WorldWideScience

Sample records for levee berm items

  1. On Front Slope Stability of Berm Breakwaters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Burcharth, Hans F.

    2013-01-01

    The short communication presents application of the conventional Van der Meer stability formula for low-crested breakwaters for the prediction of front slope erosion of statically stable berm breakwaters with relatively high berms. The method is verified (Burcharth, 2008) by comparison...... with the reshaping of a large Norwegian breakwater exposed to the North Sea waves. As a motivation for applying the Van der Meer formula a discussion of design parameters related to berm breakwater stability formulae is given. Comparisons of front erosion predicted by the use of the Van der Meer formula with model...... test results including tests presented in Sigurdarson and Van der Meer (2011) are discussed. A proposal is presented for performance of new model tests with the purpose of developing more accurate formulae for the prediction of front slope erosion as a function of front slope, relative berm height...

  2. New developments in toe berm design for breakwaters

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verhagen, H.J.

    2010-01-01

    In the ROCK MANUAL (2007) some guidance is given for the design of toes for breakwaters. However, for very shallow toes, as well as for very wide toes (or berms) this guidance is only marginally. Recently a number of shallow berms and toes have been constructed, partly with the intention to lower

  3. A Comparison of Homogeneous and Multi-layered Berm Breakwaters with Respect to Overtopping and Stability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Thomas Lykke; Skals, Kasper; Burcharth, Hans F.

    2008-01-01

    The paper deals with homogeneous and multi-layer berm breakwaters designed to maximize the utilization of the quarry material. Two wide stone classes are typically used for berm breakwaters with a homogeneous berm.......The paper deals with homogeneous and multi-layer berm breakwaters designed to maximize the utilization of the quarry material. Two wide stone classes are typically used for berm breakwaters with a homogeneous berm....

  4. Predictions of barrier island berm evolution in a time-varying storm climatology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plant, Nathaniel G.; Flocks, James; Stockdon, Hilary F.; Long, Joseph W.; Guy, Kristy K.; Thompson, David M.; Cormier, Jamie M.; Smith, Christopher G.; Miselis, Jennifer L.; Dalyander, P. Soupy

    2014-01-01

    Low-lying barrier islands are ubiquitous features of the world's coastlines, and the processes responsible for their formation, maintenance, and destruction are related to the evolution of smaller, superimposed features including sand dunes, beach berms, and sandbars. The barrier island and its superimposed features interact with oceanographic forces (e.g., overwash) and exchange sediment with each other and other parts of the barrier island system. These interactions are modulated by changes in storminess. An opportunity to study these interactions resulted from the placement and subsequent evolution of a 2 m high sand berm constructed along the northern Chandeleur Islands, LA. We show that observed berm length evolution is well predicted by a model that was fit to the observations by estimating two parameters describing the rate of berm length change. The model evaluates the probability and duration of berm overwash to predict episodic berm erosion. A constant berm length change rate is also predicted that persists even when there is no overwash. The analysis is extended to a 16 year time series that includes both intraannual and interannual variability of overwash events. This analysis predicts that as many as 10 or as few as 1 day of overwash conditions would be expected each year. And an increase in berm elevation from 2 m to 3.5 m above mean sea level would reduce the expected frequency of overwash events from 4 to just 0.5 event-days per year. This approach can be applied to understanding barrier island and berm evolution at other locations using past and future storm climatologies.

  5. Overtopping and Rear Slope Stability of Reshaping & Non-reshaping Berm Breakwaters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Thomas Lykke; Burcharth, H. F.

    2004-01-01

    Overtopping and rear slope stability of reshaping and non-reshaping berm breakwaters have been studied in a wave flume. A total of 695 tests have been performed to cover the influence of crest freeboard, crest width, berm width, berm elevation, stone size and sea state. Formula for average...... overtopping discharge that includes these parameters has been derived. The measurements show good correlation between average overtopping discharge and rear slope damage....

  6. Sandy berm and beach-ridge formation in relation to extreme sea-levels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bendixen, Mette; Clemmensen, Lars B; Kroon, Aart

    2013-01-01

    The formation of berms and their transformation into beach ridges in a micro-tidal environment is coupled to wave run-up and overtopping during extreme sea levels. A straight-forward comparison between extreme sea levels due to storm-surges and active berm levels is impossible in the semi...... prograding spit on the south-eastern Baltic shores of Zealand, Denmark. The modern, sandy beach at this location consists of a beachface with a shallow incipient berm, a mature berm, and a dune-covered beach ridge. It borders a beach-ridge plain to the west, where more than 20 N–S oriented beach ridges...... and swales are present. Measured water-level data from 1991 to 2012 and topographical observations, carried out during fair weather period and during a storm event, provided the basis for a conceptual model exhibiting berm formation and transformation into the local beach-ridge system. The character...

  7. A New Formula for Front Slope Recession of Berm Breakwaters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Thomas Lykke; Burcharth, Hans F.

    2010-01-01

    The front slope stability of breakwaters with a homogeneous berm was studied in a large number of two dimensional model tests at Aalborg University, Denmark. The results are presented together with a new formula for prediction of the berm recession which is the most important parameter...

  8. Naval Arctic Research Laboratory (NARL) Subsurface Containment Berm Investigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-10-01

    Degree-Days CRREL Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory ERDC U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center FWENC Foster Wheeler ...contract with the Navy, Foster Wheeler Environmental Corporation (FWENC) constructed a subsurface containment berm at the airfield of the Naval...659J91.61 ncURE 3- 3 NAVAl.. AACnC R(Sf.ARCH l,.ASORATORY POINT 9ARROW. AlASKA AS-BUILT CONTAINMENT BERM EXTENSION AND MONITORING WELLS FOSTER W

  9. Overtopping of Berm Breakwaters Evaluation of Overtopping Formula

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Thomas Lykke; Burcharth, H. F.

    2005-01-01

    The berm breakwater concept is basicly rather old, but was not used very much until it was “reinvented” in the early 1980’ties, when a slope protection for an airfield runway extending into the sea in the Alutian Islands, Alaska was designed.......The berm breakwater concept is basicly rather old, but was not used very much until it was “reinvented” in the early 1980’ties, when a slope protection for an airfield runway extending into the sea in the Alutian Islands, Alaska was designed....

  10. BERM BREAKWATERS WITH CONCRETE BLOCKS AS ARMOUR UNITS

    OpenAIRE

    Camara Aguilera, Altea

    2013-01-01

    The objective of this thesis is to test the hydraulic stability of berm breakwaters with concrete armour units. To achieve this, five breakwater models were tested with the same wave program. All the models were modifications of the Sirevåg berm breakwater. The modifications consisted in the replacement of the class I stone form the armour layer by two different concrete units, cubes and cubipodsThe design waves were Hs,100=7.0 m, Tz=10.6 s. HoTo=48. The wave program consisted in 7 different ...

  11. Stability of submerged rock berms exposed to motion of liquefied soil in waves

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sumer, B. Mutlu; Dixen, Figen Hatipoglu; Fredsøe, Jørgen

    2011-01-01

    . Various berm materials were used, stones of size 0.74–2.5cm, plastic balls of size 3.6cm, brass of size 2.5cm and steel of size 1.0cm. The experiments show that rock berms that are stable under very large waves can be unstable when they are exposed to the motion of liquefied soil. The limited data......The paper describes the results of an experimental study on the behaviour of a submerged rock berm in liquefied backfill soil. The soil is liquefied by waves, and the rock berm is subject to the orbital motion of the liquefied soil. The soil used in the experiments was silt with d50=0.075mm...

  12. Dams and Levees: Safety Risks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, N. T.

    2017-12-01

    The nation's flood risk is increasing. The condition of U.S. dams and levees contributes to that risk. Dams and levee owners are responsible for the safety, maintenance, and rehabilitation of their facilities. Dams-Of the more than 90,000 dams in the United States, about 4% are federally owned and operated; 96% are owned by state and local governments, public utilities, or private companies. States regulate dams that are not federally owned. The number of high-hazard dams (i.e., dams whose failure would likely result in the loss of human life) has increased in the past decade. Roughly 1,780 state-regulated, high-hazard facilities with structural ratings of poor or unsatisfactory need rehabilitation. Levees-There are approximately 100,000 miles of levees in the nation; most levees are owned and maintained by municipalities and agricultural districts. Few states have levee safety programs. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) inspects 15,000 miles of levees, including levees that it owns and local levees participating in a federal program to assist with certain post-flood repairs. Information is limited on how regularly other levees are inspected. The consequence of a breach or failure is another aspect of risk. State and local governments have significant authority over land use and development, which can shape the social and economic impacts of a breach or failure; they also lead on emergency planning and related outreach. To date, federal dam and levee safety efforts have consisted primarily of (1) support for state dam safety standards and programs, (2) investments at federally owned dams and levees, and (3) since 2007, creation of a national levee database and enhanced efforts and procedures for Corps levee inspections and assessments. In Public Law 113-121, enacted in 2014, Congress (1) directed the Corps to develop voluntary guidelines for levee safety and an associated hazard potential classification system for levees, and (2) authorized support for the

  13. Reliability Evaluation of Armour Layer and Toe Berm Interaction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christiani, E.; Burcharth, H. F.; Sørensen, John Dalsgaard

    1995-01-01

    Failure of various parts of a rubble mound breakwater can be crucial for the stability of the rubble mound breakwater as a whole. This is illustrated in Fig 1, showing the various failure modes. The primary failure modes which will be focused on in this investigation are failure in the armour layer...... and the toe berm. The main function of the toe berm, is to keep the main armour layer in place so that movement is restricted to a minimum. As the water depth is lowered at the breakwater, the stability of the toe will decrease. The armour layer is also more susceptable to damage when the water level...

  14. Berm design to reduce risks of catastrophic slope failures at solid waste disposal sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Stefano, Matteo; Gharabaghi, Bahram; Clemmer, Ryan; Jahanfar, M Ali

    2016-11-01

    Existing waste disposal sites are being strained by exceeding their volumetric capacities because of exponentially increasing rates of municipal solid waste generation worldwide, especially in densely populated metropolises. Over the past 40 years, six well-documented and analyzed disposal sites experienced catastrophic failure. This research presents a novel analysis and design method for implementation of a series of in-situ earth berms to slow down the movement of waste material flow following a catastrophic failure. This is the first study of its kind that employs a dynamic landslide analysis model, DAN-W, and the Voellmy rheological model to approximate solid waste avalanche flow. A variety of single and multiple berm configuration scenarios were developed and tested to find an optimum configuration of the various earth berm geometries and number of berms to achieve desired energy dissipation and reduction in total waste material runout length. The case study application of the novel mitigation measure shows that by constructing a series of six relatively inexpensive 3 m high earth berms at an optimum distance of 250 m from the slope toe, the total runout length of 1000 m and associated fatalities of the Leuwigajah dumpsite catastrophic failure in Bandung, Indonesia, could have been reduced by half. © The Author(s) 2016.

  15. River Loire levees hazard studies – CARDigues’ model principles and utilization examples on Blois levees

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Durand Eduard

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Along the river Loire, in order to have a homogenous method to do specific risk assessment studies, a new model named CARDigues (for Levee Breach Hazard Calculation was developed in a partnership with DREAL Centre-Val de Loire (owner of levees, Cerema and Irstea. This model enables to approach the probability of failure on every levee sections and to integrate and cross different “stability” parameters such topography and included structures, geology and material geotechnical characteristics, hydraulic loads… and observations of visual inspections or instrumentation results considered as disorders (seepage, burrowing animals, vegetation, pipes, etc.. This model and integrated tool CARDigues enables to check for each levee section, the probability of appearance and rupture of five breaching scenarios initiated by: overflowing, internal erosion, slope instability, external erosion and uplift. It has been recently updated and has been applied on several levee systems by different contractors. The article presents the CARDigues model principles and its recent developments (version V28.00 with examples on river Loire and how it is currently used for a relevant and global levee system diagnosis and assessment. Levee reinforcement or improvement management is also a perspective of applications for this model CARDigues.

  16. Stability prediction of berm breakwater using neural network

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Mandal, S.; Rao, S.; Manjunath, Y.R.

    In the present study, an artificial neural network method has been applied to predict the stability of berm breakwaters. Four neural network models are constructed based on the parameters which influence the stability of breakwater. Training...

  17. National Levee Database, series information for the current inventory of the Nation's levees.

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Geographic Data Committee — The National Levee Database is authoritative database that describes the location and condition of the Nation’s levees. The database contains 21 feature classes...

  18. Establishing a Reliability Evaluation of the Toe Berm and Armour Layer Interaction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christiani, E.; Burcharth, H. F.; Sørensen, Jørgen S.

    1995-01-01

    Failure of various sections of a rubble mound breakwater can be crucial for the stability of the rubble mound breakwater as a whole. This is illustrated in Fig 1, showing a series of failure modes for a rubble mound structure. Ensuring static stability of the armour layer and toe berm and crown......, enables stability of the primary sections of a rubble mound breakwater. The combined static stability of the armour layer and toe berm will be investigated....

  19. La casa Bermúdez-Samper, 1952-1960 Bogotá, Colombia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María Cecilia O’Byrne Orozco

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available La casa Bermúdez, proyectada por Guillermo Bermúdez Umaña entre 1952 y 1960, es uno de los proyectos más conocidos y publicados de la arquitectura que se hizo en Bogotá durante la fecunda década de los años cincuenta del siglo XX. Este artículo propone una descripción de la casa a través de los documentos publicados con miras a entender y hacer explícito, desde los elementos, las partes y las relaciones que forman la arquitectura de la casa, el porqué de su fama.

  20. Levee Health Monitoring With Radar Remote Sensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, C. E.; Bawden, G. W.; Deverel, S. J.; Dudas, J.; Hensley, S.; Yun, S.

    2012-12-01

    Remote sensing offers the potential to augment current levee monitoring programs by providing rapid and consistent data collection over large areas irrespective of the ground accessibility of the sites of interest, at repeat intervals that are difficult or costly to maintain with ground-based surveys, and in rapid response to emergency situations. While synthetic aperture radar (SAR) has long been used for subsidence measurements over large areas, applying this technique directly to regional levee monitoring is a new endeavor, mainly because it requires both a wide imaging swath and fine spatial resolution to resolve individual levees within the scene, a combination that has not historically been available. Application of SAR remote sensing directly to levee monitoring has only been attempted in a few pilot studies. Here we describe how SAR remote sensing can be used to assess levee conditions, such as seepage, drawing from the results of two levee studies: one of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta levees in California that has been ongoing since July 2009 and a second that covered the levees near Vicksburg, Mississippi, during the spring 2011 floods. These studies have both used data acquired with NASA's UAVSAR L-band synthetic aperture radar, which has the spatial resolution needed for this application (1.7 m single-look), sufficiently wide imaging swath (22 km), and the longer wavelength (L-band, 0.238 m) required to maintain phase coherence between repeat collections over levees, an essential requirement for applying differential interferometry (DInSAR) to a time series of repeated collections for levee deformation measurement. We report the development and demonstration of new techniques that employ SAR polarimetry and differential interferometry to successfully assess levee health through the quantitative measurement of deformation on and near levees and through detection of areas experiencing seepage. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta levee study, which covers

  1. Comparison of Homogenous and Multi-layered Berm Breakwaters with Respect to Overtopping and Front Slope Stability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Thomas Lykke; Skals, K. T.; Burcharth, Hans F.

    2009-01-01

    A model test study was conducted to study overtopping and front slope stability of homogenous and multi-layered berm breakwaters. The two breakwater types are compared and cons and pros are listed. The study shows that the optimum number of stone classes might be significantly lower than what has...... previously been used in the Icelandic type of berm breakwater because it seems that the number of stone classes in the berm can be reduced from five to two without significantly influencing overtopping and stability performance. Moreover, the new results are compared to the design formulae established...

  2. Landscape Evolution of the Oil Spill Mitigation Sand Berm in the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-09-01

    Survey (USGS) National Wetlands Research Center 700 Cajundome Boulevard Lafayette, LA 70506 Adrienne L. Garber University of Louisiana at Lafayette...amount of oil from reaching the Chandeleur Islands and inland wetlands ; thereby protecting these sensitive ecosystem resources. This study was...change from as- built to 360–day post-construction. The berm boundary represents the berm footprint above the -2 ft NAVD (Figure 2

  3. Design overview of Syncrude's Mildred Lake East Toe berm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    List, B.R.; Martens, S.N.; Meyer, J.P.

    1999-01-01

    The Syncrude surface mining oil sand operation is located near Fort McMurray, Alberta, and produces an average of 470 tonnes of oil sand feed daily, which, after undergoing a bitumen extraction phase, generates 360,000 tonnes of tailings solids. This production yields approximately 83 million barrels of Syncrude Sweet Blend annually, being 13% of Canada's oil production. Tailings from the extraction process are used to hydraulically construct containment dikes and supporting beaches of the storage facilities, while the process water is returned to the extraction process. Since the start of the operation in 1978, the Mildred Lake Settling Basin has been Syncrude's primary tailings storage facility, and many design changes have occurred over 20 years which have optimized sand storage at the facility. An overview is included of the final design and preliminary performance of the Mildred Lake East Toe Berm currently being constructed along Cells 20 to 25 of Syncrude's Mildred Lake Settling Basin. The main point of constructing the East Toe Berm is to provide storage for 20 million cubic m or more of tailings over the period of March 1998 to July 1999. Following this period, a permanent tailings storage will be available in-pit. The key features of the Mildred Lake East Toe Berm described include the planning, design, and construction aspects, of which an additional benefit is an added storage capacity to the existing Mildred Lake Settling Basin. 6 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs

  4. Transient Seepage for Levee Engineering Analyses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tracy, F. T.

    2017-12-01

    Historically, steady-state seepage analyses have been a key tool for designing levees by practicing engineers. However, with the advances in computer modeling, transient seepage analysis has become a potentially viable tool. A complication is that the levees usually have partially saturated flow, and this is significantly more complicated in transient flow. This poster illustrates four elements of our research in partially saturated flow relating to the use of transient seepage for levee design: (1) a comparison of results from SEEP2D, SEEP/W, and SLIDE for a generic levee cross section common to the southeastern United States; (2) the results of a sensitivity study of varying saturated hydraulic conductivity, the volumetric water content function (as represented by van Genuchten), and volumetric compressibility; (3) a comparison of when soils do and do not exhibit hysteresis, and (4) a description of proper and improper use of transient seepage in levee design. The variables considered for the sensitivity and hysteresis studies are pore pressure beneath the confining layer at the toe, the flow rate through the levee system, and a levee saturation coefficient varying between 0 and 1. Getting results for SEEP2D, SEEP/W, and SLIDE to match proved more difficult than expected. After some effort, the results matched reasonably well. Differences in results were caused by various factors, including bugs, different finite element meshes, different numerical formulations of the system of nonlinear equations to be solved, and differences in convergence criteria. Varying volumetric compressibility affected the above test variables the most. The levee saturation coefficient was most affected by the use of hysteresis. The improper use of pore pressures from a transient finite element seepage solution imported into a slope stability computation was found to be the most grievous mistake in using transient seepage in the design of levees.

  5. Armor stability of hardly (or partly) reshaping berm breakwaters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Moghim, M. N.; Andersen, Thomas Lykke

    2015-01-01

    This paper deals with stability of hardly (or partly) reshaping berm breakwaters. A simple physical argument is used to derive a new stability formula based on the assumption that the maximum wave force causing damage of armor layer is proportional to the maximum wave momentum flux near...... the structure toe. The main goal of the present paper is to provide an estimation technique based on this physical principle to predict the deformation of the front slope in terms of the eroded area. The proposed method is verified by comparison with model test data. It is found that by using the maximum wave...... momentum flux approach the damage to the front slope (eroded area) can be very well predicted. Moreover, a simple method to estimate the eroded area based on measured or calculated berm recession (Rec) and depth of intersection of reshaped and initial profile (hf) is presented. The performance...

  6. Hydrodynamic and sedimentological controls governing formation of fluvial levees

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnston, G. H.; Edmonds, D. A.; David, S. R.; Czuba, J. A.

    2017-12-01

    Fluvial levees are familiar features found on the margins of river channels, yet we know little about what controls their presence, height, and shape. These attributes of levees are important because they control sediment transfer from channel to floodplain and flooding patterns along a river system. Despite the familiarity and importance of levees, there is a surprising lack of basic geomorphic data on fluvial levees. Because of this we seek to understand: 1) where along rivers do levees tend to occur?; 2) what geomorphic and hydrodynamic variables control cross-sectional shape of levees? We address these questions by extracting levee shape from LiDAR data and by collecting hydrodynamic and sedimentological data from reaches of the Tippecanoe River, the White River, and the Muscatatuck River, Indiana, USA. Fluvial levees are extracted from a 1.5-m resolution LiDAR bare surface model and compared to hydrological, sedimentological, and geomorphological data from USGS stream gages. We digitized banklines and extracted levee cross-sections to calculate levee slope, taper, height, e-folding length, and e-folding width. To answer the research questions, we performed a multivariable regression between the independent variables—channel geometry, sediment grain size and concentration, flooding conditions, and slope—and the dependent levee variables. We find considerable variation in levee presence and shape in our field data. On the Muscatatuck River levees occur on 30% of the banks compared to 10% on the White River. Moreover, levees on the Muscatatuck are on average 3 times wider than the White River. This is consistent with the observation that the Muscatatuck is finer-grained compared to the White River and points to sedimentology being an important control on levee geomorphology. Future work includes building a morphodynamic model to understand how different hydrodynamic and geomorphic conditions control levee geometry.

  7. Erosion of Earthen Levees by Wave Action

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozeren, Y.; Wren, D. G.; Reba, M. L.

    2016-02-01

    Earthen levees of aquaculture and irrigation reservoirs in the United States often experience significant erosion due to wind-generated waves. Typically constructed using local soils, unprotected levees are subjected to rapid erosion and retreat due to wind generated waves and surface runoff. Only a limited amount of published work addresses the erosion rates for unprotected levees, and producers who rely on irrigation reservoirs need an economic basis for selecting a protection method for vulnerable levees. This, in turn, means that a relationship between wave energy and erosion of cohesive soils is needed. In this study, laboratory experiments were carried out in order to quantify wave induced levee erosion and retreat. A model erodible bank was packed using a soil consisting of approximately 14% sand, 73% silt, and 13% clay in a 20.6 m long 0.7 m wide and 1.2 m deep wave tank at the USDA-ARS, National Sedimentation Laboratory in Oxford MS. The geometry of the levee face was monitored by digital camera and the waves were measured by means of 6 capacitance wave staffs. Relationships were established between levee erosion, edge and retreat rates, and incident wave energy.

  8. Applying Mechanistic Dam Breach Models to Historic Levee Breaches

    OpenAIRE

    Risher Paul; Gibson Stanford

    2016-01-01

    Hurricane Katrina elevated levee risk in the US national consciousness, motivating agencies to assess and improve their levee risk assessment methodology. Accurate computation of the flood flow magnitude and timing associated with a levee breach remains one of the most difficult and uncertain components of levee risk analysis. Contemporary methods are largely empirical and approximate, introducing substantial uncertainty to the damage and life loss models. Levee breach progressions are often ...

  9. Protection of Levees against Beavers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kozłowski, Wojciech; Balawejder, Adam

    2017-10-01

    Beavers are a protected species, so the levees must be properly protected so as not to harm the beavers and protect the levees from the destruction caused by these animals. This protection requires the use of bentonite mats as shaft seals, and wire mesh. Recently, such new protection structures began to be used successfully.

  10. Numerical Hydrodynamic Study of Hypothetical Levee Setback Scenarios

    Science.gov (United States)

    2018-01-01

    has recorded peak flows up to 9,919 cms (350,000 cfs) before the construction of flow control dams. The New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam (NSBLD...of the levee setback alternatives at the observation point downstream of the levee setbacks are nearly identical as the WSE of the base condition...the levee setback, respectively. The WSE of the levee setback alternatives at the observation point downstream are nearly identical as the WSE of the

  11. Model experiments related to outdoor propagation over an earth berm

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Karsten Bo

    1994-01-01

    A series of scale model experiments related to outdoor propagation over an earth berm is described. The measurements are performed with a triggered spark source. The results are compared with data from an existing calculation model based upon uniform diffraction theory. Comparisons are made...

  12. Climate and floods still govern California levee breaks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Florsheim, J.L.; Dettinger, M.D.

    2007-01-01

    Even in heavily engineered river systems, climate still governs flood variability and thus still drives many levee breaks and geomorphic changes. We assemble a 155-year record of levee breaks for a major California river system to find that breaks occurred in 25% of years during the 20th Century. A relation between levee breaks and river discharge is present that sets a discharge threshold above which most levee breaks occurred. That threshold corresponds to small floods with recurrence intervals of ???2-3 years. Statistical analysis illustrates that levee breaks and peak discharges cycle (broadly) on a 12-15 year time scale, in time with warm-wet storm patterns in California, but more slowly or more quickly than ENSO and PDO climate phenomena, respectively. Notably, these variations and thresholds persist through the 20th Century, suggesting that historical flood-control effects have not reduced the occurrence or frequency of levee breaks. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.

  13. Óscar Bermúdez: investigador del Norte Grande, historiador del salitre, hombre de dos mundos.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergio González Miranda

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Este artículo tiene por objetivo hacer una semblanza biográfica del historiador Óscar Bermúdez, investigador del Norte Grande de Chile, especialmente del periodo salitrero. Para alcanzar ese objetivo, se interpretaron sus principales obras, se realizaron entrevistas y se analizaron dos estudios biográficos anteriores sobre Bermúdez. Sin embargo, este artículo no pretende ser solamente una semblanza biográfica de un personaje, sino establecer cuáles serían las principales influencias disciplinarias y de pensamientos en el trabajo historiográfico de este investigador. Se analiza de modo preferente la perspectiva epistemológica de Bermúdez, donde se discutela metodología positivista de su investigación historiográfica, que es comparada con su narrativa, especialmente sus cuentos publicados, donde se abren otras posibilidades para comprender el pensamiento de este autor.

  14. First Year Sedimentological Characteristics and Morphological Evolution of an Artificial Berm at Fort Myers Beach, Florida

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-17

    collected in the berm area. In the control areas, surface sediment samples were taken at approximately the toe of the dune (where present...In the berm area, surface sediment samples were taken at approximately the toe of the dune (where 29   present), backbeach, high tide line, mean...samples were taken at approximately the toe of the dune (where present), backbeach, high tide line, mean sea level, low tide line, 2 ft water depth

  15. Passive Reactive Berm (PRBerm) to Provide Low Maintenance Lead Containment at Active Small Arms Firing Ranges

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    body, dissolved Pb forms precipitates of Pb hydroxide [Pb(OH)2], Pb carbonate [PbCO3, cerrusite], or basic Pb carbonate [Pb3(OH)2 ( CO3 )2...along with a potential seed crystal for heterogeneous nucleation of Pb-pyromorphites (Wright et al., 2004). Depending on the presence of certain... single steel bullet trap. The sand or dirt berm is the oldest and most basic type of bullet trap. It uses the mass of the berm itself to stop and

  16. Lidar-based mapping of flood control levees in south Louisiana

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thatcher, Cindy A.; Lim, Samsung; Palaseanu-Lovejoy, Monica; Danielson, Jeffrey J.; Kimbrow, Dustin R.

    2016-01-01

    Flood protection in south Louisiana is largely dependent on earthen levees, and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina the state’s levee system has received intense scrutiny. Accurate elevation data along the levees are critical to local levee district managers responsible for monitoring and maintaining the extensive system of non-federal levees in coastal Louisiana. In 2012, high resolution airborne lidar data were acquired over levees in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, and a mobile terrestrial lidar survey was conducted for selected levee segments using a terrestrial lidar scanner mounted on a truck. The mobile terrestrial lidar data were collected to test the feasibility of using this relatively new technology to map flood control levees and to compare the accuracy of the terrestrial and airborne lidar. Metrics assessing levee geometry derived from the two lidar surveys are also presented as an efficient, comprehensive method to quantify levee height and stability. The vertical root mean square error values of the terrestrial lidar and airborne lidar digital-derived digital terrain models were 0.038 m and 0.055 m, respectively. The comparison of levee metrics derived from the airborne and terrestrial lidar-based digital terrain models showed that both types of lidar yielded similar results, indicating that either or both surveying techniques could be used to monitor geomorphic change over time. Because airborne lidar is costly, many parts of the USA and other countries have never been mapped with airborne lidar, and repeat surveys are often not available for change detection studies. Terrestrial lidar provides a practical option for conducting repeat surveys of levees and other terrain features that cover a relatively small area, such as eroding cliffs or stream banks, and dunes.

  17. National Levee Database: monitoring, vulnerability assessment and management in Italy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barbetta, Silvia; Camici, Stefania; Maccioni, Pamela; Moramarco, Tommaso

    2015-04-01

    A properly designed and constructed levees system can often be an effective device for repelling floodwaters and provide barriers against inundation to protect urbanized and industrial areas. However, the delineation of flooding-prone areas and the related hydraulic hazard mapping taking account of uncertainty (Apel et al., 2008) are usually developed with a scarce consideration of the possible occurrence of levee failures along river channels (Mazzoleni et al., 2014). Indeed, it is well known that flooding is frequently the result of levee failures that can be triggered by several factors, as: (1) overtopping, (2) scouring of the foundation, (3) seepage/piping of levee body/foundation, and (4) sliding of the foundation. Among these failure mechanisms that are influenced by the levee's geometrical configuration, hydraulic conditions (e.g. river level and seepage), and material properties (e.g. permeability, cohesion, porosity, compaction), the piping caused by seepage (ICOLD, http://www.icold-cigb.org) is considered one of the most dominant levee failure mechanisms (Colleselli F., 1994; Wallingford H. R., 2003). The difficulty of estimating the hydraulic parameters to properly describe the seepage line within the body and foundation of the levee implies that the study of the critical flood wave routing is typically carried out by assuming that the levee system is undamaged during the flood event. In this context, implementing and making operational a National Levee Database (NLD), effectively structured and continuously updated, becomes fundamental to have a searchable inventory of information about levees available as a key resource supporting decisions and actions affecting levee safety. The ItaliaN LEvee Database (INLED) has been recently developed by the Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection (IRPI) for the Civil Protection Department of the Presidency of Council of Ministers. INLED has the main focus of collecting comprehensive information about

  18. Game theory and risk-based leveed river system planning with noncooperation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hui, Rui; Lund, Jay R.; Madani, Kaveh

    2016-01-01

    Optimal risk-based levee designs are usually developed for economic efficiency. However, in river systems with multiple levees, the planning and maintenance of different levees are controlled by different agencies or groups. For example, along many rivers, levees on opposite riverbanks constitute a simple leveed river system with each levee designed and controlled separately. Collaborative planning of the two levees can be economically optimal for the whole system. Independent and self-interested landholders on opposite riversides often are willing to separately determine their individual optimal levee plans, resulting in a less efficient leveed river system from an overall society-wide perspective (the tragedy of commons). We apply game theory to simple leveed river system planning where landholders on each riverside independently determine their optimal risk-based levee plans. Outcomes from noncooperative games are analyzed and compared with the overall economically optimal outcome, which minimizes net flood cost system-wide. The system-wide economically optimal solution generally transfers residual flood risk to the lower-valued side of the river, but is often impractical without compensating for flood risk transfer to improve outcomes for all individuals involved. Such compensation can be determined and implemented with landholders' agreements on collaboration to develop an economically optimal plan. By examining iterative multiple-shot noncooperative games with reversible and irreversible decisions, the costs of myopia for the future in making levee planning decisions show the significance of considering the externalities and evolution path of dynamic water resource problems to improve decision-making.

  19. Evaluation of levee setbacks for flood-loss reduction, Middle Mississippi River, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dierauer, Jennifer; Pinter, Nicholas; Remo, Jonathan W. F.

    2012-07-01

    SummaryOne-dimensional hydraulic modeling and flood-loss modeling were used to test the effectiveness of levee setbacks for flood-loss reduction along the Middle Mississippi River (MMR). Four levee scenarios were assessed: (1) the present-day levee configuration, (2) a 1000 m levee setback, (3) a 1500 m levee setback, and (4) an optimized setback configuration. Flood losses were estimated using FEMA's Hazus-MH (Hazards US Multi-Hazard) loss-estimation software on a structure-by-structure basis for a range of floods from the 2- to the 500-year events. These flood-loss estimates were combined with a levee-reliability model to calculate probability-weighted damage estimates. In the simplest case, the levee setback scenarios tested here reduced flood losses compared to current conditions for large, infrequent flooding events but increased flood losses for smaller, more frequent flood events. These increases occurred because levee protection was removed for some of the existing structures. When combined with buyouts of unprotected structures, levee setbacks reduced flood losses for all recurrence intervals. The "optimized" levee setback scenario, involving a levee configuration manually planned to protect existing high-value infrastructure, reduced damages with or without buyouts. This research shows that levee setbacks in combination with buyouts are an economically viable approach for flood-risk reduction along the study reach and likely elsewhere where levees are widely employed for flood control. Designing a levee setback around existing high-value infrastructure can maximize the benefit of the setback while simultaneously minimizing the costs. The optimized levee setback scenario analyzed here produced payback periods (costs divided by benefits) of less than 12 years. With many aging levees failing current inspections across the US, and flood losses spiraling up over time, levee setbacks are a viable solution for reducing flood exposure and flood levels.

  20. Using Levee Setbacks to Increase Floodplain Connectivity and Reduce Flood Risk

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dahl, T. A.; Echevarria-Doyle, W.

    2017-12-01

    Levees typically constrain flood flows to within the main channel, isolating the river from its natural floodplain. Levees limit the areal and temporal extents of flooding, but can increase flood peaks, alter ecosystems, and cause scour. In order to mitigate these effects, some groups have begun moving portions of levees further away from the main channel, creating setback levees. Here we describe a series of levee setback scenarios for a hypothetical river that were modeled with the unsteady, 2D-hydraulic model AdH. In our scenarios, the water surface elevations were reduced both at the location of the levee setback and for some distance upstream. The models also show that the floodplain roughness can have a greater effect on the reduction in water surface elevation than the size of the levee setback. Groups planning levee setbacks can use these results to help guide their designs.

  1. Game Theory and Risk-Based Levee System Design

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hui, R.; Lund, J. R.; Madani, K.

    2014-12-01

    Risk-based analysis has been developed for optimal levee design for economic efficiency. Along many rivers, two levees on opposite riverbanks act as a simple levee system. Being rational and self-interested, land owners on each river bank would tend to independently optimize their levees with risk-based analysis, resulting in a Pareto-inefficient levee system design from the social planner's perspective. Game theory is applied in this study to analyze decision making process in a simple levee system in which the land owners on each river bank develop their design strategies using risk-based economic optimization. For each land owner, the annual expected total cost includes expected annual damage cost and annualized construction cost. The non-cooperative Nash equilibrium is identified and compared to the social planner's optimal distribution of flood risk and damage cost throughout the system which results in the minimum total flood cost for the system. The social planner's optimal solution is not feasible without appropriate level of compensation for the transferred flood risk to guarantee and improve conditions for all parties. Therefore, cooperative game theory is then employed to develop an economically optimal design that can be implemented in practice. By examining the game in the reversible and irreversible decision making modes, the cost of decision making myopia is calculated to underline the significance of considering the externalities and evolution path of dynamic water resource problems for optimal decision making.

  2. Traumatismo craneoencefálico leve

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ortega Zufiría, José Manuel; Prieto, Noemí Lomillos; Cuba, Bernardino Choque; Degenhardt, Martin Tamarit; Núñez, Pedro Poveda; López Serrano, María Remedios; López Raigada, Azahara Belén

    2018-01-01

    Resumen Introducción y objetivo: El TCE leve representa un problema sanitario de enorme interés debido a que un número significativo de enfermos con trauma leve desarrollará complicaciones potencialmente mortales. El objetivo de este estudio ha sido describir una serie amplia de pacientes adultos, mayores de 14 años, que sufren TCE leve, atendidos en el Hospital Universitario de Getafe, entre los años 2010 y 2015 (n = 2480), estudiar el perfil epidemiológico y analizar el diagnóstico y el tratamiento efectuados, así como establecer los principales factores pronósticos que influyen en el resultado final. Método: Se ha realizado un estudio retrospectivo, de revisión de historias clínicas, analizando los resultados con estudio estadístico bivariable y multivariable. Resultados: El TCE leve es más frecuente en varones, y el mecanismo causante más común en nuestro medio es el accidente de tráfico. Se propone un modelo de clasificación de pacientes según grupos de riesgo, que los subdivide en riesgo bajo, intermedio o alto, que se correlaciona bien con la probabilidad de desarrollar complicación intracraneal, y, consecuentemente, con el resultado final. Se discute la indicación de la radiografía simple de cráneo y de la Tomografía Computarizada (TC), así como del ingreso hospitalario para observación neurológica. Conclusiones: En este estudio, la presencia de focalidad neurológica en la exploración clínica, la edad, las alteraciones de la coagulación y la existencia de fractura en la radiografía simple se relacionan con mayor posibilidad de desarrollar lesiones traumáticas intracraneales y con peor pronóstico final. La escala de Glasgow para el Coma es deficitaria en la determinación del resultado final del paciente que sufre TCE, porque no considera variables tales como la amnesia o la pérdida de conocimiento, muy frecuentes en el traumatismo craneoencefálico leve. PMID:29430327

  3. Overtopping of Berm Breakwaters Extension of Overtopping Formula

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Thomas Lykke; Burcharth, H. F.

    2005-01-01

    the formula is improved so it gives reliable estimates also for more stable structures. The extension of the overtopping formula is based on analysis of front slope stability data from many different data sets. In most cases there is only a small difference between the Lykke Andersen & Burcharth (2004......In this paper is presented an improved version of the overtopping formula by Lykke Andersen & Burcharth (2004)valid for berm breakwaters with initial slopes of 1:1.25. In the present paper guidelines is given on how to modify the formula to take into account the initial slope angle. Further...

  4. A Bivariate return period for levee failure monitoring

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isola, M.; Caporali, E.

    2017-12-01

    Levee breaches are strongly linked with the interaction processes among water, soil and structure, thus many are the factors that affect the breach development. One of the main is the hydraulic load, characterized by intensity and duration, i.e. by the flood event hydrograph. On the magnitude of the hydraulic load is based the levee design, generally without considering the fatigue failure due to the load duration. Moreover, many are the cases in which the levee breach are characterized by flood of magnitude lower than the design one. In order to implement the strategies of flood risk management, we built here a procedure based on a multivariate statistical analysis of flood peak and volume together with the analysis of the past levee failure events. Particularly, in order to define the probability of occurrence of the hydraulic load on a levee, a bivariate copula model is used to obtain the bivariate joint distribution of flood peak and volume. Flood peak is the expression of the load magnitude, while the volume is the expression of the stress over time. We consider the annual flood peak and the relative volume. The volume is given by the hydrograph area between the beginning and the end of event. The beginning of the event is identified as an abrupt rise of the discharge by more than 20%. The end is identified as the point from which the receding limb is characterized by the baseflow, using a nonlinear reservoir algorithm as baseflow separation technique. By this, with the aim to define warning thresholds we consider the past levee failure events and the relative bivariate return period (BTr) compared with the estimation of a traditional univariate model. The discharge data of 30 hydrometric stations of Arno River in Tuscany, Italy, in the period 1995-2016 are analysed. The database of levee failure events, considering for each event the location as well as the failure mode, is also created. The events were registered in the period 2000-2014 by EEA

  5. McGee Creek Drainage and Levee District, Illinois.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1973-04-01

    J COUNTY MC GEE REEK DRAINAGE BLEVEE DISTRICT N~ i, 0. ~ I I LEGEND Co ,. 3 ~ . -~------~----EXISTING LEVEE _____________PROPOSED LEVEE...Development, Conservation, Environmental Protection Agency, Health, Institute for Environmental Quality, Mines and Minerals. Pollution Control Board...Protection Agency, Health, Institute for Environmental Quality, Mines and Minerals, Pollution Control Board, Registration and Education, Transportation

  6. A Cultural Resources Survey of Arlington Revetment and LSU Berm Levee Improvement Item, East Baton Rouge Parish Louisiana

    Science.gov (United States)

    1993-07-01

    Light gm Slas 14 14 Lis Smm pmlew aumk Simm Milk glass 1 Modern brown glass I Olive glass _ Tin cm key 11 Shotg cartridge 1 Slate 1 Mortar 1 1 Piece of...Parish, Louisiana. Anthropological Report No. 1. Archaeological Survey and Antiquities Commission, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism , Baton

  7. Lexical semantic memory in amnestic mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer's disease Memória léxico-semântica no comprometimento cognitivo leve amnéstico e doença de Alzheimer leve

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcio L.F. Balthazar

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To study lexical semantic memory in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI, mild Alzheimer's disease (AD and normal controls. METHOD: Fifteen mild AD, 15 aMCI, and 15 normal control subjects were included. Diagnosis of AD was based on DSM-IV and NINCDS-ADRDA criteria, and that of aMCI, on the criteria of the International Working Group on Mild Cognitive Impairment, using CDR 0.5 for aMCI and CDR 1 for mild AD. All subjects underwent semantic memory tests (Boston Naming-BNT, CAMCOG Similarities item, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT, Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE, neuropsychological tests (counterproofs, and Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia. Data analysis used Mann-Whitney test for intergroup comparisons and Pearson's coefficient for correlations between memory tests and counterproofs (statistical significance level was pOBJETIVO: Estudar a memória léxico-semântica no comprometimento cognitivo leve amnéstico (aCCL, doença de Alzheimer (DA leve e controles normais. MÉTODO: Incluímos 15 pacientes com DA leve, 15 com aCCL e 15 controles normais, usando os critérios DSM-IV, NINCDS-ADRDA e CDR 1 para DA, e os do International Working Group on Mild Cognitive Impairment, e CDR 0,5 para aCCL. Todos os sujeitos passaram por testes de memória semântica (Teste de nomeação de Boston - TNB, item de Similaridades do CAMCOG, teste de aprendizado auditivo-verbal de Rey (TAAVR, Mini-Exame do Estado Mental (MEEM, testes neuropsicológicos (contraprovas e Escala Cornell para Depressão em Demência. A análise dos dados usou o teste de Mann-Whitney para comparações entre os grupos e o coeficiente de Pearson para correlação entre testes e contraprovas (nível de significância p<0,05. RESULTADOS: Os pacientes com aCCL foram semelhantes aos controles no TNB e Similaridades, mas inferiores no MEEM e TAAVR. Pacientes com DA leve tiveram performance inferior à de sujeitos com aCCL e controles em todos os

  8. Efeitos do treinamento auditivo em idosos com Comprometimento Cognitivo Leve

    OpenAIRE

    Renata Rezende de Almeida Ávila; Cristina Ferraz Borges Murphy; Eliane Schochat

    2014-01-01

    INTRODUÇÃO: Pesquisas demonstram a existência do Transtorno do Processamento Auditivo em indivíduos com Comprometimento Cognitivo Leve. OBJETIVO: Verificar os efeitos de um treinamento auditivo, em indivíduos com comprometimento cognitivo leve. MÉTODOS: Participaram 25 indivíduos, com idades entre 69 e 91 anos e diagnóstico de Comprometimento Cognitivo Leve, sendo que, 10 receberam treinamento auditivo (grupo estudo), 10 receberam treinamento visual (grupo alternativo) e cinco não re...

  9. Aggradation of Leveed Channels and Their Flood Plains in Arroyo Bottoms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vincent, K. R.

    2005-12-01

    Many arroyos that formed by incision more than a century ago in the southwestern United States are currently filling with sediment. This reversal of processes is important because it causes changes in riparian ecology, erosion hazards, ground water recharge, and sediment supply to downstream. Along the Rio Puerco and Chaco Wash in New Mexico, we examined the geometry and facies of channel and floodplain stratigraphy exposed in trenches, used high-resolution dating of the sedimentary beds, and used photographs and other historical evidence to investigate the processes of aggradation in naturally leveed channels within arroyos. Prior to the onset of aggradation, the streambeds were composed of sand and had low relief, and arroyo walls retreated rapidly due to stream undermining. Aggradation began with the formation of sand levees at the margins of the streambeds, followed by formation of newer levees increasingly closer to the thalweg. These levees coincide with rows of woody shrubs (tamarisk and willow), plants that germinated in moist sand along the high-water marks of moderate flows, and survived because subsequent periods lacked flows large enough to remove them. Flow entering a row of woody shrubs decelerates, promoting deposition of suspended sand. Stream flows in this setting are always turbid but do not have the rheology of debris flows. The rows of shrubs probably are a requirement for initial formation of sand levees on low relief streambeds in this setting. As new levees formed closer to the thalweg the channel effectively narrowed, and smaller discharges overtopped the levees adjacent to the channel. Those closer levees accumulated sand most rapidly, leaving the suspended sand concentration depleted by the time water reached more distant ones. All levees aggraded vertically. As the main channel narrowed it acquired a roughly trapezoidal-shape (Top Width/Depth ~ 9 to 5) with banks inclined close to the angle of repose. In addition, sediment deposited on

  10. Experimental study on distributed optical fiber-based approach monitoring saturation line in levee engineering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Huaizhi; Li, Hao; Kang, Yeyuan; Wen, Zhiping

    2018-02-01

    Seepage is one of key factors which affect the levee engineering safety. The seepage danger without timely detection and rapid response may likely lead to severe accidents such as seepage failure, slope instability, and even levee break. More than 90 percent of levee break events are caused by the seepage. It is very important for seepage behavior identification to determine accurately saturation line in levee engineering. Furthermore, the location of saturation line has a major impact on slope stability in levee engineering. Considering the structure characteristics and service condition of levee engineering, the distributed optical fiber sensing technology is introduced to implement the real-time observation of saturation line in levee engineering. The distributed optical fiber temperature sensor system (DTS)-based monitoring principle of saturation line in levee engineering is investigated. An experimental platform, which consists of DTS, heating system, water-supply system, auxiliary analysis system and levee model, is designed and constructed. The monitoring experiment of saturation line in levee model is implemented on this platform. According to the experimental results, the numerical relationship between moisture content and thermal conductivity in porous medium is identified. A line heat source-based distributed optical fiber method obtaining the thermal conductivity in porous medium is developed. A DTS-based approach is proposed to monitor the saturation line in levee engineering. The embedment pattern of optical fiber for monitoring saturation line is presented.

  11. Morphology of fluvial levee series along a river under human influence, Maros River, Hungary

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiss, Tímea; Balogh, Márton; Fiala, Károly; Sipos, György

    2018-02-01

    The development and morphometry of fluvial levees reflect the connection between channel and overbank processes, which can be altered by various human activities. The aims of this study are to investigate the morphology and spatial characteristics of fluvial levees and evaluate the role of some local- and catchment-scale human activities on their medium-term (150 years) development. This study applies LiDAR data along a 53-km-long reach of the Maros River in Hungary. Six fluvial levee types are identified based on the beginning and end of their evolution. These levee types were generated by local nineteenth century channel regulation works (cutoffs) and mid-twentieth century channel narrowing, which was caused by gravel mining and water impoundment in the upstream sections. However, other human activities also influenced the development of active fluvial levees because their horizontal evolution could have been limited by embanked flood-protection levees or the widening of low-lying floodplain benches that were generated by channel narrowing. Additionally, revetment constructions influenced their vertical parameters as higher fluvial levees developed along the fixed banks. Generally, the older active fluvial levees are wider, while the younger active levees are narrower with steeper slopes but not always lower. On the low-lying floodplain levels (benches), the youngest fluvial levees evolved quite rapidly and consist of coarser material. Currently, only 9.8- to 38-year return-period floods could cover the fluvial levees, contributing to their evolution. This fact and the development of fluvial levee series with two-three members reflect a gradual decoupling of the channel from the floodplain.

  12. Levee Vertical Land Motion Changes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

    Science.gov (United States)

    Telling, J. W.; Brooks, B. A.; Glennie, C. L.; Ericksen, T. L.; Knowles, N.

    2017-12-01

    The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is home to numerous islands that provide economically and agriculturally important land. However, the island interiors are sinking and most sit below sea level, making the levee roads that surround the islands vital for their continued health and productivity. Airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data over the islands was collected in 2007 by the California Department of Water Resources and mobile LiDAR data was collected along the levee roads on Bacon, Bouldin, Jersey, and Brannan-Andrus Islands in 2015 and 2016 by the USGS. These datasets provide high resolution topographic models with 8 year separation that can be used to examine topographic change along the levees. A cross-section of each dataset was output along the approximate centerline of the levee road, so that profiles of the 2007 and 2015/2016 LiDAR observations could be compared. Regions of levee road subsidence and of levee road construction and reinforcement on the order of 0-3 centimeters per year were evident in locations around the islands. There is a high degree of spatial variability of these rates even for individual islands. These results were compared to the levee road maps published by the CA Delta Stewardship Council and it was found that the regions of reinforcement and subsidence did not always align between the published maps and the LiDAR data. Additionally, the levee road heights and rates of change, in regions of road subsidence, were compared to sea level rise projections to evaluate the risk that rising sea level may pose to the islands in the future.

  13. Optimum Safety Levels and Design Rules for the Icelandic Type Berm Breakwater

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sigurdarson, Sigurdur; van der Meer, Jentsje W.; Burcharth, Hans F.

    2007-01-01

    Guidance on selection of breakwater types and related design safety levels for breakwaters are almost non-existent, which is the reason that PIANC has initiated working group 47 on this subject. This paper presents ongoing work particulary on the Icelandic type berm breakwater within the PIANC...... working group. It will concentrate on design guidance and on the optimum safety levels for this type of structure....

  14. Application of GPR Method for Detection of Loose Zones in Flood Levee

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gołębiowski, Tomisław; Małysa, Tomasz

    2018-02-01

    In the paper the results of non-invasive georadar (GPR) surveys carried out for detection of loose zones located in the flood levee was presented. Terrain measurements were performed on the Vistula river flood levee in the village of Wawrzeńczyce near Cracow. In the investigation site, during the flood in 2010, leakages of levee were observed, so detection of inner water filtration paths was an important matter taking into account the stability of the levee during the next flood. GPR surveys had reconnaissance character, so they were carried out with the use of short-offset reflection profiling (SORP) technique and radargrams were subjected to standard signal processing. The results of surveys allowed to outline main loose zone in the levee which were the reason of leakages in 2010. Additionally gravel interbeddings in sand were detected which had an important influence, due to higher porosity of such zones, to water filtration inside of the levee. In the paper three solutions which allow to increase quality and resolution of radargrams were presented, i.e. changeable-polarisation surveys, advanced signal processing and DHA procedure.

  15. Performance Monitoring of a Nearshore Berm at Ft. Myers Beach, Florida

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-08-01

    Figure 14. Establishing a temporary benchmark. ERDC/CHL TR-13-11 28 Visually estimated vegetation/ toe -of- dune line, MHHW line (identified...sediment samples were taken at the toe of the dune (where present), backbeach, high tide line, mean sea level, low tide line, and then at approximately...2-ft, 4-ft, 6-ft, and 8-ft water depths. In the berm area, surface sediment samples were taken at the toe of the dune (where present), backbeach

  16. Transient Flow through an Unsaturated Levee Embankment during the 2011 Mississippi River Flood

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jafari, N.; Stark, T.; Vahedifard, F.; Cadigan, J.

    2017-12-01

    The Mississippi River and corresponding tributaries drain approximately 3.23 million km2 (1.25 million mi2) or the equivalent of 41% of the contiguous United States. Approximately 2,600 km ( 1,600 miles) of earthen levees presently protect major urban cities and agricultural land against the periodic Mississippi River floods within the Lower Mississippi River Valley. The 2011 flood also severely stressed the levees and highlighted the need to evaluate the behavior of levee embankments during high water levels. The performance of earthen levees is complex because of the uncertainties in construction materials, antecedent moisture contents, hydraulic properties, and lack of field monitoring. In particular, calibration of unsaturated and saturated soil properties of levee embankment and foundation layers along with the evaluation of phreatic surface during high river stage is lacking. Due to the formation of sand boils at the Duncan Point Levee in Baton Rouge, LA during the 2011 flood event, a reconnaissance survey was conducted to collect pore-water pressures in the sand foundation using piezometers and identifying the phreatic surface at the peak river level. Transient seepage analyses were performed to calibrate the foundation and levee embankment material properties using field data collected. With this calibrated levee model, numerical experiments were conducted to characterize the effects of rainfall intensity and duration, progression of phreatic surface, and seasonal climate variability prior to floods on the performance of the levee embankment. For example, elevated phreatic surface from river floods are maintained for several months and can be compounded with rainfall to lead to slope instability.

  17. Flexible Reactive Berm (FRBerm) for Removal of Heavy Metals from Runoff Water

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-03-01

    coefficient, and sediment clogging coefficients. Also, the flexible reactive barrier system permitted overtopping and filter socks would be arranged in a...FINAL REPORT Flexible Reactive Berm (FRBerm) for Removal of Heavy Metals from Runoff Water ESTCP Project ER-201213 MARCH 2016...GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME

  18. Numerical simulation of pore pressure changes in levee under flood conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stanisz, Jacek; Borecka, Aleksandra; Pilecki, Zenon; Kaczmarczyk, Robert

    2017-11-01

    The article discusses the potential for using numerical simulation to assess the development of deformation and pore pressure changes in a levee as a result of the increase and decrease of the flood wave. The simulation made in FLAC 2D did not take into account the filter-erosion deformation associated with seepage in the levee. The simulations were carried out for a field experimental storage consisting of two combined levees, which was constructed with the help of homogeneous cohesive materials with different filtration coefficients. Calculated and measured pore pressure changes were analysed at 4 monitoring points. The water level was increased to 4 m in 96 hours and decreased in 120 hours. The characteristics of the calculated and measured pore pressure changes over time were similar. The maximum values of the calculated and measured pore pressure were almost identical. The only differences were the greater delay of the experimental levee response to changes in water level increase compared to the response of the numerical model. These differences were probably related to filtering-erosion effects during seepage in the levee.

  19. Spatial relationships of levees and wetland systems within floodplains of the Wabash Basin, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bray, E. N.; Morrison, R. R.; Nardi, F.; Annis, A.; Dong, Q.

    2017-12-01

    Given the unique biogeochemical, physical, and hydrologic services provided by floodplain wetlands, proper management of river systems should include an understanding of how floodplain modifications influences wetland ecosystems. The construction of levees can reduce river-floodplain connectivity, yet it is unclear how levees affect wetlands within a river system, let alone the cumulative impacts within an entire watershed. This paper explores spatial relationships between levee and floodplain wetland systems in the Wabash basin, United States. We used a hydrogeomorphic floodplain delineation technique to map floodplain extents and identify wetlands that may be hydrologically connected to river networks. We then spatially examined the relationship between levee presence, wetland area, and other river network attributes within discrete HUC-12 sub-basins. Our results show that cumulative wetland area is relatively constant in sub-basins that contain levees, regardless of maximum stream order within the sub-basin. In sub-basins that do not contain levees, cumulative wetland area increases with maximum stream order. However, we found that wetland distributions around levees can be complex, and further studies on the influence of levees on wetland habitat may need to be evaluated at finer-resolution spatial scales.

