76 FR 73885 - Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-29

... Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases; Final Rule #0;#0;Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 229 / Tuesday... 98 [EPA-HQ-OAR-2011-0147; FRL-9493-9] RIN 2060-AQ85 Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases AGENCY... the Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Rule to correct certain technical and editorial errors...

76 FR 47391 - Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-04

... Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases; Proposed Rule #0;#0;Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 150 / Thursday...-HQ-OAR-2011-0147; FRL-9443-1] RIN 2060-AQ85 Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases AGENCY... provisions in the Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Rule to correct certain technical and editorial...

Mandatory Class 1 Federal Areas Web Service

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — This web service contains the following layers: Mandatory Class 1 Federal Area polygons and Mandatory Class 1 Federal Area labels in the United States. The polygon...

Attendance at NHS mandatory training sessions.

Science.gov (United States)

Brand, Darren

2015-02-17

To identify factors that affect NHS healthcare professionals' attendance at mandatory training sessions. A quantitative approach was used, with a questionnaire sent to 400 randomly selected participants. A total of 122 responses were received, providing a mix of qualitative and quantitative data. Quantitative data were analysed using statistical methods. Open-ended responses were reviewed using thematic analysis. Clinical staff value mandatory training sessions highly. They are aware of the requirement to keep practice up-to-date and ensure patient safety remains a priority. However, changes to the delivery format of mandatory training sessions are required to enable staff to participate more easily, as staff are often unable to attend. The delivery of mandatory training should move from classroom-based sessions into the clinical area to maximise participation. Delivery should be assisted by local 'experts' who are able to customise course content to meet local requirements and the requirements of different staff groups. Improved arrangements to provide staff cover, for those attending training, would enable more staff to attend training sessions.

7 CFR 59.302 - Mandatory weekly reporting for lambs.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Mandatory weekly reporting for lambs. 59.302 Section... (CONTINUED) LIVESTOCK MANDATORY REPORTING Lamb Reporting § 59.302 Mandatory weekly reporting for lambs. (a... domestic from imported market purchases: (1) The quantity of lambs purchased through a negotiated purchase...

14 CFR 223.3 - Mandatory free transportation.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Mandatory free transportation. 223.3 Section 223.3 Aeronautics and Space OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (AVIATION PROCEEDINGS) ECONOMIC REGULATIONS FREE AND REDUCED-RATE TRANSPORTATION General Provisions § 223.3 Mandatory...

Mandatory and Self-citation; Types, Reasons, Their Benefits and Disadvantages.

Science.gov (United States)

Hemmat Esfe, Mohammad; Wongwises, Somchai; Asadi, Amin; Karimipour, Arash; Akbari, Mohammad

2015-12-01

This paper defines and discusses two important types of citations, self-citation and mandatory citation, in engineering journals. Citation can be classified in three categories: optional; semi-mandatory; and mandatory. There are some negative and positive impacts for the authors' paper and journals' reputation if mandatory citation of a paper or set of papers is requested. These effects can be different based on the recommended papers for citing in the new research. Mandatory citation has various types discussed in this paper. Self-citation and its reasons and impacts are also discussed in the present study.

Mandatory IFRS Reporting and Stock Price Informativeness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beuselinck, C.A.C.; Joos, P.P.M.; Khurana, I.K.; van der Meulen, S.

2010-01-01

In this paper, we examine whether mandatory adoption of IFRS influences the flow of firm-specific information and contributes to stock price informativeness as measured by stock return synchronicity. Using a constant sample of 1,904 mandatory IFRS adopters in 14 EU countries for the period

18 CFR 40.2 - Mandatory Reliability Standards.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

...-POWER SYSTEM § 40.2 Mandatory Reliability Standards. (a) Each applicable user, owner or operator of the Bulk-Power System must comply with Commission-approved Reliability Standards developed by the Electric... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Mandatory Reliability...

Comparability Effects of Mandatory IFRS Adoption

OpenAIRE

Stefano Cascino; Joachim Gassen

2012-01-01

The mandatory adoption of IFRS by many countries worldwide fuels the expectation that financial accounting information might become more comparable across countries. This expectation is opposed to an alternative view that stresses the importance of incentives in shaping accounting information. We provide early evidence on this debate by investigating the effects of mandatory IFRS adoption on the comparability of financial accounting information around the world. Using two comparability proxie...

Mandatory IFRS adoption and accounting comparability

OpenAIRE

Cascino, Stefano; Gassen, Joachim

2010-01-01

The adoption of IFRS by many countries worldwide fuels the expectation that financial accounting might become more comparable across countries. This expectation is opposed to an alternative view that stresses the importance of incentives in shaping accounting information. We provide early evidence on this debate by investigating the effects of mandatory IFRS adoption on the comparability of financial accounting information around the world. Our results suggest that while mandatory adoption of...

7 CFR 59.301 - Mandatory Daily Reporting for Lambs.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Mandatory Daily Reporting for Lambs. 59.301 Section 59... (CONTINUED) LIVESTOCK MANDATORY REPORTING Lamb Reporting § 59.301 Mandatory Daily Reporting for Lambs. (a) In... prices for lambs (per hundredweight) established on that day as F.O.B. feedlot or delivered at the plant...

22 CFR 9.10 - Mandatory declassification review.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Mandatory declassification review. 9.10 Section 9.10 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE GENERAL SECURITY INFORMATION REGULATIONS § 9.10 Mandatory declassification review. All requests to the Department by a member of the public, a government employee, or an...

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...

Conceptual design report for environmental, safety and health phase III FY-91 line item

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1988-09-01

The Mound Facility (Mound), located in Miamisburg, Ohio, is a Department of Energy (DOE) development and production facility performing support work for DOE`s weapons and energy-related programs. EG&G Mound Applied Technologies (EG&G) is the Operating Contractor (OC) for this Government-Owned, Contractor-Operated (GOCO) facility. The work performed at Mound emphasizes nuclear energy and explosives technology. Mound is currently implementing an Environmental, Safety, and Health (ES&H) Program designed to protect its employees, the public, and the environment from adverse effects caused by the facility`s activities. Design has been completed, and construction is in progress for Phase I of this multiphase program. Phase II has been submitted for fiscal year (FY) 89 funding and Phase IV is being submitted as an FY 92 line item. This Conceptual Design Report (CDR) addresses Phase III of the ES&H program.

75 FR 57669 - Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-22

... Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: This action amends the Final Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Rule to require reporters... Numbers GHG greenhouse gas GHGRP Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program HCFC hydrochlorofluorocarbon HFC...

Mandatory continuing professional education in pharmacy: the Singapore experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Ang, Hui-Gek; Pua, Yong-Hao; Subari, Nur Azah

2013-08-01

Mandatory Continuing Professional Education (CPE) for the renewal of pharmacists' practising certificate was implemented in Singapore in 2008 OBJECTIVE: To study pharmacists' perceptions and attitudes about the impact of mandatory CPE in Singapore. Singapore. Internet-based questionnaire survey, conducted between May and June 2011. Pharmacists' perceptions and attitudes toward mandatory CPE and the perceived difficulty in fulfilling the CPE requirements. The overall survey response rate was 52 % (840/1,609). Of the respondents, 32 % were non-practising, 49 % were practising in patient care areas, and 19 % were practising in non-patient care areas. More than half the pharmacists agreed that mandatory CPE (1) enhanced or increased their knowledge base and skills (70 %; 95 % CI 67-73 %), (2) motivated them to continually learn (64 %; 95 % CI, 60-67 %), and (3) motivated them to reflect on their professional practice or work (58 %; 95 % CI, 54-61 %). Mandatory CPE was not perceived to enhance or increase employability. Non-practising pharmacists appeared to have the greatest difficulty meeting the CPE requirements. In general, pharmacists value mandatory CPE more for positive professional reasons than for employability reasons. The survey results may serve as useful baseline data for future studies of pharmacists' perceptions and attitudes toward CPE in Singapore.

30 CFR 75.705-1 - Work on high-voltage lines.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Work on high-voltage lines. 75.705-1 Section 75... AND HEALTH MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Grounding § 75.705-1 Work on high-voltage lines. (a) Section 75.705 specifically prohibits work on energized high-voltage lines underground; (b...

75 FR 48743 - Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-11

... Part II Environmental Protection Agency 40 CFR Part 98 Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases...-AQ33 Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION... Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule Hotline at telephone number: (877) 444-1188; or e-mail: [email protected] . To...

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.

7 CFR 59.102 - Mandatory daily reporting for cows and bulls.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Mandatory daily reporting for cows and bulls. 59.102... (CONTINUED) LIVESTOCK MANDATORY REPORTING Cattle Reporting § 59.102 Mandatory daily reporting for cows and bulls. (a) In General. The corporate officers or officially designated representatives of each cow and...

Defining line replaceable units

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Parada Puig, J. E.; Basten, R. J I

2015-01-01

Defective capital assets may be quickly restored to their operational condition by replacing the item that has failed. The item that is replaced is called the Line Replaceable Unit (LRU), and the so-called LRU definition problem is the problem of deciding on which item to replace upon each type of

Mandatory IFRS Reporting and Stock Price Informativeness

OpenAIRE

Beuselinck, C.A.C.; Joos, P.P.M.; Khurana, I.K.; van der Meulen, S.

2010-01-01

In this paper, we examine whether mandatory adoption of IFRS influences the flow of firm-specific information and contributes to stock price informativeness as measured by stock return synchronicity. Using a constant sample of 1,904 mandatory IFRS adopters in 14 EU countries for the period 2003-2007, we find a V-shaped pattern in synchronicity around IFRS adoption, which is consistent with IFRS disclosures revealing new firm-specific information in the adoption period (i.e., a reduction of sy...

22 CFR 301.2 - Requests for mandatory declassification review.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Requests for mandatory declassification review. 301.2 Section 301.2 Foreign Relations PEACE CORPS PUBLIC ACCESS TO CLASSIFIED MATERIAL § 301.2 Requests for mandatory declassification review. (a) All information originally classified by the Peace...

Investor Reaction to Mandatory Offers on the Warsaw Stock Exchange

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Szymon Okoń

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The following paper aims to assess investor reaction to mandatory offers on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, which is important because knowledge about these reactions can be used to make better investment decisions. This paper highlights the importance of procedure in making a mandatory offer and its grounds in the Polish legal system. Additionally, it presents empirical research on the reactions of investors to mandatory offers on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. It has been provided that mandatory offers have a significant impact on the price of a company’s shares listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Knowledge about the reactions of investors to a mandatory offer may be used when selecting securities for an investment portfolio. The findings may provide guidance in deciding whether to begin or end investment in the company, both for individual and institutional investors. The event study methodology approach used in the paper is regarded as valuable and can be the basis for further research in other areas of the capital market research, especially in the context of information efficiency.

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.

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.

7 CFR 59.303 - Mandatory reporting of lamb carcasses and boxed lamb.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Mandatory reporting of lamb carcasses and boxed lamb... INSPECTION ACT (CONTINUED) LIVESTOCK MANDATORY REPORTING Lamb Reporting § 59.303 Mandatory reporting of lamb carcasses and boxed lamb. (a) Daily reporting of lamb carcass transactions. The corporate officers or...

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)

Intended and unintended consequences of mandatory IFRS adoption

OpenAIRE

Brüggemann, Ulf; Hitz, Jörg-Markus; Sellhorn, Thorsten

2012-01-01

This paper discusses empirical evidence on the economic consequences of mandatory adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in the European Union (EU) and provides suggestions on how future research can add to our understanding of these effects. Based on the explicitly stated objectives of the EU‟s so-called „IAS Regulation‟, we distinguish between intended and unintended consequences of mandatory IFRS adoption. Empirical research on the intended consequences generally fa...

Mandatory Vaccinations: Precedent and Current Laws

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Welborn, Angie A

2005-01-01

This report discusses the history legal precedent for mandatory vaccination laws and provides a brief overview of state laws that require certain individuals or populations to be vaccinated against...

How effective is mandatory building energy disclosure program in Australia?

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, S.; Lim, B. T. H.

2018-04-01

Mandatory green building regulations are often considered as the most effective tool to promote better energy efficiency and environmental protection. Nevertheless, its effectiveness compared to the voluntary counterpart has not been fully explored yet. In addressing this gap, this study aims to examine the environmental performance of green building stocks affected by the Australian mandatory building energy disclosure program. To this, this study analysed energy savings and carbon reduction efficiencies using the normalisation approach. The result shows that mandatory energy disclosure program did contribute to the reduction in energy usage and carbon emissions from the affected building stocks. More specifically, affected green building stocks showed a good efficiency especially in carbon reductions. The research results inform policymakers the possible improvement required for the mandatory disclosure program to increase the effectiveness towards dealing with the contemporary environmental issues aroused from the building sector, especially in energy savings perspective.

Mandatory IFRS adoption and executive compensation: Evidence from China

OpenAIRE

Qingchuan Hou; Qinglu Jin; Lanfang Wang

2014-01-01

This study investigates how the mandatory adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) affects the contractual benefits of using accounting information to determine executive compensation in China. After controlling for firm and corporate governance characteristics, we find strong evidence supporting the positive role of mandatory IFRS adoption on the accounting-based performance sensitivity of executive compensation. Subsample analysis suggests that improvements in accounti...

Is whistleblowing now mandatory? The impact of mandatory reporting law on trust relationships in health care.

Science.gov (United States)

Hewitt, Jayne

2013-09-01

Trust is vital for promoting positive health care relationships aimed at achieving positive patient outcomes. Patients, as well as the broader society, trust that health care practitioners who have been granted authority by the state to provide safe and beneficial health care are competent to do so. Recent instances where patients have been harmed as the result of treatment that fell below the accepted standard of competence have negatively impacted on trust. As the state has a responsibility to protect the public from this type of harm, legislation that mandates reporting of certain instances where the behaviour of health care professionals has fallen below the acceptable standard has been introduced. While this may have been designed to restore public trust, this article argues that it has the potential to diminish trust on the basis that mandatory reporting may be equivalent to mandatory whistleblowing.

Park Facilities, Boundaries were determined from parcel mapping lines & site specific items, such as shelter locations, were obtained by field GPS observation, Published in 2010, Not Applicable scale, Chippewa County Government.

Data.gov (United States)

NSGIC Local Govt | GIS Inventory — Park Facilities dataset current as of 2010. Boundaries were determined from parcel mapping lines & site specific items, such as shelter locations, were obtained...

Acceptability of Parental Financial Incentives and Quasi-Mandatory Interventions for Preschool Vaccinations: Triangulation of Findings from Three Linked Studies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jean Adams

Full Text Available Childhood vaccinations are a core component of public health programmes globally. Recent measles outbreaks in the UK and USA have prompted debates about new ways to increase uptake of childhood vaccinations. Parental financial incentives and quasi-mandatory interventions (e.g. restricting entry to educational settings to fully vaccinated children have been successfully used to increase uptake of childhood vaccinations in developing countries, but there is limited evidence of effectiveness in developed countries. Even if confirmed to be effective, widespread implementation of these interventions is dependent on acceptability to parents, professionals and other stakeholders.We conducted a systematic review (n = 11 studies included, a qualitative study with parents (n = 91 and relevant professionals (n = 24, and an on-line survey with embedded discrete choice experiment with parents (n = 521 exploring acceptability of parental financial incentives and quasi-mandatory interventions for preschool vaccinations. Here we use Triangulation Protocol to synthesise findings from the three studies.There was a consistent recognition that incentives and quasi-mandatory interventions could be effective, particularly in more disadvantaged groups. Universal incentives were consistently preferred to targeted ones, but relative preferences for quasi-mandatory interventions and universal incentives varied between studies. The qualitative work revealed a consistent belief that financial incentives were not considered an appropriate motivation for vaccinating children. The costs of financial incentive interventions appeared particularly salient and there were consistent concerns in the qualitative work that incentives did not represent the best use of resources for promoting preschool vaccinations. Various suggestions for improving delivery of the current UK vaccination programme as an alternative to incentives and quasi-mandates were made.Parental financial

International Trade in Biotechnology Products and Strategic Mandatory Labelling

OpenAIRE

Jinji, Naoto

2003-01-01

This paper examines strategic motives to impose mandatory labelling of biotechnology products when consumers perceive these products as being of lower quality. When a foreign dominant firm produces a biotechnology product, it is shown that without mandatory labelling fringe firms, which produce a conventional product, provide voluntary labelling as long as voluntary labelling is fully credible. Information on which product is biotechnologically engineered is hence completely disclosed without...

Is mandatory research ethics reviewing ethical?

Science.gov (United States)

Dyck, Murray; Allen, Gary

2013-08-01

Review boards responsible for vetting the ethical conduct of research have been criticised for their costliness, unreliability and inappropriate standards when evaluating some non-medical research, but the basic value of mandatory ethical review has not been questioned. When the standards that review boards use to evaluate research proposals are applied to review board practices, it is clear that review boards do not respect researchers or each other, lack merit and integrity, are not just and are not beneficent. The few benefits of mandatory ethical review come at a much greater, but mainly hidden, social cost. It is time that responsibility for the ethical conduct of research is clearly transferred to researchers, except possibly in that small proportion of cases where prospective research participants may be so intrinsically vulnerable that their well-being may need to be overseen.

An empirical comparison of voluntary and mandatory building energy performance disclosure outcomes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gabe, Jeremy

2016-01-01

In 2010, the federal Australian government mandated the disclosure of energy performance ratings in advertisements for sale or lease of large commercial office properties. Prior to 2010, participation in the rating scheme was voluntary. This study first develops a theoretical model of mandatory disclosure policy effectiveness. Then, with a dataset of all ratings since inception of the voluntary regime in 1999, it tests the expectation that initial voluntary adopters have a greater tendency towards environmental stewardship and are more likely to manage and invest in environmental performance improvements, potentially dampening the effectiveness of mandatory disclosure policy. However, multiple statistical models of certification are unable to reject the null hypothesis that there is no difference in energy efficiency outcomes between the mandatory and voluntary adopters at equivalent stages. For urban policymakers, the extrapolation of voluntary adopter performance appears to be a good – perhaps even conservative – estimation of mandatory energy performance disclosure outcomes. - Highlights: •A theoretical model of building energy disclosure policy effectiveness is proposed. •Mandatory disclosure adopters reduce consumption similar to voluntary adopters. •Mandatory building energy disclosure in Australia has been effective. •Early adopters creating a market for energy retrofits is a likely reason for success.

