assumptions about what should be taught and the content standards and performance standards that should be applied. The assumptions built into an assessment need to be subjected to scrutiny and criticism if a strong case is to be made for the validity of the…

Maakondade rahvakultuuri aastapreemiad 2001

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2002-01-01

Fr. R. Kreutzwaldi nim mälestusmedali ja Kreutzwaldi-stipendiumi statuudid, lk. 89-00. Hendrik Lindepuu sai Jõgevamaa kirjanduspreemia; Mari Vallisoo sai Juhan Liivi nim. luuleauhinna, Elle-Eha Are sai Viljandimaa kultuuripreemia ja Contra B. Kangro nim. kirjanduspreemia. F. R. Kreutzwaldi mälestusmedali sai Aarand Roos

Virtual reality paced serial assessment test for neuropsychological assessment of a military cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Parsons, Thomas D; Courtney, Christopher; Rizzo, Albert A; Armstrong, Christina; Edwards, Joseph; Reger, Gregory

2012-01-01

The assessment and treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) has become a difficult challenge for the DoD medical health system. Clinical neuropsychologists are being asked to make statements regarding a soldier's functional skills, ability to return to active duty, and competence in tasks of community living. Given the increasing prevalence of blast injuries to the head, and the fact that many brain injuries may have no external marker of injury, there is need for researching innovative assessment methods in detecting blast-related brain injury. To address these issues, two virtual reality-based Paced Auditory/Visual Serial Addition Tests (PA/VSAT) were developed that involve the participant being immersed in a Virtual Middle Eastern City as serial addition stimuli are presented. This study is an initial validation of the VRPASAT and VRPVSAT as assessments of neurocognitive functioning. When compared to the paper-and-pencil version of the test, as well as the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics, the VRPASAT and VRPVSAT appear to have enhanced capacity for providing an indication of a participant's performance while immersed in a military relevant simulation.

Ação de diferentes agentes curtentes utilizados no curtimento de peles de coelhos: testes físico-mecânicos dos couros - DOI: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v31i4.5592 Action of different tanning agents used on rabbit hide tanning: physical-mechanic tests - DOI: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v31i4.5592

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nilson do Prado Franco

2009-10-01

Full Text Available O objetivo do experimento foi avaliar a ação de diferentes agentes curtentes no processamento das peles de coelhos, sobre a resistência do couro. Cinquenta peles de coelhos foram submetidas a diferentes agentes curtentes na etapa de curtimento (T1 = 6% sais de cromo Chromossal B®, T2 = 22% tanino vegetal Clarotan-x8®; T3 = 22% tanino sintético Syntac CW®; T4 = 12% tanino vegetal Weibull® + 10% tanino sintético Syntac F®; T5 = 22% tanino vegetal Weibull®. Foram retirados os corpos de prova do couro, na região dorsal, no sentido longitudinal e transversal em relação ao eixo céfalo-caudal. Os agentes curtentes e retirada dos corpos de prova não influenciaram no teste de tração (9,28 a 11,63 N mm-2 e força aplicada (17,91 N a 24,85 N nos testes. Os curtimentos com sais de cromo (62,85% e Clarotan–x8® (70,28% proporcionaram maiores valores de alongamento em relação aos demais agentes curtentes utilizados. Os corpos de prova do couro no sentido transversal (59,12% apresentaram maior alongamento comparado ao longitudinal (49,72%. Os curtimentos com sais de cromo (22,70 N mm-1, Clarotan–x8® (25,94 N mm-1 e Weibull® (21,58 N mm-1 proporcionaram couros com maior resistência ao rasgamento. O sentido de retirada dos corpos de prova no couro não influenciou no rasgamento progressivo. As técnicas de curtimento com sais de cromo e Clarotan-x8® proporcionaram couros com melhores valores de resistência ao alongamento e rasgamento progressivo.The objective of the experiment was to evaluate the action of different tanning agents in the processing of rabbit hides over skin resistance. Fifty skins of rabbit hides were submitted to different tanning agents in the tanning stage (T1 = 6% Chromossal B® chrome salts; T2 = 22% Clarotan–x8® vegetable tannin; T3 = 22% Syntac CW® synthetic tannin; T4 = 12% Weibull® vegetable tannin + 10% Syntac F® synthetic tannin; T5 = 22% Weibull® vegetable tannin. The specimens were removed from

Specificity and sensitivity assessment of selected nasal provocation testing techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edyta Krzych-Fałta

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Nasal provocation testing involves an allergen-specific local reaction of the nasal mucosa to the administered allergen. Aim: To determine the most objective nasal occlusion assessment technique that could be used in nasal provocation testing. Material and methods : A total of 60 subjects, including 30 patients diagnosed with allergy to common environmental allergens and 30 healthy subjects were enrolled into the study. The method used in the study was a nasal provocation test with an allergen, with a standard dose of a control solution and an allergen (5,000 SBU/ml administered using a calibrated atomizer into both nostrils at room temperature. Early-phase nasal mucosa response in the early phase of the allergic reaction was assessed via acoustic rhinometry, optical rhinometry, nitric oxide in nasal air, and tryptase levels in the nasal lavage fluid. Results : In estimating the homogeneity of the average values, the Levene’s test was used and receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted for all the methods used for assessing the nasal provocation test with an allergen. Statistically significant results were defined for p < 0.05. Of all the objective assessment techniques, the most sensitive and characteristic ones were the optical rhinometry techniques (specificity = 1, sensitivity = 1, AUC = 1, PPV = 1, NPV = 1. Conclusions : The techniques used showed significant differences between the group of patients with allergic rhinitis and the control group. Of all the objective assessment techniques, those most sensitive and characteristic were the optical rhinometry.

Stress Tests and Vulnerability Assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wallner, A. [Austrian Institute of Ecology, Vienna (Austria); Lorenz, P. [ed.; Becker, O. [eds.; Weber, U. [Austrian Institute of Ecology, Vienna (Austria)

2012-07-01

After the accident in Fukushima, nuclear safety as topic in anti-nuclear work has gained importance within the Joint Project countries. Therefore, nuclear safety and in particular the activities of the European stress tests were chosen to be the main focus of the Joint Project 2011/2012 as well as the common theme of the national projects. This brochure describes: A) Vulnerability Assessment A critical review of the EU Nuclear Stress Tests in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Ukraine is presented in chapter 1. The review details the main weaknesses identified within the stress tests. Important shortcomings not mentioned in the stress tests reports are also discussed. These evaluations do not claim to be exhaustive, but the findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of safety and risk of nuclear power plants in Europe. B) Transparency of the stress tests In chapter 2 the experience of the Joint Project NGOs concerning transparency of the stress tests is presented. The information is not meant to be an evaluation of the transparency of the stress tests in general – such an evaluation is not possible within the scope of this brochure. The evaluation aims to show activities concerning stress tests and how they were conceived by the JP NGOs. Some recommendations for improvement are given. C) Safety focus Within the main topic “nuclear safety” of the Joint Project 2011/2012 the NGOs of each JP country selected a special safety relevant topic, which is/was of particular interest in their country: Bulgaria: The short story of Belene NPP – The victory – Key points of the campaign against the nuclear power plant Romania: Risks of the CANDU reactor design Czech Republic: Results of the conference “Power Plant Load Testing: Safety Inspection or Propaganda?“ Slovakia: Safety deficits of the NPP Mochovce These safety relevant issues are discussed in separate sections within the brochure at hand. (author)

Stress Tests and Vulnerability Assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wallner, A.; Lorenz, P.

2012-01-01

After the accident in Fukushima, nuclear safety as topic in anti-nuclear work has gained importance within the Joint Project countries. Therefore, nuclear safety and in particular the activities of the European stress tests were chosen to be the main focus of the Joint Project 2011/2012 as well as the common theme of the national projects. This brochure describes: A) Vulnerability Assessment A critical review of the EU Nuclear Stress Tests in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Ukraine is presented in chapter 1. The review details the main weaknesses identified within the stress tests. Important shortcomings not mentioned in the stress tests reports are also discussed. These evaluations do not claim to be exhaustive, but the findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of safety and risk of nuclear power plants in Europe. B) Transparency of the stress tests In chapter 2 the experience of the Joint Project NGOs concerning transparency of the stress tests is presented. The information is not meant to be an evaluation of the transparency of the stress tests in general – such an evaluation is not possible within the scope of this brochure. The evaluation aims to show activities concerning stress tests and how they were conceived by the JP NGOs. Some recommendations for improvement are given. C) Safety focus Within the main topic “nuclear safety” of the Joint Project 2011/2012 the NGOs of each JP country selected a special safety relevant topic, which is/was of particular interest in their country: Bulgaria: The short story of Belene NPP – The victory – Key points of the campaign against the nuclear power plant Romania: Risks of the CANDU reactor design Czech Republic: Results of the conference “Power Plant Load Testing: Safety Inspection or Propaganda?“ Slovakia: Safety deficits of the NPP Mochovce These safety relevant issues are discussed in separate sections within the brochure at hand. (author)

Environmental site assessments should include radon gas testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nardi, M.A.

1991-01-01

There are two emerging influences that will require radon gas testing as part of many property transfers and most site assessments. These requirements come from lending regulators and state legislatures. Fannie Mae and others have developed environmental investigation guidelines for the purchase of environmentally contaminated real estate. These guidelines include radon gas testing for many properties. Several states have enacted laws that require environmental disclosure forms be prepared to ensure that the parties involved in certain real estate transactions are aware of the environmental liabilities that may come with the transfer of property. Indiana has recently enacted legislation that would require the disclosure of the presence of radon gas on many commercial real estate transactions. With more lenders and state governments likely to follow this trend, radon gas testing should be performed during all property transfers and site assessment to protect the parties involved from any legal liabilities

What Examiners Do: What Thesis Students Should Know

Science.gov (United States)

Golding, Clinton; Sharmini, Sharon; Lazarovitch, Ayelet

2014-01-01

Although many articles have been written about thesis assessment, none provide a comprehensive, general picture of what examiners do as they assess a thesis. To synthesise this diverse literature, we reviewed 30 articles, triangulated their conclusions and identified 11 examiner practices. Thesis examiners tend to be broadly consistent in their…

Policy-Led Comparative Environmental Risk Assessment of Genetically Modified Crops: Testing for Increased Risk Rather Than Profiling Phenotypes Leads to Predictable and Transparent Decision-Making

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alan Raybould

2018-04-01

Full Text Available We describe two contrasting methods of comparative environmental risk assessment for genetically modified (GM crops. Both are science-based, in the sense that they use science to help make decisions, but they differ in the relationship between science and policy. Policy-led comparative risk assessment begins by defining what would be regarded as unacceptable changes when the use a particular GM crop replaces an accepted use of another crop. Hypotheses that these changes will not occur are tested using existing or new data, and corroboration or falsification of the hypotheses is used to inform decision-making. Science-led comparative risk assessment, on the other hand, tends to test null hypotheses of no difference between a GM crop and a comparator. The variables that are compared may have little or no relevance to any previously stated policy objective and hence decision-making tends to be ad hoc in response to possibly spurious statistical significance. We argue that policy-led comparative risk assessment is the far more effective method. With this in mind, we caution that phenotypic profiling of GM crops, particularly with omics methods, is potentially detrimental to risk assessment.

A creep life assessment method for boiler pipes using small punch creep test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Izaki, Toru; Kobayashi, Toshimi; Kusumoto, Junichi; Kanaya, Akihiro

2009-01-01

The small punch creep (SPC) test is considered as a highly useful method for creep life assessment for high temperature plant components. SPC uses miniature-sized specimens and does not cause any serious sampling damages, and its assessment accuracy is at a high level. However, in applying the SPC test to the residual creep life assessment of the boiler in service, there are some issues to be studied. In order to apply SPC test to the residual creep life assessment of the 2.25Cr-1Mo steel boiler pipe, the relationship between uniaxial creep stress and the SPC test load has been studied. The virgin material, pre-crept, weldment and service aged samples of 2.25Cr-1Mo steel were tested. It was confirmed that the relationship between uniaxial creep stress and the SPC test load at the same rupture time can be described as a single straight line independent of test conditions and materials. Therefore a life assessment is possible by using SPC test in place of uniaxial creep tests. The creep life assessment using SPC was applied to actual thermal power plant components which are in service.

49 CFR 195.575 - Which facilities must I electrically isolate and what inspections, tests, and safeguards are...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... electrical transmission tower footings, ground cables, or counterpoise, or in other areas where it is... Corrosion Control § 195.575 Which facilities must I electrically isolate and what inspections, tests, and... other structures as a single unit. (b) You must install one or more insulating devices where electrical...

Lay perceptions of predictive testing for diabetes based on DNA test results versus family history assessment: a focus group study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wijdenes-Pijl, Miranda; Dondorp, Wybo J; Timmermans, Danielle Rm; Cornel, Martina C; Henneman, Lidewij

2011-07-05

This study assessed lay perceptions of issues related to predictive genetic testing for multifactorial diseases. These perceived issues may differ from the "classic" issues, e.g. autonomy, discrimination, and psychological harm that are considered important in predictive testing for monogenic disorders. In this study, type 2 diabetes was used as an example, and perceptions with regard to predictive testing based on DNA test results and family history assessment were compared. Eight focus group interviews were held with 45 individuals aged 35-70 years with (n = 3) and without (n = 1) a family history of diabetes, mixed groups of these two (n = 2), and diabetes patients (n = 2). All interviews were transcribed and analysed using Atlas-ti. Most participants believed in the ability of a predictive test to identify people at risk for diabetes and to motivate preventive behaviour. Different reasons underlying motivation were considered when comparing DNA test results and a family history risk assessment. A perceived drawback of DNA testing was that diabetes was considered not severe enough for this type of risk assessment. In addition, diabetes family history assessment was not considered useful by some participants, since there are also other risk factors involved, not everyone has a diabetes family history or knows their family history, and it might have a negative influence on family relations. Respect for autonomy of individuals was emphasized more with regard to DNA testing than family history assessment. Other issues such as psychological harm, discrimination, and privacy were only briefly mentioned for both tests. The results suggest that most participants believe a predictive genetic test could be used in the prevention of multifactorial disorders, such as diabetes, but indicate points to consider before both these tests are applied. These considerations differ with regard to the method of assessment (DNA test or obtaining family history) and also differ from

A comparison of the efficacy of test-driven learning versus self-assessment learning

Science.gov (United States)

He, Xiaohua; Canty, Anne

2013-01-01

Objective We compared self-assessment and test-driven learning in two groups of students who studied the same subject. Methods This was a randomized comparative experimental study. The subjects were 259 first-quarter students who were divided into a test group and a self-assessment group based on the methods they used for their learning assessments. We measured the scores and difficulty levels of 3 formal written exams. Students' attitudes toward self-assessment or test-driven learning were surveyed. Results The mean scores of exam 1, exam 2, and a summative exam were 34 (±6), 32 (±8), and 44 (±6) for the self-assessment group, respectively, with corresponding scores of 33 (±6), 33 (±7), 43 (±6) for the test group. There were no significant differences in the mean scores on all 3 tests between the two groups (p > .05). Of the students in the self-assessment group, 64% scored at least 90%, whereas 47% of students in the test group answered at least 90% of the questions correctly (p self-assessment and tests could have a significant impact on students' learning, but each offers different strengths and weaknesses. PMID:23957317

A Systematic Review of the Reliability and Validity of Behavioural Tests Used to Assess Behavioural Characteristics Important in Working Dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Brady, Karen; Cracknell, Nina; Zulch, Helen; Mills, Daniel Simon

2018-01-01

Working dogs are selected based on predictions from tests that they will be able to perform specific tasks in often challenging environments. However, withdrawal from service in working dogs is still a big problem, bringing into question the reliability of the selection tests used to make these predictions. A systematic review was undertaken aimed at bringing together available information on the reliability and predictive validity of the assessment of behavioural characteristics used with working dogs to establish the quality of selection tests currently available for use to predict success in working dogs. The search procedures resulted in 16 papers meeting the criteria for inclusion. A large range of behaviour tests and parameters were used in the identified papers, and so behaviour tests and their underpinning constructs were grouped on the basis of their relationship with positive core affect (willingness to work, human-directed social behaviour, object-directed play tendencies) and negative core affect (human-directed aggression, approach withdrawal tendencies, sensitivity to aversives). We then examined the papers for reports of inter-rater reliability, within-session intra-rater reliability, test-retest validity and predictive validity. The review revealed a widespread lack of information relating to the reliability and validity of measures to assess behaviour and inconsistencies in terminologies, study parameters and indices of success. There is a need to standardise the reporting of these aspects of behavioural tests in order to improve the knowledge base of what characteristics are predictive of optimal performance in working dog roles, improving selection processes and reducing working dog redundancy. We suggest the use of a framework based on explaining the direct or indirect relationship of the test with core affect.

What Do Students Learn when We Teach Peace? A Qualitative Assessment of a Theater Peace Program

Science.gov (United States)

Duckworth, Cheryl Lynn; Allen, Barb; Williams, Teri Triguba

2012-01-01

This is a qualitative assessment of a theater arts peace education program for high-school students. We present the results of qualitative interviews with students who participated in a peace education program. They tell us in their own words what they believe they learned. Given that most peace education evaluation is quantitative or focuses on…

Psychological Testing and Psychological Assessment: A Review of Evidence and Issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Gregory J.; Finn, Stephen E.; Eyde, Lorraine D.; Kay, Gary G.; Moreland, Kevin L.; Dies, Robert R.; Eisman, Elena J.; Kubiszyn, Tom W.; Reed, Geoffrey M.

2001-01-01

Summarizes issues associated with psychological assessment, concluding that: psychological test validity is strong and is comparable to medical test validity; distinct assessment methods provide unique sources of information; and clinicians who rely solely on interviews are prone to incomplete understandings. Suggests that multimethod assessment…

Property transfer assessments should include radon gas testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nardi, M.A.

1992-01-01

There are two emerging influences that will require radon gas testing as part of many property transfers and most environmental assessments. These requirements come from lending regulators and state legislatures and affect single family, multifamily, and commercial properties. Fannie Mae and others have developed environmental investigation guidelines for protection from long term legal liabilities in the purchase of environmentally contaminated real estate. These guidelines include radon gas testing for many properties. Several states have enacted laws that require environmental disclosure forms be prepared to ensure that the parties involved in certain real estate transactions are aware of the environmental liabilities that may come with the transfer of property. Indiana has recently enacted legislation that would require the disclosure of the presence of radon gas on many commercial real estate transactions. With more banks and state governments following this trend, radon gas testing should be performed during all property transfers and environmental assessments to protect the parties involved from any long term legal liabilities

Pupil identity in the context of testing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Karen Egedal; Rasmussen, Annette

Based on results from a long term research project (two years) in three school classes focusing on the implementation of national standardized testing in Danish schools this paper discuss how testing and assessment influence processes of in- and exclusion in class rooms. The analysis will draw...... on theory of Basil Bernstein about different pedagogies (visible and invisible) (Bernstein 1997). Recently national mandatory standardized testing has been implemented in compulsory school in Denmark (2010). Getting insight into how and by which processes such kind of assessment affect pedagogic practise...... in school classes and in- and exclusion of pupils, is relevant since assessment play an important role in such processes (McDermott & Varenne, 1995; Reay, 2006). The implementation formed a situation making it possible to make research on this. Such influence are reflected in and depending on what can...

Analysis of the chronic lower limb injuries occurrence in step aerobic instructors in relation to their working step class profile: a three year longitudinal prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Malliou, P; Rokka, S; Beneka, A; Gioftsidou, A; Mavromoustakos, S; Godolias, G

2014-01-01

There is limited information on injury patterns in Step Aerobic Instructors (SAI) who exclusively execute "step" aerobic classes. To record the type and the anatomical position in relation to diagnosis of muscular skeletal injuries in step aerobic instructors. Also, to analyse the days of absence due to chronic injury in relation to weekly working hours, height of the step platform, working experience and working surface and footwear during the step class. The Step Aerobic Instructors Injuries Questionnaire was developed, and then validity and reliability indices were calculated. 63 SAI completed the questionnaire. For the statistical analysis of the data, the method used was the analysis of frequencies, the non-parametric test χ^{2} (chi square distribution), correlation and linear and logistic regressions analysis from the SPSS statistical package. 63 SAI reported 115 injuries that required more than 2 days absence from step aerobic classes. The chronic lower extremity injuries were 73.5%, with the leg pain, the anterior knee pain, the plantar tendinopathy and the Achilles tendinopathy being most common overuse syndromes. The working hours, the platform height, the years of aerobic dance seem to affect the days of absence due to chronic lower limb injury occurrence in SAI.