  20. Levee Seepage Detection in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Using Polarimetric SAR

    Science.gov (United States)

    An, K.; Jones, C. E.; Bekaert, D. P.

    2017-12-01

    The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta's extensive levee system protects over 2,800 km2 of reclaimed lands and serves as the main irrigation and domestic water supply for the state of California. However, ongoing subsidence and disaster threats from floods and earthquakes make the Delta levee system highly vulnerable, endangering water supplies for 23 million California residents and 2.5 million acres of agricultural land. Levee failure in the Delta can cause saltwater intrusion from San Francisco Bay, reducing water quality and curtailing water exports to residents, commercial users, and farmers. To protect the Delta levee system, it is essential to search for signs of seepage in which water is piping through or beneath levees, which can be associated with deformation of the levees themselves. Until now, in-situ monitoring has largely been applied, however, this is a time-consuming and expensive approach. We use data acquired with NASA's UAVSAR (Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar) airborne radar instrument to identify and characterize levee seepages and associated land subsidence through advanced remote sensing technologies. The high spatial resolution of UAVSAR can help to direct surveys to areas that are likely to be experiencing damage. UAVSAR is an L-band airborne sensor with high signal-to-noise ratio, repeat flight track accuracy, and spatial resolution of 7x7 m2 (for multi-looked products) that is necessary for detailed levee monitoring. The adaptability of radar instruments in their ability to see through smoke, haze, and clouds during the day or night, is especially relevant during disaster events, when cloud cover or lack of solar illumination inhibits traditional visual surveys of damage. We demonstrate the advantages of combining polarimetric radar imagery with geographic information systems (GIS) datasets in locating seepage features along critical levee infrastructure in the Delta for 2009-2016. The ability to efficiently locate potential

  1. Levee Presence and Wetland Areas within the 100-Year Floodplain of the Wabash Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morrison, R. R.; Dong, Q.; Nardi, F.; Grantham, T.; Annis, A.

    2016-12-01

    Wetlands have declined over the past century due to land use changes and water management activities in the United States. Levees have been extensively built to provide protection against flooding events, and can fundamentally alter the water distribution and hydrologic dynamics within floodplains. Although levees can reduce wetlands in many places, it is unclear how much wetland areas are impacted at a basin-scale. This study explores the relationship between wetlands, levee presence, and other important hydrologic metrics within a 100-year floodplain. We estimated total wetland area, levee length, floodplain area and other variables, in discrete 12-digit hydrologic units (HUC-12) of the Wabash Basin (n=854) and examined the relationship between these variables using non-parametric statistical tests. We found greater areas of wetland habitat in HUC12 units that contain levees compared to those without levees when we aggregated the results across the entire basin. Factors such as stream order, mean annual flow, and HUC12 area are not correlated with the wetland area in HUC-12 units that contain levees. In addition, median wetland area in HUC12 units with levees is surprisingly consistent regardless of maximum stream order. Visual observations of wetland distributions indicate that wetland presence may be dependent on its location relative to levees. These results indicate that refined geospatial analyses may be necessary to explore the complex influence of levees on wetland habitat, and that additional basins should be explored to develop more generalized trends. This information is preliminary and subject to revision.

  2. An assessment of two methods for identifying undocumented levees using remotely sensed data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Czuba, Christiana R.; Williams, Byron K.; Westman, Jack; LeClaire, Keith

    2015-01-01

    Many undocumented and commonly unmaintained levees exist in the landscape complicating flood forecasting, risk management, and emergency response. This report describes a pilot study completed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to assess two methods to identify undocumented levees by using remotely sensed, high-resolution topographic data. For the first method, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers examined hillshades computed from a digital elevation model that was derived from light detection and ranging (lidar) to visually identify potential levees and then used detailed site visits to assess the validity of the identifications. For the second method, the U.S. Geological Survey applied a wavelet transform to a lidar-derived digital elevation model to identify potential levees. The hillshade method was applied to Delano, Minnesota, and the wavelet-transform method was applied to Delano and Springfield, Minnesota. Both methods were successful in identifying levees but also identified other features that required interpretation to differentiate from levees such as constructed barriers, high banks, and bluffs. Both methods are complementary to each other, and a potential conjunctive method for testing in the future includes (1) use of the wavelet-transform method to rapidly identify slope-break features in high-resolution topographic data, (2) further examination of topographic data using hillshades and aerial photographs to classify features and map potential levees, and (3) a verification check of each identified potential levee with local officials and field visits.

  3. Study of Movement and Seepage Along Levees Using DINSAR and the Airborne UAVSAR Instrument

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Cathleen E.; Bawden, Gerald; Deverel, Steven; Dudas, Joel; Hensley, Scott

    2012-01-01

    We have studied the utility of high resolution SAR (synthetic aperture radar) for levee monitoring using UAVSAR (Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar) data collected along the dikes and levees in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and along the lower Mississippi River. Our study has focused on detecting and tracking changes that are indicative of potential problem spots, namely deformation of the levees, subsidence along the levee toe, and seepage through the levees, making use of polarimetric and interferometric SAR techniques. Here was present some results of those studies, which show that high resolution, low noise SAR imaging could supplement more traditional ground-based monitoring methods by providing early indicators of seepage and deformation.

  4. Field observation of morpho-dynamic processes during storms at a Pacific beach, Japan: role of long-period waves in storm-induced berm erosion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mizuguchi, Masaru; Seki, Katsumi

    2015-01-01

    Many ultrasonic wave gages were placed with a small spacing across the swash zone to monitor either sand level or water level. Continuous monitoring conducted for a few years enabled the collection of data on the change in wave properties as well as swash-zone profiles. Data sets including two cases of large-scale berm erosion were analyzed. The results showed that 1) shoreline erosion started when high waves with significant power in long-period (1 to 2 min.) waves reached the top of a well-developed berm with the help of rising tide; 2) the beach in the swash zone was eroded with higher elevation being more depressed, while the bottom elevation just outside the swash zone remained almost unchanged; and 3) erosion stopped in a few hours after the berm was completely eroded or the swash-zone slope became uniformly mild. These findings strongly suggest that long waves play a dominant role in the swash-zone dynamics associated with these erosional events.

  5. Environment - Borrow Area for Temporary Levee

    Data.gov (United States)

    Army Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army, Department of Defense — This data represents the location of a borrow site for construction materials used in temporary levee building during flood events. The footprint of these areas have...

  6. Screening Mississippi River Levees Using Texture-Based and Polarimetric-Based Features from Synthetic Aperture Radar Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lalitha Dabbiru

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available This article reviews the use of synthetic aperture radar remote sensing data for earthen levee mapping with an emphasis on finding the slump slides on the levees. Earthen levees built on the natural levees parallel to the river channel are designed to protect large areas of populated and cultivated land in the Unites States from flooding. One of the signs of potential impending levee failure is the appearance of slump slides. On-site inspection of levees is expensive and time-consuming; therefore, a need to develop efficient techniques based on remote sensing technologies is mandatory to prevent failures under flood loading. Analysis of multi-polarized radar data is one of the viable tools for detecting the problem areas on the levees. In this study, we develop methods to detect anomalies on the levee, such as slump slides and give levee managers new tools to prioritize their tasks. This paper presents results of applying the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL’s Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR quad-polarized L-band data to detect slump slides on earthen levees. The study area encompasses a portion of levees of the lower Mississippi River in the United States. In this paper, we investigate the performance of polarimetric and texture features for efficient levee classification. Texture features derived from the gray level co-occurrence (GLCM matrix and discrete wavelet transform were computed and analyzed for efficient levee classification. The pixel-based polarimetric decomposition features, such as entropy, anisotropy, and scattering angle were also computed and applied to the support vector machine classifier to characterize the radar imagery and compared the results with texture-based classification. Our experimental results showed that inclusion of textural features derived from the SAR data using the discrete wavelet transform (DWT features and GLCM features provided

  7. Condiciones de salud y satisfacción laboral según régimen laboral en enfermeros del Policlínico Pablo Bermúdez

    OpenAIRE

    Contreras Horna, Azucena Magdalena

    2017-01-01

    El trabajo de investigación que a continuación se presenta es titulado: Condiciones de Salud, satisfacción laboral según el régimen laboral de los enfermeros del Policlínico Pablo Bermúdez, tuvo como objetivo general: determinar la relación que existe entre las condiciones de salud, la satisfacción laboral según el régimen laboral de los enfermeros del Policlínico Pablo Bermúdez. El método utilizado fue descriptivo, explicativo, transversal y correlacional. La población estuvo ...

  8. Tree growth and recruitment in a leveed floodplain forest in the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gee, Hugo K.W.; King, Sammy L.; Keim, Richard F.

    2014-01-01

    Flooding is a defining disturbance in floodplain forests affecting seed germination, seedling establishment, and tree growth. Globally, flood control, including artificial levees, dams, and channelization has altered flood regimes in floodplains. However, a paucity of data are available in regards to the long-term effects of levees on stand establishment and tree growth in floodplain forests. In this study, we used dendrochronological techniques to reconstruct tree recruitment and tree growth over a 90-year period at three stands within a ring levee in the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (MAV) and to evaluate whether recruitment patterns and tree growth changed following levee construction. We hypothesized that: (1) sugarberry is increasing in dominance and overcup oak (Quercus lyrata) is becoming less dominant since the levee, and that changes in hydrology are playing a greater role than canopy disturbance in these changes in species dominance; and (2) that overcup oak growth has declined following construction of the levee and cessation of overbank flooding whereas that of sugarberry has increased. Recruitment patterns shifted from flood-tolerant overcup oak to flood-intolerant sugarberry (Celtis laevigata) after levee construction. None of the 122 sugarberry trees cored in this study established prior to the levee, but it was the most common species established after the levee. The mechanisms behind the compositional change are unknown, however, the cosmopolitan distribution of overcup oak during the pre-levee period and sugarberry during the post-levee period, the lack of sugarberry establishment in the pre-levee period, and the confinement of overcup oak regeneration to the lowest areas in each stand after harvest in the post-levee period indicate that species-specific responses to flooding and light availability are forcing recruitment patterns. Overcup oak growth was also affected by levee construction, but in contrast to our hypothesis, growth actually

  9. ON LAND SLIDE DETECTION USING TERRASAR-X OVER EARTHEN LEVEES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Mahrooghy

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Earthen levees have an important role to protect large areas of inhabited and cultivated land in the US from flooding. Failure of the levees can threaten the loss of life and property. One of the problems which can lead to a complete failure during a high water event is a slough slide. In this research, we are trying to detect such slides using X-band SAR data. Our methodology consists of the following four steps: 1 segmentation of the levee area from background; 2 extracting features including backscatter features and texture features; 3 training a back propagation neural network classifier using ground-truth data; and 4 testing the area of interest and validation of the results using ground truth data. A dual-polarimetric X-band image is acquired from the German TerraSAR-X satellite. Ground-truth data include the slides and healthy area. The study area is an approximately 1 km stretch of levee along the lower Mississippi River in the United States. The output classification shows the two classes of healthy and slide areas. The results show classification accuracies of approximately 67% for detecting the slide pixels.

  10. Levee reliability analyses for various flood return periods - a case study in southern Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, W.-C.; Yu, H.-W.; Weng, M.-C.

    2015-04-01

    In recent years, heavy rainfall conditions have caused disasters around the world. To prevent losses by floods, levees have often been constructed in inundation-prone areas. This study performed reliability analyses for the Chiuliao First Levee in southern Taiwan. The failure-related parameters were the water level, the scouring depth, and the in situ friction angle. Three major failure mechanisms were considered: the slope sliding failure of the levee and the sliding and overturning failures of the retaining wall. When the variability of the in situ friction angle and the scouring depth are considered for various flood return periods, the variations of the factor of safety for the different failure mechanisms show that the retaining wall sliding and overturning failures are more sensitive to the change of the friction angle. When the flood return period is greater than 2 years, the levee could fail with slope sliding for all values of the water level difference. The results of levee stability analysis considering the variability of different parameters could aid engineers in designing the levee cross sections, especially with potential failure mechanisms in mind.

  11. Analysis of Wave Reflection from Structures with Berms Through an Extensive Database and 2DV Numerical Modelling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zanuttigh, Barbara; van der Meer, Jentsje W.; Andersen, Thomas Lykke

    2009-01-01

    This paper analyses wave reflection from permeable structures with a berm, including reshaping cases. Data are obtained from recent wave flume experiments and from 2DV numerical simulations performed with the COBRAS-UC code. The objectives of this research were to identify the proper representation...

  12. Carbonate Channel-Levee Systems Influenced by Mass-Transport Deposition, Browse Basin, Australia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunlap, D.; Janson, X.; Sanchez-Phelps, C.; Covault, J. A.

    2017-12-01

    Submarine channels are primary conduits for clastic sediment transport to deep-water basins, thereby controlling the location of marine depocenters and sediment bypass. The evolution and depositional character of submarine channels have broad implications to sediment dispersal, sediment quality, and hydrocarbon exploration potential. Siliciclastic channel systems have been extensively studied in modern environments, seismic and outcrop; however, carbonate channel-levee deposits have only recently been explored. Here we utilize newly released high-resolution (90 Hz) seismic-reflection data from the Australian Browse Basin to document the influence of mass-transport complex (MTC) deposition on the stratigraphic architecture of carbonate channel-levee systems. The 2014 vintage seismic survey is 2500 km2 and hosts numerous large Miocene-age carbonate channel-levee complexes basinward of the shelf edge. Regional horizons and individual channel forms were mapped. Channels range from 200-300 m wide and are bounded by high-relief levee-overbank wedges (>100 ms TWTT). These channels extend across the survey area >70 km. The leveed-channels were sourced from middle and late Miocene slope gullies linked to platform carbonates. Slope-attached and locally derived MTC's are evident throughout the Miocene section likely related to periods of basin inversion and shelf-edge gully incision. We interpret that regionally extensive (>1000 km2) slope-attached MTC's can shut down a channel-levee system and trigger the initiation of a new system, whereas more locally derived (wasting and turbidity currents, which informs depositional models of carbonate slope systems and calls for re-evaluation of the controls on stratigraphic patterns in mixed siliciclastic-carbonate deep-water basins.

  13. Memoria lexico-semantica no comprometimento cognitivo leve amnestico e doença de Alzheimer leve : aspectos neuropsicologicos, de neuroimagem estrutural e modelo de organização cerebral

    OpenAIRE

    Marcio Luiz Figueredo Balthazar

    2008-01-01

    Resumo: A organização cerebral da memória léxico-semântica, assim como suas alterações em pacientes com doença de Alzheimer (DA) leve e Comprometimento Cognitivo Leve amnéstico (CCLa) não são completamente conhecidas. Neste estudo, avaliamos o desempenho de pacientes com DA leve, CCLa e idosos normais em testes léxico-semânticos como o Teste de Nomeação de Boston (TNB), Teste de Similaridades do CAMCOG e Fluência Verbal (FV) para categoria animais, além de outros domínios cognitivos. Aprofund...

  14. An Approach for Real-time Levee Health Monitoring Using Signal Processing Methods

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pyayt, A.L.; Kozionov, A.P.; Mokhov, I.I.; Lang, B.; Krzhizhanovskaya, V.V.; Sloot, P.M.A.

    2013-01-01

    We developed a levee health monitoring system within the UrbanFlood project funded under the EU 7th Framework Programme. A novel real-time levee health assessment Artificial Intelligence system is developed using data-driven methods. The system is implemented in the UrbanFlood early warning system.

  15. Terrestrial Lidar Datasets of New Orleans, Louisiana, Levee Failures from Hurricane Katrina, August 29, 2005

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collins, Brian D.; Kayen, Robert; Minasian, Diane L.; Reiss, Thomas

    2009-01-01

    Hurricane Katrina made landfall with the northern Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, as one of the strongest hurricanes on record. The storm damage incurred in Louisiana included a number of levee failures that led to the inundation of approximately 85 percent of the metropolitan New Orleans area. Whereas extreme levels of storm damage were expected from such an event, the catastrophic failure of the New Orleans levees prompted a quick mobilization of engineering experts to assess why and how particular levees failed. As part of this mobilization, civil engineering members of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) performed terrestrial lidar topographic surveys at major levee failures in the New Orleans area. The focus of the terrestrial lidar effort was to obtain precise measurements of the ground surface to map soil displacements at each levee site, the nonuniformity of levee height freeboard, depth of erosion where scour occurred, and distress in structures at incipient failure. In total, we investigated eight sites in the New Orleans region, including both earth and concrete floodwall levee breaks. The datasets extend from the 17th Street Canal in the Orleans East Bank area to the intersection of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) with the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) in the New Orleans East area. The lidar scan data consists of electronic files containing millions of surveyed points. These points characterize the topography of each levee's postfailure or incipient condition and are available for download through online hyperlinks. The data serve as a permanent archive of the catastrophic damage of Hurricane Katrina on the levee systems of New Orleans. Complete details of the data collection, processing, and georeferencing methodologies are provided in this report to assist in the visualization and analysis of the data by future users.

  16. Levee Setbacks: An Innovative, Cost Effective, and Sustainable Solution for Improved Flood Risk management

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-06-30

    ER D C/ EL S R- 17 -3 Levee Setbacks: An Innovative , Cost-Effective, and Sustainable Solution for Improved Flood Risk Management En vi...EL SR-17-3 June 2017 Levee Setbacks: An Innovative , Cost-Effective, and Sustainable Solution for Improved Flood Risk Management David L. Smith...alternative view point is necessary. ERDC/EL SR-17-3 4 Levee setbacks are a relatively recent innovation in Corps flood risk management practice

  17. Grain-size segregation and levee formation in geophysical mass flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, C.G.; Kokelaar, B.P.; Iverson, Richard M.; Logan, M.; LaHusen, R.G.; Gray, J.M.N.T.

    2012-01-01

    Data from large-scale debris-flow experiments are combined with modeling of particle-size segregation to explain the formation of lateral levees enriched in coarse grains. The experimental flows consisted of 10 m3 of water-saturated sand and gravel, which traveled ∼80 m down a steeply inclined flume before forming an elongated leveed deposit 10 m long on a nearly horizontal runout surface. We measured the surface velocity field and observed the sequence of deposition by seeding tracers onto the flow surface and tracking them in video footage. Levees formed by progressive downslope accretion approximately 3.5 m behind the flow front, which advanced steadily at ∼2 m s−1during most of the runout. Segregation was measured by placing ∼600 coarse tracer pebbles on the bed, which, when entrained into the flow, segregated upwards at ∼6–7.5 cm s−1. When excavated from the deposit these were distributed in a horseshoe-shaped pattern that became increasingly elevated closer to the deposit termination. Although there was clear evidence for inverse grading during the flow, transect sampling revealed that the resulting leveed deposit was strongly graded laterally, with only weak vertical grading. We construct an empirical, three-dimensional velocity field resembling the experimental observations, and use this with a particle-size segregation model to predict the segregation and transport of material through the flow. We infer that coarse material segregates to the flow surface and is transported to the flow front by shear. Within the flow head, coarse material is overridden, then recirculates in spiral trajectories due to size-segregation, before being advected to the flow edges and deposited to form coarse-particle-enriched levees.

  18. Growth, Failure, and Erosion of Submarine Channel Levees on the Upper Mississippi Fan, Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sawyer, D. E.; Flemings, P. B.; Nikolinakou, M. A.

    2011-12-01

    Late Pleistocene channel levees on the Mississippi Fan failed repeatedly along deep-seated listric faults. These growth faults begin at the top of the levee, as much as a kilometer away from the channel axis. They plunge 150-200 meters downward reaching their deepest point halfway towards the channel axis (0.5 km) along the base of a regional sand unit. They then rise toward the channel axis where they emerge. The erosion of toe-thrust material coupled with levee growth, promoted a dynamic equilibrium: turbidity currents flushed the channel axis and deposited new levee on the margins, which induced further displacement into the channel. With a geomechanical model we show that deep-seated failure occurred by undrained loading of an underlying low permeability mudstone. Excess pore pressure formed a low-strength layer that localized the detachment at the base of a regional sand. Our results show that deep-seated failure is expected when levee systems form above regional sand bodies that were deposited rapidly above low permeability mudstone. Furthermore, the presence of this failure style in channel-levee systems is a strong indicator that overpressures and low effective stresses were present during formation and thus record paleo-pressures. Understanding these systems is critical for the design of safe well penetrations, predicting hydraulic connectivity of deepwater channel sands, and the growth of submarine channel-levee systems. This study illuminates the linkages between sedimentation, erosion, and the mechanical stability of levees in submarine channel systems.

  19. Efeitos do treinamento auditivo em idosos com Comprometimento Cognitivo Leve

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renata Rezende de Almeida Ávila

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUÇÃO: Pesquisas demonstram a existência do Transtorno do Processamento Auditivo em indivíduos com Comprometimento Cognitivo Leve. OBJETIVO: Verificar os efeitos de um treinamento auditivo, em indivíduos com comprometimento cognitivo leve. MÉTODOS: Participaram 25 indivíduos, com idades entre 69 e 91 anos e diagnóstico de Comprometimento Cognitivo Leve, sendo que, 10 receberam treinamento auditivo (grupo estudo, 10 receberam treinamento visual (grupo alternativo e cinco não receberam intervenção (grupo controle. Testes cognitivos e de processamento auditivo foram aplicados antes e após os treinamentos. RESULTADOS: Apenas o grupo estudo apresentou melhora significante para todas as habilidades auditivas testadas, mas com piora do desempenho para as habilidades cognitivas. CONCLUSÃO: O treinamento auditivo foi efetivo em relação às habilidades auditivas, mas não em relação às habilidades cognitivas.

  20. Using ground penetrating radar in levee assessment to detect small scale animal burrows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chlaib, Hussein K.; Mahdi, Hanan; Al-Shukri, Haydar; Su, Mehmet M.; Catakli, Aycan; Abd, Najah

    2014-04-01

    Levees are civil engineering structures built to protect human lives, property, and agricultural lands during flood events. To keep these important structures in a safe condition, continuous monitoring must be performed regularly and thoroughly. Small rodent burrows are one of the major defects within levees; however, their early detection and repair helps in protecting levees during flooding events. A set of laboratory experiments was conducted to analyze the polarity change in GPR signals in the presence of subsurface voids and water-filled cavities. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys using multi frequency antennas (400 MHz and 900 MHz) were conducted along an 875 meter section of the Lollie Levee near Conway, Arkansas, USA, to assess the levee's structural integrity. Many subsurface animal burrows, water-filled cavities, clay clasts, and metallic objects were investigated and identified. These anomalies were located at different depths and have different sizes. To ground truth the observations, hand dug trenches were excavated to confirm several anomalies. Results show an excellent match between GPR interpreted anomalies and the observed features. In-situ dielectric constant measurements were used to calculate the feature depths. The results of this research show that the 900 MHz antenna has more advantages over the 400 MHz antenna.

  1. Accuracy Analysis Comparison of Supervised Classification Methods for Anomaly Detection on Levees Using SAR Imagery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramakalavathi Marapareddy

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available This paper analyzes the use of a synthetic aperture radar (SAR imagery to support levee condition assessment by detecting potential slide areas in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Levees are prone to a failure in the form of internal erosion within the earthen structure and landslides (also called slough or slump slides. If not repaired, slough slides may lead to levee failures. In this paper, we compare the accuracy of the supervised classification methods minimum distance (MD using Euclidean and Mahalanobis distance, support vector machine (SVM, and maximum likelihood (ML, using SAR technology to detect slough slides on earthen levees. In this work, the effectiveness of the algorithms was demonstrated using quad-polarimetric L-band SAR imagery from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s (JPL’s uninhabited aerial vehicle synthetic aperture radar (UAVSAR. The study area is a section of the lower Mississippi River valley in the Southern USA, where earthen flood control levees are maintained by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

  2. leve a moderada

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis Felipe Zapata

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available La Demencia Tipo Alzheimer (DTA representa un 70% del total de demencias que afectan a las personas de edad avanzada. Es una enfermedad neurodegenerativa que ocasiona un significativo deterioro cognitivo en los pacientes e implica una incapacidad progresiva para el adecuado funcionamiento en la vida diaria. Los estudios han tenido como eje el deterioro cognitivo, principalmente los procesos de memoria que son los más dramáticos. Sólo en años recientes se ha empezado a investigar el deterioro que puede causar la enfermedad a otros niveles como en el reconocimiento de las expresiones faciales emocionales. El objetivo de la presente investigación es analizar el reconocimiento de la expresión facial emocional en pacientes con DTA frente a personas sanas y determinar si se presentan alteraciones en este tipo de reconocimiento en los pacientes con dicha demencia. PACIENTES Y MÉTODOS: se conformaron dos grupos. Uno de 22 pacientes con DTA leves y moderados y otro grupo de 22 personas sin demencia. Se aplicó el MMSE para el diagnóstico del grado de severidad de la demencia y la prueba de rostros Pofa Kit de Paul Ekman para la evaluación del reconocimiento de la expresión facial emocional. RESULTADOS: se encontraron diferencias significativas en el reconocimiento global entre el grupo control y el grupo de pacientes. La única emoción que permaneció reconocida fue la de felicidad aún en estados moderados de la enfermedad. La rabia y tristeza se vieron afectadas desde los estados leves y el reconocimiento de la expresión de miedo se alteró solo en los estados moderados de la enfermedad

  3. Overview of Levee Setback Projects and Benefits

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-07-31

    other life-history stages of fish and other aquatic organisms . Levees can also increase the frequency of common floods in the floodplain where they...projects is the use of flood- borne sediments to supplement fertilizers in flooded farm fields. Historically, floodwaters were a significant source of

  4. Mount St. Helens Project. Cowlitz River Levee Systems, 2009 Level of Flood Protection Update Summary

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-04

    of Flood Protection Update Summary Draft December 2009 Page F-5 soil in unsaturated region. So those equipotential lines above phreatic surface are...Lexington levee where a 50 percent probability of failure is assumed when the water surface is at the top of the levee and a 100 percent chance of failure...is assumed when the water surface is above the top of the levee. Additionally, for cases where the SWL is determined to be the same elevation as

  5. Condition Assessment of Levees, U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission. Report 5: Flood Simulation Study of Retamal Levee, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Using Seismic and Electrical Geophysical Models

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Dunbar, Joseph B; Llopis, Jose L; Sills, George L; Smith, Eric W; Miller, Rick D; Ivanov, Julian; Corwin, Robert F

    2007-01-01

    In November 2004, a team from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center conducted a ponding test on a reach of the Retamal levee in the Lower Rio Grande Valley to simulate performance of the levee during a flood event...

  6. Numerical modelling of levee stability based on coupled mechanical, thermal and hydrogeological processes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dwornik Maciej

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The numerical modelling of coupled mechanical, thermal and hydrogeological processes for a soil levee is presented in the paper. The modelling was performed for a real levee that was built in Poland as a part of the ISMOP project. Only four parameters were changed to build different flood waves: the water level, period of water increase, period of water decrease, and period of low water level after the experiment. Results of numerical modelling shows that it is possible and advisable to calculate simultaneously changes of thermal and hydro-mechanical fields. The presented results show that it is also possible to use thermal sensors in place of more expensive pore pressure sensors, with some limitations. The results of stability analysis show that the levee is less stable when the water level decreases, after which factor of safety decreases significantly. For all flooding wave parameters described in the paper, the levee is very stable and factor of safety variations for any particular stage were not very large.

  7. Propriedades espectrais da matéria orgânica leve-livre e leve intra-agregado de dois latossolos sob plantio direto e preparo convencional

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. A. Freixo

    2002-06-01

    Full Text Available Este trabalho teve como objetivo estudar a natureza química das frações leves-livres (FLL e leves intra-agregado (FLI da matéria orgânica do solo, obtidas pelo fracionamento físico do solo por densidade, por meio da espectroscopia na região do infravermelho, para verificar se tais frações constituem compartimentos distintos da matéria orgânica do solo. Foram analisadas amostras de Latossolos de dois estados do Brasil (RS e GO, submetidos a plantio direto e preparo convencional, em distintos sistemas de rotação de culturas. A análise por infravermelho revelou diferenças contrastantes entre os compartimentos orgânicos estudados. Os espectros de IV da fração leve-livre apresentaram configuração semelhante aos dos resíduos vegetais, indicando que ela se encontra em estádios iniciais de transformação. Não foram observadas diferenças estruturais na FLL entre os distintos sistemas de preparo e rotação de culturas. Os espectros de IV da FLI apresentaram bandas de absorção N-H e C-O de polissacarídeos menos intensas e em maior conjugação, em relação aos espectros da FLL, características de material mais humificado. Foi observada ainda uma maior transformação estrutural da fração leve intra-agregado em solos sob preparo convencional, quando comparada à FLI de solo sob vegetação natural e plantio direto. Os índices de hidrofobicidade (IH e de condensação (IC, determinados a partir de relações entre as bandas de absorção de grupamentos - CH3 alifáticos, C-O de polissacarídeos e C=O conjugados, permitiram identificar as diferenças na recalcitrância e condensação das frações leves. Constatou-se que ambos os índices foram significativamente maiores para a matéria orgânica intra-agregado, por conseqüência de seu maior grau de humificação.

  8. Laboratory Modeling of Self-Formed Leveed Channels From Sediment-Laden Flows Entering Still Water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rowland, J. C.; Dietrich, W. E.

    2004-12-01

    Self-formed leveed channels constructed by deposition of suspended sediment from sediment-laden flows entering still water are common features in nature. Such channels drive delta progradation, develop at tidal inlets and occur where mainstem river flows empty into oxbows and blocked valley lakes. Presently there is no theory for the formation of such channels. This lack of theory is partly due to a lack of field or laboratory studies that provide insight about the mechanism controlling these self-formed, propagating channels. The creation of such features in the laboratory, have proved illusive to date. Our ongoing experiments aimed at modeling the formation of floodplain tie channels provide insight into the necessary conditions for levee formation and channel growth. Under conditions of steady water discharge, constant sediment feed rate, unimodal sediment distribution and invariant basin stage we are able to create subaqueous lateral bars (submerged levees) along the margins of a sediment laden jet. Our results highlight the sensitivity of channel formation to issues of scaling and experimental design. In the laboratory, levee formation has only been possible with the use of plastic particles (specific gravity ~1.5); complete bed alluviation and dune formation results from the use of particles with specific gravities of ~ 2.65 across a range grain diameters and shapes. We hypothesize this effect is related to high entrainment thresholds relative to suspension thresholds of small (< 100 mm) natural particles under conditions of reduced turbulence in laboratory scaled flows. Additionally, both the width to depth ratio and the form of the outlet channel introducing the sediment laden flow into the experimental basin exert a strong control on sedimentation pattern and levee growth. Continuing experiments are focused on generating emergent channel levees and a basin ward propagation of the channel by adjusting the form of the feed channel, varying basin stage, and

  9. SIRS Digues 2.0: A Cooperative Software For Levees Management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moins Isabelle

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available SIRS Digues is a computing tool that makes informations on levees more durable and accessible in order to enhance their management. The first version of the software, which was IRSTEA’s initiative, was deployed in 2004. The second version was released in 2015. This article aims at pointing out the innovative aspects of this last version. They concern thematic and functionalities, computing technics and architecture, and last but not least, the business model chosen in order to build a long lasting software. The software’s kernel is sketched to propose a general description of levees: it focuses on description of the levees and linked objects, on disorders that affects them, on works... Most of these topics were already broached by the first version. The kernel of the version 2 may be extended using optional thematic modules. These modules concern: vegetation monitoring, reporting (in coherence with current French regulatory requirements, riverbanks, riverbed... Main functionnalities perfomed by SIRS Digues V1 and V2 are : data structuring and centralisation, quick access to relevant data, reporting and mapping, etc. SIRS Digues 2.0 updates and improves already existing functionalities of the first version. SIRS Digues V2 relies on an documentoriented NoSQL database, CouchDB, and on geospatial libraries, Geotoolkit and Apache-SIS. SIRS Digues V2 was released with a copyleft license. Copyrights belong to the French levees managers’ society, “France Digues”, which acts as a cooperative. Members put their heads together in order to gather their financial capacities and fund software development. France Digues has got the technical and thematic expertise and supply various services to the members. This business model aims to ensure accessibility, durability and adaptability of the software.

  10. Natural levee evolution in the Rhine-Meuse delta, the Netherlands, during the first millennium CE

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pierik, H.J.; Stouthamer, E.; Cohen, K.M.

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents reconstructions on natural levee development in the Rhine-Meuse delta, the Netherlands, during the first millennium CE, covering the full delta plain. It is the first study that performs this on a delta scale, which allows seeing the delta-wide trends on levee-forming controls

  11. Case Study: Zutphen : Estimates of levee system reliability

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roscoe, K.; Kothuis, Baukje; Kok, Matthijs

    2017-01-01

    Estimates of levee system reliability can conflict with experience and intuition. For example, a very high failure probability may be computed while no evidence of failure has been observed, or a very low failure probability when signs of failure have been detected.

  12. Kommunen er død - længe leve den digitale disruption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Kim Normann

    2017-01-01

    "New Public Management is Dead. Long Live the Digital Era." Sådan proklamerede Patrick Donleavy digitaliseringens muligheder i en banebrydende artikel fra 2005. Med en omskrivning af dette citat til "Kommunen er død, længe leve den digitale disruption", er ballet åbnet for denne artikel......."New Public Management is Dead. Long Live the Digital Era." Sådan proklamerede Patrick Donleavy digitaliseringens muligheder i en banebrydende artikel fra 2005. Med en omskrivning af dette citat til "Kommunen er død, længe leve den digitale disruption", er ballet åbnet for denne artikel....

  13. 77 FR 9637 - Process for Requesting a Variance From Vegetation Standards for Levees and Floodwalls; Additional...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-02-17

    ... revetments, sand dunes, and barrier islands. b. New federally authorized cost-shared levee projects shall be..., the landside slope, and within 15 feet of the landside toe (subject to preexisting real estate... appropriate depth but not less than 20 feet below the levee toe. The determination and documentation of site...

  14. Using Combustion Synthesis to Reinforce Berms and Other Regolith Structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriquez, Gary

    2013-01-01

    The Moonraker Excavator and other tools under development for use on the Moon, Mars, and asteroids will be employed to construct a number of civil engineering projects and to mine the soil. Mounds of loose soil will be subject to the local transport mechanisms plus artificial mechanisms such as blast effects from landers and erosion from surface vehicles. Some of these structures will require some permanence, with a minimum of maintenance and upkeep. Combustion Synthesis (CS) is a family of processes and techniques whereby chemistry is used to transform materials, often creating flame in a hard vacuum. CS can be used to stabilize civil engineering works such as berms, habitat shielding, ramps, pads, roadways, and the like. The method is to unroll thin sheets of CS fabric between layers of regolith and then fire the fabric, creating a continuous sheet of crusty material to be interposed among layers of loose regolith. The combination of low-energy processes, ISRU (in situ resource utilization) excavator, and CS fabrics, seems compelling as a general method for establishing structures of some permanence and utility, especially in the role of robotic missions as precursors to manned exploration and settlement. In robotic precursory missions, excavator/ mobility ensembles mine the Lunar surface, erect constructions of soil, and dispense sheets of CS fabrics that are covered with layers of soil, fired, and then again covered with layers of soil, iterating until the desired dimensions and forms are achieved. At the base of each berm, for example, is a shallow trench lined with CS fabric, fired and filled, mounded, and then covered and fired, iteratively to provide a footing against lateral shear. A larger trench is host to a habitat module, backfilled, covered with fabric, covered with soil, and fired. Covering the applied CS fabric with layers of soil before firing allows the resulting matrix to incorporate soil both above and below the fabric ply into the fused layer

  15. Modeling and analysis of the vertical roots distribution in levees - a case study of the third Rhone correction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gianetta, Ivan; Schwarz, Massimiliano; Glenz, Christian; Lammeranner, Walter

    2013-04-01

    In recent years the effects of roots on river banks and levees have been the subject of major discussions. The main issue about the presence of woody vegetation on levees is related to the possibility that roots increase internal erosion processes and the superimposed load of large trees compromise the integrity of these structures. However, ecologists and landscape managers argue that eliminating the natural vegetation from the riverbanks also means eliminating biotopes, strengthening anthropisation of the landscape, as well as limiting recreations areas. In the context of the third correction of the Rhone in Switzerland, the discussion on new levee geometries and the implementation of woody vegetation on them, lead to a detailed analysis of this issue for this specific case. The objective of this study was to describe quantitatively the processes and factors that influence the root distribution on levees and test modeling approaches for the simulation of vertical root distribution with laboratory and field data. An extension of an eco-hydrological analytic model that considers climatic and pedological condition for the quantification of vertical root distribution was validated with data provided by the University of Vienna (BOKU) of willows' roots (Salix purpurea) grown under controlled conditions. Furthermore, root distribution data of four transversal sections of a levee near Visp (canton Wallis, Switzerland) was used to validate the model. The positions of the levee's sections were chosen based on the species and dimensions of the woody vegetation. The dominant species present in the sections were birch (Betula pendula) and poplar (Populus nigra). For each section a grid of 50x50 cm was created to count and measure the roots. The results show that vertical distribution of root density under controlled growing conditions has an exponential form, decreasing with increasing soil depth, and can be well described by the eco-hydrological model. Vice versa, field

  16. Escultores académicos del siglo XVIII en el Diccionario de Ceán Bermúdez. Nuevas adiciones (II

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Albarrán Martín, Virginia

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available In A.E.A. number 310 we presented Ceán Bermúdez's information on sculptors whose surnames begin with the letters A through E, entries which were finally not included in his Diccionario de los más ilustres profesores de las Bellas Artes en España (1800. In this second part, we continue from F to Z. The scarcity of bibliography concerning some of these artists means that these documents are of prime importance, given that they frequently include unpublished information.

    En el número 310 de A.E.A. dimos a conocer aquellos artículos relativos a los escultores académicos desde la letra A hasta la E que fueron suprimidos en el momento de publicación del Diccionario de los más ilustres profesores de las Bellas Artes en España de Juan Agustín Ceán Bermúdez. Continuamos en esta segunda entrega con los correspondientes desde la letra F hasta el final. La escasez de bibliografía sobre algunos de los artistas mencionados convierte a estos documentos en fuentes de primer orden al contener datos en gran parte inéditos.

  17. Topographic effect on Radio-Magnetotelluric and Slingram signals: application to a levee along the Loire river, France.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duval, Rodolphe; Fauchard, Cyrille; Antoine, Raphael

    2014-05-01

    We study the influence of the topography of a levee on the electric and magnetic signals obtained with the Radio-Magnetotelluric method (RMT) and the Slingram method, respectively. For the RMT method, field measurements have been modelled with a finite element commercial software (AC/DC and Radio-Frequency modules of Comsol Multiphysics). A levee situated in Orléans (France) along the Loire river has been considered in order to design a model taking into account the skin depth and the incident wavelength. The effect of the incident electromagnetic field direction has been assessed with two different incident wave directions: BBC 5 from Salford (UK) and France-Inter from Allouis (France). The simulations highlight the tri-dimensional effects of the topography in the apparent resistivity, observed on the crest of the levee, depending on the incident field direction and topography. For the Slingram method, the magnetic field has been simulated using the AC/DC module of Comsol. The ratio of the primary magnetic field on the secondary one, received in a loop is determined above a straight levee. The study aims to show the various responses obtained in function of both vertical and horizontal coil configurations. We show that the signal also depends on the topography and the right configuration of the coils alignment with respect to the levee stretch direction. In this study, a buried gas pipe is also characterized by the two methods. Numerical modelling of 3D electromagnetic effects on geophysical signals helps to interpret the field measurements and offers to the stakeholder an optimized methodology for geophysical surveys on levees.

  18. 44 CFR 65.10 - Mapping of areas protected by levee systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ..., compressibility of embankment soils, compressibility of foundation soils, age of the levee system, and... described in the COE manual, “Soil Mechanics Design—Settlement Analysis” (EM 1100-2-1904) must be submitted...

  19. Bikini: Disposal of contaminated soil in Berm construction; Design and costs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1987-01-01

    Since the levels of cesium-137 and strontium-90 in Bikini Island soil fall off exponentially (on average) with depth, the bulk of soil contamination can be removed directly by excavating the top 30 cm. Radiologically, the spoil is of low specific activity, and it can be handled without special precautions. However, the disposal of the spoil, totalling some 940,000 cubic yards plus vegetation, would pose something of a problem. Dumping into the lagoon (Bravo Crater) or ocean, presumably simple and effective measures, would not be legally permissible. A more practical alternative would employ the spoil to build a berm on the ocean-side of the island, or possibly a causeway between Bikini and Eneu Islands. The design of the proposed structures was reviewed at a conference held at the U.S. Army Waterways Experiment Station, August 19, 1985. It was concluded that further study was required (BARC 2). This has been done by Coastal Engineering Research center and the complete report is presented

  20. Dedicated IT infrastructure for Smart Levee Monitoring and Flood Decision Support

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Balis Bartosz

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Smart levees are being increasingly investigated as a flood protection technology. However, in large-scale emergency situations, a flood decision support system may need to collect and process data from hundreds of kilometers of smart levees; such a scenario requires a resilient and scalable IT infrastructure, capable of providing urgent computing services in order to perform frequent data analyses required in decision making, and deliver their results in a timely fashion. We present the ISMOP IT infrastructure for smart levee monitoring, designed to support decision making in large-scale emergency situations. Most existing approaches to urgent computing services in decision support systems dealing with natural disasters focus on delivering quality of service for individual, isolated subsystems of the IT infrastructure (such as computing, storage, or data transmission. We propose a holistic approach to dynamic system management during both urgent (emergency and normal (non-emergency operation. In this approach, we introduce a Holistic Computing Controller which calculates and deploys a globally optimal configuration for the entire IT infrastructure, based on cost-of-operation and quality-of-service (QoS requirements of individual IT subsystems, expressed in the form of Service Level Agreements (SLAs. Our approach leads to improved configuration settings and, consequently, better fulfilment of the system’s cost and QoS requirements than would have otherwise been possible had the configuration of all subsystems been managed in isolation.

  1. Technical Note: Stability of a Levee Made of Bottom Sediments From a Dam Reservoir

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Koś Karolina

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Stability analysis of a levee made of the bottom sediments from Czorsztyn-Niedzica Reservoir is presented in the paper. These sediments were classified as silty sands and, based on the authors' own research, their geotechnical parameters were beneficial, so the possibility of using this material for the hydraulic embankments was considered. Stability and filtration calculations were carried out for a levee that had the same top width - 3 m, slope inclinations 1:2 and different heights: 4, 6 and 8 m. Two methods were used: analytical and numerical. Calculations were carried out without and with a steady and unsteady seepage filtration. Based on the analysis carried out it was stated that the levee made of the bottom sediments is stable even at the height of 8.0 m, although because of the seepage on the downstream side it is recommended to use a drainage at the toe of the slope.

  2. New Orleans Levees and Floodwalls: Hurricane Damage Protection

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Carter, Nicole T

    2005-01-01

    .... The breaches occurred at the Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity Project being constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and maintained by local levee districts. Those observers questioning why infrastructure providing a greater level of hurricane protection was not available are countered by those arguing that structural protections carry their own risks. This report will be updated as needed to track significant developments.

  3. Behaviour of levee on softsoil caused by rapid drawdown

    Science.gov (United States)

    Upomo, Togani Cahyadi; Effendi, Mahmud Kori; Kusumawardani, Rini

    2018-03-01

    Rapid Drawdown is a condition where the water elevation that has reached the peak suddenly drops. As the water level reaches the peak, hydrostatic pressure helps in the stability of the slope. When water elevation decreases there will be two effects. First, reduced hydrostatic pressure and second, modification of pore water pressure. Rapid draw down usually comon in hydraulic structure such as dam and levee. This study will discuss behaviour of levee on softsoil caused by rapid drawdown. The analysis based on method which developed by US Army Corps Engineer and modified method which developed by Duncan, Wright, dan Wong. Results of analysis show that in drawdown condition, at 1 m drop of water, safety factor obtained based on US Army Corps Engineer method was 1.16 and 0.976 while based on Duncan, Wright, and Wong methods were 1.244 and 1.117. At 0.5 m water level, safety factor based on US Army Corps Engineer method was 1.287 and 1.09 while Duncan, Wright, and Wong were 1.357 and 1.194.

  4. Assessment of earthen levee stability for management and response: A NASA-DHS-California Dept. Water Resources collaboration

    Science.gov (United States)

    An, K.; Jones, C. E.; Bekaert, D. P.; Dudas, J.

    2016-12-01

    Radar remote sensing of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the largest estuary in the western U.S. (over 2500 km2), and its levee system provides an opportunity for NASA Applied Science to aid the CA Department of Water Resources (CA-DWR) in monitoring and emergency response. The delta contains over 1,500 km of earthen levees, supports about 2.5 million acres of agricultural land, and serves as a main water supply for 23 million California residents. Many of the reclaimed islands are 10-25 feet below sea level, sit atop compressible peat and organic clay soils, and are surrounded by levees only 1 foot above the once in a century flood elevation threshold. Land subsidence in the delta can be attributed to a variety of factors, including: aerobic oxidation of soils, soil compaction from drainage, wind erosion, anaerobic decomposition, dissolved carbon fluxes, floods, seismic events, and even rodent burrowing. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is an established technique to measure surface displacements and has been used to map large-scale subsidence. The demonstration of earthen levee monitoring is a recent development that has been greatly furthered by the emergence of new instruments such as NASA's Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR). UAVSAR is an L-band airborne sensor with high signal-to-noise ratio, repeat flight track accuracy, and has a high spatial resolution (7 x 7 m) that is necessary for detailed levee monitoring. The adaptability of radar instruments in their ability to see through smoke, haze, and clouds during the day or night, is especially relevant during disaster events, when cloud cover or lack of solar illumination inhibits traditional visual surveys of damage. We demonstrate the advantages of combining InSAR with geographic information systems (GIS) datasets in locating subsidence features along critical levee infrastructure in the Delta for 2009-2016. The ability to efficiently locate potential areas of

  5. Hvordan er det å leve med CRPS?

    OpenAIRE

    Hovind, Thomas

    2014-01-01

    Hensikten med denne studien er å se på hvordan pasienter med komplekst regionalt smertesyndrom (CRPS) opplever å leve med tilstanden og hvordan disse pasientene har opplevd å bli møtt i helsevesenet. CRPS er en langvarig tilstand med sterke smerter som kan medføre økt smerterespons, redusert funksjon og nedsatt livskvalitet hos pasientene. Studien er en kvalitativ undersøkelse basert på dybdeintervju av fire pasienter med CRPS. Pasientene ble rekruttert fra en smerteavdeling i Nord-Norge og u...

  6. Proceedings of a Hydrology and Hydraulics Workshop on Riverine Levee Freeboard Held in Monticello, Minnesota on 27-29 August 1991

    Science.gov (United States)

    1991-12-10

    Presented by Earl E. Eiker) Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ...................... 5 LEVEE FREEBOARD DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN (Paper 2) Brad...0~e a) . Plate PAPE 0 12 LEVEE FREEBOARD DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN by Brad Fowler 1 presented by Robert M. Daniel2 1. Introduction. It’s been now nearly... Deja Vu All Over Again (Bob Daniel, HQUSACE) 10:00 - 10:15 am Break 10:15 - 11:00 am Paper 3 FEMA Levee Accreditation Procedures (John Matticks, Asst

  7. California Levee Risk, Now and in the Future:Identifying Research and Tool Development Needs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Newmark, R L; Hanemann, M; Farber, D

    2006-11-28

    The Center for Catastrophic Risk Management (CCRM) and the California Center for Environmental Law and Policy (CCELP) at UC Berkeley and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) joined together to cosponsor a workshop to define research requirements to mitigate the hazards facing the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Levee system. The Workshop was intended to provide a forum to (1) Report assessments of current vulnerabilities facing the levees, such as structural failure, seismic loading, flooding, terrorism; (2) Consider longer term challenges such as climate change, sea level rise; and (3) Define research requirements to fill gaps in knowledge and reduce uncertainties in hazard assessments.

  8. Sedimentological analysis and bed thickness statistics from a Carboniferous deep-water channel-levee complex: Myall Trough, SE Australia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palozzi, Jason; Pantopoulos, George; Maravelis, Angelos G.; Nordsvan, Adam; Zelilidis, Avraam

    2018-02-01

    This investigation presents an outcrop-based integrated study of internal division analysis and statistical treatment of turbidite bed thickness applied to a Carboniferous deep-water channel-levee complex in the Myall Trough, southeast Australia. Turbidite beds of the studied succession are characterized by a range of sedimentary structures grouped into two main associations, a thick-bedded and a thin-bedded one, that reflect channel-fill and overbank/levee deposits, respectively. Three vertically stacked channel-levee cycles have been identified. Results of statistical analysis of bed thickness, grain-size and internal division patterns applied on the studied channel-levee succession, indicate that turbidite bed thickness data seem to be well characterized by a bimodal lognormal distribution, which is possibly reflecting the difference between deposition from lower-density flows (in a levee/overbank setting) and very high-density flows (in a channel fill setting). Power law and exponential distributions were observed to hold only for the thick-bedded parts of the succession and cannot characterize the whole bed thickness range of the studied sediments. The succession also exhibits non-random clustering of bed thickness and grain-size measurements. The studied sediments are also characterized by the presence of statistically detected fining-upward sandstone packets. A novel quantitative approach (change-point analysis) is proposed for the detection of those packets. Markov permutation statistics also revealed the existence of order in the alternation of internal divisions in the succession expressed by an optimal internal division cycle reflecting two main types of gravity flow events deposited within both thick-bedded conglomeratic and thin-bedded sandstone associations. The analytical methods presented in this study can be used as additional tools for quantitative analysis and recognition of depositional environments in hydrocarbon-bearing research of ancient

  9. S-wave velocity measurements along levees in New Orleans using passive surface wave methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayashi, K.; Lorenzo, J. M.; Craig, M. S.; Gostic, A.

    2017-12-01

    In order to develop non-invasive methods for levee inspection, geophysical investigations were carried out at four sites along levees in the New Orleans area: 17th Street Canal, London Avenue Canal, Marrero Levee, and Industrial Canal. Three of the four sites sustained damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and have since been rebuilt. The geophysical methods used include active and passive surface wave methods, and capacitively coupled resistivity. This paper summarizes the acquisition and analysis of the 1D and 2D passive surface wave data. Twelve wireless seismic data acquisition units with 2 Hz vertical component geophones were used to record data. Each unit includes a GPS receiver so that all units can be synchronized over any distance without cables. The 1D passive method used L shaped arrays of three different sizes with geophone spacing ranging from 5 to 340 m. Ten minutes to one hour of ambient noise was recorded with each array, and total data acquisition took approximately two hours at each site. The 2D method used a linear array with a geophone spacing of 5m. Four geophones were moved forward every 10 minutes along 400 1000 m length lines. Data acquisition took several hours for each line. Recorded ambient noise was processed using the spatial autocorrelation method and clear dispersion curves were obtained at all sites (Figure 1a). Minimum frequencies ranged from 0.4 to 0.7 Hz and maximum frequencies ranged from 10 to 30 Hz depending on the site. Non-linear inversion was performed and 1D and 2D S-wave velocity models were obtained. The 1D method penetrated to depths ranging from 200 to 500 m depending on the site (Figure 1b). The 2D method penetrated to a depth of 40 60 m and provided 400 1000 m cross sections along the levees (Figure 2). The interpretation focused on identifying zones beneath the levees or canal walls having low S-wave velocities corresponding to saturated, unconsolidated sands, or low-rigidity clays. Resultant S-wave velocity profiles

  10. Acolhimento: tecnologia leve nos processos gerenciais do enfermeiro Acogimiento: tecnología leve en los procesos gerenciales del enfermero Welcoming: soft technology in nurse's management processes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flávia Raquel Rossi

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available O estudo teve por objetivo identificar a utilização das tecnologias leves nos processos gerenciais do enfermeiro e a sua interferência na produção do cuidado. Constituiu-se em um estudo de caso de abordagem qualitativa, cujos sujeitos da pesquisa foram enfermeiros de um setor de internação de um hospital geral localizado em um município do interior do Rio Grande do Sul. Os dados foram coletados através da observação livre do trabalho do enfermeiro. Nos processos gerenciais do enfermeiro identificou-se a utilização de tecnologias leves, entre elas o acolhimento, assim como alguns fatores que o configuram, sendo possível afirmar que ao utilizar essa tecnologia o enfermeiro produz e promove a humanização do cuidado.El objetivo de este estudio fué la utilización de tecnologías leves en los procesos gerenciales del enfermería e su interferencia al producir lo cuidado. Se constituye en un estudio de caso de abordaje cualitativa e los sujetos de investigación eran enfermeros de un sector de internación de un hospital general localizado en una ciudad del Río Grande do Sul. Los datos fueron colectados a través de la libre observación de sus trabajos. En los procesos gerenciales del enfermero, se identifico el uso de tecnologías leves, entre ellas, el acogimiento, así como algunos factores que lo configuran, siendo posible afirmar que al utilizar esa tecnología, el enfermero produce e promociona la humanización del cuidado.This study aimed the identification of the use of soft technologies in nursing management processes and their interference in care production. It was constituted in a case study case of quality feature and the research subjects were nurses of a public hospital located in a city of Rio Grande do Sul. Data were collected by means of free observation of the nurses' job. In their managing processes, it was identified the use of soft technologies, among them the welcoming, as well as some factors that present it

  11. Using level-I PRA for enhanced safety of the advanced neutron source reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramsey, C.T.; Linn, M.A.