7 CFR 59.103 - Mandatory weekly reporting for steers and heifers.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946 AND THE EGG PRODUCTS INSPECTION ACT (CONTINUED) LIVESTOCK MANDATORY REPORTING Cattle Reporting § 59.103 Mandatory weekly reporting for steers and...

7 CFR 59.101 - Mandatory daily reporting for steers and heifers.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946 AND THE EGG PRODUCTS INSPECTION ACT (CONTINUED) LIVESTOCK MANDATORY REPORTING Cattle Reporting § 59.101 Mandatory daily reporting for steers and...

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.

What drives the comparability effect of mandatory IFRS adoption?

OpenAIRE

Stefano Cascino; Joachim Gassen

2015-01-01

We investigate the effects of mandatory IFRS adoption on the comparability of financial accounting information. Using two comparability proxies based on De Franco et al. [2011] and a comparability proxy based on the degree of information transfer, our results suggest that the overall comparability effect of mandatory IFRS adoption is marginal. We hypothesize that firm-level heterogeneity in IFRS compliance explains the limited comparability effect. To test this conjecture, we first hand-colle...

A METHOD OF SECURITY SCANNING OF CARRY-ON ITEMS, AND A CARRY-ON ITEMS SECURITY SCANNING SYSTEM

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2017-01-01

A security scanning system (1) comprises a first stage module (3) having at least one X-ray source (6) and at least three first detectors (7) that are line-shaped and arranged in mutually different orientations and have at least dual energy resolution. A group of carry-on items (4) on a carrier...

Mandatory volunteer work as fair reciprocity for unemployment and social benefits?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veldboer, Lex; Kleinhans, Reinout; van Ham, Maarten

This small exploratory study aims to reveal the perceptions of female participants in mandatory volunteering programmes and to formulate directions for further research. We analyse how in Rotterdam the transition from labour market re-integration policies to a mandatory reciprocity approach is

Comparisons of mandatory and discretionary lane changing behavior on freeways

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew Vechione

2018-06-01

Full Text Available This research performs comparative analyses on drivers’ behavior during mandatory and discretionary lane changes. We do this by examining the statistical properties of four lane changing decision variables that describe the gaps between the subject vehicle and the surrounding vehicles. Mandatory and discretionary lane changes in NGSIM’s I-80 Freeway and U.S. Highway 101 data collection sites were identified. First, for each variable at the same site, descriptive statistics for the two types of lane changes were compared, and hypothesis tests on the difference between two means were conducted. Then, for each decision variable at the same site, the observed cumulative distributions between the mandatory and discretionary lane changes were compared by means of the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. This test was repeated for the fitted distributions of the same decision variable at the same site. The results show that, for the three decision variables associated with gaps in the target lane, the means and distributions between the two types of lane changes are not significantly different. The only variable found to have significant differences in means and distributions is the gap between the subject vehicle and the preceding vehicle in the original lane. This may be because this variable is not an important input in mandatory lane change decisions. This finding provides statistical justification for researchers to develop models with different inputs for mandatory and discretionary lane changes in driver assist systems, in autonomous vehicles, and in microscopic traffic simulation tools.

Breaching confidentiality: medical mandatory reporting laws in Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Milanifar, Alireza; Larijani, Bagher; Paykarzadeh, Parvaneh; Ashtari, Golanna; Mehdi Akhondi, Mohammad

2014-01-01

Medical ethics is a realm where four important subjects of philosophy, medicine, theology and law are covered. Physicians and philosophers cooperation in this area will have great efficiency in the respective ethical rules formation. In addition to respect the autonomy of the patient, physician's obligation is to ensure that the medical intervention has benefit for the patient and the harm is minimal. There is an obvious conflict between duty of confidentiality and duty of mandatory reporting. Professional confidentiality is one of the basic components in building a constant physician-patient relationship which nowadays, beside the novelty, it is the subject of discussion. Legal obligation of confidentiality is not absolute. In physician-patient relationship, keeping patient's secrets and maintaining confidentiality is a legal and ethical duty, and disclosure of such secrets is mainly through specific statutes. Thus, there are a number of situations where breach of confidentiality is permitted in different legal systems. One of the situations where breaching confidentiality is permitted is the medical mandatory reporting to the relevant authority which is in accordance with many countries' legal systems. Some situations are considered in many countries legal systems' such as notification of births and deaths, infectious diseases, child abuse, sport and relevant events, medical errors, drug side effects and dangerous pregnancies. In this paper, we will examine and discuss medical mandatory reporting and its ethical and legal aspects in the judicial and legal system of Iran and few other countries. Finally we will suggest making Medical Mandatory Reporting Law in Iran.

47 CFR 1.3003 - Mandatory factors for evaluating conflicts of interest.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... determinations, designated agency ethics officials shall consider the following factors: (a) Whether the benefits... 47 Telecommunication 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Mandatory factors for evaluating conflicts of... Unconditional Gifts, Donations and Bequests § 1.3003 Mandatory factors for evaluating conflicts of interest. No...

Preparation of mandatory documentation before the start up of the RA-0 'zero power' nuclear reactor at Cordoba National University

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, H.R.; Keil, W.M.; Pezzi, N.

1991-01-01

Before the start up of the RA-0 'zero power' nuclear reactor installed at Cordoba National University, it was necessary to send to the Regulatory Authority the mandatory documentation which is required in the licensing process. With the previous papers existing for the operation in the first years of the '70, a work program for the future operational training personnel was elaborated. Based on the Authority's applicable rules and the recommendations and with particular criteria originated in the working university conditions, the SAFETY report of RA-0 nuclear reactor was prepared. This paper describes the principal contents, items and documents involved in the safety report. (Author) [es

Directed forgetting of complex pictures in an item method paradigm.

Science.gov (United States)

Hauswald, Anne; Kissler, Johanna

2008-11-01

An item-cued directed forgetting paradigm was used to investigate the ability to control episodic memory and selectively encode complex coloured pictures. A series of photographs was presented to 21 participants who were instructed to either remember or forget each picture after it was presented. Memory performance was later tested with a recognition task where all presented items had to be retrieved, regardless of the initial instructions. A directed forgetting effect--that is, better recognition of "to-be-remembered" than of "to-be-forgotten" pictures--was observed, although its size was smaller than previously reported for words or line drawings. The magnitude of the directed forgetting effect correlated negatively with participants' depression and dissociation scores. The results indicate that, at least in an item method, directed forgetting occurs for complex pictures as well as words and simple line drawings. Furthermore, people with higher levels of dissociative or depressive symptoms exhibit altered memory encoding patterns.

A libertarian case for mandatory vaccination.

Science.gov (United States)

Brennan, Jason

2018-01-01

This paper argues that mandatory, government-enforced vaccination can be justified even within a libertarian political framework. If so, this implies that the case for mandatory vaccination is very strong indeed as it can be justified even within a framework that, at first glance, loads the philosophical dice against that conclusion. I argue that people who refuse vaccinations violate the 'clean hands principle', a (in this case, enforceable) moral principle that prohibits people from participating in the collective imposition of unjust harm or risk of harm. In a libertarian framework, individuals may be forced to accept certain vaccines not because they have an enforceable duty to serve the common, and not because cost-benefit analysis recommends it, but because anti-vaxxers are wrongfully imposing undue harm upon others. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Voluntary CSR vs. mandatory CSR : the sound of employees

OpenAIRE

Sarna, Bhavesh

2016-01-01

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) laws are an area of exploration and there is debate over preference to voluntary CSR laws or to mandatory CSR laws. The objective is to con-duct a micro-level study to explore the employee’s preferences for mandatory CSR laws or voluntary CSR laws. There is some existing literature on this topic at the macro-level and goal is to extend and contribute to the literature about this topic by studying the pref-erence at the micro-level. A qualitative study bas...

Mandatory Nap Times and Group Napping Patterns in Child Care: An Observational Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Staton, Sally L; Smith, Simon S; Hurst, Cameron; Pattinson, Cassandra L; Thorpe, Karen J

2017-01-01

Policy provision for naps is typical in child care settings, but there is variability in the practices employed. One practice that might modify children's early sleep patterns is the allocation of a mandatory nap time in which all children are required to lie on their beds without alternate activity permitted. There is currently limited evidence of the effects of such practices on children's napping patterns. This study examined the association between duration of mandatory nap times and group-level napping patterns in child care settings. Observations were undertaken in a community sample of 113 preschool rooms with a scheduled nap time (N = 2,114 children). Results showed that 83.5% of child care settings implemented a mandatory nap time (range = 15-145 min) while 14.2% provided alternate activities for children throughout the nap time period. Overall, 31% of children napped during nap times. Compared to rooms with ≤ 30 min of mandatory nap time, rooms with 31-60 min and > 60 min of mandatory nap time had a two-and-a-half and fourfold increase, respectively, in the proportion of children napping. Nap onset latency did not significantly differ across groups. Among preschool children, exposure to longer mandatory nap times in child care may increase incidence of napping.

5 CFR 890.1008 - Mandatory debarment for longer than the minimum length.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... that were not adjudicated, adversely affected the physical, mental, or financial well-being of one or... (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS PROGRAM Administrative Sanctions Imposed Against Health Care Providers Mandatory Debarments § 890.1008 Mandatory debarment for...

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.

27 CFR 4.62 - Mandatory statements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS LABELING AND ADVERTISING OF WINE Advertising of Wine § 4.62 Mandatory... responsible for its publication or broadcast. Street number and name may be omitted in the address. (b) Class... where only one type of wine is marketed under the specific brand name advertised. (2) On consumer...

Mandatory Production Controls. Issues in Agricultural Policy. Agriculture Information Bulletin Number 520.

Science.gov (United States)

Economic Research Service (USDA), Washington, DC.

Mandatory restrictions on agricultural production continue to be suggested as an alternative policy for reducing price-depressing surplus production, increasing farm income, and cutting farm program costs. A mandatory production control program (MPCP) can be implemented through two methods: (1) acreage allotments, which restrict individual farmers…

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2015-12-01

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

Mandatory adoption of business risk disclosure: evidence from Japanese firms

OpenAIRE

KIM, Hyonok; YASUDA, Yukihiro

2016-01-01

We take advantage of institutional changes and its characteristics in Japan to empirically examine mandatory business risk disclosure. We find that there is a negative impact on total risk from the introduction of mandatory business risk disclosure. This suggests that an increase in business risk disclosure reduces a firm's cost of capital, which is contrary to the results of previous research. However, we also find that there is a positive relationship across firms and years after inception ...

Safeguard Application Options for the Laser-Based Item Monitoring System (LBIMS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laughter, Mark D

2008-01-01

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are developing a Laser-Based Item Monitoring System (LBIMS) for advanced safeguards at nuclear facilities. LBIMS uses a low-power laser transceiver to monitor the presence and position of items with retroreflective tags. The primary advantages of LBIMS are its scalability to continuously monitor a wide range of items, its ability to operate unattended, its low cost of implementation, and its inherent information security due to its line-of-sight and non-broadcasting operation. The primary proposed safeguard application of LBIMS is described in its name: item monitoring. LBIMS could be implemented in a storage area to continuously monitor containers of nuclear material and the area in which they are stored. The system could be configured to provide off-site notification if any of the containers are moved or removed or if the area is accessed. Individual tags would be used to monitor storage containers, and additional tags could be used to record information regarding secondary storage units and room access. The capability to register small changes in tag position opens up the possibility of several other uses. These include continuously monitoring piping arrangements for design information verification or recording equipment positions for other safeguards systems, such as tracking the opening and closing of autoclaves as part of a cylinder tracking system or opening and closing valves on a sample or product take-off line. Combined with attribute tags, which transmit information from any kind of sensor by modulating the laser signal, LBIMS provides the capability to wirelessly and securely collect safeguards data, even in areas where radio-frequency or other wireless communication methods are not practicable. Four application types are described in this report: static item monitoring, in-process item monitoring with trigger tags, multi-layered integration with trigger tags, and line-of-sight data transfer with

76 FR 80903 - Mandatory Declassification Review Addresses

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-27

... John J. Kingman Road, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-6201. (13) Missile Defense Agency. Missile Defense Agency... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary Mandatory Declassification Review Addresses AGENCY: Department of Defense. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Information Security Oversight Office's...

29 CFR Appendix III to Part 1918 - The Mechanics of Conventional Cargo Gear (Non-mandatory)

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 7 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false The Mechanics of Conventional Cargo Gear (Non-mandatory.... 1918, App. III Appendix III to Part 1918—The Mechanics of Conventional Cargo Gear (Non-mandatory) Note: This appendix is non-mandatory and provides an explanation of the mechanics in the correct spotting of...

Healthy Checkout Lines: A Study in Urban Supermarkets.

Science.gov (United States)

Adjoian, Tamar; Dannefer, Rachel; Willingham, Craig; Brathwaite, Chantelle; Franklin, Sharraine

2017-09-01

To understand the impact of healthy checkouts in Bronx, New York City supermarkets. Consumer purchasing behavior was observed for 2 weeks in 2015. Three supermarkets in the South Bronx. A total of 2,131 adult shoppers (aged ≥18 years) who paid for their groceries at 1 of the selected study checkout lines. Two checkout lines were selected per store; 1 was converted to a healthy checkout and the other remained as it was (standard checkout). Data collectors observed consumer behavior at each line and recorded items purchased from checkout areas. Percentage of customers who purchase items from the checkout area; quantity and price of healthy and unhealthy items purchased from the healthy and standard checkout lines. Measures were analyzed by study condition using chi-square and t tests; significance was determined at α = .05. Only 4.0% of customers bought anything from the checkout area. A higher proportion of customers using the healthy vs standard checkout line bought healthy items (56.5% vs 20.5%; P < .001). When healthier products were available, the proportion of healthy purchases increased. Findings contribute to limited research on effectiveness of healthy checkouts in supermarkets. Similar interventions should expect an increase in healthy purchases from the checkout area, but limited overall impact. Copyright © 2017 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors That Influence Mandatory Child Abuse Reporting Attitudes of Pediatric Nurses in Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, In Sook; Kim, Kyoung Ja

This study aimed to identify knowledge of child abuse, awareness of child abuse reporting, factors that influence attitudes toward mandatory reporting, and professionalism among a sample of pediatric nurses in Korea. One hundred sixteen pediatric nurses working at two university hospitals in Korea took part in the study and completed self-administered questionnaires. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t tests, analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchical regression analysis. Knowledge of child abuse, awareness of child abuse reporting, and attitudes toward mandatory reporting were low. Regarding nursing professionalism, social perceptions had the lowest mean score and nursing autonomy had the highest mean score. Attitudes toward mandatory reporting significantly correlated with professionalism. In the hierarchical regression model, the influences of nursing autonomy and intentions to report child abuse on attitudes toward mandatory reporting were statistically significant (F = 2.176, p = .013), explaining 32% of the variation in attitudes toward mandatory reporting. The results of this study could be used to improve systems and policies addressing child abuse and to further develop reporting procedures for identifying children at risk of abuse, to ensure their protection as a professional responsibility.

Effectiveness and acceptance of a health care-based mandatory vaccination program.

Science.gov (United States)

Leibu, Rachel; Maslow, Joel

2015-01-01

To decrease the risk of transmission of hospital-associated transmission of influenza and pertussis through mandatory vaccination of staff. A mandatory influenza and toxoid-diphtheria toxoid-acellular pertussis program was implemented systemwide. A structured vaccine exemption program was implemented for those requesting a medical and/or religious/moral/ethical exemption. Systemwide influenza vaccination rates increased from 67% historically, 76.2% in the 2012 to 2013 influenza season, to 94.7% in 2013 to 2014 with an overall compliance rate of 97.8%. Toxoid-diphtheria toxoid-acellular pertussis vaccination rates systemwide reached 94.9%, with an overall compliance rate of 98%. Higher rates were experienced at individual hospital facilities compared with the corporate location. Successful vaccination campaign outcomes can be achieved through diligent enforcement of mandatory vaccination, masking, and other infection prevention procedures.

Barriers to reporting child maltreatment: do emergency medical services professionals fully understand their role as mandatory reporters?

Science.gov (United States)

Lynne, Ellen Grace; Gifford, Elizabeth J; Evans, Kelly E; Rosch, Joel B

2015-01-01

Child maltreatment is underreported in the United States and in North Carolina. In North Carolina and other states, mandatory reporting laws require various professionals to make reports, thereby helping to reduce underreporting of child maltreatment. This study aims to understand why emergency medical services (EMS) professionals may fail to report suspicions of maltreatment despite mandatory reporting policies. A web-based, anonymous, voluntary survey of EMS professionals in North Carolina was used to assess knowledge of their agency's written protocols and potential reasons for underreporting suspicion of maltreatment (n=444). Results were based on descriptive statistics. Responses of line staff and leadership personnel were compared using chi-square analysis. Thirty-eight percent of respondents were unaware of their agency's written protocols regarding reporting of child maltreatment. Additionally, 25% of EMS professionals who knew of their agency's protocol incorrectly believed that the report should be filed by someone other than the person with firsthand knowledge of the suspected maltreatment. Leadership personnel generally understood reporting requirements better than did line staff. Respondents indicated that peers may fail to report maltreatment for several reasons: they believe another authority would file the report, including the hospital (52.3%) or law enforcement (27.7%); they are uncertain whether they had witnessed abuse (47.7%); and they are uncertain about what should be reported (41.4%). This survey may not generalize to all EMS professionals in North Carolina. Training opportunities for EMS professionals that address proper identification and reporting of child maltreatment, as well as cross-agency information sharing, are warranted.

Murdock free recall data: The initial recall search identifies the context by the location of the least remembered item and produces only better remembered items in proportion to the total recall difference.