The Occurrence of Small-scale Irregularities in the Mid-latitude Ionosphere from SuperDARN HF Radar Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Ruohoniemi, J. M.; Baker, J. B.; Maimaiti, M.; Oksavik, K.; Erickson, P. J.; Scales, W.; Eltrass, A.

2017-12-01

The mid-latitude radars of the SuperDARN network routinely observe backscatter from nighttime decameter-scale F region irregularities at latitudes well equatorward of the auroral boundary. This Sub-Auroral Ionospheric Scatter (SAIS) is strongly distinguished from auroral and SAPS backscatter by low Doppler velocities ( tens m/s) and stable, long-lived ( hours) occurrence in discrete events that are extended in both latitude and longitude. Statistical and event studies of SAIS with the SuperDARN radars indicate that the subauroral F region ionosphere is replete with irregularities during events, at least poleward of the 50° Λ horizon of the North American mid-latitude radars, and that radar observation of SAIS backscatter is then primarily limited by the magnetic aspect condition. Joint experiments with incoherent scatter radar have furnished sets of plasma measurements suitable for testing theories of plasma instability. Modeling work stimulated by the observations has explored the temperature-gradient instability (TGI) and the gradient drift instability (GDI) as possible sources of the irregularities. In this talk we review the findings on the occurrence of the SAIS category of mid-latitude F region irregularities, summarize the results of the modeling work, and discuss future research directions.

Advanced Test Reactor outage risk assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thatcher, T.A.; Atkinson, S.A.

1997-01-01

Beginning in 1997, risk assessment was performed for each Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) outage aiding the coordination of plant configuration and work activities (maintenance, construction projects, etc.) to minimize the risk of reactor fuel damage and to improve defense-in-depth. The risk assessment activities move beyond simply meeting Technical Safety Requirements to increase the awareness of risk sensitive configurations, to focus increased attention on the higher risk activities, and to seek cost-effective design or operational changes that reduce risk. A detailed probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) had been performed to assess the risk of fuel damage during shutdown operations including heavy load handling. This resulted in several design changes to improve safety; however, evaluation of individual outages had not been performed previously and many risk insights were not being utilized in outage planning. The shutdown PRA provided the necessary framework for assessing relative and absolute risk levels and assessing defense-in-depth. Guidelines were written identifying combinations of equipment outages to avoid. Screening criteria were developed for the selection of work activities to receive review. Tabulation of inherent and work-related initiating events and their relative risk level versus plant mode has aided identification of the risk level the scheduled work involves. Preoutage reviews are conducted and post-outage risk assessment is documented to summarize the positive and negative aspects of the outage with regard to risk. The risk for the outage is compared to the risk level that would result from optimal scheduling of the work to be performed and to baseline or average past performance

What Is Stress Testing?

Science.gov (United States)

... would during exercise. You can then have the stress test. The medicine may make you flushed and anxious, but the effects go away as soon as the test is over. The medicine also may give you a headache. While you're exercising or getting medicine to ...

What is the optimal duration of tilt testing for the assessment of patients with suspected postural tachycardia syndrome?

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Carew, Sheila

2012-01-31

AIMS: The aim of this study is to define the optimal duration of tilt testing for the assessment of patients with suspected postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS). METHODS AND RESULTS: This was a case-control study. Cases were identified retrospectively from a database of patients referred with orthostatic intolerance (OI). All met the diagnostic criteria for POTS. Controls were enrolled prospectively. All subjects underwent tilting to 70 degrees for 40 min if tolerated. Continuous monitoring was provided by a Finometer. Analysis of responses to tilting was performed on 28 cases and 28 controls. The mean age in the case group was 23.6 and in the control group was 26.2. The majority was female in both groups (cases = 4F:3M, controls = 2F:1M). All cases met the criteria for POTS within 7 min of orthostasis. No controls demonstrated a sustained tachycardia. The prevalence of vasovagal syncope (VVS) was 36% in cases vs. 7% in controls (P = 0.02) and 25% in the remaining patients (n = 233) on the OI database (P = 0.259). CONCLUSION: A 10 min tilt will diagnose POTS in the majority of patients. It will not, however, be sufficient to identify the overlap that exists between POTS and VVS. The optimal duration of tilt testing in patients suspected of POTS is 40 min.

The use of neuropsychological tests to assess intelligence.

Science.gov (United States)

Gansler, David A; Varvaris, Mark; Schretlen, David J

We sought to derive a 'neuropsychological intelligence quotient' (NIQ) to replace IQ testing in some routine assessments. We administered neuropsychological testing and a seven-subtest short form of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale to a community sample of 394 adults aged 18-96 years. We regressed Wechsler Full Scale IQs (W-FSIQ) on 23 neuropsychological scores and derived an NIQ from 9 measures that explained significant variance in W-FSIQ. We then compared subgroups of 284 healthy and 108 unhealthy participants in NIQ and W-FSIQ to assess criterion validity, correlated NIQ and W-FSIQ scores with education level and independence for activities of daily living to assess convergent validity, and compared validity coefficients for the NIQ with those of 'hold' and 'no-hold' indices. By design, NIQ and W-FSIQ scores correlated highly (r = .84), and both were higher in healthy participants. The difference was larger for NIQ, which accounted for more variability in activities of daily living. The NIQ and 'no-hold' index were better predicted by health status and less predicted by educational status than the 'hold' index. We constructed an NIQ that correlates highly with Wechsler FSIQ. Tests required to obtain NIQ are commonly used and can be administered in about 45 min. Validity properties of NIQ and W-FSIQ are similar. The NIQ bore greater resemblance to a 'no-hold' than 'hold' index. One can obtain a reasonably accurate estimate of current Full Scale IQ without formal intelligence testing from a brief neuropsychological battery.

Design of a mixed-oxide fuel assembly to be assessed as a lead test assembly in a BWR reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hernandez, H.; Alonso, G.

2001-01-01

The open and the close cycle are the two alternatives to pursue during power generation. The reprocessing is a mature process that now shows a more competitive economic aspect, making it more attractive than ever. Mexico has not decided what to do with the existing and future depleted fuel assemblies that will be generated from the power operation, thus the direct disposal and the reprocessing are still being considered. To have enough arguments in one or the other alternatives it is necessary to make an assessment of both. This investigation focus in the MOX fuel design assuming that the reprocessing is the option to follow and looking for the lowest impact in power generation. The first step in a reprocessing program is to analyze the performance of four lead test assemblies (LTA's), thus in this investigation we design the corresponding MOX to be used as LTA's and assess their performance through one operational cycle. (author)

Lay perceptions of predictive testing for diabetes based on DNA test results versus family history assessment: a focus group study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cornel Martina C

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This study assessed lay perceptions of issues related to predictive genetic testing for multifactorial diseases. These perceived issues may differ from the "classic" issues, e.g. autonomy, discrimination, and psychological harm that are considered important in predictive testing for monogenic disorders. In this study, type 2 diabetes was used as an example, and perceptions with regard to predictive testing based on DNA test results and family history assessment were compared. Methods Eight focus group interviews were held with 45 individuals aged 35-70 years with (n = 3 and without (n = 1 a family history of diabetes, mixed groups of these two (n = 2, and diabetes patients (n = 2. All interviews were transcribed and analysed using Atlas-ti. Results Most participants believed in the ability of a predictive test to identify people at risk for diabetes and to motivate preventive behaviour. Different reasons underlying motivation were considered when comparing DNA test results and a family history risk assessment. A perceived drawback of DNA testing was that diabetes was considered not severe enough for this type of risk assessment. In addition, diabetes family history assessment was not considered useful by some participants, since there are also other risk factors involved, not everyone has a diabetes family history or knows their family history, and it might have a negative influence on family relations. Respect for autonomy of individuals was emphasized more with regard to DNA testing than family history assessment. Other issues such as psychological harm, discrimination, and privacy were only briefly mentioned for both tests. Conclusion The results suggest that most participants believe a predictive genetic test could be used in the prevention of multifactorial disorders, such as diabetes, but indicate points to consider before both these tests are applied. These considerations differ with regard to the method of assessment

Authentic Assessment: An Extensive Literary Review and Recommendations for Administrators.

Science.gov (United States)

Henderson, Pamela; Karr-Kidwell, PJ

This paper provides an extensive literature review and recommendations for authentic assessment, and then provides recommendations for administrators in order to implement authentic assessment in elementary schools. A lack of comfort, with the way in which standardized tests seems to dictate what teachers teach as part of the curriculum, was a…

Financial risk relationships and adoption of management strategies in physician groups for self-administered injectable drugs.

Science.gov (United States)

Agnew, Jonathan D; Stebbins, Marilyn R; Hickman, David E; Lipton, Helene Levins

2003-01-01

To consider the extent, nature, and range of risk arrangements between physician groups and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) for self-administered injectable (SAI) drugs; to examine types and frequencies of SAI drug-use management strategies adopted by physician groups; and to explore the relationship between locus and level of financial risk for SAIs and physician group strategy adoption. We used a multiple case-study design to select physician groups and their health maintenance organization (HMO) contractual partners in 4 markets in the United States (Northwest, Northeast, Midwest, Southwest). Physician groups in these markets were chosen based on size (e50 physicians) and experience with drug risk (e1 year). Physician groups were asked to identify their 3 major HMO contractual partners in each market. Telephone interviews were conducted from January 2000 to June 2001, with the resulting purposive sample of 37 individuals representing 20 physician groups. We found that the level and locus of SAI financial risk were related to the adoption of management strategies. Physician groups with higher financial risk for SAIs adopted more strategies than lower-risk groups. Groups with SAI financial risk in the medical services capitation (MSC) adopted 9.2 strategies per group. In contrast, groups with SAI financial risk in the pharmacy-risk budget (PRB) averaged 1.5 strategies per group. Groups with SAI financial risk in both the MSC and PRB fell in-between, averaging 4.5 strategies per group. The most frequently adopted strategy was designing evidenced-based therapeutic guidelines, i.e., protocols based on evidence from the peer-reviewed literature used to guide physicians in the treatment of typically chronic conditions (9 groups, 45% of sample). The second most common strategy involved adapting the existing utilization management system to process SAIs (7 groups, 35%) and the establishment of office procedures for internal authorization (5 groups, 25%). The

Computerized Tests. New practical and ethical challenges for Psychological Assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriela Susana Lozzia

2013-08-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to bring the readers in our field of knowledge closer to the new problems and solutions resulting from the application of computer systems to Psychological Assessment. Therefore, this work puts forward a suitable implementation of Computer-based and Internet-delivered Testing, includes a description of the new technologies that can be applied to Psychological Assessment: administration of traditional paper-and-pencil tests through computers, elaboration of automated reports, computerized adaptive tests, automated test construction and automatic generation of items, as well as the specific guidelines and regulations governing the development of each of these areas. This study provides an outline of the current issues connected with the appropriate use of Computerized Tests by way of conclusion and finally encourages psychologists to keep debating and reflecting on these topics.

Evidence synthesis to inform model-based cost-effectiveness evaluations of diagnostic tests: a methodological review of health technology assessments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bethany Shinkins

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Evaluations of diagnostic tests are challenging because of the indirect nature of their impact on patient outcomes. Model-based health economic evaluations of tests allow different types of evidence from various sources to be incorporated and enable cost-effectiveness estimates to be made beyond the duration of available study data. To parameterize a health-economic model fully, all the ways a test impacts on patient health must be quantified, including but not limited to diagnostic test accuracy. Methods We assessed all UK NIHR HTA reports published May 2009-July 2015. Reports were included if they evaluated a diagnostic test, included a model-based health economic evaluation and included a systematic review and meta-analysis of test accuracy. From each eligible report we extracted information on the following topics: 1 what evidence aside from test accuracy was searched for and synthesised, 2 which methods were used to synthesise test accuracy evidence and how did the results inform the economic model, 3 how/whether threshold effects were explored, 4 how the potential dependency between multiple tests in a pathway was accounted for, and 5 for evaluations of tests targeted at the primary care setting, how evidence from differing healthcare settings was incorporated. Results The bivariate or HSROC model was implemented in 20/22 reports that met all inclusion criteria. Test accuracy data for health economic modelling was obtained from meta-analyses completely in four reports, partially in fourteen reports and not at all in four reports. Only 2/7 reports that used a quantitative test gave clear threshold recommendations. All 22 reports explored the effect of uncertainty in accuracy parameters but most of those that used multiple tests did not allow for dependence between test results. 7/22 tests were potentially suitable for primary care but the majority found limited evidence on test accuracy in primary care settings

Development of a computerized adaptive test for Schizotypy assessment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduardo Fonseca-Pedrero

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Schizotypal traits in adolescents from the general population represent the behavioral expression of liability for psychotic disorders. Schizotypy assessment in this sector of population has advanced considerably in the last few years; however, it is necessary to incorporate recent advances in psychological and educational measurement. OBJECTIVE: The main goal of this study was to develop a Computerized Adaptive Test (CAT to evaluate schizotypy through "The Oviedo Questionnaire for Schizotypy Assessment" (ESQUIZO-Q, in non-clinical adolescents. METHODS: The final sample consisted of 3,056 participants, 1,469 males, with a mean age of 15.9 years (SD=1.2. RESULTS: The results indicated that the ESQUIZO-Q scores presented adequate psychometric properties under both Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory. The Information Function estimated using the Gradual Response Model indicated that the item pool effectively assesses schizotypy at the high end of the latent trait. The correlation between the CAT total scores and the paper-and-pencil test was 0.92. The mean number of presented items in the CAT with the standard error fixed at ≤ 0.30 was of 34 items. CONCLUSION: The CAT showed adequate psychometric properties for schizotypy assessment in the general adolescent population. The ESQUIZO-Q adaptive version could be used as a screening method for the detection of adolescents at risk for psychosis in both educational and mental health settings.

Bioavailability assessment of contaminants in soils via respiration and nitrification tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hund-Rinke, Kerstin; Simon, Markus

2008-01-01

For the assessment of contaminated soils ecotoxicological tests are used to estimate the bioavailability of contaminants in soil samples. Terrestrial tests reveal the habitat function of soils, and parameters applied in tests involving microorganisms include respiration activity and potential ammonium oxidation. For such tests, the threshold values needed to assess the results have already been established in guidelines ISO 17155 and ISO 15685. In this paper, we discuss about the respiration activity and potential ammonium oxidation results obtained from a wide variety of soils with different physico-chemical properties and levels of contamination. These results show that microbial respiration and potential ammonium oxidation have different sensitivities to various classes of contaminants. We demonstrated that both organic and inorganic contaminants influence potential ammonium oxidation, whereas microbial respiration is predominantly affected by biodegradable organic contaminants. These differences might be useful for more detailed assessments of soil contamination, leading to different recommended actions depending on which parameter is affected. - The paper provides a further criterion for a more detailed assessment of soil contamination, leading to different recommended actions depending on which parameter is affected

Bioavailability assessment of contaminants in soils via respiration and nitrification tests

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hund-Rinke, Kerstin [Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg (Germany)], E-mail: kerstin.hund-rinke@ime.fraunhofer.de; Simon, Markus [Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg (Germany)], E-mail: markus.simon@ime.fraunhofer.de

2008-05-15

For the assessment of contaminated soils ecotoxicological tests are used to estimate the bioavailability of contaminants in soil samples. Terrestrial tests reveal the habitat function of soils, and parameters applied in tests involving microorganisms include respiration activity and potential ammonium oxidation. For such tests, the threshold values needed to assess the results have already been established in guidelines ISO 17155 and ISO 15685. In this paper, we discuss about the respiration activity and potential ammonium oxidation results obtained from a wide variety of soils with different physico-chemical properties and levels of contamination. These results show that microbial respiration and potential ammonium oxidation have different sensitivities to various classes of contaminants. We demonstrated that both organic and inorganic contaminants influence potential ammonium oxidation, whereas microbial respiration is predominantly affected by biodegradable organic contaminants. These differences might be useful for more detailed assessments of soil contamination, leading to different recommended actions depending on which parameter is affected. - The paper provides a further criterion for a more detailed assessment of soil contamination, leading to different recommended actions depending on which parameter is affected.

Assessment of Replacement Bridge using Proof Load Test

Science.gov (United States)

Sundru, Saibabu

2017-11-01

This work begins with an overview of the condition assessment of old bridge and explained reasons for demolishing of the bridge. Briefly presented flexural analysis of two stage post-tensioned prestressed concrete girder, which will be replace the old (new bridge). Construction of I-girder and composite girder at first stage and second stage prestressing respectively is explained with figures. Assessment of the load-caring capacity of the one span of the replacement bridge with simple supports using proof load test is presented which is mandatory according to Indian standards. Weighted sand bags were used to load the bridge up to a predetermined service load with impact factor. Deflections of the I-girders of the bridge were measured at selected locations along and across the bridge span and compared with computed values. Linear response was observed during loading and unloading. Considering the load test results, theoretical estimation and criteria as stipulated in codes of practice, it can be inferred that prestressed concrete I-girder bridge span has adequate capacity to carry the loads and hence, deemed to have passed the test.

Investigating the Dynamics of Formative Assessment: Relationships between Teacher Knowledge, Assessment Practice and Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Herman, Joan; Osmundson, Ellen; Dai, Yunyun; Ringstaff, Cathy; Timms, Michael

2015-01-01

This exploratory study of elementary school science examines questions central to policy, practice and research on formative assessment: What is the quality of teachers' content-pedagogical and assessment knowledge? What is the relationship between teacher knowledge and assessment practice? What is the relationship between teacher knowledge,…

Safety and efficacy of first-line bevacizumab-based therapy in advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (SAiL, MO19390): a phase 4 study.

Science.gov (United States)

Crinò, Lucio; Dansin, Eric; Garrido, Pilar; Griesinger, Frank; Laskin, Janessa; Pavlakis, Nick; Stroiakovski, Daniel; Thatcher, Nick; Tsai, Chun-Ming; Wu, Yi-long; Zhou, Caicun

2010-08-01

Results of two phase 3 trials have shown first-line bevacizumab in combination with chemotherapy improves clinical outcomes in patients with advanced or recurrent non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The SAiL (MO19390) study was undertaken to assess the safety and efficacy of first-line bevacizumab combined with standard chemotherapy regimens in clinical practice. Between August, 2006, and June, 2008, patients with untreated locally advanced, metastatic, or recurrent non-squamous NSCLC were recruited to this open-label, single group, phase 4 study from centres in 40 countries. Eligible patients had histologically or cytologically documented inoperable, locally advanced, metastatic, or recurrent disease (stage IIIB-IV); an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-2; and adequate haematological, hepatic, and renal function. Patients received bevacizumab (7.5 or 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks) plus standard chemotherapy for up to six cycles, followed by single-agent bevacizumab until disease progression. The primary endpoint was safety; analysis was by intention to treat (ITT). This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00451906. At the final data cutoff (July 24, 2009), an ITT population of 2212 patients was assessed. The incidence of clinically significant (grade > or = 3) adverse events of special interest was generally low; thromboembolism occurred in 172 (8%) patients, hypertension in 125 (6%), bleeding in 80 (4%), proteinuria in 67 (3%), and pulmonary haemorrhage in 15 (1%). 57 (3%) patients died because of these adverse events, with thromboembolism (26 patients, 1%) and bleeding (17, 1%) as the most common causes. The most common grade 3 or higher serious adverse events deemed by investigators to be associated with bevacizumab were pulmonary embolism (28 patients; 1%) and epistaxis, neutropenia, febrile neutropenia, and deep vein thrombosis (all of which occurred in 13 patients [1%]). Bevacizumab was temporarily

Testing the Turing Test — do Men Pass It?

Science.gov (United States)

Adam, Ruth; Hershberg, Uri; Schul, Yaacov; Solomon, Sorin

We are fascinated by the idea of giving life to the inanimate. The fields of Artificial Life and Artificial Intelligence (AI) attempt to use a scientific approach to pursue this desire. The first steps on this approach hark back to Turing and his suggestion of an imitation game as an alternative answer to the question "can machines think?".1 To test his hypothesis, Turing formulated the Turing test1 to detect human behavior in computers. But how do humans pass such a test? What would you say if you would learn that they do not pass it well? What would it mean for our understanding of human behavior? What would it mean for our design of tests of the success of artificial life? We report below an experiment in which men consistently failed the Turing test.