    1995-01-01

    The phase-1, level-I probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) of the Advanced Neutron Source (ANS) reactor has been completed as part of the conceptual design phase of this proposed research facility. Since project inception, PRA and reliability concepts have been an integral part of the design evolutions contributing to many of the safety features in the current design. The level-I PRA has been used to evaluate the internal events core damage frequency against project goals and to identify systems important to safety and availability, and it will continue to guide and provide support to accident analysis, both severe and nonsevere. The results also reflect the risk value of defense-in-depth safety features in reducing the likelihood of core damage

  12. Three-dimensional imaging, change detection, and stability assessment during the centerline trench levee seepage experiment using terrestrial light detection and ranging technology, Twitchell Island, California, 2012

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bawden, Gerald W.; Howle, James; Bond, Sandra; Shriro, Michelle; Buck, Peter

    2014-01-01

    A full scale field seepage test was conducted on a north-south trending levee segment of a now bypassed old meander belt on Twitchell Island, California, to understand the effects of live and decaying root systems on levee seepage and slope stability. The field test in May 2012 was centered on a north-south trench with two segments: a shorter control segment and a longer seepage test segment. The complete length of the trench area measured 40.4 meters (m) near the levee centerline with mature trees located on the waterside and landside of the levee flanks. The levee was instrumented with piezometers and tensiometers to measure positive and negative porewater pressures across the levee after the trench was flooded with water and held at a constant hydraulic head during the seepage test—the results from this component of the experiment are not discussed in this report. We collected more than one billion three-dimensional light detection and ranging (lidar) data points before, during, and after the centerline seepage test to assess centimeter-scale stability of the two trees and the levee crown. During the seepage test, the waterside tree toppled (rotated 20.7 degrees) into the water. The landside tree rotated away from the levee by 5 centimeters (cm) at a height of 2 m on the tree. The paved surface of the levee crown had three regions that showed subsidence on the waterside of the trench—discussed as the northern, central, and southern features. The northern feature is an elongate region that subsided 2.1 cm over an area with an average width of 1.35 m that extends 15.8 m parallel to the trench from the northern end of the trench to just north of the trench midpoint, and is associated with a crack 1 cm in height that formed during the seepage test on the trench wall. The central subsidence feature is a semicircular region on the waterside of the trench that subsided by as much as 6.2 cm over an area 3.4 m wide and 11.2 m long. The southern feature is an elongate

  13. Developments in Levee Reliability and Flood Risk Analysis in the Netherlands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jonkman, S.N.; Schweckendiek, T.

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents and overview of advances in flood risk and levee reliability analysis in the Netherlands. It is described how new safety standards – in the form of a target failure probability – have been derived on the basis of nationwide flood risk assessments which taken into account both

  14. River Activism, “Levees-Only” and the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ned Randolph

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available This article investigates media coverage of 19th and early 20th century river activism and its effect on federal policy to control the Mississippi River. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ “levees-only” policy—which joined disparate navigation and flood control interests—is largely blamed for the Great Flood of 1927, called the largest peacetime disaster in American history. River activists organized annual conventions, and later, professional lobbies organized media campaigns up and down the Mississippi River to sway public opinion and pressure Congress to fund flood control and river navigation projects. Annual river conventions drew thousands of delegates such as plantation owners, shippers, bankers, chambers of commerce, governors, congressmen, mayors and cabinet members with interests on the Mississippi River. Public pressure on Congress successfully captured millions of federal dollars to protect property, drain swamps for development, subsidize local levee districts and influence river policy.

  15. Actual Condition of Paddy Field Levee Maintenance by Various Farm Households including Large-scale Farming in the Developed Land Renting Area

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakata, Yasuyo

    The survey of interview, resource acquisition, photographic operation, and questionnaire were carried out in the “n” Community in the “y” District in Hakusan City in Ishikawa Prefecture to investigate the actual condition of paddy field levee maintenance in the area where land-renting market was proceeding, large-scale farming was dominant, and the problems of geographically scattered farm-land existed. In the study zone, 1) an agricultural production legal person rent-cultivated some of the paddy fields and maintained the levees, 2) another agricultural production legal person rent-cultivated some of the soy bean fields for crop changeover and land owners maintained the levees. The results indicated that sufficient maintenance was executed on the levees of the paddy fields cultivated by the agricultural production legal person, the soy bean fields for crop changeover, and the paddy fields cultivated by the land owners. Each reason is considered to be the managerial strategy, the economic incentive, the mutual monitoring and cross-regulatory mechanism, etc.

  16. Queueing systems with heavy tails (Summary of Ph.D. thesis on the occasion of receiving the Gijs de Leve prize)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zwart, A.P.

    2003-01-01

    This article gives a short summary of my PhD thesis Queueing Systems with Heavy-tails, winner of the Gijs De Leve prize for the best Dutch thesis in operations research in the period 2000-2002. Apart from the Gijs de Leve prize, this thesis also received the ASML prize, for best thesis in Ihe

  17. 2005 United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Post-Hurricane Katrina Levee Surveys

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — These topographic data were collected for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by a helicopter-mounted LiDAR sensor over the New Orleans Hurricane Protection Levee...

  18. Marcadores de estrés oxidativo en hipertensión leve

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raquel Oré

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Introducción: La hipertensión es un factor de riesgo cardiovascular y en 90% de los casos se desconoce el mecanismo que la inicia. Recientemente, se considera que la hipertensión es un síndrome de anormalidades metabólicas y estructurales, en el que las especies reactivas derivadas del oxígeno (EROs juegan un papel fisiopatológico preponderante en su desarrollo. Objetivo: Determinar los niveles séricos de zinc, selenio y magnesio en personas normotensas e hipertensas. Asimismo, valorar la actividad de la enzima superóxido dismutasa (SOD y los niveles de sustancias reactivas al ácido tiobarbitúrico (TBARS en ambos grupos de estudio. Diseño: Estudio analítico observacional, tipo casos y controles. Lugar: Centro de Investigación de Bioquímica y Nutrición, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. Material biológico: Sangre de pacientes normotensos y con hipertensión leve. Intervenciones: Se obtuvo las muestras de sangre de 20 pacientes normotensos y 20 con hipertensión leve, con edades entre 50 y 60 años, después de un ayuno de 12 horas, realizándose el estudio en suero y sangre total. Principales medidas de resultados: Variación de niveles de TBARS, oligoelementos (Se, Zn y Mg, medición de actividad de SOD eritrocitario. Resultados: En el grupo de hipertensos, se obtuvo incremento significativo de magnesio y TBARS y disminución significativa de zinc y de la actividad de SOD. Conclusiones: Se demuestra el compromiso del estrés oxidativo en pacientes con hipertensión leve. La hipermagnesemia podría explicarse por el daño a los elementos formes de la sangre.

  19. An inverse method to estimate the flow through a levee breach

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Oria, Marco; Mignosa, Paolo; Tanda, Maria Giovanna

    2015-08-01

    We propose a procedure to estimate the flow through a levee breach based on water levels recorded in river stations downstream and/or upstream of the failure site. The inverse problem is solved using a Bayesian approach and requires the execution of several forward unsteady flow simulations. For this purpose, we have used the well-known 1-D HEC-RAS model, but any unsteady flow model could be adopted in the same way. The procedure has been tested using four synthetic examples. Levee breaches with different characteristics (free flow, flow with tailwater effects, etc.) have been simulated to collect the synthetic level data used at a later stage in the inverse procedure. The method was able to accurately reproduce the flow through the breach in all cases. The practicability of the procedure was then confirmed applying it to the inundation of the Polesine Region (Northern Italy) which occurred in 1951 and was caused by three contiguous and almost simultaneous breaches on the left embankment of the Po River.

  20. Crevasse Splays Versus Avulsions: A Recipe for Land Building With Levee Breaches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nienhuis, Jaap H.; Törnqvist, Torbjörn E.; Esposito, Christopher R.

    2018-05-01

    Natural-levee breaches can not only initiate an avulsion but also, under the right circumstances, lead to crevasse splay formation and overbank sedimentation. The formative conditions for crevasse splays are not well understood, yet such river sediment diversions form an integral part of billion-dollar coastal restoration projects. Here we use Delft3D to investigate the influence of vegetation and soil consolidation on the evolution of a natural-levee breach. Model simulations show that crevasse splays heal because floodplain aggradation reduces the water surface slope, decreasing water discharge into the flood basin. Easily erodible and unvegetated floodplains increase the likelihood for channel avulsions. Denser vegetation and less potential for soil consolidation result in small crevasse splays that are not only efficient sediment traps but also short-lived. Successful crevasse splays that generate the largest land area gain for the imported sediment require a delicate balance between water and sediment discharge, vegetation root strength, and soil consolidation.

  1. Stratigraphic Stacking of Deepmarine Channel Levee Turbidites: Scales of Cyclicity and their Origin. Examples from the Laingsburg Fm. (Karoo, South Africa) and the Rosario Fm. (Baja, Mexico)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kane, I. A.; Hodgson, D.

    2009-12-01

    Thinning upwards of the turbidite beds that form deepmarine channel levees is a common motif reported from modern and recent levees on the seafloor, from subsurface examples, and from outcropping ancient examples. Because levees are thought to be built by deposition from turbidity currents superelevated over their channel form, the volume and style of overbank deposition are controlled primarily by the relationship between levee height (i.e., thalweg to crest) and flow thickness, determining the amount of overspill. Thus stratigraphic variability of turbidite thickness is explained by some change in either or both of those factors, which may arise autocyclicly or allocyclicly. Variation in the ratio of intra-channel and extra-channel deposition can be an autocyclic stratigraphic response, e.g., in bypass dominated systems, thalweg aggradation may be retarded with respect to levee aggradation, hence as levee relief increases, flows become more confined and, given a relatively narrow range of flow sizes, the volume of overbank flow and deposit thickness decrease with stratigraphic height. However, the same stratigraphic response of the levee may occur due to allocyclic flow magnitude variation, i.e., through decreasing flow magnitude. In both the autocyclic and allocyclic case the stratigraphic response of the levee may be one of thinning upwards, even if the overall system response may be one of progradation (autocyclic bypassing case) or retrogradation (allocyclic decreasing flow magnitude case), with entirely different connotations for sequence stratigraphic interpretation. Here we report examples of different scales of bed thickness cyclicity (both thickening and thinning upward cycles superimposed by smaller scale cycles) within levees of the Rosario Formation, Baja California, Mexico, and from the Laingsburg Formation, Karoo, South Africa, and, together with published examples, discuss criteria for the recognition, and drivers of, autocyclic and allocyclic bed

  2. Uso del tratamiento acupuntural en pacientes con episodio depresivo leve

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roberto Anselmo Ramos Valverde

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Se realizó un estudio experimental en el Centro Comunitario Provincial de Salud Mental de Las Tunas, con el objetivo de determinar la efectividad del empleo de la acupuntura en pacientes portadores de episodio depresivo leve. El universo estuvo constituido por todos los pacientes diagnosticados clínicamente con la enfermedad, que acudieron a la consulta de Medicina Natural y Tradicional de esta entidad entre marzo de 2011 a marzo de 2013. La muestra quedó constituida por 60 pacientes que cumplieron los criterios diagnósticos y de inclusión establecidos para la investigación, se aplicó un muestreo aleatorio simple que permitió conformar dos grupos, uno de estudio, al que se le aplicó tratamiento acupuntural, y uno control, que recibió tratamiento con amitriptilina. Los resultados mostraron que el insomnio fue el síntoma asociado más frecuente. Al terminar el tratamiento se obtuvo que la depresión se eliminó en la totalidad de los pacientes, pero fue más inmediato el efecto antidepresivo en los pacientes del grupo estudio, los síntomas asociados desaparecieron en casi la totalidad de ellos. Se concluye que el tratamiento tradicional acupuntural constituye una terapia efectiva en los pacientes con episodio depresivo leve

  3. Acerca del rol de Pedro Bermúdez en el Cantar de Mio Cid: Un acercamiento a su figura épica

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Érica Janín

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available This work makes an attempt on getting close to the literary figure of Pedro Bermúdez in the Cantar de Mio Cid that allows it to characterize him as a peculiar hero; and proposes that Pedro represents a type of hero which is different to the model the Cantar means to coin, perhaps more primitive and alternative to the cidian paradigm, thus the virtues and values of the tradition of the most arcaic epic songs are not eliminated but displaced to a hero that seconds the protagonist, complementing him at the same time.

  4. Application of ground penetrating radar in detecting the hazards and risks of termites and ants in soil levees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Xiuhao; Henderson, Gregg; Mao, Lixin; Evans, Ahmad

    2009-08-01

    A ground penetrating radar (GPR) technique was used to detect Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus) and red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) hazards and risks (targets) in a soil levee at the London Avenue Canal in New Orleans, LA. To make this assessment, GPR signal scans were examined for features produced by termite or ant activities and potential sources of food and shelter such as nests, tree roots, and voids (tunnels). The total scanned length of the soil levee was 4,125 m. The average velocity and effective depth of the radar penetration was 0.080 m/ns and 0.61 m, respectively. Four hundred twenty-seven targets were identified. Tree roots (38), voids (31), fire ant nests (209), and metal objects (149) were detected, but no Formosan termite carton nests were identified. The lack of identified termite nests may be related to drowning events at the time to the flood. Based on the target density (TD), the two new floodwall and levee sections that were rebuilt or reinforced after they were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 were determined to be at low potential risk from termites and ants. A merging target density (MTD) method indicated a high potential risk near one of the breached sections still remains. Foraging and nesting activity of Formosan subterranean termites and red imported fire ants may be a contributory factor to the levee failure at the London Avenue Canal.

  5. A baixa estatura leve está associada ao aumento da pressão arterial em adolescentes com sobrepeso La baja estatura leve está asociada al aumento de la presión arterial en adolescentes con sobrepeso Mild stunting is associated with higher blood pressure in overweight adolescents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Paula Grotti Clemente

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: Estudos têm demonstrado que a desnutrição pré/pós-natal leva a um maior risco de doenças não transmissíveis, como diabetes, hipertensão e obesidade na idade adulta. OBJETIVO: Determinar se os adolescentes com sobrepeso e desnutrição leve [escores-Z altura/idade (HAZ na faixa de -2] têm pressão arterial mais elevada do que os indivíduos com sobrepeso e com estatura normal (HAZ > -1. MÉTODOS: Os participantes foram classificados como de baixa estatura leve ou de estatura normal, e estratificados de acordo com os percentis de massa corporal para a idade, como sobrepeso, peso normal ou abaixo do peso. As pressões arteriais sistólica (PAS e diastólica (PAD foram determinadas de acordo com as diretrizes e a gordura abdominal foi analisada por absorciometria de dupla emissão de raios-X. RESULTADOS: Indivíduos com baixa estatura leve e sobrepeso apresentaram valores mais elevados da PAD (p = 0,001 do que suas contrapartes de baixo peso (69,75 ± 12,03 e 54,46 ± 11,24 mmHg, respectivamente, mas semelhantes àqueles com IMC normal. Não foram encontradas diferenças nos valores de PAD em indivíduos normais, indivíduos com sobrepeso e com baixo peso entre os grupos de estatura normal. Foi encontrado um aumento na PAS (p = 0,01 entre os indivíduos com baixa estatura leve quando comparados os indivíduos com sobrepreso com suas contrapartes de baixo peso e IMC normal (114,70 ± 15,46, 97,38 ± 10,87 e 104,72 ± 12,24 mmHg, respectivamente. Embora não tenham sido observadas diferenças nas médias de PAS entre os grupos de baixa estatura leve e estatura normal, foi encontrado um intercepto significativo (p = 0,01, revelando maior PAS entre os indivíduos com baixa estatura leve. Houve correlação entre PAS e gordura abdominal (r = 0,42, ρ = 0,02 no grupo com baixa estatura leve. CONCLUSÃO: Indivíduos de baixa estatura leve com sobrepeso apresentaram maior PAS do que os de estatura normal e sobrepeso. Esses achados

  6. Diabetes tipo 2 y obesidad leve: tratamiento quirúrgico

    OpenAIRE

    Lanzaren S,Enrique

    2013-01-01

    Introducción: En la actualidad la diabetes mellitus tipo 2 (DM2) y la obesidad representan un serio problema de salud, comportándose como enfermedades epidémicas. Existe un gran interés en explorar distintas opciones de tratamiento de la DM2 en pacientes que no tienen obesidad mórbida. Objetivo: Reportar los parámetros de control glicémico en pacientes con DM2 y obesidad leve sometidos a bypass gástrico (BPG) a 3 años de seguimiento. Metodología: Estudio clínico prospectivo que incluye pacien...

  7. Concreto leve com pérolas de EPS: estudo de dosagens e de características mecânicas

    OpenAIRE

    Bianca Pereira Moreira Ozório

    2016-01-01

    Este trabalho teve como objetivo analisar o comportamento do concreto leve com pérolas de poliestireno expandido (expanded polystyrene – EPS), para posterior utilização em estruturas pré-moldadas constituídas, por exemplo, por painéis de paredes e lajes sujeitas a ações mecânicas. Também foram considerados parâmetros de durabilidade e mecanismos de redução da porosidade. Dentre um universo de solicitações a que as estruturas de concreto leve podem estar submetidas, analisaram-se, para d...

  8. Assessing the impacts of dams and levees on the hydrologic record of the Middle and Lower Mississippi River, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Remo, Jonathan W.F.; Ickes, Brian; Ryherd, Julia K.; Guida, Ross J.; Therrell, Matthew D.

    2018-01-01

    The impacts of dams and levees on the long-term (>130 years) discharge record was assessed along a ~1200 km segment of the Mississippi River between St. Louis, Missouri, and Vicksburg, Mississippi. To aid in our evaluation of dam impacts, we used data from the U.S. National Inventory of Dams to calculate the rate of reservoir expansion at five long-term hydrologic monitoring stations along the study segment. We divided the hydrologic record at each station into three periods: (1) a pre-rapid reservoir expansion period; (2) a rapid reservoir expansion period; and (3) a post-rapid reservoir expansion period. We then used three approaches to assess changes in the hydrologic record at each station. Indicators of hydrologic alteration (IHA) and flow duration hydrographs were used to quantify changes in flow conditions between the pre- and post-rapid reservoir expansion periods. Auto-regressive interrupted time series analysis (ARITS) was used to assess trends in maximum annual discharge, mean annual discharge, minimum annual discharge, and standard deviation of daily discharges within a given water year. A one-dimensional HEC-RAS hydraulic model was used to assess the impact of levees on flood flows. Our results revealed that minimum annual discharges and low-flow IHA parameters showed the most significant changes. Additionally, increasing trends in minimum annual discharge during the rapid reservoir expansion period were found at three out of the five hydrologic monitoring stations. These IHA and ARITS results support previous findings consistent with the observation that reservoirs generally have the greatest impacts on low-flow conditions. River segment scale hydraulic modeling revealed levees can modestly increase peak flood discharges, while basin-scale hydrologic modeling assessments by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers showed that tributary reservoirs reduced peak discharges by a similar magnitude (2 to 30%). This finding suggests that the effects of dams and

  9. Escultores académicos del siglo XVIII en el Diccionario de Ceán Bermúdez. Nuevas adiciones (I

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Albarrán Martín, Virginia

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available Toward the end of 1799, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Saint Ferdinand, in charge of the publication of Juan Agustín Ceán Bermúdez's Diccionario de los más ilustres profesores de las Bellas Artes en España, decided not to include information pertaining to living artists. All of this material, preserved in the National Library in Madrid, and never before published, is presented in this first article dealing with academic sculptors letters A to E. A comparison of this new information with existing studies demonstrates the need for a profound revision of the works of certain artists.

    A finales del año 1799, la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Femando, una vez que se hace cargo de la publicación del Diccionario de los más ilustres profesores de las Bellas Artes en España de Juan Agustín Ceán Bermúdez, decide editar la obra sin la información referente a los artistas todavía en activo. De toda esa documentación, conservada en la Biblioteca Nacional y no publicada hasta el momento, se da a conocer en este primer artículo la perteneciente a los escultores académicos desde la letra A hasta la E. La comparación de esta información con los estudios existentes dedicados a la cuestión, muestra la necesidad de una nueva revisión en profundidad de la obra de determinados artistas.

  10. Mild cognitive impairment: cognitive screening or neuropsychological assessment? Comprometimento cognitivo leve: rastreio cognitivo ou avaliação neuropsicológica?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Breno Satler Diniz

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To describe the neuropsychological profile of mild cognitive impairment subtypes (amnestic, non-amnestic and multiple-domain of a clinical sample. We further address the diagnostic properties of the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Cambridge Cognitive Examination for the identification of the different mild cognitive impairment subtypes in clinical practice. METHOD: Cross-sectional clinical and neuropsychological evaluation of 249 elderly patients attending a memory clinic at a university hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil. RESULTS: The performance of patients with mild cognitive impairment was heterogeneous across the different subtests of the neuropsychological battery, with a trend towards an overall worse performance for amnestic (particularly multiple domain mild cognitive impairment as compared to non-amnestic subtypes. Screening tests for dementia (Mini-Mental State Examination and Cambridge Cognitive Examination adequately discriminated cases of mild Alzheimer's disease from controls, but they were not accurate to discriminate patients with mild cognitive impairment (all subtypes from control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The discrimination of mild cognitive impairment subtypes was possible only with the aid of a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. It is necessary to develop new strategies for mild cognitive impairment screening in clinical practice.OBJETIVO: Descrever o perfil neuropsicológico dos subtipos de comprometimento cognitivo leve, amnéstico, não-amnéstico e múltiplos domínios, de uma amostra clínica. Além disto, avaliou-se as propriedades diagnósticas do Mini-exame do Estado Mental e do Cambridge Cognitive Examination na identificação dos diferentes subtipos de comprometimento cognitivo leve na prática clínica. MÉTODO: Avaliação clínica e neuropsicológica transversal de 249 idosos em uma clínica de memória de um hospital universitário em São Paulo, Brasil. RESULTADOS: Testes de rastreio para

  11. Spatial and temporal correlation between beach and wave processes: implications for bar-berm sediment transition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joevivek, V.; Chandrasekar, N.; Saravanan, S.; Anandakumar, H.; Thanushkodi, K.; Suguna, N.; Jaya, J.

    2018-06-01

    Investigation of a beach and its wave conditions is highly requisite for understanding the physical processes in a coast. This study composes spatial and temporal correlation between beach and nearshore processes along the extensive sandy beach of Nagapattinam coast, southeast peninsular India. The data collection includes beach profile, wave data, and intertidal sediment samples for 2 years from January 2011 to January 2013. The field data revealed significant variability in beach and wave morphology during the northeast (NE) and southwest (SW) monsoon. However, the beach has been stabilized by the reworking of sediment distribution during the calm period. The changes in grain sorting and longshore sediment transport serve as a clear evidence of the sediment migration that persevered between foreshore and nearshore regions. The Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis and Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) were utilized to investigate the spatial and temporal linkages between beach and nearshore criterions. The outcome of the multivariate analysis unveiled that the seasonal variations in the wave climate tends to influence the bar-berm sediment transition that is discerned in the coast.

  12. Spatial and temporal correlation between beach and wave processes: implications for bar-berm sediment transition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joevivek, V.; Chandrasekar, N.; Saravanan, S.; Anandakumar, H.; Thanushkodi, K.; Suguna, N.; Jaya, J.

    2017-06-01

    Investigation of a beach and its wave conditions is highly requisite for understanding the physical processes in a coast. This study composes spatial and temporal correlation between beach and nearshore processes along the extensive sandy beach of Nagapattinam coast, southeast peninsular India. The data collection includes beach profile, wave data, and intertidal sediment samples for 2 years from January 2011 to January 2013. The field data revealed significant variability in beach and wave morphology during the northeast (NE) and southwest (SW) monsoon. However, the beach has been stabilized by the reworking of sediment distribution during the calm period. The changes in grain sorting and longshore sediment transport serve as a clear evidence of the sediment migration that persevered between foreshore and nearshore regions. The Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis and Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) were utilized to investigate the spatial and temporal linkages between beach and nearshore criterions. The outcome of the multivariate analysis unveiled that the seasonal variations in the wave climate tends to influence the bar-berm sediment transition that is discerned in the coast.

  13. Determinação da exigência nutricional de treonina para poedeiras leves e semipesadas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valerio Sandra Roselí

    2000-01-01

    Full Text Available Desenvolveu-se este experimento com o objetivo de determinar a exigência nutricional de treonina para poedeiras leves e semipesadas no período de 21 a 36 semanas. Foram utilizadas 576 aves, 288 poedeiras leves e 288 semipesadas, durante quatro períodos experimentais de 28 dias cada. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial 6 x 2 (níveis x marcas, com seis repetições e oito aves por unidade experimental. Os tratamentos consistiram em uma ração basal contendo 14,2% de proteína bruta, suplementada com cinco níveis de L-treonina (0,025; 0,050; 0,075; 0,100; e 0,125%, resultando em um total de 0,510; 0,535; 0,560; 0,585; 0,610; e 0,635% de treonina. O desempenho produtivo e a qualidade interna dos ovos foram avaliados. Consumo de ração, produção de ovos massa de ovos e o ganho de peso foram superiores para as poedeiras semipesadas. A produção e qualidade interna dos ovos, a conversão alimentar e o ganho de peso não foram influenciados pelos níveis de treonina utilizados. O nível de 0,510% de treonina, que corresponde a 515 mg/ave/dia (0,423% de treonina digestível e 535 mg/ave/dia (0,440% de treonina digestível, foi suficiente para atender, satisfatoriamente, o desempenho e a qualidade interna dos ovos das poedeiras leves e semipesadas, respectivamente, para as características avaliadas.

  14. "Determinação cromatografica quantitativa de gases leves em hidrogenio"

    OpenAIRE

    Newton Pimenta Neves Jr

    1995-01-01

    Resumo: O hidrogênio ultrapurificado tem sido utilizado em ritmo crescente em diversos processos de alta tecnologia, com destaque para a indústria de micro-eletrônica, onde a presença de impurezas no gás influi decisivamente nos resultados obtidos. Neste trabalho foram desenvolvidos aspectos relacionados à determinação cromatográfica quantitativa de gases leves em hidrogênio. Inicialmente foram desenvolvidas técnicas de amostragem e análise que possibilitam determinar concentrações de até 1mm...

  15. A Case History of Embankment Failure: Geological and Geotechnical Aspects of the Celotex Levee Failure, New Orleans, Louisiana

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Dunbar, Joseph

    1999-01-01

    .... The data examined during research on the causes of levee failure included geologic setting, historic bank migration and previous bank lines, thalweg profiles, width/depth ratios, scour pool movement, and river profiles...

  16. Leve de Variatie! Een onderzoek naar de beleving van en de publiciteit rondom Oktober Kennismaand 2010

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Veer, C.G.; Groven, M.; Higler, L.

    2011-01-01

    Leve de Variatie! Een onderzoek naar de beleving van en de publiciteit rondom Oktober Kennismaand 2010 The until 2007 yearly organized Science Week aimed at the enhancement of the knowledge of scientific and technological developments by the public has from 2008 on developed into a month of

  17. Entre armas leves e a regulamentação internacional: para que lado o Brasil dirige uma política pública?

    OpenAIRE

    Cristiano Armando Diniz Guerra Silvestre; Flávia de Ávila

    2016-01-01

    Resumo: O crescimento da atenção internacional acerca da temática relacionada a armas leves tem gerado várias ações que evidenciam esta preocupação no âmbito internacional. Diversas organizações multilaterais – como a ONU com seu Programa de Ação da ONU para Prevenir, Combater e Suprimir o Comércio Ilícito de Armas Pequenas e Armamentos Leves em Todos seus Aspectos – e não-governamentais – tendo a Caritas por exemplo, seguem registrando seu uso em diversas zonas de conflito do mundo. Entretan...

  18. Item-focussed Trees for the Identification of Items in Differential Item Functioning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tutz, Gerhard; Berger, Moritz

    2016-09-01

    A novel method for the identification of differential item functioning (DIF) by means of recursive partitioning techniques is proposed. We assume an extension of the Rasch model that allows for DIF being induced by an arbitrary number of covariates for each item. Recursive partitioning on the item level results in one tree for each item and leads to simultaneous selection of items and variables that induce DIF. For each item, it is possible to detect groups of subjects with different item difficulties, defined by combinations of characteristics that are not pre-specified. The way a DIF item is determined by covariates is visualized in a small tree and therefore easily accessible. An algorithm is proposed that is based on permutation tests. Various simulation studies, including the comparison with traditional approaches to identify items with DIF, show the applicability and the competitive performance of the method. Two applications illustrate the usefulness and the advantages of the new method.

  19. Red River of the North Walsh and Pembina Countries, North Dakota Farmstead Ring Levees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1983-12-01

    services during the event; and postflood reoccupation and recovery. Practically, for rural areas, a plan should be developed and implemented on a county...trends for the area can be seen in the OBERS projections in table 4. Farm employment is projected to continue decreasing while the nonfarm sectors ...report provides the public the initial information needed to assess the potential for Federal involvement in developing ring levees for the

  20. Linking submarine channel–levee facies and architecture to flow structure of turbidity currents: : insights from flume tank experiments

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Leeuw, J.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/380590913; Eggenhuisen, J.T.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/322850274; Cartigny, M.J.B.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304823716

    Submarine leveed channels are sculpted by turbidity currents that are commonly highly stratified. Both the concentration and the grain size decrease upward in the flow, and this is a fundamental factor that affects the location and grain size of deposits around a channel. This study presents

  1. Item validity vs. item discrimination index: a redundancy?

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2018-03-01

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

  2. Oficinas de estimulação cognitiva adaptadas para idosos analfabetos com transtorno cognitivo leve

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Izabel Borges dos Santos

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Oficinas de estimulação cognitiva para idosos analfabetos com transtorno cognitivo leve é um tema pouco pesquisado. Objetivou-se verificar a autopercepção da memória em idosos analfabetos com transtorno cognitivo leve, antes e após oficinas de estimulação cognitiva, adaptadas para analfabetos. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, realizada na Unidade de Saúde de Taguatinga-DF, envolvendo 63 idosos: 22 no Grupo Experimental (GE, com 10 oficinas; 21 no Grupo Controle 1 (GC1, com 10 palestras; e 20 no Grupo Controle 2 (GC2, sem intervenção. Foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas antes e após intervenções, perguntando-se sobre memória. Aos GE e GC1 foram oferecidas atividades semanais de duas horas. A idade média foi 72,8 anos, 92% do sexo feminino. Na pré-intervenção, 82% haviam piorado memória no último ano. Na pós-intervenção, GC1 e GC2 mantiveram alterações da memória, enquanto GE melhorou cognição. Conclui-se que as oficinas e palestras proporcionaram melhora na funcionalidade e socialização/integração.

  3. Using automatic item generation to create multiple-choice test items.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gierl, Mark J; Lai, Hollis; Turner, Simon R

    2012-08-01

    Many tests of medical knowledge, from the undergraduate level to the level of certification and licensure, contain multiple-choice items. Although these are efficient in measuring examinees' knowledge and skills across diverse content areas, multiple-choice items are time-consuming and expensive to create. Changes in student assessment brought about by new forms of computer-based testing have created the demand for large numbers of multiple-choice items. Our current approaches to item development cannot meet this demand. We present a methodology for developing multiple-choice items based on automatic item generation (AIG) concepts and procedures. We describe a three-stage approach to AIG and we illustrate this approach by generating multiple-choice items for a medical licensure test in the content area of surgery. To generate multiple-choice items, our method requires a three-stage process. Firstly, a cognitive model is created by content specialists. Secondly, item models are developed using the content from the cognitive model. Thirdly, items are generated from the item models using computer software. Using this methodology, we generated 1248 multiple-choice items from one item model. Automatic item generation is a process that involves using models to generate items using computer technology. With our method, content specialists identify and structure the content for the test items, and computer technology systematically combines the content to generate new test items. By combining these outcomes, items can be generated automatically. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012.

  4. Anemia crônica e glomerulopatia secundárias à Doença de Depósito das Cadeias Leves Chronic anemia and glomerulopathy secondary to Light-chain Deposition Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ítala P. Silveira

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Os autores relatam o caso de uma paciente do sexo feminino, 65 anos de idade, internada com anemia de longa evolução que se associou posteriormente a uma glomerulopatia manifestada por proteinúria, cilindrúria e perda de função renal. As cadeias leves no plasma e na urina estavam elevadas, sobretudo a fração kappa e uma biópsia renal estudada por imunofluorescência e microscopia eletrônica confirmou o diagnóstico de Doença de Depósito das Cadeias Leves. A nefropatia de cadeia leve ocorre pela superprodução de cadeia leve de imunoglobulina produzida por linfócitos B com deposição nas membranas tubulares e no glomérulo.The authors present a case of a 65-year-old female patient, with chronic anemia associated with glomerulopathy manifested as proteinuria, cylindruria and renal failure. There were high serum and urinary levels of light chains and the diagnosis was performed by renal biopsy, examined using immunofluorescence and by electron microscopy that showed light chain paraproteins. Nephropathy of light-chain deposition disease occurs due to an over-production of light chains from immunoglobulins produced by B lymphocytes with a deposit in tubular and glomerular membranes.

  5. The Role of Item Models in Automatic Item Generation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gierl, Mark J.; Lai, Hollis

    2012-01-01

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

  6. Assessing item fit for unidimensional item response theory models using residuals from estimated item response functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haberman, Shelby J; Sinharay, Sandip; Chon, Kyong Hee

    2013-07-01

    Residual analysis (e.g. Hambleton & Swaminathan, Item response theory: principles and applications, Kluwer Academic, Boston, 1985; Hambleton, Swaminathan, & Rogers, Fundamentals of item response theory, Sage, Newbury Park, 1991) is a popular method to assess fit of item response theory (IRT) models. We suggest a form of residual analysis that may be applied to assess item fit for unidimensional IRT models. The residual analysis consists of a comparison of the maximum-likelihood estimate of the item characteristic curve with an alternative ratio estimate of the item characteristic curve. The large sample distribution of the residual is proved to be standardized normal when the IRT model fits the data. We compare the performance of our suggested residual to the standardized residual of Hambleton et al. (Fundamentals of item response theory, Sage, Newbury Park, 1991) in a detailed simulation study. We then calculate our suggested residuals using data from an operational test. The residuals appear to be useful in assessing the item fit for unidimensional IRT models.

  7. Problems with the factor analysis of items: Solutions based on item response theory and item parcelling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gideon P. De Bruin

    2004-10-01

    Full Text Available The factor analysis of items often produces spurious results in the sense that unidimensional scales appear multidimensional. This may be ascribed to failure in meeting the assumptions of linearity and normality on which factor analysis is based. Item response theory is explicitly designed for the modelling of the non-linear relations between ordinal variables and provides a strong alternative to the factor analysis of items. Items may also be combined in parcels that are more likely to satisfy the assumptions of factor analysis than do the items. The use of the Rasch rating scale model and the factor analysis of parcels is illustrated with data obtained with the Locus of Control Inventory. The results of these analyses are compared with the results obtained through the factor analysis of items. It is shown that the Rasch rating scale model and the factoring of parcels produce superior results to the factor analysis of items. Recommendations for the analysis of scales are made. Opsomming Die faktorontleding van items lewer dikwels misleidende resultate op, veral in die opsig dat eendimensionele skale as meerdimensioneel voorkom. Hierdie resultate kan dikwels daaraan toegeskryf word dat daar nie aan die aannames van lineariteit en normaliteit waarop faktorontleding berus, voldoen word nie. Itemresponsteorie, wat eksplisiet vir die modellering van die nie-liniêre verbande tussen ordinale items ontwerp is, bied ’n aantreklike alternatief vir die faktorontleding van items. Items kan ook in pakkies gegroepeer word wat meer waarskynlik aan die aannames van faktorontleding voldoen as individuele items. Die gebruik van die Rasch beoordelingskaalmodel en die faktorontleding van pakkies word aan die hand van data wat met die Lokus van Beheervraelys verkry is, gedemonstreer. Die resultate van hierdie ontledings word vergelyk met die resultate wat deur ‘n faktorontleding van die individuele items verkry is. Die resultate dui daarop dat die Rasch

  8. Tecnologias leves em saúde e sua relação com o cuidado de enfermagem hospitalar Tecnologías leves en salud y su relación con el cuidado de enfermería hospitalaria Light technologies in health and its relation with the hospital nursing care

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Denise Conceição da Silva

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available O objeto da pesquisa foi a incorporação de tecnologias leves no contexto hospitalar, na ótica de enfermeiras, e sua relação com o cuidado de enfermagem. Objetivos: caracterizar as tecnologias consideradas leves no hospital, na ótica de enfermeiras, e analisar as concepções de enfermeiras sobre o uso dessas tecnologias no cuidado de enfermagem. Fundamentou-se na classificação dos diferentes tipos de tecnologias no trabalho em saúde e em pressupostos sobre o cuidado de enfermagem. Pesquisa exploratória, qualitativo-descritiva, desenvolvida em dois hospitais universitários na Cidade do Rio de Janeiro. Os dados foram coletados através da técnica de criatividade e sensibilidade "Almanaque", conjugada à entrevista semi-estruturada. Do discurso das enfermeiras emergiram tecnologias fundamentadas em suas experiências de cuidado. Suas concepções sobre tecnologias leves revelaram o que teoristas de enfermagem referem como atributos da relação humana no cuidado. Essas, quando discutidas no âmbito do cuidado de enfermagem, emergem como qualidades do cuidado em si.El objeto de la investigación fue la incorporación de tecnologías leves en hospitales, desde la perspectiva de las enfermeras y las relaciones establecidas con el cuidado de enfermería. Objetivos: caracterizar las tecnologías consideradas leves en el hospital, desde la perspectiva de las enfermeras; y analizar las concepciones de las enfermeras sobre el uso de estas tecnologías en el cuidado de enfermería. El estudio se fundamentó en la clasificación de diferentes tipos de tecnologías aplicadas en el área de la salud y en presuposiciones sobre el cuidado de enfermería. Investigación exploratoria, cualitativa y descriptiva, desarrollada en dos hospitales universitarios de la ciudad de Rio de Janeiro. Los datos fueron recolectados a través de dos técnicas: creatividad y sensibilidad, denominada "Almanaque," y entrevista semi-estructurada. De los discursos de las

  9. Syncrude`s highway berm: part 3 of 5 - Soil parameters (pore pressure parameters and settlement from inundation)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cameron, R.; Fong, V.; Ashton, C.; Strueby, B. [Syncrude Canada Ltd., Edmonton, AB (Canada)

    1995-12-31

    Difficulties in predicting pore fluid pressures in the fills composing the highway berm were discussed. The pore water pressures in the in-situ clay foundation units were expected to be very sensitive to water content. Over 200 piezometer tips were installed into fill and in situ soil units, and results of the measurements were reported. The in situ basal foundation clays and sands were found to have a similar pore pressure ratio of typically less than 0.25. Fill pore fluid pressure ratios determined in the field varied according to density when loose fills were compared to very dense fills. To illustrate, when the fill was 86% to 91% of maximum Standard Proctor Density, the pore pressure ratio value was not dependent on fluid content. When the fill was densely compacted to 98% Standard Proctor Density, the pore pressure ratio was largely dependent on the fluid content as it related to the optimum fluid content determined from Standard Proctor testing. Significant first-time wetting settlement was observed to occur with fills at initial densities of around 90% of maximum Standard Proctor dry density. Settlements for fills placed initially above 97% Standard Proctor Density generally had inundation settlements of less than 0.3% of fill thickness predicted from laboratory testing. 4 refs., 10 figs., 1 tab.

  10. Item information and discrimination functions for trinary PCM items

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Akkermans, Wies; Muraki, Eiji

    1997-01-01

    For trinary partial credit items the shape of the item information and the item discrimination function is examined in relation to the item parameters. In particular, it is shown that these functions are unimodal if δ2 – δ1 < 4 ln 2 and bimodal otherwise. The locations and values of the maxima are

  11. Programa de entrenamiento en habilidades sociales con personas mayores con discapacidad auditiva y visual leve

    OpenAIRE

    García Carracedo, Laura

    2014-01-01

    A partir de la hipótesis de que la mejora en habilidades sociales va a repercutir en mejorar la calidad de vida de las personas mayores, se ha desarrollado un programa de intervención dirigido a personas mayores con discapacidad auditiva y visual leve procedentes de la residencia “Casa Beneficencia” situada en la calle camino del cementerio en Valladolid. En el presente trabajo hemos utilizado diversas técnicas para la recogida de información previa y posterior diagnóstico de las necesidad...

  12. Total flavonoid of Litsea coreana leve exerts anti-oxidative effects and alleviates focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury

    OpenAIRE

    Dong, Shuying; Tong, Xuhui; Li, Jun; Huang, Cheng; Hu, Chengmu; Jiao, Hao; Gu, Yuchen

    2013-01-01

    In this study, we hypothesized that total flavonoid of Litsea coreana leve (TFLC) protects against focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. TFLC (25, 50, 100 mg/kg) was administered orally to a rat model of focal ischemia/reperfusion injury, while the free radical scavenging agent, edaravone, was used as a positive control drug. Results of neurological deficit scoring, 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining, hematoxylin-eosin staining and biochemical tests showed that TFLC at differ...

  13. Item level diagnostics and model - data fit in item response theory ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Item response theory (IRT) is a framework for modeling and analyzing item response data. Item-level modeling gives IRT advantages over classical test theory. The fit of an item score pattern to an item response theory (IRT) models is a necessary condition that must be assessed for further use of item and models that best fit ...

  14. Caracterização de massas cerâmicas do estado de S. Paulo para produção de agregados leves para concreto

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. C. Santis

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Este trabalho tem por objetivo a caracterização de diferentes massas cerâmicas do estado de S. Paulo para a produção de agregados leves de argila calcinada visando à utilização em concretos de cimento Portland. A caracterização das massas cerâmicas deu-se por meio das técnicas de limites de liquidez e plasticidade, análise granulométrica, análise química e difração de raios X. Os corpos de prova confeccionados com essas massas cerâmicas, queimados a 900 ºC, foram caracterizados por meio da avaliação da retração linear, absorção de água, porosidade aparente, massa específica aparente, expansão por umidade e resistência à compressão. Os resultados desta pesquisa indicaram a viabilidade da produção de agregados leves de argila calcinada para utilização em concretos e os valores da massa específica (1,555 a 1,785 kg/m³ e da resistência à compressão (18,0 a 55,8 MPa apresentaram-se em um patamar intermediário entre os observados para a argila expandida (agregado leve comercial e para o agregado convencional (basalto.

  15. A Case Study of Preliminary Cost-Benefit Analysis of Building Levees to Mitigate the Joint Effects of Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Binbin Peng

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Sea-level rise (SLR will magnify the impacts of storm surge; the resulting severe flooding and inundation can cause huge damage to coastal communities. Community leaders are considering implementing adaptation strategies, typically hard engineering projects, to protect coastal assets and resources. It is important to understand the costs and benefits of the proposed project before any decision is made. To mitigate the flooding impact of joint effects of storm surge and SLR, building levee segments is chosen to be a corresponding adaptation strategy to protect the real estate assets in the study area—the City of Miami, FL, USA. This paper uses the classic Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA to assess the cost efficiency and proposes corresponding improvements in the benefit estimation, by estimating the avoided damages of implementing levee projects. Results show that the city will benefit from implementing levee projects along the Miami River in both a one-time 10 year storm event with SLR and cumulative long-term damage scenarios. This study also suggests that conducting CBA is a critical process before making coastal adaptation planning investment. A more meaningful result of cost effectiveness is estimated by accounting for the appreciation and time value. In addition, a sensitivity analysis is conducted to verify how the choice of discount rate influences the result. Uncertain factors including the rate of SLR, storm intensification, land use changes, and real estate appreciation are further analyzed.

  16. Programas psicosociales de intervención cognitiva en población con signos de deterioro cognitivo leve (DCL: Revisión de efectos y eficacia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fátima González Palau

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Debido al incremento en el porcentaje de adultos mayores, así como de las enfermedades degenerativas, existe un creciente interés en la determinación de métodos psicosociales eficaces dirigidos a sujetos con Deterioro Cognitivo leve. Recientes estudios experimentales exponen efectos positivos de las intervenciones cognitivas dirigidas a esta población, tanto en métodos tradicionales y como en estrategias de intervención por medio de nuevas tecnologías. la presente revisión proporciona un análisis sistemático de la literatura existente en miras de valorar el efecto y los alcances de las intervenciones cognitivas no farmacológicas existentes en la actualidad, dirigidas a adultos mayores con Deterioro Cognitivo leve.

  17. Time scales of change in chemical and biological parameters after engineered levee breaches adjacent to Upper Klamath and Agency Lakes, Oregon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuwabara, James S.; Topping, Brent R.; Carter, James L.; Wood, Tamara M.; Parcheso, Francis; Cameron, Jason M.; Asbill, Jessica R.; Carlson, Rick A.; Fend, Steven V.

    2012-01-01

    Eight sampling trips were coordinated after engineered levee breaches hydrologically reconnected both Upper Klamath Lake and Agency Lake, Oregon, to adjacent wetlands. The reconnection, by a series of explosive blasts, was coordinated by The Nature Conservancy to reclaim wetlands that had for approximately seven decades been leveed for crop production. Sets of nonmetallic porewater profilers (U.S. Patent 8,051,727 B1; November 8, 2011; http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/ week45/OG/html/1372-2/US08051727-20111108.html.) were deployed during these trips in November 2007, June 2008, May 2009, July 2009, May 2010, August 2010, June 2011, and July 2011 (table 1). Deployments temporally spanned the annual cyanophyte bloom of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae and spatially involved three lake and four wetland sites. Spatial and temporal variation in solute benthic flux was determined by the field team, using the profilers, over an approximately 4-year period beginning 3 days after the levee breaches. The highest flux to the water column of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was detected in the newly flooded wetland, contrasting negative or insignificant DOC fluxes at adjacent lake sites. Over the multiyear study, DOC benthic fluxes dissipated in the reconnected wetlands, converging to values similar to those for established wetlands and to the adjacent lake (table 2). In contrast to DOC, benthic sources of soluble reactive phosphorus, ammonium, dissolved iron and manganese from within the reconnected wetlands were consistently elevated (that is, significant in magnitude relative to riverine and established-wetland sources) indicating a multi-year time scale for certain chemical changes after the levee breaches (table 2). Colonization of the reconnected wetlands by aquatic benthic invertebrates during the study trended toward the assemblages in established wetlands, providing further evidence of a multiyear transition of this area to permanent aquatic habitat (table 3). Both the

  18. Urban Floods in Lowlands—Levee Systems, Unplanned Urban Growth and River Restoration Alternative: A Case Study in Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcelo Gomes Miguez

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The development of cities has always had a very close relation with water. However, cities directly impact land use patterns and greatly change natural landscapes, aggravating floods. Considering this situation, this paper intends to discuss lowland occupation and city sustainability in what regards urban stormwater management, fluvial space, and river restoration, aiming at minimizing flood risks and improving natural and built environment conditions. River plains tend to be attractive places for a city to grow. From ancient times, levees have been used to protect lowland areas along major watercourses to allow their occupation. However, urban rivers demand space for temporary flood storage. From a systemic point of view, levees along extensive river reaches act as canalization works, limiting river connectivity with flood plains, rising water levels, increasing overtopping risks and transferring floods downstream. Departing from this discussion, four case studies in the Iguaçu-Sarapuí River Basin, a lowland area of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, are used to compose a perspective in which the central point refers to the need of respecting watershed limits and giving space to rivers. Different aspects of low-lying city planning are discussed and analyzed concerning the integration of the built and natural environments.

  19. A Bifactor Multidimensional Item Response Theory Model for Differential Item Functioning Analysis on Testlet-Based Items

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukuhara, Hirotaka; Kamata, Akihito

    2011-01-01

    A differential item functioning (DIF) detection method for testlet-based data was proposed and evaluated in this study. The proposed DIF model is an extension of a bifactor multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) model for testlets. Unlike traditional item response theory (IRT) DIF models, the proposed model takes testlet effects into…

  20. Gender-Based Differential Item Performance in Mathematics Achievement Items.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doolittle, Allen E.; Cleary, T. Anne

    1987-01-01

    Eight randomly equivalent samples of high school seniors were each given a unique form of the ACT Assessment Mathematics Usage Test (ACTM). Signed measures of differential item performance (DIP) were obtained for each item in the eight ACTM forms. DIP estimates were analyzed and a significant item category effect was found. (Author/LMO)

  1. Evaluation of psychometric properties and differential item functioning of 8-item Child Perceptions Questionnaires using item response theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yau, David T W; Wong, May C M; Lam, K F; McGrath, Colman

    2015-08-19

    Four-factor structure of the two 8-item short forms of Child Perceptions Questionnaire CPQ11-14 (RSF:8 and ISF:8) has been confirmed. However, the sum scores are typically reported in practice as a proxy of Oral health-related Quality of Life (OHRQoL), which implied a unidimensional structure. This study first assessed the unidimensionality of 8-item short forms of CPQ11-14. Item response theory (IRT) was employed to offer an alternative and complementary approach of validation and to overcome the limitations of classical test theory assumptions. A random sample of 649 12-year-old school children in Hong Kong was analyzed. Unidimensionality of the scale was tested by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), principle component analysis (PCA) and local dependency (LD) statistic. Graded response model was fitted to the data. Contribution of each item to the scale was assessed by item information function (IIF). Reliability of the scale was assessed by test information function (TIF). Differential item functioning (DIF) across gender was identified by Wald test and expected score functions. Both CPQ11-14 RSF:8 and ISF:8 did not deviate much from the unidimensionality assumption. Results from CFA indicated acceptable fit of the one-factor model. PCA indicated that the first principle component explained >30 % of the total variation with high factor loadings for both RSF:8 and ISF:8. Almost all LD statistic items suggesting little contribution of information to the scale and item removal caused little practical impact. Comparing the TIFs, RSF:8 showed slightly better information than ISF:8. In addition to oral symptoms items, the item "Concerned with what other people think" demonstrated a uniform DIF (p Items related to oral symptoms were not informative to OHRQoL and deletion of these items is suggested. The impact of DIF across gender on the overall score was minimal. CPQ11-14 RSF:8 performed slightly better than ISF:8 in measurement precision. The 6-item short forms

  2. Evaluation of item candidates for a diabetic retinopathy quality of life item bank.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fenwick, Eva K; Pesudovs, Konrad; Khadka, Jyoti; Rees, Gwyn; Wong, Tien Y; Lamoureux, Ecosse L

    2013-09-01

    We are developing an item bank assessing the impact of diabetic retinopathy (DR) on quality of life (QoL) using a rigorous multi-staged process combining qualitative and quantitative methods. We describe here the first two qualitative phases: content development and item evaluation. After a comprehensive literature review, items were generated from four sources: (1) 34 previously validated patient-reported outcome measures; (2) five published qualitative articles; (3) eight focus groups and 18 semi-structured interviews with 57 DR patients; and (4) seven semi-structured interviews with diabetes or ophthalmic experts. Items were then evaluated during 3 stages, namely binning (grouping) and winnowing (reduction) based on key criteria and panel consensus; development of item stems and response options; and pre-testing of items via cognitive interviews with patients. The content development phase yielded 1,165 unique items across 7 QoL domains. After 3 sessions of binning and winnowing, items were reduced to a minimally representative set (n = 312) across 9 domains of QoL: visual symptoms; ocular surface symptoms; activity limitation; mobility; emotional; health concerns; social; convenience; and economic. After 8 cognitive interviews, 42 items were amended resulting in a final set of 314 items. We have employed a systematic approach to develop items for a DR-specific QoL item bank. The psychometric properties of the nine QoL subscales will be assessed using Rasch analysis. The resulting validated item bank will allow clinicians and researchers to better understand the QoL impact of DR and DR therapies from the patient's perspective.

  3. The role of attention in item-item binding in visual working memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Dwight J; Naveh-Benjamin, Moshe

    2017-09-01

    An important yet unresolved question regarding visual working memory (VWM) relates to whether or not binding processes within VWM require additional attentional resources compared with processing solely the individual components comprising these bindings. Previous findings indicate that binding of surface features (e.g., colored shapes) within VWM is not demanding of resources beyond what is required for single features. However, it is possible that other types of binding, such as the binding of complex, distinct items (e.g., faces and scenes), in VWM may require additional resources. In 3 experiments, we examined VWM item-item binding performance under no load, articulatory suppression, and backward counting using a modified change detection task. Binding performance declined to a greater extent than single-item performance under higher compared with lower levels of concurrent load. The findings from each of these experiments indicate that processing item-item bindings within VWM requires a greater amount of attentional resources compared with single items. These findings also highlight an important distinction between the role of attention in item-item binding within VWM and previous studies of long-term memory (LTM) where declines in single-item and binding test performance are similar under divided attention. The current findings provide novel evidence that the specific type of binding is an important determining factor regarding whether or not VWM binding processes require attention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  4. Obtenção de cermet por tecnologia do pó a partir da utilização da cinza leve proveniente da queima do carvão mineral em termoelétrica

    OpenAIRE

    Andréia Brogni

    2013-01-01

    Este trabalho busca produzir cermet (Cinza-Fe) pela tecnologia do pó utilizando cinza leve produzida com a queima do carvão mineral em termoelétrica para uma possível utilização e aplicação na usinagem. Esse estudo tem como objetivo específico caracterizar e analisar as propriedades mecânicas e metalúrgicas das amostras obtidas a partir das misturas. Utilizouse o ferro como componente da mistura em função do baixo custo e vasta disponibilidade. Após a obtenção da cinza leve, determinou-se o t...

  5. Efecto de la restitución temprana de la nutrición oral en la pancreatitis aguda leve

    OpenAIRE

    Vega Sandoval, Carlos Andres; Isaza Restrepo, Andres; Moscoso Daza, Alejandro

    2010-01-01

    Aunque el manejo nutricional de los pacientes con Pancreatitis Aguda Severa ha sido bien establecido por la evidencia disponible, el inicio de la vía oral en Pancreatitis Leve no ha sido igualmente estudiado. El objetivo de este estudio es evaluar el efecto del inicio temprano de la nutrición por vía oral en estos pacientes. Métodos: Realizamos un descriptivo serie de comparación de casos en los cuales comparamos la evolución y resultados del manejo de los pacientes con pancreatitis aguda ant...

  6. Evaluación de la conducta vocacional de estudiantes con discapacidad intelectual leve en etapa de transición escuela-empleo

    OpenAIRE

    Labrín Díaz, Paula

    2015-01-01

    El objetivo de este trabajo es la construcción de instrumentos (inexistentes) que permitan evaluar los indicadores de la conducta vocacional en estudiantes con discapacidad intelectual leve que asisten al nivel laboral en centros de educación especial chilenos. Los indicadores que se consideran, acordes con los planteamientos de Rivas , son los siguientes : Historial personal, intereses vocacionales, factores de personalidad , habilidades y destrezas y estilos de aprendizaje. Los par...

  7. Monitoring of levees, bridges, pipelines, and other critical infrastructure during the 2011 flooding in the Mississippi River Basin: Chapter J in 2011 floods of the central United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Densmore, Brenda K.; Burton, Bethany L.; Dietsch, Benjamin J.; Cannia, James C.; Huizinga, Richard J.