OpenAIRE

Tarnow, Dr. Eugen

2009-01-01

The curious free recall data of Murdock (1962) shows an additional surprise that seems to have gone undetected until now: the probability of guessing an item in the initial recall is not identical to the overall free recall curve. Initial recall of an item is well correlated with the total recall of that item using a straight line but with an unexpected offset. The offset varies with the presentation rate and the total number of list items but in each case it is the same as the total recall ...

How prosody is both mandatory and optional

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cutler, A.; McQueen, J.M.; Caspers, J.; Chen, Y.; Heeren, W.; Pacilly, J.; Schiller, N.O.; Zanten, E. van

2014-01-01

Speech signals originate as a sequence of linguistic units selected by speakers, but these units are necessarily realised in the suprasegmental dimensions of time, frequency and amplitude. For this reason prosodic structure has been viewed as a mandatory target of language processing by both

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.

Cell lines authentication and mycoplasma detection as minimun quality control of cell lines in biobanking.

Science.gov (United States)

Corral-Vázquez, C; Aguilar-Quesada, R; Catalina, P; Lucena-Aguilar, G; Ligero, G; Miranda, B; Carrillo-Ávila, J A

2017-06-01

Establishment of continuous cell lines from human normal and tumor tissues is an extended and useful methodology for molecular characterization of cancer pathophysiology and drug development in research laboratories. The exchange of these cell lines between different labs is a common practice that can compromise assays reliability due to contamination with microorganism such as mycoplasma or cells from different flasks that compromise experiment reproducibility and reliability. Great proportions of cell lines are contaminated with mycoplasma and/or are replaced by cells derived for a different origin during processing or distribution process. The scientific community has underestimated this problem and thousand of research experiment has been done with cell lines that are incorrectly identified and wrong scientific conclusions have been published. Regular contamination and authentication tests are necessary in order to avoid negative consequences of widespread misidentified and contaminated cell lines. Cell banks generate, store and distribute cell lines for research, being mandatory a consistent and continuous quality program. Methods implementation for guaranteeing both, the absence of mycoplasma and authentication in the supplied cell lines, has been performed in the Andalusian Health System Biobank. Specifically, precise results were obtained using real time PCR detection for mycoplasma and 10 STRs identification by capillary electrophoresis for cell line authentication. Advantages and disadvantages of these protocols are discussed.

How not to argue against mandatory ethics review.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, David

2013-08-01

There is considerable controversy about the mandatory ethics review of research. This paper engages with the arguments offered by Murray Dyck and Gary Allen against mandatory review, namely, that this regulation fails to reach the standards that research ethics committees apply to research since it is harmful to the ethics of researchers, has little positive evidence base, leads to significant harms (through delaying valuable research) and distorts the nature of research. As these are commonplace arguments offered by researchers against regulation it is useful to assess their strength and the conclusion that they are taken to support, namely, that we ought to move back to a system of trust in researchers without compulsory regulation. Unfortunately, these arguments are at best weak and to some degree come into conflict in terms of supporting the desired conclusion.

Optimal Rather than Mandatory EU Company Law

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hertig, G.; McCahery, J.A.

2006-01-01

A significant debate rages within the EU about whether to give firms the choice to opt in or out of corporate law provisions. Both sides agree that more flexibility and adaptability of legal rules to business needs is crucial. Nevertheless, and not surprisingly, many still view EU mandatory

27 CFR 5.32 - Mandatory label information.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Mandatory label information. 5.32 Section 5.32 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS LABELING AND ADVERTISING OF DISTILLED SPIRITS Labeling Requirements for...

Medicine, psychiatry and euthanasia: an argument against mandatory psychiatric review.

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, M

2000-04-01

The paper critically appraises the argument that requests for active assistance to die should be subject to mandatory psychiatric assessment. The argument for mandatory psychiatric assessment is usually supported by an appeal to the need for safeguards against errors and omissions in both the diagnosis of psychiatric conditions affecting the terminally ill and the exploration of the meanings of their requests. This intuitively appealing view is challenged through a broader analysis which examines connections between medicine's traditional adherence to the moral distinction between acts and omissions and the following issues: the historical relationship between medical practice and dying, the recent development of research into treatment-withdrawal decisions, the scientific status of psychiatry, the logic of rationality and decision-making competence. The analysis reveals a number of hitherto unexamined and unacknowledged influences which would make psychiatric review of requests for assisted death a much less objective and impartial process than is assumed. Mandatory psychiatric review is an instance of the medicalisation of death and dying which could abridge the freedom of certain individuals to make decisions about their deaths.

Evaluation of the mandatory construction induction training program in Western Australia: unanticipated consequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahn, Susanne; Barratt-Pugh, Llandis

2012-08-01

Since January 1, 2007, Government legislation in Western Australia required all workers in construction to complete mandatory safety awareness training before they began work on site. During the implementation of this new legislation there was considerable resistance from the construction sector due to the mandatory nature of the training. The construction industry viewed this as an unnecessary impost as they considered that there was already sufficient safety training delivered through individual company and site inductions. In 2010, we evaluated the new Construction Induction Training (CIT) in the commercial construction sector in Western Australia to find that since 2007 there has been an unanticipated change in support for the mandatory training. The 2010 study shows a shift in the values of the safety culture for the commercial sector of the construction industry. In 2010, the industry not only supports the mandatory CIT, but is very vocal in its request to re-institute the refresher courses that were withdrawn in 2009. Indeed, 79% of respondents claimed there were measurable benefits to their business having their employees complete the CIT, while 96% claimed the CIT assisted in reducing accidents/incidents on their worksites. This 2010 study indicates that in this case, mandatory training has had a positive effect on safety culture change and gradually reduced work-related injury in the industry since 2007 to the present. The paper uses data from two studies conducted in 2006 and 2010 to highlight the unanticipated change in perception of the value of mandatory safety training in the WA construction industry to one which is positive and supportive. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

77 FR 8717 - Dairy Product Mandatory Reporting

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-15

... such entity at least once every other year. During each visit, AMS reviews applicable sales transactions records for at least the 4 most recent weeks. In some cases, AMS may review sales records for up... products to report sales information for a mandatory dairy product reporting program. The amendment further...

77 FR 1434 - Proposed Confidentiality Determinations for Data Elements Under the Mandatory Reporting of...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-10

... Fluorinated Gas Production....... 325120 Industrial gases manufacturing facilities. Electrical Equipment Use... Proposed Confidentiality Determinations for Data Elements Under the Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases...-proposes confidentiality determinations for the data elements under the Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting...

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…

Governing GMOs: The (Counter Movement for Mandatory and Voluntary Non-GMO Labels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmen Bain

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Since 2012 the anti-GMO (genetically modified organism movement has gained significant grassroots momentum in its efforts to require mandatory GMO food labels through state-level ballot and legislative efforts. Major food and agriculture corporations are opposed to mandatory GMO labels and have successfully defeated most of these initiatives. Nevertheless, these battles have garnered significant media attention and re-energized the debate over GMO crops and foods. In this paper, we argue that one of the most significant outcomes of this fight is efforts by food retailers and value-based food companies to implement voluntary non-GMO labels and brands. We draw on the governance and political consumerism literature to explore (counter movement efforts for mandatory labels and how these efforts are being institutionalized through private voluntary governance institutions. Our assessment is based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with key informants from consumer and environmental organizations, agriculture and biotech companies, and government regulatory agencies, as well as a content analysis of food industry websites. A growing number of food retailers recognize the reputational and economic value that new niche markets for non-GMO foods can offer, while the anti-GMO movement views these efforts as a step in the direction of mandatory GMO labels. We conclude that voluntary labels may act to settle the labeling debate by mollifying agri-food industry concerns about mandatory labeling and meeting the desire of political consumers for greater choice and transparency but without addressing the broader social and environmental sustainability concerns that drives the anti-GMO movement in the first place.

36 CFR 1260.60 - What are agency responsibilities with regard to mandatory review requests for White House...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... responsibilities with regard to mandatory review requests for White House originated information? 1260.60 Section... responsibilities with regard to mandatory review requests for White House originated information? When an agency receives a mandatory review request from NARA for consultation on declassification of White House...

Mandatory policy: Most successful way to maximize fortification’s effect on vitamin and mineral deficiency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah Zimmerman

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Damaging effects of vitamin and mineral deficiencies contribute to health and development problems throughout the world. Food fortification has substantially improved nutrition-related health conditions in many countries, but opportunities for fortification are not fully utilized. Where food fortification is considered, leaders have to determine whether fortification should be mandatory or voluntary. Objective: This article explores experiences with mandatory wheat flour fortification as compared to voluntary fortification to offer insight for policies related to any type of food fortification. Mandatory fortification means the country requires the addition of specific nutrients at predetermined levels to specified foods or food products. Voluntary policies allow food manufacturers to enrich their products but do not require them to do so. Results: Mandatory fortification is more likely than voluntary fortification to reach a high proportion of the population and hence achieve the desired health impact. Mandatory fortification does not require consumers to change food purchasing preferences, it distributes the health benefits more equitably than voluntary fortification across a population, it establishes safe levels of included nutrients, and it is not subject to the food manufacturers’ marketing investments or discretion. Conclusion: The health benefits of mandatory fortification are most likely to be achieved and sustained if national, multi-sector leaders develop a cooperative approach for appropriate food fortification policies that can be feasibly implemented and effectively monitored. Mandatory fortification, however, requires high-level commitment through the political process. Policy makers must contend with possible criticism that it interferes with personal choices or may cause unintended health problems.

Mandatory policy: Most successful way to maximize fortification’s effect on vitamin and mineral deficiency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah Zimmerman

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Damaging effects of vitamin and mineral deficiencies contribute to health and development problems throughout the world. Food fortification has substantially improved nutrition-related health conditions in many countries, but opportunities for fortification are not fully utilized. Where food fortification is considered, leaders have to determine whether fortification should be mandatory or voluntary. Objective: This article explores experiences with mandatory wheat flour fortification as compared to voluntary fortification to offer insight for policies related to any type of food fortification. Mandatory fortification means the country requires the addition of specific nutrients at predetermined levels to specified foods or food products. Voluntary policies allow food manufacturers to enrich their products but do not require them to do so. Results: Mandatory fortification is more likely than voluntary fortification to reach a high proportion of the population and hence achieve the desired health impact. Mandatory fortification does not require consumers to change food purchasing preferences, it distributes the health benefits more equitably than voluntary fortification across a population, it establishes safe levels of included nutrients, and it is not subject to the food manufacturers’ marketing investments or discretion. Conclusion: The health benefits of mandatory fortification are most likely to be achieved and sustained if national, multi-sector leaders develop a cooperative approach for appropriate food fortification policies that can be feasibly implemented and effectively monitored. Mandatory fortification, however, requires high-level commitment through the political process. Policy makers must contend with possible criticism that it interferes with personal choices or may cause unintended health problems.

32 CFR 2001.33 - Mandatory review for declassification.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... information sought with a reasonable amount of effort. Requests for broad types of information, entire file... information pertains to intelligence activities, the Director of National Intelligence. (d) Intelligence information. Mandatory declassification review requests for information pertaining to intelligence sources...

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.

76 FR 34004 - Dairy Product Mandatory Reporting

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-10

... other year. During each visit, AMS reviews applicable sales transactions records for at least the 4 most recent weeks. In some cases, AMS may review sales records for periods of up to 2 years. AMS verifies that... products to report sales information for a mandatory dairy product reporting program. The amendment further...

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

77 FR 48072 - Final Confidentiality Determinations for Regulations Under the Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-13

... Final Confidentiality Determinations for Regulations Under the Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases... confidentiality determinations for certain data elements in regulations under the Mandatory Greenhouse Gas... Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program Web site at http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ghgrulemaking.html...

36 CFR 1260.56 - Is White House originated information subject to mandatory review?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Is White House originated... Mandatory Review § 1260.56 Is White House originated information subject to mandatory review? White House... administrations pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 2107 and 2111. Unless precluded by such laws or agreements, White House...

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

Mandatory IFRS adoption and executive compensation: Evidence from China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qingchuan Hou

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This study investigates how the mandatory adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS affects the contractual benefits of using accounting information to determine executive compensation in China. After controlling for firm and corporate governance characteristics, we find strong evidence supporting the positive role of mandatory IFRS adoption on the accounting-based performance sensitivity of executive compensation. Subsample analysis suggests that improvements in accounting-based performance sensitivity after IFRS adoption differ across regions with various levels of institutional quality and across firms that are affected to a different extent by the adoption. Additional analysis supports the argument that the positive effects of IFRS adoption on the use of accounting performance in executive compensation are driven by the reduction in accounting conservatism associated with IFRS adoption.

Mandatory certification of personal protection equipment against ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palacios, Tulio A.

2000-01-01

This paper analyze the regulations establishing mandatory certification of personal protection equipment, including those aim to protect against ionizing radiation due to the external irradiation and to the radioactive contamination. (author)

27 CFR 7.22 - Mandatory label information.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... Beverages § 7.22 Mandatory label information. There shall be stated: (a) On the brand label: (1) Brand name... alcohol. (b) On the brand label or on a separate label (back or front): (1) In the case of imported malt... PHENYLALANINE.” (Paragraph (b)(6) approved by the Office of Management and Budget under Control No. 1512-0469...

27 CFR 4.32 - Mandatory label information.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... Mandatory label information. (a) There shall be stated on the brand label: (1) Brand name, in accordance... the bottle. (c) There shall be stated on the brand label or on a back label a statement that the... the Office of Management and Budget under Control Number 1512-0469) [T.D. 6521, 25 FR 13835, Dec. 29...

Mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings: Stakeholders’ opinions in Hong Kong

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lai, Joseph H.K.

2014-01-01

Mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which is intended to help combat global warming, has been increasingly implemented across the world. For buildings in Hong Kong, however, GHG reporting remains entirely voluntary even though the government has issued a set of guidelines to facilitate building owners and managers to quantify GHG emissions from buildings. Aimed at understanding stakeholders’ opinions on whether, and to what extent, the GHG reporting should be made mandatory, a study involving a questionnaire survey was carried out. Analysis of the opinions revealed that the majority supported making the reporting mandatory for office, hotel/hostel, and industrial buildings. Generally more support was received from those who were highly experienced, employees of non-government public organisations, academics/researchers, or qualified carbon/energy auditors. Their agreement on requiring reporting of activities under scopes 1 and 2 of the GHG Protocol was stronger than that for the scope 3 activities. Reporting of paper waste disposal attracted the weakest support. The reasons for not supporting the mandatory policy, including resource constraint and financial and knowledge barriers that confront the stakeholders, were identified. The findings of this study serve as reference for energy policy makers. - Highlights: • Majority supported mandatory reporting for office and hotel/hostel buildings. • More support was given for reporting of scopes 1 and 2 of the GHG Protocol. • Reporting for paper waste disposal received the weakest support. • Main hurdles were resource constraint and financial and knowledge barriers

Optimal Cycle Time and Preservation Technology Investment for Deteriorating Items with Price-sensitive Stock-dependent Demand Under Inflation

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Nita H.; Shah, Arpan D.

2014-04-01

The article analyzes economic order quantity for the retailer who has to handle imperfect quality of the product and the units are subject to deteriorate at a constant rate. To control deterioration of the units in inventory, the retailer has to deploy advanced preservation technology. Another challenge for the retailer is to have perfect quality product. This requires mandatory inspection during the production process. This model is developed with the condition of random fraction of defective items. It is assumed that after inspection, the screened defective items are sold at a discounted rate instantly. Demand is considered to be price-sensitive stock-dependent. The model is incorporating effect of inflation which is critical factor globally. The objective is to maximize profit of the retailer with respect to preservation technology investment, order quantity and cycle time. The numerical example is given to validate the proposed model. Sensitivity analysis is carried out to work out managerial issues.

76 FR 34086 - Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs; Request for Information...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-10

... Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs; Request for Information Regarding Specific Issues Related to the Use of the Oral Fluid Specimen for Drug Testing AGENCY: Substance Abuse and Mental... may be applied to the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs (oral fluid...

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 ...

Attitude Towards Mandatory Pre-Marital HIV Testing Among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Erah

African Journal of Reproductive Health Mar 2010; 14(1): 83. ORIGINAL ... Males were about two times more likely to have positive attitude towards .... mental human rights of infected individuals. .... Senior Secondary School Education .... Mandatory premarital HIV test will prevent ..... the misconceptions that tend to promote.

25 CFR 1000.225 - Are meetings or discussions mandatory?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... FUNDING AGREEMENTS UNDER THE TRIBAL SELF-GOVERNMENT ACT AMENDMENTS TO THE INDIAN SELF-DETERMINATION AND EDUCATION ACT Waiver of Regulations § 1000.225 Are meetings or discussions mandatory? No, a meeting with the...

29 CFR Appendix A to Subpart I of... - References for Further Information (Non-mandatory)

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false References for Further Information (Non-mandatory) A... Information (Non-mandatory) The documents in appendix A provide information which may be helpful in.... National Society to Prevent Blindness. “A Guide for Controlling Eye Injuries in Industry,” Chicago, Il...

29 CFR Appendix II to Part 1918 - Tables for Selected Miscellaneous Auxiliary Gear (Mandatory)

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 7 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Tables for Selected Miscellaneous Auxiliary Gear (Mandatory) II Appendix II to Part 1918 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND.... 1918, App. II Appendix II to Part 1918—Tables for Selected Miscellaneous Auxiliary Gear (Mandatory...

Competition with mandatory labeling of genetically modified products

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Toolsema-Veldman, Linda

2005-01-01

In April 2004, the European Union adopted a new legislative framework for genetically modified (GM) organisms. This framework regulates the placing on the market of GM products, and demands these products to be labeled as such. We present a duopoly model with vertical differentiation and mandatory

41 CFR 51-5.2 - Mandatory source requirement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Mandatory source requirement. 51-5.2 Section 51-5.2 Public Contracts and Property Management Other Provisions Relating to... such as the Defense Logistics Agency and the General Services Administration, and certain commercial...