Evidence of system: A network model case-study of seventh grade science assessment practices from classrooms to the state test

Science.gov (United States)

Piety, Philip John

With science education in the United States entering a period of greater accountability, this study investigated how student learning in science was assessed by educators within one state, asking what systemic assessment approaches existed and how the information from them was used. Conducted during the 20o6-2007 school year, this research developed and piloted a network-model case study design that included teachers, principals, administrators, and the state test development process, as well as several state-level professional associations. The data analyzed included observations, interviews, surveys, and both public and private documents. Some data were secondary. This design produced an empirical depiction of practice with a web of related cases. The network model expands on the hierarchical (nested) models often assumed in the growing literature on how information is used in educational contexts by showing multiple ways in which individuals are related through organizational structures. Seven case study teachers, each employing assessment methods largely unique and invisible to others in their schools, illustrate one set of assessment practices. The only alternative to classroom assessments that could be documented was the annual state accountability test. These two assessment species were neither tightly coupled nor distinct. Some teachers were partners in developing state test instruments, and in some cases the annual test could be seen as a school management resource. Boundary practices---activities where these two systems connected---were opportunities to identify challenges to policy implementation in science education. The challenges include standards, cognition, vocabulary, and classroom equipment. The boundary practices, along with the web of connections, provide the outlines of potential (and often unrealized) synergistic relationships. This model shows diverse indigenous practices and adaptations by actors responding to pressures of change and

Use of test results from the percolation leaching test (TS3) in the framework of the Construction Products Directive

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Zomeren, A.; Dijkstra, J.J. [ECN Environment and Energy Engineering, Petten (Netherlands); Mesman, M.; Spijker, J. [National Institute for Public Health and the Environment RIVM, Bilthoven (Netherlands); Eikelboom, R. [Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment IenM, Den Haag (Netherlands)

2013-10-15

The enforcement of the European Construction Products Directive (and the more actual Construction Products Regulation) has led to the development of European harmonised standards for assessment of the emission of 'dangerous substances' from construction materials. According to Basic Working Requirement (BWR) number 3, the emissions from construction products to soil and groundwater should not have an unacceptable impact on the environmental quality over the life cycle of the product. In this paper the technical needs and boundary conditions of leaching tests to obtain meaningful and reliable test results are explained. Although this paper will not go into detail on 'impact assessment' and the resulting development of regulatory criteria, we will show that the technical needs and boundary conditions of a test are to some extent dependent on what type of information is needed by regulators for environmental impact assessment. This short paper focuses on explaining the principles of testing leaching behaviour of aggregates, and briefly explains the leaching of size reduced and non-size reduced particles. It provides information for the actual discussions on size reduction before leaching tests.

Assessing Believability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Togelius, Julian; Yannakakis, Georgios N.; Karakovskiy, Sergey

2012-01-01

(or at least complementary) assessment might be made by an external observer that does not participate in the game, through comparing and ranking the performance of human and non-human agents playing a game. This assessment philosophy was embodied in the Turing Test Track of the recent Mario AI......We discuss what it means for a non-player character (NPC) to be believable or human-like, and how we can accurately assess believability. We argue that participatory observation, where the human assessing believability takes part in the game, is prone to distortion effects. For many games, a fairer...... Championship, where non-expert bystanders evaluated the human-likeness of several agents and humans playing a version of Super Mario Bros. We analyze the results of this competition. Finally, we discuss the possibilities for forming models of believability and of maximizing believability through adjusting game...

Test Methodologies for Hydrogen Sensor Performance Assessment: Chamber vs. Flow Through Test Apparatus: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buttner, William J [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Hartmann, Kevin S [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Schmidt, Kara [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Cebolla, Rafeal O [Joint Research Centre, Petten, the Netherlands; Weidner, Eveline [Joint Research Centre, Petten, the Netherlands; Bonato, Christian [Joint Research Centre, Petten, the Netherlands

2017-11-06

Certification of hydrogen sensors to standards often prescribes using large-volume test chambers [1, 2]. However, feedback from stakeholders such as sensor manufacturers and end-users indicate that chamber test methods are often viewed as too slow and expensive for routine assessment. Flow through test methods potentially are an efficient, cost-effective alternative for sensor performance assessment. A large number of sensors can be simultaneously tested, in series or in parallel, with an appropriate flow through test fixture. The recent development of sensors with response times of less than 1s mandates improvements in equipment and methodology to properly capture the performance of this new generation of fast sensors; flow methods are a viable approach for accurate response and recovery time determinations, but there are potential drawbacks. According to ISO 26142 [1], flow through test methods may not properly simulate ambient applications. In chamber test methods, gas transport to the sensor can be dominated by diffusion which is viewed by some users as mimicking deployment in rooms and other confined spaces. Alternatively, in flow through methods, forced flow transports the gas to the sensing element. The advective flow dynamics may induce changes in the sensor behaviour relative to the quasi-quiescent condition that may prevail in chamber test methods. One goal of the current activity in the JRC and NREL sensor laboratories [3, 4] is to develop a validated flow through apparatus and methods for hydrogen sensor performance testing. In addition to minimizing the impact on sensor behaviour induced by differences in flow dynamics, challenges associated with flow through methods include the ability to control environmental parameters (humidity, pressure and temperature) during the test and changes in the test gas composition induced by chemical reactions with upstream sensors. Guidelines on flow through test apparatus design and protocols for the evaluation of

Intelligence of visually impaired children : assessment considerations

OpenAIRE

Gabrialavičiūtė, Ingrida

2007-01-01

Problems and possibilities assessing intellectual abilities of visually impaired children are addressed in the article. In other countries, usually there are few or no nationally standardized tests available for use with this population. Therefore parts of available instruments designed for normally sighted children are used. Sometimes test procedures or stimuli are modified what affects the validity of the results and they need to be interpreted with caution. Intellectual abilities of Lithua...

Media, messages, and medication: strategies to reconcile what patients hear, what they want, and what they need from medications.

Science.gov (United States)

Kravitz, Richard L; Bell, Robert A

2013-01-01

Over the past 30 years, patients' options for accessing information about prescription drugs have expanded dramatically. In this narrative review, we address four questions: (1) What information sources are patients exposed to, and are they paying attention? (2) Is the information they hear credible and accurate? (3) When patients ask for a prescription, what do they really want and need? Finally, (4) How can physicians reconcile what patients hear, want, and need? A critical synthesis of the literature is reported. Observations indicate that the public is generally aware of and attends to a growing body of health information resources, including traditional news media, advertising, and social networking. However, lay audiences often have no reliable way to assess the accuracy of health information found in the media, on the Internet, or in direct-to-consumer advertising. This inability to assess the information can lead to decision paralysis, with patients questioning what is known, what is knowable, and what their physicians know. Many patients have specific expectations for the care they wish to receive and have little difficulty making those expectations known. However, there are hazards in assuming that patients' expressed desires are direct reflections of their underlying wants or needs. In trying to reconcile patients' wants and needs for information about prescription medicines, a combination of policy and clinical initiatives may offer greater promise than either approach alone. Patients are bombarded by information about medicines. The problem is not a lack of information; rather, it is knowing what information to trust. Making sure patients get the medications they need and are prepared to take them safely requires a combination of policy and clinical interventions.

Field assessment of soil structural quality - a development of the Peerlkamp test

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ball, B C; Batey, T; Munkholm, Lars Juhl

2007-01-01

properties (bulk density, penetration resistance and porosity) and crop growth. Indicative thresholds of soil management are suggested. The assessment should be viewed as complementary to conventional laboratory assessments of soil structure. Visual soil structure assessment can indicate to the soil......Increased awareness of the role of soil structure in defining the physical fertility or quality of soil has led to the need for a simple assessment relevant to the environmental and economic sustainability of soil productivity. A test is required that is usable by farmer, consultant and researcher...... alike. Here an assessment of soil structure quality (Sq) is described which is based on a visual key linked to criteria chosen to be as objective as possible. The influences of operator, tillage and crop type on Sq value were tested. The test takes 5-15 min per location and enough replicates were...

What citizens think about the police: assessing actual and wished-for frequency of police activities in one's neighbourhood

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Salmi, S.; Voeten, M.J.M.; Keskinen, E.

2005-01-01

The aim of the study was to find out what were citizens' assessments of actual and wished-for frequencies of 12 police activities in two typical Finnish neighbourhoods. Data were collected from 3271 adults and 986 young people with a mail questionnaire. Actual and wished-for frequencies were

Determination of the number of software tests using probabilistic safety assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, H. K.; Seong, T. Y.; Lee, K. Y.

2000-01-01

The broader usage of digital equipment in nuclear power plants gives rise to the safety problems of software. The field test should be performed before the software is used in critical applications because it is well known that software shows non-linear response when it is applied to different target systems in different environment. In the case of safety-critical applications, the result of tests contains usually zero failure case and the satisfiable number of tests is hard to be determined. In this paper, we suggests the method to determine the number of software tests without failure using the probabilistic safety assessment. From the result of the probabilistic safety assessment on total system, the desirable unavailability of software is calculated and the number of tests is determined

What To Look for in ESL Admission Tests: Cambridge Certificate Exams, IELTS, and TOEFL.

Science.gov (United States)

Chalhoub-Deville, Micheline; Turner, Carolyn E.

2000-01-01

Familiarizes test users with issues to consider when employing assessments for screening and admission purposes. Examines the purpose, content, and scoring methods of three English-as-a-Second-Language admissions tests--the Cambridge certificate exams, International English Language Teaching System, and Test of English as a Foreign…

The Role of Alternative Testing Strategies in Environmental Risk Assessment of Engineered Nanomaterials

OpenAIRE

Hjorth, Rune; Holden, Patricia; Hansen, Steffen Foss; Colman, Ben; Grieger, Khara; Hendren, Christine

2017-01-01

Within toxicology there is a pressure to find new test systems and organisms to replace, reduce and refine animal testing. In nanoecotoxicology the need for alternative testing strategies (ATS) is further emphasized as the validity of tests and risk assessment practices developed for dissolved chemicals are challenged. Nonetheless, standardized whole organism animal testing is still considered the gold standard for environmental risk assessment. Advancing risk analysis of engineered nanomater...

[Relationship of insight with depression and suicidal ideation in psychotic disorders].

Science.gov (United States)

Patelaros, E; Zournatzis, E; Kontstantakopoulos, G

2015-01-01

The associations of insight into psychosis (i.e., awareness of illness) with clinical variables have been examined by a great number of studies. Most of these studies revealed that the level of insight is negatively correlated with psychotic symptoms but positively correlated with depression and suicidal ideation. The aim of this study was to test these findings in a Greek sample of patients. Forty-three outpatients (30 men and 13 women) with schizophrenia or delusional disorder being followed up at the Mental Health Centre of Kavala took part in the study. Patients with bipolar or schizoaffective disorder were excluded. Patients' mean age was 40.7 years and the mean duration of illness was 18.67 years. All participants were under treatment and clinically stable at the time of the study. We used the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) for the assessment of positive and negative symptoms, the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight-Expanded (SAI-E) to assess the insight into psychosis, and the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) for the evaluation of depression recording separately the score for item 10 as an estimate of suicidal ideation. All the scales used have been adapted to Greek population. We used Spearman rho coefficient to assess the strength of correlations between the scales because the distributions of some scores were not normal. In order to assess the predictive value of insight for depression and suicidal ideation, we used hierarchical linear regression analysis. Correlation coefficients between SAI-E and the clinical scales of psychopathology, depression and suicide ideation was statistically significant at the pregression analysis showed that our model of positive and negative psychopathology and insight explained 47.4% of the variance of depression and 32.2% of the variance of suicidal ideation. The predictive value of insight was critically important, because only after the introduction of the SAI-E score in the analysis our

Assessment of strength characteristics of Al2024 ECAP metal using small punch testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma, Young Wha; Choi, Jeong Woo; Yoon, Kee Bong; Kim, Seon Hwa

2006-01-01

When subjected to severe shear deformation by ECAP, microstructure of Al2024 becomes extremely refined. To measure the strength of that, Small Punch(SP) testing method was adopted as a substitute for the conventional uniaxial tensile testing because the size of material processed by ECAP were limited to ψ12 mm in transverse direction. SP tests were performed with specimens in longitudinal and transverse directions of Al2024 ECAP metal. For comparing the strength values with those assessed by SP tests, uniaxial tensile tests were also conducted with specimens in longitudinal direction. Failure surfaces of the tested SP specimens showed that failure mode was shear deformation and Al2024 ECAP metal has an anisotropy in strength. Thus, conventional equations proposed for assessing the strength characteristics were improper to assess those of Al2024 ECAP metal. In this paper a way of assessing the strength of Al2024 ECAP metal was proposed and was proven to be effective

Assessment of three cuban sites for testing resistance to sugarcane mosaic virus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yaquelin Puchades

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Sugarcane mosaic disease is amongst the world’s most important diseases affecting sugarcane worldwide. The objective was to assess the environmental conditions of the sites where the test for SCMV resistance is done. Multi-environment trial Data were analyzed using a Principal Components Analysis Eighteen sugarcane genotypes s were evaluated from the main testing sites in Cuba (Jovellanos, Florida, Mayarí . The information of the climatic conditions was recorded at local weather stations. The assessment of the sites was done by analyzing the main components. Results showed that the testing sites were different from one another, and proved that the environment strongly influences on the mosaic symptom manifestation. PCA was an excellent procedure to assess the testing sites .for SCMV resistance.

WhatsApp Messenger is useful and reproducible in the assessment of tibial plateau fractures: inter- and intra-observer agreement study.

Science.gov (United States)

Giordano, Vincenzo; Koch, Hilton Augusto; Mendes, Carlos Henrique; Bergamin, André; de Souza, Felipe Serrão; do Amaral, Ney Pecegueiro

2015-02-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the inter- and intra-observer agreement in the initial diagnosis and classification by means of plain radiographs and CT scans of tibial plateau fractures photographed and sent via WhatsApp Messenger. The increasing popularity of smartphones has driven the development of technology for data transmission and imaging and generated a growing interest in the use of these devices as diagnostic tools. The emergence of WhatsApp Messenger technology, which is available for various platforms used by smartphones, has led to an improvement in the quality and resolution of images sent and received. The images (plain radiographs and CT scans) were obtained from 13 cases of tibial plateau fractures using the iPhone 5 (Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, USA) and were sent to six observers via the WhatsApp Messenger application. The observers were asked to determine the standard deviation and type of injury, the classification according to the Schatzker and the Luo classifications schemes, and whether the CT scan changed the classification. The six observers independently assessed the images on two separate occasions, 15 days apart. The inter- and intra-observer agreement for both periods of the study ranged from excellent to perfect (0.75WhatsApp Messenger. The authors now propose the systematic use of the application to facilitate faster documentation and obtaining the opinion of an experienced consultant when not on call. Finally, we think the use of the WhatsApp Messenger as an adjuvant tool could be broadened to other clinical centres to assess its viability in other skeletal and non-skeletal trauma situations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The contribution of environmental isotopes to studies of large aquifers in Morocco

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kabbaj, A.; Zeryouhi, I.; Carlier, Ph.

1979-01-01

The geochemistry of environmental isotopes has been used for the study of various aquifers in Morocco, some of which are large, such as the Charf el Akab in the Tangiers area, the Oum er Rbia basin and the Turonian aquifer of the Tadla, the free groundwater of the Quaternary lacustrine limestones of the Sais Plain and the Lias limestone aquifer. These isotope studies take hydrogeochemical data into account and have made it possible to determine the conditions of recharge of the aquifers, to distinguish waters of different origin from the Atlas Mountains or from the Phosphate Plateau in the Tadla Basin and the Sais plain, to estimate the recharge of one aquifer by another - for example groundwater of the Lias limestones passing via the folds of the Sais Plain into the lacustrine limestone aquifer - and to test the homogeneity or heterogeneity of these aquifers and their tightness (e.g. the Turonian aquifer of the Tadla and the special case of the Charf el Akab in relation to the marine environment). Altogether, these results made it possible to test the value of the techniques used and to specify the general conditions in which they can profitably be used. (author)

Affirmative Psychological Testing and Neurocognitive Assessment with Transgender Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Keo-Meier, Colton L; Fitzgerald, Kara M

2017-03-01

Neither consensus on best practice nor validated neuropsychological, intelligence, or personality testing batteries exist for assessment and psychological testing on the transgender population. Historically, assessment has been used in a gate-keeping fashion with transgender clients. There are no firm standards of care when considering the content and appropriateness of evaluations conducted presurgically. These evaluations are discussed in the setting of other presurgical evaluations, with a recommendation to move toward a competency to make a medical decisions model. Additional considerations are discussed, such as effects of transition on mood and how to interpret scores in a field where normative data are often gender stratified. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessing Student Understanding of Physical Hydrology

Science.gov (United States)

Castillo, A. J.; Marshall, J.; Cardenas, M. B.

2012-12-01

Our objective is to characterize and assess upper division and graduate student thinking by developing and testing an assessment tool for a physical hydrology class. The class' learning goals are: (1) Quantitative process-based understanding of hydrologic processes, (2) Experience with different methods in hydrology, (3) Learning, problem solving, communication skills. These goals were translated into two measurable tasks asked of students in a questionnaire: (1) Describe the significant processes in the hydrological cycle and (2) Describe laws governing these processes. A third question below assessed the students' ability to apply their knowledge: You have been hired as a consultant by __ to (1) assess how urbanization and the current drought have affected a local spring and (2) predict what the effects will be in the future if the drought continues. What information would you need to gather? What measurements would you make? What analyses would you perform? Student and expert responses to the questions were then used to develop a rubric to score responses. Using the rubric, 3 researchers independently blind-coded the full set of pre and post artifacts, resulting in 89% inter-rater agreement on the pre-tests and 83% agreement on the post-tests. We present student scores to illustrate the use of the rubric and to characterize student thinking prior to and following a traditional course. Most students interpreted Q1 in terms of physical processes affecting the water cycle, the primary organizing framework for hydrology, as intended. On the pre-test, one student scored 0, indicating no response, on this question. Twenty students scored 1, indicating rudimentary understanding, 2 students scored a 2, indicating a basic understanding, and no student scored a 3. Student scores on this question improved on the post-test. On the 22 post-tests that were blind scored, 11 students demonstrated some recognition of concepts, 9 students showed a basic understanding, and 2

Cluster Detection Tests in Spatial Epidemiology: A Global Indicator for Performance Assessment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aline Guttmann

Full Text Available In cluster detection of disease, the use of local cluster detection tests (CDTs is current. These methods aim both at locating likely clusters and testing for their statistical significance. New or improved CDTs are regularly proposed to epidemiologists and must be subjected to performance assessment. Because location accuracy has to be considered, performance assessment goes beyond the raw estimation of type I or II errors. As no consensus exists for performance evaluations, heterogeneous methods are used, and therefore studies are rarely comparable. A global indicator of performance, which assesses both spatial accuracy and usual power, would facilitate the exploration of CDTs behaviour and help between-studies comparisons. The Tanimoto coefficient (TC is a well-known measure of similarity that can assess location accuracy but only for one detected cluster. In a simulation study, performance is measured for many tests. From the TC, we here propose two statistics, the averaged TC and the cumulated TC, as indicators able to provide a global overview of CDTs performance for both usual power and location accuracy. We evidence the properties of these two indicators and the superiority of the cumulated TC to assess performance. We tested these indicators to conduct a systematic spatial assessment displayed through performance maps.