    2014-01-01

    During the 2011 Mississippi River Basin flood, the U.S. Geological Survey evaluated aspects of critical river infrastructure at the request of and in support of local, State, and Federal Agencies. Geotechnical and hydrographic data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey at numerous locations were able to provide needed information about 2011 flood effects to those managing the critical infrastructure. These data were collected and processed in a short time frame to provide managers the ability to make a timely evaluation of the safety of the infrastructure and, when needed, to take action to secure and protect critical infrastructure. Critical infrastructure surveyed by the U.S. Geological Survey included levees, bridges, pipeline crossings, power plant intakes and outlets, and an electrical transmission tower. Capacitively coupled resistivity data collected along the flood-protection levees surrounding the Omaha Public Power District Nebraska City power plant (Missouri River Levee Unit R573), mapped the near-subsurface electrical properties of the levee and the materials immediately below it. The near-subsurface maps provided a better understanding of the levee construction and the nature of the lithology beneath the levee. Comparison of the capacitively coupled resistivity surveys and soil borings indicated that low-resistivity value material composing the levee generally is associated with lean clay and silt to about 2 to 4 meters below the surface, overlying a more resistive layer associated with sand deposits. In general, the resistivity structure becomes more resistive to the south and the southern survey sections correlate well with the borehole data that indicate thinner clay and silt at the surface and thicker sand sequences at depth in these sections. With the resistivity data Omaha Public Power District could focus monitoring efforts on areas with higher resistivity values (coarser-grained deposits or more loosely compacted section), which typically are

  8. Environmental Assessment: PL 84-99 Levee Rahabilitation Program Lower Platte South Natural Resource District Salt Creek, Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-03-01

    142+00 to 144+00. These areas are located approximately 1,000 feet south of Rosa Parks Way and the photos show sags and sinkholes on the landside...sloughing and slides, lost sod, displaced riprap, and sinkhole development to portions of the right and left descending banks of Salt Creek. 1.4 AUTHORITY... sinkhole development. The proposed project repairs include reshaping the levee banks back to a 3:1 slope and replacing lost bank material with compacted

  9. Differential item functioning magnitude and impact measures from item response theory models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kleinman, Marjorie; Teresi, Jeanne A

    2016-01-01

    Measures of magnitude and impact of differential item functioning (DIF) at the item and scale level, respectively are presented and reviewed in this paper. Most measures are based on item response theory models. Magnitude refers to item level effect sizes, whereas impact refers to differences between groups at the scale score level. Reviewed are magnitude measures based on group differences in the expected item scores and impact measures based on differences in the expected scale scores. The similarities among these indices are demonstrated. Various software packages are described that provide magnitude and impact measures, and new software presented that computes all of the available statistics conveniently in one program with explanations of their relationships to one another.

  10. ITEM LEVEL DIAGNOSTICS AND MODEL - DATA FIT IN ITEM ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Global Journal

    Item response theory (IRT) is a framework for modeling and analyzing item response ... data. Though, there is an argument that the evaluation of fit in IRT modeling has been ... National Council on Measurement in Education ... model data fit should be based on three types of ... prediction should be assessed through the.

  11. Cultural Resources Intensive Survey and Testing of Mississippi River Levee Berms Crittenden and Desha Counties, Arkansas and Mississippi, Scott, Cape Girardeau and Pemiscot Counties Missouri. Item R-752 Lambethville; Crittenden County, Arkansas

    Science.gov (United States)

    1984-05-01

    occidentalis) and persimmon ( Diospyros virginianna) occupied better drained immature alluvial soils. Soil development on bottomland sites favored...15 genera of ungulates and various giant rodents and car- nivores north of Mexico. Maps presented by Simpson (1945) indicate that the genus Tapirus

  12. Cultural Resources Intensive Survey and Testing of Mississippi River Levee Berms, Crittenden and Desha Counties, Arkansas and Mississippi, Scott, Cape Girardeau and Pemiscot Counties, Missouri Item R-618 Knowlton; Desha County, Arkansas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1983-11-01

    spp_), maples, hackberry (Celtis laevigata), hickories, sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) and persimmon ( Diospyros virginianna) occupied better drained...of Mexico. Surely many of these were forest denizens and occurred in the study area. Maps presented by Simpson (1945) indicate that the genus Tapirus

  13. Cultural Resources Intensive Survey and Testing of Mississippi River Levee Berms Crittenden and Desha Counties, Arkansas and Mississippi, Scott, Cape Girardeau and Pemiscot Counties, Missouri. Item R-846 Caruthersville, Pemiscot County, Missouri

    Science.gov (United States)

    1983-08-01

    Houses of brick, stone and log were torn to pieces and those of frame tossed on their sides. Many citizens fled to the mountains . In 1812, the five...especially because of the many bands of guerrillas and Union troops who were ranging the countryside. No battles were fought in the projczt aLea ...to the economy of the state, were adamant about the need to build railroads. I 4-3 I Although one railroad, the St. Louis and Iron Mountain , ran from

  14. Calidad de vida relacionada con la salud en pacientes con diagnóstico de hipertensión arterial leve

    OpenAIRE

    Stefano Vinaccia; Japcy Margarita Quiceno; Ángela Gómez; Lina Marcela Montoya

    2007-01-01

    El propósito de esta investigación fue evaluar las dimensiones de la calidad de vida relacionadas con la salud en 282 pacientes con hipertensión arterial leve de la ciudad de Medellín, Colombia. Se utilizó el Cuestionario de Calidad de Vida en Hipertensión Arterial (CHAL). Los resultados evidenciaron un cierto deterioro en la calidad de vida de estos pacientes en lo que concierne al estado de ánimo y principalmente en sus manifestaciones somáticas.

  15. Aplicación de técnicas quimiométricas para clasificar la calidad de agua superficial de la microcuenca del río Bermúdez en Heredia, Costa Rica

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge Herrera Murillo

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Este trabajo investigativo presenta la aplicación de técnicas quimiométricas seleccionadas: análisis de cluster, análisis de componentes principales y análisis de factores, para clasificar la calidad del agua de los ríos y evaluar datos de contaminación.Se monitoreó 14 parámetros fisicoquímicos en 10 estaciones localizadas en la microcuenca del río Bermúdez de agosto de 2005 a febrero de 2007. Los resultados permitieron determinar la existencia de dos clusters naturales de sitios de monitoreo con características similares de contaminación e identificar la DQO, DBO, NO3-, SO4-2 y SST, como las principales variables que discriminan entre los sitios de muestreo.

  16. Aplicación de nuevas tecnologías en personas mayores con trastorno cognitivo leve-moderado desde la Terapia Ocupacional

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María del Carmen Rodríguez Martínez

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Esta revisión bibliográfica pretende ofrecer una visión de las posibilidades que ofrecen las nuevas tecnologías a personas mayores con deterioro cognitivo leve-moderado para retardar o frenar los síntomas de deterioro cognitivo. Actualmente, las nuevas tecnologías de la información y la comunicación tienen mucho protagonismo y se han convertido en una herramienta con mucho potencial para este tipo de personas. Para ello, se han  analizado una serie de estudios sobre el uso de las nuevas tecnologías en personas mayores con trastornos cognitivos con el fin de ofrecer una visión más clara sobre los datos obtenidos hasta el día de hoy respecto a este campo de investigación en Terapia Ocupacional. Se seleccionaron un total de 204 artículos, tras un proceso de duplicación y tras pasar diferentes herramientas de calidad, quedaron un total de 7 artículos. Los resultados encontrados indican que las nuevas tecnologías contribuyen a disminuir algunos síntomas asociados a la enfermedad, como la ansiedad y la depresión, mejorando además ciertas funciones cognitivas en personas que tienen un deterioro cognitivo leve-moderado, siendo importante combinarlas con las terapias tradicionales.

  17. Evolution of a Test Item

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spaan, Mary

    2007-01-01

    This article follows the development of test items (see "Language Assessment Quarterly", Volume 3 Issue 1, pp. 71-79 for the article "Test and Item Specifications Development"), beginning with a review of test and item specifications, then proceeding to writing and editing of items, pretesting and analysis, and finally selection of an item for a…

  18. Rehabilitación por el ejercicio de la escoliosis idiopática leve en niños y adolescentes

    OpenAIRE

    Bertoncelli, María Laura

    2013-01-01

    La Sociedad Internacional para el Estudio de la Escoliosis (Scoliosis Research Society) la define como "una curvatura lateral de la columna con rotación de las vértebras dentro de la curva". La escoliosis idiopática es una patología de origen multifactorial que causa una alteración en la postura corporal. La indicación de diferentes técnicas de gimnasia postural ha sido una práctica habitual como parte del tratamiento conservador de la escoliosis idiopática leve(EIL) en niños y adolescente...

  19. Morphological Analyses and Simulated Flood Elevations in a Watershed with Dredged and Leveed Stream Channels, Wheeling Creek, Eastern Ohio

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherwood, James M.; Huitger, Carrie A.; Ebner, Andrew D.; Koltun, G.F.

    2008-01-01

    The USGS, in cooperation with the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, conducted a study in the Wheeling Creek Basin to (1) evaluate and contrast land-cover characteristics from 2001 with characteristics from 1979 and 1992; (2) compare current streambed elevation, slope, and geometry with conditions present in the late 1980s; (3) look for evidence of channel filling and over widening in selected undredged reaches; (4) estimate flood elevations for existing conditions in both undredged and previously dredged reaches; (5) evaluate the height of the levees required to contain floods with selected recurrence intervals in previously dredged reaches; and (6) estimate flood elevations for several hypothetical dredging and streambed aggradation scenarios in undredged reaches. The amount of barren land in the Wheeling Creek watershed has decreased from 20 to 1 percent of the basin area based on land-cover characteristics from 1979 and 2001. Barren lands appear to have been converted primarily to pasture, presumably as a result of surface-mine reclamation. Croplands also decreased from 13 to 8 percent of the basin area. The combined decrease in barren lands and croplands is approximately offset by the increase in pasture. Stream-channel surveys conducted in 1987 and again in 2006 at 21 sites in four previously dredged reaches of Wheeling Creek indicate little change in the elevation, slope, and geometry of the channel at most sites. The mean change in width-averaged bed and thalweg elevations for the 21 cross sections was 0.1 feet. Bankfull widths, mean depths, and cross-sectional areas measured at 12 sites in undredged reaches were compared to estimates determined from regional equations. The mean percentage difference between measured and estimated bankfull widths was -0.2 percent, suggesting that bankfull widths in the Wheeling Creek Basin are generally about the same as regional averages for undisturbed basins of identical drainage area. For bankfull mean depth and cross

  20. Instructional Topics in Educational Measurement (ITEMS) Module: Using Automated Processes to Generate Test Items

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gierl, Mark J.; Lai, Hollis

    2013-01-01

    Changes to the design and development of our educational assessments are resulting in the unprecedented demand for a large and continuous supply of content-specific test items. One way to address this growing demand is with automatic item generation (AIG). AIG is the process of using item models to generate test items with the aid of computer…

  1. A 67-Item Stress Resilience item bank showing high content validity was developed in a psychosomatic sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Obbarius, Nina; Fischer, Felix; Obbarius, Alexander; Nolte, Sandra; Liegl, Gregor; Rose, Matthias

    2018-04-10

    To develop the first item bank to measure Stress Resilience (SR) in clinical populations. Qualitative item development resulted in an initial pool of 131 items covering a broad theoretical SR concept. These items were tested in n=521 patients at a psychosomatic outpatient clinic. Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), as well as other state-of-the-art item analyses and IRT were used for item evaluation and calibration of the final item bank. Out of the initial item pool of 131 items, we excluded 64 items (54 factor loading .3, 2 non-discriminative Item Response Curves, 4 Differential Item Functioning). The final set of 67 items indicated sufficient model fit in CFA and IRT analyses. Additionally, a 10-item short form with high measurement precision (SE≤.32 in a theta range between -1.8 and +1.5) was derived. Both the SR item bank and the SR short form were highly correlated with an existing static legacy tool (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale). The final SR item bank and 10-item short form showed good psychometric properties. When further validated, they will be ready to be used within a framework of Computer-Adaptive Tests for a comprehensive assessment of the Stress-Construct. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  2. Teoria da Resposta ao Item Teoria de la respuesta al item Item response theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eutalia Aparecida Candido de Araujo

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available A preocupação com medidas de traços psicológicos é antiga, sendo que muitos estudos e propostas de métodos foram desenvolvidos no sentido de alcançar este objetivo. Entre os trabalhos propostos, destaca-se a Teoria da Resposta ao Item (TRI que, a princípio, veio completar limitações da Teoria Clássica de Medidas, empregada em larga escala até hoje na medida de traços psicológicos. O ponto principal da TRI é que ela leva em consideração o item particularmente, sem relevar os escores totais; portanto, as conclusões não dependem apenas do teste ou questionário, mas de cada item que o compõe. Este artigo propõe-se a apresentar esta Teoria que revolucionou a teoria de medidas.La preocupación con las medidas de los rasgos psicológicos es antigua y muchos estudios y propuestas de métodos fueron desarrollados para lograr este objetivo. Entre estas propuestas de trabajo se incluye la Teoría de la Respuesta al Ítem (TRI que, en principio, vino a completar las limitaciones de la Teoría Clásica de los Tests, ampliamente utilizada hasta hoy en la medida de los rasgos psicológicos. El punto principal de la TRI es que se tiene en cuenta el punto concreto, sin relevar las puntuaciones totales; por lo tanto, los resultados no sólo dependen de la prueba o cuestionario, sino que de cada ítem que lo compone. En este artículo se propone presentar la Teoría que revolucionó la teoría de medidas.The concern with measures of psychological traits is old and many studies and proposals of methods were developed to achieve this goal. Among these proposed methods highlights the Item Response Theory (IRT that, in principle, came to complete limitations of the Classical Test Theory, which is widely used until nowadays in the measurement of psychological traits. The main point of IRT is that it takes into account the item in particular, not relieving the total scores; therefore, the findings do not only depend on the test or questionnaire

  3. Computerized Adaptive Test (CAT) Applications and Item Response Theory Models for Polytomous Items

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aybek, Eren Can; Demirtasli, R. Nukhet

    2017-01-01

    This article aims to provide a theoretical framework for computerized adaptive tests (CAT) and item response theory models for polytomous items. Besides that, it aims to introduce the simulation and live CAT software to the related researchers. Computerized adaptive test algorithm, assumptions of item response theory models, nominal response…

  4. Language-related differential item functioning between English and German PROMIS Depression items is negligible.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fischer, H Felix; Wahl, Inka; Nolte, Sandra; Liegl, Gregor; Brähler, Elmar; Löwe, Bernd; Rose, Matthias

    2017-12-01

    To investigate differential item functioning (DIF) of PROMIS Depression items between US and German samples we compared data from the US PROMIS calibration sample (n = 780), a German general population survey (n = 2,500) and a German clinical sample (n = 621). DIF was assessed in an ordinal logistic regression framework, with 0.02 as criterion for R 2 -change and 0.096 for Raju's non-compensatory DIF. Item parameters were initially fixed to the PROMIS Depression metric; we used plausible values to account for uncertainty in depression estimates. Only four items showed DIF. Accounting for DIF led to negligible effects for the full item bank as well as a post hoc simulated computer-adaptive test (German general population sample was considerably lower compared to the US reference value of 50. Overall, we found little evidence for language DIF between US and German samples, which could be addressed by either replacing the DIF items by items not showing DIF or by scoring the short form in German samples with the corrected item parameters reported. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. Selecting Items for Criterion-Referenced Tests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mellenbergh, Gideon J.; van der Linden, Wim J.

    1982-01-01

    Three item selection methods for criterion-referenced tests are examined: the classical theory of item difficulty and item-test correlation; the latent trait theory of item characteristic curves; and a decision-theoretic approach for optimal item selection. Item contribution to the standardized expected utility of mastery testing is discussed. (CM)

  6. Geriatric Anxiety Scale: item response theory analysis, differential item functioning, and creation of a ten-item short form (GAS-10).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mueller, Anne E; Segal, Daniel L; Gavett, Brandon; Marty, Meghan A; Yochim, Brian; June, Andrea; Coolidge, Frederick L

    2015-07-01

    The Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS; Segal et al. (Segal, D. L., June, A., Payne, M., Coolidge, F. L. and Yochim, B. (2010). Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 24, 709-714. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2010.05.002) is a self-report measure of anxiety that was designed to address unique issues associated with anxiety assessment in older adults. This study is the first to use item response theory (IRT) to examine the psychometric properties of a measure of anxiety in older adults. A large sample of older adults (n = 581; mean age = 72.32 years, SD = 7.64 years, range = 60 to 96 years; 64% women; 88% European American) completed the GAS. IRT properties were examined. The presence of differential item functioning (DIF) or measurement bias by age and sex was assessed, and a ten-item short form of the GAS (called the GAS-10) was created. All GAS items had discrimination parameters of 1.07 or greater. Items from the somatic subscale tended to have lower discrimination parameters than items on the cognitive or affective subscales. Two items were flagged for DIF, but the impact of the DIF was negligible. Women scored significantly higher than men on the GAS and its subscales. Participants in the young-old group (60 to 79 years old) scored significantly higher on the cognitive subscale than participants in the old-old group (80 years old and older). Results from the IRT analyses indicated that the GAS and GAS-10 have strong psychometric properties among older adults. We conclude by discussing implications and future research directions.

  7. Asymptotic Standard Errors for Item Response Theory True Score Equating of Polytomous Items

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cher Wong, Cheow

    2015-01-01

    Building on previous works by Lord and Ogasawara for dichotomous items, this article proposes an approach to derive the asymptotic standard errors of item response theory true score equating involving polytomous items, for equivalent and nonequivalent groups of examinees. This analytical approach could be used in place of empirical methods like…

  8. MIMIC Methods for Assessing Differential Item Functioning in Polytomous Items

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Wen-Chung; Shih, Ching-Lin

    2010-01-01

    Three multiple indicators-multiple causes (MIMIC) methods, namely, the standard MIMIC method (M-ST), the MIMIC method with scale purification (M-SP), and the MIMIC method with a pure anchor (M-PA), were developed to assess differential item functioning (DIF) in polytomous items. In a series of simulations, it appeared that all three methods…

  9. Evaluation of Northwest University, Kano Post-UTME Test Items Using Item Response Theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bichi, Ado Abdu; Hafiz, Hadiza; Bello, Samira Abdullahi

    2016-01-01

    High-stakes testing is used for the purposes of providing results that have important consequences. Validity is the cornerstone upon which all measurement systems are built. This study applied the Item Response Theory principles to analyse Northwest University Kano Post-UTME Economics test items. The developed fifty (50) economics test items was…

  10. Using Differential Item Functioning Procedures to Explore Sources of Item Difficulty and Group Performance Characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scheuneman, Janice Dowd; Gerritz, Kalle

    1990-01-01

    Differential item functioning (DIF) methodology for revealing sources of item difficulty and performance characteristics of different groups was explored. A total of 150 Scholastic Aptitude Test items and 132 Graduate Record Examination general test items were analyzed. DIF was evaluated for males and females and Blacks and Whites. (SLD)

  11. Item Response Data Analysis Using Stata Item Response Theory Package

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Ji Seung; Zheng, Xiaying

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to introduce and review the capability and performance of the Stata item response theory (IRT) package that is available from Stata v.14, 2015. Using a simulated data set and a publicly available item response data set extracted from Programme of International Student Assessment, we review the IRT package from…

  12. Item Banking with Embedded Standards

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacCann, Robert G.; Stanley, Gordon

    2009-01-01

    An item banking method that does not use Item Response Theory (IRT) is described. This method provides a comparable grading system across schools that would be suitable for low-stakes testing. It uses the Angoff standard-setting method to obtain item ratings that are stored with each item. An example of such a grading system is given, showing how…

  13. Entre armas leves e a regulamentação internacional: para que lado o Brasil dirige uma política pública?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristiano Armando Diniz Guerra Silvestre

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Resumo: O crescimento da atenção internacional acerca da temática relacionada a armas leves tem gerado várias ações que evidenciam esta preocupação no âmbito internacional. Diversas organizações multilaterais – como a ONU com seu Programa de Ação da ONU para Prevenir, Combater e Suprimir o Comércio Ilícito de Armas Pequenas e Armamentos Leves em Todos seus Aspectos – e não-governamentais – tendo a Caritas por exemplo, seguem registrando seu uso em diversas zonas de conflito do mundo. Entretanto, sua regulamentação no Direito Internacional Humanitário é esparsa, o que convém, sobretudo, aos fabricantes de armas. A Indústria de Defesa, como se apresenta na literatura do tema, tem sido incentivada indiscriminadamente no Brasil. Segundo o Small Arms Trade Survey, o país figura na quarta posição mundial em vendas de armas leves atrás somente de Estados Unidos, Itália e Alemanha. Por sua vez, o Ministério do Desenvolvimento, Indústria e Comércio Exterior (MDIC afirma que houve crescimento de 500% no valor de exportações deste setor, que passaram de US$ 109,6 milhões em 2005 para US$ 321,6 milhões em 2010, considerando somente as armas de fogo. Contudo, este não é um dado surpreendente, pois o incentivo a esta indústria aparece na Estratégia Nacional de Defesa de 2008. Esta pesquisa, realizada sob abordagem qualitativa e de acordo com o método indutivo com caráter prospectivo, segundo a técnica de pesquisa de análise de conteúdo jurídico-documental, apresenta a seguinte hipótese: que o desenvolvimento à indústria de Defesa tem sido fator a impedir a adoção medidas jurídicas mais enérgicas para o tratamento da regulamentação de armas convencionais, ainda que o Brasil seja signatário de alguns tratados sobre o tema.

  14. P2-19: The Effect of item Repetition on Item-Context Association Depends on the Prior Exposure of Items

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hongmi Lee

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Previous studies have reported conflicting findings on whether item repetition has beneficial or detrimental effects on source memory. To reconcile such contradictions, we investigated whether the degree of pre-exposure of items can be a potential modulating factor. The experimental procedures spanned two consecutive days. On Day 1, participants were exposed to a set of unfamiliar faces. On Day 2, the same faces presented on the previous day were used again in half of the participants, whereas novel faces were used for the other half. Day 2 procedures consisted of three successive phases: item repetition, source association, and source memory test. In the item repetition phase, half of the face stimuli were repeatedly presented while participants were making male/female judgments. During the source association phase, both the repeated and the unrepeated faces appeared in one of the four locations on the screen. Finally, participants were tested on the location in which a given face was presented during the previous phase and reported the confidence of their memory. Source memory accuracy was measured as the percentage of correct non-guess trials. As results, we found a significant interaction between prior exposure and repetition. Repetition impaired source memory when the items had been pre-exposed on Day 1, while it led to greater accuracy in novel ones. These results show that pre-experimental exposure can modulate the effects of repetition on associative binding between an item and its contextual information, suggesting that pre-existing representation and novelty signal interact to form new episodic memory.

  15. Investigating the Impact of Item Parameter Drift for Item Response Theory Models with Mixture Distributions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoon Soo ePark

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available This study investigates the impact of item parameter drift (IPD on parameter and ability estimation when the underlying measurement model fits a mixture distribution, thereby violating the item invariance property of unidimensional item response theory (IRT models. An empirical study was conducted to demonstrate the occurrence of both IPD and an underlying mixture distribution using real-world data. Twenty-one trended anchor items from the 1999, 2003, and 2007 administrations of Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS were analyzed using unidimensional and mixture IRT models. TIMSS treats trended anchor items as invariant over testing administrations and uses pre-calibrated item parameters based on unidimensional IRT. However, empirical results showed evidence of two latent subgroups with IPD. Results showed changes in the distribution of examinee ability between latent classes over the three administrations. A simulation study was conducted to examine the impact of IPD on the estimation of ability and item parameters, when data have underlying mixture distributions. Simulations used data generated from a mixture IRT model and estimated using unidimensional IRT. Results showed that data reflecting IPD using mixture IRT model led to IPD in the unidimensional IRT model. Changes in the distribution of examinee ability also affected item parameters. Moreover, drift with respect to item discrimination and distribution of examinee ability affected estimates of examinee ability. These findings demonstrate the need to caution and evaluate IPD using a mixture IRT framework to understand its effect on item parameters and examinee ability.

  16. Investigating the Impact of Item Parameter Drift for Item Response Theory Models with Mixture Distributions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Yoon Soo; Lee, Young-Sun; Xing, Kuan

    2016-01-01

    This study investigates the impact of item parameter drift (IPD) on parameter and ability estimation when the underlying measurement model fits a mixture distribution, thereby violating the item invariance property of unidimensional item response theory (IRT) models. An empirical study was conducted to demonstrate the occurrence of both IPD and an underlying mixture distribution using real-world data. Twenty-one trended anchor items from the 1999, 2003, and 2007 administrations of Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) were analyzed using unidimensional and mixture IRT models. TIMSS treats trended anchor items as invariant over testing administrations and uses pre-calibrated item parameters based on unidimensional IRT. However, empirical results showed evidence of two latent subgroups with IPD. Results also showed changes in the distribution of examinee ability between latent classes over the three administrations. A simulation study was conducted to examine the impact of IPD on the estimation of ability and item parameters, when data have underlying mixture distributions. Simulations used data generated from a mixture IRT model and estimated using unidimensional IRT. Results showed that data reflecting IPD using mixture IRT model led to IPD in the unidimensional IRT model. Changes in the distribution of examinee ability also affected item parameters. Moreover, drift with respect to item discrimination and distribution of examinee ability affected estimates of examinee ability. These findings demonstrate the need to caution and evaluate IPD using a mixture IRT framework to understand its effects on item parameters and examinee ability.

  17. The Eroticism of Artificial Flesh in Villiers de L'Isle Adam's L'Eve Future

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patricia Pulham

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Villiers de L'Isle Adam's 'L'Eve Future' published in 1886 features a fictional version of the inventor Thomas Edison who constructs a complex, custom-made android for Englishman Lord Ewald as a substitute for his unsatisfactory lover. Hadaly, the android, has a number of literary and cultural precursors and successors. Her most commonly accepted ancestor is Olympia in E. T. A. Hoffmann's 'The Sandman' (1816 and among her fascinating descendants are Oskar Kokoschka's 'Silent Woman'; Model Borghild, a sex doll designed by German technicians during World War II;‘Caracas' in Tommaso Landolfi's short story ‘Gogol's Wife' (1954; a variety of gynoids and golems from the realms of science fiction, including Ira Levin's 'Stepford Wives' (1972; and, most recently, that silicon masterpiece - the Real Doll. All, arguably, have their genesis in the classical myth of Pygmalion. This essay considers the tension between animation and stasis in relation to this myth, and explores the necrophiliac aesthetic implicit in Villiers's novel.

  18. The Technical Quality of Test Items Generated Using a Systematic Approach to Item Writing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siskind, Theresa G.; Anderson, Lorin W.

    The study was designed to examine the similarity of response options generated by different item writers using a systematic approach to item writing. The similarity of response options to student responses for the same item stems presented in an open-ended format was also examined. A non-systematic (subject matter expertise) approach and a…

  19. Cultural Resources Survey of Six Revetment and Levee Items Above New Orleans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1982-01-20

    are presented in Appendix A. Local informants and regional specialists in the fields of history, architecture , and archeology were also consulted as...Revival style of architecture (Desmond 1970). Plantation homes were usually two stories high with wide galleries spanning the second level. These provided...Louisiana named the area St. Charles, which is the ecclesiastical parish name dating from the Spanish period. As late as 1924 sugar cane was the

  20. Generalizability theory and item response theory

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Glas, Cornelis A.W.; Eggen, T.J.H.M.; Veldkamp, B.P.

    2012-01-01

    Item response theory is usually applied to items with a selected-response format, such as multiple choice items, whereas generalizability theory is usually applied to constructed-response tasks assessed by raters. However, in many situations, raters may use rating scales consisting of items with a

  1. Sharing the cost of redundant items

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hougaard, Jens Leth; Moulin, Hervé

    2014-01-01

    We ask how to share the cost of finitely many public goods (items) among users with different needs: some smaller subsets of items are enough to serve the needs of each user, yet the cost of all items must be covered, even if this entails inefficiently paying for redundant items. Typical examples...... are network connectivity problems when an existing (possibly inefficient) network must be maintained. We axiomatize a family cost ratios based on simple liability indices, one for each agent and for each item, measuring the relative worth of this item across agents, and generating cost allocation rules...... additive in costs....

  2. Levee work for No.3 unit in Ikata Nuclear Power Plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakajima, Hiroshi; Matsumoto, Tadashi.

    1987-01-01

    An underwater concreting technique was decided to be used for preventing subsidence of a rubble mound which may occur after the installation of a caison. It was planned to fill the gaps among the rubble stones with a special type of underwater concrete. This report deals with the tests for concrete placing and actual levee work which was carried out based on the test results. Tests are performed to determine the compressive strength, flow properties and self-levelling properties of the concrete. Water analysis is also conducted. Furthermore, examinations are made on the capability of the mixer to be mounted on the vessel, the capacity of the concrete pump and required batches to be fed. A work plan is developed based on these examinations. The actual underwater concrete placing work was carried out as follows: 1) excavation of the foundation ground by a grab dredger, 2) throwing down of rubble stones around the foundation and compaction of them by a heavy weight, 3) shaping of the face of slope, 4) throwing down of additional stons in the central portion, and 5) placing of special underwater concrete. For quality management, measurements of the slump. slump flow and air volume were made and compressive strength testing was performed during the work. The tubidity is also observed. (Nogami, K.)

  3. Dissociating the neural correlates of intra-item and inter-item working-memory binding.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carinne Piekema

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Integration of information streams into a unitary representation is an important task of our cognitive system. Within working memory, the medial temporal lobe (MTL has been conceptually linked to the maintenance of bound representations. In a previous fMRI study, we have shown that the MTL is indeed more active during working-memory maintenance of spatial associations as compared to non-spatial associations or single items. There are two explanations for this result, the mere presence of the spatial component activates the MTL, or the MTL is recruited to bind associations between neurally non-overlapping representations. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The current fMRI study investigates this issue further by directly comparing intrinsic intra-item binding (object/colour, extrinsic intra-item binding (object/location, and inter-item binding (object/object. The three binding conditions resulted in differential activation of brain regions. Specifically, we show that the MTL is important for establishing extrinsic intra-item associations and inter-item associations, in line with the notion that binding of information processed in different brain regions depends on the MTL. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings indicate that different forms of working-memory binding rely on specific neural structures. In addition, these results extend previous reports indicating that the MTL is implicated in working-memory maintenance, challenging the classic distinction between short-term and long-term memory systems.

  4. Generalizability theory and item response theory

    OpenAIRE

    Glas, Cornelis A.W.; Eggen, T.J.H.M.; Veldkamp, B.P.

    2012-01-01

    Item response theory is usually applied to items with a selected-response format, such as multiple choice items, whereas generalizability theory is usually applied to constructed-response tasks assessed by raters. However, in many situations, raters may use rating scales consisting of items with a selected-response format. This chapter presents a short overview of how item response theory and generalizability theory were integrated to model such assessments. Further, the precision of the esti...

  5. The 12-item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHO-DAS II: a nonparametric item response analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernandez Ana

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Previous studies have analyzed the psychometric properties of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHO-DAS II using classical omnibus measures of scale quality. These analyses are sample dependent and do not model item responses as a function of the underlying trait level. The main objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the WHO-DAS II items and their options in discriminating between changes in the underlying disability level by means of item response analyses. We also explored differential item functioning (DIF in men and women. Methods The participants were 3615 adult general practice patients from 17 regions of Spain, with a first diagnosed major depressive episode. The 12-item WHO-DAS II was administered by the general practitioners during the consultation. We used a non-parametric item response method (Kernel-Smoothing implemented with the TestGraf software to examine the effectiveness of each item (item characteristic curves and their options (option characteristic curves in discriminating between changes in the underliying disability level. We examined composite DIF to know whether women had a higher probability than men of endorsing each item. Results Item response analyses indicated that the twelve items forming the WHO-DAS II perform very well. All items were determined to provide good discrimination across varying standardized levels of the trait. The items also had option characteristic curves that showed good discrimination, given that each increasing option became more likely than the previous as a function of increasing trait level. No gender-related DIF was found on any of the items. Conclusions All WHO-DAS II items were very good at assessing overall disability. Our results supported the appropriateness of the weights assigned to response option categories and showed an absence of gender differences in item functioning.

  6. Item Response Theory with Covariates (IRT-C): Assessing Item Recovery and Differential Item Functioning for the Three-Parameter Logistic Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tay, Louis; Huang, Qiming; Vermunt, Jeroen K.

    2016-01-01

    In large-scale testing, the use of multigroup approaches is limited for assessing differential item functioning (DIF) across multiple variables as DIF is examined for each variable separately. In contrast, the item response theory with covariate (IRT-C) procedure can be used to examine DIF across multiple variables (covariates) simultaneously. To…

  7. The randomly renewed general item and the randomly inspected item with exponential life distribution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schneeweiss, W.G.

    1979-01-01

    For a randomly renewed item the probability distributions of the time to failure and of the duration of down time and the expectations of these random variables are determined. Moreover, it is shown that the same theory applies to randomly checked items with exponential probability distribution of life such as electronic items. The case of periodic renewals is treated as an example. (orig.) [de

  8. 17 CFR 260.7a-16 - Inclusion of items, differentiation between items and answers, omission of instructions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Inclusion of items, differentiation between items and answers, omission of instructions. 260.7a-16 Section 260.7a-16 Commodity and... INDENTURE ACT OF 1939 Formal Requirements § 260.7a-16 Inclusion of items, differentiation between items and...

  9. Resultados preliminares do tratamento dos pacientes submetidos a radiofreqüência (baixa freqüência, somnoplastia no ronco e apnéia leve do sono

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dibbern Ralph S.

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Introdução: O ronco afeta 5 a 50% da população tornando-se um problema médico e social importante. O tratamento pode ser com medidas comportamentais, CPAP e cirúrgico. Objetivo: Avaliar os resultados pós-operatórios dos pacientes submetidos à radiofreqüência em palato. Forma de estudo: retrospectivo clínico. Material e método: 28 pacientes submetidos à radio-freqüência em palato, com diagnóstico de Ronco e Apnéia Leve do Sono. Observamos os resultados pós-operatórios através das Escalas de Epworth, Ronco e Sonolência diurna, complicações e percentual de melhora dos sintomas. A análise estatística foi pelo Mann Whytney Test. Resultados: 16 pacientes com melhora subjetiva do Ronco acima de 70% após a cirurgia; 26 pacientes mostraram redução significativa pelas Escalas, com complicações mínimas. Conclusão: Radio-freqüência é um método seguro e eficaz no tratamento do Ronco e Apnéia Leve do Sono. Resultados melhores serão obtidos com avaliação criteriosa pré e pós-operatórias.

  10. The Effects of Test Length and Sample Size on Item Parameters in Item Response Theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahin, Alper; Anil, Duygu

    2017-01-01

    This study investigates the effects of sample size and test length on item-parameter estimation in test development utilizing three unidimensional dichotomous models of item response theory (IRT). For this purpose, a real language test comprised of 50 items was administered to 6,288 students. Data from this test was used to obtain data sets of…

  11. Approximation Preserving Reductions among Item Pricing Problems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamane, Ryoso; Itoh, Toshiya; Tomita, Kouhei

    When a store sells items to customers, the store wishes to determine the prices of the items to maximize its profit. Intuitively, if the store sells the items with low (resp. high) prices, the customers buy more (resp. less) items, which provides less profit to the store. So it would be hard for the store to decide the prices of items. Assume that the store has a set V of n items and there is a set E of m customers who wish to buy those items, and also assume that each item i ∈ V has the production cost di and each customer ej ∈ E has the valuation vj on the bundle ej ⊆ V of items. When the store sells an item i ∈ V at the price ri, the profit for the item i is pi = ri - di. The goal of the store is to decide the price of each item to maximize its total profit. We refer to this maximization problem as the item pricing problem. In most of the previous works, the item pricing problem was considered under the assumption that pi ≥ 0 for each i ∈ V, however, Balcan, et al. [In Proc. of WINE, LNCS 4858, 2007] introduced the notion of “loss-leader, ” and showed that the seller can get more total profit in the case that pi < 0 is allowed than in the case that pi < 0 is not allowed. In this paper, we derive approximation preserving reductions among several item pricing problems and show that all of them have algorithms with good approximation ratio.

  12. Which Statistic Should Be Used to Detect Item Preknowledge When the Set of Compromised Items Is Known?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinharay, Sandip

    2017-09-01

    Benefiting from item preknowledge is a major type of fraudulent behavior during educational assessments. Belov suggested the posterior shift statistic for detection of item preknowledge and showed its performance to be better on average than that of seven other statistics for detection of item preknowledge for a known set of compromised items. Sinharay suggested a statistic based on the likelihood ratio test for detection of item preknowledge; the advantage of the statistic is that its null distribution is known. Results from simulated and real data and adaptive and nonadaptive tests are used to demonstrate that the Type I error rate and power of the statistic based on the likelihood ratio test are very similar to those of the posterior shift statistic. Thus, the statistic based on the likelihood ratio test appears promising in detecting item preknowledge when the set of compromised items is known.

  13. An emotional functioning item bank of 24 items for computerized adaptive testing (CAT) was established

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Morten Aa.; Gamper, Eva-Maria; Costantini, Anna

    2016-01-01

    of the widely used EORTC Quality of Life questionnaire (QLQ-C30). STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: On the basis of literature search and evaluations by international samples of experts and cancer patients, 38 candidate items were developed. The psychometric properties of the items were evaluated in a large...... international sample of cancer patients. This included evaluations of dimensionality, item response theory (IRT) model fit, differential item functioning (DIF), and of measurement precision/statistical power. RESULTS: Responses were obtained from 1,023 cancer patients from four countries. The evaluations showed...... that 24 items could be included in a unidimensional IRT model. DIF did not seem to have any significant impact on the estimation of EF. Evaluations indicated that the CAT measure may reduce sample size requirements by up to 50% compared to the QLQ-C30 EF scale without reducing power. CONCLUSION...

  14. Factoring handedness data: I. Item analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Messinger, H B; Messinger, M I

    1995-12-01

    Recently in this journal Peters and Murphy challenged the validity of factor analyses done on bimodal handedness data, suggesting instead that right- and left-handers be studied separately. But bimodality may be avoidable if attention is paid to Oldfield's questionnaire format and instructions for the subjects. Two characteristics appear crucial: a two-column LEFT-RIGHT format for the body of the instrument and what we call Oldfield's Admonition: not to indicate strong preference for handedness item, such as write, unless "... the preference is so strong that you would never try to use the other hand unless absolutely forced to...". Attaining unimodality of an item distribution would seem to overcome the objections of Peters and Murphy. In a 1984 survey in Boston we used Oldfield's ten-item questionnaire exactly as published. This produced unimodal item distributions. With reflection of the five-point item scale and a logarithmic transformation, we achieved a degree of normalization for the items. Two surveys elsewhere based on Oldfield's 20-item list but with changes in the questionnaire format and the instructions, yielded markedly different item distributions with peaks at each extreme and sometimes in the middle as well.

  15. Item Modeling Concept Based on Multimedia Authoring

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janez Stergar

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available In this paper a modern item design framework for computer based assessment based on Flash authoring environment will be introduced. Question design will be discussed as well as the multimedia authoring environment used for item modeling emphasized. Item type templates are a structured means of collecting and storing item information that can be used to improve the efficiency and security of the innovative item design process. Templates can modernize the item design, enhance and speed up the development process. Along with content creation, multimedia has vast potential for use in innovative testing. The introduced item design template is based on taxonomy of innovative items which have great potential for expanding the content areas and construct coverage of an assessment. The presented item design approach is based on GUI's – one for question design based on implemented item design templates and one for user interaction tracking/retrieval. The concept of user interfaces based on Flash technology will be discussed as well as implementation of the innovative approach of the item design forms with multimedia authoring. Also an innovative method for user interaction storage/retrieval based on PHP extending Flash capabilities in the proposed framework will be introduced.

  16. The medial temporal lobes distinguish between within-item and item-context relations during autobiographical memory retrieval.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheldon, Signy; Levine, Brian

    2015-12-01

    During autobiographical memory retrieval, the medial temporal lobes (MTL) relate together multiple event elements, including object (within-item relations) and context (item-context relations) information, to create a cohesive memory. There is consistent support for a functional specialization within the MTL according to these relational processes, much of which comes from recognition memory experiments. In this study, we compared brain activation patterns associated with retrieving within-item relations (i.e., associating conceptual and sensory-perceptual object features) and item-context relations (i.e., spatial relations among objects) with respect to naturalistic autobiographical retrieval. We developed a novel paradigm that cued participants to retrieve information about past autobiographical events, non-episodic within-item relations, and non-episodic item-context relations with the perceptuomotor aspects of retrieval equated across these conditions. We used multivariate analysis techniques to extract common and distinct patterns of activity among these conditions within the MTL and across the whole brain, both in terms of spatial and temporal patterns of activity. The anterior MTL (perirhinal cortex and anterior hippocampus) was preferentially recruited for generating within-item relations later in retrieval whereas the posterior MTL (posterior parahippocampal cortex and posterior hippocampus) was preferentially recruited for generating item-context relations across the retrieval phase. These findings provide novel evidence for functional specialization within the MTL with respect to naturalistic memory retrieval. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Differential item functioning of the patient-reported outcomes information system (PROMIS®) pain interference item bank by language (Spanish versus English).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paz, Sylvia H; Spritzer, Karen L; Reise, Steven P; Hays, Ron D

    2017-06-01

    About 70% of Latinos, 5 years old or older, in the United States speak Spanish at home. Measurement equivalence of the PROMIS ® pain interference (PI) item bank by language of administration (English versus Spanish) has not been evaluated. A sample of 527 adult Spanish-speaking Latinos completed the Spanish version of the 41-item PROMIS ® pain interference item bank. We evaluate dimensionality, monotonicity and local independence of the Spanish-language items. Then we evaluate differential item functioning (DIF) using ordinal logistic regression with item response theory scores estimated from DIF-free "anchor" items. One of the 41 items in the Spanish version of the PROMIS ® PI item bank was identified as having significant uniform DIF. English- and Spanish-speaking subjects with the same level of pain interference responded differently to 1 of the 41 items in the PROMIS ® PI item bank. This item was not retained due to proprietary issues. The original English language item parameters can be used when estimating PROMIS ® PI scores.

  18. A strategy for optimizing item-pool management

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ariel, A.; van der Linden, Willem J.; Veldkamp, Bernard P.

    2006-01-01

    Item-pool management requires a balancing act between the input of new items into the pool and the output of tests assembled from it. A strategy for optimizing item-pool management is presented that is based on the idea of a periodic update of an optimal blueprint for the item pool to tune item

  19. Item response theory - A first approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nunes, Sandra; Oliveira, Teresa; Oliveira, Amílcar

    2017-07-01

    The Item Response Theory (IRT) has become one of the most popular scoring frameworks for measurement data, frequently used in computerized adaptive testing, cognitively diagnostic assessment and test equating. According to Andrade et al. (2000), IRT can be defined as a set of mathematical models (Item Response Models - IRM) constructed to represent the probability of an individual giving the right answer to an item of a particular test. The number of Item Responsible Models available to measurement analysis has increased considerably in the last fifteen years due to increasing computer power and due to a demand for accuracy and more meaningful inferences grounded in complex data. The developments in modeling with Item Response Theory were related with developments in estimation theory, most remarkably Bayesian estimation with Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms (Patz & Junker, 1999). The popularity of Item Response Theory has also implied numerous overviews in books and journals, and many connections between IRT and other statistical estimation procedures, such as factor analysis and structural equation modeling, have been made repeatedly (Van der Lindem & Hambleton, 1997). As stated before the Item Response Theory covers a variety of measurement models, ranging from basic one-dimensional models for dichotomously and polytomously scored items and their multidimensional analogues to models that incorporate information about cognitive sub-processes which influence the overall item response process. The aim of this work is to introduce the main concepts associated with one-dimensional models of Item Response Theory, to specify the logistic models with one, two and three parameters, to discuss some properties of these models and to present the main estimation procedures.

  20. Investigating Separate and Concurrent Approaches for Item Parameter Drift in 3PL Item Response Theory Equating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arce-Ferrer, Alvaro J.; Bulut, Okan

    2017-01-01

    This study examines separate and concurrent approaches to combine the detection of item parameter drift (IPD) and the estimation of scale transformation coefficients in the context of the common item nonequivalent groups design with the three-parameter item response theory equating. The study uses real and synthetic data sets to compare the two…

  1. Analysis of differential item functioning in the depression item bank from the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS: An item response theory approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    JOSEPH P. EIMICKE

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available The aims of this paper are to present findings related to differential item functioning (DIF in the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS depression item bank, and to discuss potential threats to the validity of results from studies of DIF. The 32 depression items studied were modified from several widely used instruments. DIF analyses of gender, age and education were performed using a sample of 735 individuals recruited by a survey polling firm. DIF hypotheses were generated by asking content experts to indicate whether or not they expected DIF to be present, and the direction of the DIF with respect to the studied comparison groups. Primary analyses were conducted using the graded item response model (for polytomous, ordered response category data with likelihood ratio tests of DIF, accompanied by magnitude measures. Sensitivity analyses were performed using other item response models and approaches to DIF detection. Despite some caveats, the items that are recommended for exclusion or for separate calibration were "I felt like crying" and "I had trouble enjoying things that I used to enjoy." The item, "I felt I had no energy," was also flagged as evidencing DIF, and recommended for additional review. On the one hand, false DIF detection (Type 1 error was controlled to the extent possible by ensuring model fit and purification. On the other hand, power for DIF detection might have been compromised by several factors, including sparse data and small sample sizes. Nonetheless, practical and not just statistical significance should be considered. In this case the overall magnitude and impact of DIF was small for the groups studied, although impact was relatively large for some individuals.

  2. Deterioro cognitivo leve: Encuesta sobre actitudes de médicos especialistas y generalistas Mild cognitive impairment: Survey of attitudes of specialists and general physicians

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cecilia M. Serrano

    2007-02-01

    Full Text Available El deterioro cognitivo leve es una entidad caracterizada por el compromiso predominante de la memoria en ausencia de trastorno funcional. Ha sido asociado a un período predemencial de la enfermedad de Alzheimer. Sin embargo, se considera que otras áreas cognitivas pueden verse afectadas, pudiendo implicar también otras etiologías. Así, algunos profesionales lo consideran un término etiológico, dirigido hacia la enfermedad de Alzheimer y otros un complejo sindromático, incluyendo varias enfermedades. Otro factor agregado que generó confusión ha sido el porcentaje de conversión a demencia. El objetivo de nuestro trabajo fue evaluar la opinión médica sobre el deterioro cognitivo leve y los problemas que genera en la práctica diaria. Se adaptó el cuestionario sobre deterioro cognitivo leve de Dubois y col, 2003; 24 médicos expertos en demencia de Argentina y Brasil (16 neurólogos y 8 psiquiatras y 30 médicos generalistas aceptaron responder al mismo. Los resultados muestran que el 92% de los médicos expertos piensa que es una entidad heterogénea, no la limitan a un estadio predemencia de la enfermedad de Alzheimer; y el 63% refieren que puede empeorar. El 83% de los expertos inician tratamiento específico utilizando preferentemente anticolinesterásicos, memantine y vitamina E. La vasta mayoría de médicos considera al deterioro cognitivo leve como una entidad sindromática, que no está limitada a la enfermedad de Alzheimer; pero sin embargo, inicia tratamiento con drogas dirigidas hacia ella. La ambigüedad existente hace necesario estandarizar definiciones y reconceptualizar la enfermedad de Alzheimer en su estadio pre-demencia.Mild cognitive impairment (MCI refers to persons who are slightly cognitively impaired for age but do not meet the criteria for dementia. MCI has been related to a pre-dementia stage of Alzheimer&'s disease (AD. However, other possible diagnoses such as cerebro-vascular disease, frontotemporal

  3. 76 FR 60474 - Commercial Item Handbook

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-09-29

    ... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Defense Acquisition Regulations System Commercial Item Handbook AGENCY.... SUMMARY: DoD has updated its Commercial Item Handbook. The purpose of the Handbook is to help acquisition personnel develop sound business strategies for procuring commercial items. DoD is seeking industry input on...

  4. Spare Items validation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fernandez Carratala, L.

    1998-01-01

    There is an increasing difficulty for purchasing safety related spare items, with certifications by manufacturers for maintaining the original qualifications of the equipment of destination. The main reasons are, on the top of the logical evolution of technology, applied to the new manufactured components, the quitting of nuclear specific production lines and the evolution of manufacturers quality systems, originally based on nuclear codes and standards, to conventional industry standards. To face this problem, for many years different Dedication processes have been implemented to verify whether a commercial grade element is acceptable to be used in safety related applications. In the same way, due to our particular position regarding the spare part supplies, mainly from markets others than the american, C.N. Trillo has developed a methodology called Spare Items Validation. This methodology, which is originally based on dedication processes, is not a single process but a group of coordinated processes involving engineering, quality and management activities. These are to be performed on the spare item itself, its design control, its fabrication and its supply for allowing its use in destinations with specific requirements. The scope of application is not only focussed on safety related items, but also to complex design, high cost or plant reliability related components. The implementation in C.N. Trillo has been mainly curried out by merging, modifying and making the most of processes and activities which were already being performed in the company. (Author)

  5. Item Analysis in Introductory Economics Testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tinari, Frank D.

    1979-01-01

    Computerized analysis of multiple choice test items is explained. Examples of item analysis applications in the introductory economics course are discussed with respect to three objectives: to evaluate learning; to improve test items; and to help improve classroom instruction. Problems, costs and benefits of the procedures are identified. (JMD)

  6. A review of the effects on IRT item parameter estimates with a focus on misbehaving common items in test equating

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michalis P Michaelides

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Many studies have investigated the topic of change or drift in item parameter estimates in the context of Item Response Theory. Content effects, such as instructional variation and curricular emphasis, as well as context effects, such as the wording, position, or exposure of an item have been found to impact item parameter estimates. The issue becomes more critical when items with estimates exhibiting differential behavior across test administrations are used as common for deriving equating transformations. This paper reviews the types of effects on IRT item parameter estimates and focuses on the impact of misbehaving or aberrant common items on equating transformations. Implications relating to test validity and the judgmental nature of the decision to keep or discard aberrant common items are discussed, with recommendations for future research into more informed and formal ways of dealing with misbehaving common items.

  7. A Review of the Effects on IRT Item Parameter Estimates with a Focus on Misbehaving Common Items in Test Equating.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michaelides, Michalis P

    2010-01-01

    Many studies have investigated the topic of change or drift in item parameter estimates in the context of item response theory (IRT). Content effects, such as instructional variation and curricular emphasis, as well as context effects, such as the wording, position, or exposure of an item have been found to impact item parameter estimates. The issue becomes more critical when items with estimates exhibiting differential behavior across test administrations are used as common for deriving equating transformations. This paper reviews the types of effects on IRT item parameter estimates and focuses on the impact of misbehaving or aberrant common items on equating transformations. Implications relating to test validity and the judgmental nature of the decision to keep or discard aberrant common items are discussed, with recommendations for future research into more informed and formal ways of dealing with misbehaving common items.

  8. A Comparison of the 27-Item and 12-Item Intolerance of Uncertainty Scales

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khawaja, Nigar G.; Yu, Lai Ngo Heidi

    2010-01-01

    The 27-item Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS) has become one of the most frequently used measures of Intolerance of Uncertainty. More recently, an abridged, 12-item version of the IUS has been developed. The current research used clinical (n = 50) and non-clinical (n = 56) samples to examine and compare the psychometric properties of both…

  9. More is not Always Better: The Relation between Item Response and Item Response Time in Raven’s Matrices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frank Goldhammer

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The role of response time in completing an item can have very different interpretations. Responding more slowly could be positively related to success as the item is answered more carefully. However, the association may be negative if working faster indicates higher ability. The objective of this study was to clarify the validity of each assumption for reasoning items considering the mode of processing. A total of 230 persons completed a computerized version of Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices test. Results revealed that response time overall had a negative effect. However, this effect was moderated by items and persons. For easy items and able persons the effect was strongly negative, for difficult items and less able persons it was less negative or even positive. The number of rules involved in a matrix problem proved to explain item difficulty significantly. Most importantly, a positive interaction effect between the number of rules and item response time indicated that the response time effect became less negative with an increasing number of rules. Moreover, exploratory analyses suggested that the error type influenced the response time effect.

  10. Negative effects of item repetition on source memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Kyungmi; Yi, Do-Joon; Raye, Carol L; Johnson, Marcia K

    2012-08-01

    In the present study, we explored how item repetition affects source memory for new item-feature associations (picture-location or picture-color). We presented line drawings varying numbers of times in Phase 1. In Phase 2, each drawing was presented once with a critical new feature. In Phase 3, we tested memory for the new source feature of each item from Phase 2. Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrated and replicated the negative effects of item repetition on incidental source memory. Prior item repetition also had a negative effect on source memory when different source dimensions were used in Phases 1 and 2 (Experiment 3) and when participants were explicitly instructed to learn source information in Phase 2 (Experiments 4 and 5). Importantly, when the order between Phases 1 and 2 was reversed, such that item repetition occurred after the encoding of critical item-source combinations, item repetition no longer affected source memory (Experiment 6). Overall, our findings did not support predictions based on item predifferentiation, within-dimension source interference, or general interference from multiple traces of an item. Rather, the findings were consistent with the idea that prior item repetition reduces attention to subsequent presentations of the item, decreasing the likelihood that critical item-source associations will be encoded.

  11. Examination of the PROMIS upper extremity item bank.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hung, Man; Voss, Maren W; Bounsanga, Jerry; Crum, Anthony B; Tyser, Andrew R

    Clinical measurement. The psychometric properties of the PROMIS v1.2 UE item bank were tested on various samples prior to its release, but have not been fully evaluated among the orthopaedic population. This study assesses the performance of the UE item bank within the UE orthopaedic patient population. The UE item bank was administered to 1197 adult patients presenting to a tertiary orthopaedic clinic specializing in hand and UE conditions and was examined using traditional statistics and Rasch analysis. The UE item bank fits a unidimensional model (outfit MNSQ range from 0.64 to 1.70) and has adequate reliabilities (person = 0.84; item = 0.82) and local independence (item residual correlations range from -0.37 to 0.34). Only one item exhibits gender differential item functioning. Most items target low levels of function. The UE item bank is a useful clinical assessment tool. Additional items covering higher functions are needed to enhance validity. Supplemental testing is recommended for patients at higher levels of function until more high function UE items are developed. 2c. Copyright © 2016 Hanley & Belfus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Psychometric Consequences of Subpopulation Item Parameter Drift

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huggins-Manley, Anne Corinne

    2017-01-01

    This study defines subpopulation item parameter drift (SIPD) as a change in item parameters over time that is dependent on subpopulations of examinees, and hypothesizes that the presence of SIPD in anchor items is associated with bias and/or lack of invariance in three psychometric outcomes. Results show that SIPD in anchor items is associated…

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2015-01-01

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

  14. Few items in the thyroid-related quality of life instrument ThyPRO exhibited differential item functioning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watt, Torquil; Groenvold, Mogens; Hegedüs, Laszlo; Bonnema, Steen Joop; Rasmussen, Åse Krogh; Feldt-Rasmussen, Ulla; Bjorner, Jakob Bue

    2014-02-01

    To evaluate the extent of differential item functioning (DIF) within the thyroid-specific quality of life patient-reported outcome measure, ThyPRO, according to sex, age, education and thyroid diagnosis. A total of 838 patients with benign thyroid diseases completed the ThyPRO questionnaire (84 five-point items, 13 scales). Uniform and nonuniform DIF were investigated using ordinal logistic regression, testing for both statistical significance and magnitude (∆R(2) > 0.02). Scale level was estimated by the sum score, after purification. Twenty instances of DIF in 17 of the 84 items were found. Eight according to diagnosis, where the goiter scale was the one most affected, possibly due to differing perceptions in patients with auto-immune thyroid diseases compared to patients with simple goiter. Eight DIFs according to age were found, of which 5 were in positively worded items, which younger patients were more likely to endorse; one according to gender: women were more likely to report crying, and three according to educational level. The vast majority of DIF had only minor influence on the scale scores (0.1-2.3 points on the 0-100 scales), but two DIF corresponded to a difference of 4.6 and 9.8, respectively. Ordinal logistic regression identified DIF in 17 of 84 items. The potential impact of this on the present scales was low, but items displaying DIF could be avoided when developing abbreviated scales, where the potential impact of DIF (due to fewer items) will be larger.