Mandatory School Uniforms and Freedom of Expression

Science.gov (United States)

Vopat, Mark C.

2010-01-01

On 10 December 2007 the Akron City School Board--following the precedent set by many school systems across the United States and the world--instituted a policy of mandatory school uniforms for all students in grades K-8. The measure was met with mixed reviews. While many parents supported the measure, a small group of parents from a selective,…

76 FR 7102 - Simplified Network Application Processing System, On-line Registration and Account Maintenance

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-09

... the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration that the proposed rule, if adopted... Industry and Security (BIS) amends the Export Administration Regulations to implement a mandatory on-line... in their accounts current. This rulemaking is consistent with the goals and principles of Executive...

31 CFR 50.4 - Mandatory participation in Program.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Mandatory participation in Program. 50.4 Section 50.4 Money and Finance: Treasury Office of the Secretary of the Treasury TERRORISM RISK... definition of an insurer under the Act is required to participate in the Program. ...

15 CFR 2008.11 - Mandatory review for declassification.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Mandatory review for declassification. 2008.11 Section 2008.11 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations Relating to Foreign Trade Agreements OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE REGULATIONS TO IMPLEMENT E.O. 12065; OFFICE OF THE...

Mandatory or Flexible: Whither Retirement Age Policy? | Ibiwoye ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... to flexible retirement. It also found that flexible policy will have a positive welfare effect as many employees can then take care of their extended span of dependants for a longer period and employee productivity will also be improved. Key words: Retirement, Mandatory, Flexible, Pension Plan, Extended Family System.

Enactment of mandatory pharmacy technician certification in Kansas.

Science.gov (United States)

Lucas, Amber; Massey, Lindsay; Gill, Taylor; Burger, Gregory; Little, Jeff D

2016-02-01

The successful enactment of mandatory pharmacy technician certification in Kansas is described. In 2004, Kansas began requiring registration of all pharmacy technicians with the state board of pharmacy. Registration identified individuals working as pharmacy technicians but did not require any specific education or certification. In September 2012, the Kansas Board of Pharmacy created a task force of key stakeholders including pharmacists from multiple areas of practice, the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy, organizational leaders from the Kansas Council of Health-System Pharmacists (KCHP) and Kansas Pharmacists Association, and professional lobbyists. The goals of this task force were to research practices of technician certification in other states and to make recommendations to the state board of pharmacy on how Kansas could accomplish mandatory technician certification. The task force outlined the steps needed to achieve legislation that could be supported by the members. These topics included the creation of a technician trainee category, grandfathering certain technicians who had been practicing for a designated period of time, state board-approved exemptions, training requirements, age and education requirements, continuing-education requirements, and pharmacist:technician ratio. The recommendations were finalized at the August 2013 Kansas Pharmacy Summit, and the proposed legislation was introduced and passed during the 2014 legislative session. KCHP members learned many valuable lessons about advocacy and the legislative process with this initiative, including building relationships, working with legislators, and working with other professional organizations. The formation of a task force led to the successful passage of a bill granting the Kansas Board of Pharmacy the authority to issue regulations regarding mandatory pharmacy technician certification. Copyright © 2016 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

Auditor tenure and auditor change: does mandatory auditor rotation improve audit quality?

OpenAIRE

M. Cameran; A. Prencipe; M. Trombetta

2009-01-01

We test the effects of auditor tenure and auditor change on audit quality in a unique mandatory audit firm rotation environment, where the rotation rule has been effective for more than 20 years. We first study the effect of audit tenure on audit quality. Our results show that audit quality—measured in terms of earnings management—tends to improve rather than worsen over time. We also examine the effects of voluntary auditor change vs. those resulting from mandatory auditor changes. Our resul...

12 CFR 403.7 - Mandatory review for declassification.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Mandatory review for declassification. 403.7 Section 403.7 Banks and Banking EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES CLASSIFICATION, DECLASSIFICATION... effort. Requests may be addressed to the: General Counsel, Export-Import Bank of the U.S., 811 Vermont...

[Quality measurement using administrative data in mandatory quality assurance].

Science.gov (United States)

Heller, Günther; Szecsenyi, Joachim; Willms, Gerald; Broge, Björn

2014-01-01

For several years, the use of administrative data in mandatory quality measurement has been requested by several stakeholders in Germany. Main advantages of using administrative data include the reduction of documentary expenditures and the possibility to perform longitudinal quality analyses across different healthcare units. After a short introduction, a brief overview of the current use of administrative data for mandatory quality assurance as well as current developments is given, which will then be further exemplified by decubital ulcer prophylaxis. By using administrative data coding expenditures in this clinical area could be reduced by nine million data fields. At the same time the population analysed was expanded resulting in a more than tenfold increase in potentially quality-relevant events. Finally, perspectives, further developments, possibilities as well as limits of quality measurement with administrative data are discussed. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Mandatory rules and public policy in international contract law

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pauknerová, Monika

-, č. 11 (2010), s. 29-43 ISSN 1612-3093 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA407/08/0188 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z70680506 Keywords : mandatory rules * public policy * Rome Convention Subject RIV: AG - Legal Sciences

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…

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)

EU Overriding Mandatory Law and the Applicable Law on the Substance in International Commercial Arbitration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

X.E. Kramer (Xandra)

2017-01-01

markdownabstractThe position of mandatory law and public policy in arbitration has been extensively discussed for quite a number of years, however, there is little consensus on the role of arbitral tribunal in applying EU overriding mandatory law. At the same time, it is clear that (overriding)

75 FR 52528 - Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System; Notice of Technical Conference

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-26

...] Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System; Notice of Technical Conference August 19, 2010... Order No. 693 the Commission approved Reliability Standard BAL-003-0 as mandatory and enforceable and directed the ERO to develop a modification to BAL-003-0 through the Reliability Standards development...

Measuring the loss of consumer choice in mandatory health programmes using discrete choice experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Parkinson, Bonny; Goodall, Stephen; Norman, Richard

2013-04-01

Economic evaluation of mandatory health programmes generally do not consider the utility impact of a loss of consumer choice upon implementation, despite evidence suggesting that consumers do value having the ability to choose. The primary aim of this study was to explore whether the utility impact of a loss of consumer choice from implementing mandatory health programmes can be measured using discrete choice experiments (DCEs). Three case studies were used to test the methodology: fortification of bread-making flour with folate, mandatory influenza vaccination of children, and the banning of trans-fats. Attributes and levels were developed from a review of the literature. An orthogonal, fractional factorial design was used to select the profiles presented to respondents to allow estimation of main effects. Overall, each DCE consisted of 64 profiles which were allocated to four versions of 16 profiles. Each choice task compared two profiles, one being voluntary and the other being mandatory, plus a 'no policy' option, thus each respondent was presented with eight choice tasks. For each choice task, respondents were asked which health policy they most preferred and least preferred. Data was analysed using a mixed logit model with correlated coefficients (200 Halton draws). The compensating variation required for introducing a programme on a mandatory basis (versus achieving the same health impacts with a voluntary programme) that holds utility constant was estimated. Responses were provided by 535 participants (a response rate of 83 %). For the influenza vaccination and folate fortification programmes, the results suggested that some level of compensation may be required for introducing the programme on a mandatory basis. Introducing a mandatory influenza vaccination programme required the highest compensation (Australian dollars [A$] 112.75, 95 % CI -60.89 to 286.39) compared with folate fortification (A$18.05, 95 % CI -3.71 to 39.80). No compensation was

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

Performance Sustainability and Integrated Reporting: Empirical Evidence from Mandatory and Voluntary Adoption Contexts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salvatore Loprevite

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This paper looks at the topic of regulation of integrated reporting for listed companies, with the aim of contributing to the debate on the usefulness of introducing a mandatory regime, both from the perspective of integrated performance sustainability of companies and from that of relevance of information for providers of financial capital. The study is based on empirical research carried out on a sample composed of companies operating in territories where the adoption of integrated reporting is voluntary (Europe and those operating in a country where adoption is mandatory (South Africa. The research shows that (a in voluntary regimes, levels of integrated performance achieved by companies are higher; (b mandatory regulation produces positive effects on integrated performance levels in the medium term; (c integrated performance indicators are value-relevant, though having different levels of relevance under the two regimes examined.

The Application of Overriding Mandatory Rules by Ukrainian Courts in Cases Arising on Cross-Border Unfair Competition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Богдан Юрійович Ребриш

2017-03-01

Full Text Available In private international law, there are a number of restrictions in the application of foreign law. Under national laws, some of these limitations appear as mandatory rules based on public policy. These kind of rules shall apply despite the foreign law that could be apply through the conflict of laws rule, or choice of law made by the parties. In other words, in matters of private international law internal mandatory rules replace the rules of the law of a foreign state. However, the problem is that the Law of Ukraine «On Private International Law» does not set criteria for inclusion of certain provisions of the substantive law to the appropriate category. Therefore, in practice to attribute some provisions of substantive law to the mandatory rules is a problematic issue. Especially it concerns the rules of competition law, which in most cases characterize as public law rules. The article is devoted to the coverage of problematic issues of application mandatory rules of Ukrainian competition legislation in cases with a foreign element. Analyzed the approaches of different scholars on the concept of mandatory rules. Paid attention on the differences of application mandatory and imperative rules of competition law of Ukraine.

Mandatory Reporting of Human Trafficking: Potential Benefits and Risks of Harm.

Science.gov (United States)

English, Abigail

2017-01-01

Human trafficking, including both sex and labor trafficking, has profound consequences for the safety, health, and well-being of victims and survivors. Efforts to address human trafficking through prevention, protection, and prosecution are growing but remain insufficient. Mandatory reporting has the potential to bring victims and survivors to the attention of social service and law enforcement agencies but may discourage trafficked persons from seeking help, thereby limiting the ability of health care professionals to establish trust and provide needed care. States' experience in implementing child abuse laws can be useful in assessing the potential risks and benefits of mandatory reporting of human trafficking. © 2017 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.

75 FR 18575 - Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases: Injection and Geologic Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-12

... suppliers, industrial gas suppliers, and direct emitters of GHGs. The rule does not require the control of... Part II Environmental Protection Agency 40 CFR Part 98 Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases... CFR Part 98 [EPA-HQ-OAR-2009-0926; FRL-9131-2] RIN 2060-AP88 Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases...

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.

Job-specific mandatory medical examinations for the police force

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boschman, J. S.; Hulshof, C. T. J.; Frings-Dresen, M. H. W.; Sluiter, J. K.

2017-01-01

Background Mandatory medical examinations (MMEs) of workers should be based on the health and safety requirements that are needed for effectively performing the relevant work. For police personnel in the Netherlands, no job-specific MME exists that takes the specific tasks and duties into account.

76 FR 21043 - Notice of Public Meeting: Technical Aspects of Mandatory Deposit of Published Electronic Works...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-14

... mandatory deposit requirements of the copyright law. The objective is to identify file submission, packaging... mandatory deposit provisions of the copyright law. Under the interim regulation, certain works available... LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Copyright Office [Docket No. 2011-3] Notice of Public Meeting: Technical...

ETHICS OF MANDATORY PREMARITAL HIV TESTING IN AFRICA: THE CASE OF GOMA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Science.gov (United States)

RENNIE, STUART; MUPENDA, BAVON

2015-01-01

Despite decades of prevention efforts, millions of persons worldwide continue to become infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) every year. This urgent problem of global epidemic control has recently lead to significant changes in HIV testing policies. Provider-initiated approaches to HIV testing have been embraced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, such as those that routinely inform persons that they will be tested for HIV unless they explicitly refuse (‘opt out’). While these policies appear to increase uptake of testing, they raise a number of ethical concerns that have been debated in journals and at international AIDS conferences. However, one special form of ‘provider-initiated’ testing is being practiced and promoted in various parts of the world, and has advocates within international health agencies, but has received little attention in the bioethical literature: mandatory premarital HIV testing. This article analyses some of the key ethical issues related to mandatory premarital HIV testing in resource-poor settings with generalized HIV epidemics. We will first briefly mention some mandatory HIV premarital testing proposals, policies and practices worldwide, and offer a number of conceptual and factual distinctions to help distinguish different types of mandatory testing policies. Using premarital testing in Goma (Democratic Republic of Congo) as a point of departure, we will use influential public health ethics principles to evaluate different forms of mandatory testing. We conclude by making concrete recommendations concerning the place of mandatory premarital testing in the struggle against HIV/AIDS. PMID:19143089

Australian Undergraduate Primary School Student-Teachers' Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and Its Mandatory Reporting

Science.gov (United States)

Goldman, Juliette D. G.

2010-01-01

This study aims to understand how primary school teachers, as mandatory reporters of child sexual abuse, are responding to child sexual abuse and its mandatory reporting, even though many teachers do not receive a compulsory course in Child Protection and its legal requirements in their pre-service university training. A cohort of 81 Australian…

ENVIRONMENTAL SCENARIOS FOR MANDATORY BIO-FUEL BLENDING TARGETS: AN APPLICATION OF INTUITIVE LOGICS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Antonio Conejero

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Scenarios depicting targets concerning mandatory bio-fuel blending are critical to the strategic planning of food and bio-energy production chains and their design is the purpose of this paper. Each scenario tells a story about how various elements might interact under given conditions. The method herein utilized is primarily based on Schoemaker´s (1995 and Schwartz´s (1991 earlier proposals. A six step framework is followed: i identify the focal issue; ii summarize current mandatory blending targets; iii identify the driving forces as of a macro-environmental analysis; iv validate driving forces with specialists; v rank such key forces by importance before uncertainties, building a correlation matrix; vi design the scenarios. Finally, three alternative scenarios, relative to the adoption on behalf of countries, by the year 2020, of mandatory bio-fuel blending targets, are proposed which might guide these countries’ decision makers when planning production systems.

15 CFR 4a.7 - Mandatory review for declassification.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Deputy Assistant Secretary for Security, U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 1069, 14th and Constitution... under the provisions of the Department of Commerce National Security Manual, the DAS shall notify the... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Mandatory review for declassification...

41 CFR 301-70.701 - Who has the authority to grant exemptions to mandatory use of Government contractor-issued travel...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... grant exemptions to mandatory use of Government contractor-issued travel charge card for official travel... REQUIREMENTS Policies and Procedures Relating to Mandatory Use of the Government Contractor-Issued Travel Charge Card for Official Travel § 301-70.701 Who has the authority to grant exemptions to mandatory use...

Mechanism Design for the Online Allocation of Items without Monetary Payments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jalilzadeh, B.; Planken, L.; De Weerdt, M.M.

2010-01-01

We consider online mechanism design without money, where agents are allowed to trade items with other agents, in an attempt to improve their own allocation. In an off-line context, this problem is known as the House Allocation Problem (HAP). We extend HAP to an online problem and call it the Online

Mandatory Use of Electronic Health Records: Overcoming Physician Resistance

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Viseeta K.

2012-01-01

Literature supports the idea that electronic health records hold tremendous value for the healthcare system in that it increases patient safety, improves the quality of care and provides greater efficiency. The move toward mandatory implementation of electronic health records is a growing concern in the United States health care industry. The…

MANDATORY TAKEOVER BIDS ON ROMANIAN CAPITAL MARKET

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristian GHEORGHE

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The Romanian Capital Market Law (Law no 297/2004 lays down rules regarding public offers (to buy or sell of securities admitted to trading on a regulated market. Such offers are not unknown in the general framework of companies’ regulations, i.e. Company Law no 31/1990. Actually a public limited liability company (joint stock company can use a public subscriptions (offering shares for sale to raise the registered capital for incorporation of the company or to increase the company’s share capital already established. But all such operations are voluntary decisions. The founders or the shareholders of the company are those who decide to launch a public subscriptions. Capital Market Law comes with something new and at least peculiar at first sight: mandatory takeover bid, meaning a mandatory public offer made by an offeror to the holders of the securities of a company (offeree to acquire all or some of those securities. Can someone be forced to buy securities on the regulated market? The Capital Market Law responds affirmatively, but only if such takeover bid follows or has as its objective the acquisition of control of the offeree company in accordance with national law. The takeover bid remains under supervision and authorization of the national authority of the Capital Market (FSA – Financial Supervisory Authority.

An understanding of nurse educators' leadership behaviors in implementing mandatory continuing nursing education in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Lily Dongxia

2008-09-01

Mandatory continuing nursing education is viewed as one way to develop registered nurses' continuing competencies. However, as has been argued internationally, it can also create a paradox in terms of learning to meet study requirements. Such paradox has been discussing in China since the implementation of mandatory continuing nursing education in 1996. Nurse educators, who develop continuing nursing education programs, appear to respond to the paradox differently associated with their leadership styles. This article reports a qualitative study aiming to gain an understanding of nurse educators' leadership behaviors in implementing mandatory continuing nursing education in China. Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics underpins in-depth interviews with five nurse educators and data interpretation. Two categories of nurse educators, described as proactive educator and reactive educator, were identified and compared with two types of leadership styles described as transformational leader and transactional leader in the literature of educational leadership and continuing professional development. Proactive educators shared core attributors of transformational leaders and were able to relieve the paradox in mandatory continuing nursing education. Reactive educators however showed some attributors of transactional leaders and might escalate the paradox. Findings suggest further research in relation to the preparation of nurse educators.

5 CFR 9701.707 - Appeals of mandatory removal actions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... employee may appeal such actions to the Mandatory Removal Panel (MRP) established under § 9701.708. (b) Procedures. (1) The MRP will establish procedures for the fair, impartial, and expeditious assignment and... other matters as may be necessary to ensure the operation of the MRP. (2) The MRP will conduct a hearing...