Cluster Detection Tests in Spatial Epidemiology: A Global Indicator for Performance Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Guttmann, Aline; Li, Xinran; Feschet, Fabien; Gaudart, Jean; Demongeot, Jacques; Boire, Jean-Yves; Ouchchane, Lemlih

2015-01-01

In cluster detection of disease, the use of local cluster detection tests (CDTs) is current. These methods aim both at locating likely clusters and testing for their statistical significance. New or improved CDTs are regularly proposed to epidemiologists and must be subjected to performance assessment. Because location accuracy has to be considered, performance assessment goes beyond the raw estimation of type I or II errors. As no consensus exists for performance evaluations, heterogeneous methods are used, and therefore studies are rarely comparable. A global indicator of performance, which assesses both spatial accuracy and usual power, would facilitate the exploration of CDTs behaviour and help between-studies comparisons. The Tanimoto coefficient (TC) is a well-known measure of similarity that can assess location accuracy but only for one detected cluster. In a simulation study, performance is measured for many tests. From the TC, we here propose two statistics, the averaged TC and the cumulated TC, as indicators able to provide a global overview of CDTs performance for both usual power and location accuracy. We evidence the properties of these two indicators and the superiority of the cumulated TC to assess performance. We tested these indicators to conduct a systematic spatial assessment displayed through performance maps. PMID:26086911

Student Engagement in Assessments: What Students and Teachers Find Engaging

Science.gov (United States)

Bae, Soung; Kokka, Kari

2016-01-01

Although research has shown that student engagement is strongly related to performance on assessment tasks, especially for traditionally underserved subgroups of students, increasing student engagement has not been the goal of standardized tests of content knowledge. Recent state and federal policies, however, are changing the assessment…

Designing Accountability Assessments for Teaching

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William D. Schafer

2004-07-01

Full Text Available We argue (1 that the domains of externally mandated tests should be transparent to teachers, (2 that..test maps can be used to communicate with teachers, and (3 that the most effective test maps express..domains in terms of combinations of what students know and can do. We propose a device called a..heuristic as the lowest level of specificity in a test map, and criteria to achieve a balance between too..much specificity and too much generality in heuristics. Although we focus primarily on summative..assessments, we also discuss how a state may use related, teacher-developed formative assessments to..foster information-rich classroom environments. Other than item bank structure and sampling, our..suggestions would have little impact on how tests are developed or scored, but we believe they would..have a large impact on how they are described and used, and ultimately on their effectiveness as..agents of instructional reform.

In what sense a neutron star-black hole binary is the holy grail for testing gravity?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bagchi, Manjari; Torres, Diego F.

2014-01-01

Pulsars in binary systems have been very successful to test the validity of general relativity in the strong field regime [1-4]. So far, such binaries include neutron star-white dwarf (NS-WD) and neutron star-neutron star (NS-NS) systems. It is commonly believed that a neutron star-black hole (NS-BH) binary will be much superior for this purpose. But in what sense is this true? Does it apply to all possible deviations?

Blood Test: Lead (For Parents)

Science.gov (United States)

... Staying Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Blood Test: Lead KidsHealth / For Parents / Blood Test: Lead What's ... español Análisis de sangre: plomo What Is a Blood Test? A blood test is when a sample of ...

Assessment of Mental Status.

Science.gov (United States)

Finney, Glen R; Minagar, Alireza; Heilman, Kenneth M

2016-02-01

Assessing the mental status of patients with a neurobehavioral disorder is a critical element in the diagnosis and treatment of these patients. This assessment should always be performed after the patient's history it taken and a general physical as well as a neurologic examination is completed. The mental status examination commences with observing the patient's appearance and level of consciousness. The examiner should also pay attention to patient's social behavior, emotional state and mood. There are 3 major means of assessing a patient's mental status. One type attempts to determine if the patient is demented and the severity of the dementia as it pertains to their ability to perform activities of daily living as well as instrumental activities. A second type of assessment utilizes what may be termed as "screening tests" or "omnibus tests". These brief tests are performed independent of the patient's history and examination. The two most frequently used screening tests are the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The third means of assessing a patient's mental status is by using specific neuropsychological tests that focus on specific domains of cognition, such as frontal executive functions, attention, episodic verbal and visuospatial memory, declarative knowledge such as language (speech, reading and writing) and arithmetical, as well as visuospatial and perceptual abilities. These neurobehavioral, neuropsychiatric and neuropsychological assessments of patients with a cognitive decline and behavioral abnormalities should often be accompanied by laboratory tests, and neuroimaging that can help determine the underlying pathologic process so that effective therapeutic and management approaches can be provided. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hemoglobin Test: MedlinePlus Lab Test Information

Science.gov (United States)

... page: https://medlineplus.gov/labtests/hemoglobintest.html Hemoglobin Test To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. What is a Hemoglobin Test? A hemoglobin test measures the levels of hemoglobin ...

Amylase Test: MedlinePlus Lab Test Information

Science.gov (United States)

... page: https://medlineplus.gov/labtests/amylasetest.html Amylase Test To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. What is an Amylase Test? An amylase test measures the amount of amylase ...

Hematocrit Test: MedlinePlus Lab Test Information

Science.gov (United States)

... page: https://medlineplus.gov/labtests/hematocrittest.html Hematocrit Test To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. What is a Hematocrit Test? A hematocrit test is a type of blood ...

Procalcitonin Test: MedlinePlus Lab Test Information

Science.gov (United States)

... page: https://medlineplus.gov/labtests/procalcitonintest.html Procalcitonin Test To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. What is a Procalcitonin Test? A procalcitonin test measures the level of procalcitonin ...

Biaxial testing for nuclear grade graphite by ball on three balls assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohd Reusmaazran Yusof; Yusof Abdullah

2012-01-01

Nuclear grade (high-purity) graphite for fuel element and moderator material in Advanced Gas Cooling Reactors (AGR) displays large scatter in strength and a non-linear stress-strain response from the damage accumulation. These responses can be characterized as quasi-brittle behaviour. Current assessments of fracture in core graphite components are based on the linear elastic approximation and thus represent a major assumption. The quasi-brittle behaviour gives challenge to assess the real nuclear graphite component. The selected test method would help to bridge the gap between microscale to macro-scale in real reactor component. The small scale tests presented here can contribute some statistical data to manifests the failure in real component. The evaluation and choice of different solution design of biaxial test will be discussed in this paper. The ball on-three ball test method was used for assessment test follows by numerous of analytical method. The results shown that biaxial strength of the EY9 grade graphite depends on the method used for evaluation. Some of the analytical methods use to calculate biaxial strength were found not to be valid and therefore should not be used to assess the mechanical properties of nuclear graphite. (author)

Double Trait Assessment Test Battery for Air Force Pilots

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Tarnowski, Adam

1998-01-01

Building on years of theoretical discussions as well as diagnostic experience in the Polish Air Force Institute of Aviation Medicine, a battery of psychological tests was proposed for the assessment...

MOODLE XML TO IMS QTI ASSESSMENT TEST PORTABILITY ON LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

OpenAIRE

Kautsar, Irwan Alnarus; Kubota, Shin-Ichiro; Musashi, Yasuo; Sugitani, Kenichi

2013-01-01

Learning Management Systems (i.e. LMS) is one of the most popular solutions towards the e-Learning objective in different universities all around the world, where this environments are used to not only deliver contents but to perform assessments, tests and other tasks related to learning. Although, there are popular LMS such as Moodle, and more developed, such as Chamilo, there is no assessment/test portability among their LMS. Each assessment export formats make difficult to transfer well do...

Testing-Context Analysis: Assessment Is Just Another Part of Language Curriculum Development

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, James Dean

2008-01-01

In keeping with the theme of the International Language Testing Association/Language Testing Research Colloquium Conference in 2008, "Focusing on the Core: Justifying the Use of Language Assessments to Stakeholders," I define "stakeholder-friendly tests," "defensible testing," and "testing-context analysis."…

В Венеций раздали лвов Святого Марка / Борис Тух

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Тух, Борис, 1946-

2008-01-01

65. Veneetsia filmifestivali auhinnasaajad. Peauhinna sai Darren Aronofsky "Maadleja" ("The Wrestler"), lavastaja Hõbelõvi sai Aleksei German filmiga "Pabersõdur" ("Bumazhnõi soldat"), meesnäitleja auhinna sai Silvio Orlando itaallase Pupi Avati filmist "Papa di Giovanni, II". Lisatud võitjate nimekiri

Lutshim dizaineram vrutshenõ premii Bruno / Tiina Kolk

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kolk, Tiina

2008-01-01

26. septembril tehti Arhitektuuri- ja disainigaleriis teatavaks Eesti disainiauhinna Bruno võitjad. Parima tootedisaini preemia sai Mare Kelpman, parima disainiprojekti eest sai preemia Tarmo Luisk ja eeskujuliku design management'i eest sai preemia ByRoller. Rahvusvahelisse žürii koosseis. Kommenteerib Ilona Gurjanova

Laureatõ premii "Zolotoi Oven"

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2003-01-01

Parima filmi auhinna "Zolotoi Oven" võitis Andrei Zvjagintsevi "Tagasitulek" ("Vozvrashtshenije"), Vadim Abdrashitovi "Magnettormid" ("Magnitnõje buri") sai parima režissööri ja parima stsenaristi auhinna (Aleksandr Mindadze), Pjotr Buslovi "Bumer" sai vaid muusikaauhinna (Sergei Shnurov). Parim meesnäitleja oli Viktor Suhhorukov ("Vaene, vaene Paul") ja naisnäitleja Maria Zvonarjeva A. Proshkini "Trios". A. Sokurovi "Isa ja poeg" sai vaid kunstnikuauhinna (Natalja Kotshergina). Inna Tshurikova sai kõrvalosa auhinna ("S: Govoruhhini "Blagoslovite zhenshtshinu")

Performance Testing of Cutting Fluids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Belluco, Walter

The importance of cutting fluid performance testing has increased with documentation requirements of new cutting fluid formulations based on more sustainable products, as well as cutting with minimum quantity of lubrication and dry cutting. Two sub-problems have to be solved: i) which machining...... tests feature repeatability, reproducibility and sensitivity to cutting fluids, and ii) to what extent results of one test ensure relevance to a wider set of machining situations. The present work is aimed at assessing the range of validity of the different testing methods, investigating correlation...... within the whole range of operations, materials, cutting fluids, operating conditions, etc. Cutting fluid performance was evaluated in turning, drilling, reaming and tapping, and with respect to tool life, cutting forces, chip formation and product quality (dimensional accuracy and surface integrity...

Microscopic assessment of bone toughness using scratch tests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amrita Kataruka

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Bone is a composite material with five distinct structural levels: collagen molecules, mineralized collagen fibrils, lamellae, osteon and whole bone. However, most fracture testing methods have been limited to the macroscopic scale and there is a need for advanced characterization methods to assess toughness at the osteon level and below. The goal of this investigation is to present a novel framework to measure the fracture properties of bone at the microscopic scale using scratch testing. A rigorous experimental protocol is articulated and applied to examine cortical bone specimens from porcine femurs. The observed fracture behavior is very complex: we observe a strong anisotropy of the response with toughening mechanisms and a competition between plastic flow and brittle fracture. The challenge consists then in applying nonlinear fracture mechanics methods such as the J-integral or the energetic Size Effect Law to quantify the fracture toughness in a rigorous fashion. Our result suggests that mixed-mode fracture is instrumental in determining the fracture resistance. There is also a pronounced coupling between fracture and elasticity. Our methodology opens the door to fracture assessment at multiple structural levels, microscopic and potentially nanometer length scale, due to the scalability of scratch tests.

Central cholinergic dysfunction could be associated with oropharyngeal dysphagia in early Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kyung Duck; Koo, Jung Hoi; Song, Sun Hong; Jo, Kwang Deog; Lee, Moon Kyu; Jang, Wooyoung

2015-11-01

Dysphagia is an important issue in the prognosis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Although several studies have reported that oropharyngeal dysphagia may be associated with cognitive dysfunction, the exact relationship between cortical function and swallowing function in PD patients is unclear. Therefore, we investigated the association between an electrophysiological marker of central cholinergic function, which reflected cognitive function, and swallowing function, as measured by videofluoroscopic studies (VFSS). We enrolled 29 early PD patients. Using the Swallowing Disturbance Questionnaire (SDQ), we divided the enrolled patients into two groups: PD with dysphagia and PD without dysphagia. The videofluoroscopic dysphagia scale (VDS) was applied to explore the nature of the dysphagia. To assess central cholinergic dysfunction, short latency afferent inhibition (SAI) was evaluated. We analyzed the relationship between central cholinergic dysfunction and oropharyngeal dysphagia and investigated the characteristics of the dysphagia. The SAI values were significantly different between the two groups. The comparison of each VFSS component between the PD with dysphagia group and the PD without dysphagia group showed statistical significance for most of the oral phase components and for a single pharyngeal phase component. The total score on the VDS was higher in the PD with dysphagia group than in the PD without dysphagia group. The Mini-Mental State Examination and SAI values showed significant correlations with the total score of the oral phase components. According to binary logistic regression analysis, SAI value independently contributed to the presence of dysphagia in PD patients. Our findings suggest that cholinergic dysfunction is associated with dysphagia in early PD and that an abnormal SAI value is a good biomarker for predicting the risk of dysphagia in PD patients.

Seedling imaging analysis and traditional tests to assess okra seed vigor

OpenAIRE

Kikuti,Ana Lúcia Pereira; Marcos-Filho,Júlio

2013-01-01

Seed vigor testing is an important component of quality control programs adopted by seed industry. The software Seed Vigor Imaging System (SVIS) has been successfully used for seed vigor assessment in different species. The objective of this research was to verify the SVIS efficiency to assess okra seed vigor in comparison to other vigor tests used for this species. Five seed lots of 'Clemson Americano' and four of 'Santa Cruz' were submitted to germination (speed and percentage), cold germin...

Diagnostic assessment of the heart after infarction: what is the role of magnetic resonance imaging?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kivelitz, D.E.; Taupitz, M.; Hamm, B.

1999-01-01

There have been considerable advances in the diagnostic assessment of the heart by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in recent years. Thus, MRI as a one-stop shop modality for the comprehensive noninvasive evaluation of coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction may soon become a reality. This article presents an overview of the present possibilities and future potential of evaluating myocardial anatomy, function, perfusion, and coronary anatomy after myocardial infarction. Cine MRI provides a reliable analysis of regional and global disturbances of cardiac wall motion with a high temporal and spatial resolution. Tagging techniques permit the noninvasive labelling of parts of the myocardium and the identification of three-dimensional patterns of contraction. Myocardial perfusion and disturbed wall motion under pharmacologic stress can be reliably assessed by MRI as well. What is unique is the visualization of myocardial edema, which is made possible by the high soft-tissue contrast resolution. The as yet limited potential to assess coronary arteries and coronary bypasses is likewise discussed. (orig.) [de

Assessment of moral judgment and empathy in young sex offenders: a comparison of clinical judgment and test results.

Science.gov (United States)

van Vugt, Eveline; Asscher, Jessica; Hendriks, Jan; Stams, Geert Jan; Bijleveld, Catrien; van der Laan, Peter

2012-10-01

Professional decision making in forensic clinical practice may have lifelong consequences for offenders. Although information on moral development is important for prediction of reoffending and referral to adequate treatment, conclusions regarding moral development are still largely based on unstructured clinical judgment instead of assessment instruments. For this study, the authors examined to what extent unstructured clinical judgment of both moral judgment and victim empathy concurred with test results in a group of young sex offenders. Moral judgment was measured with the Sociomoral Reflection Measure-Short Form (SRM-SF), whereas victim empathy was measured with an extended version of the Basic Empathy Scale (BES). No significant associations were found between clinical judgment of moral judgment and the mean scores on the SRM-SF. However, clinical judgment of victim empathy was significantly associated with victim empathy on the Victim Empathy Scale but not consistently in the expected direction. Juvenile sex offenders, who were judged by clinicians to show little victim empathy, displayed lower mean scores on the Victim Empathy Scale than juvenile sex offenders who were evaluated to lack victim empathy or to have intact victim empathy. This study showed unstructured clinical judgment of moral development not to concur with test results. To improve decision-making processes regarding moral development, clinicians are advised to rely on instruments that assess moral development to inform clinical judgment. Further research is needed to examine which predictions are more accurate and to establish the predictive validity of moral development evaluations.

What women want. Women's preferences for the management of low-grade abnormal cervical screening tests: a systematic review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frederiksen, Maria Eiholm; Lynge, E; Rebolj, M

2012-01-01

Please cite this paper as: Frederiksen M, Lynge E, Rebolj M. What women want. Women's preferences for the management of low-grade abnormal cervical screening tests: a systematic review. BJOG 2011; DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2011.03130.x. Background If human papillomavirus (HPV) testing will replace...... cytology in primary cervical screening, the frequency of low-grade abnormal screening tests will double. Several available alternatives for the follow-up of low-grade abnormal screening tests have similar outcomes. In this situation, women's preferences have been proposed as a guide for management....... Selection criteria Studies asking women to state a preference between active follow-up and observation for the management of low-grade abnormalities on screening cytology or HPV tests. Data collection and analysis Information on study design, participants and outcomes was retrieved using a prespecified form...

MELCOR 1.8.2 Assessment: IET direct containment heating tests

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kmetyk, L.N.

1993-10-01

MELCOR is a fully integrated, engineering-level computer code, being developed at Sandia National Laboratories for the USNRC, that models the entire spectrum of severe accident phenomena in a unified framework for both BWRs and PWRS. As part of an ongoing assessment program, the MELCOR computer code has been used to analyze several of the IET direct containment heating experiments done at 1:10 linear scale in the Surtsey test facility at Sandia and at 1:40 linear scale in the corium-water thermal interactions (CWTI) COREXIT test facility at Argonne National Laboratory. These MELCOR calculations were done as an open post-test study, with both the experimental data and CONTAIN results available to guide the selection of code input. Basecase MELCOR results are compared to test data in order to evaluate the new HPME DCH model recently added in MELCOR version 1.8.2. The effect of various user-input parameters in the HPME model, which define both the initial debris source and the subsequent debris interaction, were investigated in sensitivity studies. In addition, several other non-default input modelling changes involving other MELCOR code packages were required in our IET assessment analyses in order to reproduce the observed experiment behavior. Several calculations were done to identify whether any numeric effects exist in our DCH IET assessment analyses.

EEG INTERFACE MODULE FOR COGNITIVE ASSESSMENT THROUGH NEUROPHYSIOLOGIC TESTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kundan Lal Verma

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The cognitive signal processing is one of the important interdisciplinary field came from areas of life sciences, psychology, psychiatry, engi-neering, mathematics, physics, statistics and many other fields of research. Neurophysiologic tests are utilized to assess and treat brain injury, dementia, neurological conditions, and useful to investigate psychological and psychiatric disorders. This paper presents an ongoing research work on development of EEG interface device based on the principles of cognitive assessments and instrumentation. The method proposed engineering and science of cogni-tive signal processing in case of brain computer in-terface based neurophysiologic tests. The future scope of this study is to build a low cost EEG device for various clinical and pre-clinical applications with specific emphasis to measure the effect of cognitive action on human brain.

e-Learning in Advanced Life Support-What factors influence assessment outcome?

Science.gov (United States)

Thorne, C J; Lockey, A S; Kimani, P K; Bullock, I; Hampshire, S; Begum-Ali, S; Perkins, G D

2017-05-01

To establish variables which are associated with favourable Advanced Life Support (ALS) course assessment outcomes, maximising learning effect. Between 1 January 2013 and 30 June 2014, 8218 individuals participated in a Resuscitation Council (UK) e-learning Advanced Life Support (e-ALS) course. Participants completed 5-8h of online e-learning prior to attending a one day face-to-face course. e-Learning access data were collected through the Learning Management System (LMS). All participants were assessed by a multiple choice questionnaire (MCQ) before and after the face-to-face aspect alongside a practical cardiac arrest simulation (CAS-Test). Participant demographics and assessment outcomes were analysed. The mean post e-learning MCQ score was 83.7 (SD 7.3) and the mean post-course MCQ score was 87.7 (SD 7.9). The first attempt CAS-Test pass rate was 84.6% and overall pass rate 96.6%. Participants with previous ALS experience, ILS experience, or who were a core member of the resuscitation team performed better in the post-course MCQ, CAS-Test and overall assessment. Median time spent on the e-learning was 5.2h (IQR 3.7-7.1). There was a large range in the degree of access to e-learning content. Increased time spent accessing e-learning had no effect on the overall result (OR 0.98, P=0.367) on simulated learning outcome. Clinical experience through membership of cardiac arrest teams and previous ILS or ALS training were independent predictors of performance on the ALS course whilst time spent accessing e-learning materials did not affect course outcomes. This supports the blended approach to e-ALS which allows participants to tailor their e-learning experience to their specific needs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Politics of Testing/Assessment (Or a Chameleon in the Classroom).