  15. Loglinear multidimensional IRT models for polytomously scired Items

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kelderman, Henk

    1988-01-01

    A loglinear item response theory (IRT) model is proposed that relates polytomously scored item responses to a multidimensional latent space. Each item may have a different response function where each item response may be explained by one or more latent traits. Item response functions may follow a

  16. 48 CFR 852.214-72 - Alternate item(s).

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... AND FORMS SOLICITATION PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES Texts of Provisions and Clauses 852.214-72... 2008) Bids on []* will be given equal consideration along with bids on []** and any such bids received... [].** * Contracting officer will insert an alternate item that is considered acceptable. ** Contracting officer will...

  17. Cultural Resources Survey of Three Iberville Parish Levee Enlargement and Revetment Construction Items

    Science.gov (United States)

    1993-09-22

    elm (Ulmus), and pecan (Carya illlnoensis) may occur at higher elevations. Poison ivy (Rhus radicans), Virginia and trumpet creeper (Parthenocissus sp... pecans were produced In the parish. Cotton, grown during the early 1900s, had all but disappeared by 1940. Soybeans, initially planted with corn to...Holland and England are known as de Equivalents in Italy , Iberia, and Mexico are called muioica. Tin glazed earthenware has a soft porous paste

  18. Evaluación del bienestar psicológico y estrategias de afrontamiento en padres con niños o adolescentes con retraso mental leve

    OpenAIRE

    Zapata, Analía; Bastida, Marisa; Quiroga, Adriana; Charra, Salomé; Leiva, Juan Manuel

    2013-01-01

    Tener un hijo con discapacidad intelectual supone una fuente de conflictos tanto para la dinámica familiar como para los propios adolescentes. Es probable que la familia tenga que reestructurarse para afrontar los niveles de estrés que puedan influir sobre el bienestar de sus miembros. Esta investigación evalúa el bienestar psicológico de los padres con un niño y/o adolescente entre 9 y 14 años con retraso mental leve, estrategias de afrontamiento y posibles relaciones entre estas variables. ...

  19. Macrostructural Treatment of Multi-word Lexical Items

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alenka Vrbinc

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available The paper discusses the macrostructural treatment of multi-word lexical items in mono- and bilingual dictionaries. First, the classification of multi-word lexical items is presented, and special attention is paid to the discussion of compounds – a specific group of multi-word lexical items that is most commonly afforded headword status but whose inclusion in the headword list may also depend on spelling. Then the inclusion of multi-word lexical items in monolingual dictionaries is dealt with in greater detail, while the results of a short survey on the inclusion of five randomly chosen multi-word lexical items in seven English monolingual dictionaries are presented. The proposals as to how to treat these five multi-word lexical items in bilingual dictionaries are presented in the section about the inclusion of multi-word lexical items in bilingual dictionaries. The conclusion is that it is most important to take the users’ needs into consideration and to make any dictionary as user friendly as possible.

  20. Losing Items in the Psychogeriatric Nursing Home

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. van Hoof PhD

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Losing items is a time-consuming occurrence in nursing homes that is ill described. An explorative study was conducted to investigate which items got lost by nursing home residents, and how this affects the residents and family caregivers. Method: Semi-structured interviews and card sorting tasks were conducted with 12 residents with early-stage dementia and 12 family caregivers. Thematic analysis was applied to the outcomes of the sessions. Results: The participants stated that numerous personal items and assistive devices get lost in the nursing home environment, which had various emotional, practical, and financial implications. Significant amounts of time are spent on trying to find items, varying from 1 hr up to a couple of weeks. Numerous potential solutions were identified by the interviewees. Discussion: Losing items often goes together with limitations to the participation of residents. Many family caregivers are reluctant to replace lost items, as these items may get lost again.

  1. ‘Forget me (not?’ – Remembering forget-items versus un-cued items in directed forgetting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bastian eZwissler

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Humans need to be able to selectively control their memories. Here, we investigate the underlying processes in item-method directed forgetting and compare the classic active memory cues in this paradigm with a passive instruction. Typically, individual items are presented and each is followed by either a forget- or remember-instruction. On a surprise test of all items, memory is then worse for to-be-forgotten items (TBF compared to to-be-remembered items (TBR. This is thought to result from selective rehearsal of TBR, or from active inhibition of TBF, or from both. However, evidence suggests that if a forget instruction initiates active processing, paradoxical effects may also arise. To investigate the underlying mechanisms, four experiments were conducted where un-cued items (UI were introduced and recognition performance was compared between TBR, TBF and UI stimuli. Accuracy was encouraged via a performance-dependent monetary bonus. Across all experiments, including perceptually fully matched variants, memory accuracy for TBF was reduced compared to TBR, but better than for UI. Moreover, participants used a more conservative response criterion when responding to TBF stimuli. Thus, ironically, the F cue results in active processing, but this does not have inhibitory effects that would impair recognition memory beyond a un-cued baseline condition. This casts doubts on inhibitory accounts of item-method directed forgetting and is also difficult to reconcile with pure selective rehearsal of TBR. While the F-cue does induce active processing, this does not result in particularly successful forgetting. The pattern seems most consistent with the notion of ironic processing.

  2. Clinical and biological predictors of Alzheimer's disease in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment Preditores clínicos e biológicos da evolução para doença de Alzheimer em pacientes com comprometimento cognitivo leve amnéstico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Orestes V. Forlenza

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To identify predictors of the progression from pre-dementia stages of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease is relevant to clinical management and to substantiate the decision of prescribing antidementia drugs. METHOD: Longitudinal study of a cohort of elderly adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment and healthy controls, carried out to estimate the risk and characterize predictors of the progression to Alzheimer's disease. RESULTS: Patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment had a higher risk to develop Alzheimer's disease during follow-up (odds ratio = 4.5, CI95% [1.3-13.6], p = 0.010. At baseline, older age, lower scores on memory tests and presence of the APOE*4 allele predicted the progression from amnestic mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease. In a sub sample of amnestic mild cognitive impairment patients, those who progressed to Alzheimer's disease had lower cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ42, p = 0.020 and higher concentrations of total TAU (p = 0.030 and phosphorylated TAU (p = 0.010, as compared to non-converters. DISCUSSION: This is the first Brazilian study to report cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers in the prediction of the conversion from MCI to Alzheimer's disease. Our data are in accordance with those reported in other settings. The measurement of cerebrospinal fluid total-TAU, phospho-TAU and Aβ42 may help identify patients with mild cognitive impairment at higher risk for developing Alzheimer's disease.OBJETIVO: A identificação de preditores da conversão para a doença de Alzheimer em pacientes com comprometimento cognitivo leve é relevante para o manejo clínico e para decidir sobre a prescrição de drogas antidemência. MÉTODO: Estudo longitudinal em coorte de indivíduos idosos com comprometimento cognitivo leve amnéstico e controles saudáveis; estimativa do risco da progressão para doença de Alzheimer nos dois grupos; determinação das vari

  3. El trabajo preventivo en alumnos con retraso mental leve que no cumplen con sus deberes escolares, mediante el uso del psicodrama

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Griselda Matos Sarmiento

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available El presente artículo consta de acciones encaminadas a la preparación de los docentes para mejorar el trabajo preventivo en alumnos con retraso mental leve que no cumplen con sus deberes escolares y que además constituyen un grupo muy heterogéneo. Para realizar este trabajo, se tuvieron en cuenta: Métodos Empíricos y Teóricos, Principios de la Educación Especial, las ideas de hombres célebres como: Martí, Fidel, Vigotsky y otros, lo que permitió ofrecer procedimientos metodológicos ordenados, con acciones concretas para resolver el problema de la socialización de estos alumnos .

  4. Item selection via Bayesian IRT models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arima, Serena

    2015-02-10

    With reference to a questionnaire that aimed to assess the quality of life for dysarthric speakers, we investigate the usefulness of a model-based procedure for reducing the number of items. We propose a mixed cumulative logit model, which is known in the psychometrics literature as the graded response model: responses to different items are modelled as a function of individual latent traits and as a function of item characteristics, such as their difficulty and their discrimination power. We jointly model the discrimination and the difficulty parameters by using a k-component mixture of normal distributions. Mixture components correspond to disjoint groups of items. Items that belong to the same groups can be considered equivalent in terms of both difficulty and discrimination power. According to decision criteria, we select a subset of items such that the reduced questionnaire is able to provide the same information that the complete questionnaire provides. The model is estimated by using a Bayesian approach, and the choice of the number of mixture components is justified according to information criteria. We illustrate the proposed approach on the basis of data that are collected for 104 dysarthric patients by local health authorities in Lecce and in Milan. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. Re-evaluating a vision-related quality of life questionnaire with item response theory (IRT and differential item functioning (DIF analyses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Knol Dirk L

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background For the Low Vision Quality Of Life questionnaire (LVQOL it is unknown whether the psychometric properties are satisfactory when an item response theory (IRT perspective is considered. This study evaluates some essential psychometric properties of the LVQOL questionnaire in an IRT model, and investigates differential item functioning (DIF. Methods Cross-sectional data were used from an observational study among visually-impaired patients (n = 296. Calibration was performed for every dimension of the LVQOL in the graded response model. Item goodness-of-fit was assessed with the S-X2-test. DIF was assessed on relevant background variables (i.e. age, gender, visual acuity, eye condition, rehabilitation type and administration type with likelihood-ratio tests for DIF. The magnitude of DIF was interpreted by assessing the largest difference in expected scores between subgroups. Measurement precision was assessed by presenting test information curves; reliability with the index of subject separation. Results All items of the LVQOL dimensions fitted the model. There was significant DIF on several items. For two items the maximum difference between expected scores exceeded one point, and DIF was found on multiple relevant background variables. Item 1 'Vision in general' from the "Adjustment" dimension and item 24 'Using tools' from the "Reading and fine work" dimension were removed. Test information was highest for the "Reading and fine work" dimension. Indices for subject separation ranged from 0.83 to 0.94. Conclusions The items of the LVQOL showed satisfactory item fit to the graded response model; however, two items were removed because of DIF. The adapted LVQOL with 21 items is DIF-free and therefore seems highly appropriate for use in heterogeneous populations of visually impaired patients.

  6. Item response theory analysis of the life orientation test-revised: age and gender differential item functioning analyses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steca, Patrizia; Monzani, Dario; Greco, Andrea; Chiesi, Francesca; Primi, Caterina

    2015-06-01

    This study is aimed at testing the measurement properties of the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) for the assessment of dispositional optimism by employing item response theory (IRT) analyses. The LOT-R was administered to a large sample of 2,862 Italian adults. First, confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated the theoretical conceptualization of the construct measured by the LOT-R as a single bipolar dimension. Subsequently, IRT analyses for polytomous, ordered response category data were applied to investigate the items' properties. The equivalence of the items across gender and age was assessed by analyzing differential item functioning. Discrimination and severity parameters indicated that all items were able to distinguish people with different levels of optimism and adequately covered the spectrum of the latent trait. Additionally, the LOT-R appears to be gender invariant and, with minor exceptions, age invariant. Results provided evidence that the LOT-R is a reliable and valid measure of dispositional optimism. © The Author(s) 2014.

  7. Software Note: Using BILOG for Fixed-Anchor Item Calibration

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeMars, Christine E.; Jurich, Daniel P.

    2012-01-01

    The nonequivalent groups anchor test (NEAT) design is often used to scale item parameters from two different test forms. A subset of items, called the anchor items or common items, are administered as part of both test forms. These items are used to adjust the item calibrations for any differences in the ability distributions of the groups taking…

  8. Inventions on presenting textual items in Graphical User Interface

    OpenAIRE

    Mishra, Umakant

    2014-01-01

    Although a GUI largely replaces textual descriptions by graphical icons, the textual items are not completely removed. The textual items are inevitably used in window titles, message boxes, help items, menu items and popup items. Textual items are necessary for communicating messages that are beyond the limitation of graphical messages. However, it is necessary to harness the textual items on the graphical interface in such a way that they complement each other to produce the best effect. One...

  9. Science Library of Test Items. Volume Eighteen. A Collection of Multiple Choice Test Items Relating Mainly to Chemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    New South Wales Dept. of Education, Sydney (Australia).

    As one in a series of test item collections developed by the Assessment and Evaluation Unit of the Directorate of Studies, items are made available to teachers for the construction of unit tests or term examinations or as a basis for class discussion. Each collection was reviewed for content validity and reliability. The test items meet syllabus…

  10. Science Library of Test Items. Volume Seventeen. A Collection of Multiple Choice Test Items Relating Mainly to Biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    New South Wales Dept. of Education, Sydney (Australia).

    As one in a series of test item collections developed by the Assessment and Evaluation Unit of the Directorate of Studies, items are made available to teachers for the construction of unit tests or term examinations or as a basis for class discussion. Each collection was reviewed for content validity and reliability. The test items meet syllabus…

  11. Science Library of Test Items. Volume Nineteen. A Collection of Multiple Choice Test Items Relating Mainly to Geology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    New South Wales Dept. of Education, Sydney (Australia).

    As one in a series of test item collections developed by the Assessment and Evaluation Unit of the Directorate of Studies, items are made available to teachers for the construction of unit tests or term examinations or as a basis for class discussion. Each collection was reviewed for content validity and reliability. The test items meet syllabus…

  12. Feed mechanism and method for feeding minute items

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stringer, Timothy Kent [Bucyrus, KS; Yerganian, Simon Scott [Lee's Summit, MO

    2009-10-20

    A feeding mechanism and method for feeding minute items, such as capacitors, resistors, or solder preforms. The mechanism is adapted to receive a plurality of the randomly-positioned and randomly-oriented extremely small or minute items, and to isolate, orient, and position one or more of the items in a specific repeatable pickup location wherefrom they may be removed for use by, for example, a computer-controlled automated assembly machine. The mechanism comprises a sliding shelf adapted to receive and support the items; a wiper arm adapted to achieve a single even layer of the items; and a pushing arm adapted to push the items into the pickup location. The mechanism can be adapted for providing the items with a more exact orientation, and can also be adapted for use in a liquid environment.

  13. Memory for Items and Relationships among Items Embedded in Realistic Scenes: Disproportionate Relational Memory Impairments in Amnesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hannula, Deborah E.; Tranel, Daniel; Allen, John S.; Kirchhoff, Brenda A.; Nickel, Allison E.; Cohen, Neal J.

    2014-01-01

    Objective The objective of this study was to examine the dependence of item memory and relational memory on medial temporal lobe (MTL) structures. Patients with amnesia, who either had extensive MTL damage or damage that was relatively restricted to the hippocampus, were tested, as was a matched comparison group. Disproportionate relational memory impairments were predicted for both patient groups, and those with extensive MTL damage were also expected to have impaired item memory. Method Participants studied scenes, and were tested with interleaved two-alternative forced-choice probe trials. Probe trials were either presented immediately after the corresponding study trial (lag 1), five trials later (lag 5), or nine trials later (lag 9) and consisted of the studied scene along with a manipulated version of that scene in which one item was replaced with a different exemplar (item memory test) or was moved to a new location (relational memory test). Participants were to identify the exact match of the studied scene. Results As predicted, patients were disproportionately impaired on the test of relational memory. Item memory performance was marginally poorer among patients with extensive MTL damage, but both groups were impaired relative to matched comparison participants. Impaired performance was evident at all lags, including the shortest possible lag (lag 1). Conclusions The results are consistent with the proposed role of the hippocampus in relational memory binding and representation, even at short delays, and suggest that the hippocampus may also contribute to successful item memory when items are embedded in complex scenes. PMID:25068665

  14. Applying Hierarchical Model Calibration to Automatically Generated Items.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williamson, David M.; Johnson, Matthew S.; Sinharay, Sandip; Bejar, Isaac I.

    This study explored the application of hierarchical model calibration as a means of reducing, if not eliminating, the need for pretesting of automatically generated items from a common item model prior to operational use. Ultimately the successful development of automatic item generation (AIG) systems capable of producing items with highly similar…

  15. 41 CFR 101-27.404 - Review of items.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Review of items. 101-27.404 Section 101-27.404 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property Management...-Elimination of Items From Inventory § 101-27.404 Review of items. Except for standby or reserve stocks, items...

  16. Towards an authoring system for item construction

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rikers, Jos H.A.N.

    1988-01-01

    The process of writing test items is analyzed, and a blueprint is presented for an authoring system for test item writing to reduce invalidity and to structure the process of item writing. The developmental methodology is introduced, and the first steps in the process are reported. A historical

  17. Modeling Local Item Dependence in Cloze and Reading Comprehension Test Items Using Testlet Response Theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baghaei, Purya; Ravand, Hamdollah

    2016-01-01

    In this study the magnitudes of local dependence generated by cloze test items and reading comprehension items were compared and their impact on parameter estimates and test precision was investigated. An advanced English as a foreign language reading comprehension test containing three reading passages and a cloze test was analyzed with a…

  18. Oficinas de estimulação cognitiva adaptadas para idosos analfabetos com transtorno cognitivo leve Talleres de estimulación cognitiva adaptadas para ancianos analfabetos con deterioro cognitivo leve Workshops for cognitive stimulation adapted for elderly illiterate individuals with mild cognitive impairment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Izabel Borges dos Santos

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Oficinas de estimulação cognitiva para idosos analfabetos com transtorno cognitivo leve é um tema pouco pesquisado. Objetivou-se verificar a autopercepção da memória em idosos analfabetos com transtorno cognitivo leve, antes e após oficinas de estimulação cognitiva, adaptadas para analfabetos. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, realizada na Unidade de Saúde de Taguatinga-DF, envolvendo 63 idosos: 22 no Grupo Experimental (GE, com 10 oficinas; 21 no Grupo Controle 1 (GC1, com 10 palestras; e 20 no Grupo Controle 2 (GC2, sem intervenção. Foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas antes e após intervenções, perguntando-se sobre memória. Aos GE e GC1 foram oferecidas atividades semanais de duas horas. A idade média foi 72,8 anos, 92% do sexo feminino. Na pré-intervenção, 82% haviam piorado memória no último ano. Na pós-intervenção, GC1 e GC2 mantiveram alterações da memória, enquanto GE melhorou cognição. Conclui-se que as oficinas e palestras proporcionaram melhora na funcionalidade e socialização/integração.Objetivó-se evaluar la percepción subjetiva de la memoria en ancianos analfabetos con deterioro cognitivo leve, antes y después de talleres para estimulación cognitiva adaptada para personas analfabetas. Participaran 63 ancianos: 22 en el grupo experimental (GE con 10 talleres; 21 en el grupo control 1 (GC1, con 10 conferencias sobre salud; y 20 en el grupo control 2 (CG2, sin intervención. Fueron realizadas entrevistas semi estructuradas antes y después de las intervenciones, preguntandose sobre la memoria. Para los del GE e GC1 fueran ofrecidas actividades semanales de dos horas. La edad media de los participantes fue de 72,8 años, 92% eran del sexo femenino. En la pre-intervención, 82% reportaran deterioro en la memoria durante el último año. En la pos-intervención, los del CG1 y del CG2 mantuvieron los cambios en la memoria, mientras que los del GE mejoraron la cognición. Concluí-se que

  19. 10 CFR 835.605 - Labeling items and containers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Labeling items and containers. 835.605 Section 835.605... items and containers. Except as provided at § 835.606, each item or container of radioactive material... information to permit individuals handling, using, or working in the vicinity of the items or containers to...

  20. Pancreatite aguda leve: avaliação pela ultra-sonografia. estudo prospectivo Mild acute pancreatitis: ultrasound evaluation: a prospective study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Márcio Martins Machado

    2002-07-01

    Full Text Available Resumo Neste estudo foram avaliados, por meio da ultra-sonografia, 21 pacientes com pancreatite aguda leve. Foram analisadas a presença ou ausência de hipoecogenicidade do pâncreas e a presença ou ausência de líquido peripancreático. Em 19 pacientes (90,5% foi identificada hipoecogenicidade pancreática, e em três (15,8% destes pacientes foi identificada a presença de pequena quantidade de líquido na pequena cavidade dos epíploons. Em dois pacientes (9,5% não se identificou qualquer alteração pancreática. Com relação à possível etiologia da pancreatite aguda, em 15 pacientes (71,5% pôde-se demonstrar a presença de colecistopatia calculosa, em quatro pacientes (19,0% havia história de alcoolismo crônico e não foram identificados cálculos na vesícula biliar, e em dois pacientes (9,5% não foi identificada qualquer causa aparente. Os autores concluem que a ultra-sonografia pode identificar alteração na maioria dos pacientes com pancreatite aguda leve e permite, ainda, o acompanhamento daqueles com pequenas coleções líquidas peripancreáticas.We analyzed the ultrasonographic findings of 21 patients with mild acute pancreatitis. The presence or absence of pancreatic hypoechogenicity and peripancreatic fluid collection was assessed. Pancreatic hypoechogenicity was identified in 19 patients (90.5% whereas small sac fluid collection was identified in 3 (15.8% of these patients. No abnormality was seen in 2 patients (9.5%. Regarding the etiology of acute pancreatitis, cholelithiasis was identified in 15 patients (71.5%, alcohol abuse was identified in 4 patients (19.0%, and in 2 patients (9.5% no probable etiology could be found. The authors conclude that ultrasonography may identify abnormalities in the majority of patients with mild acute pancreatitis and can be used to assess patients with peripancreatic fluid collections.

  1. Obtaining a Proportional Allocation by Deleting Items

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dorn, B.; de Haan, R.; Schlotter, I.; Röthe, J.

    2017-01-01

    We consider the following control problem on fair allocation of indivisible goods. Given a set I of items and a set of agents, each having strict linear preference over the items, we ask for a minimum subset of the items whose deletion guarantees the existence of a proportional allocation in the

  2. Item-Based Top-N Recommendation Algorithms

    Science.gov (United States)

    2003-01-20

    basket of items, utilized by many e-commerce sites, cannot take advantage of pre-computed user-to-user similarities. Finally, even though the...not discriminate between items that are present in frequent itemsets and items that are not, while still maintaining the computational advantages of...453219 0.02% 7.74 ccard 42629 68793 398619 0.01% 9.35 ecommerce 6667 17491 91222 0.08% 13.68 em 8002 1648 769311 5.83% 96.14 ml 943 1682 100000 6.31

  3. Uso de agregado leve de EVA em contrapiso argamassado para isolamento ao ruído de impacto em edificações residenciais

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bernardo Fonseca Tutikian

    Full Text Available Resumo O copolímero etileno acetato de vinila (EVA é largamente utilizado na indústria calçadista. Entretanto, a geração de resíduos no processo de fabricação é bastante significativa. Com a implementação da norma de desempenho, NBR 15575, os projetos de construções habitacionais devem atender aos níveis de desempenho exigidos. Dentre os requisitos prescritos pela norma está a isolação ao ruído de impacto entre pisos, a qual pode ser otimizada com a utilização de materiais de baixa massa específica. Nesse contexto, este artigo visa desenvolver uma argamassa leve, a partir da incorporação de EVA proveniente da indústria calçadista, a ser utilizada como contrapiso para isolamento acústico. Para tanto, fez-se um estudo por meio de ensaios de resistência à compressão e à tração, bem como nível de pressão sonora de impacto padronizado ponderado, realizado em câmara normatizada. Foram desenvolvidos cinco traços, com proporções de 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% e 100% de substituição da agregado miúdo por EVA, além do contrapiso convencional. Foram moldadas placas de 1 m2 de contrapiso leve, e uma amostra representativa do tamanho da laje com 16 m2, as quais diferiram em 2 dB para o isolamento acústico. O traço com melhor desempenho proporcionou uma redução de 9 dB em relação ao contrapiso convencional, mostrando ser eficaz para utilização como isolante acústico.

  4. EVOLUÇÃO DA EMISSÃO DE MONÓXIDO DE CARBONO ASSOCIADA À FROTA DE VEÍCULOS LEVES NA CIDADE DE SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS – SP - BRASIL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janilda Eufrásio da Silva

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available A problemática em torno do aumento da poluição na troposfera terrestre e seus impactos negativos na saúde pública e no meio ambiente têm incentivado diversas pesquisas científicas. Os veículos leves são considerados um dos principais responsáveis pelo crescimento da taxa de poluição atmosférica, e, por este fato, este trabalho apresenta uma estimativa do total de monóxido de carbono (CO, emitido por veículos leves (gasolina, etanol e flex nas últimas décadas, na cidade de São José dos Campos, SP, considerando-se a evolução da frota entre os anos de 1973 e 2013. Os valores encontrados através da metodologia adotada são comparáveis aos valores medidos recentemente por órgãos públicos. Considerando a atual tendência de crescimento da frota circulante na cidade, foi possível discutir o total de emissão de CO esperado para o ano de 2020 e apresentar algumas soluções para a redução da emissão deste poluente atmosférico.

  5. A Review of Classical Methods of Item Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    French, Christine L.

    Item analysis is a very important consideration in the test development process. It is a statistical procedure to analyze test items that combines methods used to evaluate the important characteristics of test items, such as difficulty, discrimination, and distractibility of the items in a test. This paper reviews some of the classical methods for…

  6. Electronics. Criterion-Referenced Test (CRT) Item Bank.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Diane, Ed.

    This document contains 519 criterion-referenced multiple choice and true or false test items for a course in electronics. The test item bank is designed to work with both the Vocational Instructional Management System (VIMS) and the Vocational Administrative Management System (VAMS) in Missouri. The items are grouped into 15 units covering the…

  7. 26 CFR 301.6501(o)-3 - Partnership items.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 18 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Partnership items. 301.6501(o)-3 Section 301... § 301.6501(o)-3 Partnership items. (a) Partnership item defined. For purposes of section 6501(o) (as it..., and § 301.6511(g)-1, the term “partnership item” means— (1) Any item required to be taken into account...

  8. A Balance Sheet for Educational Item Banking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiscox, Michael D.

    Educational item banking presents observers with a considerable paradox. The development of test items from scratch is viewed as wasteful, a luxury in times of declining resources. On the other hand, item banking has failed to become a mature technology despite large amounts of money and the efforts of talented professionals. The question of which…

  9. Promoting cold-start items in recommender systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jin-Hu; Zhou, Tao; Zhang, Zi-Ke; Yang, Zimo; Liu, Chuang; Li, Wei-Min

    2014-01-01

    As one of the major challenges, cold-start problem plagues nearly all recommender systems. In particular, new items will be overlooked, impeding the development of new products online. Given limited resources, how to utilize the knowledge of recommender systems and design efficient marketing strategy for new items is extremely important. In this paper, we convert this ticklish issue into a clear mathematical problem based on a bipartite network representation. Under the most widely used algorithm in real e-commerce recommender systems, the so-called item-based collaborative filtering, we show that to simply push new items to active users is not a good strategy. Interestingly, experiments on real recommender systems indicate that to connect new items with some less active users will statistically yield better performance, namely, these new items will have more chance to appear in other users' recommendation lists. Further analysis suggests that the disassortative nature of recommender systems contributes to such observation. In a word, getting in-depth understanding on recommender systems could pave the way for the owners to popularize their cold-start products with low costs.

  10. Promoting Cold-Start Items in Recommender Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jin-Hu; Zhou, Tao; Zhang, Zi-Ke; Yang, Zimo; Liu, Chuang; Li, Wei-Min

    2014-01-01

    As one of the major challenges, cold-start problem plagues nearly all recommender systems. In particular, new items will be overlooked, impeding the development of new products online. Given limited resources, how to utilize the knowledge of recommender systems and design efficient marketing strategy for new items is extremely important. In this paper, we convert this ticklish issue into a clear mathematical problem based on a bipartite network representation. Under the most widely used algorithm in real e-commerce recommender systems, the so-called item-based collaborative filtering, we show that to simply push new items to active users is not a good strategy. Interestingly, experiments on real recommender systems indicate that to connect new items with some less active users will statistically yield better performance, namely, these new items will have more chance to appear in other users' recommendation lists. Further analysis suggests that the disassortative nature of recommender systems contributes to such observation. In a word, getting in-depth understanding on recommender systems could pave the way for the owners to popularize their cold-start products with low costs. PMID:25479013

  11. Mixed-Format Test Score Equating: Effect of Item-Type Multidimensionality, Length and Composition of Common-Item Set, and Group Ability Difference

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Wei

    2013-01-01

    Mixed-format tests containing both multiple-choice (MC) items and constructed-response (CR) items are now widely used in many testing programs. Mixed-format tests often are considered to be superior to tests containing only MC items although the use of multiple item formats leads to measurement challenges in the context of equating conducted under…

  12. Negative affect impairs associative memory but not item memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bisby, James A; Burgess, Neil

    2013-12-17

    The formation of associations between items and their context has been proposed to rely on mechanisms distinct from those supporting memory for a single item. Although emotional experiences can profoundly affect memory, our understanding of how it interacts with different aspects of memory remains unclear. We performed three experiments to examine the effects of emotion on memory for items and their associations. By presenting neutral and negative items with background contexts, Experiment 1 demonstrated that item memory was facilitated by emotional affect, whereas memory for an associated context was reduced. In Experiment 2, arousal was manipulated independently of the memoranda, by a threat of shock, whereby encoding trials occurred under conditions of threat or safety. Memory for context was equally impaired by the presence of negative affect, whether induced by threat of shock or a negative item, relative to retrieval of the context of a neutral item in safety. In Experiment 3, participants were presented with neutral and negative items as paired associates, including all combinations of neutral and negative items. The results showed both above effects: compared to a neutral item, memory for the associate of a negative item (a second item here, context in Experiments 1 and 2) is impaired, whereas retrieval of the item itself is enhanced. Our findings suggest that negative affect impairs associative memory while recognition of a negative item is enhanced. They support dual-processing models in which negative affect or stress impairs hippocampal-dependent associative memory while the storage of negative sensory/perceptual representations is spared or even strengthened.

  13. Non-ignorable missingness item response theory models for choice effects in examinee-selected items.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Chen-Wei; Wang, Wen-Chung

    2017-11-01

    Examinee-selected item (ESI) design, in which examinees are required to respond to a fixed number of items in a given set, always yields incomplete data (i.e., when only the selected items are answered, data are missing for the others) that are likely non-ignorable in likelihood inference. Standard item response theory (IRT) models become infeasible when ESI data are missing not at random (MNAR). To solve this problem, the authors propose a two-dimensional IRT model that posits one unidimensional IRT model for observed data and another for nominal selection patterns. The two latent variables are assumed to follow a bivariate normal distribution. In this study, the mirt freeware package was adopted to estimate parameters. The authors conduct an experiment to demonstrate that ESI data are often non-ignorable and to determine how to apply the new model to the data collected. Two follow-up simulation studies are conducted to assess the parameter recovery of the new model and the consequences for parameter estimation of ignoring MNAR data. The results of the two simulation studies indicate good parameter recovery of the new model and poor parameter recovery when non-ignorable missing data were mistakenly treated as ignorable. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

  14. A Case Study on an Item Writing Process: Use of Test Specifications, Nature of Group Dynamics, and Individual Item Writers' Characteristics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jiyoung; Chi, Youngshin; Huensch, Amanda; Jun, Heesung; Li, Hongli; Roullion, Vanessa

    2010-01-01

    This article discusses a case study on an item writing process that reflects on our practical experience in an item development project. The purpose of the article is to share our lessons from the experience aiming to demystify item writing process. The study investigated three issues that naturally emerged during the project: how item writers use…

  15. Automated Item Generation with Recurrent Neural Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    von Davier, Matthias

    2018-03-12

    Utilizing technology for automated item generation is not a new idea. However, test items used in commercial testing programs or in research are still predominantly written by humans, in most cases by content experts or professional item writers. Human experts are a limited resource and testing agencies incur high costs in the process of continuous renewal of item banks to sustain testing programs. Using algorithms instead holds the promise of providing unlimited resources for this crucial part of assessment development. The approach presented here deviates in several ways from previous attempts to solve this problem. In the past, automatic item generation relied either on generating clones of narrowly defined item types such as those found in language free intelligence tests (e.g., Raven's progressive matrices) or on an extensive analysis of task components and derivation of schemata to produce items with pre-specified variability that are hoped to have predictable levels of difficulty. It is somewhat unlikely that researchers utilizing these previous approaches would look at the proposed approach with favor; however, recent applications of machine learning show success in solving tasks that seemed impossible for machines not too long ago. The proposed approach uses deep learning to implement probabilistic language models, not unlike what Google brain and Amazon Alexa use for language processing and generation.

  16. Rice husk derived waste materials as partial cement replacement in lightweight concrete Utilização de resíduos derivados da casca de arroz como substitutos parciais do cimento no concreto leve

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Celso Yoji Kawabata

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available In this study rice husk ash (RHA and broiler bed ash from rice husk (BBA, two agricultural waste materials, have been assessed for use as partial cement replacement materials for application in lightweight concrete. Physical and chemical characteristics of RHA and BBA were first analyzed. Three similar types of lightweight concrete were produced, a control type in which the binder was just CEMI cement (CTL and two other types with 10% cement replacement with, respectively, RHA and BBA. All types of similar lightweight concrete were prepared to present the same workability by adjusting the amount of superplasticizer. Properties of concrete investigated were compressive and flexural strength at different ages, absorption by capillarity, resistivity and resistance to chloride ion penetration (CTH method and accelerated carbonation. Test results obtained for 10% cement replacement level in lightweight concrete indicate that although the addition of BBA conducted to lower performance in terms of the degradation indicative tests, RHA led to the enhancement of mechanical properties, especially early strength and also fast ageing related results, further contributing to sustainable construction with energy saver lightweight concrete.Neste trabalho, cinzas de casca de arroz (RHA e cinzas de cama de frango (BBA, dois resíduos agrícolas, foram avaliadas para uso como substitutos parciais do cimento para produção de concreto leve. Características físicas e químicas de RHA e BBA foram analisadas. Três tipos semelhantes de concreto leve foram produzidos, um controle em que o ligante era totalmente cimento CEM I (CTL e dois outros tipos de concreto, com substituição de 10% com RHA e BBA, respectivamente. Todos os tipos de concreto leve foram feitos através do ajuste da quantidade de superplastificante para apresentarem a mesma trabalhabilidade. Propriedades de concreto investigados foram resistência à compressão e à flexão em diferentes idades

  17. Science Library of Test Items. Volume Twenty-Two. A Collection of Multiple Choice Test Items Relating Mainly to Skills.

    Science.gov (United States)

    New South Wales Dept. of Education, Sydney (Australia).

    As one in a series of test item collections developed by the Assessment and Evaluation Unit of the Directorate of Studies, items are made available to teachers for the construction of unit tests or term examinations or as a basis for class discussion. Each collection was reviewed for content validity and reliability. The test items meet syllabus…

  18. Science Library of Test Items. Volume Twenty. A Collection of Multiple Choice Test Items Relating Mainly to Physics, 1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    New South Wales Dept. of Education, Sydney (Australia).

    As one in a series of test item collections developed by the Assessment and Evaluation Unit of the Directorate of Studies, items are made available to teachers for the construction of unit tests or term examinations or as a basis for class discussion. Each collection was reviewed for content validity and reliability. The test items meet syllabus…

  19. Does remembering emotional items impair recall of same-emotion items?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sison, Jo Ann G; Mather, Mara

    2007-04-01

    In the part-set cuing effect, cuing a subset of previously studied items impairs recall of the remaining noncued items. This experiment reveals that cuing participants with previously-studied emotional pictures (e.g., fear-evoking pictures of people) can impair recall of pictures involving the same emotion but different content (e.g., fear-evoking pictures of animals). This indicates that new events can be organized in memory using emotion as a grouping function to create associations. However, whether new information is organized in memory along emotional or nonemotional lines appears to be a flexible process that depends on people's current focus. Mentioning in the instructions that the pictures were either amusement- or fear-related led to memory impairment for pictures with the same emotion as cued pictures, whereas mentioning that the pictures depicted either animals or people led to memory impairment for pictures with the same type of actor.

  20. Modeling Item-Level and Step-Level Invariance Effects in Polytomous Items Using the Partial Credit Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gattamorta, Karina A.; Penfield, Randall D.; Myers, Nicholas D.

    2012-01-01

    Measurement invariance is a common consideration in the evaluation of the validity and fairness of test scores when the tested population contains distinct groups of examinees, such as examinees receiving different forms of a translated test. Measurement invariance in polytomous items has traditionally been evaluated at the item-level,…

  1. Item Information in the Rasch Model

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Engelen, Ron J.H.; van der Linden, Willem J.; Oosterloo, Sebe J.

    1988-01-01

    Fisher's information measure for the item difficulty parameter in the Rasch model and its marginal and conditional formulations are investigated. It is shown that expected item information in the unconditional model equals information in the marginal model, provided the assumption of sampling

  2. Work ability as prognostic risk marker of disability pension : Single-item work ability score versus multi-item work ability index

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roelen, C.A.M.; Rhenen, van W.; Groothoff, J.W.; Klink, van der J.J.L.; Twisk, W.R.; Heymans, M.W.

    2014-01-01

    Work ability predicts future disability pension (DP). A single-item work ability score (WAS) is emerging as a measure for work ability. This study compared single-item WAS with the multi-item work ability index (WAI) in its ability to identify workers at risk of DP.

  3. CERN Running Club – Sale of Items

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN Running club

    2018-01-01

    The CERN Running Club is organising a sale of items  on 26 June from 11:30 – 13:00 in the entry area of Restaurant 2 (504 R-202). The items for sale are souvenir prizes of past Relay Races and comprise: Backpacks, thermos, towels, gloves & caps, lamps, long sleeve winter shirts and windproof vest. All items will be sold at 5 CHF.

  4. Work ability as prognostic risk marker of disability pension: single-item work ability score versus multi-item work ability index

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roelen, C.A.M.; van Rhenen, W.; Groothoff, J.W.; van der Klink, J.J.L.; Twisk, J.W.R.; Heymans, M.W.

    2014-01-01

    Objectives Work ability predicts future disability pension (DP). A single-item work ability score (WAS) is emerging as a measure for work ability. This study compared single-item WAS with the multi-item work ability index (WAI) in its ability to identify workers at risk of DP. Methods This

  5. Work ability as prognostic risk marker of disability pension : single-item work ability score versus multi-item work ability index

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roelen, Corne A. M.; van Rhenen, Willem; Groothoff, Johan W.; van der Klink, Jac J. L.; Twisk, Jos W. R.; Heymans, Martijn W.

    Objectives Work ability predicts future disability pension (DP). A single-item work ability score (WAS) is emerging as a measure for work ability. This study compared single-item WAS with the multi-item work ability index (WAI) in its ability to identify workers at risk of DP. Methods This

  6. Binomial test models and item difficulty

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Linden, Willem J.

    1979-01-01

    In choosing a binomial test model, it is important to know exactly what conditions are imposed on item difficulty. In this paper these conditions are examined for both a deterministic and a stochastic conception of item responses. It appears that they are more restrictive than is generally

  7. Vegetable parenting practices scale: Item response modeling analyses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Our objective was to evaluate the psychometric properties of a vegetable parenting practices scale using multidimensional polytomous item response modeling which enables assessing item fit to latent variables and the distributional characteristics of the items in comparison to the respondents. We al...

  8. Efficient Algorithms for Segmentation of Item-Set Time Series

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chundi, Parvathi; Rosenkrantz, Daniel J.

    We propose a special type of time series, which we call an item-set time series, to facilitate the temporal analysis of software version histories, email logs, stock market data, etc. In an item-set time series, each observed data value is a set of discrete items. We formalize the concept of an item-set time series and present efficient algorithms for segmenting a given item-set time series. Segmentation of a time series partitions the time series into a sequence of segments where each segment is constructed by combining consecutive time points of the time series. Each segment is associated with an item set that is computed from the item sets of the time points in that segment, using a function which we call a measure function. We then define a concept called the segment difference, which measures the difference between the item set of a segment and the item sets of the time points in that segment. The segment difference values are required to construct an optimal segmentation of the time series. We describe novel and efficient algorithms to compute segment difference values for each of the measure functions described in the paper. We outline a dynamic programming based scheme to construct an optimal segmentation of the given item-set time series. We use the item-set time series segmentation techniques to analyze the temporal content of three different data sets—Enron email, stock market data, and a synthetic data set. The experimental results show that an optimal segmentation of item-set time series data captures much more temporal content than a segmentation constructed based on the number of time points in each segment, without examining the item set data at the time points, and can be used to analyze different types of temporal data.

  9. Overview of Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory for Quantitative Assessment of Items in Developing Patient-Reported Outcome Measures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cappelleri, Joseph C.; Lundy, J. Jason; Hays, Ron D.

    2014-01-01

    Introduction The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s patient-reported outcome (PRO) guidance document defines content validity as “the extent to which the instrument measures the concept of interest” (FDA, 2009, p. 12). “Construct validity is now generally viewed as a unifying form of validity for psychological measurements, subsuming both content and criterion validity” (Strauss & Smith, 2009, p. 7). Hence both qualitative and quantitative information are essential in evaluating the validity of measures. Methods We review classical test theory and item response theory approaches to evaluating PRO measures including frequency of responses to each category of the items in a multi-item scale, the distribution of scale scores, floor and ceiling effects, the relationship between item response options and the total score, and the extent to which hypothesized “difficulty” (severity) order of items is represented by observed responses. Conclusion Classical test theory and item response theory can be useful in providing a quantitative assessment of items and scales during the content validity phase of patient-reported outcome measures. Depending on the particular type of measure and the specific circumstances, either one or both approaches should be considered to help maximize the content validity of PRO measures. PMID:24811753

  10. Sources of interference in item and associative recognition memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osth, Adam F; Dennis, Simon

    2015-04-01

    A powerful theoretical framework for exploring recognition memory is the global matching framework, in which a cue's memory strength reflects the similarity of the retrieval cues being matched against the contents of memory simultaneously. Contributions at retrieval can be categorized as matches and mismatches to the item and context cues, including the self match (match on item and context), item noise (match on context, mismatch on item), context noise (match on item, mismatch on context), and background noise (mismatch on item and context). We present a model that directly parameterizes the matches and mismatches to the item and context cues, which enables estimation of the magnitude of each interference contribution (item noise, context noise, and background noise). The model was fit within a hierarchical Bayesian framework to 10 recognition memory datasets that use manipulations of strength, list length, list strength, word frequency, study-test delay, and stimulus class in item and associative recognition. Estimates of the model parameters revealed at most a small contribution of item noise that varies by stimulus class, with virtually no item noise for single words and scenes. Despite the unpopularity of background noise in recognition memory models, background noise estimates dominated at retrieval across nearly all stimulus classes with the exception of high frequency words, which exhibited equivalent levels of context noise and background noise. These parameter estimates suggest that the majority of interference in recognition memory stems from experiences acquired before the learning episode. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  11. Effect of a levee setback on aquatic resources using two-dimensional flow and bioenergetics models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Black, Robert W.; Czuba, Christiana R.; Magirl, Christopher S.; McCarthy, Sarah; Berge, Hans; Comanor, Kyle

    2016-04-05

    Watershed restoration is the focus of many resource managers and can include a multitude of restoration actions each with specific restoration objectives. For the White River flowing through the cities of Pacific and Sumner, Washington, a levee setback has been proposed to reconnect the river with its historical floodplain to help reduce flood risks, as well as provide increased habitat for federally listed species of salmonids. The study presented here documents the use of a modeling framework that integrates two-dimensional hydraulic modeling with process-based bioenergetics modeling for predicting how changes in flow from reconnecting the river with its floodplain affects invertebrate drift density and the net rate of energy intake of juvenile salmonids. Modeling results were calculated for flows of 25.9 and 49.3 cubic meters per second during the spring, summer, and fall. Predicted hypothetical future mean velocities and depths were significantly lower and more variable when compared to current conditions. The abundance of low energetic cost and positive growth locations for salmonids were predicted to increase significantly in the study reach following floodplain reconnection, particularly during the summer. This modeling framework presents a viable approach for evaluating the potential fisheries benefits of reconnecting a river to its historical floodplain that integrates our understanding of hydraulic, geomorphology, and organismal biology.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lei, Pui-Wa; Wu, Qiong

    2007-08-01

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

  13. Negative effects of item repetition on source memory

    OpenAIRE

    Kim, Kyungmi; Yi, Do-Joon; Raye, Carol L.; Johnson, Marcia K.

    2012-01-01

    In the present study, we explored how item repetition affects source memory for new item–feature associations (picture–location or picture–color). We presented line drawings varying numbers of times in Phase 1. In Phase 2, each drawing was presented once with a critical new feature. In Phase 3, we tested memory for the new source feature of each item from Phase 2. Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrated and replicated the negative effects of item repetition on incidental source memory. Prior item re...

  14. Three controversies over item disclosure in medical licensure examinations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoon Soo Park

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available In response to views on public's right to know, there is growing attention to item disclosure – release of items, answer keys, and performance data to the public – in medical licensure examinations and their potential impact on the test's ability to measure competence and select qualified candidates. Recent debates on this issue have sparked legislative action internationally, including South Korea, with prior discussions among North American countries dating over three decades. The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze three issues associated with item disclosure in medical licensure examinations – 1 fairness and validity, 2 impact on passing levels, and 3 utility of item disclosure – by synthesizing existing literature in relation to standards in testing. Historically, the controversy over item disclosure has centered on fairness and validity. Proponents of item disclosure stress test takers’ right to know, while opponents argue from a validity perspective. Item disclosure may bias item characteristics, such as difficulty and discrimination, and has consequences on setting passing levels. To date, there has been limited research on the utility of item disclosure for large scale testing. These issues requires ongoing and careful consideration.

  15. Method of data mining including determining multidimensional coordinates of each item using a predetermined scalar similarity value for each item pair

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyers, Charles E.; Davidson, George S.; Johnson, David K.; Hendrickson, Bruce A.; Wylie, Brian N.

    1999-01-01

    A method of data mining represents related items in a multidimensional space. Distance between items in the multidimensional space corresponds to the extent of relationship between the items. The user can select portions of the space to perceive. The user also can interact with and control the communication of the space, focusing attention on aspects of the space of most interest. The multidimensional spatial representation allows more ready comprehension of the structure of the relationships among the items.

  16. Guide to good practices for the development of test items

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-01-01

    While the methodology used in developing test items can vary significantly, to ensure quality examinations, test items should be developed systematically. Test design and development is discussed in the DOE Guide to Good Practices for Design, Development, and Implementation of Examinations. This guide is intended to be a supplement by providing more detailed guidance on the development of specific test items. This guide addresses the development of written examination test items primarily. However, many of the concepts also apply to oral examinations, both in the classroom and on the job. This guide is intended to be used as guidance for the classroom and laboratory instructor or curriculum developer responsible for the construction of individual test items. This document focuses on written test items, but includes information relative to open-reference (open book) examination test items, as well. These test items have been categorized as short-answer, multiple-choice, or essay. Each test item format is described, examples are provided, and a procedure for development is included. The appendices provide examples for writing test items, a test item development form, and examples of various test item formats.

  17. Cultural Resources Survey of Three Mississippi River Levee and Revetment Items, Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1982-03-01

    11L Spemnerlas Onia~ation Namm and Address ’aL Type ... Reor a eled Cafeed Department of the Army New Orleans District, Corps of Engineers final...the colony would provide much needed gold and silver. When this failed to occur, the king franchised the colony in 1717 to a company directed by

  18. 38 CFR 3.1606 - Transportation items.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Transportation items. 3... Burial Benefits § 3.1606 Transportation items. The transportation costs of those persons who come within... shipment. (6) Cost of transportation by common carrier including amounts paid as Federal taxes. (7) Cost of...

  19. 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 ...

  20. The basics of item response theory using R

    CERN Document Server

    Baker, Frank B

    2017-01-01

    This graduate-level textbook is a tutorial for item response theory that covers both the basics of item response theory and the use of R for preparing graphical presentation in writings about the theory. Item response theory has become one of the most powerful tools used in test construction, yet one of the barriers to learning and applying it is the considerable amount of sophisticated computational effort required to illustrate even the simplest concepts. This text provides the reader access to the basic concepts of item response theory freed of the tedious underlying calculations. It is intended for those who possess limited knowledge of educational measurement and psychometrics. Rather than presenting the full scope of item response theory, this textbook is concise and practical and presents basic concepts without becoming enmeshed in underlying mathematical and computational complexities. Clearly written text and succinct R code allow anyone familiar with statistical concepts to explore and apply item re...

  1. Science Library of Test Items. Volume Twenty-One. A Collection of Multiple Choice Test Items Relating Mainly to Physics, 2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    New South Wales Dept. of Education, Sydney (Australia).

    As one in a series of test item collections developed by the Assessment and Evaluation Unit of the Directorate of Studies, items are made available to teachers for the construction of unit tests or term examinations or as a basis for class discussion. Each collection was reviewed for content validity and reliability. The test items meet syllabus…

  2. Few items in the thyroid-related quality of life instrument ThyPRO exhibited differential item functioning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Watt, Torquil; Grønvold, Mogens; Hegedüs, Laszlo

    2014-01-01

    To evaluate the extent of differential item functioning (DIF) within the thyroid-specific quality of life patient-reported outcome measure, ThyPRO, according to sex, age, education and thyroid diagnosis.......To evaluate the extent of differential item functioning (DIF) within the thyroid-specific quality of life patient-reported outcome measure, ThyPRO, according to sex, age, education and thyroid diagnosis....

  3. Effect of Differential Item Functioning on Test Equating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kabasakal, Kübra Atalay; Kelecioglu, Hülya

    2015-01-01

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

  4. Item bias detection in the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale using structural equation modeling: comparison with other item bias detection methods

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verdam, M.G.E.; Oort, F.J.; Sprangers, M.A.G.

    Purpose Comparison of patient-reported outcomes may be invalidated by the occurrence of item bias, also known as differential item functioning. We show two ways of using structural equation modeling (SEM) to detect item bias: (1) multigroup SEM, which enables the detection of both uniform and

  5. Calibration of Automatically Generated Items Using Bayesian Hierarchical Modeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Matthew S.; Sinharay, Sandip

    For complex educational assessments, there is an increasing use of "item families," which are groups of related items. However, calibration or scoring for such an assessment requires fitting models that take into account the dependence structure inherent among the items that belong to the same item family. C. Glas and W. van der Linden…

  6. ACER Chemistry Test Item Collection. ACER Chemtic Year 12.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Australian Council for Educational Research, Hawthorn.

    The chemistry test item banks contains 225 multiple-choice questions suitable for diagnostic and achievement testing; a three-page teacher's guide; answer key with item facilities; an answer sheet; and a 45-item sample achievement test. Although written for the new grade 12 chemistry course in Victoria, Australia, the items are widely applicable.…

  7. Counterfeit and Fraudulent Items - Mitigating the risk

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tannenbaum, Marc

    2011-01-01

    This presentation (slides) provides an overview of the industry's challenges and activities. Firstly, it outlines the differences between counterfeit, fraudulent, suspect, and also substandard items. Notice is given that items could be found not to meet the standard, but the difference in the intent to deceive with counterfeit and fraudulent items is the critical element. Examples from other industries are used which also rely heavily on the assurance of quality for safety. It also informs that EPRI has just completed a report in October 2009 in coordination with other US government agencies and industry organizations; this report, entitled Counterfeit, Substandard and Fraudulent Items, number 1019163, is available for free on the EPRI web site. As a follow-up to this report, EPRI is developing a CFSI Database; any country interested in a collaborative agreement is invited to use and contribute to the database information. Finally, it stresses the importance of the oversight of contractors, training to raise the awareness of the employees and the inspectors, and having a response plan for identified items

  8. Dune Mining and the Nhlabane Estuary, South Africa: the Effect of a Dredger Crossing on the Zoobenthic Community

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vivier, L.; Cyrus, D.P.

    1999-01-01

    The Nhlabane Estuary, located on the north-east coast of South Africa, is situated in a titanium dune mining lease area. During 1993, a mining dredger and concentrator crossed the middle reaches of the estuary. For this purpose, two berm walls were constructed across the estuary. Two impacts stemmed from the crossing. A series of fine sediment intrusions into the estuary from the berm wall area occurred during late 1993 and early 1994 and caused a rapid decline in benthic densities and number of taxa. Recovery of the affected area was slow and characterized by initial proliferation of opportunistic colonizers. The berm walls, which divided the estuary in half, were kept in place for nearly three years and caused changes in water quality and the benthic community of the upper and lower halves of the estuary. Artificial breaching of the estuary in August 1995 and removal of the berm walls in May 1996 initiated recovery of the estuary. The success of a second dredger crossing, scheduled for January 1999, depends on addressing the mistakes made during the first crossing and on the speed with which the carefully planned crossing operation, berm wall removal and estuary rehabilitation proceed

  9. Utilizing Response Time Distributions for Item Selection in CAT

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Zhewen; Wang, Chun; Chang, Hua-Hua; Douglas, Jeffrey

    2012-01-01

    Traditional methods for item selection in computerized adaptive testing only focus on item information without taking into consideration the time required to answer an item. As a result, some examinees may receive a set of items that take a very long time to finish, and information is not accrued as efficiently as possible. The authors propose two…

  10. Item analysis and evaluation in the examinations in the faculty of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2014-11-05

    Nov 5, 2014 ... Key words: Classical test theory, item analysis, item difficulty, item discrimination, item response theory, reliability ... the probability of answering an item correctly or of attaining ..... A Monte Carlo comparison of item and person.