Pengaruh Mekanisme Corporate Governance Terhadap Tingkat Kepatuhan Mandatory Disclosure Pasca Konvergensi IFRS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Isna Fauziah

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The proportion of independent commissioners and the number of audit committee meeting. Data analysis method used is descriptive analysis method and hypothesis testing. The result in this study showed the average level of mandatory disclosure compliance after convergence of IFRS in statement comprehensive income is 59.73%. The result showed that corporate governance mechanism simultaneously affect the level of compliance with mandatory disclosure after convergence of IFRS. Meanwhile corporate governance mechanism variables that affect compliance are the managerial ownership, institutional ownership and the proportion of independent commissioners. Other variable that no affect is the numbers of audit committee meeting.DOI: 10.15408/ess.v5i2.2349

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.

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).

Mandatory Arrest Law in domestic violence cases and its implementation in New York City

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milivojević Sanja K.

2002-01-01

Full Text Available This paper contains the analysis of the Mandatory Arrest Law in domestic violence cases in New York State. Introduction includes the subject and main goals of the paper. Second chapter starts with historical development of the police response in domestic violence cases in New York before and after the Mandatory Arrest Law is passed, than analysis of the Law, and ends with one of the programs which Safe Horizon, Victim Service organization, developed in New York City. Third chapter gives the analysis of pro et contra arguments for mandatory arrest provision and results of surveys and studies, which were conducted in United States. In fourth chapter we present the analysis of the research conducted in two police precincts in New York City this year. Paper also contains the list of main problems in implementation of this Law in New York City.

Mandatory HIV Screening Policy & Everyday Life: A Look Inside the Canadian Immigration Medical Examination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LAURA BISAILLON

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Findings that detail the social organization of day-to-day practices associated with the Canadian government policy of mandatory HIV testing of permanent residence applicants to Canada are reported. Institutional ethnography was used to investigate interactions between HIV-positive applicants and immigration physicians during the immigration medical examination. A composite narrative recounts details of a woman applicant's discovery through immigration testing that she was living with HIV. Mandatory HIV testing gives rise to serious difficulties for applicants to Canada living with HIV. Applicant, physician and federal state employee work practices associated with mandatory HIV testing are analysed. These practices contribute to the ideological work of the Canadian state, where interest bounds up in the examination serve the state and not the applicant. Findings should be useful for Canadian immigration policy makers who wish to develop constructive and functional strategies to address issues that matter in people's lives

Multi-site musculoskeletal pain in Swedish police: associations with discomfort from wearing mandatory equipment and prolonged sitting.

Science.gov (United States)

Larsen, Louise Bæk; Andersson, Elisabeth Elgmark; Tranberg, Roy; Ramstrand, Nerrolyn

2018-05-01

Musculoskeletal disorders are considered as a major issue affecting the health and well-being of active duty police. Discomfort from wearing mandatory equipment and sitting for long periods of time in fleet vehicles are workload factors linked to musculoskeletal disorders in police. This study aims to determine the prevalence of multi-site musculoskeletal pain among Swedish police and to explore the possible association to discomfort experience when wearing mandatory equipment and sitting for long periods in fleet vehicles. In this cross-sectional study responses from 4185 police were collected through a self-administered online survey including questions about physical work environment, mandatory equipment and musculoskeletal pain. Multi-site pain was determined through summing pain sites from four body regions. Binomial logistic regression was performed to explore the association between multi-site musculoskeletal pain: (1) discomfort from wearing mandatory equipment and (2) sitting for long periods in fleet vehicles. The prevalence of multi-site musculoskeletal pain at least 1 day per week within the previous 3 months was 41.3%. A statistically significant association between discomfort from wearing mandatory equipment and multi-site musculoskeletal pain was found; duty belt [OR 5.42 (95% CI 4.56-6.43)] as well as body armour [OR 2.69 (95% CI 2.11-3.42)]. Sitting for long periods in fleet vehicles was not significantly associated to multi-site musculoskeletal pain. Multi-site musculoskeletal pain is a considerable problem among Swedish police and modifying mandatory equipment to decrease discomfort is suggested as a potential means of decreasing the musculoskeletal pain experienced by many police officers.

Mandatory Driver Training and Road Safety: The Quebec Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Potvin, Louise; And Others

1988-01-01

1983 legislation making driver training courses mandatory for any person in Quebec seeking a first driver's license had no effect on the risk of accident or the mortality/morbidity rate for newly licensed drivers over 18. However, since 1983 more women under 18 are becoming licensed, and their risks may be increased. (Author/BJV)

Reducing information asymmetry in the power industry: Mandatory and voluntary information disclosure regulations of sulfur dioxide emission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Xufeng; Zhang Chao

2012-01-01

This paper focuses on the institutional framework for sulfur dioxide emission information disclosure (SDEID) in power industries. The authors argue that mandatory and voluntary SDEID are two complementary regulatory instruments for emission reduction in the power industry. An analytical framework of SDEID with six facets is suggested in this paper to demonstrate relevant legal provisions and regulatory policies of mandatory and voluntary SDEID of power industries in the US. Empirical research shows that mandatory and voluntary SDEID of the power industry have been regulated simultaneously in the US. The foundation of power companies' willingness to disclose emission information voluntarily is the combination of mandatory scientific monitoring with market regulation in the current SDEID system in the US. In comparison, the SDEID of power industries has yet to be widely implemented in developing countries. Finally, the paper provides some implications to developing countries that plan to learn institutional arrangements from developed countries. - Highlights: ► Mandatory and voluntary SDEID are two complementary regulatory instruments. ► An analytical framework is suggested to demonstrate SDEID of power industry in the US. ► Voluntary disclosure can be attributed to scientific monitoring and market regulation. ► We provide implications to developing countries learning from developed countries.

Mandatory Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting in the EU

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Szabó, Dániel Gergely

, as well as other dedicated reporting types. The author investigates what legal framework underpins these disclosure types; to what extent these instruments mandate the disclosure of non-financial information; and if they have potential to expand their non-financial disclosure requirements. The findings...... suggest that mandatory nonfinancial reporting is less developed than expected. It further recommends more narrow and elaborate disclosure obligations to achieve higher transparency in CSR matters....

Poor performance of mandatory nutritional screening of in-hospital patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Geiker, Nina Rica Wium; Larsen, Sisse Marie Hørup; Stender, Steen

2012-01-01

Background & aims: Since 2006 it has been mandatory at Copenhagen University Hospital Gentofte to screen all patients for nutritional risk within 24 h of admittance. Audits conducted by department staff estimate that 70-80% of assessments are correctly executed, but the validity of this estimate ...

Which analysts benefited most from mandatory IFRS adoption in Europe?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beuselinck, Christof; Joos, Philip; Khurana, I.K.; van der Meulen, Sofie

2017-01-01

This study examines whether financial analysts' research structure and portfolio selection choices helped in improving relative earnings forecast accuracy around mandatory IFRS adoption in Europe. Using a sample of 68,665 one-year ahead forecasts for 1,980 publicly listed firms, we find that

78 FR 34565 - Modification of Mandatory Label Information for Wine

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-10

... for Wine AGENCY: Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, Treasury. ACTION: Final rule; Treasury... the mandatory labeling requirements for wine. The regulatory change permits alcohol content to appear... regulatory change provides greater flexibility in wine labeling, and will conform the TTB wine labeling...

Mandatory Contract Law: Functions and Principles in Light of the Proposal for a Directive on Consumer Rights

NARCIS (Netherlands)

G. Wagner (Gerhard)

2010-01-01

textabstractStarting from the theoretical underpinnings of contract law, mandatory rules should be the exception. In the reality of current European legislation, mandatory law is not the exception but the rule. The obvious explanation is that the EU has focussed on consumer law, i.e. on the

Mandatory Parent Education Programs Can Create Positive Youth Sport Experiences

Science.gov (United States)

Christofferson, Jennifer; Strand, Bradford

2016-01-01

Youth sport leaders must not ignore the influence parents have on creating a positive developmental experience for young athletes. Therefore, expectations involving parental involvement and conduct must be addressed prior to athletes' participation. This article aims to examine the importance of creating mandatory parental training programs for…

Mandatory Rest Stops Improve Athlete Safety during Event Medical Coverage for Ultramarathons.

Science.gov (United States)

Joslin, Jeremy; Mularella, Joshua; Bail, Allison; Wojcik, Susan; Cooney, Derek R

2016-02-01

Provisions of medical direction and clinical services for ultramarathons require specific attention to heat illness. Heat stress can affect athlete performance negatively, and heat accumulation without acclimatization is associated with the development of exertional heat stroke (EHS). In order to potentially mitigate the risk of this safety concern, the Jungle Marathon (Para, Brazil) instituted mandatory rest periods during the first two days of this 7-day, staged, Brazilian ultramarathon. Race records were reviewed retrospectively to determine the number of runners that suffered an emergency medical complication related to heat stress and did not finish (DNF) the race. Review of records included three years before and three years after the institution of these mandatory rest periods. A total of 326 runners competed in the Jungle Marathon during the 2008-2013 period of study. During the pre-intervention years, a total of 46 athletes (21%) DNF the full race with 25 (54.3%) cases attributed to heat-related factors. During the post-intervention years, a total of 26 athletes (24.3%) DNF the full race with four (15.4%) cases attributed to heat-related factors. Mandatory rest stops during extreme running events in hot or tropical environments, like the Jungle Marathon, are likely to improve athlete safety and improve the heat acclimatization process.

In defence of mandatory bicycle helmet legislation: response to Hooper and Spicer.

Science.gov (United States)

Biegler, Paul; Johnson, Marilyn

2015-08-01

We invoke a triple rationale to rebut Hooper and Spicer's argument against mandatory helmet laws. First, we use the laws of physics and empirical studies to show how bicycle helmets afford substantial protection to the user. We show that Hooper and Spicer erroneously downplay helmet utility and that, as a result, their attack on the utilitarian argument for mandatory helmet laws is weakened. Next, we refute their claim that helmet legislation comprises unjustified paternalism. We show the healthcare costs of bareheaded riding to pose significant third party harms. It follows, we argue, that a utilitarian case for helmet laws can be sustained by appeal to Mill's Harm Principle. Finally, we reject Hooper and Spicer's claim that helmet laws unjustly penalise cyclists for their own health-affecting behaviour. Rather, we show their argument to suffer by disanalogy with medical cases where injustice may be more evident, for example, denial of bypass surgery to smokers. We conclude that mandatory helmet laws offer substantial utility and are entirely defensible within the framework of a liberal democracy. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Does Mandatory IFRS Adoption Improve the Information Environment?

OpenAIRE

Horton, Joanne; Serafeim, Georgios; Serafeim, Ioanna

2012-01-01

More than 120 countries require or permit the use of International Financial Reporting Standards (‘IFRS’) by publicly listed companies on the basis of higher information quality and accounting comparability from IFRS application. However, the empirical evidence about these presumed benefits are often conflicting and fail to separate between information quality and comparability. In this paper we examine the effect of mandatory IFRS adoption on firms’ information environment. We find that afte...

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.

24 CFR 5.350 - Mandatory pet rules for housing programs.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Mandatory pet rules for housing programs. 5.350 Section 5.350 Housing and Urban Development Office of the Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development GENERAL HUD PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS; WAIVERS Pet Ownership for the Elderly or...

38 CFR 3.216 - Mandatory disclosure of social security numbers.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... social security numbers. 3.216 Section 3.216 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF... Requirements § 3.216 Mandatory disclosure of social security numbers. Any person who applies for or receives..., furnish the Department of Veterans Affairs upon request with his or her social security number and the...

75 FR 59176 - DoD Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) Program

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-27

..., VA 22060-6201. (13) Missile Defense Agency. Missile Defense Agency, Attention: MDA/DS, 7100 Defense... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary 32 CFR Part 222 [DoD-2010-OS-0043; RIN 0790-AI62] DoD Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) Program AGENCY: Department of Defense. ACTION: Proposed...

The added value of auditing in a non-mandatory environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Duits, H.B.

2012-01-01

What is the `raison d'être' of auditing? Does auditing only exist by the grace of the legislator? Or does auditing fulfill other needs in contemporary society? For many companies, auditing has been made mandatory. This is possibly one of the reasons why researchers to date have given limited

Mandatory influenza vaccination for all healthcare personnel: a review on justification, implementation and effectiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Tiffany L; Jing, Ling; Bocchini, Joseph A

2017-10-01

As healthcare-associated influenza is a serious public health concern, this review examines legal and ethical arguments supporting mandatory influenza vaccination policies for healthcare personnel, implementation issues and evidence of effectiveness. Spread of influenza from healthcare personnel to patients can result in severe harm or death. Although most healthcare personnel believe that they should be vaccinated against seasonal influenza, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that only 79% of personnel were vaccinated during the 2015-2016 season. Vaccination rates were as low as 44.9% in institutions that did not promote or offer the vaccine, compared with rates of more than 90% in institutions with mandatory vaccination policies. Policies that mandate influenza vaccination for healthcare personnel have legal and ethical justifications. Implementing such policies require multipronged approaches that include education efforts, easy access to vaccines, vaccine promotion, leadership support and consistent communication emphasizing patient safety. Mandatory influenza vaccination for healthcare personnel is a necessary step in protecting patients. Patients who interact with healthcare personnel are often at an elevated risk of complications from influenza. Vaccination is the best available strategy for protecting against influenza and evidence shows that institutional policies and state laws can effectively increase healthcare personnel vaccination rates, decreasing the risk of transmission in healthcare settings. There are legal and ethical precedents for institutional mandatory influenza policies and state laws, although successful implementation requires addressing both administrative and attitudinal barriers.

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.

Straight-Line: A nuclear material storage information management system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nilsen, C.; Mangan, D.

1995-01-01

Sandia National Laboratories is developing Straight-Line -- a pilot system to demonstrate comprehensive monitoring of nuclear material in storage. Straight-Line is an integrated system of sensors providing information that will enhance the safety, security, and international accountability of stored nuclear material. The goals of this effort are to: (1) Provide the right sensor information to the right user immediately. (2) Reduce the expenses, risks, and frequency of human inspection of the material. (3) Provide trustworthy data to international inspectors to minimize their need to make on site inspections. In pursuit of these goals, Straight-Line unites technology from Sandia's Authenticated Item Monitoring System (AIMS) and other programs to communicate the authenticated status of the monitored item back to central magazine receivers. Straight-Line, however, incorporates several important features not found in previous systems: (1) Information Security -- the ability to collect and safely disseminate both classified and unclassified sensor data to users on a need-to-know basis. (2) Integrate into a single system the monitoring needs of safety, security, and international accountability. (3) Incorporate the use of sensors providing analog or digital output. This paper will present the overall architecture and status of the Straight-Line project

Straight-Line: A nuclear material storage information management system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nilsen, C.; Mangan, D.

1995-07-01

Sandia National Laboratories is developing Straight-Line -- a pilot system to demonstrate comprehensive monitoring of nuclear material in storage. Straight-Line is an integrated system of sensors providing information that will enhance the safety, security, and international accountability of stored nuclear material. The goals of this effort are to: (1) Provide the right sensor information to the right user immediately. (2) Reduce the expenses, risks, and frequency of human inspection of the material. (3) Provide trustworthy data to international inspectors to minimize their need to make on site inspections. In pursuit of these goals, Straight-Line unites technology from Sandia`s Authenticated Item Monitoring System (AIMS) and other programs to communicate the authenticated status of the monitored item back to central magazine receivers. Straight-Line, however, incorporates several important features not found in previous systems: (1) Information Security -- the ability to collect and safely disseminate both classified and unclassified sensor data to users on a need-to-know basis. (2) Integrate into a single system the monitoring needs of safety, security, and international accountability. (3) Incorporate the use of sensors providing analog or digital output. This paper will present the overall architecture and status of the Straight-Line project.

Mandatory special or dedicated trains for radioactive materials shipments evidence shows they're not needed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goodman, L.S.; Garrison, R.F.; Harmon, L.H.

1988-01-01

The rejection of mandatory special or dedicated trains by all responsible Federal agencies for transportation of radioactive materials in shielded casks has a long history. Working with the railroads and the National Academy of Sciences, the ICC adopted standards for transporting radioactive materials in regular freight trains in the mid 1940's. The standards rested primarily on ensuring the integrity of the radioactive materials packaging. AEC, then NRC and DOT, followed the ICC lead, supplementing the licensing rules for casks with a series of performance or stress tests. At no time did these agencies require special trains or special routing for rail casks. Mandatory special trains have too many disadvantages without any proven safety benefit to be worth their high cost to the shipper. The ICC, in a series of litigated cases, found that given the strength of the casks, mandatory special trains were wasteful transportation and an unreasonable railroad practice

31 CFR 2.1 - Processing of mandatory declassification review requests.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Processing of mandatory declassification review requests. 2.1 Section 2.1 Money and Finance: Treasury Office of the Secretary of the... inform the requester of the right to appeal the classification determination within 60 calendar days of...

The added value of auditing in a non-mandatory environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hans Duits

2012-01-01

What is the ‘raison d’être’ of auditing? Does auditing only exist by the grace of the legislator? Or does auditing fulfill other needs in contemporary society? For many companies, auditing has been made mandatory. This is possibly one of the reasons why researchers to date have given limited

Experimental Program for the CLIC test facility 3 test beam line

CERN Document Server

Adli, E; Dobert, S; Olvegaard, M; Schulte, D; Syratchev, I; Lillestol, Reidar

2010-01-01

The CLIC Test Facility 3 Test Beam Line is the first prototype for the CLIC drive beam decelerator. Stable transport of the drive beam under deceleration is a mandatory component in the CLIC two-beam scheme. In the Test Beam Line more than 50% of the total energy will be extracted from a 150 MeV, 28 A electron drive beam, by the use of 16 power extraction and transfer structures. A number of experiments are foreseen to investigate the drive beam characteristics under deceleration in the Test Beam Line, including beam stability, beam blow up and the efficiency of the power extraction. General benchmarking of decelerator simulation and theory studies will also be performed. Specially designed instrumentation including precision BPMs, loss monitors and a time-resolved spectrometer dump will be used for the experiments. This paper describes the experimental program foreseen for the Test Beam Line, including the relevance of the results for the CLIC decelerator studies.

75 FR 22809 - Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-30

... time for related training in Federal and federally-regulated workplace drug testing programs and will... related training in Federal and federally-regulated workplace drug testing programs, including HHS... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing...