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Anne E.

A number of political issues are involved in educational testing and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Many school officials are disturbed by the number of tests administered and the information and instructional time lost; they are reluctant to accede to further voluntary testing programs which might duplicate current…

Testing and assessment of low alloy steel for marine application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amjad, M.; Ahmad, S.; Mahmood, K.; Qureshi, A.H.

2007-01-01

This paper is an account of the work carried out during the assessment of low alloy steel (WH-80) for marine application. The relevant acceptance criteria consulted during the process is DEFST AN 02-874 and a standard reference material. Assessment is based on the experimental results of the tests carried out for the steel. Testing comprised of mechanical (tensile, impact and hardness) tests, corrosion (immersion corrosion and stress corrosion cracking) tests, metallography test and weldability (weld joint strength, controlled thermal severity -CTS and Y -Groove) tests undertaken at various testing laboratories in Pakistan. The results obtained after testing have been compared with acceptance criteria (DEFSTAN 02-874 and standard reference material). Moreover results have been compared with contemporary steels used for marine applications. Results showed a reasonable agreement with results available in literature for other low alloy steels with respect to mechanical strength and weldability. Steel weldments qualified the weld joint strength tests and weldability tests. Toughness has been measured at various temperatures. Results revealed that the toughness of base metal is higher than heat affected zone (HAZ) and weld metal. In weldability tests, weld metal and HAZ were examined microscopically to investigate integrity of weld. No cracks have been observed in the weld which indicates complete diffusion in to the welding material. WH- 80 steel has exhibited comparatively high corrosion rate, reduction in tensile strength during SCC test and low Charpy energy values at -50 degree C. It is therefore concluded that the WH-80 steel is unsuitable for use in application at subzero (OC) temperatures and in highly corrosive environment. (author)

Better Assessments Require Better Assessment Literacy

Science.gov (United States)

Stiggins, Rick

2018-01-01

Stiggins says that, to build better assessment systems, educators and education leaders need more opportunities to learn the basic principles of sound assessment practice. He lays out what he views as the fundamental elements of assessment literacy.

Validation of a Short Form of an Indecision Test: The Vocational Assessment Test

Science.gov (United States)

Picard, France; Frenette, Éric; Guay, Frédéric; Labrosse, Julie

2015-01-01

The purpose of this research was to validate the scores of a short form of a new instrument, "l'Épreuve de décision vocationnelle, forme scolaire" (EDV-9S; vocational assessment test), which measures six indecision-related problems (lack of self-knowledge, lack of readiness, lack of method in decision making, lack of information,…

Balance Assessment in Sports-Related Concussion: Evaluating Test-Retest Reliability of the Equilibrate System.

Science.gov (United States)

Odom, Mitchell J; Lee, Young M; Zuckerman, Scott L; Apple, Rachel P; Germanos, Theodore; Solomon, Gary S; Sills, Allen K

2016-01-01

This study evaluated the test-retest reliability of a novel computer-based, portable balance assessment tool, the Equilibrate System (ES), used to diagnose sports-related concussion. Twenty-seven students participated in ES testing consisting of three sessions over 4 weeks. The modified Balance Error Scoring System was performed. For each participant, test-retest reliability was established using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The ES test-retest reliability from baseline to week 2 produced an ICC value of 0.495 (95% CI, 0.123-0.745). Week 2 testing produced ICC values of 0.602 (95% CI, 0.279-0.803) and 0.610 (95% CI, 0.299-0.804), respectively. All other single measures test-retest reliability values produced poor ICC values. Same-day ES testing showed fair to good test-retest reliability while interweek measures displayed poor to fair test-retest reliability. Testing conditions should be controlled when using computerized balance assessment methods. ES testing should only be used as a part of a comprehensive assessment.

Using cyber vulnerability testing techniques to expose undocumented security vulnerabilities in DCS and SCADA equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pollet, J.

2006-01-01

This session starts by providing an overview of typical DCS (Distributed Control Systems) and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) architectures, and exposes cyber security vulnerabilities that vendors never admit, but are found through a comprehensive cyber testing process. A complete assessment process involves testing all of the layers and components of a SCADA or DCS environment, from the perimeter firewall all the way down to the end devices controlling the process, including what to look for when conducting a vulnerability assessment of real-time control systems. The following systems are discussed: 1. Perimeter (isolation from corporate IT or other non-critical networks) 2. Remote Access (third Party access into SCADA or DCS networks) 3. Network Architecture (switch, router, firewalls, access controls, network design) 4. Network Traffic Analysis (what is running on the network) 5. Host Operating Systems Hardening 6. Applications (how they communicate with other applications and end devices) 7. End Device Testing (PLCs, RTUs, DCS Controllers, Smart Transmitters) a. System Discovery b. Functional Discovery c. Attack Methodology i. DoS Tests (at what point does the device fail) ii. Malformed Packet Tests (packets that can cause equipment failure) iii. Session Hijacking (do anything that the operator can do) iv. Packet Injection (code and inject your own SCADA commands) v. Protocol Exploitation (Protocol Reverse Engineering / Fuzzing) This paper will provide information compiled from over five years of conducting cyber security testing on control systems hardware, software, and systems. (authors)

Using cyber vulnerability testing techniques to expose undocumented security vulnerabilities in DCS and SCADA equipment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pollet, J. [PlantData Technologies, Inc., 1201 Louisiana Street, Houston, TX 77002 (United States)

2006-07-01

This session starts by providing an overview of typical DCS (Distributed Control Systems) and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) architectures, and exposes cyber security vulnerabilities that vendors never admit, but are found through a comprehensive cyber testing process. A complete assessment process involves testing all of the layers and components of a SCADA or DCS environment, from the perimeter firewall all the way down to the end devices controlling the process, including what to look for when conducting a vulnerability assessment of real-time control systems. The following systems are discussed: 1. Perimeter (isolation from corporate IT or other non-critical networks) 2. Remote Access (third Party access into SCADA or DCS networks) 3. Network Architecture (switch, router, firewalls, access controls, network design) 4. Network Traffic Analysis (what is running on the network) 5. Host Operating Systems Hardening 6. Applications (how they communicate with other applications and end devices) 7. End Device Testing (PLCs, RTUs, DCS Controllers, Smart Transmitters) a. System Discovery b. Functional Discovery c. Attack Methodology i. DoS Tests (at what point does the device fail) ii. Malformed Packet Tests (packets that can cause equipment failure) iii. Session Hijacking (do anything that the operator can do) iv. Packet Injection (code and inject your own SCADA commands) v. Protocol Exploitation (Protocol Reverse Engineering / Fuzzing) This paper will provide information compiled from over five years of conducting cyber security testing on control systems hardware, software, and systems. (authors)

Testing and assessment strategies, including alternative and new approaches

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meyer, Otto A.

2003-01-01

The object of toxicological testing is to predict possible adverse effect in humans when exposed to chemicals whether used as industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals or pesticides. Animal models are predominantly used in identifying potential hazards of chemicals. The use of laboratory animals raises...... ethical concern. However, irrespective of animal welfare it is an important aspect of the discipline of toxicology that the primary object is human health. The ideal testing and assessment strategy is simple to use all the available test methods and preferably more in laboratory animal species from which...... uses and of the absence of health problems involved with their use. Thus, the regulatory toxicology is a cocktail of science and pragmatism added a crucial concern for animal welfare. Test methods are most often used in a testing sequence as bricks in a testing strategy. The main key driving forces...

Chloride Blood Test: MedlinePlus Lab Test Information

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... this page: https://medlineplus.gov/labtests/chloridebloodtest.html Chloride Blood Test To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. What is a Chloride Blood Test? A chloride blood test measures the ...

Bilirubin Blood Test: MedlinePlus Lab Test Information

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... this page: https://medlineplus.gov/labtests/bilirubinbloodtest.html Bilirubin Blood Test To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. What is a Bilirubin Blood Test? A bilirubin blood test measures the ...

Implications of the Implicit Association Test D-Transformation for Psychological Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Blanton, Hart; Jaccard, James; Burrows, Christopher N

2015-08-01

Psychometricians strive to eliminate random error from their psychological inventories. When random error affecting tests is diminished, tests more accurately characterize people on the psychological dimension of interest. We document an unusual property of the scoring algorithm for a measure used to assess a wide range of psychological states. The "D-score" algorithm for coding the Implicit Association Test (IAT) requires the presence of random noise in order to obtain variability. Without consequential degrees of random noise, all individuals receive extreme scores. We present results from an algebraic proof, a computer simulation, and an online survey of implicit racial attitudes to show how trial error can bias IAT assessments. We argue as a result that the D-score algorithm should not be used for formal assessment purposes, and we offer an alternative to this approach based on multiple regression. Our critique focuses primarily on the IAT designed to measure unconscious racial attitudes, but it applies to any IAT developed to provide psychological assessments within clinical, organizational, and developmental branches of psychology-and in any other field where the IAT might be used. © The Author(s) 2014.

Find the Hidden Object. Understanding Play in Psychological Assessments.

Science.gov (United States)

Fasulo, Alessandra; Shukla, Janhavi; Bennett, Stephanie

2017-01-01

Standardized psychological assessments are extensively used by practitioners to determine rate and level of development in different domains of ability in both typical and atypical children. The younger the children, the more likely the trials will resemble play activities. However, mode of administration, timing and use of objects involved are constrained. The purpose of this study is to explore what kind of play is play in psychological assessments, what are the expectations about children's performance and what are the abilities supporting the test activities. Conversation Analysis (CA) was applied to the videorecording of an interaction between a child and a practitioner during the administration of the Bayley Scale of Infant and Toddler Development, III edition. The analysis focuses on a 2'07″ long sequence relative to the administration of the test item "Find the hidden object" to a 23 months old child with Down syndrome. The analysis of the sequence shows that the assessor promotes the child's engagement by couching the actions required to administer the item in utterances with marked child-directed features. The analysis also shows that the objects constituting the test item did not suggest to the child a unique course of action, leading to the assessor's modeling of the successful sequence. We argue that when a play frame is activated by an interactional partner, the relational aspect of the activity is foregrounded and the co-player becomes a source of cues for ways in which playing can develop. We discuss the assessment interaction as orienting the child toward a right-or-wrong interpretation, leaving the realm of play, which is inherently exploratory and inventive, to enter that of instructional activities. Finally, we argue that the sequential analysis of the interaction and of the mutual sense-making procedures that partners put in place during the administration of an assessment could be used in the design and evaluation of tests for a finer

Open-book tests to complement assessment-programmes : Analysis of open and closed-book tests

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heijne-Penninga, M.; Kuks, J. B. M.; Schonrock-Adema, J.; Snijders, T. A. B.; Cohen-Schotanus, J.

Today's health sciences educational programmes have to deal with a growing and changing amount of knowledge. It is becoming increasingly important for students to be able to use and manage knowledge. We suggest incorporating open-book tests in assessment programmes to meet these changes. This view

NRC performance assessment program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coplan, S.M.

1986-01-01

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) performance assessment program includes the development of guidance to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on preparation of a license application and on conducting the studies to support a license application. The nature of the licensing requirements of 10 CFR Part 60 create a need for performance assessments by the DOE. The NRC and DOE staffs each have specific roles in assuring the adequacy of those assessments. Performance allocation is an approach for determining what testing and analysis will be needed during site characterization to assure that an adequate data base is available to support the necessary performance assessments. From the standpoint of establishing is implementable methodology, the most challenging performance assessment needed for licensing is the one that will be used to determine compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) containment requirement

New Rock Abrasivity Test Method for Tool Life Assessments on Hard Rock Tunnel Boring: The Rolling Indentation Abrasion Test (RIAT)

Science.gov (United States)

Macias, F. J.; Dahl, F.; Bruland, A.

2016-05-01

The tunnel boring machine (TBM) method has become widely used and is currently an important presence within the tunnelling industry. Large investments and high geological risk are involved using TBMs, and disc cutter consumption has a great influence on performance and cost, especially in hard rock conditions. Furthermore, reliable cutter life assessments facilitate the control of risk as well as avoiding delays and budget overruns. Since abrasive wear is the most common process affecting cutter consumption, good laboratory tests for rock abrasivity assessments are needed. A new abrasivity test method by rolling disc named Rolling Indentation Abrasion Test (RIAT) has been developed. The goal of the new test design and procedure is to reproduce wear behaviour on hard rock tunnel boring in a more realistic way than the traditionally used methods. Wear by rolling contact on intact rock samples is introduced and several rock types, covering a wide rock abrasiveness range, have been tested by RIAT. The RIAT procedure indicates a great ability of the testing method to assess abrasive wear on rolling discs. In addition and to evaluate the newly developed RIAT test method, a comprehensive laboratory testing programme including the most commonly used abrasivity test methods and the mineral composition were carried out. Relationships between the achieved results from conventional testing and RIAT results have been analysed.

Training in hospitals: what do GP specialist trainees think of workplace-based assessments?

Science.gov (United States)

Sabey, Abigail; Harris, Michael

2011-03-01

Workplace-based assessment (WBPA) was introduced in 2007 as a new approach to monitoring competence of GP specialist trainees (GPSTs). It includes a raft of assessments carried out in the workplace to assess what a trainee actually does in clinical practice. The assessment tools used are adapted from other contexts of doctors' training but little is known about how they function in day-to-day practice within GP training or how valid and useful they are found to be by trainees. To establish how the new system of WPBA is working in day-to-day practice for GPSTs in hospital posts. A mixed methods design including quantitative and qualitative phases of data collection. Two training locations within Severn Deanery. A questionnaire was completed by 52 GPSTs (67% response rate) currently in hospital posts. Twenty-two took part in focus groups and semi-structured interviews to explore key findings from the questionnaire in greater depth. There is value in the face-to-face contact between trainees and senior doctors. However, quality and depth of feedback are not consistent and there is evidence of poor use of the tools, reducing the value of the assessments. The system is further undermined by a clear perception of bias and lack of honesty in judgements which limit the scope for assessment to lead to learning. Overall, these weaknesses may impair the validity and usefulness of the system and its potential to improve the performance of doctors. General practice trainees in this study have a low opinion of how WPBA assessments function in the hospital setting. Changes are needed to optimise the potential of WPBA to improve the performance of doctors in training and to increase its credibility.

Usefulness of the jump-and-reach test in assessment of vertical jump performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Menzel, Hans-Joachim; Chagas, Mauro H; Szmuchrowski, Leszek A; Araujo, Silvia R; Campos, Carlos E; Giannetti, Marcus R

2010-02-01

The objective was to estimate the reliability and criterion-related validity of the Jump-and-Reach Test for the assessment of squat, countermovement, and drop jump performance of 32 male Brazilian professional volleyball players. Performance of squat, countermovement, and drop jumps with different dropping heights was assessed on the Jump-and-Reach Test and the measurement of flight time, then compared across different jump trials. The very high reliability coefficients of both assessment methods and the lower correlation coefficients between scores on the assessments indicate a very high consistency of each method but only moderate covariation, which means that they measure partly different items. As a consequence, the Jump-and-Reach Test has good ecological validity in situations when reaching height during the flight phase is critical for performance (e.g., basketball and volleyball) but only limited accuracy for the assessment of vertical impulse production with different jump techniques and conditions.

Efficient Noninferiority Testing Procedures for Simultaneously Assessing Sensitivity and Specificity of Two Diagnostic Tests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guogen Shan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Sensitivity and specificity are often used to assess the performance of a diagnostic test with binary outcomes. Wald-type test statistics have been proposed for testing sensitivity and specificity individually. In the presence of a gold standard, simultaneous comparison between two diagnostic tests for noninferiority of sensitivity and specificity based on an asymptotic approach has been studied by Chen et al. (2003. However, the asymptotic approach may suffer from unsatisfactory type I error control as observed from many studies, especially in small to medium sample settings. In this paper, we compare three unconditional approaches for simultaneously testing sensitivity and specificity. They are approaches based on estimation, maximization, and a combination of estimation and maximization. Although the estimation approach does not guarantee type I error, it has satisfactory performance with regard to type I error control. The other two unconditional approaches are exact. The approach based on estimation and maximization is generally more powerful than the approach based on maximization.

Testing Human Skin and Respiratory Sensitizers—What Is Good Enough?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anki Malmborg

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Alternative methods for accurate in vitro assessment of skin and respiratory sensitizers are urgently needed. Sensitization is a complex biological process that cannot be evaluated accurately using single events or biomarkers, since the information content is too restricted in these measurements. On the contrary, if the tremendous information content harbored in DNA/mRNA could be mined, most complex biological processes could be elucidated. Genomic technologies available today, including transcriptional profiling and next generation sequencing, have the power to decipher sensitization, when used in the right context. Thus, a genomic test platform has been developed, denoted the Genomic Allergen Rapid Detection (GARD assay. Due to the high informational content of the GARD test, accurate predictions of both the skin and respiratory sensitizing capacity of chemicals, have been demonstrated. Based on a matured dendritic cell line, acting as a human-like reporter system, information about potency has also been acquired. Consequently, multiparametric diagnostic technologies are disruptive test principles that can change the way in which the next generation of alternative methods are designed.

[Diagnostic test scale SI5: Assessment of sacroiliac joint dysfunction].

Science.gov (United States)

Acevedo González, Juan C; Quintero Oliveros, Silvia

2015-01-01

Sacroiliac joint dysfunction is a known cause of low back pain. We think that a diagnostic score scale (SI5) may be performed to assess diagnostic utility of clinical signs of sacroiliac joint dysfunction. The primary aim of the present study was to conduct the pilot study of our new diagnostic score scale, the SI5, for sacroiliac joint syndrome. We reviewed the literature on clinical characteristics, diagnostic tests and imaging most commonly used in diagnosing sacroiliac joint dysfunction. Our group evaluated the diagnostic utility of these aspects and we used those considered most representative to develop the SI5 diagnostic scale. The SI5 scale was applied to 22 patients with low back pain; afterwards, the standard test for diagnosing this pathology (selective blockage of the SI joint) was also performed on these patients. The sensitivity and specificity for each sign were also assessed and the diagnostic scale called SI5 was then proposed, based on these data. The most sensitive clinical tests for diagnosing SI joint dysfunction were 2 patient-reported clinical characteristics, the Laguerre Test, sacroiliac rocking test and Yeomans test (greater than 80% sensitivity). The tests with greatest diagnostic specificity (>80%) were the Lewitt test, Piedallu test and Gillet test. The proposed SI5 test score scale showed sensitivity of 73% and specificity of 71%. Sacroiliac joint syndrome has been shown to produce low back pain frequently; however, the diagnostic value of examination tests for sacroiliac joint pain has been questioned by other authors. The pilot study on the SI5 diagnostic score scale showed good sensitivity and specificity. However, the process of statistical validation of the SI5 needs to be continued. Copyright © 2014 Sociedad Española de Neurocirugía. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

A street intercept survey to assess HIV-testing attitudes and behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Rotheram-Borus, M J; Mann, T; Newman, P A; Grusky, O; Frerichs, R R; Wight, R G; Kuklinski, M

2001-06-01

Nationally, it has been estimated that 44% of adults in the United States have been tested for HIV, with substantial individual and community-level variations in HIV-testing attitudes and behaviors. HIV-testing behaviors and intentions and attitudes toward HIV testing, particularly toward home tests, were assessed among 385 adults recruited in a street intercept survey from a gay-identified agency, a substance-abuse treatment program, and inner-city community venues (a shopping mall and community center). Across these Los Angeles sites, the proportion of persons reported being tested for HIV in their lifetime (77%) was higher than the national estimate. Gay-identified agency (88%) and substance-abuse treatment program participants (99%) were more likely to have been tested than were the community participants (67%). Participants from a gay-identified agency were more likely to have had an anonymous test (51%) than were those from a substance-abuse treatment program (25%) or community sites (24%). Attitudes toward HIV testing, including mail-in home-test kits and instant home tests, were very positive. Most participants were willing to pay about $20 for a home-test kit. Participants from the community sites (82%) and the substance-abuse treatment program participants (87%) endorsed notification of HIV status to health departments and sexual partners more than did participants from the gay identified agency (48%). The street intercept survey appears to be a quick and feasible method to assess HIV testing in urban areas.