  11. Are great apes able to reason from multi-item samples to populations of food items?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eckert, Johanna; Rakoczy, Hannes; Call, Josep

    2017-10-01

    Inductive learning from limited observations is a cognitive capacity of fundamental importance. In humans, it is underwritten by our intuitive statistics, the ability to draw systematic inferences from populations to randomly drawn samples and vice versa. According to recent research in cognitive development, human intuitive statistics develops early in infancy. Recent work in comparative psychology has produced first evidence for analogous cognitive capacities in great apes who flexibly drew inferences from populations to samples. In the present study, we investigated whether great apes (Pongo abelii, Pan troglodytes, Pan paniscus, Gorilla gorilla) also draw inductive inferences in the opposite direction, from samples to populations. In two experiments, apes saw an experimenter randomly drawing one multi-item sample from each of two populations of food items. The populations differed in their proportion of preferred to neutral items (24:6 vs. 6:24) but apes saw only the distribution of food items in the samples that reflected the distribution of the respective populations (e.g., 4:1 vs. 1:4). Based on this observation they were then allowed to choose between the two populations. Results show that apes seemed to make inferences from samples to populations and thus chose the population from which the more favorable (4:1) sample was drawn in Experiment 1. In this experiment, the more attractive sample not only contained proportionally but also absolutely more preferred food items than the less attractive sample. Experiment 2, however, revealed that when absolute and relative frequencies were disentangled, apes performed at chance level. Whether these limitations in apes' performance reflect true limits of cognitive competence or merely performance limitations due to accessory task demands is still an open question. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. An NCME Instructional Module on Polytomous Item Response Theory Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Penfield, Randall David

    2014-01-01

    A polytomous item is one for which the responses are scored according to three or more categories. Given the increasing use of polytomous items in assessment practices, item response theory (IRT) models specialized for polytomous items are becoming increasingly common. The purpose of this ITEMS module is to provide an accessible overview of…

  13. Quality and Dose Optimized CT Trauma Protocol - Recommendation from a University Level-I Trauma Center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kahn, Johannes; Kaul, David; Böning, Georg; Rotzinger, Roman; Freyhardt, Patrick; Schwabe, Philipp; Maurer, Martin H; Renz, Diane Miriam; Streitparth, Florian

    2017-09-01

    Purpose  As a supra-regional level-I trauma center, we evaluated computed tomography (CT) acquisitions of polytraumatized patients for quality and dose optimization purposes. Adapted statistical iterative reconstruction [(AS)IR] levels, tube voltage reduction as well as a split-bolus contrast agent (CA) protocol were applied. Materials and Methods  61 patients were split into 3 different groups that differed with respect to tube voltage (120 - 140 kVp) and level of applied ASIR reconstruction (ASIR 20 - 50 %). The CT protocol included a native acquisition of the head followed by a single contrast-enhanced acquisition of the whole body (64-MSCT). CA (350 mg/ml iodine) was administered as a split bolus injection of 100 ml (2 ml/s), 20 ml NaCl (1 ml/s), 60 ml (4 ml/s), 40 ml NaCl (4 ml/s) with a scan delay of 85 s to detect injuries of both the arterial system and parenchymal organs in a single acquisition. Both the quantitative (SNR/CNR) and qualitative (5-point Likert scale) image quality was evaluated in parenchymal organs that are often injured in trauma patients. Radiation exposure was assessed. Results  The use of IR combined with a reduction of tube voltage resulted in good qualitative and quantitative image quality and a significant reduction in radiation exposure of more than 40 % (DLP 1087 vs. 647 mGyxcm). Image quality could be improved due to a dedicated protocol that included different levels of IR adapted to different slice thicknesses, kernels and the examined area for the evaluation of head, lung, body and bone injury patterns. In synopsis of our results, we recommend the implementation of a polytrauma protocol with a tube voltage of 120 kVp and the following IR levels: cCT 5mm: ASIR 20; cCT 0.625 mm: ASIR 40; lung 2.5 mm: ASIR 30, body 5 mm: ASIR 40; body 1.25 mm: ASIR 50; body 0.625 mm: ASIR 0. Conclusion  A dedicated adaptation of the CT trauma protocol (level of reduction of tube voltage and of IR

  14. 41 CFR 101-27.204 - Types of shelf-life items.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Types of shelf-life items...-Management of Shelf-Life Materials § 101-27.204 Types of shelf-life items. Shelf-life items are classified as nonextendable (Type I) and extendable (Type II). Type I items have a definite storage life after which the item...

  15. Constructing the 32-item Fitness-to-Drive Screening Measure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medhizadah, Shabnam; Classen, Sherrilene; Johnson, Andrew M

    2018-04-01

    The Fitness-to-Drive Screening Measure © (FTDS) enables proxies to identify at-risk older drivers via 54 driving-related items, but may be too lengthy for widespread uptake. We reduced the number of items in the FTDS and validated the shorter measure, using 200 caregiver responses. Exploratory factor analysis and classical test theory techniques were used to determine the most interpretable factor model and the minimum number of items to be used for predicting fitness to drive. The extent to which the shorter FTDS predicted the results of the 54-item FTDS was evaluated through correlational analysis. A three-factor model best represented the empirical data. Classical test theory techniques lead to the development of the 32-item FTDS. The 32-item FTDS was highly correlated ( r = .99, p = .05) with the FTDS. The 32-item FTDS may provide raters with a faster and more efficient way to identify at-risk older drivers.

  16. Tailored Cloze: Improved with Classical Item Analysis Techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, James Dean

    1988-01-01

    The reliability and validity of a cloze procedure used as an English-as-a-second-language (ESL) test in China were improved by applying traditional item analysis and selection techniques. The 'best' test items were chosen on the basis of item facility and discrimination indices, and were administered as a 'tailored cloze.' 29 references listed.…

  17. Analysis test of understanding of vectors with the three-parameter logistic model of item response theory and item response curves technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suttida Rakkapao

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available This study investigated the multiple-choice test of understanding of vectors (TUV, by applying item response theory (IRT. The difficulty, discriminatory, and guessing parameters of the TUV items were fit with the three-parameter logistic model of IRT, using the parscale program. The TUV ability is an ability parameter, here estimated assuming unidimensionality and local independence. Moreover, all distractors of the TUV were analyzed from item response curves (IRC that represent simplified IRT. Data were gathered on 2392 science and engineering freshmen, from three universities in Thailand. The results revealed IRT analysis to be useful in assessing the test since its item parameters are independent of the ability parameters. The IRT framework reveals item-level information, and indicates appropriate ability ranges for the test. Moreover, the IRC analysis can be used to assess the effectiveness of the test’s distractors. Both IRT and IRC approaches reveal test characteristics beyond those revealed by the classical analysis methods of tests. Test developers can apply these methods to diagnose and evaluate the features of items at various ability levels of test takers.

  18. Analysis test of understanding of vectors with the three-parameter logistic model of item response theory and item response curves technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rakkapao, Suttida; Prasitpong, Singha; Arayathanitkul, Kwan

    2016-12-01

    This study investigated the multiple-choice test of understanding of vectors (TUV), by applying item response theory (IRT). The difficulty, discriminatory, and guessing parameters of the TUV items were fit with the three-parameter logistic model of IRT, using the parscale program. The TUV ability is an ability parameter, here estimated assuming unidimensionality and local independence. Moreover, all distractors of the TUV were analyzed from item response curves (IRC) that represent simplified IRT. Data were gathered on 2392 science and engineering freshmen, from three universities in Thailand. The results revealed IRT analysis to be useful in assessing the test since its item parameters are independent of the ability parameters. The IRT framework reveals item-level information, and indicates appropriate ability ranges for the test. Moreover, the IRC analysis can be used to assess the effectiveness of the test's distractors. Both IRT and IRC approaches reveal test characteristics beyond those revealed by the classical analysis methods of tests. Test developers can apply these methods to diagnose and evaluate the features of items at various ability levels of test takers.

  19. Solução concentrada de albumina eqüina na fluidoterapia em eqüinos com desidratação leve a moderada

    OpenAIRE

    Belli,C.B.; Michima,L.E.S.; Latorre,S.M.; Fernandes,W.R.

    2008-01-01

    Avaliou-se o efeito da solução concentrada de albumina eqüina diluída a 5% em solução fisiológica (SF) durante fluidoterapia em eqüinos, após indução de desidratação leve a moderada, utilizando-se cinco eqüinos adultos, sem alterações clínicas. Cada animal passou por dois protocolos de fluidoterapia: apenas com SF (metade sob pressão e metade em fluxo contínuo - grupo-controle); com solução de albumina eqüina e SF (apenas em fluxo contínuo - grupo experimental). Avaliaram-se peso, exame físic...

  20. 41 CFR 101-26.605 - Items other than petroleum products and electronic items available from the Defense Logistics...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... petroleum products and electronic items available from the Defense Logistics Agency. 101-26.605 Section 101... available from the Defense Logistics Agency. Agencies required to use GSA supply sources should also use... Logistics Agency, the catalog will contain only those items in Federal supply classification classes which...

  1. Extending item response theory to online homework

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerd Kortemeyer

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Item response theory (IRT becomes an increasingly important tool when analyzing “big data” gathered from online educational venues. However, the mechanism was originally developed in traditional exam settings, and several of its assumptions are infringed upon when deployed in the online realm. For a large-enrollment physics course for scientists and engineers, the study compares outcomes from IRT analyses of exam and homework data, and then proceeds to investigate the effects of each confounding factor introduced in the online realm. It is found that IRT yields the correct trends for learner ability and meaningful item parameters, yet overall agreement with exam data is moderate. It is also found that learner ability and item discrimination is robust over a wide range with respect to model assumptions and introduced noise. Item difficulty is also robust, but over a narrower range.

  2. Editorial Changes and Item Performance: Implications for Calibration and Pretesting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heather Stoffel

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Previous research on the impact of text and formatting changes on test-item performance has produced mixed results. This matter is important because it is generally acknowledged that any change to an item requires that it be recalibrated. The present study investigated the effects of seven classes of stylistic changes on item difficulty, discrimination, and response time for a subset of 65 items that make up a standardized test for physician licensure completed by 31,918 examinees in 2012. One of two versions of each item (original or revised was randomly assigned to examinees such that each examinee saw only two experimental items, with each item being administered to approximately 480 examinees. The stylistic changes had little or no effect on item difficulty or discrimination; however, one class of edits -' changing an item from an open lead-in (incomplete statement to a closed lead-in (direct question -' did result in slightly longer response times. Data for nonnative speakers of English were analyzed separately with nearly identical results. These findings have implications for the conventional practice of repretesting (or recalibrating items that have been subjected to minor editorial changes.

  3. Propuesta de intervención para fomentar la inteligencia emocional en una alumna con un trastorno del desarrollo intelectual leve de 5º de Primaria: un estudio de caso

    OpenAIRE

    Palomino-Cardona, Concepción

    2015-01-01

    La Inteligencia Emocional favorece las relaciones interpersonales y el autoconocimiento. Esto se ve afectado cuando un alumno presenta algún tipo de trastorno psicológico. Por ello el objetivo general es realizar una aproximación teórico-práctica del desarrollo de la Inteligencia Emocional en una alumna con un Trastorno del Desarrollo Intelectual leve. Para la consecución de este objetivo se ha analizado el marco legal vigente y, seguidamente, se ha elaborado un marco teórico que abarca el...

  4. Item response theory analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Health-Related Quality of Life (CDC HRQOL) items in adults with arthritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mielenz, Thelma J; Callahan, Leigh F; Edwards, Michael C

    2016-03-12

    Examine the feasibility of performing an item response theory (IRT) analysis on two of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention health-related quality of life (CDC HRQOL) modules - the 4-item Healthy Days Core Module (HDCM) and the 5-item Healthy days Symptoms Module (HDSM). Previous principal components analyses confirm that the two scales both assess a mix of mental (CDC-MH) and physical health (CDC-PH). The purpose is to conduct item response theory (IRT) analysis on the CDC-MH and CDC-PH scales separately. 2182 patients with self-reported or physician-diagnosed arthritis completed a cross-sectional survey including HDCM and HDSM items. Besides global health, the other 8 items ask the number of days that some statement was true; we chose to recode the data into 8 categories based on observed clustering. The IRT assumptions were assessed using confirmatory factor analysis and the data could be modeled using an unidimensional IRT model. The graded response model was used for IRT analyses and CDC-MH and CDC-PH scales were analyzed separately in flexMIRT. The IRT parameter estimates for the five-item CDC-PH all appeared reasonable. The three-item CDC-MH did not have reasonable parameter estimates. The CDC-PH scale is amenable to IRT analysis but the existing The CDC-MH scale is not. We suggest either using the 4-item Healthy Days Core Module (HDCM) and the 5-item Healthy days Symptoms Module (HDSM) as they currently stand or the CDC-PH scale alone if the primary goal is to measure physical health related HRQOL.

  5. On multidimensional item response theory -- a coordinate free approach

    OpenAIRE

    Antal, Tamás

    2007-01-01

    A coordinate system free definition of complex structure multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) for dichotomously scored items is presented. The point of view taken emphasizes the possibilities and subtleties of understanding MIRT as a multidimensional extension of the ``classical'' unidimensional item response theory models. The main theorem of the paper is that every monotonic MIRT model looks the same; they are all trivial extensions of univariate item response theory.

  6. Verification of Differential Item Functioning (DIF) Status of West ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study investigated test item bias and Differential Item Functioning (DIF) of West African ... items in chemistry function differentially with respect to gender and location. In Aba education zone of Abia, 50 secondary schools were purposively ...

  7. 40 CFR 440.148 - Best Management Practices (BMP).

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... incursion into the plant site. (b) Berm construction: Berms, including any pond walls, dikes, low dams and... that pollutant materials removed from the process water and wastewater streams will be retained in... continue their effectiveness and to protect from unexpected and catastrophic failure. ...

  8. Mixture Item Response Theory-MIMIC Model: Simultaneous Estimation of Differential Item Functioning for Manifest Groups and Latent Classes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bilir, Mustafa Kuzey

    2009-01-01

    This study uses a new psychometric model (mixture item response theory-MIMIC model) that simultaneously estimates differential item functioning (DIF) across manifest groups and latent classes. Current DIF detection methods investigate DIF from only one side, either across manifest groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, etc.), or across latent classes…

  9. Understanding and quantifying cognitive complexity level in mathematical problem solving items

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SUSAN E. EMBRETSON

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available The linear logistic test model (LLTM; Fischer, 1973 has been applied to a wide variety of new tests. When the LLTM application involves item complexity variables that are both theoretically interesting and empirically supported, several advantages can result. These advantages include elaborating construct validity at the item level, defining variables for test design, predicting parameters of new items, item banking by sources of complexity and providing a basis for item design and item generation. However, despite the many advantages of applying LLTM to test items, it has been applied less often to understand the sources of complexity for large-scale operational test items. Instead, previously calibrated item parameters are modeled using regression techniques because raw item response data often cannot be made available. In the current study, both LLTM and regression modeling are applied to mathematical problem solving items from a widely used test. The findings from the two methods are compared and contrasted for their implications for continued development of ability and achievement tests based on mathematical problem solving items.

  10. Improved Approximation Algorithms for Item Pricing with Bounded Degree and Valuation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamane, Ryoso; Itoh, Toshiya

    When a store sells items to customers, the store wishes to decide the prices of the items to maximize its profit. If the store sells the items with low (resp. high) prices, the customers buy more (resp. less) items, which provides less profit to the store. It would be hard for the store to decide the prices of items. Assume that a store has a set V of n items and there is a set C of m customers who wish to buy those items. The goal of the store is to decide the price of each item to maximize its profit. We refer to this maximization problem as an item pricing problem. We classify the item pricing problems according to how many items the store can sell or how the customers valuate the items. If the store can sell every item i with unlimited (resp. limited) amount, we refer to this as unlimited supply (resp. limited supply). We say that the item pricing problem is single-minded if each customer j∈C wishes to buy a set ej⊆V of items and assigns valuation w(ej)≥0. For the single-minded item pricing problems (in unlimited supply), Balcan and Blum regarded them as weighted k-hypergraphs and gave several approximation algorithms. In this paper, we focus on the (pseudo) degree of k-hypergraphs and the valuation ratio, i. e., the ratio between the smallest and the largest valuations. Then for the single-minded item pricing problems (in unlimited supply), we show improved approximation algorithms (for k-hypergraphs, general graphs, bipartite graphs, etc.) with respect to the maximum (pseudo) degree and the valuation ratio.

  11. Item-level factor analysis of the Self-Efficacy Scale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bunketorp Käll, Lina

    2014-03-01

    This study explores the internal structure of the Self-Efficacy Scale (SES) using item response analysis. The SES was previously translated into Swedish and modified to encompass all types of pain, not exclusively back pain. Data on perceived self-efficacy in 47 patients with subacute whiplash-associated disorders were derived from a previously conducted randomized-controlled trial. The item-level factor analysis was carried out using a six-step procedure. To further study the item inter-relationships and to determine the underlying structure empirically, the 20 items of the SES were also subjected to principal component analysis with varimax rotation. The analyses showed two underlying factors, named 'social activities' and 'physical activities', with seven items loading on each factor. The remaining six items of the SES appeared to measure somewhat different constructs and need to be analysed further.

  12. Better assessment of physical function: item improvement is neglected but essential.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruce, Bonnie; Fries, James F; Ambrosini, Debbie; Lingala, Bharathi; Gandek, Barbara; Rose, Matthias; Ware, John E

    2009-01-01

    Physical function is a key component of patient-reported outcome (PRO) assessment in rheumatology. Modern psychometric methods, such as Item Response Theory (IRT) and Computerized Adaptive Testing, can materially improve measurement precision at the item level. We present the qualitative and quantitative item-evaluation process for developing the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Physical Function item bank. The process was stepwise: we searched extensively to identify extant Physical Function items and then classified and selectively reduced the item pool. We evaluated retained items for content, clarity, relevance and comprehension, reading level, and translation ease by experts and patient surveys, focus groups, and cognitive interviews. We then assessed items by using classic test theory and IRT, used confirmatory factor analyses to estimate item parameters, and graded response modeling for parameter estimation. We retained the 20 Legacy (original) Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) and the 10 SF-36's PF-10 items for comparison. Subjects were from rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and healthy aging cohorts (n = 1,100) and a national Internet sample of 21,133 subjects. We identified 1,860 items. After qualitative and quantitative evaluation, 124 newly developed PROMIS items composed the PROMIS item bank, which included revised Legacy items with good fit that met IRT model assumptions. Results showed that the clearest and best-understood items were simple, in the present tense, and straightforward. Basic tasks (like dressing) were more relevant and important versus complex ones (like dancing). Revised HAQ-DI and PF-10 items with five response options had higher item-information content than did comparable original Legacy items with fewer response options. IRT analyses showed that the Physical Function domain satisfied general criteria for unidimensionality with one-, two-, three-, and four-factor models

  13. Negative affect impairs associative memory but not item memory.

    OpenAIRE

    Bisby, J. A.; Burgess, N.

    2014-01-01

    The formation of associations between items and their context has been proposed to rely on mechanisms distinct from those supporting memory for a single item. Although emotional experiences can profoundly affect memory, our understanding of how it interacts with different aspects of memory remains unclear. We performed three experiments to examine the effects of emotion on memory for items and their associations. By presenting neutral and negative items with background contexts, Experiment 1 ...

  14. Hazardous metals in yellow items used in RCAs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, K.F.; Rankin, W.N.

    1992-01-01

    Yellow items used in Radiologically Controlled Areas (RCAs) that could contain hazardous metals were identified. X-ray fluorescence analyses indicated that thirty of the fifty-two items do contain hazardous metals. It is important to minimize the hazardous metals put into the wastes. The authors recommend that the specifications for all yellow items stocked in Stores be changed to specify that they contain no hazardous metals

  15. Evaluating the Psychometric Characteristics of Generated Multiple-Choice Test Items

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gierl, Mark J.; Lai, Hollis; Pugh, Debra; Touchie, Claire; Boulais, André-Philippe; De Champlain, André

    2016-01-01

    Item development is a time- and resource-intensive process. Automatic item generation integrates cognitive modeling with computer technology to systematically generate test items. To date, however, items generated using cognitive modeling procedures have received limited use in operational testing situations. As a result, the psychometric…

  16. Can Item Keyword Feedback Help Remediate Knowledge Gaps?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feinberg, Richard A; Clauser, Amanda L

    2016-10-01

    In graduate medical education, assessment results can effectively guide professional development when both assessment and feedback support a formative model. When individuals cannot directly access the test questions and responses, a way of using assessment results formatively is to provide item keyword feedback. The purpose of the following study was to investigate whether exposure to item keyword feedback aids in learner remediation. Participants included 319 trainees who completed a medical subspecialty in-training examination (ITE) in 2012 as first-year fellows, and then 1 year later in 2013 as second-year fellows. Performance on 2013 ITE items in which keywords were, or were not, exposed as part of the 2012 ITE score feedback was compared across groups based on the amount of time studying (preparation). For the same items common to both 2012 and 2013 ITEs, response patterns were analyzed to investigate changes in answer selection. Test takers who indicated greater amounts of preparation on the 2013 ITE did not perform better on the items in which keywords were exposed compared to those who were not exposed. The response pattern analysis substantiated overall growth in performance from the 2012 ITE. For items with incorrect responses on both attempts, examinees selected the same option 58% of the time. Results from the current study were unsuccessful in supporting the use of item keywords in aiding remediation. Unfortunately, the results did provide evidence of examinees retaining misinformation.

  17. Detection of Subsurface Defects in Levees in Correlation to Weather Conditions Utilizing Ground Penetrating Radar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez, I. A.; Eisenmann, D.

    2012-12-01

    Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) has been used for many years in successful subsurface detection of conductive and non-conductive objects in all types of material including different soils and concrete. Typical defect detection is based on subjective examination of processed scans using data collection and analysis software to acquire and analyze the data, often requiring a developed expertise or an awareness of how a GPR works while collecting data. Processing programs, such as GSSI's RADAN analysis software are then used to validate the collected information. Iowa State University's Center for Nondestructive Evaluation (CNDE) has built a test site, resembling a typical levee used near rivers, which contains known sub-surface targets of varying size, depth, and conductivity. Scientist at CNDE have developed software with the enhanced capabilities, to decipher a hyperbola's magnitude and amplitude for GPR signal processing. With this enhanced capability, the signal processing and defect detection capabilities for GPR have the potential to be greatly enhanced. This study will examine the effects of test parameters, antenna frequency (400MHz), data manipulation methods (which include data filters and restricting the range of depth in which the chosen antenna's signal can reach), and real-world conditions using this test site (such as varying weather conditions) , with the goal of improving GPR tests sensitivity for differing soil conditions.

  18. Method using a density field for locating related items for data mining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wylie, Brian N.

    2002-01-01

    A method for locating related items in a geometric space transforms relationships among items to geometric locations. The method locates items in the geometric space so that the distance between items corresponds to the degree of relatedness. The method facilitates communication of the structure of the relationships among the items. The method makes use of numeric values as a measure of similarity between each pairing of items. The items are given initial coordinates in the space. An energy is then determined for each item from the item's distance and similarity to other items, and from the density of items assigned coordinates near the item. The distance and similarity component can act to draw items with high similarities close together, while the density component can act to force all items apart. If a terminal condition is not yet reached, then new coordinates can be determined for one or more items, and the energy determination repeated. The iteration can terminate, for example, when the total energy reaches a threshold, when each item's energy is below a threshold, after a certain amount of time or iterations.

  19. Maintenance of item and order information in verbal working memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camos, Valérie; Lagner, Prune; Loaiza, Vanessa M

    2017-09-01

    Although verbal recall of item and order information is well-researched in short-term memory paradigms, there is relatively little research concerning item and order recall from working memory. The following study examined whether manipulating the opportunity for attentional refreshing and articulatory rehearsal in a complex span task differently affected the recall of item- and order-specific information of the memoranda. Five experiments varied the opportunity for articulatory rehearsal and attentional refreshing in a complex span task, but the type of recall was manipulated between experiments (item and order, order only, and item only recall). The results showed that impairing attentional refreshing and articulatory rehearsal similarly affected recall regardless of whether the scoring procedure (Experiments 1 and 4) or recall requirements (Experiments 2, 3, and 5) reflected item- or order-specific recall. This implies that both mechanisms sustain the maintenance of item and order information, and suggests that the common cumulative functioning of these two mechanisms to maintain items could be at the root of order maintenance.

  20. Do people with and without medical conditions respond similarly to the short health anxiety inventory? An assessment of differential item functioning using item response theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    LeBouthillier, Daniel M; Thibodeau, Michel A; Alberts, Nicole M; Hadjistavropoulos, Heather D; Asmundson, Gordon J G

    2015-04-01

    Individuals with medical conditions are likely to have elevated health anxiety; however, research has not demonstrated how medical status impacts response patterns on health anxiety measures. Measurement bias can undermine the validity of a questionnaire by overestimating or underestimating scores in groups of individuals. We investigated whether the Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI), a widely-used measure of health anxiety, exhibits medical condition-based bias on item and subscale levels, and whether the SHAI subscales adequately assess the health anxiety continuum. Data were from 963 individuals with diabetes, breast cancer, or multiple sclerosis, and 372 healthy individuals. Mantel-Haenszel tests and item characteristic curves were used to classify the severity of item-level differential item functioning in all three medical groups compared to the healthy group. Test characteristic curves were used to assess scale-level differential item functioning and whether the SHAI subscales adequately assess the health anxiety continuum. Nine out of 14 items exhibited differential item functioning. Two items exhibited differential item functioning in all medical groups compared to the healthy group. In both Thought Intrusion and Fear of Illness subscales, differential item functioning was associated with mildly deflated scores in medical groups with very high levels of the latent traits. Fear of Illness items poorly discriminated between individuals with low and very low levels of the latent trait. While individuals with medical conditions may respond differentially to some items, clinicians and researchers can confidently use the SHAI with a variety of medical populations without concern of significant bias. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Comparison on Computed Tomography using industrial items

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Angel, Jais Andreas Breusch; De Chiffre, Leonardo

    2014-01-01

    In a comparison involving 27 laboratories from 8 countries, measurements on two common industrial items, a polymer part and a metal part, were carried out using X-ray Computed Tomography. All items were measured using coordinate measuring machines before and after circulation, with reference...

  2. Using Item Response Theory to Develop a 60-Item Representation of the NEO PI-R Using the International Personality Item Pool: Development of the IPIP-NEO-60.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maples-Keller, Jessica L; Williamson, Rachel L; Sleep, Chelsea E; Carter, Nathan T; Campbell, W Keith; Miller, Joshua D

    2017-10-31

    Given advantages of freely available and modifiable measures, an increase in the use of measures developed from the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP), including the 300-item representation of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R; Costa & McCrae, 1992a ) has occurred. The focus of this study was to use item response theory to develop a 60-item, IPIP-based measure of the Five-Factor Model (FFM) that provides equal representation of the FFM facets and to test the reliability and convergent and criterion validity of this measure compared to the NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). In an undergraduate sample (n = 359), scores from the NEO-FFI and IPIP-NEO-60 demonstrated good reliability and convergent validity with the NEO PI-R and IPIP-NEO-300. Additionally, across criterion variables in the undergraduate sample as well as a community-based sample (n = 757), the NEO-FFI and IPIP-NEO-60 demonstrated similar nomological networks across a wide range of external variables (r ICC = .96). Finally, as expected, in an MTurk sample the IPIP-NEO-60 demonstrated advantages over the Big Five Inventory-2 (Soto & John, 2017 ; n = 342) with regard to the Agreeableness domain content. The results suggest strong reliability and validity of the IPIP-NEO-60 scores.

  3. 16 CFR 304.6 - Marking requirements for imitation numismatic items.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Marking requirements for imitation... for imitation numismatic items. (a) An imitation numismatic item which is manufactured in the United... the item. (3) An imitation numismatic item of incusable material shall be incused with the word “COPY...

  4. Reshaping Breakwaters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Burcharth, Hans F.; Frigaard, Peter

    1987-01-01

    The paper deals with the 3-dimensional stability of the type of rubble mound breakwaters where reshaping of the mound due to wave action is foreseen in the design. Such breakwaters are commonly named sacrificial types and berm types. The latter is due to the relatively large volume of armoure...... stones placed in a seaward berm. However, as also conventional armoured breakwaters sometimes do contain a berm it is assumed that a better and more ambiguous designation would be "reshaping" rubble mound breakwaters. The stability of a reshaping type breakwater was tested in a 3-dimensional model...... of stones were used....

  5. A comparison of Rasch item-fit and Cronbach's alpha item reduction analysis for the development of a Quality of Life scale for children and adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erhart, M; Hagquist, C; Auquier, P; Rajmil, L; Power, M; Ravens-Sieberer, U

    2010-07-01

    This study compares item reduction analysis based on classical test theory (maximizing Cronbach's alpha - approach A), with analysis based on the Rasch Partial Credit Model item-fit (approach B), as applied to children and adolescents' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) items. The reliability and structural, cross-cultural and known-group validity of the measures were examined. Within the European KIDSCREEN project, 3019 children and adolescents (8-18 years) from seven European countries answered 19 HRQoL items of the Physical Well-being dimension of a preliminary KIDSCREEN instrument. The Cronbach's alpha and corrected item total correlation (approach A) were compared with infit mean squares and the Q-index item-fit derived according to a partial credit model (approach B). Cross-cultural differential item functioning (DIF ordinal logistic regression approach), structural validity (confirmatory factor analysis and residual correlation) and relative validity (RV) for socio-demographic and health-related factors were calculated for approaches (A) and (B). Approach (A) led to the retention of 13 items, compared with 11 items with approach (B). The item overlap was 69% for (A) and 78% for (B). The correlation coefficient of the summated ratings was 0.93. The Cronbach's alpha was similar for both versions [0.86 (A); 0.85 (B)]. Both approaches selected some items that are not strictly unidimensional and items displaying DIF. RV ratios favoured (A) with regard to socio-demographic aspects. Approach (B) was superior in RV with regard to health-related aspects. Both types of item reduction analysis should be accompanied by additional analyses. Neither of the two approaches was universally superior with regard to cultural, structural and known-group validity. However, the results support the usability of the Rasch method for developing new HRQoL measures for children and adolescents.

  6. Dissociation between source and item memory in Parkinson's disease

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Hu Panpan; Li Youhai; Ma Huijuan; Xi Chunhua; Chen Xianwen; Wang Kai

    2014-01-01

    Background Episodic memory includes information about item memory and source memory.Many researches support the hypothesis that these two memory systems are implemented by different brain structures.The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of item memory and source memory processing in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD),and to further verify the hypothesis of dual-process model of source and item memory.Methods We established a neuropsychological battery to measure the performance of item memory and source memory.Totally 35 PD individuals and 35 matched healthy controls (HC) were administrated with the battery.Item memory task consists of the learning and recognition of high-frequency national Chinese characters; source memory task consists of the learning and recognition of three modes (character,picture,and image) of objects.Results Compared with the controls,the idiopathic PD patients have been impaired source memory (PD vs.HC:0.65±0.06 vs.0.72±0.09,P=0.001),but not impaired in item memory (PD vs.HC:0.65±0.07 vs.0.67±0.08,P=0.240).Conclusions The present experiment provides evidence for dissociation between item and source memory in PD patients,thereby strengthening the claim that the item or source memory rely on different brain structures.PD patients show poor source memory,in which dopamine plays a critical role.

  7. Collaborative Filtering Based on Sequential Extraction of User-Item Clusters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Honda, Katsuhiro; Notsu, Akira; Ichihashi, Hidetomo

    Collaborative filtering is a computational realization of “word-of-mouth” in network community, in which the items prefered by “neighbors” are recommended. This paper proposes a new item-selection model for extracting user-item clusters from rectangular relation matrices, in which mutual relations between users and items are denoted in an alternative process of “liking or not”. A technique for sequential co-cluster extraction from rectangular relational data is given by combining the structural balancing-based user-item clustering method with sequential fuzzy cluster extraction appraoch. Then, the tecunique is applied to the collaborative filtering problem, in which some items may be shared by several user clusters.

  8. An empirical comparison of Item Response Theory and Classical Test Theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Špela Progar

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available Based on nonlinear models between the measured latent variable and the item response, item response theory (IRT enables independent estimation of item and person parameters and local estimation of measurement error. These properties of IRT are also the main theoretical advantages of IRT over classical test theory (CTT. Empirical evidence, however, often failed to discover consistent differences between IRT and CTT parameters and between invariance measures of CTT and IRT parameter estimates. In this empirical study a real data set from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 1995 was used to address the following questions: (1 How comparable are CTT and IRT based item and person parameters? (2 How invariant are CTT and IRT based item parameters across different participant groups? (3 How invariant are CTT and IRT based item and person parameters across different item sets? The findings indicate that the CTT and the IRT item/person parameters are very comparable, that the CTT and the IRT item parameters show similar invariance property when estimated across different groups of participants, that the IRT person parameters are more invariant across different item sets, and that the CTT item parameters are at least as much invariant in different item sets as the IRT item parameters. The results furthermore demonstrate that, with regards to the invariance property, IRT item/person parameters are in general empirically superior to CTT parameters, but only if the appropriate IRT model is used for modelling the data.

  9. Item difficulty of multiple choice tests dependant on different item response formats – An experiment in fundamental research on psychological assessment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    KLAUS D. KUBINGER

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Multiple choice response formats are problematical as an item is often scored as solved simply because the test-taker is a lucky guesser. Instead of applying pertinent IRT models which take guessing effects into account, a pragmatic approach of re-conceptualizing multiple choice response formats to reduce the chance of lucky guessing is considered. This paper compares the free response format with two different multiple choice formats. A common multiple choice format with a single correct response option and five distractors (“1 of 6” is used, as well as a multiple choice format with five response options, of which any number of the five is correct and the item is only scored as mastered if all the correct response options and none of the wrong ones are marked (“x of 5”. An experiment was designed, using pairs of items with exactly the same content but different response formats. 173 test-takers were randomly assigned to two test booklets of 150 items altogether. Rasch model analyses adduced a fitting item pool, after the deletion of 39 items. The resulting item difficulty parameters were used for the comparison of the different formats. The multiple choice format “1 of 6” differs significantly from “x of 5”, with a relative effect of 1.63, while the multiple choice format “x of 5” does not significantly differ from the free response format. Therefore, the lower degree of difficulty of items with the “1 of 6” multiple choice format is an indicator of relevant guessing effects. In contrast the “x of 5” multiple choice format can be seen as an appropriate substitute for free response format.

  10. Attention restores discrete items to visual short-term memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, Alexandra M; Nobre, Anna C; Clark, Ian A; Cravo, André M; Stokes, Mark G

    2013-04-01

    When a memory is forgotten, is it lost forever? Our study shows that selective attention can restore forgotten items to visual short-term memory (VSTM). In our two experiments, all stimuli presented in a memory array were designed to be equally task relevant during encoding. During the retention interval, however, participants were sometimes given a cue predicting which of the memory items would be probed at the end of the delay. This shift in task relevance improved recall for that item. We found that this type of cuing improved recall for items that otherwise would have been irretrievable, providing critical evidence that attention can restore forgotten information to VSTM. Psychophysical modeling of memory performance has confirmed that restoration of information in VSTM increases the probability that the cued item is available for recall but does not improve the representational quality of the memory. We further suggest that attention can restore discrete items to VSTM.

  11. Australian Chemistry Test Item Bank: Years 11 & 12. Volume 1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Commons, C., Ed.; Martin, P., Ed.

    Volume 1 of the Australian Chemistry Test Item Bank, consisting of two volumes, contains nearly 2000 multiple-choice items related to the chemistry taught in Year 11 and Year 12 courses in Australia. Items which were written during 1979 and 1980 were initially published in the "ACER Chemistry Test Item Collection" and in the "ACER…

  12. 31 CFR 50.14 - Separate line item.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ....14 Money and Finance: Treasury Office of the Secretary of the Treasury TERRORISM RISK INSURANCE PROGRAM Disclosures as Conditions for Federal Payment § 50.14 Separate line item. An insurer is deemed to be in compliance with the requirement of providing disclosure on a “separate line item in the policy...

  13. Evaluating the quality of medical multiple-choice items created with automated processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gierl, Mark J; Lai, Hollis

    2013-07-01

    Computerised assessment raises formidable challenges because it requires large numbers of test items. Automatic item generation (AIG) can help address this test development problem because it yields large numbers of new items both quickly and efficiently. To date, however, the quality of the items produced using a generative approach has not been evaluated. The purpose of this study was to determine whether automatic processes yield items that meet standards of quality that are appropriate for medical testing. Quality was evaluated firstly by subjecting items created using both AIG and traditional processes to rating by a four-member expert medical panel using indicators of multiple-choice item quality, and secondly by asking the panellists to identify which items were developed using AIG in a blind review. Fifteen items from the domain of therapeutics were created in three different experimental test development conditions. The first 15 items were created by content specialists using traditional test development methods (Group 1 Traditional). The second 15 items were created by the same content specialists using AIG methods (Group 1 AIG). The third 15 items were created by a new group of content specialists using traditional methods (Group 2 Traditional). These 45 items were then evaluated for quality by a four-member panel of medical experts and were subsequently categorised as either Traditional or AIG items. Three outcomes were reported: (i) the items produced using traditional and AIG processes were comparable on seven of eight indicators of multiple-choice item quality; (ii) AIG items can be differentiated from Traditional items by the quality of their distractors, and (iii) the overall predictive accuracy of the four expert medical panellists was 42%. Items generated by AIG methods are, for the most part, equivalent to traditionally developed items from the perspective of expert medical reviewers. While the AIG method produced comparatively fewer plausible

  14. An Investigation of Item Type in a Standards-Based Assessment.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liz Hollingworth

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Large-scale state assessment programs use both multiple-choice and open-ended items on tests for accountability purposes. Certainly, there is an intuitive belief among some educators and policy makers that open-ended items measure something different than multiple-choice items. This study examined two item formats in custom-built, standards-based tests of achievement in Reading and Mathematics at grades 3-8. In this paper, we raise questions about the value of including open-ended items, given scoring costs, time constraints, and the higher probability of missing data from test-takers.

  15. Instemmingsgeneigdheid en verskillende item- en responsformate in 'n gesommeerde selfbeoordelingskaal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nadene Hanekom

    1998-06-01

    Full Text Available This study examines the degree of acquiescence present when the item and response formats of a summated rating scale are varied. It is often recommended that acquiescence response bias in rating scales may be controlled by using both positively and negatively worded items. Such items are generally worded in the Likert-type format of statements. The purpose of the study was to establish whether items in question format would result in a smaller degree of acquiescence than items worded as statements. the response format was also varied (five- and seven-point options to determine whether this would influence the reliability and degree of acquiescence in the scales. A twenty-item Locus of Control (LC questionnaire was used, but each item was complemented by its opposite, resulting in 40 items. The subjects, divided randomly into two groups, were second year students who had to complete four versions of the questionnaire, plus a shortened version of Bass's scale for measuring acquiescence. The LC version were questions or statements each combined with a five- or seven-point respons format. Partial counterbalancing was introduced by testing on two separate occasions, presenting the tests to the two groups in the opposite order. The degree of acquiescence was assessed by correlating the items with their opposite, and by correlating scores on each version with scores on the acquiescence questionnaire. No major difference were found between the various item and response format in relation to acquiescence. Opsomming Hierdie ondersoek is uitgevoer om te bepaal of die mate van instemmingsgeneigdheid deur die item- en responsformaat van 'n gesommeerde selfbeoordelingskaal beinvloed word. Daar word dikwels aanbeveel dat die gebruik van positief- sowel as negatiefbewoorde items in 'n vraelys instemmingsgeneigdheid beperk. Suike items word gewoonlik in die tradisionele Likertformaat as stellings geformuleer. Die doel van die ondersoek was om te bepaal of items

  16. Writing, Evaluating and Assessing Data Response Items in Economics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trotman-Dickenson, D. I.

    1989-01-01

    Describes some of the problems in writing data response items in economics for use by A Level and General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) students. Examines the experience of two series of workshops on writing items, evaluating them and assessing responses from schools. Offers suggestions for producing packages of data response items as…

  17. Three Modeling Applications to Promote Automatic Item Generation for Examinations in Dentistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Hollis; Gierl, Mark J; Byrne, B Ellen; Spielman, Andrew I; Waldschmidt, David M

    2016-03-01

    Test items created for dentistry examinations are often individually written by content experts. This approach to item development is expensive because it requires the time and effort of many content experts but yields relatively few items. The aim of this study was to describe and illustrate how items can be generated using a systematic approach. Automatic item generation (AIG) is an alternative method that allows a small number of content experts to produce large numbers of items by integrating their domain expertise with computer technology. This article describes and illustrates how three modeling approaches to item content-item cloning, cognitive modeling, and image-anchored modeling-can be used to generate large numbers of multiple-choice test items for examinations in dentistry. Test items can be generated by combining the expertise of two content specialists with technology supported by AIG. A total of 5,467 new items were created during this study. From substitution of item content, to modeling appropriate responses based upon a cognitive model of correct responses, to generating items linked to specific graphical findings, AIG has the potential for meeting increasing demands for test items. Further, the methods described in this study can be generalized and applied to many other item types. Future research applications for AIG in dental education are discussed.

  18. Separating relational from item load effects in paired recognition: temporoparietal and middle frontal gyral activity with increased associates, but not items during encoding and retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, Steven; Niki, Kazuhisa

    2002-10-01

    Working memory is affected by items stored and the relations between them. However, separating these factors has been difficult, because increased items usually accompany increased associations/relations. Hence, some have argued, relational effects are reducible to item effects. We overcome this problem by manipulating index length: the fewest number of item positions at which there is a unique item, or tuple of items (if length >1), for every instance in the relational (memory) set. Longer indexes imply greater similarity (number of shared items) between instances and higher load on encoding processes. Subjects were given lists of study pairs and asked to make a recognition judgement. The number of unique items and index length in the three list conditions were: (1) AB, CD: four/one; (2) AB, CD, EF: six/one; and (3) AB, AD, CB: four/two, respectively. Japanese letters were used in Experiments 1 (kanji-ideograms) and 2 (hiragana-phonograms); numbers in Experiment 3; and shapes generated from Fourier descriptors in Experiment 4. Across all materials, right dominant temporoparietal and middle frontal gyral activity was found with increased index length, but not items during study. In Experiment 5, a longer delay was used to isolate retention effects in the absence of visual stimuli. Increased left hemispheric activity was observed in the precuneus, middle frontal gyrus, and superior temporal gyrus with increased index length for the delay period. These results show that relational load is not reducible to item load.

  19. Rats Remember Items in Context Using Episodic Memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panoz-Brown, Danielle; Corbin, Hannah E; Dalecki, Stefan J; Gentry, Meredith; Brotheridge, Sydney; Sluka, Christina M; Wu, Jie-En; Crystal, Jonathon D

    2016-10-24

    Vivid episodic memories in people have been characterized as the replay of unique events in sequential order [1-3]. Animal models of episodic memory have successfully documented episodic memory of a single event (e.g., [4-8]). However, a fundamental feature of episodic memory in people is that it involves multiple events, and notably, episodic memory impairments in human diseases are not limited to a single event. Critically, it is not known whether animals remember many unique events using episodic memory. Here, we show that rats remember many unique events and the contexts in which the events occurred using episodic memory. We used an olfactory memory assessment in which new (but not old) odors were rewarded using 32 items. Rats were presented with 16 odors in one context and the same odors in a second context. To attain high accuracy, the rats needed to remember item in context because each odor was rewarded as a new item in each context. The demands on item-in-context memory were varied by assessing memory with 2, 3, 5, or 15 unpredictable transitions between contexts, and item-in-context memory survived a 45 min retention interval challenge. When the memory of item in context was put in conflict with non-episodic familiarity cues, rats relied on item in context using episodic memory. Our findings suggest that rats remember multiple unique events and the contexts in which these events occurred using episodic memory and support the view that rats may be used to model fundamental aspects of human cognition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. The effect of non-recurring items on analysts’ earnings forecasts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nan Li

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available This article discusses the effects of non-recurring profits and losses on statement users’ decision-making processes from the perspective of securities analysts. We examine the relationship between analysts’ forecast revisions and firms’ non-recurring earnings. We find that 1 non-recurring gains and losses can influence analysts’ earnings forecast revision; 2 compared with non-recurring items resulting from policy changes, analysts are more concerned about those attributed to changes in business scope; 3 if listed companies use non-recurring items to turn losses into gains during earnings management, it will weaken the effects of non-recurring items on analysts’ earnings forecast revision. The results suggest that non-recurring items that result from changes in business scope incorporate information that users need for the future operation of the business. This article verifies the information relevance of non-recurring items and provides evidence for the necessity of non-recurring item disclosure. Keywords: Non-recurring items, Earnings forecasts, Revisions

  1. Mediate gamma radiation effects on some packaged food items

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inamura, Patricia Y.; Uehara, Vanessa B.; Teixeira, Christian A.H.M.; Mastro, Nelida L. del

    2012-01-01

    For most of prepackaged foods a 10 kGy radiation dose is considered the maximum dose needed; however, the commercially available and practically accepted packaging materials must be suitable for such application. This work describes the application of ionizing radiation on several packaged food items, using 5 dehydrated food items, 5 ready-to-eat meals and 5 ready-to-eat food items irradiated in a 60 Co gamma source with a 3 kGy dose. The quality evaluation of the irradiated samples was performed 2 and 8 months after irradiation. Microbiological analysis (bacteria, fungus and yeast load) was performed. The sensory characteristics were established for appearance, aroma, texture and flavor attributes were also established. From these data, the acceptability of all irradiated items was obtained. All ready-to-eat food items assayed like manioc flour, some pâtés and blocks of raw brown sugar and most of ready-to-eat meals like sausages and chicken with legumes were considered acceptable for microbial and sensory characteristics. On the other hand, the dehydrated food items chosen for this study, such as dehydrated bacon potatoes or pea soups were not accepted by the sensory analysis. A careful dose choice and special irradiation conditions must be used in order to achieve sensory acceptability needed for the commercialization of specific irradiated food items. - Highlights: ► We applied gamma radiation on several kinds of packaged food items. ► Microbiological and sensory analyses were performed 2 and 8 months after irradiation. ► All ready-to-eat food items assayed were approved for microbial and sensory characteristics. ► Most ready-to-eat meals like sausages and chicken with legumes were also acceptable. ► Dehydrated bacon potatoes or pea soups were considered not acceptable.

  2. 41 CFR 101-27.209-1 - GSA stock items.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true GSA stock items. 101-27.209-1 Section 101-27.209-1 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property Management...-Management of Shelf-Life Materials § 101-27.209-1 GSA stock items. Shelf-life items that meet the criteria...

  3. 12 CFR 210.8 - Presenting noncash items for acceptance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... for acceptance. (a) A Reserve Bank or a subsequent collecting bank may, if instructed by the sender, present a noncash item for acceptance in any manner authorized by law if— (1) The item provides that it... 12 Banks and Banking 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Presenting noncash items for acceptance. 210.8...

  4. Brief Sensation Seeking Scale: Latent structure of 8-item and 4-item versions in Peruvian adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merino-Soto, Cesar; Salas Blas, Edwin

    2018-01-01

    This research intended to validate two brief scales of sensations seeking with Peruvian adolescents: the eight item scale (BSSS8; Hoyle, Stephenson, Palmgreen, Lorch, y Donohew, 2002) and the four item scale (BSSS4; Stephenson, Hoyle, Slater, y Palmgreen, 2003). Questionnaires were administered to 618 voluntary participants, with an average age of 13.6 years, from different levels of high school, state and private school in a district in the south of Lima. It analyzed the internal structure of both short versions using three models: a) unidimensional (M1), b) oblique or related dimensions (M2), and c) the bifactor model (M3). Results show that both instruments have a single dimension which best represents the variability of the items; a fact that can be explained both by the complexity of the concept and by the small number of items representing each factor, which is more noticeable in the BSSS4. Reliability is within levels found by previous studies: alpha: .745 = BSSS8 and BSSS4 =. 643; omega coefficient: .747 in BSSS8 and .651 in BSSS4. These are considered suitable for the type of instruments studied. Based on the correlation between the two instruments, it was found that there are satisfactory levels of equivalence between the BSSS8 and BSSS4. However, it is recommended that the BSSS4 is mainly used for research and for the purpose of describing populations.

  5. Item response theory analysis of the mechanics baseline test

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cardamone, Caroline N.; Abbott, Jonathan E.; Rayyan, Saif; Seaton, Daniel T.; Pawl, Andrew; Pritchard, David E.

    2012-02-01

    Item response theory is useful in both the development and evaluation of assessments and in computing standardized measures of student performance. In item response theory, individual parameters (difficulty, discrimination) for each item or question are fit by item response models. These parameters provide a means for evaluating a test and offer a better measure of student skill than a raw test score, because each skill calculation considers not only the number of questions answered correctly, but the individual properties of all questions answered. Here, we present the results from an analysis of the Mechanics Baseline Test given at MIT during 2005-2010. Using the item parameters, we identify questions on the Mechanics Baseline Test that are not effective in discriminating between MIT students of different abilities. We show that a limited subset of the highest quality questions on the Mechanics Baseline Test returns accurate measures of student skill. We compare student skills as determined by item response theory to the more traditional measurement of the raw score and show that a comparable measure of learning gain can be computed.

  6. Item Response Theory Analysis of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eichenbaum, Alexander E; Marcus, David K; French, Brian F

    2017-06-01

    This study examined item and scale functioning in the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R) using an item response theory analysis. PPI-R protocols from 1,052 college student participants (348 male, 704 female) were analyzed. Analyses were conducted on the 131 self-report items comprising the PPI-R's eight content scales, using a graded response model. Scales collected a majority of their information about respondents possessing higher than average levels of the traits being measured. Each scale contained at least some items that evidenced limited ability to differentiate between respondents with differing levels of the trait being measured. Moreover, 80 items (61.1%) yielded significantly different responses between men and women presumably possessing similar levels of the trait being measured. Item performance was also influenced by the scoring format (directly scored vs. reverse-scored) of the items. Overall, the results suggest that the PPI-R, despite identifying psychopathic personality traits in individuals possessing high levels of those traits, may not identify these traits equally well for men and women, and scores are likely influenced by the scoring format of the individual item and scale.

  7. Hydrogeologic controls on chemical transport at Malibu Lagoon, CA: Implications for land to sea exchange in coastal lagoon systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. Dimova

    2017-06-01

    New hydrological insights for the region: Nearshore lagoons that are seasonally disconnected from the coastal ocean occupy about 10% of coastal areas worldwide. Lagoon systems often are poorly flushed and thus sensitive to nutrient over-enrichment that can lead to eutrophication, oxygen depletion, and/or pervasive algal blooms. This sensitivity is exacerbated in lagoons that are intermittently closed to surface water exchange with the sea and occur in populous coastal areas. Such estuarine systems are disconnected from the sea during most of the year by wave-built barriers, but during the rainy season these berms can breach, enabling direct water exchange. Using naturally-occurring 222Rn as groundwater tracer, we estimate that groundwater discharge to Malibu Lagoon during open berm conditions was one order of magnitude higher (21 ± 17 cm/day than during closed berm conditions (1.8 ± 1.4 cm/day. The SGD (submarine groundwater discharge into nearshore coastal waters at the SurferRider and Colony Malibu was 4.2 cm/day on average. The exported total dissolved nitrogen (TDN through the berm during closed berm was 1.6 × 10−3 mol/day, whereas during open berm (exported by the Creek was 3.5 × 103 mol/day. Although these evaluations are specific to the collection campaigns the 2009 and 2010 hydro years, these two distinct hydrologic scenarios play an important role in the seasonality and geochemical impact of land/sea exchange, and highlight the sensitivity of such systems to future impacts such as sea level rise and increasing coastal populations.

  8. 26 CFR 301.6231(a)(3)-1 - Partnership items.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 18 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Partnership items. 301.6231(a)(3)-1 Section 301... Partnership items. (a) In general. For purposes of subtitle F of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, the following items which are required to be taken into account for the taxable year of a partnership under...