76 FR 11187 - Examinations of Work Areas in Underground Coal Mines for Violations of Mandatory Health or Safety...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-01

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Mine Safety and Health Administration 30 CFR Part 75 RIN 1219-AB75 Examinations of Work Areas in Underground Coal Mines for Violations of Mandatory Health or Safety Standards... rule addressing Examinations of Work Areas in Underground Coal Mines for Violations of Mandatory Health...

36 CFR 1260.58 - What are the procedures for requesting a mandatory review of White House originated information?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... requesting a mandatory review of White House originated information? 1260.58 Section 1260.58 Parks, Forests... review of White House originated information? (a) Requests for mandatory review must describe the...) NARA will promptly acknowledge to the requester the receipt of a request for White House originated...

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…

Working memory for sequences of temporal durations reveals a volatile single-item store

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanjay G Manohar

2016-10-01

Full Text Available When a sequence is held in working memory, different items are retained with differing fidelity. Here we ask whether a sequence of brief time intervals that must be remembered show recency effects, similar to those observed in verbal and visuospatial working memory. It has been suggested that prioritising some items over others can be accounted for by a focus of attention, maintaining some items in a privileged state. We therefore also investigated whether such benefits are vulnerable to disruption by attention or expectation. Participants listened to sequences of one to five tones, of varying durations (200ms to 2s. Subsequently, the length of one of the tones in the sequence had to be reproduced by holding a key. The discrepancy between the reproduced and actual durations quantified the fidelity of memory for auditory durations. Recall precision decreased with the number of items that had to be remembered, and was better for the first and last items of sequences, in line with set-size and serial position effects seen in other modalities. To test whether attentional filtering demands might impair performance, an irrelevant variation in pitch was introduced in some blocks of trials. In those blocks, memory precision was worse for sequences that consisted of only one item, i.e. the smallest memory set size. Thus, when irrelevant information was present, the benefit of having only one item in memory is attenuated. Finally we examined whether expectation could interfere with memory. On half the trials, the number of items in the upcoming sequence was cued. When the number of items was known in advance, performance was paradoxically worse when the sequence consisted of only one item. Thus the benefit of having only one item to remember is stronger when it is unexpectedly the only item. Our results suggest that similar mechanisms are used to hold auditory time durations in working memory, as for visual or verbal stimuli. Further, solitary items were

Mandatory internal mobility in French hospitals: the results of imposed management practices.

Science.gov (United States)

van Schingen, Edith; Dariel, Odessa; Lefebvre, Hélène; Challier, Marie-Pierre; Rothan-Tondeur, Monique

2017-01-01

To describe the impact of a mandatory internal mobility policy on nurses working in French state-funded health establishments. Public hospitals in France rely on the internal mobility of nursing staff to respond to organisational needs, to reduce costs and to increase productivity. However, there is very little data on the impact of such management practices on the nurses themselves. A cross-sectional study, including 3077 nurses from 35 hospitals in the region of Paris, was conducted. Data were collected using a validated self-assessment questionnaire. Forty per cent of French nurses are required to work in different units. This mobility differs according to individual characteristics [age (P = 0.04), length of service (P = 0.017)] and type of environment [hospital (P < 0.0001), specialty (P < 0.0001)]. We can distinguish two types of approaches for implementing a mandatory staff nurse mobility policy. The first is an event that is regular, planned and lasts for several days. The second is an event that is irregular, short and organised the day before or the day of the change. Overall, while nurses are dissatisfied with all types of mandatory unit changes, this dissatisfaction is primarily a result of the irregular mobility events. This study demonstrates the importance of implementing a planned inter-unit mobility event and proposes recommendations for this type of implementation. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

75 FR 57297 - Petitions for Modification of Existing Mandatory Safety Standards

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-20

... safety standards published in Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations. DATES: All comments on the... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Mine Safety and Health Administration Petitions for Modification of Existing Mandatory Safety Standards AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Labor. ACTION: Notice...

76 FR 16640 - Petitions for Modification of Existing Mandatory Safety Standards

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-24

... safety standards published in Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations. DATES: All comments on the... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Mine Safety and Health Administration Petitions for Modification of Existing Mandatory Safety Standards AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Labor. ACTION: Notice...

Perceptions and Impact of Mandatory eLearning for Foundation Trainee Doctors: A Qualitative Evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks, Hannah L; Pontefract, Sarah K; Vallance, Hannah K; Hirsch, Christine A; Hughes, Elizabeth; Ferner, Robin E; Marriott, John F; Coleman, Jamie J

2016-01-01

Junior doctors in the UK must complete various educational components during their two year Foundation training programme. It is important that mandatory learning is informative and engaging. The aim of this study was to evaluate trainee doctors' perceptions of a Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) programme developed to improve prescribing competency. Focus groups and interviews were conducted at three hospital sites in the West Midlands. Codes, sub-themes and themes were determined using deductive and inductive thematic analysis. Data were collected from 38 Foundation trainee doctors. Results revealed major themes relating to prescribing education, the user experience and user engagement. Key findings included the positive impact of preparedness following undergraduate education on the user experience of the TEL programme at the postgraduate level; the impact of content, structure, and individual learning needs and styles on the user experience; and the impact of motivation and time on engagement. Most trainees engaged with the programme owing to its mandatory nature; however, some trainees also used the programme voluntarily, for example, to acquire knowledge prior to starting a new placement. It is important to ensure that learners are willing to engage with mandatory TEL, and that they have the time and motivation to do so. It is also important to ensure that learners have a positive user experience and that in designing TEL individual differences in learning styles and needs are taken into account. These findings have implications for educators and system developers in the construction and design of mandatory eLearning programmes.

The effects of mandatory health insurance on equity in access to outpatient care in Indonesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Hidayat, Budi; Thabrany, Hasbullah; Dong, Hengjin; Sauerborn, Rainer

2004-09-01

This paper examines the effects of mandatory health insurance on access and equity in access to public and private outpatient care in Indonesia. Data from the second round of the 1997 Indonesian Family Life Survey were used. We adopted the concentration index as a measure of equity, and this was calculated from actual data and from predicted probability of outpatient-care use saved from a multinomial logit regression. The study found that a mandatory insurance scheme for civil servants (Askes) had a strongly positive impact on access to public outpatient care, while a mandatory insurance scheme for private employees (Jamsostek) had a positive impact on access to both public and private outpatient care. The greatest effects of Jamsostek were observed amongst poor beneficiaries. A substantial increase in access will be gained by expanding insurance to the whole population. However, neither Askes nor Jamsostek had a positive impact on equity. Policy implications are discussed.

Radiographers attitudes to mandatory CPD: a comparative study in the United Kingdom and New Zealand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henwood, S.M.; Yielder, J.; Flinton, D.

2004-01-01

This study explores the attitudes of radiographers in two countries (UK and New Zealand) to mandatory CPD prior to a mandatory CPD policy being implemented. Postal questionnaires were sent to 1739 radiographers (250 in the UK and 1489 in New Zealand), in collaboration with the respective professional bodies in both countries. The study showed that there is a general ambivalent attitude towards CPD and there are a number of barriers which individuals identify to explain relatively low rates of participation in CPD. The study also showed that there is a very restricted view of what constitutes CPD around attendance at study days and formal activities and subsequently less formal activities are not being recognised and valued. The lack of recording of CPD activity was highlighted along with problems related to poor staffing levels and in places, lack of employer support. The study will be repeated and attitudes compared two years following the implementation of the mandatory CPD policy in both countries

Opportunities, threats and barriers to enacting mandatory child car restraint laws in Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Soori, Hamid; Ainy, Elaheh; Bazargan-Hejazi, Shahrzad

2015-01-01

Approximately one-third of Iranian children's deaths are caused by injuries. Of these, 36% result from road traffic injuries (RTIs). Both RTIs and fatalities could be reduced by using child car restraints (CCRs). Despite their demonstrated effectiveness, CCRs are not mandatory in Iran. This study was conducted to assess opportunities and barriers in enacting mandatory CCR laws in that country. Using mixed method research, a phenomenological approach was used to explore the experiences and perspectives of road safety stakeholders in regard to opportunities and threats in enacting mandatory CCR laws in Iran. The themes derived from group discussions were used to first develop a structured questionnaire, which was later distributed to and completed by study participants. The study analysis was conducted using scores and rankings from the responses to these questions. Twenty-eight stakeholders participated in the study. Most were male, aged 36.7 ± 5.6 (range 25-59). In terms of identifying the organization that should establish mandatory CCR laws, the Traffic Police Department achieved the highest score of 90 (range 0-100). The participants also thought that the Traffic Police department is responsible to monitor compliance and conduct follow-up investigations (score = 100). In regard to existing barriers in enacting CCR laws, the lack of positive Publicity by mass media and the lack of related laws received scores of 85 and 70, respectively. Enabling factors and opportunities included 'positive regards or attitude of families towards their child's health,' 'officials' commitment to support such laws' and 'having adequate resources to raise community awareness of the importance of CCR use. These received scores of 83, 69 and 68, respectively. The results suggest that cooperation and collaboration among stakeholders including the Traffic Police, families and local communities are needed to maximize the likelihood of mandating CCR laws.

Mandatory Identification Bar Checks: How Bouncers Are Doing Their Job

Science.gov (United States)

Monk-Turner, Elizabeth; Allen, John; Casten, John; Cowling, Catherine; Gray, Charles; Guhr, David; Hoofnagle, Kara; Huffman, Jessica; Mina, Moises; Moore, Brian

2011-01-01

The behavior of bouncers at on site establishments that served alcohol was observed. Our aim was to better understand how bouncers went about their job when the bar had a mandatory policy to check identification of all customers. Utilizing an ethnographic decision model, we found that bouncers were significantly more likely to card customers that…

42 CFR 403.306 - Additional requirements for State systems-mandatory approval.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Additional requirements for State systems-mandatory approval. 403.306 Section 403.306 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL PROVISIONS SPECIAL PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS Recognition of State...

76 FR 16240 - Mandatory Reliability Standards for Interconnection Reliability Operating Limits

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-23

... identified by the Commission. \\5\\ Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System, Order No. 693... reliability of the interconnection by ensuring that the bulk electric system is assessed during the operations... responsibility for SOLs. Further, Bulk-Power System reliability practices assign responsibilities for analyzing...

Customer responses to mandatory menu labeling at full-service restaurants.

Science.gov (United States)

Auchincloss, Amy H; Mallya, Giridhar G; Leonberg, Beth L; Ricchezza, Andrew; Glanz, Karen; Schwarz, Donald F

2013-12-01

In 2010, Philadelphia enacted a menu-labeling law requiring full-service restaurant chains to list values for calories, sodium, fat, and carbohydrates for each item on all printed menus. The goal of the study was to determine whether purchase decisions at full-service restaurants varied depending on the presence of labeling. In August 2011, this cross-sectional study collected 648 customer surveys and transaction receipts at seven restaurant outlets of one large full-service restaurant chain. Two outlets had menu labeling (case sites); five outlets did not (control sites). Outcomes included differences in calories and nutrients purchased and customers' reported use of nutrition information when ordering. Data were analyzed in 2012. Mean age was 37 years; 60% were female; 50% were black/African-American and reported incomes ≥$60,000. Customers purchased food with approximately 1600 kcal (food plus beverage, 1800 kcal); 3200 mg sodium; and 35 g saturated fat. After adjustment for confounders, customers at labeled restaurants purchased food with 151 fewer kilocalories (95% CI=-270, -33); 224 mg less sodium (95% CI=-457, +8); and 3.7 g less saturated fat (95% CI=-7.4, -0.1) compared to customers at unlabeled restaurants (or 155 less kilocalories from food plus beverage, 95% CI=-284, -27). Those reporting that nutrition information affected their order purchased 400 fewer food calories, 370 mg less sodium, and 10 g less saturated fat. Mandatory menu labeling was associated with better food choices among a segment of the public dining at full-service restaurants. Consumer education on the availability and use of nutrition information may extend the impact of menu labeling. © 2013 American Journal of Preventive Medicine Published by American Journal of Preventive Medicine All rights reserved.

Should Lecture Recordings Be Mandated in Dental Schools? Two Viewpoints: Viewpoint 1: Lecture Recordings Should Be Mandatory in U.S. Dental Schools and Viewpoint 2: Lecture Recordings Should Not Be Mandatory in U.S. Dental Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Zandona, Andrea Ferreira; Kinney, Janet; Seong, WookJin; Kumar, Vandana; Bendayan, Alexander; Hewlett, Edmond

2016-12-01

Transcription or recording of lectures has been in use for many years, and with the availability of high-fidelity recording, the practice is now ubiquitous in higher education. Since technology has permeated education and today's tech-savvy students have expectations for on-demand learning, dental schools are motivated to record lectures, albeit with positive and negative implications. This Point/Counterpoint article addresses the question of whether lecture recording should be mandatory in U.S. dental schools. Viewpoint 1 supports the statement that lecture recording should be mandatory. Proponents of this viewpoint argue that the benefits-notably, student satisfaction and potential for improvement in student performance-outweigh concerns. Viewpoint 2 takes the opposite position, arguing that lecture recording decreases students' classroom attendance and adversely affects the morale of educators. Additional arguments against mandatory lecture recordings involve the expense of incorporating technology that requires ongoing support.

Safety and Mission Assurance for In-House Design Lessons Learned from Ares I Upper Stage

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Joel M.

2011-01-01

This viewgraph presentation identifies lessons learned in the course of the Ares I Upper Stage design and in-house development effort. The contents include: 1) Constellation Organization; 2) Upper Stage Organization; 3) Presentation Structure; 4) Lesson-Importance of Systems Engineering/Integration; 5) Lesson-Importance of Early S&MA Involvement; 6) Lesson-Importance of Appropriate Staffing Levels; 7) Lesson-Importance S&MA Team Deployment; 8) Lesson-Understanding of S&MA In-Line Engineering versus Assurance; 9) Lesson-Importance of Close Coordination between Supportability and Reliability/Maintainability; 10) Lesson-Importance of Engineering Data Systems; 11) Lesson-Importance of Early Development of Supporting Databases; 12) Lesson-Importance of Coordination with Safety Assessment/Review Panels; 13) Lesson-Implementation of Software Reliability; 14) Lesson-Implementation of S&MA Technical Authority/Chief S&MA Officer; 15) Lesson-Importance of S&MA Evaluation of Project Risks; 16) Lesson-Implementation of Critical Items List and Government Mandatory Inspections; 17) Lesson-Implementation of Critical Items List Mandatory Inspections; 18) Lesson-Implementation of Test Article Safety Analysis; and 19) Lesson-Importance of Procurement Quality.

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…

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.

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

New Mandatory Computer Security Course

CERN Multimedia

CERN Bulletin

2010-01-01

Just like any other organization, CERN is permanently under attack - even right now. Consequently it's important to be vigilant about security risks, protecting CERN's reputation - and your work. The availability, integrity and confidentiality of CERN's computing services and the unhindered operation of its accelerators and experiments come down to the combined efforts of the CERN Security Team and you. In order to remain par with the attack trends, the Security Team regularly reminds CERN users about the computer security risks, and about the rules for using CERN’s computing facilities. Since 2007, newcomers have to follow a dedicated basic computer security course informing them about the “Do’s” and “Dont’s” when using CERNs computing facilities. This course has recently been redesigned. It is now mandatory for all CERN members (users and staff) owning a CERN computer account and must be followed once every three years. Members who...

Revisiting the merits of a mandatory large group classroom learning format: an MD-MBA perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shawn X; Pinto-Powell, Roshini

2017-01-01

The role of classroom learning in medical education is rapidly changing. To promote active learning and reduce student stress, medical schools have adopted policies such as pass/fail curriculums and recorded lectures. These policies along with the rising importance of the USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination) exams have made asynchronous learning popular to the detriment of classroom learning. In contrast to this model, modern day business schools employ mandatory large group classes with assigned seating and cold-calling. Despite similar student demographics, medical and business schools have adopted vastly different approaches to the classroom. When examining the classroom dynamic at business schools with mandatory classes, it is evident that there's an abundance of engaging discourse and peer learning objectives that medical schools share. Mandatory classes leverage the network effect just like social media forums such as Facebook and Twitter. That is, the value of a classroom discussion increases when more students are present to participate. At a time when students are savvy consumers of knowledge, the classroom is competing against an explosion of study aids dedicated to USMLE preparation. Certainly, the purpose of medical school is not solely about the efficient transfer of knowledge - but to train authentic, competent, and complete physicians. To accomplish this, we must promote the inimitable and deeply personal interactions amongst faculty and students. When viewed through this lens, mandatory classes might just be a way for medical schools to leverage their competitive advantage in educating the complete physician.

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…

49 CFR 1109.4 - Mandatory mediation in rate cases to be considered under the stand-alone cost methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Mandatory mediation in rate cases to be considered... § 1109.4 Mandatory mediation in rate cases to be considered under the stand-alone cost methodology. (a) A... methodology must engage in non-binding mediation of its dispute with the railroad upon filing a formal...

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.

Evaluation of pseudoephedrine pharmacy sales before and after mandatory recording requirements in Western Australia: a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hattingh, Hendrika Laetitia; Varsani, Janki; Kachouei, Leila Ataei; Parsons, Richard

2016-08-30

A community pharmacy real-time electronic recording program, ProjectSTOP, enables Australian community pharmacists to verify pseudoephedrine requests. In Western Australia the program was available for voluntary use from April 2007 and became mandatory November 2010. This case study explores the effectiveness of the program by reviewing the total requests for pseudoephedrine products, and the proportion of requests which were classified as 'denied sales' before and after mandatory implementation. Seasonal and annual trends in these measures are also evaluated. ProjectSTOP data recordings for Western Australia pharmacies between 1 December 2007 and 28 February 2014 were analysed. Data included a de-identified pharmacy number and date of each pseudoephedrine product request. The total number of requests and sale classification (allowed, denied, safety, or not recorded) were calculated for each month/pharmacy. The potential influence of mandatory reporting using ProjectSTOP was investigated using a Regression Discontinuity Design. Correlations between sales from the same pharmacy were taken into account by classifying the pharmacy number as a random effect. The main effects of year (continuous variable), and season (categorical variable) were also included in the model. There was a small but steady decline in the total requests for pseudoephedrine per month per 100,000 population (per pharmacy) from the time of mandatory reporting. The number of denied sales showed a steady increase up until mandatory reporting, after which it showed a significant decline over time. Total sales were heavily influenced by season, as expected (highest in winter, least in summer). The seasonal pattern was less pronounced for denied sales, which were highest in winter and similar across other seasons. The pattern over time for safety sales was similar to that for denied sales, with a clear change occurring around the time of mandatory reporting. Results indicate a decrease in

Straight-Line -- A nuclear material storage information management system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nilsen, C.; Mangan, D.