Níveis de mercúrio em peixes consumidos pela comunidade indígena de Sai Cinza na Reserva Munduruku, Município de Jacareacanga, Estado do Pará, Brasil Mercury levels in fish consumed by the Sai Cinza indigenous community, Munduruku Reservation, Jacareacanga County, State of Pará, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edilson da Silva Brabo

1999-04-01

Full Text Available O estudo consiste em avaliar os níveis de mercúrio no pescado consumido pela comunidade indígena de Sai Cinza (Reserva Munduruku no Estado do Pará, e associá-los com os hábitos de consumo da população. Um total de oitenta espécimes de peixes foram capturados. As determinações de Hg foram realizadas por absorção atômica. A concentração média de Hg nas espécies carnívoras foi de 0,293 µg/g (DP = 0,104 enquanto nas não carnívoras foi de 0,112 µg/g (DP = 0,036. As espécies referidas como de maior consumo ente os 330 indivíduos entrevistados foram: tucunaré, pacu, jaraqui, traíra, aracu, matrinchã e caratinga. As espécies com concentrações mais elevadas de Hg foram tucunaré e traíra, que estão entre os peixes mais consumidos. A freqüência de consumo constitui-se num fator importante na avaliação de risco de contaminação por mercúrio em comunidades que não têm outras alternativas de alimentação.This study evaluated fish consumption and mercury levels in fish consumed by an indigenous community in the State of Pará. Eighty fish samples were collected (barbado, surubim, traíra, tucunaré, piranha, aruanã, caratinga, aracu, mandiá, jandiá, and pacu. Mercury analysis was performed using a Mercury Analyzer HG-3500. Average mercury concentration in carnivorous species was 0.293 µg/g (SD = 0.104, while in non-carnivorous species it was 0.112 µg/g (SD = 0.036. Brazilian legislation establishes a maximum permissible limit of 0.5 µg/g for fish consumption. No significant correlation was found between fish length or weight and mercury concentration. Types of fish most frequently consumed by the community were tucunaré, pacu, jaraqui, traíra, aracu, matrinchã, and caratinga. Carnivorous species, especially tucunaré and traíra, amongst the most frequently eaten, had higher mercury levels than non-carnivorous species. Frequency of consumption is crucial to assess the risk of mercury contamination in

A Serious Flaw in the Collegiate Learning Assessment [CLA] Test

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin Possin

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The Collegiate Learning Assessment Test (CLA has become popular and highly recommended, praised for its reliability and validity. I argue that while the CLA may be a commendable test for measuring critical-thinking, problem-solving, and logical-reasoning skills, those who are scoring students’ answers to the test’s questions are rendering the CLA invalid.

AST Test: MedlinePlus Lab Test Information

Science.gov (United States)

... page: https://medlineplus.gov/labtests/asttest.html AST Test To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. What is an AST Test? AST (aspartate aminotransferase) is an enzyme that is ...

Chlamydia Test: MedlinePlus Lab Test Information

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Lipase Test: MedlinePlus Lab Test Information

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Cortisol Test: MedlinePlus Lab Test Information

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... page: https://medlineplus.gov/labtests/cortisoltest.html Cortisol Test To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. What is a Cortisol Test? Cortisol is a hormone that affects almost every ...

Non-destructive testing for plant life assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is promoting industrial applications of nondestructive testing (NDT) technology, which includes radiography testing (RT) and related methods, to assure safety and reliability of operation of industrial facilities and processes. NDT technology is essentially needed for improvement of the quality of industrial products, safe performance of equipment and plants, including safety of metallic and concrete structures and constructions. The IAEA is playing an important role in promoting the NDT use and technology support to Member States, in harmonisation for training and certification of NDT personnel, and in establishing national accreditation and certifying bodies. All these efforts have led to a stage of maturity and self sufficiency in numerous countries especially in the field of training and certification of personnel, and in provision of services to industries. This has had a positive impact on the improvement of the quality of industrial goods and services. NDT methods are primarily used for detection, location and sizing of surface and internal defects (in welds, castings, forging, composite materials, concrete and many more). Various NDT methods are applied for preventive maintenance (aircraft, bridge), for the inspection of raw materials, half-finished and finished products, for in-service-inspection and for plant life assessment studies. NDT is essential for quality control of the facilities and products, and for fitness - for purpose assessment (so-called plant life assessment). NDT evaluates remaining operation life of plant components (processing lines, pipes, vessels) providing an accurate diagnosis that allows predicting extended life operation beyond design life. Status and trends on the NDT for plant life assessment have been discussed in many IAEA meetings related with NDT development, training and education. Experts have largely demonstrated that, using NDT methods, a comprehensive assessment of the life

Contribution of environmental isotopes to the study of large aquifers in Morocco

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kabbaj, A.; Zeryouhi, I.; Carlier, P.

1978-01-01

The geochemistry of environmental isotopes has been applied to several aquifers in Maroc, some of them quite large: Charf el Akab in the Tanger region, the Oum er Rbia basin and the Tadla aquifer, the free nappe of limnic limes tone in the Sais plane, and the lias limestone aquifer. The isotopic investigations on the basis of hydrogeochemical data have given more precise information on the supply conditions of these aquifers. The types of water of different origin from the Atlas or the phosphate plateau in the Sais plane and the Tadla basin have been distinguished, the supply from one aquifer to another Lias nappe which, via the flexures of the Sais plane, supplies the nappe of limic limestone has been assessed, the homogeneity or heterogeneity of these aquifers has been investigated as well as their impermeability, the Tadla aquifer and the special case of Charf el Akab compared with the marine region. The findings have proved the usefulness of these techniques and permitted a specification of the general conditions for their application. (orig.) [de

Geriatric trauma: what to think about before assessing, treating and packaging the elderly.

Science.gov (United States)

Barishansky, Raphael M; O'Connor, Katherine

2009-04-01

It has been a typically busy Saturday when dispatch comes across the radio: "EMS 6, Rescue 2, respond to 280 Prince St., fourth floor, for a woman who fell, unknown extent of injuries." Recognizing the address as a senior residence facility, you and your partner exchange looks that say, "Great, another little ol' lady call." A couple of minutes later, you arrive and enter the scene to find the crew of Rescue 2 gathered around an approximately 80-year-old female supine on the floor. Based on her position, it appears she fell from a standing position. The patient isn't moving, but her eyes are open, and she's following the activity of those around her. You're not sure why the fire department EMTs seem to have made no attempt to assess, move or immobilize the patient, so you turn to the company officer and ask him what's going on. Obviously frustrated, the lieutenant says, "We tried to do a patient assessment and get vitals, but every place we touch seems to hurt her."

[Normative values of kinetic tests in VNG assessment].

Science.gov (United States)

Zamysłowska-Szmytke, Ewa; Sliwińska-Kowalska, Mariola

2011-01-01

Balance assessment plays an important role in occupational medicine. The diagnosis of patients with balance disturbances is based on a number of laboratory tests, including rotational chair tests, one of the most important. The normative value of kinetic tests greatly depends on movement parameters and laboratory equipment, which vary between diagnostic centers. The aim of the presented paper was to establish normatives for our laboratory and testing methodology in a group of healthy persons. The balance examination included 45 healthy persons (21 women and 24 men) aged 20-63 years (mean 38.5 +/- 14.9). The study population underwent very thorough neuro-otological examination, static posturography and VNG tests. The caloric test result was a crucial criterion for inclusion to the group of healthy persons. Rotational tests included: one "burst" test analyzing vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) with and without optokinetic stimulation visual vestibular optokinetic reflex (VVOR) and cervico-ocular reflex (COR); three impulse tests and sinusoidal harmonic rotation tests of 0.04, 0.08, 0.1, 0.16, 0.32, and 0.64 Hz. The mean values were: VVOR, 0.9 +/- 0.1; VOR, 0.5 +/- 0.1; and COR, 0.2 +/- 0.1. The mean value of rotational and post-rotational nystagmus induced by sudden chair stop (impulse stimulus) was 9 +/- 7 s, the gain values were 0.4 for sinusoidal tests, in the stimulation range of 0.1-0.32 and 0.5 for 0.64 Hz stimulation. There was no significant linear relationship between age and test parameters except for the test using sinusoidal-decreasing stimulation. These normative values form the base for a closer incorporation of rotational tests in occupational medicine procedures.

Comparing Ratings: In-Class (Paper) vs. out of Class (Online) Student Evaluations

Science.gov (United States)

Mau, Ronald R.; Opengart, Rose A.

2012-01-01

Student evaluations of teaching (SET) are used by institutions of higher learning in the tenure and promotion process and in awarding merit pay increases. The trend at some institutions has been towards using an online student assessment instrument (SAI) in lieu of the traditional paper-based, in-class assessment. This study examines the…

Criteria for initiation of delamination in quasi-static punch-shear tests of a carbon-fiber composite material.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chin, Eric Brian [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); English, Shawn Allen [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Briggs, Timothy [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)

2015-09-01

V arious phenomenological delamination initiation criteria are analyzed in quasi - static punch - shear tests conducted on six different geometries. These six geometries are modeled and analyzed using elastic, large - deformation finite element analysis. Analysis output is post - processed to assess different delamination initiation criteria, and their applicability to each of the geometries. These criteria are compared to test results to assess whether or not they are appropriate based on what occurred in testing. Further, examinations of CT scans and ultrasonic images o f test specimens are conducted in the appendix to determine the sequence of failure in each test geometry.

Orthopaedic nurses' knowledge and interrater reliability of neurovascular assessments with 2-point discrimination test.

Science.gov (United States)

Turney, Jennifer; Raley Noble, Deana; Kim, Son Chae

2013-01-01

: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of education on knowledge and interrater reliability of neurovascular assessments with 2-point discrimination (2-PD) test among pediatric orthopaedic nurses. : A pre- and posttest study was done among 60 nurses attending 2-hour educational sessions. Neurovascular assessments with 2-PD test were performed on 64 casted pediatric patients by the nurses and 5 nurse experts before and after the educational sessions. : The mean neurovascular assessment knowledge score was improved at posteducation compared with the preeducation (p < .001). The 2-PD test interrater reliability also improved from Cohen's kappa value of 0.24-0.48 at posteducation. : The 2-hour educational session may be effective in improving nurses' knowledge and the interrater reliability of neurovascular assessment with 2-PD test.

Psychological Assessment Training in Clinical Psychology Doctoral Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Mihura, Joni L; Roy, Manali; Graceffo, Robert A

2017-01-01

We surveyed American Psychological Association-accredited clinical psychology doctoral programs' (n = 83) training in psychological assessment-specifically, their coverage of various assessment topics and tests in courses and practica, and whether the training was optional or required. We report results overall and separately per training model (clinical science, scientist-practitioner, and practitioner-focused). Overall, our results suggest that psychological assessment training is as active, or even more active, than in previous years. Areas of increased emphasis include clinical interviewing and psychometrics; multimethod, outcomes, health, and collaborative or therapeutic assessment; and different types of cognitive and self-report personality tests. All or almost all practice-focused programs offered training with the Thematic Apperception Test and Rorschach compared to about half of the scientist-practitioner programs and a third of the clinical science programs. Although almost all programs reported teaching multimethod assessment, what constitutes different methods of assessing psychopathology should be clarified in future studies because many programs appear to rely on one method-self-report (especially clinical science programs). Although doctoral programs covered many assessment topics and tests in didactic courses, there appears to be a shortage of program-run opportunities for students to obtain applied assessment training. Finally, we encourage doctoral programs to be familiar with (a) internships' assessment expectations and opportunities, (b) the professional guidelines for assessment training, and (c) the American Psychological Association's requirements for preinternship assessment competencies.

Environmental assessment report: Nuclear Test Technology Complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tonnessen, K.; Tewes, H.A.

1982-08-01

The US Department of Energy (USDOE) is planning to construct and operate a structure, designated the Nuclear Test Technology Complex (NTTC), on a site located west of and adjacent to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The NTTC is designed to house 350 nuclear test program personnel, and will accommodate the needs of the entire staff of the continuing Nuclear Test Program (NTP). The project has three phases: land acquisition, facility construction and facility operation. The purpose of this environmental assessment report is to describe the activities associated with the three phases of the NTTC project and to evaluate potential environmental disruptions. The project site is located in a rural area of southeastern Alameda County, California, where the primary land use is agriculture; however, the County has zoned the area for industrial development. The environmental impacts of the project include surface disturbance, high noise levels, possible increases in site erosion, and decreased air quality. These impacts will occur primarily during the construction phase of the NTTC project and can be mitigated in part by measures proposed in this report

Testing of an accident consequence assessment model using field data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Homma, Toshimitsu; Matsubara, Takeshi; Tomita, Kenichi

2007-01-01

This paper presents the results obtained from the application of an accident consequence assessment model, OSCAAR to the Iput dose reconstruction scenario of BIOMASS and also to the Chernobyl 131 I fallout scenario of EMRAS, both organized by International Atomic Energy Agency. The Iput Scenario deals with 137 Cs contamination of the catchment basin and agricultural area in the Bryansk Region of Russia, which was heavily contaminated after the Chernobyl accident. This exercise was used to test the chronic exposure pathway models in OSCAAR with actual measurements and to identify the most important sources of uncertainty with respect to each part of the assessment. The OSCAAR chronic exposure pathway models had some limitations but the refined model, COLINA almost successfully reconstructed the whole 10-year time course of 137 Cs activity concentrations in most requested types of agricultural products and natural foodstuffs. The Plavsk scenario provides a good opportunity to test not only the food chain transfer model of 131 I but also the method of assessing 131 I thyroid burden. OSCAAR showed in general good capabilities for assessing the important 131 I exposure pathways. (author)

Vanemuislased jagasid oma majja tunnustust

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2010-01-01

Vanemuise loomenõukogu jagas aastaauhindu. Autospiriti-nimeline draamaauhind läks Maarja Mittile, Torrese-nimelise balletiauhinna sai Colin Thomas Maggs, Kinema-nimelise tehnilise töötaja auhinna sai Jaan Koiduaru, loomenõukogu eripreemia sai trupijuht Eda Hinno ning haldustöötaja müügiassistendi preemia Sanna Pindma. Samuti jagati kolleegipreemiaid

Maadlusfilm tõi Kuldlõvi / Tiit Tuumalu

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Tuumalu, Tiit, 1971-

2008-01-01

65. Veneetsia filmifestivali auhinnasaajad. Peauhinna sai Darren Aronofsky "Maadleja" ("The Wrestler"), lavastaja Hõbelõvi sai Aleksei German filmiga "Pabersõdur" ("Bumazhnõi soldat"). Žürii eriauhinna sai Etioopia lavastaja Haile Gerima "Teza", programmi "Horisondid" võitis filipiinlase Lav Diazi "Melanhoolia", lühifilmide osas võitis mehhikase Carlos Armella "Maa ja leib"

Negotiating the use of formative assessment for learning in an era of accountability testing

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Xinying

The purpose of this collaborative action research was to understand how science educators can negotiate the tension between integrating formative assessment (FA) for students' learning and meeting the need for standardized summative assessment (testing) from a critical perspective. Using formative assessment in the era of accountability testing was a process in which the science educators identified the ways that the standardized testing system constrained the teacher's use of FA to improve students' learning, sought solutions to overcome the obstacles and came to understand how FA can be utilized to neutralize the power relationship between the institutional requirement and classroom teaching and learning. The challenge of doing FA under the pressure of standardized testing mainly lie in two dimensions: one was the demand of teaching all the desired standard-based content to all students in a limited amount of time and the sufficient time and flexibility required by doing FA to improve students' understanding, the other was the different levels of knowledge and forms of knowledge representation on FA and tests. The negotiation of doing FA for teaching standards and preparing students for tests entailed six aspects for the collaborative team, including clarifying teaching objectives, reconstructing instructional activities, negotiating with time constraints, designing effective FA activities, attending to students' needs in doing FA, and modifying end-of-unit tests to better assess the learning goals. As the teacher's instructional goals evolved to be more focused on conceptual understanding of standards and more thorough understanding for less activities, she perceived doing FA for learning and preparing students for standardized tests as more congruent. By integrating both divergent and convergent FA into instruction as well as modifying tests to be more aligned with standards, students' learning were enhanced and they were also being prepared for tests. This

Recent development in low-constraint fracture toughness testing for structural integrity assessment of pipelines

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Jidong; Gianetto, James A.; Tyson, William R.

2018-03-01

Fracture toughness measurement is an integral part of structural integrity assessment of pipelines. Traditionally, a single-edge-notched bend (SE(B)) specimen with a deep crack is recommended in many existing pipeline structural integrity assessment procedures. Such a test provides high constraint and therefore conservative fracture toughness results. However, for girth welds in service, defects are usually subjected to primarily tensile loading where the constraint is usually much lower than in the three-point bend case. Moreover, there is increasing use of strain-based design of pipelines that allows applied strains above yield. Low-constraint toughness tests represent more realistic loading conditions for girth weld defects, and the corresponding increased toughness can minimize unnecessary conservatism in assessments. In this review, we present recent developments in low-constraint fracture toughness testing, specifically using single-edgenotched tension specimens, SENT or SE(T). We focus our review on the test procedure development and automation, round-robin test results and some common concerns such as the effect of crack tip, crack size monitoring techniques, and testing at low temperatures. Examples are also given of the integration of fracture toughness data from SE(T) tests into structural integrity assessment.

The International Test Commission Guidelines on the Security of Tests, Examinations, and Other Assessments

Science.gov (United States)

International Journal of Testing, 2016

2016-01-01

The amount and severity of security threats have increased considerably over the past two decades, calling into question the validity of assessments administered around the world. These threats have increased for a number of reasons, including the popular use of computerized and online technologies for test administration and the use of almost…

Heavy Metal Blood Test: MedlinePlus Lab Test Information

Science.gov (United States)

... this page: https://medlineplus.gov/labtests/heavymetalbloodtest.html Heavy Metal Blood Test To use the sharing features ... this page, please enable JavaScript. What is a Heavy Metal Blood Test? A heavy metal blood test ...

Lipoprotein (a) Blood Test: MedlinePlus Lab Test Information

Science.gov (United States)

... this page: https://medlineplus.gov/labtests/lipoproteinabloodtest.html Lipoprotein (a) Blood Test To use the sharing features ... this page, please enable JavaScript. What is a Lipoprotein (a) Blood Test? A lipoprotein (a) test measures ...

Student explanations of their science teachers' assessments, grading practices and how they learn science

Science.gov (United States)

del Carmen Gomez, María

2018-03-01

The current paper draws on data generated through group interviews with students who were involved in a larger ethnographic research project performed in three science classrooms. The purpose of the study from which this data was generated, was to understand science teachers' assessment practices in an upper-secondary school in Sweden. During group interviews students were asked about their conceptions of what were the assessment priority of teachers, why the students were silent during lecturing and their experiences regarding peer- and self-assessments. The research design and analysis of the findings derives from what students told us about their assessments and learning sciences experiences. Students related that besides the results of the written test, they do not know what else teachers assessed and used to determine their grades. It was also found that students did not participate in the discussion on science because of peer-pressure and a fear of disappointing their peers. Student silence is also linked with student conceptions of science learning and student experiences with methodologies of teaching and learning sciences.

Chinese Students' Perceptions of the Value of Test Preparation Courses for the TOEFL iBT: Merit, Worth, and Significance

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Jia; Cheng, Liying

2015-01-01

Test preparation for high-stakes English language tests has received increasing research attention in the language assessment field; however, little is known about what aspects of test preparation students attend to and value. In this study, we considered the perspectives of 12 Chinese students who were enrolled in various academic programs in a…

What prompts young adults in Ireland to attend health services for STI testing?

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Balfe, Myles

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: In-depth understanding of the factors that prompt young adults to attend health services for sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing are needed to underpin sexual health programes. We conducted a qualitative study to identify and explore why young adults (18-29 years) in Ireland attended specialist and community health services for STI testing; the factors that supported\\/undermined their decisions to seek STI testing; and any factors that led to delay in seeking STI testing. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews with 30 adults (21 women, 9 men). Young adults were recruited from General Practice (GP) practices, Third Level College health services, Family Planning clinics and specialist STI treatment services for men who have sex with men (MSM). Interview questions examined why respondents decided to go for STI testing, whether they acted upon this desire immediately or decided to wait, and what they felt were important barriers\\/enablers to their health-seeking attempts. Interviews were thematically analyzed using standard qualitative techniques. RESULTS: Respondents sought STI testing for one of four reasons: they had reached a transitional moment in their lives (they were either about to stop using condoms with their sexual partner or were emerging from a period of their lives where they had a series of risky sexual relationships); they had had unprotected sex with a casual partner; they had symptoms of infection; and\\/or they were required to do so by their employer. Catalytic factors included media and government health promotion campaigns and knowing someone with an STI. However, many respondents delayed seeking testing. Reasons included respondents\\' concerns about stigma and that they would be judged by healthcare professionals, and feelings of invulnerability. Importantly, several respondents who waited up to four weeks to make an appointment after their initial decision to seek STI testing did not view this as delay. CONCLUSION: Sexual

What We Don't Test: What an Analysis of Unreleased ACS Exam Items Reveals about Content Coverage in General Chemistry Assessments

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, Jessica J.; Villafan~e, Sachel M.; Raker, Jeffrey R.; Holme, Thomas A.; Murphy, Kristen L.