  9. Item Response Theory Models for Performance Decline during Testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Kuan-Yu; Wang, Wen-Chung

    2014-01-01

    Sometimes, test-takers may not be able to attempt all items to the best of their ability (with full effort) due to personal factors (e.g., low motivation) or testing conditions (e.g., time limit), resulting in poor performances on certain items, especially those located toward the end of a test. Standard item response theory (IRT) models fail to…

  10. Identifying predictors of physics item difficulty: A linear regression approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mesic, Vanes; Muratovic, Hasnija

    2011-06-01

    Large-scale assessments of student achievement in physics are often approached with an intention to discriminate students based on the attained level of their physics competencies. Therefore, for purposes of test design, it is important that items display an acceptable discriminatory behavior. To that end, it is recommended to avoid extraordinary difficult and very easy items. Knowing the factors that influence physics item difficulty makes it possible to model the item difficulty even before the first pilot study is conducted. Thus, by identifying predictors of physics item difficulty, we can improve the test-design process. Furthermore, we get additional qualitative feedback regarding the basic aspects of student cognitive achievement in physics that are directly responsible for the obtained, quantitative test results. In this study, we conducted a secondary analysis of data that came from two large-scale assessments of student physics achievement at the end of compulsory education in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Foremost, we explored the concept of “physics competence” and performed a content analysis of 123 physics items that were included within the above-mentioned assessments. Thereafter, an item database was created. Items were described by variables which reflect some basic cognitive aspects of physics competence. For each of the assessments, Rasch item difficulties were calculated in separate analyses. In order to make the item difficulties from different assessments comparable, a virtual test equating procedure had to be implemented. Finally, a regression model of physics item difficulty was created. It has been shown that 61.2% of item difficulty variance can be explained by factors which reflect the automaticity, complexity, and modality of the knowledge structure that is relevant for generating the most probable correct solution, as well as by the divergence of required thinking and interference effects between intuitive and formal physics knowledge

  11. Identifying predictors of physics item difficulty: A linear regression approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hasnija Muratovic

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Large-scale assessments of student achievement in physics are often approached with an intention to discriminate students based on the attained level of their physics competencies. Therefore, for purposes of test design, it is important that items display an acceptable discriminatory behavior. To that end, it is recommended to avoid extraordinary difficult and very easy items. Knowing the factors that influence physics item difficulty makes it possible to model the item difficulty even before the first pilot study is conducted. Thus, by identifying predictors of physics item difficulty, we can improve the test-design process. Furthermore, we get additional qualitative feedback regarding the basic aspects of student cognitive achievement in physics that are directly responsible for the obtained, quantitative test results. In this study, we conducted a secondary analysis of data that came from two large-scale assessments of student physics achievement at the end of compulsory education in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Foremost, we explored the concept of “physics competence” and performed a content analysis of 123 physics items that were included within the above-mentioned assessments. Thereafter, an item database was created. Items were described by variables which reflect some basic cognitive aspects of physics competence. For each of the assessments, Rasch item difficulties were calculated in separate analyses. In order to make the item difficulties from different assessments comparable, a virtual test equating procedure had to be implemented. Finally, a regression model of physics item difficulty was created. It has been shown that 61.2% of item difficulty variance can be explained by factors which reflect the automaticity, complexity, and modality of the knowledge structure that is relevant for generating the most probable correct solution, as well as by the divergence of required thinking and interference effects between intuitive and formal

  12. Item response theory analysis of the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costa, Daniel S J; Asghari, Ali; Nicholas, Michael K

    2017-01-01

    The Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ) is a 10-item instrument designed to assess the extent to which a person in pain believes s/he is able to accomplish various activities despite their pain. There is strong evidence for the validity and reliability of both the full-length PSEQ and a 2-item version. The purpose of this study is to further examine the properties of the PSEQ using an item response theory (IRT) approach. We used the two-parameter graded response model to examine the category probability curves, and location and discrimination parameters of the 10 PSEQ items. In item response theory, responses to a set of items are assumed to be probabilistically determined by a latent (unobserved) variable. In the graded-response model specifically, item response threshold (the value of the latent variable for which adjacent response categories are equally likely) and discrimination parameters are estimated for each item. Participants were 1511 mixed, chronic pain patients attending for initial assessment at a tertiary pain management centre. All items except item 7 ('I can cope with my pain without medication') performed well in IRT analysis, and the category probability curves suggested that participants used the 7-point response scale consistently. Items 6 ('I can still do many of the things I enjoy doing, such as hobbies or leisure activity, despite pain'), 8 ('I can still accomplish most of my goals in life, despite the pain') and 9 ('I can live a normal lifestyle, despite the pain') captured higher levels of the latent variable with greater precision. The results from this IRT analysis add to the body of evidence based on classical test theory illustrating the strong psychometric properties of the PSEQ. Despite the relatively poor performance of Item 7, its clinical utility warrants its retention in the questionnaire. The strong psychometric properties of the PSEQ support its use as an effective tool for assessing self-efficacy in people with pain

  13. Development of six PROMIS pediatrics proxy-report item banks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Irwin, Debra E; Gross, Heather E; Stucky, Brian D; Thissen, David; DeWitt, Esi Morgan; Lai, Jin Shei; Amtmann, Dagmar; Khastou, Leyla; Varni, James W; DeWalt, Darren A

    2012-02-22

    Pediatric self-report should be considered the standard for measuring patient reported outcomes (PRO) among children. However, circumstances exist when the child is too young, cognitively impaired, or too ill to complete a PRO instrument and a proxy-report is needed. This paper describes the development process including the proxy cognitive interviews and large-field-test survey methods and sample characteristics employed to produce item parameters for the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) pediatric proxy-report item banks. The PROMIS pediatric self-report items were converted into proxy-report items before undergoing cognitive interviews. These items covered six domains (physical function, emotional distress, social peer relationships, fatigue, pain interference, and asthma impact). Caregivers (n = 25) of children ages of 5 and 17 years provided qualitative feedback on proxy-report items to assess any major issues with these items. From May 2008 to March 2009, the large-scale survey enrolled children ages 8-17 years to complete the self-report version and caregivers to complete the proxy-report version of the survey (n = 1548 dyads). Caregivers of children ages 5 to 7 years completed the proxy report survey (n = 432). In addition, caregivers completed other proxy instruments, PedsQL™ 4.0 Generic Core Scales Parent Proxy-Report version, PedsQL™ Asthma Module Parent Proxy-Report version, and KIDSCREEN Parent-Proxy-52. Item content was well understood by proxies and did not require item revisions but some proxies clearly noted that determining an answer on behalf of their child was difficult for some items. Dyads and caregivers of children ages 5-17 years old were enrolled in the large-scale testing. The majority were female (85%), married (70%), Caucasian (64%) and had at least a high school education (94%). Approximately 50% had children with a chronic health condition, primarily asthma, which was diagnosed or treated within 6

  14. Suspect/Counterfeit Items Information Guide for Subcontractors/Suppliers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tessmar, Nancy D. [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Salazar, Michael J. [Los Alamos National Laboratory

    2012-09-18

    Counterfeiting of industrial and commercial grade items is an international problem that places worker safety, program objectives, expensive equipment, and security at risk. In order to prevent the introduction of Suspect/Counterfeit Items (S/CI), this information sheet is being made available as a guide to assist in the implementation of S/CI awareness and controls, in conjunction with subcontractor's/supplier's quality assurance programs. When it comes to counterfeit goods, including industrial materials, items, and equipment, no market is immune. Some manufactures have been known to misrepresent their products and intentionally use inferior materials and processes to manufacture substandard items, whose properties can significantly cart from established standards and specifications. These substandard items termed by the Department of Energy (DOE) as S/CI, pose immediate and potential threats to the safety of DOE and contractor workers, the public, and the environment. Failure of certain systems and processes caused by an S/CI could also have national security implications at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Nuclear Safety Rules (federal Laws), DOE Orders, and other regulations set forth requirements for DOE contractors to implement effective controls to assure that items and services meet specified requirements. This includes techniques to implement and thereby minimizing the potential threat of entry of S/CI to LANL. As a qualified supplier of goods or services to the LANL, your company will be required to establish and maintain effective controls to prevent the introduction of S/CI to LANL. This will require that your company warrant that all items (including their subassemblies, components, and parts) sold to LANL are genuine (i.e. not counterfeit), new, and unused, and conform to the requirements of the LANL purchase orders/contracts unless otherwise approved in writing to the Los Alamos National Security (LANS) contract administrator

  15. Combining item and bulk material loss-detection uncertainties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eggers, R.F.

    1982-01-01

    Loss detection requirements, such as five formula kilograms with 99% probability of detection, which apply to the sum of losses from material in both item and bulk form, constitute a special problem for the nuclear material statistician. Requirements of this type are included in the Material Control and Accounting Reform Amendments described in the Advance Notice of Proposed Rule Making (Federal Register, 46(175):45144-46151). Attribute test sampling of items is the method used to detect gross defects in the inventory of items in a given control unit. Attribute sampling plans are designed to detect a loss of a specificed goal quantity of material with a given probability. In contrast to the methods and statistical models used for item loss detection, bulk material loss detection requires all the material entering and leaving a control unit to be measured and the calculation of a loss estimator that will be tested against an appropriate alarm threshold. The alarm threshold is determined from an estimate of the error inherent in the components of the loss estimator. In this paper a simple grahical method of evaluating the combined capabilities of bulk material loss detection methods and item attribute testing procedures will be described. Quantitative results will be given for several cases, indicating how a decrease in the precision of the item loss detection method tends to force an increase in the precision of the bulk loss detection procedure in order to meet the overall detection requirement. 4 figures

  16. Deterioro cognitivo leve: ¿dónde termina el envejecimiento normal y empieza la demencia?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nilton Custodio

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Con el aumento de la prevalencia de demencia en el mundo, debemos poner especial atención a la evaluación diagnóstica de estadios previos a la demencia. El deterioro cognitivo leve (DCL podría ser considerado un estadio precoz de demencia, en especial de la enfermedad de Alzheimer (AD; por lo que consideramos importante un diagnóstico adecuado, mediante la utilización de instrumentos y técnicas fiables y sensibles, que permitan discriminar entre sujetos con envejecimiento normal y patológico. Los estudios epidemiológicos muestran una elevada prevalencia de DCL en la población general. Asimismo, se ha documentado la progresión de DCL a demencia y EA, sobre todo en sujetos con DCL del tipo amnésico. La edad, el estado de portador del APOE-ε4, la atrofia del hipocampo en resonancia magnética y la presencia de algunos biomarcadores en líquido cefalorraquídeo parecen influir en la conversión. Se sugiere que el estudio de pacientes con sospecha de DCL sea el mismo que se emplea en la sospecha de demencia y EA. La evaluación neuropsicológica es la única prueba que permite confirmar el diagnóstico y nos ayuda a realizar una adecuada clasificación de los subtipos de DCL: amnésico, multidominio y monodominio no amnésico.

  17. Individuals with knee impairments identify items in need of clarification in the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) pain interference and physical function item banks - a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lynch, Andrew D; Dodds, Nathan E; Yu, Lan; Pilkonis, Paul A; Irrgang, James J

    2016-05-11

    The content and wording of the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Physical Function and Pain Interference item banks have not been qualitatively assessed by individuals with knee joint impairments. The purpose of this investigation was to identify items in the PROMIS Physical Function and Pain Interference Item Banks that are irrelevant, unclear, or otherwise difficult to respond to for individuals with impairment of the knee and to suggest modifications based on cognitive interviews. Twenty-nine individuals with knee joint impairments qualitatively assessed items in the Pain Interference and Physical Function Item Banks in a mixed-methods cognitive interview. Field notes were analyzed to identify themes and frequency counts were calculated to identify items not relevant to individuals with knee joint impairments. Issues with clarity were identified in 23 items in the Physical Function Item Bank, resulting in the creation of 43 new or modified items, typically changing words within the item to be clearer. Interpretation issues included whether or not the knee joint played a significant role in overall health and age/gender differences in items. One quarter of the original items (31 of 124) in the Physical Function Item Bank were identified as irrelevant to the knee joint. All 41 items in the Pain Interference Item Bank were identified as clear, although individuals without significant pain substituted other symptoms which interfered with their life. The Physical Function Item Bank would benefit from additional items that are relevant to individuals with knee joint impairments and, by extension, to other lower extremity impairments. Several issues in clarity were identified that are likely to be present in other patient cohorts as well.

  18. Detection of person misfit in computerized adaptive tests with polytomous items

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Krimpen-Stoop, Edith; Meijer, R.R.

    2000-01-01

    Item scores that do not fit an assumed item response theory model may cause the latent trait value to be estimated inaccurately. For computerized adaptive tests (CAT) with dichotomous items, several person-fit statistics for detecting nonfitting item score patterns have been proposed. Both for

  19. Binary classification of items of interest in a repeatable process

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2014-06-24

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

  20. Berm Breakwater Design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hald, Tue; Frigaard, Peter; Burcharth, H. F.

    1996-01-01

    Traditionally, conventional rubble mound breakwaters are designed with stable armour units, and consequently, very large stones or even artificial armour units are required. Reshaping breakwater designs allow reshaping of the seward slope thus involving stone movements. Ultimately, dependent...

  1. The Dif Identification in Constructed Response Items Using Partial Credit Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heri Retnawati

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The study was to identify the load, the type and the significance of differential item functioning (DIF in constructed response item using the partial credit model (PCM. The data in the study were the students’ instruments and the students’ responses toward the PISA-like test items that had been completed by 386 ninth grade students and 460 tenth grade students who had been about 15 years old in the Province of Yogyakarta Special Region in Indonesia. The analysis toward the item characteristics through the student categorization based on their class was conducted toward the PCM using CONQUEST software. Furthermore, by applying these items characteristics, the researcher draw the category response function (CRF graphic in order to identify whether the type of DIF content had been in uniform or non-uniform. The significance of DIF was identified by comparing the discrepancy between the difficulty level parameter and the error in the CONQUEST output results. The results of the analysis showed that from 18 items that had been analyzed there were 4 items which had not been identified load DIF, there were 5 items that had been identified containing DIF but not statistically significant and there were 9 items that had been identified containing DIF significantly. The causes of items containing DIF were discussed.

  2. Grouping of Items in Mobile Web Questionnaires

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mavletova, Aigul; Couper, Mick P.

    2016-01-01

    There is some evidence that a scrolling design may reduce breakoffs in mobile web surveys compared to a paging design, but there is little empirical evidence to guide the choice of the optimal number of items per page. We investigate the effect of the number of items presented on a page on data quality in two types of questionnaires: with or…

  3. Dementia and mild cognitive impairment in patients with Parkinson's disease Demência e transtorno cognitivo leve em pacientes com doença de Parkinson

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gloria Maria Almeida Souza Tedrus

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this research was to assess the occurrence of cognitive impairment in 32 individuals (average age: 67.2 years old with Parkinson' disease (PD. Procedures: clinical-neurological assessment; modified Hoehn and Yahr staging scale (HYS; standard neuropsychological battery of CERAD (Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer' Disease; Pfeffer questionnaire; and Clinical Dementia Rating. A comparison was made with a control group (CG, consisting of 26 individuals with similar age and educational level but without cognitive impairment. The PD patients showed an inferior performance in the CERAD battery when compared to the CG. Three PD sub-groups were characterised according to cognition: no cognitive impairment - 15 cases; mild cognitive impairment - 10; dementia - 7 cases. There was a significant association between motor disability (HYS and the occurrence of dementia. Dementia and mild cognitive impairment frequently occur in PD patients and should be investigated in a routine way.O objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar a ocorrência de déficits cognitivos em 32 indivíduos (idade média: 67,2 anos com doença de Parkinson (DP. Procedimentos: avaliação clínico-neurológica, escala de Hoehn and Yahr modificada (EHY, bateria neurospicológica do CERAD (Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer' Disease, questionário de Pfeffer e escore clínico da demência (Clinical Dementia Rating. Foi feita comparação com grupo controle (GC de 26 indivíduos sem declínio cognitivo, com idade e nível educacional similares. Os pacientes com DP tiveram desempenho inferior na bateria CERAD, quando comparados ao do GC. Foram caracterizados 3 subgrupos com PD segundo a cognição: sem déficits cognitivos - 15 casos; transtorno cognitivo leve - 10; demência - 7 casos. Houve associação entre comprometimento motor e ocorrência de demência. Demência e transtorno cognitivo leve são freqüentes em pacientes com DP e devem ser

  4. Polytomous latent scales for the investigation of the ordering of items

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ligtvoet, R.; van der Ark, L.A.; Bergsma, W. P.; Sijtsma, K.

    2011-01-01

    We propose three latent scales within the framework of nonparametric item response theory for polytomously scored items. Latent scales are models that imply an invariant item ordering, meaning that the order of the items is the same for each measurement value on the latent scale. This ordering

  5. Comparison of evacuation methods used in the Netherlands and the USACE Dam and Levee Safety Programs for the Natomas Basin (CA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kolen B. (Bas

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Both in the USA and in the Netherlands, extensive studies on approaches for identifying flood risks (the combination of levee failure probabilities and consequences are ongoing. A related topic concerns evacuation and emergency management (EEM. The magnitude of life loss is directly influenced by the effectiveness of EEM. Different models can be used to define the effectiveness of evacuation. The main objective of this study is to compare Dutch and American methods for evacuation as part of flood risk management strategies for a number of case studies in the US. A second, additional objective is to explore how approaches for EEM that have been recently developed in the Netherlands, can be applied in the United States. This research shows the benefits and limitations for the application of different types of models. This research contributes to the improvement of methods for emergency management, in the Netherlands, the US and other countries.

  6. Computerized adaptive testing item selection in computerized adaptive learning systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Eggen, Theodorus Johannes Hendrikus Maria; Eggen, T.J.H.M.; Veldkamp, B.P.

    2012-01-01

    Item selection methods traditionally developed for computerized adaptive testing (CAT) are explored for their usefulness in item-based computerized adaptive learning (CAL) systems. While in CAT Fisher information-based selection is optimal, for recovering learning populations in CAL systems item

  7. Optimal item discrimination and maximum information for logistic IRT models

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Veerkamp, W.J.J.; Veerkamp, Wim J.J.; Berger, Martijn P.F.; Berger, Martijn

    1999-01-01

    Items with the highest discrimination parameter values in a logistic item response theory model do not necessarily give maximum information. This paper derives discrimination parameter values, as functions of the guessing parameter and distances between person parameters and item difficulty, that

  8. Data Visualization of Item-Total Correlation by Median Smoothing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chong Ho Yu

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper aims to illustrate how data visualization could be utilized to identify errors prior to modeling, using an example with multi-dimensional item response theory (MIRT. MIRT combines item response theory and factor analysis to identify a psychometric model that investigates two or more latent traits. While it may seem convenient to accomplish two tasks by employing one procedure, users should be cautious of problematic items that affect both factor analysis and IRT. When sample sizes are extremely large, reliability analyses can misidentify even random numbers as meaningful patterns. Data visualization, such as median smoothing, can be used to identify problematic items in preliminary data cleaning.

  9. Deliberate ambiguity in a finite environment: The urban ecology of artificial items

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abraham Akkerman

    2000-01-01

    Full Text Available A distinction is made between visual declaration and virtual usage of artificial items within a physical environment, such as a street. Visual declaration is a formal pictorial designation, or a function, e.g. “decoration,” of an item, such as a “planter.” Virtual usage refers to the item when it is used in lieu of another item. The formal designation, “sitting,” customarily designated to an item such as “bench,” could also be a virtual usage of the item “planter.” The question asked is, “What is the relationship between items, given their formal, visual declaration and their informal, virtual, usage?” An artificial item, according to its visual declaration, is referred to as a ‘visual’ or ‘real item’. Each visual item has the property of being used as another item by virtue of its undeclared usage. Pending on the item's design and configuration, a visual item can be then substituted for another visual item. An artificial item, thus, attains deliberate ambiguity between its formal designation and its virtual usage. This ambiguity between visual declaration and virtual usage can be quantified. Within the full domain of n possible usages, this relationship can be conveniently presented in a nonnegative matrix. It is shown that the inverse of this matrix belongs to a class of well-known matrices. This being the case, the relationship between visual and virtual properties of items within the environment can be formalized. The formalization throws further light on the emerging opportunities in streetscape design.

  10. Aptidão física de escolares com deficiência intetectual leve

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Denise Justo Panda

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Atualmente, visualizamos muitas escolas com um trabalho significativo e contributivo para o processo de inclusão, com esforços direcionados para o desenvolvimento integral dos alunos com necessidades educacionais especiais nas escolas regulares e a educação física tem um papel importante nesse processo. Objetivo: avaliar a aptidão física relacionada à saúde e ao desempenho esportivo dos escolares diagnosticados com deficiência Intelectual leve, de três escolas participantes do Programa Institucional de Bolsa de Iniciação à Docência – PIBID/UNICRUZ/Educação Física. Método: foram sujeitos do estudo 21 escolares, com idades entre 7 e 15 anos. O instrumento utilizado foi o Manual de testes e avaliação PROESP-BR (Projeto Esporte Brasil. Resultados: as variáveis que avaliaram a saúde dos educandos desencadearam maior preocupação, pois mostraram que a maioria dos alunos das três escolas está na zona de risco, principalmente no IMC (índice de massa corporal, estando eles acima do seu peso ideal, ou seja, com sobrepeso e até casos de obesidade. Outro resultado preocupante foram os índices de flexibilidade que mostram problemas de mobilidade corporal. As variáveis relacionadas ao desempenho esportivo desses alunos não foram tão alarmantes, mas estão aquém do esperado. Considerações finais: os resultados do estudo foram socializados e ofereceram indicadores para um planejamento de atividades, de acordo com as reais necessidades dos alunos, levando em conta que as oficinas de educação psicomotora do PIBID/UNICRUZ/ Educação Física devem apresentar significância para todos os seus participantes.

  11. Comparing Two Versions of the MEOCS Using Differential Item Functioning

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Truhon, Stephen

    2003-01-01

    ...) from item response theory (IRT). DIF was found for the majority of the 40 items examined, although in many cases the DIF indicated improvements in the revised items. Implications for these scales and for the use of IRT with the MEOCS are discussed.

  12. A simple and fast item selection procedure for adaptive testing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Veerkamp, W.J.J.; Veerkamp, Wim J.J.; Berger, Martijn; Berger, Martijn P.F.

    1994-01-01

    Items with the highest discrimination parameter values in a logistic item response theory (IRT) model do not necessarily give maximum information. This paper shows which discrimination parameter values (as a function of the guessing parameter and the distance between person ability and item

  13. Comparison of Alternate and Original Items on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lebedeva, Elena; Huang, Mei; Koski, Lisa

    2016-03-01

    The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a screening tool for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in elderly individuals. We hypothesized that measurement error when using the new alternate MoCA versions to monitor change over time could be related to the use of items that are not of comparable difficulty to their corresponding originals of similar content. The objective of this study was to compare the difficulty of the alternate MoCA items to the original ones. Five selected items from alternate versions of the MoCA were included with items from the original MoCA administered adaptively to geriatric outpatients (N = 78). Rasch analysis was used to estimate the difficulty level of the items. None of the five items from the alternate versions matched the difficulty level of their corresponding original items. This study demonstrates the potential benefits of a Rasch analysis-based approach for selecting items during the process of development of parallel forms. The results suggest that better match of the items from different MoCA forms by their difficulty would result in higher sensitivity to changes in cognitive function over time.

  14. Bayes factor covariance testing in item response models

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fox, J.P.; Mulder, J.; Sinharay, Sandip

    2017-01-01

    Two marginal one-parameter item response theory models are introduced, by integrating out the latent variable or random item parameter. It is shown that both marginal response models are multivariate (probit) models with a compound symmetry covariance structure. Several common hypotheses concerning

  15. Bayes Factor Covariance Testing in Item Response Models

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fox, Jean-Paul; Mulder, Joris; Sinharay, Sandip

    2017-01-01

    Two marginal one-parameter item response theory models are introduced, by integrating out the latent variable or random item parameter. It is shown that both marginal response models are multivariate (probit) models with a compound symmetry covariance structure. Several common hypotheses concerning

  16. 26 CFR 301.6222(a)-1 - Consistent treatment of partnership items.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 18 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Consistent treatment of partnership items. 301... Consistent treatment of partnership items. (a) In general. The treatment of a partnership item on the partner's return must be consistent with the treatment of that item by the partnership on the partnership...

  17. Analyzing force concept inventory with item response theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jing; Bao, Lei

    2010-10-01

    Item response theory is a popular assessment method used in education. It rests on the assumption of a probability framework that relates students' innate ability and their performance on test questions. Item response theory transforms students' raw test scores into a scaled proficiency score, which can be used to compare results obtained with different test questions. The scaled score also addresses the issues of ceiling effects and guessing, which commonly exist in quantitative assessment. We used item response theory to analyze the force concept inventory (FCI). Our results show that item response theory can be useful for analyzing physics concept surveys such as the FCI and produces results about the individual questions and student performance that are beyond the capability of classical statistics. The theory yields detailed measurement parameters regarding the difficulty, discrimination features, and probability of correct guess for each of the FCI questions.

  18. Criteria for eliminating items of a Test of Figural Analogies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diego Blum

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes the steps taken to eliminate two of the items in a Test of Figural Analogies (TFA. The main guidelines of psychometric analysis concerning Classical Test Theory (CTT and Item Response Theory (IRT are explained. The item elimination process was based on both the study of the CTT difficulty and discrimination index, and the unidimensionality analysis. The a, b, and c parameters of the Three Parameter Logistic Model of IRT were also considered for this purpose, as well as the assessment of each item fitting this model. The unfavourable characteristics of a group of TFA items are detailed, and decisions leading to their possible elimination are discussed.

  19. Detection of Uniform and Nonuniform Differential Item Functioning by Item-Focused Trees

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berger, Moritz; Tutz, Gerhard

    2016-01-01

    Detection of differential item functioning (DIF) by use of the logistic modeling approach has a long tradition. One big advantage of the approach is that it can be used to investigate nonuniform (NUDIF) as well as uniform DIF (UDIF). The classical approach allows one to detect DIF by distinguishing between multiple groups. We propose an…

  20. Development of six PROMIS pediatrics proxy-report item banks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irwin Debra E

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Pediatric self-report should be considered the standard for measuring patient reported outcomes (PRO among children. However, circumstances exist when the child is too young, cognitively impaired, or too ill to complete a PRO instrument and a proxy-report is needed. This paper describes the development process including the proxy cognitive interviews and large-field-test survey methods and sample characteristics employed to produce item parameters for the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS pediatric proxy-report item banks. Methods The PROMIS pediatric self-report items were converted into proxy-report items before undergoing cognitive interviews. These items covered six domains (physical function, emotional distress, social peer relationships, fatigue, pain interference, and asthma impact. Caregivers (n = 25 of children ages of 5 and 17 years provided qualitative feedback on proxy-report items to assess any major issues with these items. From May 2008 to March 2009, the large-scale survey enrolled children ages 8-17 years to complete the self-report version and caregivers to complete the proxy-report version of the survey (n = 1548 dyads. Caregivers of children ages 5 to 7 years completed the proxy report survey (n = 432. In addition, caregivers completed other proxy instruments, PedsQL™ 4.0 Generic Core Scales Parent Proxy-Report version, PedsQL™ Asthma Module Parent Proxy-Report version, and KIDSCREEN Parent-Proxy-52. Results Item content was well understood by proxies and did not require item revisions but some proxies clearly noted that determining an answer on behalf of their child was difficult for some items. Dyads and caregivers of children ages 5-17 years old were enrolled in the large-scale testing. The majority were female (85%, married (70%, Caucasian (64% and had at least a high school education (94%. Approximately 50% had children with a chronic health condition, primarily

  1. An improved non-Markovian degradation model with long-term dependency and item-to-item uncertainty

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xi, Xiaopeng; Chen, Maoyin; Zhang, Hanwen; Zhou, Donghua

    2018-05-01

    It is widely noted in the literature that the degradation should be simplified into a memoryless Markovian process for the purpose of predicting the remaining useful life (RUL). However, there actually exists the long-term dependency in the degradation processes of some industrial systems, including electromechanical equipments, oil tankers, and large blast furnaces. This implies the new degradation state depends not only on the current state, but also on the historical states. Such dynamic systems cannot be accurately described by traditional Markovian models. Here we present an improved non-Markovian degradation model with both the long-term dependency and the item-to-item uncertainty. As a typical non-stationary process with dependent increments, fractional Brownian motion (FBM) is utilized to simulate the fractal diffusion of practical degradations. The uncertainty among multiple items can be represented by a random variable of the drift. Based on this model, the unknown parameters are estimated through the maximum likelihood (ML) algorithm, while a closed-form solution to the RUL distribution is further derived using a weak convergence theorem. The practicability of the proposed model is fully verified by two real-world examples. The results demonstrate that the proposed method can effectively reduce the prediction error.

  2. Mathematical-programming approaches to test item pool design

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Veldkamp, Bernard P.; van der Linden, Willem J.; Ariel, A.

    2002-01-01

    This paper presents an approach to item pool design that has the potential to improve on the quality of current item pools in educational and psychological testing andhence to increase both measurement precision and validity. The approach consists of the application of mathematical programming

  3. 17 CFR 229.1010 - (Item 1010) Financial statements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ....1010 (Item 1010) Financial statements. (a) Financial information. Furnish the following financial information: (1) Audited financial statements for the two fiscal years required to be filed with the company's... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false (Item 1010) Financial...

  4. Procedures for Selecting Items for Computerized Adaptive Tests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kingsbury, G. Gage; Zara, Anthony R.

    1989-01-01

    Several classical approaches and alternative approaches to item selection for computerized adaptive testing (CAT) are reviewed and compared. The study also describes procedures for constrained CAT that may be added to classical item selection approaches to allow them to be used for applied testing. (TJH)

  5. Improving Measurement Efficiency of the Inner EAR Scale with Item Response Theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jessen, Annika; Ho, Andrew D; Corrales, C Eduardo; Yueh, Bevan; Shin, Jennifer J

    2018-02-01

    Objectives (1) To assess the 11-item Inner Effectiveness of Auditory Rehabilitation (Inner EAR) instrument with item response theory (IRT). (2) To determine whether the underlying latent ability could also be accurately represented by a subset of the items for use in high-volume clinical scenarios. (3) To determine whether the Inner EAR instrument correlates with pure tone thresholds and word recognition scores. Design IRT evaluation of prospective cohort data. Setting Tertiary care academic ambulatory otolaryngology clinic. Subjects and Methods Modern psychometric methods, including factor analysis and IRT, were used to assess unidimensionality and item properties. Regression methods were used to assess prediction of word recognition and pure tone audiometry scores. Results The Inner EAR scale is unidimensional, and items varied in their location and information. Information parameter estimates ranged from 1.63 to 4.52, with higher values indicating more useful items. The IRT model provided a basis for identifying 2 sets of items with relatively lower information parameters. Item information functions demonstrated which items added insubstantial value over and above other items and were removed in stages, creating a 8- and 3-item Inner EAR scale for more efficient assessment. The 8-item version accurately reflected the underlying construct. All versions correlated moderately with word recognition scores and pure tone averages. Conclusion The 11-, 8-, and 3-item versions of the Inner EAR scale have strong psychometric properties, and there is correlational validity evidence for the observed scores. Modern psychometric methods can help streamline care delivery by maximizing relevant information per item administered.

  6. QA in the procurement of items and services

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilhelm, H.

    1980-01-01

    Procurement of items and services is one of the important elements during the design and construction of Nuclear Power Plants. The purchaser has to establish and implement controls over the procurement process to ensure that the quality criteria, quality level and other quality requirements specified for the particuliar item or service are taken into account. The effect on safety of an error in service or the malfunction of an item is the most important factor to be considered in determining the extent of quality assurance efforts. A typical example of a procurement process will be demonstrated for safety related mechanical components. (orig./RW)

  7. DIF Trees: Using Classification Trees to Detect Differential Item Functioning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaughn, Brandon K.; Wang, Qiu

    2010-01-01

    A nonparametric tree classification procedure is used to detect differential item functioning for items that are dichotomously scored. Classification trees are shown to be an alternative procedure to detect differential item functioning other than the use of traditional Mantel-Haenszel and logistic regression analysis. A nonparametric…

  8. DRD4 long allele carriers show heightened attention to high-priority items relative to low-priority items.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorlick, Marissa A; Worthy, Darrell A; Knopik, Valerie S; McGeary, John E; Beevers, Christopher G; Maddox, W Todd

    2015-03-01

    Humans with seven or more repeats in exon III of the DRD4 gene (long DRD4 carriers) sometimes demonstrate impaired attention, as seen in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and at other times demonstrate heightened attention, as seen in addictive behavior. Although the clinical effects of DRD4 are the focus of much work, this gene may not necessarily serve as a "risk" gene for attentional deficits, but as a plasticity gene where attention is heightened for priority items in the environment and impaired for minor items. Here we examine the role of DRD4 in two tasks that benefit from selective attention to high-priority information. We examine a category learning task where performance is supported by focusing on features and updating verbal rules. Here, selective attention to the most salient features is associated with good performance. In addition, we examine the Operation Span (OSPAN) task, a working memory capacity task that relies on selective attention to update and maintain items in memory while also performing a secondary task. Long DRD4 carriers show superior performance relative to short DRD4 homozygotes (six or less tandem repeats) in both the category learning and OSPAN tasks. These results suggest that DRD4 may serve as a "plasticity" gene where individuals with the long allele show heightened selective attention to high-priority items in the environment, which can be beneficial in the appropriate context.

  9. Australian Chemistry Test Item Bank: Years 11 and 12. Volume 2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Commons, C., Ed.; Martin, P., Ed.

    The second volume of the Australian Chemistry Test Item Bank, consisting of two volumes, contains nearly 2000 multiple-choice items related to the chemistry taught in Year 11 and Year 12 courses in Australia. Items which were written during 1979 and 1980 were initially published in the "ACER Chemistry Test Item Collection" and in the…

  10. The Body Appreciation Scale-2: item refinement and psychometric evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tylka, Tracy L; Wood-Barcalow, Nichole L

    2015-01-01

    Considered a positive body image measure, the 13-item Body Appreciation Scale (BAS; Avalos, Tylka, & Wood-Barcalow, 2005) assesses individuals' acceptance of, favorable opinions toward, and respect for their bodies. While the BAS has accrued psychometric support, we improved it by rewording certain BAS items (to eliminate sex-specific versions and body dissatisfaction-based language) and developing additional items based on positive body image research. In three studies, we examined the reworded, newly developed, and retained items to determine their psychometric properties among college and online community (Amazon Mechanical Turk) samples of 820 women and 767 men. After exploratory factor analysis, we retained 10 items (five original BAS items). Confirmatory factor analysis upheld the BAS-2's unidimensionality and invariance across sex and sample type. Its internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct (convergent, incremental, and discriminant) validity were supported. The BAS-2 is a psychometrically sound positive body image measure applicable for research and clinical settings. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Difference in method of administration did not significantly impact item response

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjorner, Jakob B; Rose, Matthias; Gandek, Barbara

    2014-01-01

    assistant (PDA), or personal computer (PC) on the Internet, and a second form by PC, in the same administration. Structural invariance, equivalence of item responses, and measurement precision were evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory methods. RESULTS: Multigroup...... levels in IVR, PQ, or PDA administration as compared to PC. Availability of large item response theory-calibrated PROMIS item banks allowed for innovations in study design and analysis.......PURPOSE: To test the impact of method of administration (MOA) on the measurement characteristics of items developed in the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS). METHODS: Two non-overlapping parallel 8-item forms from each of three PROMIS domains (physical function...

  12. PENGEMBANGAN TES BERPIKIR KRITIS DENGAN PENDEKATAN ITEM RESPONSE THEORY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fajrianthi Fajrianthi

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menghasilkan sebuah alat ukur (tes berpikir kritis yang valid dan reliabel untuk digunakan, baik dalam lingkup pendidikan maupun kerja di Indonesia. Tahapan penelitian dilakukan berdasarkan tahap pengembangan tes menurut Hambleton dan Jones (1993. Kisi-kisi dan pembuatan butir didasarkan pada konsep dalam tes Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA. Pada WGCTA, berpikir kritis terdiri dari lima dimensi yaitu Inference, Recognition Assumption, Deduction, Interpretation dan Evaluation of arguments. Uji coba tes dilakukan pada 1.453 peserta tes seleksi karyawan di Surabaya, Gresik, Tuban, Bojonegoro, Rembang. Data dikotomi dianalisis dengan menggunakan model IRT dengan dua parameter yaitu daya beda dan tingkat kesulitan butir. Analisis dilakukan dengan menggunakan program statistik Mplus versi 6.11 Sebelum melakukan analisis dengan IRT, dilakukan pengujian asumsi yaitu uji unidimensionalitas, independensi lokal dan Item Characteristic Curve (ICC. Hasil analisis terhadap 68 butir menghasilkan 15 butir dengan daya beda yang cukup baik dan tingkat kesulitan butir yang berkisar antara –4 sampai dengan 2.448. Sedikitnya jumlah butir yang berkualitas baik disebabkan oleh kelemahan dalam menentukan subject matter experts di bidang berpikir kritis dan pemilihan metode skoring. Kata kunci: Pengembangan tes, berpikir kritis, item response theory   DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING TEST UTILISING ITEM RESPONSE THEORY Abstract The present study was aimed to develop a valid and reliable instrument in assesing critical thinking which can be implemented both in educational and work settings in Indonesia. Following the Hambleton and Jones’s (1993 procedures on test development, the study developed the instrument by employing the concept of critical thinking from Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA. The study included five dimensions of critical thinking as adopted from the WGCTA: Inference, Recognition

  13. Item response theory at subject- and group-level

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tobi, Hilde

    1990-01-01

    This paper reviews the literature about item response models for the subject level and aggregated level (group level). Group-level item response models (IRMs) are used in the United States in large-scale assessment programs such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress and the California

  14. 48 CFR 52.212-2 - Evaluation-Commercial Items.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Evaluation-Commercial....212-2 Evaluation—Commercial Items. As prescribed in 12.301(c), the Contracting Officer may insert a provision substantially as follows: Evaluation—Commercial Items (JAN 1999) (a) The Government will award a...

  15. Loglinear multidimensional IRT models for polytomously scored items

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kelderman, Henk; Rijkes, Carl P.M.; Rijkes, Carl

    1994-01-01

    A loglinear IRT model is proposed that relates polytomously scored item responses to a multidimensional latent space. The analyst may specify a response function for each response, indicating which latent abilities are necessary to arrive at that response. Each item may have a different number of

  16. Item Response Theory Models for Wording Effects in Mixed-Format Scales

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Wen-Chung; Chen, Hui-Fang; Jin, Kuan-Yu

    2015-01-01

    Many scales contain both positively and negatively worded items. Reverse recoding of negatively worded items might not be enough for them to function as positively worded items do. In this study, we commented on the drawbacks of existing approaches to wording effect in mixed-format scales and used bi-factor item response theory (IRT) models to…

  17. 16 CFR 304.5 - Marking requirements for imitation political items.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Marking requirements for imitation political... imitation political items. (a) An imitation political item which is manufactured in the United States, or...) An imitation political item of incusable material shall be incused with the calendar year in sans...

  18. Evaluating an Automated Number Series Item Generator Using Linear Logistic Test Models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bao Sheng Loe

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available This study investigates the item properties of a newly developed Automatic Number Series Item Generator (ANSIG. The foundation of the ANSIG is based on five hypothesised cognitive operators. Thirteen item models were developed using the numGen R package and eleven were evaluated in this study. The 16-item ICAR (International Cognitive Ability Resource1 short form ability test was used to evaluate construct validity. The Rasch Model and two Linear Logistic Test Model(s (LLTM were employed to estimate and predict the item parameters. Results indicate that a single factor determines the performance on tests composed of items generated by the ANSIG. Under the LLTM approach, all the cognitive operators were significant predictors of item difficulty. Moderate to high correlations were evident between the number series items and the ICAR test scores, with high correlation found for the ICAR Letter-Numeric-Series type items, suggesting adequate nomothetic span. Extended cognitive research is, nevertheless, essential for the automatic generation of an item pool with predictable psychometric properties.

  19. Improving measurement of injection drug risk behavior using item response theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janulis, Patrick

    2014-03-01

    Recent research highlights the multiple steps to preparing and injecting drugs and the resultant viral threats faced by drug users. This research suggests that more sensitive measurement of injection drug HIV risk behavior is required. In addition, growing evidence suggests there are gender differences in injection risk behavior. However, the potential for differential item functioning between genders has not been explored. To explore item response theory as an improved measurement modeling technique that provides empirically justified scaling of injection risk behavior and to examine for potential gender-based differential item functioning. Data is used from three studies in the National Institute on Drug Abuse's Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies. A two-parameter item response theory model was used to scale injection risk behavior and logistic regression was used to examine for differential item functioning. Item fit statistics suggest that item response theory can be used to scale injection risk behavior and these models can provide more sensitive estimates of risk behavior. Additionally, gender-based differential item functioning is present in the current data. Improved measurement of injection risk behavior using item response theory should be encouraged as these models provide increased congruence between construct measurement and the complexity of injection-related HIV risk. Suggestions are made to further improve injection risk behavior measurement. Furthermore, results suggest direct comparisons of composite scores between males and females may be misleading and future work should account for differential item functioning before comparing levels of injection risk behavior.

  20. Medial temporal lobe contributions to cued retrieval of items and contexts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hannula, Deborah E; Libby, Laura A; Yonelinas, Andrew P; Ranganath, Charan

    2013-10-01

    Several models have proposed that different regions of the medial temporal lobes contribute to different aspects of episodic memory. For instance, according to one view, the perirhinal cortex represents specific items, parahippocampal cortex represents information regarding the context in which these items were encountered, and the hippocampus represents item-context bindings. Here, we used event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to test a specific prediction of this model-namely, that successful retrieval of items from context cues will elicit perirhinal recruitment and that successful retrieval of contexts from item cues will elicit parahippocampal cortex recruitment. Retrieval of the bound representation in either case was expected to elicit hippocampal engagement. To test these predictions, we had participants study several item-context pairs (i.e., pictures of objects and scenes, respectively), and then had them attempt to recall items from associated context cues and contexts from associated item cues during a scanned retrieval session. Results based on both univariate and multivariate analyses confirmed a role for hippocampus in content-general relational memory retrieval, and a role for parahippocampal cortex in successful retrieval of contexts from item cues. However, we also found that activity differences in perirhinal cortex were correlated with successful cued recall for both items and contexts. These findings provide partial support for the above predictions and are discussed with respect to several models of medial temporal lobe function. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Medial Temporal Lobe Contributions to Cued Retrieval of Items and Contexts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hannula, Deborah E.; Libby, Laura A.; Yonelinas, Andrew P.; Ranganath, Charan

    2013-01-01

    Several models have proposed that different regions of the medial temporal lobes contribute to different aspects of episodic memory. For instance, according to one view, the perirhinal cortex represents specific items, parahippocampal cortex represents information regarding the context in which these items were encountered, and the hippocampus represents item-context bindings. Here, we used event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to test a specific prediction of this model – namely, that successful retrieval of items from context cues will elicit perirhinal recruitment and that successful retrieval of contexts from item cues will elicit parahippocampal cortex recruitment. Retrieval of the bound representation in either case was expected to elicit hippocampal engagement. To test these predictions, we had participants study several item-context pairs (i.e., pictures of objects and scenes, respectively), and then had them attempt to recall items from associated context cues and contexts from associated item cues during a scanned retrieval session. Results based on both univariate and multivariate analyses confirmed a role for hippocampus in content-general relational memory retrieval, and a role for parahippocampal cortex in successful retrieval of contexts from item cues. However, we also found that activity differences in perirhinal cortex were correlated with successful cued recall for both items and contexts. These findings provide partial support for the above predictions and are discussed with respect to several models of medial temporal lobe function. PMID:23466350

  2. A scale purification procedure for evaluation of differential item functioning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Khalid, Muhammad Naveed; Glas, Cornelis A.W.

    2014-01-01

    Item bias or differential item functioning (DIF) has an important impact on the fairness of psychological and educational testing. In this paper, DIF is seen as a lack of fit to an item response (IRT) model. Inferences about the presence and importance of DIF require a process of so-called test

  3. ACER Chemistry Test Item Collection (ACER CHEMTIC Year 12 Supplement).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Australian Council for Educational Research, Hawthorn.

    This publication contains 317 multiple-choice chemistry test items related to topics covered in the Victorian (Australia) Year 12 chemistry course. It allows teachers access to a range of items suitable for diagnostic and achievement purposes, supplementing the ACER Chemistry Test Item Collection--Year 12 (CHEMTIC). The topics covered are: organic…

  4. 48 CFR 53.212 - Acquisition of commercial items.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Acquisition of commercial... (CONTINUED) CLAUSES AND FORMS FORMS Prescription of Forms 53.212 Acquisition of commercial items. SF 1449 (Rev. 3/2005), Solicitation/Contract/Order for Commercial Items. SF 1449 is prescribed for use in...

  5. The utility of single-item readiness screeners in middle school.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Crystal G; Herman, Keith C; Huang, Francis L; Stormont, Melissa; Grossman, Caroline; Eddy, Colleen; Reinke, Wendy M

    2017-10-01

    This study examined the benefit of utilizing one-item academic and one-item behavior readiness teacher-rated screeners at the beginning of the school year to predict end-of-school year outcomes for middle school students. The Middle School Academic and Behavior Readiness (M-ABR) screeners were developed to provide an efficient and effective way to assess readiness in students. Participants included 889 students in 62 middle school classrooms in an urban Missouri school district. Concurrent validity with the M-ABR items and other indicators of readiness in the fall were evaluated using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients, with the academic readiness item having medium to strong correlations with other baseline academic indicators (r=±0.56 to 0.91) and the behavior readiness item having low to strong correlations with baseline behavior items (r=±0.20 to 0.79). Next, the predictive validity of the M-ABR items was analyzed with hierarchical linear regressions using end-of-year outcomes as the dependent variable. The academic and behavior readiness items demonstrated adequate validity for all outcomes with moderate effects (β=±0.31 to 0.73 for academic outcomes and β=±0.24 to 0.59 for behavioral outcomes) after controlling for baseline demographics. Even after controlling for baseline scores, the M-ABR items predicted unique variance in almost all outcome variables. Four conditional probability indices were calculated to obtain an optimal cut score, to determine ready vs. not ready, for both single-item M-ABR scales. The cut point of "fair" yielded the most acceptable values for the indices. The odd ratios (OR) of experiencing negative outcomes given a "fair" or lower readiness rating (2 or below on the M-ABR screeners) at the beginning of the year were significant and strong for all outcomes (OR=2.29 to OR=14.46), except for internalizing problems. These findings suggest promise for using single readiness items to screen for varying negative end

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hendrickson, Bruce A.

    1999-01-01

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

  7. An Efficient Way to Detect Poststroke Depression by Subsequent Administration of a 9-Item and a 2-Item Patient Health Questionnaire

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Man-van Ginkel, Janneke M.; Hafsteinsdottir, Thora; Lindeman, Eline; Burger, Huibert; Grobbee, Diederick; Schuurmans, Marieke

    Background and Purpose-The early detection of poststroke depression is essential for optimizing recovery after stroke. A prospective study was conducted to investigate the diagnostic value of the 9-item and the 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9, PHQ-2). Methods-One hundred seventy-one

  8. Cross-National Prevalence of Traditional Bullying, Traditional Victimization, Cyberbullying and Cyber-Victimization: Comparing Single-Item and Multiple-Item Approaches of Measurement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yanagida, Takuya; Gradinger, Petra; Strohmeier, Dagmar; Solomontos-Kountouri, Olga; Trip, Simona; Bora, Carmen

    2016-01-01

    Many large-scale cross-national studies rely on a single-item measurement when comparing prevalence rates of traditional bullying, traditional victimization, cyberbullying, and cyber-victimization between countries. However, the reliability and validity of single-item measurement approaches are highly problematic and might be biased. Data from…

  9. Storage options for Long Length Contaminated Equipment (LLCE) items

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hodgson, R.D.

    1994-11-01

    A review of the Washington state requirements for the storage of long equipment items removed from tanks indicate that if the contaminated materials on the long equipment items are analyzed and determined to be DW, and not EHW, the containers can be stored on an uncovered, RCRA approved, storage pad. Long equipment items contaminated with reportable levels of EHW, or suspected of being contaminated with EHW, must be protected from the elements by means of a building or other protective covering that otherwise allows adequate inspection of the containers. Storage of the long equipment item containers on an uncovered storage pad is recommended and will reduce construction costs for new storage by an estimated 60 percent when compared to construction costs for enclosed storage

  10. Gender Invariance of the Gambling Behavior Scale for Adolescents (GBS-A): An Analysis of Differential Item Functioning Using Item Response Theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donati, Maria Anna; Chiesi, Francesca; Izzo, Viola A; Primi, Caterina

    2017-01-01

    As there is a lack of evidence attesting the equivalent item functioning across genders for the most employed instruments used to measure pathological gambling in adolescence, the present study was aimed to test the gender invariance of the Gambling Behavior Scale for Adolescents (GBS-A), a new measurement tool to assess the severity of Gambling Disorder (GD) in adolescents. The equivalence of the items across genders was assessed by analyzing Differential Item Functioning within an Item Response Theory framework. The GBS-A was administered to 1,723 adolescents, and the graded response model was employed. The results attested the measurement equivalence of the GBS-A when administered to male and female adolescent gamblers. Overall, findings provided evidence that the GBS-A is an effective measurement tool of the severity of GD in male and female adolescents and that the scale was unbiased and able to relieve truly gender differences. As such, the GBS-A can be profitably used in educational interventions and clinical treatments with young people.

  11. Safety Evaluation for Packaging (onsite) T Plant Canyon Items

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    OBRIEN, J.H.

    2000-01-01

    This safety evaluation for packaging (SEP) evaluates and documents the ability to safely ship mostly unique inventories of miscellaneous T Plant canyon waste items (T-P Items) encountered during the canyon deck clean off campaign. In addition, this SEP addresses contaminated items and material that may be shipped in a strong tight package (STP). The shipments meet the criteria for onsite shipments as specified by Fluor Hanford in HNF-PRO-154, Responsibilities and Procedures for all Hazardous Material Shipments

  12. Safety Evaluation for Packaging (onsite) T Plant Canyon Items

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    OBRIEN, J.H.

    2000-07-14

    This safety evaluation for packaging (SEP) evaluates and documents the ability to safely ship mostly unique inventories of miscellaneous T Plant canyon waste items (T-P Items) encountered during the canyon deck clean off campaign. In addition, this SEP addresses contaminated items and material that may be shipped in a strong tight package (STP). The shipments meet the criteria for onsite shipments as specified by Fluor Hanford in HNF-PRO-154, Responsibilities and Procedures for all Hazardous Material Shipments.

  13. Reliability and validity of the Spanish version of the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (10-item CD-RISC in young adults

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    García-Campayo Javier

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (10-item CD-RISC is an instrument for measuring resilience that has shown good psychometric properties in its original version in English. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Spanish version of the 10-item CD-RISC in young adults and to verify whether it is structured in a single dimension as in the original English version. Findings Cross-sectional observational study including 681 university students ranging in age from 18 to 30 years. The number of latent factors in the 10 items of the scale was analyzed by exploratory factor analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to verify whether a single factor underlies the 10 items of the scale as in the original version in English. The convergent validity was analyzed by testing whether the mean of the scores of the mental component of SF-12 (MCS and the quality of sleep as measured with the Pittsburgh Sleep Index (PSQI were higher in subjects with better levels of resilience. The internal consistency of the 10-item CD-RISC was estimated using the Cronbach α test and test-retest reliability was estimated with the intraclass correlation coefficient. The Cronbach α coefficient was 0.85 and the test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.71. The mean MCS score and the level of quality of sleep in both men and women were significantly worse in subjects with lower resilience scores. Conclusions The Spanish version of the 10-item CD-RISC showed good psychometric properties in young adults and thus can be used as a reliable and valid instrument for measuring resilience. Our study confirmed that a single factor underlies the resilience construct, as was the case of the original scale in English.

  14. Lead pollution of shooting range soils | Sehube | South African ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Atotal of eight military shooting ranges were used for this study. Soil samples were collected at each of the eight shooting ranges at the berm, target line, 50 and 100 m from berm. In all of the shooting ranges investigated the highest total lead (Pb) concentrations were found in the bermsoils. Elevated Pb concentrations of 38 ...

  15. The Influence of Item Properties on Association-Memory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madan, Christopher R.; Glaholt, Mackenzie G.; Caplan, Jeremy B.

    2010-01-01

    Word properties like imageability and word frequency improve cued recall of verbal paired-associates. We asked whether these enhancements follow simply from prior effects on item-memory, or also strengthen associations between items. Participants studied word pairs varying in imageability or frequency: pairs were "pure" (high-high, low-low) or…

  16. Assessment of Differential Item Functioning in the Experiences of Discrimination Index

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cunningham, Timothy J.; Berkman, Lisa F.; Gortmaker, Steven L.; Kiefe, Catarina I.; Jacobs, David R.; Seeman, Teresa E.; Kawachi, Ichiro

    2011-01-01

    The psychometric properties of instruments used to measure self-reported experiences of discrimination in epidemiologic studies are rarely assessed, especially regarding construct validity. The authors used 2000–2001 data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study to examine differential item functioning (DIF) in 2 versions of the Experiences of Discrimination (EOD) Index, an index measuring self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic and gender discrimination. DIF may confound interpretation of subgroup differences. Large DIF was observed for 2 of 7 racial/ethnic discrimination items: White participants reported more racial/ethnic discrimination for the “at school” item, and black participants reported more racial/ethnic discrimination for the “getting housing” item. The large DIF by race/ethnicity in the index for racial/ethnic discrimination probably reflects item impact and is the result of valid group differences between blacks and whites regarding their respective experiences of discrimination. The authors also observed large DIF by race/ethnicity for 3 of 7 gender discrimination items. This is more likely to have been due to item bias. Users of the EOD Index must consider the advantages and disadvantages of DIF adjustment (omitting items, constructing separate measures, and retaining items). The EOD Index has substantial usefulness as an instrument that can assess self-reported experiences of discrimination. PMID:22038104

  17. 41 CFR 101-30.101-1a - Item of production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Item of production. 101-30.101-1a Section 101-30.101-1a Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property Management....1-General § 101-30.101-1a Item of production. Item-of-production means those articles, equipment...

  18. Selecting Lower Priced Items.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kleinert, Harold L.; And Others

    1988-01-01

    A program used to teach moderately to severely mentally handicapped students to select the lower priced items in actual shopping activities is described. Through a five-phase process, students are taught to compare prices themselves as well as take into consideration variations in the sizes of containers and varying product weights. (VW)

  19. Overview of classical test theory and item response theory for the quantitative assessment of items in developing patient-reported outcomes measures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cappelleri, Joseph C; Jason Lundy, J; Hays, Ron D

    2014-05-01

    The US Food and Drug Administration's guidance for industry document on patient-reported outcomes (PRO) defines content validity as "the extent to which the instrument measures the concept of interest" (FDA, 2009, p. 12). According to Strauss and Smith (2009), construct validity "is now generally viewed as a unifying form of validity for psychological measurements, subsuming both content and criterion validity" (p. 7). Hence, both qualitative and quantitative information are essential in evaluating the validity of measures. We review classical test theory and item response theory (IRT) approaches to evaluating PRO measures, including frequency of responses to each category of the items in a multi-item scale, the distribution of scale scores, floor and ceiling effects, the relationship between item response options and the total score, and the extent to which hypothesized "difficulty" (severity) order of items is represented by observed responses. If a researcher has few qualitative data and wants to get preliminary information about the content validity of the instrument, then descriptive assessments using classical test theory should be the first step. As the sample size grows during subsequent stages of instrument development, confidence in the numerical estimates from Rasch and other IRT models (as well as those of classical test theory) would also grow. Classical test theory and IRT can be useful in providing a quantitative assessment of items and scales during the content-validity phase of PRO-measure development. Depending on the particular type of measure and the specific circumstances, the classical test theory and/or the IRT should be considered to help maximize the content validity of PRO measures. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Test Score Equating Using Discrete Anchor Items versus Passage-Based Anchor Items: A Case Study Using "SAT"® Data. Research Report. ETS RR-14-14

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jinghua; Zu, Jiyun; Curley, Edward; Carey, Jill

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of discrete anchor items versus passage-based anchor items on observed score equating using empirical data.This study compares an "SAT"® critical reading anchor that contains more discrete items proportionally, compared to the total tests to be equated, to another anchor that…

  1. Applying modern psychometric techniques to melodic discrimination testing: Item response theory, computerised adaptive testing, and automatic item generation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrison, Peter M C; Collins, Tom; Müllensiefen, Daniel

    2017-06-15

    Modern psychometric theory provides many useful tools for ability testing, such as item response theory, computerised adaptive testing, and automatic item generation. However, these techniques have yet to be integrated into mainstream psychological practice. This is unfortunate, because modern psychometric techniques can bring many benefits, including sophisticated reliability measures, improved construct validity, avoidance of exposure effects, and improved efficiency. In the present research we therefore use these techniques to develop a new test of a well-studied psychological capacity: melodic discrimination, the ability to detect differences between melodies. We calibrate and validate this test in a series of studies. Studies 1 and 2 respectively calibrate and validate an initial test version, while Studies 3 and 4 calibrate and validate an updated test version incorporating additional easy items. The results support the new test's viability, with evidence for strong reliability and construct validity. We discuss how these modern psychometric techniques may also be profitably applied to other areas of music psychology and psychological science in general.

  2. A note on monotonicity of item response functions for ordered polytomous item response theory models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Hyeon-Ah; Su, Ya-Hui; Chang, Hua-Hua

    2018-03-08

    A monotone relationship between a true score (τ) and a latent trait level (θ) has been a key assumption for many psychometric applications. The monotonicity property in dichotomous response models is evident as a result of a transformation via a test characteristic curve. Monotonicity in polytomous models, in contrast, is not immediately obvious because item response functions are determined by a set of response category curves, which are conceivably non-monotonic in θ. The purpose of the present note is to demonstrate strict monotonicity in ordered polytomous item response models. Five models that are widely used in operational assessments are considered for proof: the generalized partial credit model (Muraki, 1992, Applied Psychological Measurement, 16, 159), the nominal model (Bock, 1972, Psychometrika, 37, 29), the partial credit model (Masters, 1982, Psychometrika, 47, 147), the rating scale model (Andrich, 1978, Psychometrika, 43, 561), and the graded response model (Samejima, 1972, A general model for free-response data (Psychometric Monograph no. 18). Psychometric Society, Richmond). The study asserts that the item response functions in these models strictly increase in θ and thus there exists strict monotonicity between τ and θ under certain specified conditions. This conclusion validates the practice of customarily using τ in place of θ in applied settings and provides theoretical grounds for one-to-one transformations between the two scales. © 2018 The British Psychological Society.