1995-01-01

Sandia National Laboratories is developing Straight-Line -- a pilot system to demonstrate comprehensive monitoring of nuclear material in storage. Straight-Line is an integrated system of sensors providing information that will enhance the safety, security, and international accountability of stored nuclear material. The goals of this effort are to (1) Provide the right sensor information to the right user in a timely manner. (2) Reduce the expenses, risks, and frequency of human inspection of the material. (3) Provide trustworthy data to international inspectors to minimize their need to make on site inspections. In pursuit of these goals, Straight-Line unites technology from Sandia's Authenticated Item Monitoring System (AIMS) and other programs to communicate the authenticated status of the monitored item back to central magazine receivers. Straight-Line, however, incorporates several important features not found in previous systems: (1) Information Security -- the ability to collect and safely disseminate both classified and unclassified sensor data to users on a need-to-know basis. (2) Integrate into a single system the monitoring needs of safety, security, and international accountability. (3) Incorporate the use of sensors providing analog or digital output. This paper will present the overall architecture and status of the Straight-Line project

Straight-Line -- A nuclear material storage information management system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nilsen, C. [Sandia National Labs., Livermore, CA (United States); Mangan, D. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

1995-12-31

Sandia National Laboratories is developing Straight-Line -- a pilot system to demonstrate comprehensive monitoring of nuclear material in storage. Straight-Line is an integrated system of sensors providing information that will enhance the safety, security, and international accountability of stored nuclear material. The goals of this effort are to (1) Provide the right sensor information to the right user in a timely manner. (2) Reduce the expenses, risks, and frequency of human inspection of the material. (3) Provide trustworthy data to international inspectors to minimize their need to make on site inspections. In pursuit of these goals, Straight-Line unites technology from Sandia`s Authenticated Item Monitoring System (AIMS) and other programs to communicate the authenticated status of the monitored item back to central magazine receivers. Straight-Line, however, incorporates several important features not found in previous systems: (1) Information Security -- the ability to collect and safely disseminate both classified and unclassified sensor data to users on a need-to-know basis. (2) Integrate into a single system the monitoring needs of safety, security, and international accountability. (3) Incorporate the use of sensors providing analog or digital output. This paper will present the overall architecture and status of the Straight-Line project.

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)

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.

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…

Aspects of Equality in Mandatory Partnerships - From the Perspective of Municipal Care in Norway.

Science.gov (United States)

Kirchhoff, Ralf; Ljunggren, Birgitte

2016-05-18

This paper raises questions about equality in partnerships, since imbalance in partnerships may effect collaboration outcomes in integrated care. We address aspects of equality in mandatory, public-public partnerships, from the perspective of municipal care. We have developed a questionnaire wherein the Norwegian Coordination Reform is an illustrative example. The following research question is addressed: What equality dimensions are important for municipals related to mandatory partnerships with hospitals? Since we did not find any instrument to measure equality in partnerships, an explorative design was chosen. The development of the instrument was based on the theory on partnership and knowledge about the field and context. A national online survey was emitted to all 429 Norwegian municipalities in 2013. The response rate was in total 58 percent (n = 248). The data were mainly analysed using Principal component analysis. It seems that the two dimensions "learning and expertise equality" and "contractual equality" collects reliable and valid data to measure aspects of equality in partnerships. Partnerships are usually based on voluntarism. The results indicate that mandatory partnerships, within a public health care system, can be appropriate to equalize partnerships between health care providers at different care levels.

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…

Record completeness and data concordance in an anesthesia information management system using context-sensitive mandatory data-entry fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Avidan, Alexander; Weissman, Charles

2012-03-01

Use of an anesthesia information management system (AIMS) does not insure record completeness and data accuracy. Mandatory data-entry fields can be used to assure data completeness. However, they are not suited for data that is mandatory depending on the clinical situation (context sensitive). For example, information on equal breath sounds should be mandatory with tracheal intubation, but not with mask ventilation. It was hypothesized that employing context-sensitive mandatory data-entry fields can insure high data-completeness and accuracy while maintaining usability. A commercial off-the-shelf AIMS was enhanced using its built-in VBScript programming tool to build event-driven forms with context-sensitive mandatory data-entry fields. One year after introduction of the system, all anesthesia records were reviewed for data completeness. Data concordance, used as a proxy for accuracy, was evaluated using verifiable age-related data. Additionally, an anonymous satisfaction survey on general acceptance and usability of the AIMS was performed. During the initial 12 months of AIMS use, 12,241 (99.6%) of 12,290 anesthesia records had complete data. Concordances of entered data (weight, size of tracheal tubes, laryngoscopy blades and intravenous catheters) with patients' ages were 98.7-99.9%. The AIMS implementation was deemed successful by 98% of the anesthesiologists. Users rated the AIMS usability in general as very good and the data-entry forms in particular as comfortable. Due to the complexity and the high costs of implementation of an anesthesia information management system it was not possible to compare various system designs (for example with or without context-sensitive mandatory data entry-fields). Therefore, it is possible that a different or simpler design would have yielded the same or even better results. This refers also to the evaluation of usability, since users did not have the opportunity to work with different design approaches or even different

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…

Mandatory Personal Therapy: Does the Evidence Justify the Practice? In Debate

Science.gov (United States)

Chaturvedi, Surabhi

2013-01-01

The article addresses the question of whether the practice of mandatory personal therapy, followed by several training organisations, is justified by existing research and evidence. In doing so, it discusses some implications of this training requirement from an ethical and ideological standpoint, raising questions of import for training…

Mandatory Genres: The case of European Public Assessment Report (EPAR) summaries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Askehave, Inger; Zethsen, Karen K.

2008-01-01

The aim of this article is to consider the nature of mandatory genres (legally regulated genres) emanating from European Union directives and point to the challenges which such genres pose due to their legal origin and complex text production and text reception processes. Taking its point of depa...

Mandatory high-risk pooling: an approach to reducing incentives for cream skimming.

Science.gov (United States)

van Barneveld, E M; van Vliet, R C; van de Ven, W P

1996-01-01

Risk-adjusted capitation payments (RACPs) to competing health insurers are an essential element of market-oriented health care reforms in The Netherlands. Crude RACPs are inadequate, especially because they encourage insurers to select against people expected to be unprofitable--a practice called cream skimming. However, implementing improved RACPs does not appear to be straightforward. This paper analyzes an approach that, given a system of crude RACPs, reduces insurers' incentives for cream skimming in the market for individual health insurance, while preserving incentives for efficiency and cost containment. Under the proposed system of Mandatory High-Risk Pooling (MHRP), each insurer would be allowed to periodically predetermine a small fraction of its members whose costs would be (partially) pooled. The pool would be financed with mandatory, flat-rate contributions. The results suggest that MHRP is a promising supplement to RACPs.

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)

Mandatory portfolio disclosure, stock liquidity, and mutual fund performance

OpenAIRE

Agarwal, Vikas; Mullally, Kevin Andrew; Tang, Yuehua; Yang, Baozhong

2014-01-01

We examine the impact of mandatory portfolio disclosure by mutual funds on stock liquidity and fund performance. We develop a model of informed trading with disclosure and test its predictions using the SEC regulation in May 2004 requiring more frequent disclosure. Stocks with higher fund ownership, especially those held by more informed funds or subject to greater information asymmetry, experience larger increases in liquidity after the regulation change. More informed funds, especially thos...

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…

Benthic marine debris, with an emphasis on fishery-related items, surrounding Kodiak Island, Alaska, 1994-1996

Science.gov (United States)

Hess, N.A.; Ribic, C.A.; Vining, I.

1999-01-01

Composition and abundance of benthic marine debris were investigated during three bottom trawl surveys in inlet and offshore locations surrounding Kodiak Island, Alaska, 1994-1996. Debris items were primarily plastic and metal regardless of trawl location. Plastic bait jars, fishing line, and crab pots were the most common fishery-related debris items and were encountered in large amounts in inlets (20-25 items km-2), but were less abundant outside of inlets (4.5-11 items km-2). Overall density of debris was also significantly greater in inlets than outside of inlets. Plastic debris densities in inlets ranged 22-31.5 items km-2, 7.8-18.8 items km-2 outside of inlets. Trawls in inlets contained almost as much metal debris as plastic debris. Density of metal debris ranged from 21.2 to 23.7 items km-2 in inlets, a maximum of 2.7 items km-2 outside of inlets. Inlets around the town of Kodiak had the highest densities of fishery-related and total benthic debris. Differences in benthic debris density between inlets and outside of inlets and differences by area may be due to differences in fishing activity and water circulation patterns. At the current reduced levels of fishing activity, however, yearly monitoring of benthic debris appears unnecessary. Copyright (C) 1999.

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…

Reminder: Mandatory Computer Security Course

CERN Multimedia

IT Department

2011-01-01

Just like any other organization, CERN is permanently under attack – even right now. Consequently it's important to be vigilant about security risks, protecting CERN's reputation - and your work. The availability, integrity and confidentiality of CERN's computing services and the unhindered operation of its accelerators and experiments come down to the combined efforts of the CERN Security Team and you. In order to remain par with the attack trends, the Security Team regularly reminds CERN users about the computer security risks, and about the rules for using CERN’s computing facilities. Therefore, a new dedicated basic computer security course has been designed informing you about the “Do’s” and “Dont’s” when using CERN's computing facilities. This course is mandatory for all person owning a CERN computer account and must be followed once every three years. Users who have never done the course, or whose course needs to be renewe...

Civil defense should be mandatory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kearney, C.H.

1985-01-01

In this paper, the author exposes myths about the effects of nuclear weapons so that the U.S. can begin the necessary task of a mandatory civil defense program. An all-out nuclear war between Russia and the United States would be the worst catastrophe in history, a tragedy so huge it is difficult to comprehend. Even so, it would be far from the end of human life on earth. The dangers from nuclear weapons have been distorted and exaggerated for varied reasons. These exaggerations have become demoralizing myths, believed by millions of Americans. The author has found that many people see no sense in talking about details of survival skills. Only after they have begun to question the truth of these myths do they become interested, under normal peacetime conditions, in acquiring nuclear war survival skills. The author examines the most harmful of the myths about nuclear war dangers, along with some of the grim facts

A comparison of item response models for accuracy and speed of item responses with applications to adaptive testing.

Science.gov (United States)

van Rijn, Peter W; Ali, Usama S

2017-05-01

We compare three modelling frameworks for accuracy and speed of item responses in the context of adaptive testing. The first framework is based on modelling scores that result from a scoring rule that incorporates both accuracy and speed. The second framework is the hierarchical modelling approach developed by van der Linden (2007, Psychometrika, 72, 287) in which a regular item response model is specified for accuracy and a log-normal model for speed. The third framework is the diffusion framework in which the response is assumed to be the result of a Wiener process. Although the three frameworks differ in the relation between accuracy and speed, one commonality is that the marginal model for accuracy can be simplified to the two-parameter logistic model. We discuss both conditional and marginal estimation of model parameters. Models from all three frameworks were fitted to data from a mathematics and spelling test. Furthermore, we applied a linear and adaptive testing mode to the data off-line in order to determine differences between modelling frameworks. It was found that a model from the scoring rule framework outperformed a hierarchical model in terms of model-based reliability, but the results were mixed with respect to correlations with external measures. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

36 CFR 1260.62 - What is the appeal process when a mandatory review request for White House originated information...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What is the appeal process when a mandatory review request for White House originated information is denied? 1260.62 Section 1260... mandatory review request for White House originated information is denied? (a) When the Deputy Archivist of...

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.

75 FR 17331 - Public Hearings for the Mandatory Reporting Rule for Greenhouse Gases

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-06

... for Greenhouse Gases AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Announcement of public... mandatory reporting of greenhouse gases, which will be published separately in the Federal Register. These proposed rules would [[Page 17332

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.

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.

Sources of Knowledge of Departmental Policy on Child Sexual Abuse and Mandatory Reporting Identified by Primary School Student-Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Goldman, Juliette D. G.; Grimbeek, Peter

2011-01-01

The introduction of a Department of Education policy on child sexual abuse and mandatory reporting is significant for school teachers. The mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse by school teachers carries wide-ranging and significant implications for the lives of school-aged children, and for the teachers who must implement the policy's…

Mandatory and recommended vaccination in the EU, Iceland and Norway: results of the VENICE 2010 survey on the ways of implementing national vaccination programmes.

Science.gov (United States)

Haverkate, M; D'Ancona, F; Giambi, C; Johansen, K; Lopalco, P L; Cozza, V; Appelgren, E

2012-05-31

This report provides an updated overview of recommended and mandatory vaccinations in the European Union (EU), Iceland and Norway, considering the differences in vaccine programme implementation between countries. In 2010, the Vaccine European New Integrated Collaboration Effort (VENICE) network, conducted a survey among the VENICE project gatekeepers to learn more about how national vaccination programmes are implemented, whether recommended or mandatory. Information was collected from all 27 EU Member States, Iceland and Norway. In total 15 countries do not have any mandatory vaccinations; the remaining 14 have at least one mandatory vaccination included in their programme. Vaccination against polio is mandatory for both children and adults in 12 countries; diphtheria and tetanus vaccination in 11 countries and hepatitis B vaccination in 10 countries. For eight of the 15 vaccines considered, some countries have a mixed strategy of recommended and mandatory vaccinations. Mandatory vaccination may be considered as a way of improving compliance to vaccination programmes. However, compliance with many programmes in Europe is high, using only recommendations. More information about the diversity in vaccine offer at European level may help countries to adapt vaccination strategies based on the experience of other countries. However, any proposal on vaccine strategies should be developed taking into consideration the local context habits.

[Why do we need mandatory communication courses for pre-registration house officers?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, B.D.; Faarvang, K.L.; Larsen, M.H.

2008-01-01

This study reports the rationale for the composition of a 3-day mandatory communication skills course for pre-registration house officers (PRHOs). In addition to communication skills, the course addresses aspects of competence related to professional performance within areas covered by the legal...

Visitor Assessment of the Mandatory Alternative Transportation System at Zion National Park

Science.gov (United States)

Mace, Britton L.; Marquit, Joshua D.; Bates, Scott C.

2013-11-01

Transportation infrastructure in national parks has historically been designed for the automobile. With more vehicles in the parks, visitors found themselves in circumstances more reminiscent of a city than a park. Traffic jams, overcrowding, illegal parking, horn honking, and idling vehicles became common, creating stress and contributing to air and noise pollution, the very things visitors were hoping to get away from. Park managers began searching for alternatives, including shuttle systems. Many national parks have implemented optional shuttle systems, but relatively few have completely closed roads to vehicles, transporting visitors on mandatory shuttles. Zion National Park instituted a mandatory shuttle system in May 2000 to relieve crowding and congestion in the main canyon and to protect natural resources. Taking a longitudinal approach, attributes of the shuttle (e.g., crowding, accessibility, freedom, efficiency, preference, and success) were assessed with experiential park factors (e.g., scenic beauty, naturalness, solitude, tranquility, air quality, and soundscape) in 2000, 2003, and 2010 by surveying shuttle-riding park visitors. While visitors initially reported a few reservations about the shuttle system, by 2003, the majority rated the system successful. Ratings of all shuttle-related variables, except crowding, improved over the decade. Improvements were greatest for freedom, accessibility, and efficiency. Multiple regression found overall shuttle success to be mediated by preference, freedom, accessibility, efficiency, and comfort. Experiential variables assessing park conditions followed a similar pattern, with improved ratings as the decade progressed. Results provide important insights into the visitor experience with mandatory alternative shuttle systems in national parks.

Mandatory Closure Versus Nonintervention for Patent Ductus Arteriosus in Very Preterm Infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Sung, Se In; Chang, Yun Sil; Chun, Ji Young; Yoon, Shin Ae; Yoo, Hye Soo; Ahn, So Yoon; Park, Won Soon

2016-10-01

To determine whether a nonintervention approach for treating hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is associated with decreased mortality and/or morbidity compared with a mandatory closure approach in extremely low birth weight infants. We reviewed the medical records of 178 infants of 23-26 weeks' gestational age with PDA, requiring ventilator treatment, and with hemodynamically significant PDA ≥2 mm in size. Mandatory closure was used during period I (July 2009 to December 2011, n = 81), and nonintervention was used during period II (January 2012 to June 2014, n = 97). During period I, 64% of infants were first treated with indomethacin, and 82% were ultimately ligated surgically. During period II, no infant was treated with indomethacin and/or ligation. The average postnatal day of PDA closure was day 13 and day 44 during periods I and II, respectively. There was significantly more use of diuretics and fluid restriction during period II compared with period I. There was no difference in mortality or morbidities such as necrotizing enterocolitis or intraventricular hemorrhage. The incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and the propensity score adjusted OR of BPD were significantly lower during period II compared with period I. Despite longer PDA exposure, nonintervention was associated with significantly less BPD compared with mandatory closure. Additional study is warranted to determine the benefits and risks of non-intervention for the hemodynamically significant PDA in extremely low birth weight infants. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

How to make the best of mandatory information requirements in consumer law

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schaub, M.Y.