2017-01-01

General chemistry courses are often the foundation for the study of other science disciplines and upper-level chemistry concepts. Students who take introductory chemistry courses are more often from health and science-related fields than chemistry. As such, the content taught and assessed in general chemistry courses is envisioned as building…

Abnormal Cervical Cancer Screening Test Results

Science.gov (United States)

... AQ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FAQ187 GYNECOLOGIC PROBLEMS Abnormal Cervical Cancer Screening Test Results • What is cervical cancer screening? • What causes abnormal cervical cancer screening test ...

Ecological-economical approach to assessment of environment state at the Semipalatinsk test site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chugunova, N.S.; Balykbaeva, S.Y.

2002-01-01

The paper presents methods used for ecological-economical assessment of the environment condition at the former Semipalatinsk Test Site. It also presents methodology of calculating ecological and economical parameters for different options. Besides, the paper provides data describing assessment of ecological and economical damage caused by defense establishment activities at the Semipalatinsk Test Site. (author)

Thermal vacuum test of space equipment: tests of SIR-2 instrument Chandrayaan-1 mission

Science.gov (United States)

Sitek, P.

2008-11-01

We describe the reasons of proceeding Thermal-Vacuum tests for space electronic. We will answer on following questions: why teams are doing TV tests, what kind of phases should be simulated, which situations are the most critical during TV tests, what kind of results should be expected, which errors can be detect. As an example, will be shown TV-test of SIR-2 instrument for Chandrayaan-1 moon mission.

Impact of Breast Reader Assessment Strategy on mammographic radiologists' test reading performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Suleiman, Wasfi I; Rawashdeh, Mohammad A; Lewis, Sarah J; McEntee, Mark F; Lee, Warwick; Tapia, Kriscia; Brennan, Patrick C

2016-06-01

The detection of breast cancer is somewhat limited by human factors, and thus there is a need to improve reader performance. This study assesses whether radiologists who regularly undertake the education in the form of the Breast Reader Assessment Strategy (BREAST) demonstrate any changes in mammography interpretation performance over time. In 2011, 2012 and 2013, 14 radiologists independently assessed a year-specific BREAST mammographic test-set. Radiologists read a different single test-set once each year, with each comprising 60 digital mammogram cases. Radiologists marked the location of suspected lesions without computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) and assigned a confidence rating of 2 for benign and 3-5 for malignant lesions. The mean sensitivity, specificity, location sensitivity, JAFROC FOM and ROC AUC were calculated. A Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the readings for the 14 radiologists across the 3 years. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to assess comparison between pairs of years. Relationships between changes in performance and radiologist characteristics were examined using a Spearman's test. Significant increases were noted in mean sensitivity (P = 0.01), specificity (P = 0.01), location sensitivity (P = 0.001) and JAFROC FOM (P = 0.001) between 2011 and 2012. Between 2012 and 2013, significant improvements were noted in mean sensitivity (P = 0.003), specificity (P = 0.002), location sensitivity (P = 0.02), JAFROC FOM (P = 0.005) and ROC AUC (P = 0.008). No statistically significant correlations were shown between the levels of improvement and radiologists' characteristics. Radiologists' who undertake the BREAST programme demonstrate significant improvements in test-set performance during a 3-year period, highlighting the value of ongoing education through the use of test-set. © 2016 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists.

Investigation on mechanical properties of woven alovera/sisal/kenaf ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sri Sai Ram Institute of Technology, ... ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials ... stress [9]. Naturally the sisal fibres have the characteristics of higher wear ... In this research work an effort.

Mobilidade de cátions e correção da acidez de um Cambissolo em função da aplicação superficial de calcário combinado com sais de potássio Cation mobility and acidity decrease in a Haplumbrept due to surface liming combined with potassium fertilizers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisandra Pinto Della Flora

2007-12-01

Full Text Available A menor reatividade do calcário abaixo dos locais de aplicação deve-se principalmente à sua baixa solubilidade, ao aumento das cargas negativas nas camadas aplicadas devido ao aumento do pH e à pequena permanência dos ânions adicionados na solução do solo. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o efeito da adição de ânions a partir de sais de K sobre a superfície do solo, no incremento da reatividade do calcário e na mobilidade de seus cátions em um Cambissolo Húmico. O experimento foi realizado em 2005, em solo com 360 g kg-1 de argila, 60 g kg-1 de matéria orgânica e pH 4,1. Foram utilizadas três doses de calcário dolomítico (0, 0,74 e 1,48 kg m-2, combinadas com 40 g m-2 de K, na forma de KCl ou de KNO3, e com uma testemunha sem K, todos incorporados no primeiro centímetro da coluna do solo. As unidades experimentais (colunas de PVC com 10 x 30 cm, contendo 1,5 kg de solo foram percoladas 21 vezes, a cada sete dias, com 300 mL de água destilada por semana, totalizando o equivalente a 800 mm de chuva. Os sais potássicos lixiviaram muito mais Ca e Mg do que o calcário. Na média dos três tratamentos de calagem, a adição dos sais aumentou a lixiviação total de Ca, Mg e K, respectivamente de 36 para 132 mg, de 5,8 para 26 mg e de 25 para 51 mg/coluna, relativamente ao tratamento sem adição de sal. Na ausência dos sais, a aplicação da maior dose de calcário dolomítico lixiviou apenas 5 mg de Ca e 1,2 mg/coluna de Mg, em relação ao tratamento sem calcário. A calagem superficial afetou o pH do solo e a concentração de Ca, Mg e Al trocável até a profundidade máxima de 5,0 cm, cujas alterações foram quase sempre proporcionais à dose aplicada, porém não foram influenciadas pela adição dos sais. A aplicação dos fertilizantes potássicos não influenciou a capacidade reativa do calcário aplicado na superfície do solo.The low reactivity of lime below the application layer is mainly due to its

Can teachers use assessment to improve learning?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul Black

2009-12-01

Full Text Available This article discusses two different purposes of assessment: formative assessment is designed to support pupils’ learning, whilst summative assessment is designed to review what has been learnt, perhaps to record it in certificates or diplomas. Formative assessment is concerned with the frequent interactions between teacher and pupils which are essential if the teacher’s plans can be matched to the learning needs of the pupils. Teachers who are accustomed to simply telling pupils, rather than engaging them in dialogue, find it hard to change. Pupils also have to change from passive reception to active engagement in the learning. Formative work can be undermined if pupils or teachers are worry too much about summative tests; such worry can lead them to focus entirely on practising for the tests and not on the good habits of learning which would in fact be the best preparation for doing well in them.

Stand-level variation in evapotranspiration in non-water-limited eucalypt forests

Science.gov (United States)

Benyon, Richard G.; Nolan, Rachael H.; Hawthorn, Sandra N. D.; Lane, Patrick N. J.

2017-08-01

To better understand water and energy cycles in forests over years to decades, measurements of spatial and long-term temporal variability in evapotranspiration (Ea) are needed. In mountainous terrain, plot-level measurements are important to achieving this. Forest inventory data including tree density and size measurements, often collected repeatedly over decades, sample the variability occurring within the geographic and topographic range of specific forest types. Using simple allometric relationships, tree stocking and size data can be used to estimate variables including sapwood area index (SAI), which may be strongly correlated with annual Ea. This study analysed plot-level variability in SAI and its relationship with overstorey and understorey transpiration, interception and evaporation over a 670 m elevation gradient, in non-water-limited, even-aged stands of Eucalyptus regnans F. Muell. to determine how well spatial variation in annual Ea from forests can be mapped using SAI. Over the 3 year study, mean sap velocity in five E. regnans stands was uncorrelated with overstorey sapwood area index (SAI) or elevation: annual transpiration was predicted well by SAI (R2 0.98). Overstorey and total annual interception were positively correlated with SAI (R2 0.90 and 0.75). Ea from the understorey was strongly correlated with vapour pressure deficit (VPD) and net radiation (Rn) measured just above the understorey, but relationships between understorey Ea and VPD and Rn differed between understorey types and understorey annual Ea was not correlated with SAI. Annual total Ea was also strongly correlated with SAI: the relationship being similar to two previous studies in the same region, despite differences in stand age and species. Thus, spatial variation in annual Ea can be reliably mapped using measurements of SAI.

Uncertainty Analysis of OC5-DeepCwind Floating Semisubmersible Offshore Wind Test Campaign: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robertson, Amy N [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-07-26

This paper examines how to assess the uncertainty levels for test measurements of the Offshore Code Comparison, Continued, with Correlation (OC5)-DeepCwind floating offshore wind system, examined within the OC5 project. The goal of the OC5 project was to validate the accuracy of ultimate and fatigue load estimates from a numerical model of the floating semisubmersible using data measured during scaled tank testing of the system under wind and wave loading. The examination of uncertainty was done after the test, and it was found that the limited amount of data available did not allow for an acceptable uncertainty assessment. Therefore, this paper instead qualitatively examines the sources of uncertainty associated with this test to start a discussion of how to assess uncertainty for these types of experiments and to summarize what should be done during future testing to acquire the information needed for a proper uncertainty assessment. Foremost, future validation campaigns should initiate numerical modeling before testing to guide the test campaign, which should include a rigorous assessment of uncertainty, and perform validation during testing to ensure that the tests address all of the validation needs.

Test Bed for Safety Assessment of New e-Navigation Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Axel Hahn

2014-12-01

Full Text Available New e-navigation strains require new technologies, new infrastructures and new organizational structures on bridge, on shore as well as in the cloud. Suitable engineering and safety/risk assessment methods facilitate these efforts. Understanding maritime transportation as a sociotechnical system allows the application of system-engineering methods. Formal, simulation based and in situ verification and validation of e-navigation technologies are important methods to obtain system safety and reliability. The modelling and simulation toolset HAGGIS provides methods for system specification and formal risk analysis. It provides a modelling framework for processes, fault trees and generic hazard specification and a physical world and maritime traffic simulation system. HAGGIS is accompanied by the physical test bed LABSKAUS which implements a physical test bed. The test bed provides reference ports and waterways in combination with an experimental Vessel Traffic Services (VTS system and a mobile integrated bridge: This enables in situ experiments for technological evaluation, testing, ground research and demonstration. This paper describes an integrated seamless approach for developing new e-navigation technologies starting with simulation based assessment and ending in physical real world demonstrations

Construction of an Arabic reading test for assessment of dyslexic children.

Science.gov (United States)

Abou El-Ella, Mahmoud Y; Sayed, Emam M; Farghaly, Wafaa M; Abdel-Haleem, Emad K; Hussein, Eman S

2004-07-01

Dyslexia is a specific language-based disorder of constitutional origin, characterized by difficulties in phonological processing. The Arabic language differs in many aspects from foreign languages and the few previously designed Arabic tests for assessment of dyslexia did not pay attention to phonological awareness problems. This necessitates the design of an Arabic test which could properly assign specific difficulties among Arabic reading dyslexic children, including phonological awareness as a major contributing factor for dyslexia. The study was carried out in Assiut City, Egypt, during the period from September 1999 to the end of January 2001. The newly designed Arabic Reading Test (ART) in this work passed through many stages. Firstly, test construction by 11 Arabic teachers (specific judges). Secondly it was applied, in a pilot study, to 50 normal students (9-10 years old) to ascertain clarity of the test. Then test standardization was proven through application on a second sample (n=252 students), and third sample (n=58 dyslexics). The reliability of the ART was proven by the test-retest method (r=0.913, pdyslexia among Arabic reading children. It has great value in predicting dyslexia even among preschool age Arabic speaking children, through assessment of their phonological awareness skills, and thus, remediation programs can be properly and early directed.

Anion Gap Blood Test: MedlinePlus Lab Test Information

Science.gov (United States)

... https://medlineplus.gov/labtests/aniongapbloodtest.html Anion Gap Blood Test To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. What is an Anion Gap Blood Test? An anion gap blood test is a way ...

Test-retest reliability of Brazilian version of Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale for assessing symptoms in cancer patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Menezes, Josiane Roberta de; Luvisaro, Bianca Maria Oliveira; Rodrigues, Claudia Fernandes; Muzi, Camila Drumond; Guimarães, Raphael Mendonça

2017-01-01

To assess the test-retest reliability of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale translated and culturally adapted into Brazilian Portuguese. The scale was applied in an interview format for 190 patients with various cancers type hospitalized in clinical and surgical sectors of the Instituto Nacional de Câncer José de Alencar Gomes da Silva and reapplied in 58 patients. Data from the test-retest were double typed into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analyzed by the weighted Kappa. The reliability of the scale was satisfactory in test-retest. The weighted Kappa values obtained for each scale item had to be adequate, the largest item was 0.96 and the lowest was 0.69. The Kappa subscale was also evaluated and values were 0.84 for high frequency physic symptoms, 0.81 for low frequency physical symptoms, 0.81 for psychological symptoms, and 0.78 for Global Distress Index. High level of reliability estimated suggests that the process of measurement of Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale aspects was adequate. Avaliar a confiabilidade teste-reteste da versão traduzida e adaptada culturalmente para o português do Brasil do Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale. A escala foi aplicada em forma de entrevista em 190 pacientes com diversos tipos de câncer internados nos setores clínicos e cirúrgicos do Instituto Nacional de Câncer José de Alencar Gomes da Silva e reaplicada em 58 pacientes. Os dados dos testes-retestes foram inseridos num banco de dados por dupla digitação independente em Excel e analisados pelo Kappa ponderado. A confiabilidade da escala mostrou-se satisfatória nos testes-retestes. Os valores do Kappa ponderado obtidos para cada item da escala apresentaram-se adequados, sendo o maior item de 0,96 e o menor de 0,69. Também se avaliou o Kappa das subescalas, sendo de 0,84 para sintomas físicos de alta frequência, de 0,81 para sintomas físicos de baixa frequência, de 0,81 também para sintomas psicológicos, e de 0,78 para Índice Geral de Sofrimento

Should we assess climate model predictions in light of severe tests?

Science.gov (United States)

Katzav, Joel

2011-06-01

According to Austro-British philosopher Karl Popper, a system of theoretical claims is scientific only if it is methodologically falsifiable, i.e., only if systematic attempts to falsify or severely test the system are being carried out [Popper, 2005, pp. 20, 62]. He holds that a test of a theoretical system is severe if and only if it is a test of the applicability of the system to a case in which the system's failure is likely in light of background knowledge, i.e., in light of scientific assumptions other than those of the system being tested [Popper, 2002, p. 150]. Popper counts the 1919 tests of general relativity's then unlikely predictions of the deflection of light in the Sun's gravitational field as severe. An implication of Popper's above condition for being a scientific theoretical system is the injunction to assess theoretical systems in light of how well they have withstood severe testing. Applying this injunction to assessing the quality of climate model predictions (CMPs), including climate model projections, would involve assigning a quality to each CMP as a function of how well it has withstood severe tests allowed by its implications for past, present, and nearfuture climate or, alternatively, as a function of how well the models that generated the CMP have withstood severe tests of their suitability for generating the CMP.

The Empirical Testing of a Musical Performance Assessment Paradigm

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, Brian E.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to test a hypothesized model of aurally perceived performer-controlled musical factors that influence assessments of performance quality. Previous research studies on musical performance constructs, musical achievement, musical expression, and scale construction were examined to identify the factors that influence…

Pilot evaluation of the Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics test.

Science.gov (United States)

Shipper, Edward S; Mazer, Laura M; Merrell, Sylvia Bereknyei; Lin, Dana T; Lau, James N; Melcher, Marc L

2017-07-01

High attrition rates hint at deficiencies in the resident selection process. The evaluation of personal characteristics representative of success is difficult. Here, we evaluate a novel tool for assessing personal characteristics. To evaluate feasibility, we used an anonymous voluntary survey questionnaire offered to study participants before and after contact with the CASPer test. To evaluate the CASPer test as a predictor of success, we compared CASPer test assessments of personal characteristics versus traditional faculty assessment of personal characteristics with applicant rank list position. All applicants (n = 77) attending an in-person interview for general surgery residency, and all faculty interviewers (n = 34) who reviewed these applications were invited to participate. Among applicants, 84.4% of respondents (65 of 77) reported that a requirement to complete the CASPer test would have no bearing or would make them more likely to apply to the program (mean = 3.30, standard deviation = 0.96). Among the faculty, 62.5% respondents (10 of 16) reported that the same condition would have no bearing or would make applicants more likely to apply to the program (mean = 3.19, standard deviation = 1.33). The Spearman's rank-order correlation coefficients for the relationships between traditional faculty assessment of personal characteristics and applicant rank list position, and novel CASPer assessment of personal characteristics and applicant rank list position, were -0.45 (P = 0.033) and -0.41 (P = 0.055), respectively. The CASPer test may be feasibly implemented as component of the resident selection process, with the potential to predict applicant rank list position and improve the general surgery resident selection process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Islandil peeti filmipidu Kuldse Lunni säras / Annika Koppel

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Koppel, Annika

2007-01-01

Muljeid Islandilt, Reykjaviki 4. rahvusvaheliselt filmifestivalilt, mis toimus 27. septembrist 7. oktoobrini s.a. Peauhinna sai ungarlase Csaba Bolloki "Iska reis" ("Iszka utazasa"). Publiku auhinna sai Anton Corbijni "Kontroll", FIPRESCI auhinna sai taanlase Peter Schınau Fogi "Nutmise kunst". Ka iraanlase Fazli Bayrami filmist "Kas sul on veel õuna?" ja argentiinlanna Lucia Puenzo filmist "XXY"

Unilateral Arm Crank Exercise Test for Assessing Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Individuals with Hemiparetic Stroke

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oyake, Kazuaki; Yamaguchi, Tomofumi; Oda, Chihiro

2017-01-01

Cardiorespiratory fitness assessment with leg cycle exercise testing may be influenced by motor impairments in the paretic lower extremity. Hence, this study examined the usefulness of a unilateral arm crank exercise test to assess cardiorespiratory fitness in individuals with stroke, including s...

78 FR 49287 - Environmental Assessment for Potential Lease Issuance and Marine Hydrokinetic Technology Testing...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-13

...; MMAA104000] Environmental Assessment for Potential Lease Issuance and Marine Hydrokinetic Technology Testing... important environmental issues associated with data collection and technology testing activities (76 FR... Availability of a Revised Environmental Assessment and a Finding of No Significant Impact. SUMMARY: BOEM has...

Anodal Direct Current Stimulation of the Cerebellum Reduces Cerebellar Brain Inhibition but Does Not Influence Afferent Input from the Hand or Face in Healthy Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Doeltgen, Sebastian H; Young, Jessica; Bradnam, Lynley V

2016-08-01

The cerebellum controls descending motor commands by outputs to primary motor cortex (M1) and the brainstem in response to sensory feedback. The cerebellum may also modulate afferent input en route to M1 and the brainstem. The objective of this study is to determine if anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to the cerebellum influences cerebellar brain inhibition (CBI), short afferent inhibition (SAI) and trigeminal reflexes (TRs) in healthy adults. Data from two studies evaluating effects of cerebellar anodal and sham tDCS are presented. The first study used a twin coil transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) protocol to investigate CBI and combined TMS and cutaneous stimulation of the digit to assess SAI. The second study evaluated effects on trigemino-cervical and trigemino-masseter reflexes using peripheral nerve stimulation of the face. Fourteen right-handed healthy adults participated in experiment 1. CBI was observed at baseline and was reduced by anodal cerebellar DCS only (P < 0.01). There was SAI at interstimulus intervals of 25 and 30 ms at baseline (both P < 0.0001), but cerebellar tDCS had no effect. Thirteen right-handed healthy adults participated in experiment 2. Inhibitory reflexes were evoked in the ipsilateral masseter and sternocleidomastoid muscles. There was no effect of cerebellar DCS on either reflex. Anodal DCS reduced CBI but did not change SAI or TRs in healthy adults. These results require confirmation in individuals with neurological impairment.