  3. Validation of the Spanish versions of the long (26 items) and short (12 items) forms of the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia-Campayo, Javier; Navarro-Gil, Mayte; Andrés, Eva; Montero-Marin, Jesús; López-Artal, Lorena; Demarzo, Marcelo Marcos Piva

    2014-01-10

    Self-compassion is a key psychological construct for assessing clinical outcomes in mindfulness-based interventions. The aim of this study was to validate the Spanish versions of the long (26 item) and short (12 item) forms of the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS). The translated Spanish versions of both subscales were administered to two independent samples: Sample 1 was comprised of university students (n = 268) who were recruited to validate the long form, and Sample 2 was comprised of Aragon Health Service workers (n = 271) who were recruited to validate the short form. In addition to SCS, the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait (STAI-T), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) were administered. Construct validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability and convergent validity were tested. The Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) of the long and short forms of the SCS confirmed the original six-factor model in both scales, showing goodness of fit. Cronbach's α for the 26 item SCS was 0.87 (95% CI = 0.85-0.90) and ranged between 0.72 and 0.79 for the 6 subscales. Cronbach's α for the 12-item SCS was 0.85 (95% CI = 0.81-0.88) and ranged between 0.71 and 0.77 for the 6 subscales. The long (26-item) form of the SCS showed a test-retest coefficient of 0.92 (95% CI = 0.89-0.94). The Intraclass Correlation (ICC) for the 6 subscales ranged from 0.84 to 0.93. The short (12-item) form of the SCS showed a test-retest coefficient of 0.89 (95% CI: 0.87-0.93). The ICC for the 6 subscales ranged from 0.79 to 0.91. The long and short forms of the SCS exhibited a significant negative correlation with the BDI, the STAI and the PSQ, and a significant positive correlation with the MAAS. The correlation between the total score of the long and short SCS form was r = 0.92. The Spanish versions of the long (26-item) and short (12-item) forms of the SCS are valid and

  4. Exploring differential item functioning (DIF) with the Rasch model: a comparison of gender differences on eighth grade science items in the United States and Spain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babiar, Tasha Calvert

    2011-01-01

    Traditionally, women and minorities have not been fully represented in science and engineering. Numerous studies have attributed these differences to gaps in science achievement as measured by various standardized tests. Rather than describe mean group differences in science achievement across multiple cultures, this study focused on an in-depth item-level analysis across two countries: Spain and the United States. This study investigated eighth-grade gender differences on science items across the two countries. A secondary purpose of the study was to explore the nature of gender differences using the many-faceted Rasch Model as a way to estimate gender DIF. A secondary analysis of data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) was used to address three questions: 1) Does gender DIF in science achievement exist? 2) Is there a relationship between gender DIF and characteristics of the science items? 3) Do the relationships between item characteristics and gender DIF in science items replicate across countries. Participants included 7,087 eight grade students from the United States and 3,855 students from Spain who participated in TIMSS. The Facets program (Linacre and Wright, 1992) was used to estimate gender DIF. The results of the analysis indicate that the content of the item seemed to be related to gender DIF. The analysis also suggests that there is a relationship between gender DIF and item format. No pattern of gender DIF related to cognitive demand was found. The general pattern of gender DIF was similar across the two countries used in the analysis. The strength of item-level analysis as opposed to group mean difference analysis is that gender differences can be detected at the item level, even when no mean differences can be detected at the group level.

  5. An item-oriented recommendation algorithm on cold-start problem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Tian; Chen, Guang; Zhang, Zi-Ke; Zhou, Tao

    2011-09-01

    Based on a hybrid algorithm incorporating the heat conduction and probability spreading processes (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 107 (2010) 4511), in this letter, we propose an improved method by introducing an item-oriented function, focusing on solving the dilemma of the recommendation accuracy between the cold and popular items. Differently from previous works, the present algorithm does not require any additional information (e.g., tags). Further experimental results obtained in three real datasets, RYM, Netflix and MovieLens, show that, compared with the original hybrid method, the proposed algorithm significantly enhances the recommendation accuracy of the cold items, while it keeps the recommendation accuracy of the overall and the popular items. This work might shed some light on both understanding and designing effective methods for long-tailed online applications of recommender systems.

  6. Avaliação de solução concentrada de albumina eqüina na fluidoterapia em eqüinos com desidratação leve a moderada

    OpenAIRE

    Carla Bargi Belli

    2005-01-01

    A utilização de colóides é indicada em várias situações, mas nem sempre aplicável na clínica de eqüinos. O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar o uso de solução concentrada de albumina eqüina (diluída a 5%) durante fluidoterapia em eqüinos com desidratação leve a moderada, comparando-a com fluidoterapia apenas com solução fisiológica. Foram utilizados dois grupos de cinco eqüinos adultos, sem alterações clínicas. Cada animal passou pelo protocolo dos dois grupos experimentais (fluidoterapia ap...

  7. Building an Evaluation Scale using Item Response Theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lalor, John P; Wu, Hao; Yu, Hong

    2016-11-01

    Evaluation of NLP methods requires testing against a previously vetted gold-standard test set and reporting standard metrics (accuracy/precision/recall/F1). The current assumption is that all items in a given test set are equal with regards to difficulty and discriminating power. We propose Item Response Theory (IRT) from psychometrics as an alternative means for gold-standard test-set generation and NLP system evaluation. IRT is able to describe characteristics of individual items - their difficulty and discriminating power - and can account for these characteristics in its estimation of human intelligence or ability for an NLP task. In this paper, we demonstrate IRT by generating a gold-standard test set for Recognizing Textual Entailment. By collecting a large number of human responses and fitting our IRT model, we show that our IRT model compares NLP systems with the performance in a human population and is able to provide more insight into system performance than standard evaluation metrics. We show that a high accuracy score does not always imply a high IRT score, which depends on the item characteristics and the response pattern.

  8. Procurement Engineering Process for Commercial Grade Item Dedication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Jong-Hyuck; Park, Jong-Eun; Kwak, Tack-Hun; Yoo, Keun-Bae; Lee, Sang-Guk; Hong, Sung-Yull

    2006-01-01

    Procurement Engineering Process for commercial grade item dedication plays an increasingly important role in operation management of Korea Nuclear Power Plants. The purpose of the Procurement Engineering Process is the provision and assurance of a high quality and quantity of spare, replacement, retrofit and new parts and equipment while maximizing plant availability, minimizing downtime due to parts unavailability and providing reasonable overall program and inventory cost. In this paper, we will review the overview requirements, responsibilities and the process for demonstrating with reasonable assurance that a procured item for potential nuclear safety related services or other essential plant service is adequate with reasonable assurance for its application. This paper does not cover the details of technical evaluation, selecting critical characteristics, selecting acceptance methods, performing failure modes and effects analysis, performing source surveillance, performing quality surveys, performing special tests and inspections, and the other aspects of effective Procurement Engineering and Commercial Grade Item Dedication. The main contribution of this paper is to provide the provision of an overview of Procurement Engineering Process for commercial grade item

  9. Intentional forgetting reduces color-naming interference: evidence from item-method directed forgetting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Yuh-Shiow; Lee, Huang-Mou; Fawcett, Jonathan M

    2013-01-01

    In an item-method-directed forgetting task, Chinese words were presented individually, each followed by an instruction to remember or forget. Colored probe items were presented following each memory instruction requiring a speeded color-naming response. Half of the probe items were novel and unrelated to the preceding study item, whereas the remaining half of the probe items were a repetition of the preceding study item. Repeated probe items were either identical to the preceding study item (E1, E2), a phonetic reproduction of the preceding study item (E3), or perceptually matched to the preceding study item (E4). Color-naming interference was calculated by subtracting color-naming reaction times made in response to a string of meaningless symbols from that of the novel and repeated conditions. Across all experiments, participants recalled more to-be-remembered (TBR) than to-be-forgotten (TBF) study words. More importantly, Experiments 1 and 2 found that color-naming interference was reduced for repeated TBF words relative to repeated TBR words. Experiments 3 and 4 further found that this effect occurred at the perceptual rather than semantic level. These findings suggest that participants may bias processing resources away from the perceptual representation of to-be-forgotten information.

  10. Analysis Test of Understanding of Vectors with the Three-Parameter Logistic Model of Item Response Theory and Item Response Curves Technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rakkapao, Suttida; Prasitpong, Singha; Arayathanitkul, Kwan

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated the multiple-choice test of understanding of vectors (TUV), by applying item response theory (IRT). The difficulty, discriminatory, and guessing parameters of the TUV items were fit with the three-parameter logistic model of IRT, using the parscale program. The TUV ability is an ability parameter, here estimated assuming…

  11. Cash Impact of the Consumable Item Transfer, Phase II

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    1998-01-01

    ...). This report is the third in a series of reports regarding the consumable item transfer (CIT), phase II. The Deputy Secretary of Defense directed the transfer of the management of consumable items to Defense Logistics Agency...

  12. A confirmative clinimetric analysis of the 36-item Family Assessment Device.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Timmerby, Nina; Cosci, Fiammetta; Watson, Maggie; Csillag, Claudio; Schmitt, Florence; Steck, Barbara; Bech, Per; Thastum, Mikael

    2018-02-07

    The Family Assessment Device (FAD) is a 60-item questionnaire widely used to evaluate self-reported family functioning. However, the factor structure as well as the number of items has been questioned. A shorter and more user-friendly version of the original FAD-scale, the 36-item FAD, has therefore previously been proposed, based on findings in a nonclinical population of adults. We aimed in this study to evaluate the brief 36-item version of the FAD in a clinical population. Data from a European multinational study, examining factors associated with levels of family functioning in adult cancer patients' families, were used. Both healthy and ill parents completed the 60-item version FAD. The psychometric analyses conducted were Principal Component Analysis and Mokken-analysis. A total of 564 participants were included. Based on the psychometric analysis we confirmed that the 36-item version of the FAD has robust psychometric properties and can be used in clinical populations. The present analysis confirmed that the 36-item version of the FAD (18 items assessing 'well-being' and 18 items assessing 'dysfunctional' family function) is a brief scale where the summed total score is a valid measure of the dimensions of family functioning. This shorter version of the FAD is, in accordance with the concept of 'measurement-based care', an easy to use scale that could be considered when the aim is to evaluate self-reported family functioning.

  13. [Instrument to measure adherence in hypertensive patients: contribution of Item Response Theory].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodrigues, Malvina Thaís Pacheco; Moreira, Thereza Maria Magalhaes; Vasconcelos, Alexandre Meira de; Andrade, Dalton Francisco de; Silva, Daniele Braz da; Barbetta, Pedro Alberto

    2013-06-01

    To analyze, by means of "Item Response Theory", an instrument to measure adherence to t treatment for hypertension. Analytical study with 406 hypertensive patients with associated complications seen in primary care in Fortaleza, CE, Northeastern Brazil, 2011 using "Item Response Theory". The stages were: dimensionality test, calibrating the items, processing data and creating a scale, analyzed using the gradual response model. A study of the dimensionality of the instrument was conducted by analyzing the polychoric correlation matrix and factor analysis of complete information. Multilog software was used to calibrate items and estimate the scores. Items relating to drug therapy are the most directly related to adherence while those relating to drug-free therapy need to be reworked because they have less psychometric information and low discrimination. The independence of items, the small number of levels in the scale and low explained variance in the adjustment of the models show the main weaknesses of the instrument analyzed. The "Item Response Theory" proved to be a relevant analysis technique because it evaluated respondents for adherence to treatment for hypertension, the level of difficulty of the items and their ability to discriminate between individuals with different levels of adherence, which generates a greater amount of information. The instrument analyzed is limited in measuring adherence to hypertension treatment, by analyzing the "Item Response Theory" of the item, and needs adjustment. The proper formulation of the items is important in order to accurately measure the desired latent trait.

  14. Work ability as prognostic risk marker of disability pension: single-item work ability score versus multi-item work ability index.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roelen, Corné A M; van Rhenen, Willem; Groothoff, Johan W; van der Klink, Jac J L; Twisk, Jos W R; Heymans, Martijn W

    2014-07-01

    Work ability predicts future disability pension (DP). A single-item work ability score (WAS) is emerging as a measure for work ability. This study compared single-item WAS with the multi-item work ability index (WAI) in its ability to identify workers at risk of DP. This prospective cohort study comprised 11 537 male construction workers, who completed the WAI at baseline and reported DP after a mean 2.3 years of follow-up. WAS and WAI were calibrated for DP risk predictions with the Hosmer-Lemeshow (H-L) test and their ability to discriminate between high- and low-risk construction workers was investigated with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). At follow-up, 336 (3%) construction workers reported DP. Both WAS [odds ratio (OR) 0.72, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.66-0.78] and WAI (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.52-0.63) scores were associated with DP at follow-up. The WAS showed miscalibration (H-L model χ (�)=10.60; df=3; P=0.01) and poorly discriminated between high- and low-risk construction workers (AUC 0.67, 95% CI 0.64-0.70). In contrast, calibration (H-L model χ �=8.20; df=8; P=0.41) and discrimination (AUC 0.78, 95% CI 0.75-0.80) were both adequate for the WAI. Although associated with the risk of future DP, the single-item WAS poorly identified male construction workers at risk of DP. We recommend using the multi-item WAI to screen for risk of DP in occupational health practice.

  15. SHIPPING OF RADIOACTIVE ITEMS

    CERN Multimedia

    TIS/RP Group

    2001-01-01

    The TIS-RP group informs users that shipping of small radioactive items is normally guaranteed within 24 hours from the time the material is handed in at the TIS-RP service. This time is imposed by the necessary procedures (identification of the radionuclides, determination of dose rate and massive objects require a longer procedure and will therefore take longer.

  16. Conjunctive and Disjunctive Item Response Functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1984-10-01

    fed set ofvaluesof a, b, AI , B1 A2 2 . 2 A3 , and 13 , the f ’. g ’a. nd h’a in (7) are fied. Equation (7) must still hold for S - e19029e3,..* . Thus...for Item I Is -- b ?(a:1 , b1 ,O) (1 + ’)(I + e4 (22 where a and pi are arbitrary constants. These constants mst be the sam for all Items In a given...NETHERLIS I E3I1 Focility-Acquisitions 4133 Rugby Avnue 1 Lee Cronbach Bethesda, NO 20014 16 Laburnue Road Atherton, CA 94205 1 Dr. Benjamin A. Fairbank

  17. An Effect Size Measure for Raju's Differential Functioning for Items and Tests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Keith D.; Oshima, T. C.

    2015-01-01

    This study established an effect size measure for differential functioning for items and tests' noncompensatory differential item functioning (NCDIF). The Mantel-Haenszel parameter served as the benchmark for developing NCDIF's effect size measure for reporting moderate and large differential item functioning in test items. The effect size of…

  18. An NCME Instructional Module on Item-Fit Statistics for Item Response Theory Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ames, Allison J.; Penfield, Randall D.

    2015-01-01

    Drawing valid inferences from item response theory (IRT) models is contingent upon a good fit of the data to the model. Violations of model-data fit have numerous consequences, limiting the usefulness and applicability of the model. This instructional module provides an overview of methods used for evaluating the fit of IRT models. Upon completing…

  19. Item response theory, computerized adaptive testing, and PROMIS: assessment of physical function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fries, James F; Witter, James; Rose, Matthias; Cella, David; Khanna, Dinesh; Morgan-DeWitt, Esi

    2014-01-01

    Patient-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaires record health information directly from research participants because observers may not accurately represent the patient perspective. Patient-reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) is a US National Institutes of Health cooperative group charged with bringing PRO to a new level of precision and standardization across diseases by item development and use of item response theory (IRT). With IRT methods, improved items are calibrated on an underlying concept to form an item bank for a "domain" such as physical function (PF). The most informative items can be combined to construct efficient "instruments" such as 10-item or 20-item PF static forms. Each item is calibrated on the basis of the probability that a given person will respond at a given level, and the ability of the item to discriminate people from one another. Tailored forms may cover any desired level of the domain being measured. Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) selects the best items to sharpen the estimate of a person's functional ability, based on prior responses to earlier questions. PROMIS item banks have been improved with experience from several thousand items, and are calibrated on over 21,000 respondents. In areas tested to date, PROMIS PF instruments are superior or equal to Health Assessment Questionnaire and Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 Survey legacy instruments in clarity, translatability, patient importance, reliability, and sensitivity to change. Precise measures, such as PROMIS, efficiently incorporate patient self-report of health into research, potentially reducing research cost by lowering sample size requirements. The advent of routine IRT applications has the potential to transform PRO measurement.

  20. INVESTIGATION OF MIS ITEM 011589A AND 3013 CONTAINERS HAVING SIMILAR CHARACTERISTICS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Friday, G

    2006-08-23

    Recent testing has identified the presence of hydrogen and oxygen in MIS Item 011589A. This isolated observation has effectuated concern regarding the potential for flammable gas mixtures in containers in the storage inventory. This study examines the known physicochemical characteristics of MIS Item 011589A and queries the ISP Database for items that are most similar or potentially similar. Items identified as most similar are believed to have the highest probability of being chemically and structurally identical to MIS Item 011589A. Items identified as potentially like MIS Item 011589A have some attributes in common, have the potential to generate gases, but have a lower probability of having similar gas generating characteristics. MIS Item 011589A is an oxide that was generated prior to 1990 at Rocky Flats in Building 707. It was associated with foundry processing and had an actinide assay of approximately 77%. Prompt gamma analysis of MIS Item 011589A indicated the presence of chloride, fluorine, magnesium, sodium, and aluminum. Queries based on MIS representation classification and process of origin were applied to the ISP Database. Evaluation criteria included binning classification (i.e., innocuous, pressure, or pressure and corrosion), availability of prompt gamma analyses, presence of chlorine and magnesium, percentage of chlorine by weight, peak ratios (i.e., Na:Cl and Mg:Na), moisture, and percent assay. These queries identified 15 items that were most similar and 106 items that were potentially like MIS Item 011589A. Although these queries identified containers that could potentially generate flammable gases, verification and confirmation can only be accomplished by destructive evaluation and testing of containers from the storage inventory.

  1. Quantum partial search for uneven distribution of multiple target items

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Kun; Korepin, Vladimir

    2018-06-01

    Quantum partial search algorithm is an approximate search. It aims to find a target block (which has the target items). It runs a little faster than full Grover search. In this paper, we consider quantum partial search algorithm for multiple target items unevenly distributed in a database (target blocks have different number of target items). The algorithm we describe can locate one of the target blocks. Efficiency of the algorithm is measured by number of queries to the oracle. We optimize the algorithm in order to improve efficiency. By perturbation method, we find that the algorithm runs the fastest when target items are evenly distributed in database.

  2. Evaluating construct validity of the second version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire through analysis of differential item functioning and differential item effect

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjorner, Jakob Bue; Pejtersen, Jan Hyld

    2010-01-01

    AIMS: To evaluate the construct validity of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire II (COPSOQ II) by means of tests for differential item functioning (DIF) and differential item effect (DIE). METHODS: We used a Danish general population postal survey (n = 4,732 with 3,517 wage earners) with a ...

  3. Validation of a mobility item bank for older patients in primary care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cabrero-García, Julio; Ramos-Pichardo, Juan Diego; Muñoz-Mendoza, Carmen Luz; Cabañero-Martínez, María José; González-Llopis, Lorena; Reig-Ferrer, Abilio

    2012-12-05

    To develop and validate an item bank to measure mobility in older people in primary care and to analyse differential item functioning (DIF) and differential bundle functioning (DBF) by sex. A pool of 48 mobility items was administered by interview to 593 older people attending primary health care practices. The pool contained four domains based on the International Classification of Functioning: changing and maintaining body position, carrying, lifting and pushing, walking and going up and down stairs. The Late Life Mobility item bank consisted of 35 items, and measured with a reliability of 0.90 or more across the full spectrum of mobility, except at the higher end of better functioning. No evidence was found of non-uniform DIF but uniform DIF was observed, mainly for items in the changing and maintaining body position and carrying, lifting and pushing domains. The walking domain did not display DBF, but the other three domains did, principally the carrying, lifting and pushing items. During the design and validation of an item bank to measure mobility in older people, we found that strength (carrying, lifting and pushing) items formed a secondary dimension that produced DBF. More research is needed to determine how best to include strength items in a mobility measure, or whether it would be more appropriate to design separate measures for each construct.

  4. Development of a questionnaire to assess patient satisfaction with allergen-specific immunotherapy in adults: item generation, item reduction, and preliminary validation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Justícia JL

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Jose Luis Justícia1, Eva Baró2, Victoria Cardona3, Pedro Guardia4, Pedro Ojeda5, José Maria Olaguíbel6, José Maria Vega7, Carmen Vidal81Medical Department, Stallergenes Ibérica, Barcelona, Spain; 2Health Outcomes Research Department, 3D Health Research, Barcelona, Spain; 3Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain; 4Hospital Virgen Macarena, Sevilla, Spain; 5Clínica de Asma y Alergia Dres. Ojeda, Madrid, Spain; 6Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; 7Hospital Regional Universitario Carlos Haya Málaga, Spain; 8Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, SpainBackground: Allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT is a treatment capable of modifying the natural course of allergy, so ensuring good adherence to SIT is fundamental. Up until now there has not existed an instrument specifically developed to measure patient satisfaction with SIT, although its assessment could help us to comprehend better and improve treatment adherence and effectiveness. The aim of this study was to develop an instrument to measure adult patient satisfaction with SIT.Methods: Items were generated from a literature review, focus groups with allergic adult patients undergoing SIT, and a meeting with experts. Potential items were administered to allergic patients undergoing SIT in an observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study. Item reduction was based on quantitative and qualitative criteria. A preliminary assessment of feasibility, reliability, and validity of the retained items was performed.Results: An initial pool of 70 items was administered to 257 patients undergoing SIT. Fifty-four items were eliminated resulting in a provisional instrument with 16 items. Factor analysis yielded four factors that were identified as perceived efficacy, activities and environment, cost-benefit balance, and overall satisfaction, explaining 74.8% of variance. Ceiling and floor effects were negligible for overall score. Overall score was

  5. Development of a lack of appetite item bank for computer-adaptive testing (CAT)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thamsborg, Lise Laurberg Holst; Petersen, Morten Aa; Aaronson, Neil K

    2015-01-01

    to 12 lack of appetite items. CONCLUSIONS: Phases 1-3 resulted in 12 lack of appetite candidate items. Based on a field testing (phase 4), the psychometric characteristics of the items will be assessed and the final item bank will be generated. This CAT item bank is expected to provide precise...

  6. Efeito da temperatura ambiente e do empenamento sobre o desempenho de frangas leves e semipesadas Effect of environmental temperature and feather coverage on the performance of two laying-type pullets lines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ellen Hatsumi Fukayama

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available Este trabalho foi conduzido para determinar os efeitos da temperatura ambiente e do empenamento das aves sobre o desempenho de duas linhagens de postura na fase de crescimento (10ª a 13ª semana de idade. Foram alojadas 480 aves de reposição da marca Hy-line, sendo 240 aves de cada linhagem W-36 (leve e Brown (semipesada, em 5 câmaras climáticas com temperaturas de 12, 18, 24, 30 e 36ºC. Em cada temperatura foram avaliadas 3 coberturas de pena; 100% (não depenada, 50% (depenada em 50% do corpo e 0% (totalmente depenada. A análise estatística dos dados foi realizada segundo um esquema fatorial (5 x 3 x 2 sendo: 5 temperaturas, 3 porcentagens de cobertura de pena e 2 linhagens. Os dados foram submetidos a uma análise de regressão para a obtenção das curvas respostas com os melhores ajustes. A linhagem semipesada apresentou maior consumo de ração em relação à linhagem leve em todas as temperaturas. Houve diminuição do ganho de peso em função da redução no consumo de ração e aumento da temperatura. A linhagem leve apresentou uma maior amplitude nas faixas de conforto térmico (18,33ºC a 32,00ºC do que a linhagem semipesada (23,75ºC a 29,50ºC.This work aims to evaluate the effect of environmental temperature and feather covering on the performance of two laying-type lines pullets from (10 to 13 weeks old. Four hundred and eighteen Hy-line pullets, 240 birds of each strain W-36 (light and Brown (semi heavy were housed in five temperature controlled rooms at 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36ºC. At each temperature three feather coverings were evaluated: 100% (no plucked, 50% (50% of the body plucked and 0% (feathers removed. The statistical analysis was according to a 5 x 3 x 2 factorial scheme with 5 temperatures, 3 feather coverings and 2 strains. The data were analyzed by polynomial regression. The brown strain presented higher feed intake than the white strain at all temperatures. The decrease in feed intake with the temperature

  7. Graphical modeling for item difficulty in medical faculty exams

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    . Conclusion: The ... difficulty criteria. Key words: Item difficulty, quality control, statistical process control, variable control charts ..... assumed that 68% of the values fall in the interval ± 1.S; .... The balance of the construction of items of exam has ...

  8. Exploring differential item functioning (DIF) with the Rasch model: A comparison of gender differences on eighth-grade science items in the United States and Spain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calvert, Tasha

    Despite the attention that has been given to gender and science, boys continue to outperform girls in science achievement, particularly by the end of secondary school. Because it is unclear whether gender differences have narrowed over time (Leder, 1992; Willingham & Cole, 1997), it is important to continue a line of inquiry into the nature of gender differences, specifically at the international level. The purpose of this study was to investigate gender differences in science achievement across two countries: United States and Spain. A secondary purpose was to demonstrate an alternative method for exploring gender differences based on the many-faceted Rasch model (1980). A secondary analysis of the data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) was used to examine the relationship between gender DIF (differential item functioning) and item characteristics (item type, content, and performance expectation) across both countries. Nationally representative samples of eighth grade students in the United States and Spain who participated in TIMSS were analyzed to answer the research questions in this study. In both countries, girls showed an advantage over boys on life science items and most extended response items, whereas boys, by and large, had an advantage on earth science, physics, and chemistry items. However, even within areas that favored boys, such as physics, there were items that were differentially easier for girls. In general, patterns in gender differences were similar across both countries although there were a few differences between the countries on individual items. It was concluded that simply looking at mean differences does not provide an adequate understanding of the nature of gender differences in science achievement.

  9. Applying Item Response Theory methods to design a learning progression-based science assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jing

    Learning progressions are used to describe how students' understanding of a topic progresses over time and to classify the progress of students into steps or levels. This study applies Item Response Theory (IRT) based methods to investigate how to design learning progression-based science assessments. The research questions of this study are: (1) how to use items in different formats to classify students into levels on the learning progression, (2) how to design a test to give good information about students' progress through the learning progression of a particular construct and (3) what characteristics of test items support their use for assessing students' levels. Data used for this study were collected from 1500 elementary and secondary school students during 2009--2010. The written assessment was developed in several formats such as the Constructed Response (CR) items, Ordered Multiple Choice (OMC) and Multiple True or False (MTF) items. The followings are the main findings from this study. The OMC, MTF and CR items might measure different components of the construct. A single construct explained most of the variance in students' performances. However, additional dimensions in terms of item format can explain certain amount of the variance in student performance. So additional dimensions need to be considered when we want to capture the differences in students' performances on different types of items targeting the understanding of the same underlying progression. Items in each item format need to be improved in certain ways to classify students more accurately into the learning progression levels. This study establishes some general steps that can be followed to design other learning progression-based tests as well. For example, first, the boundaries between levels on the IRT scale can be defined by using the means of the item thresholds across a set of good items. Second, items in multiple formats can be selected to achieve the information criterion at all

  10. Intentional Forgetting Reduces Color-Naming Interference: Evidence from Item-Method Directed Forgetting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Yuh-shiow; Lee, Huang-mou; Fawcett, Jonathan M.

    2013-01-01

    In an item-method-directed forgetting task, Chinese words were presented individually, each followed by an instruction to remember or forget. Colored probe items were presented following each memory instruction requiring a speeded color-naming response. Half of the probe items were novel and unrelated to the preceding study item, whereas the…

  11. The Long-Term Conditions Questionnaire: conceptual framework and item development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peters, Michele; Potter, Caroline M; Kelly, Laura; Hunter, Cheryl; Gibbons, Elizabeth; Jenkinson, Crispin; Coulter, Angela; Forder, Julien; Towers, Ann-Marie; A'Court, Christine; Fitzpatrick, Ray

    2016-01-01

    To identify the main issues of importance when living with long-term conditions to refine a conceptual framework for informing the item development of a patient-reported outcome measure for long-term conditions. Semi-structured qualitative interviews (n=48) were conducted with people living with at least one long-term condition. Participants were recruited through primary care. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by thematic analysis. The analysis served to refine the conceptual framework, based on reviews of the literature and stakeholder consultations, for developing candidate items for a new measure for long-term conditions. Three main organizing concepts were identified: impact of long-term conditions, experience of services and support, and self-care. The findings helped to refine a conceptual framework, leading to the development of 23 items that represent issues of importance in long-term conditions. The 23 candidate items formed the first draft of the measure, currently named the Long-Term Conditions Questionnaire. The aim of this study was to refine the conceptual framework and develop items for a patient-reported outcome measure for long-term conditions, including single and multiple morbidities and physical and mental health conditions. Qualitative interviews identified the key themes for assessing outcomes in long-term conditions, and these underpinned the development of the initial draft of the measure. These initial items will undergo cognitive testing to refine the items prior to further validation in a survey.

  12. Using a Linear Regression Method to Detect Outliers in IRT Common Item Equating

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Yong; Cui, Zhongmin; Fang, Yu; Chen, Hanwei

    2013-01-01

    Common test items play an important role in equating alternate test forms under the common item nonequivalent groups design. When the item response theory (IRT) method is applied in equating, inconsistent item parameter estimates among common items can lead to large bias in equated scores. It is prudent to evaluate inconsistency in parameter…

  13. The impact of item order on ratings of cancer risk perception.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Kathryn L; Shelby, Rebecca A; Schwartz, Marc D; Ackerman, Josh; LaSalle, V Holland; Gelmann, Edward P; McGuire, Colleen

    2002-07-01

    Although perceived risk is central to most theories of health behavior, there is little consensus on its measurement with regard to item wording, response set, or the number of items to include. In a methodological assessment of perceived risk, we assessed the impact of changing the order of three commonly used perceived risk items: quantitative personal risk, quantitative population risk, and comparative risk. Participants were 432 men and women enrolled in an ancillary study of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. Three groups of consecutively enrolled participants responded to the three items in one of three question orders. Results indicated that item order was related to the perceived risk ratings of both ovarian (P Perceptions of risk were significantly lower when the comparative rating was made first. The findings suggest that compelling participants to consider their own risk relative to the risk of others results in lower ratings of perceived risk. Although the use of multiple items may provide more information than when only a single method is used, different conclusions may be reached depending on the context in which an item is assessed.

  14. Representation of Item Position in Immediate Serial Recall: Evidence from Intrusion Errors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fischer-Baum, Simon; McCloskey, Michael

    2015-01-01

    In immediate serial recall, participants are asked to recall novel sequences of items in the correct order. Theories of the representations and processes required for this task differ in how order information is maintained; some have argued that order is represented through item-to-item associations, while others have argued that each item is…

  15. The Dif Identification in Constructed Response Items Using Partial Credit Model

    OpenAIRE

    Heri Retnawati

    2017-01-01

    The study was to identify the load, the type and the significance of differential item functioning (DIF) in constructed response item using the partial credit model (PCM). The data in the study were the students’ instruments and the students’ responses toward the PISA-like test items that had been completed by 386 ninth grade students and 460 tenth grade students who had been about 15 years old in the Province of Yogyakarta Special Region in Indonesia. The analysis toward the item characteris...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2014-09-01

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

  17. Secondary Psychometric Examination of the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale: Classical Testing, Item Response Theory, and Differential Item Functioning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thibodeau, Michel A; Leonard, Rachel C; Abramowitz, Jonathan S; Riemann, Bradley C

    2015-12-01

    The Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS) is a promising measure of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms but has received minimal psychometric attention. We evaluated the utility and reliability of DOCS scores. The study included 832 students and 300 patients with OCD. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the originally proposed four-factor structure. DOCS total and subscale scores exhibited good to excellent internal consistency in both samples (α = .82 to α = .96). Patient DOCS total scores reduced substantially during treatment (t = 16.01, d = 1.02). DOCS total scores discriminated between students and patients (sensitivity = 0.76, 1 - specificity = 0.23). The measure did not exhibit gender-based differential item functioning as tested by Mantel-Haenszel chi-square tests. Expected response options for each item were plotted as a function of item response theory and demonstrated that DOCS scores incrementally discriminate OCD symptoms ranging from low to extremely high severity. Incremental differences in DOCS scores appear to represent unbiased and reliable differences in true OCD symptom severity. © The Author(s) 2014.

  18. Optimal lot sizing in screening processes with returnable defective items

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vishkaei, Behzad Maleki; Niaki, S. T. A.; Farhangi, Milad; Rashti, Mehdi Ebrahimnezhad Moghadam

    2014-07-01

    This paper is an extension of Hsu and Hsu (Int J Ind Eng Comput 3(5):939-948, 2012) aiming to determine the optimal order quantity of product batches that contain defective items with percentage nonconforming following a known probability density function. The orders are subject to 100 % screening process at a rate higher than the demand rate. Shortage is backordered, and defective items in each ordering cycle are stored in a warehouse to be returned to the supplier when a new order is received. Although the retailer does not sell defective items at a lower price and only trades perfect items (to avoid loss), a higher holding cost incurs to store defective items. Using the renewal-reward theorem, the optimal order and shortage quantities are determined. Some numerical examples are solved at the end to clarify the applicability of the proposed model and to compare the new policy to an existing one. The results show that the new policy provides better expected profit per time.

  19. Optimizing incomplete sample designs for item response model parameters

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Linden, Willem J.

    Several models for optimizing incomplete sample designs with respect to information on the item parameters are presented. The following cases are considered: (1) known ability parameters; (2) unknown ability parameters; (3) item sets with multiple ability scales; and (4) response models with

  20. Using Reversed MFCC and IT-EM for Automatic Speaker Verification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sheeraz Memon

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes text independent automatic speaker verification system using IMFCC (Inverse/ Reverse Mel Frequency Coefficients and IT-EM (Information Theoretic Expectation Maximization. To perform speaker verification, feature extraction using Mel scale has been widely applied and has established better results. The IMFCC is based on inverse Mel-scale. The IMFCC effectively captures information available at the high frequency formants which is ignored by the MFCC. In this paper the fusion of MFCC and IMFCC at input level is proposed. GMMs (Gaussian Mixture Models based on EM (Expectation Maximization have been widely used for classification of text independent verification. However EM comes across the convergence issue. In this paper we use our proposed IT-EM which has faster convergence, to train speaker models. IT-EM uses information theory principles such as PDE (Parzen Density Estimation and KL (Kullback-Leibler divergence measure. IT-EM acclimatizes the weights, means and covariances, like EM. However, IT-EM process is not performed on feature vector sets but on a set of centroids obtained using IT (Information Theoretic metric. The IT-EM process at once diminishes divergence measure between PDE estimates of features distribution within a given class and the centroids distribution within the same class. The feature level fusion and IT-EM is tested for the task of speaker verification using NIST2001 and NIST2004. The experimental evaluation validates that MFCC/IMFCC has better results than the conventional delta/MFCC feature set. The MFCC/IMFCC feature vector size is also much smaller than the delta MFCC thus reducing the computational burden as well. IT-EM method also showed faster convergence, than the conventional EM method, and thus it leads to higher speaker recognition scores.

  1. Designing a Virtual Item Bank Based on the Techniques of Image Processing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liao, Wen-Wei; Ho, Rong-Guey

    2011-01-01

    One of the major weaknesses of the item exposure rates of figural items in Intelligence Quotient (IQ) tests lies in its inaccuracies. In this study, a new approach is proposed and a useful test tool known as the Virtual Item Bank (VIB) is introduced. The VIB combine Automatic Item Generation theory and image processing theory with the concepts of…

  2. Prevalencia del deterioro cognitivo leve en mayores institucionalizados Prevalencia of the mild cognitive impairment in institutionalized elders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jesús Manuel Vallejo Sánchez

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Introducción y objetivo: el concepto de deterioro cognitivo leve (DCL define un estado previo en el declinar cognitivo hacia la demencia, donde se observan cambios cognitivos identificables mediante una adecuada evaluación clínica y neuropsicológica. Nuestro objetivo es conocer la prevalencia del deterioro cognitivo leve en la Residencia José Matía Calvo. Método: estudio observacional descriptivo transversal de los residentes institucionalizados con ausencia de patología neurológica o deterioro cognitivo severo de la Residencia de Mayores José Matía Calvo de Cádiz. Se cribó a los sujetos con el mini examen cognoscitivo en la versión de Lobo durante enero de 2008, obteniéndose una muestra de la que se estudiaron variables sociodemográficas y de control (estado cognitivo. Resultados: se desprende que la prevalencia de DCL en los ancianos institucionalizados en nuestro centro es del 27%, cifra más elevada que la aportada como media por algunos autores para la población general (15%-20%, pero menor que la establecida en otras residencias de mayores, que oscilan entre el 38,7% y el 44%. Conclusiones: el aumento constatado de la prevalencia del deterioro cognitivo en la población mayor y su repercusión en el nivel de independencia y calidad de vida de los mayores institucionalizados justifica la necesidad de identificar precozmente tal alteración para iniciar, lo antes posible, programas de intervención dirigidos a retrasar la dependencia, potenciar las capacidades residuales y mejorar la calidad de vida de estos ancianos.Introduction and objetive: the concept of Mild cognitive impairment defines a previous state in to decline cognitive towards the dementia, where are observed cognitive identifiable changes by means of a suitable clinical and evaluation and neuropsycological. To know the prevalencia of the cognitive slight deterioration in our center. Methods: observacional, descriptively and transversely study of the residents

  3. Using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 item parameters of a common metric resulted in similar depression scores compared to independent item response theory model reestimation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liegl, Gregor; Wahl, Inka; Berghöfer, Anne; Nolte, Sandra; Pieh, Christoph; Rose, Matthias; Fischer, Felix

    2016-03-01

    To investigate the validity of a common depression metric in independent samples. We applied a common metrics approach based on item-response theory for measuring depression to four German-speaking samples that completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). We compared the PHQ item parameters reported for this common metric to reestimated item parameters that derived from fitting a generalized partial credit model solely to the PHQ-9 items. We calibrated the new model on the same scale as the common metric using two approaches (estimation with shifted prior and Stocking-Lord linking). By fitting a mixed-effects model and using Bland-Altman plots, we investigated the agreement between latent depression scores resulting from the different estimation models. We found different item parameters across samples and estimation methods. Although differences in latent depression scores between different estimation methods were statistically significant, these were clinically irrelevant. Our findings provide evidence that it is possible to estimate latent depression scores by using the item parameters from a common metric instead of reestimating and linking a model. The use of common metric parameters is simple, for example, using a Web application (http://www.common-metrics.org) and offers a long-term perspective to improve the comparability of patient-reported outcome measures. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. 48 CFR 46.202-1 - Contracts for commercial items.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Contracts for commercial... CONTRACT MANAGEMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE Contract Quality Requirements 46.202-1 Contracts for commercial items. When acquiring commercial items (see part 12), the Government shall rely on contractors' existing...

  5. Algorithms for computerized test construction using classical item parameters

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Adema, Jos J.; van der Linden, Willem J.

    1989-01-01

    Recently, linear programming models for test construction were developed. These models were based on the information function from item response theory. In this paper another approach is followed. Two 0-1 linear programming models for the construction of tests using classical item and test

  6. Methodology for the development and calibration of the SCI-QOL item banks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tulsky, David S; Kisala, Pamela A; Victorson, David; Choi, Seung W; Gershon, Richard; Heinemann, Allen W; Cella, David

    2015-05-01

    To develop a comprehensive, psychometrically sound, and conceptually grounded patient reported outcomes (PRO) measurement system for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Individual interviews (n=44) and focus groups (n=65 individuals with SCI and n=42 SCI clinicians) were used to select key domains for inclusion and to develop PRO items. Verbatim items from other cutting-edge measurement systems (i.e. PROMIS, Neuro-QOL) were included to facilitate linkage and cross-population comparison. Items were field tested in a large sample of individuals with traumatic SCI (n=877). Dimensionality was assessed with confirmatory factor analysis. Local item dependence and differential item functioning were assessed, and items were calibrated using the item response theory (IRT) graded response model. Finally, computer adaptive tests (CATs) and short forms were administered in a new sample (n=245) to assess test-retest reliability and stability. A calibration sample of 877 individuals with traumatic SCI across five SCI Model Systems sites and one Department of Veterans Affairs medical center completed SCI-QOL items in interview format. We developed 14 unidimensional calibrated item banks and 3 calibrated scales across physical, emotional, and social health domains. When combined with the five Spinal Cord Injury--Functional Index physical function banks, the final SCI-QOL system consists of 22 IRT-calibrated item banks/scales. Item banks may be administered as CATs or short forms. Scales may be administered in a fixed-length format only. The SCI-QOL measurement system provides SCI researchers and clinicians with a comprehensive, relevant and psychometrically robust system for measurement of physical-medical, physical-functional, emotional, and social outcomes. All SCI-QOL instruments are freely available on Assessment CenterSM.

  7. Reduced-Item Food Audits Based on the Nutrition Environment Measures Surveys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Partington, Susan N; Menzies, Tim J; Colburn, Trina A; Saelens, Brian E; Glanz, Karen

    2015-10-01

    The community food environment may contribute to obesity by influencing food choice. Store and restaurant audits are increasingly common methods for assessing food environments, but are time consuming and costly. A valid, reliable brief measurement tool is needed. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate reduced-item food environment audit tools for stores and restaurants. Nutrition Environment Measures Surveys for stores (NEMS-S) and restaurants (NEMS-R) were completed in 820 stores and 1,795 restaurants in West Virginia, San Diego, and Seattle. Data mining techniques (correlation-based feature selection and linear regression) were used to identify survey items highly correlated to total survey scores and produce reduced-item audit tools that were subsequently validated against full NEMS surveys. Regression coefficients were used as weights that were applied to reduced-item tool items to generate comparable scores to full NEMS surveys. Data were collected and analyzed in 2008-2013. The reduced-item tools included eight items for grocery, ten for convenience, seven for variety, and five for other stores; and 16 items for sit-down, 14 for fast casual, 19 for fast food, and 13 for specialty restaurants-10% of the full NEMS-S and 25% of the full NEMS-R. There were no significant differences in median scores for varying types of retail food outlets when compared to the full survey scores. Median in-store audit time was reduced 25%-50%. Reduced-item audit tools can reduce the burden and complexity of large-scale or repeated assessments of the retail food environment without compromising measurement quality. Copyright © 2015 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Single-Item Measurement of Suicidal Behaviors: Validity and Consequences of Misclassification.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander J Millner

    Full Text Available Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide. Although research has made strides in better defining suicidal behaviors, there has been less focus on accurate measurement. Currently, the widespread use of self-report, single-item questions to assess suicide ideation, plans and attempts may contribute to measurement problems and misclassification. We examined the validity of single-item measurement and the potential for statistical errors. Over 1,500 participants completed an online survey containing single-item questions regarding a history of suicidal behaviors, followed by questions with more precise language, multiple response options and narrative responses to examine the validity of single-item questions. We also conducted simulations to test whether common statistical tests are robust against the degree of misclassification produced by the use of single-items. We found that 11.3% of participants that endorsed a single-item suicide attempt measure engaged in behavior that would not meet the standard definition of a suicide attempt. Similarly, 8.8% of those who endorsed a single-item measure of suicide ideation endorsed thoughts that would not meet standard definitions of suicide ideation. Statistical simulations revealed that this level of misclassification substantially decreases statistical power and increases the likelihood of false conclusions from statistical tests. Providing a wider range of response options for each item reduced the misclassification rate by approximately half. Overall, the use of single-item, self-report questions to assess the presence of suicidal behaviors leads to misclassification, increasing the likelihood of statistical decision errors. Improving the measurement of suicidal behaviors is critical to increase understanding and prevention of suicide.

  9. Item Purification Does Not Always Improve DIF Detection: A Counterexample with Angoff's Delta Plot

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magis, David; Facon, Bruno

    2013-01-01

    Item purification is an iterative process that is often advocated as improving the identification of items affected by differential item functioning (DIF). With test-score-based DIF detection methods, item purification iteratively removes the items currently flagged as DIF from the test scores to get purified sets of items, unaffected by DIF. The…

  10. Statistical Indexes for Monitoring Item Behavior under Computer Adaptive Testing Environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Renbang; Yu, Feng; Liu, Su

    A computerized adaptive test (CAT) administration usually requires a large supply of items with accurately estimated psychometric properties, such as item response theory (IRT) parameter estimates, to ensure the precision of examinee ability estimation. However, an estimated IRT model of a given item in any given pool does not always correctly…

  11. 41 CFR 101-26.103-2 - Restriction on personal convenience items.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... convenience items. 101-26.103-2 Section 101-26.103-2 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property... SOURCES AND PROGRAM 26.1-General § 101-26.103-2 Restriction on personal convenience items. Government... type items intended solely for the personal convenience or to satisfy the personal desire of an...

  12. Using Item Response Theory to Describe the Nonverbal Literacy Assessment (NVLA)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fleming, Danielle; Wilson, Mark; Ahlgrim-Delzell, Lynn

    2018-01-01

    The Nonverbal Literacy Assessment (NVLA) is a literacy assessment designed for students with significant intellectual disabilities. The 218-item test was initially examined using confirmatory factor analysis. This method showed that the test worked as expected, but the items loaded onto a single factor. This article uses item response theory to…

  13. Developing and testing items for the South African Personality Inventory (SAPI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carin Hill

    2013-11-01

    Research purpose: This article reports on the process of identifying items for, and provides a quantitative evaluation of, the South African Personality Inventory (SAPI items. Motivation for the study: The study intended to develop an indigenous and psychometrically sound personality instrument that adheres to the requirements of South African legislation and excludes cultural bias. Research design, approach and method: The authors used a cross-sectional design. They measured the nine SAPI clusters identified in the qualitative stage of the SAPI project in 11 separate quantitative studies. Convenience sampling yielded 6735 participants. Statistical analysis focused on the construct validity and reliability of items. The authors eliminated items that showed poor performance, based on common psychometric criteria, and selected the best performing items to form part of the final version of the SAPI. Main findings: The authors developed 2573 items from the nine SAPI clusters. Of these, 2268 items were valid and reliable representations of the SAPI facets. Practical/managerial implications: The authors developed a large item pool. It measures personality in South Africa. Researchers can refine it for the SAPI. Furthermore, the project illustrates an approach that researchers can use in projects that aim to develop culturally-informed psychological measures. Contribution/value-add: Personality assessment is important for recruiting, selecting and developing employees. This study contributes to the current knowledge about the early processes researchers follow when they develop a personality instrument that measures personality fairly in different cultural groups, as the SAPI does.

  14. Validity and Reliability of the 8-Item Work Limitations Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Timothy J; Tullar, Jessica M; Diamond, Pamela M; Kohl, Harold W; Amick, Benjamin C

    2017-12-01

    Purpose To evaluate factorial validity, scale reliability, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the 8-item Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ) among employees from a public university system. Methods A secondary analysis using de-identified data from employees who completed an annual Health Assessment between the years 2009-2015 tested research aims. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) (n = 10,165) tested the latent structure of the 8-item WLQ. Scale reliability was determined using a CFA-based approach while test-retest reliability was determined using the intraclass correlation coefficient. Convergent/discriminant validity was tested by evaluating relations between the 8-item WLQ with health/performance variables for convergent validity (health-related work performance, number of chronic conditions, and general health) and demographic variables for discriminant validity (gender and institution type). Results A 1-factor model with three correlated residuals demonstrated excellent model fit (CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.03, and SRMR = 0.01). The scale reliability was acceptable (0.69, 95% CI 0.68-0.70) and the test-retest reliability was very good (ICC = 0.78). Low-to-moderate associations were observed between the 8-item WLQ and the health/performance variables while weak associations were observed between the demographic variables. Conclusions The 8-item WLQ demonstrated sufficient reliability and validity among employees from a public university system. Results suggest the 8-item WLQ is a usable alternative for studies when the more comprehensive 25-item WLQ is not available.

  15. Application of Item Response Theory to Tests of Substance-related Associative Memory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shono, Yusuke; Grenard, Jerry L.; Ames, Susan L.; Stacy, Alan W.

    2015-01-01

    A substance-related word association test (WAT) is one of the commonly used indirect tests of substance-related implicit associative memory and has been shown to predict substance use. This study applied an item response theory (IRT) modeling approach to evaluate psychometric properties of the alcohol- and marijuana-related WATs and their items among 775 ethnically diverse at-risk adolescents. After examining the IRT assumptions, item fit, and differential item functioning (DIF) across gender and age groups, the original 18 WAT items were reduced to 14- and 15-items in the alcohol- and marijuana-related WAT, respectively. Thereafter, unidimensional one- and two-parameter logistic models (1PL and 2PL models) were fitted to the revised WAT items. The results demonstrated that both alcohol- and marijuana-related WATs have good psychometric properties. These results were discussed in light of the framework of a unified concept of construct validity (Messick, 1975, 1989, 1995). PMID:25134051

  16. Development and validation of a ten-item questionnaire with explanatory illustrations to assess upper extremity disorders: favorable effect of illustrations in the item reduction process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurimoto, Shigeru; Suzuki, Mikako; Yamamoto, Michiro; Okui, Nobuyuki; Imaeda, Toshihiko; Hirata, Hitoshi

    2011-11-01

    The purpose of this study is to develop a short and valid measure for upper extremity disorders and to assess the effect of attached illustrations in item reduction of a self-administered disability questionnaire while retaining psychometric properties. A validated questionnaire used to assess upper extremity disorders, the Hand20, was reduced to ten items using two item-reduction techniques. The psychometric properties of the abbreviated form, the Hand10, were evaluated on an independent sample that was used for the shortening process. Validity, reliability, and responsiveness of the Hand10 were retained in the item reduction process. It was possible that the use of explanatory illustrations attached to the Hand10 helped with its reproducibility. The illustrations for the Hand10 promoted text comprehension and motivation to answer the items. These changes resulted in high acceptability; more than 99.3% of patients, including 98.5% of elderly patients, could complete the Hand10 properly. The illustrations had favorable effects on the item reduction process and made it possible to retain precision of the instrument. The Hand10 is a reliable and valid instrument for individual-level applications with the advantage of being compact and broadly applicable, even in elderly individuals.

  17. Effects of Reducing the Cognitive Load of Mathematics Test Items on Student Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susan C. Gillmor

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This study explores a new item-writing framework for improving the validity of math assessment items. The authors transfer insights from Cognitive Load Theory (CLT, traditionally used in instructional design, to educational measurement. Fifteen, multiple-choice math assessment items were modified using research-based strategies for reducing extraneous cognitive load. An experimental design with 222 middle-school students tested the effects of the reduced cognitive load items on student performance and anxiety. Significant findings confirm the main research hypothesis that reducing the cognitive load of math assessment items improves student performance. Three load-reducing item modifications are identified as particularly effective for reducing item difficulty: signalling important information, aesthetic item organization, and removing extraneous content. Load reduction was not shown to impact student anxiety. Implications for classroom assessment and future research are discussed.

  18. Response Mixture Modeling: Accounting for Heterogeneity in Item Characteristics across Response Times.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molenaar, Dylan; de Boeck, Paul

    2018-06-01

    In item response theory modeling of responses and response times, it is commonly assumed that the item responses have the same characteristics across the response times. However, heterogeneity might arise in the data if subjects resort to different response processes when solving the test items. These differences may be within-subject effects, that is, a subject might use a certain process on some of the items and a different process with different item characteristics on the other items. If the probability of using one process over the other process depends on the subject's response time, within-subject heterogeneity of the item characteristics across the response times arises. In this paper, the method of response mixture modeling is presented to account for such heterogeneity. Contrary to traditional mixture modeling where the full response vectors are classified, response mixture modeling involves classification of the individual elements in the response vector. In a simulation study, the response mixture model is shown to be viable in terms of parameter recovery. In addition, the response mixture model is applied to a real dataset to illustrate its use in investigating within-subject heterogeneity in the item characteristics across response times.

  19. Prevalence of item level negative symptoms in first episode psychosis diagnoses.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Lyne, John

    2012-03-01

    The relevance of negative symptoms across the diagnostic spectrum of the psychoses remains uncertain. The purpose of this study was to report on prevalence of item and subscale level negative symptoms across the first episode psychosis (FEP) diagnostic spectrum in an epidemiological sample, and to ascertain whether items and subscales were more prevalent in a schizophrenia spectrum diagnoses group compared to an \\'all other psychotic diagnoses\\' group. We measured negative symptoms in 330 patients presenting with FEP using the Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), and ascertained diagnosis using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM IV. Prevalence of SANS items and subscales were tabulated across all psychotic diagnoses, and logistic regression analysis determined which items and subscales were predictive of schizophrenia spectrum diagnoses. SANS items were most prevalent in schizophrenia spectrum conditions but frequently presented in other FEP diagnoses, particularly substance induced psychotic disorder and Major Depressive Disorder. Brief psychotic disorder and bipolar disorders had low levels of negative symptoms. SANS items and subscales which significantly predicted schizophrenia spectrum diagnoses, were also frequently present in some of the other psychotic diagnoses. Conclusions: SANS items have high prevalence in FEP, and while commonest in schizophrenia spectrum conditions are not restricted to this diagnostic subgroup.

  20. Differential item functioning analysis of the Vanderbilt Expertise Test for cars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Woo-Yeol; Cho, Sun-Joo; McGugin, Rankin W; Van Gulick, Ana Beth; Gauthier, Isabel

    2015-01-01

    The Vanderbilt Expertise Test for cars (VETcar) is a test of visual learning for contemporary car models. We used item response theory to assess the VETcar and in particular used differential item functioning (DIF) analysis to ask if the test functions the same way in laboratory versus online settings and for different groups based on age and gender. An exploratory factor analysis found evidence of multidimensionality in the VETcar, although a single dimension was deemed sufficient to capture the recognition ability measured by the test. We selected a unidimensional three-parameter logistic item response model to examine item characteristics and subject abilities. The VETcar had satisfactory internal consistency. A substantial number of items showed DIF at a medium effect size for test setting and for age group, whereas gender DIF was negligible. Because online subjects were on average older than those tested in the lab, we focused on the age groups to conduct a multigroup item response theory analysis. This revealed that most items on the test favored the younger group. DIF could be more the rule than the exception when measuring performance with familiar object categories, therefore posing a challenge for the measurement of either domain-general visual abilities or category-specific knowledge.