Playing a zero-sum game?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Triantafillou, Peter

2017-01-01

Supreme audit institutions (SAIs) are fundamental institutions in liberal democracies as they enable control of the exercise of state power. In order to maintain this function, SAIs must enjoy a high level of independence. Moreover, SAIs are increasingly expected to be also relevant for government...... and the execution of its policies by way of performance auditing. This article examines how and why the performance auditing of the Danish SAI pursues independence and relevance. It is argued that, in general, the simultaneous pursuit of independence and relevance is highly challenging and amounts to a zero-sum or...

Wind Resource Assessment – Østerild National Test Centre for Large Wind Turbines

OpenAIRE

Hansen, Brian Ohrbeck; Courtney, Michael; Mortensen, Niels Gylling

2014-01-01

This report presents a wind resource assessment for the seven test stands at the Østerild National Test Centre for Large Wind Turbines in Denmark. Calculations have been carried out mainly using wind data from three on-site wind lidars. The generalized wind climates applied in the wind resource calculations for the seven test stands are based on correlations between a short period of on-site wind data from the wind lidars with a long-term reference. The wind resource assessment for the seven ...

Affective Assessment Is Necessary and Possible.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Lorin W.; Anderson, Jo Craig

1982-01-01

Presents information that teachers need when undertaking affective assessment: why such assessment should be done, what should be assessed, what instruments are available, how to determine the quality of the instrument, and how to interpret scores. (Author/JM)

Appraising Pre-service EFL Teachers' Assessment in Language Testing Course Using Revised Bloom's Taxonomy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elham Mohammadi

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The teachers need to be conceived as a “change agent” and not as a mere transmitter of knowledge and culture. In developing countries like Iran, one of the most significant concerns in the field of teachers’ education is efficiency of pre-service programs. To this aim, the current descriptive-evaluative study intended to describe the state of pre-service teachers' assessment in the field of language testing by (a examining the exam questions to find out whether they are aligned with curriculum objectives and syllabus (content validity, (b exploring whether they take care of higher order cognitive processes and (c finding what combinations of cognitive process levels and knowledge types in Revised Bloom's Taxonomy are prevalent in the questions. The results exhibited an unbalanced coverage of content in exams. Also the questions were found to be inadequate in terms of measuring complex cognitive skills (Analyze and Evaluate; Remember and Understand domains take up 91.6 % of all questions and no item was found for Create. Three combinations of cognitive process level and knowledge type was dominant in the data set: (1 Remember Factual Knowledge, (2 Understand Conceptual Knowledge, and (3 Apply Procedural Knowledge. These associations confirm the Anderson and Krathwohl's (2001 proposition.

Analysis of impulse oscillometric measures of lung function and respiratory system model parameters in small airway-impaired and healthy children over a 2-year period

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nava Pat

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Is Impulse Oscillometry System (IOS a valuable tool to measure respiratory system function in Children? Asthma (A is the most prevalent chronic respiratory disease in children. Therefore, early and accurate assessment of respiratory function is of tremendous clinical interest in diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of respiratory conditions in this subpopulation. IOS has been successfully used to measure lung function in children with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity to small airway impairments (SAI and asthma. IOS measures of airway function and equivalent electrical circuit models of the human respiratory system have been developed to quantify the severity of these conditions. Previously, we have evaluated several known respiratory models based on the Mead's model and more parsimonious versions based on fitting IOS data known as extended RIC (eRIC and augmented RIC (aRIC models have emerged, which offer advantages over earlier models. Methods IOS data from twenty-six children were collected and compared during pre-bronchodilation (pre-B and post- bronchodilation (post-B conditions over a period of 2 years. Results and Discussion Are the IOS and model parameters capable of differentiating between healthy children and children with respiratory system distress? Children were classified into two main categories: Healthy (H and Small Airway-Impaired (SAI. The IOS measures and respiratory model parameters analyzed differed consistently between H and SAI children. SAI children showed smaller trend of "growth" and larger trend of bronchodilator responses than H children. The two model parameters: peripheral compliance (Cp and peripheral resistance (Rp tracked IOS indices of small airway function well. Cp was a more sensitive index than Rp. Both eRIC and aRIC Cps and the IOS Reactance Area, AX, (also known as the "Goldman Triangle" showed good correlations. Conclusions What are the most useful IOS and model parameters? In

Bacteria Culture Test: MedlinePlus Lab Test Information

Science.gov (United States)

... this page: https://medlineplus.gov/labtests/bacteriaculturetest.html Bacteria Culture Test To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. What is a Bacteria Culture Test? Bacteria are a large group of ...

Flu (Influenza) Test: MedlinePlus Lab Test Information

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... this page: https://medlineplus.gov/labtests/fluinfluenzatest.html Flu (Influenza) Test To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. What is a Flu (Influenza) Test? Influenza, known as the flu , is ...

Allergy Blood Test: MedlinePlus Lab Test Information

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... this page: https://medlineplus.gov/labtests/allergybloodtest.html Allergy Blood Test To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. What is an Allergy Blood Test? Allergies are a common and chronic ...

Laboratory Tests

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... Medical Devices Radiation-Emitting Products Vaccines, Blood & Biologics Animal & ... What are lab tests? Laboratory tests are medical devices that are intended for use on samples of blood, urine, or other tissues ...

Efeito de adição de diferentes sais de cálcio nas características da massa e na elaboração de pão francês

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kajishima Shizuko

2003-01-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar os efeitos da adição do sulfato de cálcio, carbonato de cálcio e fosfato de cálcio dibásico nas características físicas e reológicas da farinha de trigo e na qualidade de pão francês. Utilizou-se a quantidade de sais de cálcio que correspondesse a 100% da IDR de adulto por 100g de pão. Na farinha foram realizadas análises de cor, teor de glúten, farinografia, alveografia e extensigrafia. O pão francês elaborado foi analisado quanto a seu volume específico e conceito global. O enriquecimento com cálcio melhorou a cor da farinha e os resultados satisfatórios obtidos na reologia das massas e com os pães mostraram que se pode utilizar qualquer uma das três fontes para se elaborar pão enriquecido com cálcio.

Systematic evaluation of non-animal test methods for skin sensitisation safety assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Reisinger, Kerstin; Hoffmann, Sebastian; Alépée, Nathalie; Ashikaga, Takao; Barroso, Joao; Elcombe, Cliff; Gellatly, Nicola; Galbiati, Valentina; Gibbs, Susan; Groux, Hervé; Hibatallah, Jalila; Keller, Donald; Kern, Petra; Klaric, Martina; Kolle, Susanne; Kuehnl, Jochen; Lambrechts, Nathalie; Lindstedt, Malin; Millet, Marion; Martinozzi-Teissier, Silvia; Natsch, Andreas; Petersohn, Dirk; Pike, Ian; Sakaguchi, Hitoshi; Schepky, Andreas; Tailhardat, Magalie; Templier, Marie; van Vliet, Erwin; Maxwell, Gavin

2015-02-01

The need for non-animal data to assess skin sensitisation properties of substances, especially cosmetics ingredients, has spawned the development of many in vitro methods. As it is widely believed that no single method can provide a solution, the Cosmetics Europe Skin Tolerance Task Force has defined a three-phase framework for the development of a non-animal testing strategy for skin sensitization potency prediction. The results of the first phase – systematic evaluation of 16 test methods – are presented here. This evaluation involved generation of data on a common set of ten substances in all methods and systematic collation of information including the level of standardisation, existing test data,potential for throughput, transferability and accessibility in cooperation with the test method developers.A workshop was held with the test method developers to review the outcome of this evaluation and to discuss the results. The evaluation informed the prioritisation of test methods for the next phase of the non-animal testing strategy development framework. Ultimately, the testing strategy – combined with bioavailability and skin metabolism data and exposure consideration – is envisaged to allow establishment of a data integration approach for skin sensitisation safety assessment of cosmetic ingredients.

Beyond New and Appropriate: Who Decides What Is Creative?

Science.gov (United States)

Kaufman, James C.; Baer, John

2012-01-01

The Consensual Assessment Technique (CAT) is a common creativity assessment. According to this technique, the best judges of creativity are qualified experts. Yet what does it mean to be an expert in a domain? What level of expertise is needed to rate creativity? This article reviews the literature on novice, expert, and quasi-expert creativity…

Exploring the assessment of geological observation with design research

Science.gov (United States)

Baek, John Y.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the assessment of geological observation through the development and field testing of performance tasks. The study addressed a central challenge in geoscience education: for students to observe the world around them and make real-world connections. Yet, there existed no cohesive research approach for the study of observation in geoscience education. The research goal was to understand the assessment of geological observation. The design research of geological observation encountered the situation where few performance assessments existed and few domain-specific learning theories were available. Design research is suited to inquiries in which a domain of learning is unexplored and the phenomena needs to be supported in the classroom in order to study it. This dissertation addressed one general research question and four subquestions: (RQ) How should geological observation be assessed? (S1) What role did perception play in assessing students' geological observations? (S2) What role did explanation play in assessing students' geological observations? (S3) What role did gestures play in assessing students' geological observations? (S4) Were there performance differences between the first and second trial of the GO Inquire prototype with fourth graders? Students were supported in making geological observations with three performance tasks: GO Inquire stamp task, Cutting task, and Fieldguide task. The data set for this study consisted of student response data, videorecordings, and participant observations from seven field tests across one fourth and one fifth grade class. Three data-analytic methods, qualitative coding, item-difficulty analysis, and non-parametric comparisons, were utilized based on four mixed-method data analysis strategies: typology development, data transformation, extreme case analysis, and data consolidation. Analysis revealed that assessment should take into account the separation of visual from verbal

Assessment of TRACE Condensation Model Against Reflux Condensation Tests with Noncondensable Gases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Kyung Won; Cheong, Ae Ju; Shin, Andong; Suh, Nam Duk [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-15

The TRACE is the latest in a series of advanced, best-estimated reactor systems code developed by U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for analyzing transient and steady-state neutronic-thermal-hydraulic behavior in light water reactors. This special model is expected to replace the default model in a future code release after sufficient testing has been completed. This study assesses the special condensation model of TRACE 5.0-patch4 against the counter-current flow configuration. For this purpose, the predicted results of special model are compared to the experimental and to those of default model. The KAST reflux condensation test with NC gases are used in this assessment. We assessed the special model for film condensation of TRACE 5.0-patch4 against the data of the reflux condensation test in the presence of NC gases. The special condensation model of TRACE provides a reasonable estimate of HTC with good agreement at the low inlet steam flow rate.

Assessment of TRACE Condensation Model Against Reflux Condensation Tests with Noncondensable Gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kyung Won; Cheong, Ae Ju; Shin, Andong; Suh, Nam Duk

2015-01-01

The TRACE is the latest in a series of advanced, best-estimated reactor systems code developed by U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for analyzing transient and steady-state neutronic-thermal-hydraulic behavior in light water reactors. This special model is expected to replace the default model in a future code release after sufficient testing has been completed. This study assesses the special condensation model of TRACE 5.0-patch4 against the counter-current flow configuration. For this purpose, the predicted results of special model are compared to the experimental and to those of default model. The KAST reflux condensation test with NC gases are used in this assessment. We assessed the special model for film condensation of TRACE 5.0-patch4 against the data of the reflux condensation test in the presence of NC gases. The special condensation model of TRACE provides a reasonable estimate of HTC with good agreement at the low inlet steam flow rate

Comparison of Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory in Individual Change Assessment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jabrayilov, Ruslan; Emons, Wilco H. M.; Sijtsma, Klaas

2016-01-01

Clinical psychologists are advised to assess clinical and statistical significance when assessing change in individual patients. Individual change assessment can be conducted using either the methodologies of classical test theory (CTT) or item response theory (IRT). Researchers have been optimistic

Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Test: MedlinePlus Lab Test Information

Science.gov (United States)

... medlineplus.gov/labtests/prostatespecificantigenpsatest.html Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Test To use the sharing features on this ... enable JavaScript. What is a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test? A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test measures ...

The Sally-Anne Test: An Interactional Analysis of a Dyadic Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Korkiakangas, Terhi; Dindar, Katja; Laitila, Aarno; Kärnä, Eija

2016-01-01

Background: The Sally-Anne test has been extensively used to examine children's theory of mind understanding. Many task-related factors have been suggested to impact children's performance on this test. Yet little is known about the interactional aspects of such dyadic assessment situations that might contribute to the ways in which children…

Advanced Marketing Core Curriculum. Test Items and Assessment Techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Clifton L.; And Others

This document contains duties and tasks, multiple-choice test items, and other assessment techniques for Missouri's advanced marketing core curriculum. The core curriculum begins with a list of 13 suggested textbook resources. Next, nine duties with their associated tasks are given. Under each task appears one or more citations to appropriate…

Multiplicação e enraizamento in vitro de amoreira-preta 'Xavante': efeito da concentração de sais, do tipo de explante e de carvão ativado no meio de cultura Blackberry 'Xavante' in vitro multiplication and rooting: salt concentrations effect, explant type, and activated coal on culture medium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luciane Nolasco Leitzke

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Atualmente, além da propagação tradicional, a micropropagação da amoreira-preta é considerada uma alternativa viável, com o intuito de obter-se plantas livres de vírus, geneticamente uniformes e em curto espaço de tempo. Objetivou-se, com este experimento, determinar o melhor tipo de explante e concentração de sais para a multiplicação in vitro e a melhor concentração de carvão ativado e de sais no meio de cultura, para o enraizamento in vitro de amoreira-preta 'Xavante'. O primeiro experimento constituiu-se de segmentos nodais caulinares com cerca de 1 cm, oriundas do cultivo in vitro, inoculadas em quatro diferentes concentrações de meio MS, suplementada com 7,5 µM de BAP, 30 g L-1 de sacarose, 100 mg L-1 de mio-inositol e 6 g L-1 de ágar, e dois tipos de explante, totalizando 8 tratamentos. O segundo experimento constituiu-se de microestacas apicais, com cerca de 1 a 1,5 cm de comprimento, e duas folhas, inoculadas em três diferentes concentrações de meio MS, acrescido de 30 g L-1 de sacarose, 100 mg L-1 de mio-inositol e 6 g L-1 de ágar e suplementado com três concentrações de carvão ativado, totalizando nove tratamentos, com delineamento inteiramente casualizado. Pode-se concluir que o T1, ou seja, explante com folhas, na concentração de 125% de sais do meio MS foi mais eficiente, induzindo maior número de folhas, gemas, brotações e comprimento das brotações e que o uso de 75% de sais sem a suplementação de carvão ativado é o mais indicado para o enraizamento in vitro de amoreira-preta 'Xavante'.Besides the traditional propagation, blackberry micropropagation has currently been considered a feasible alternative, with the purpose of obtaining plants free from virus, genetically uniform and in the short run. The objective of this experiment was to determine the best explant type and the optimum in vitro multiplication salts concentration as well as to determine the activated coal and salts optimum

A virtual reality test battery for assessment and screening of spatial neglect.

Science.gov (United States)

Fordell, H; Bodin, K; Bucht, G; Malm, J

2011-03-01

There is a need for improved screening methods for spatial neglect. To construct a VR-test battery and evaluate its accuracy and usability in patients with acute stroke. VR-DiSTRO consists of a standard desktop computer, a CRT monitor and eye shutter stereoscopic glasses, a force feedback interface, and software, developed to create an interactive and immersive 3D experience. VR-tests were developed and validated to the conventional Star Cancellation test, Line bisection, Baking Tray Task (BTT), and Visual Extinction test. A construct validation to The Rivermead Behavioral Inattention Test, used as criterion of visuospatial neglect, was made. Usability was assessed according to ISO 9241-11. Thirty-one patients with stroke were included, 9/31 patients had neglect. The sensitivity was 100% and the specificity 82% for the VR-DiSTRO to correctly identify neglect. VR-BTT and VR-Extinction had the highest correlation (r² = 0.64 and 0.78), as well as high sensitivity and specificity. The kappa values describing the agreement between traditional neglect tests and the corresponding virtual reality test were between 0.47-0.85. Usability was assessed by a questionnaire; 77% reported that the VR-DiSTRO was 'easy' to use. Eighty-eight percent reported that they felt 'focused', 'pleased' or 'alert'. No patient had adverse symptoms. The test session took 15 min. The VR-DiSTRO quickly and with a high accuracy identified visuospatial neglect in patients with stroke in this construct validation. The usability among elderly patients with stroke was high. This VR-test battery has the potential to become an important screening instrument for neglect and a valuable adjunct to the neuropsychological assessment. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Assessment of the Nevada Test Site as a Site for Distributed Resource Testing and Project Plan: March 2002

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Horgan, S.; Iannucci, J.; Whitaker, C.; Cibulka, L.; Erdman, W.

2002-05-01

The objective of this project was to evaluate the Nevada Test Site (NTS) as a location for performing dedicated, in-depth testing of distributed resources (DR) integrated with the electric distribution system. In this large scale testing, it is desired to operate multiple DRs and loads in an actual operating environment, in a series of controlled tests to concentrate on issues of interest to the DR community. This report includes an inventory of existing facilities at NTS, an assessment of site attributes in relation to DR testing requirements, and an evaluation of the feasibility and cost of upgrades to the site that would make it a fully qualified DR testing facility.

A Short Test for the Assessment of Basic Knowledge in Psychology

Science.gov (United States)

Peter, Johannes; Leichner, Nikolas; Mayer, Anne-Kathrin; Krampen, Günter

2015-01-01

This paper reports the development of a fixed-choice test for the assessment of basic knowledge in psychology, for use with undergraduate as well as graduate students. Test content is selected based on a core concepts approach and includes a sample of concepts which are indexed most frequently in common introductory psychology textbooks. In a…

Drug Testing

Science.gov (United States)

... testing, substance abuse testing, toxicology screen, tox screen, sports doping tests What is it used for? Drug screening is used to find out whether or not a person has taken a certain drug or drugs. It ... Sports organizations. Professional and collegiate athletes usually need to ...

Linking the Virginia SOL Assessments to NWEA MAP Tests

Science.gov (United States)

Northwest Evaluation Association, 2016

2016-01-01

Northwest Evaluation Association™ (NWEA™) is committed to providing partners with useful tools to help make inferences from the Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP®) interim assessment scores. Recently, NWEA completed a concordance study to connect the scales of the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) reading and math tests with those of the MAP…

Living in a material world: Development and evaluation of a new materials science course for non-science majors

Science.gov (United States)

Brust, Gregory John

This study was designed to discover if there is a difference in the scientific attitudes and process skills between a group of students who were instructed with Living in a Material World and groups of students in non-science majors sections of introductory biology, chemistry, and geology courses at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM). Each of the four courses utilized different instructional techniques. Students' scientific attitudes were measured with the Scientific Attitudes Inventory (SAI II) and their knowledge of science process skills were measured with the Test of Integrated Process Skills (TIPS II). The Group Assessment of Logical Thinking (GALT) was also administered to determine if the cognitive levels of students are comparable. A series of four questionnaires called Qualitative Course Assessments (QCA) were also administered to students in the experimental course to evaluate subtle changes in their understanding of the nature and processes of science and attitudes towards science. Student responses to the QCA questionnaires were triangulated with results of the qualitative instruments, and students' work on the final project. Results of the GALT found a significant difference in the cognitive levels of students in the experimental course (PSC 190) and in one of the control group, the introductory biology (BSC 107). Results of the SAI II and the TIPS II found no significant difference between the experimental group and the control groups. Qualitative analyses of students' responses to selected questions from the TIPS II, selected items on the SAI II, QCA questionnaires, and Materials that Fly project reports demonstrate an improvement in the understanding of the nature and processes of science and a change to positive attitude toward science of students in the experimental group. Students indicated that hands-on, inquiry-based labs and performance assessment were the most effective methods for their learning. These results indicate that science

What Does a Verbal Test Measure? A New Approach to Understanding Sources of Item Difficulty.

Science.gov (United States)

Berk, Eric J. Vanden; Lohman, David F.; Cassata, Jennifer Coyne