2017-01-01

EU consumer protection relies inter alia on information requirements imposing on traders the duty to provide specific and mandatory information to consumers before the conclusion of a contract. If consumers make well informed choices this can serve their individual interest, but it is also thought

Working 40 Hours or Not Working 39: Lessons from the 1981 Mandatory Reduction of Weekly Working Hours

OpenAIRE

Crépon, Bruno; Kramarz, Francis

1999-01-01

We use longitudinal individual wage, hours, and employment data to investigate the effect of the 1981 mandatory reduction of weekly working hours in France. A few months after François Mitterrand's election of May 1981, the government, applying its programme decided first to increase the minimum wage by 5% and, second, to reduce weekly working hours - from 40 to 39 - together with mandatory stability of monthly earnings of minimum wage workers and strong recommendation for stability of monthl...

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…

Memory in pregnancy and post-partum: Item specific and relational encoding processes in recall and recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Spataro, Pietro; Saraulli, Daniele; Oriolo, Debora; Costanzi, Marco; Zanetti, Humberto; Cestari, Vincenzo; Rossi-Arnaud, Clelia

2016-08-01

It has been recently proposed that pregnant women would perform memory tasks by focusing more on item-specific processes and less on relational processing, compared to post-partum women (Mickes, Wixted, Shapiro & Scarff, ). The present cross-sectional study tested this hypothesis by directly manipulating the type of encoding employed in the study phase. Pregnant, post-partum and control women either rated the pleasantness of word meaning (which induced item-specific elaboration) or named the semantic category to which they belonged (which induced relational elaboration). Memory for the encoded words was later tested in free recall (which emphasizes relational processing) and in recognition (which emphasizes item-specific processing). In line with Mickes et al.'s () conclusions, pregnant women in the item-specific condition performed worse than post-partum women in the relational condition in free recall, but not in recognition. However, compared to the other two groups, pregnant women also exhibited lower recognition accuracy in the item-specific condition. Overall, these results confirm that pregnant women rely on relational encoding less than post-partum women, but additionally suggest that the former group might use item-specific processes less efficiently than post-partum and control women. © 2016 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Federal and state public health authority and mandatory vaccination: is Jacobson v Massachusetts still valid?

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, Lewis W; Marshall, Brenda L; Valladares, Glenn

2010-01-01

Novel H1N1 influenza virus infected more than 43,000 people, killed 353 and spread to more than 122 countries within a few months. The World Health Organization declared a stage 6 worldwide pandemic. Healthcare workers and hospitals prepared for the worst. Federal and State regulations provided the legal framework to allow for the preparation and planning for a pandemic. One State had mandated both seasonal and Novel H1N1 vaccination of all healthcare workers in an effort to reduce transmission of influenza in healthcare facilities. The US Supreme Court decided in 1905 that the police power of the State permitted a State Department of Health the leeway to mandate vaccination in the face of a contagious disease. Law suits were filed, and a temporary injunction barring mandatory vaccination was entered by the court. While awaiting a court hearing, the mandatory vaccination regulation was rescinded because of the shortage of both seasonal and H1N1 vaccine. Based on the current state of the pandemic and the shortage of vaccination, it is possible that the US Supreme Court would uphold mandatory vaccination in a pandemic.

Mandatory Disclosure and Operational Risk: Evidence from Hedge Fund Registration

OpenAIRE

Stephen Brown; William Goetzmann; Bing Liang; Christopher Schwarz

2006-01-01

Mandatory disclosure is a regulatory tool intended to allow market participants to assess operational risk. We examine the value of disclosure through the controversial SEC requirement, since overturned, which required major hedge funds to register as investment advisors and file Form ADV disclosures. Leverage and ownership structures suggest that lenders and equity investors were already aware of operational risk. However, operational risk does not mediate flow-performance relationships. Inv...

Mandatory labels, taxes and market forces: An empirical evaluation of fat policies.

Science.gov (United States)

Allais, Olivier; Etilé, Fabrice; Lecocq, Sébastien

2015-09-01

The public-health community views mandatory Front-of-Pack (FOP) nutrition labels and nutritional taxes as promising tools to control the growth of food-related chronic diseases. This paper uses household scanner data to propose an ex-ante evaluation and comparison of these two policy options for the fromage blanc and dessert yogurt market. In most markets, labelling is voluntary and firms display fat labels only on the FOP of low-fat products to target consumers who do not want to eat fat. We here separately identify consumer preferences for fat and for FOP fat labels by exploiting an exogenous difference in legal labelling requirements between these two product categories. Estimates of demand curves are combined with a supply model of oligopolistic price competition to simulate policies. We find that a feasible ad valorem fat tax dominates a mandatory FOP-label policy from an economic perspective, but both are equally effective in reducing average fat purchases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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

Further differentiating item and order information in semantic memory: students' recall of words from the "CU Fight Song", Harry Potter book titles, and Scooby Doo theme song.

Science.gov (United States)

Overstreet, Michael F; Healy, Alice F; Neath, Ian

2017-01-01

University of Colorado (CU) students were tested for both order and item information in their semantic memory for the "CU Fight Song". Following an earlier study by Overstreet and Healy [(2011). Item and order information in semantic memory: Students' retention of the "CU fight song" lyrics. Memory & Cognition, 39, 251-259. doi: 10.3758/s13421-010-0018-3 ], a symmetrical bow-shaped serial position function (with both primacy and recency advantages) was found for reconstructing the order of the nine lines in the song, whereas a function with no primacy advantage was found for recalling a missing word from each line. This difference between order and item information was found even though students filled in missing words without any alternatives provided and missing words came from the beginning, middle, or end of each line. Similar results were found for CU students' recall of the sequence of Harry Potter book titles and the lyrics of the Scooby Doo theme song. These findings strengthen the claim that the pronounced serial position function in semantic memory occurs largely because of the retention of order, rather than item, information.

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....

21 CFR 810.14 - Cease distribution and notification or mandatory recall strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... comply with the order, which FDA will fashion as appropriate for the individual circumstances of the case... mandatory recall order is to extend as follows: (A) Consumer or user level, e.g., health professionals...) Retail level, to the level immediately preceding the consumer or user level, and including any...

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...

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.

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…

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

Paying for Forest Ecosystem Services: Voluntary Versus Mandatory Payments

Science.gov (United States)

Roesch-McNally, Gabrielle E.; Rabotyagov, Sergey S.

2016-03-01

The emergence of new markets for forest ecosystem services can be a compelling opportunity for market diversification for private forest landowners, while increasing the provision of public goods from private lands. However, there is limited information available on the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for specific forest ecosystem services, particularly across different ecosystem market mechanisms. We utilize survey data from Oregon and Washington households to compare marginal WTP for forest ecosystem services and the total WTP for cost-effective bundles of forest ecosystem services obtained from a typical Pacific Northwest forest across two value elicitation formats representing two different ecosystem market mechanisms: an incentive-compatible choice experiment involving mandatory tax payments and a hypothetical private provision scenario modeled as eliciting contributions to the preferred forest management alternative via a provision point mechanism with a refund. A representative household's total WTP for the average forest management program was estimated at 217.59 per household/year under a mandatory tax mechanism and 160.44 per household/per year under a voluntary, crowdfunding-style, contribution mechanism; however, these estimates are not statistically different. Marginal WTP estimates were assessed for particular forest ecosystem service attributes including water quality, carbon storage, mature forest habitat, and public recreational access. This study finds that survey respondents place significant economic value on forest ecosystem services in both elicitation formats and that the distributions of the marginal WTP are not statistically significantly different.

Paying for Forest Ecosystem Services: Voluntary Versus Mandatory Payments.

Science.gov (United States)

Roesch-McNally, Gabrielle E; Rabotyagov, Sergey S

2016-03-01

The emergence of new markets for forest ecosystem services can be a compelling opportunity for market diversification for private forest landowners, while increasing the provision of public goods from private lands. However, there is limited information available on the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for specific forest ecosystem services, particularly across different ecosystem market mechanisms. We utilize survey data from Oregon and Washington households to compare marginal WTP for forest ecosystem services and the total WTP for cost-effective bundles of forest ecosystem services obtained from a typical Pacific Northwest forest across two value elicitation formats representing two different ecosystem market mechanisms: an incentive-compatible choice experiment involving mandatory tax payments and a hypothetical private provision scenario modeled as eliciting contributions to the preferred forest management alternative via a provision point mechanism with a refund. A representative household's total WTP for the average forest management program was estimated at $217.59 per household/year under a mandatory tax mechanism and $160.44 per household/per year under a voluntary, crowdfunding-style, contribution mechanism; however, these estimates are not statistically different. Marginal WTP estimates were assessed for particular forest ecosystem service attributes including water quality, carbon storage, mature forest habitat, and public recreational access. This study finds that survey respondents place significant economic value on forest ecosystem services in both elicitation formats and that the distributions of the marginal WTP are not statistically significantly different.

Outcomes, Approaches, and Challenges to Developing and Passing a Countywide Mandatory Vaccination Policy: St. Louis County's Experience with Hepatitis A Vaccine for Food Service Personnel.

Science.gov (United States)

Rebmann, Terri; Wilson, Kristin D; Loux, Travis; Iqbal, Ayesha Z; Peters, Eleanor B; Peavler, Olivia

2016-01-01

In the early 1990s, St. Louis County had multiple foodservice worker-related hepatitis A outbreaks uncontrolled by standard outbreak interventions. Restaurant interest groups and the general public applied political pressure to local public health officials for more stringent interventions, including a mandatory vaccination policy. Local health departments can enact mandatory vaccination policies, but this has rarely been done. The study objectives were to describe the approach used to pass a mandatory vaccination policy at the local jurisdiction level and illustrate the outcome from this ordinance 15 years later. A case study design was used. In-depth, semi-structured interviews using guided questions were conducted in spring, 2015, with six key informants who had direct knowledge of the mandatory vaccination policy process. Meeting minutes and/or reports were also analyzed. A Poisson distribution analysis was used to calculate the rate of outbreaks before and after mandatory vaccination policy implementation. The policy appears to have reduced the number of hepatitis A outbreaks, lowering the morbidity and economic burden in St. Louis County. The lessons learned by local public health officials in passing a mandatory hepatitis A vaccination policy are important and relevant in today's environment. The experience and lessons learned may assist other local health departments when faced with the potential need for mandatory policies for any vaccine preventable disease.

A survey and comparison of heuristics for the 2D oriented on-line ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The two dimensional oriented on-line strip packing problem requires items to be packed, one at a time, into a strip of fixed width and infinite height so as to minimise the total height of the packing. The items may neither be rotated nor overlap. In this paper, ten heuristics from the literature are considered for the special case ...

Evasion of "mandatory" social health insurance for the formal sector: evidence from Lao PDR.

Science.gov (United States)

Alkenbrack, Sarah; Hanson, Kara; Lindelow, Magnus

2015-10-19

In the last decade, almost every low- or middle-income country in the world has expressed support for universal health coverage (UHC). While at the beginning of the UHC movement, country strategies focused on increasing access to the formal sector as the first step of UHC, there is now consensus that countries should cover the entire population, with particular attention to covering the poor. However, it is often assumed that mandatory schemes will automatically cover their target populations, and consequently little is known about why firms comply or do not comply with enrolment requirements. Using the experience of Lao PDR, where the enrolment rate in the mandatory social security scheme is low and the capacity for regulation is weak, we conducted this study to better understand the determinants of enrolment of private sector firms in mandatory social security. We used a cross-sectional case-comparison design, surveying 130 firms. We applied a structured questionnaire to explore determinants of enrolment, specifically looking at firm characteristics (e.g., industry category, ownership); sociodemographic characteristics of company heads; firms' risk perceptions; details of employment contracts; employee benefits; and exposure to social security. Closed ended questions were analysed quantitatively, while content analysis was applied to open-ended questions. Logistic regression was used to examine the determinants of enrolment. Smaller privately owned firms in the services industry were the least likely to enrol in social security, while firms in the trade industry were more likely to enrol than firms in manufacturing, construction, or services. The main reason for not enrolling was that firms offered a better package of benefits to their employees, although further investigation of company benefits showed that this was not the case in practice. Additional reasons for non-compliance were lack of knowledge and poor quality of care at government hospitals. The study

41 CFR 301-53.5 - Are there exceptions to the mandatory use of contract city-pair fares and an agency's travel...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... the mandatory use of contract city-pair fares and an agency's travel management service? 301-53.5 Section 301-53.5 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Travel Regulation System TEMPORARY DUTY... the mandatory use of contract city-pair fares and an agency's travel management service? Yes, the...

Avoiding mandatory hospital nurse staffing ratios: an economic commentary.

Science.gov (United States)

Buerhaus, Peter I

2009-01-01

The imposition of mandatory hospital nurse staffing ratios is among the more visible public policy initiatives affecting the nursing profession. Although the practice is intended to address problems in hospital nurse staffing and quality of patient care, this commentary argues that staffing ratios will lead to negative consequences for nurses involving the equity, efficiency, and costs of producing nursing care in hospitals. Rather than spend time and effort attempting to regulate nurse staffing, this commentary offers alternatives strategies that are directed at fixing the problems that motivate the advocates of staffing ratios.

Intended and unintended consequences of mandatory IFRS adoption: A review of extant evidence and suggestions for future research

OpenAIRE

Ulf Brüggemann; Jörg-Markus Hitz; Thorsten Sellhorn

2012-01-01

This paper discusses empirical evidence on the economic consequences of mandatory adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in the European Union (EU) and provides suggestions on how future research can add to our understanding of these effects. Based on the explicitly stated objectives of the EU‟s so-called „IAS Regulation‟, we distinguish between intended and unintended consequences of mandatory IFRS adoption. Empirical research on the intended consequences genera...

Mandatory universal drug plan, access to health care and health: Evidence from Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chao; Li, Qing; Sweetman, Arthur; Hurley, Jeremiah

2015-12-01

This paper examines the impacts of a mandatory, universal prescription drug insurance program on health care utilization and health outcomes in a public health care system with free physician and hospital services. Using the Canadian National Population Health Survey from 1994 to 2003 and implementing a difference-in-differences estimation strategy, we find that the mandatory program substantially increased drug coverage among the general population. The program also increased medication use and general practitioner visits but had little effect on specialist visits and hospitalization. Findings from quantile regressions suggest that there was a large improvement in the health status of less healthy individuals. Further analysis by pre-policy drug insurance status and the presence of chronic conditions reveals a marked increase in the probability of taking medication and visiting a general practitioner among the previously uninsured and those with a chronic condition. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transparency of Mandatory Information Disclosure and Concerns of Health Services Providers and Consumers.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Yu-Hua; Kung, Chih-Ming; Fang, Shih-Chieh; Chen, Yi

2017-01-09

This study analyzed differences between transparency of information disclosure and related demands from the health service consumer's perspective. It also compared how health service providers and consumers are associated by different levels of mandatory information disclosure. We obtained our research data using a questionnaire survey (health services providers, n = 201; health service consumers, n = 384). Health service consumers do not have major concerns regarding mandatory information disclosure. However, they are concerned about complaint channels and settlement results, results of patient satisfaction surveys, and disclosure of hospital financial statements ( p transparency of information disclosure ( p information provided by hospitals. Thus, when a hospital discloses information, it is necessary for the government to consider the information's applicability. Toward improving medical expertise and information asymmetry, the government has to reduce the burden among health service consumers in dealing with this information, and it has to use the information effectively.

Reconception of mandatory-based corporate social and environmental responsibility in Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Yunari, S. B.; Suhariningsih, S.; Syafa'at, R.; Sihabudin, S.

2018-01-01

The Legal Concept of Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility (CSER) in Law Number 40 Year 2007 (Company Law), as set forth in the general provision Article 1 (3) of Company Law evidently is a definition (begripsbepalingen) of voluntary basis, because it comes from the concept of CSR used by western countries based on World Bank’s guidelines. Hence, it is certainly contrary to the legal concept of CSER that is perceived to be mandatory in the Company Law. Therefore, the concept of CSER as an implementation of a legal principle in a norm, so as not to cause legal issue, at the normative level as well as at implementation level, must be consistent and need reconception.The purpose of this reconception of CSER is to find a new concept of mandatory-based CSER. The methodology of research used is legal research (doctrinal research), based on secondary legal material acquired analysed presciptively by statute, conseptual and comparative approach.The research outcome is resulting in a discussion of reconception of a legal responsibility-based Corporate Social Liability (CSL) with sustainable local community empowerment oriented, so as to create legal certainty at the normative level and implementation in Indonesia.

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...

Voluntary or Mandatory Enrollment in Training and the Motivation to Transfer Training

Science.gov (United States)

Curado, Carla; Henriques, Paulo Lopes; Ribeiro, Sofia

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the motivation to transfer training in a multidimensional way. It investigates autonomous and controlled motivation and explores the difference in motivation to transfer according to whether the employee is enrolled in training on a voluntary or mandatory basis. This is a cross-sectional hypotheses-testing…

Aspects of Equality in Mandatory Partnerships – From the Perspective of Municipal Care in Norway

Science.gov (United States)

Ljunggren, Birgitte

2016-01-01

Introduction: This paper raises questions about equality in partnerships, since imbalance in partnerships may effect collaboration outcomes in integrated care. We address aspects of equality in mandatory, public-public partnerships, from the perspective of municipal care. We have developed a questionnaire wherein the Norwegian Coordination Reform is an illustrative example. The following research question is addressed: What equality dimensions are important for municipals related to mandatory partnerships with hospitals? Theory/methods: Since we did not find any instrument to measure equality in partnerships, an explorative design was chosen. The development of the instrument was based on the theory on partnership and knowledge about the field and context. A national online survey was emitted to all 429 Norwegian municipalities in 2013. The response rate was in total 58 percent (n = 248). The data were mainly analysed using Principal component analysis. Results: It seems that the two dimensions “learning and expertise equality” and “contractual equality” collects reliable and valid data to measure aspects of equality in partnerships. Discussion: Partnerships are usually based on voluntarism. The results indicate that mandatory partnerships, within a public health care system, can be appropriate to equalize partnerships between health care providers at different care levels. PMID:27616962

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…

77 FR 36998 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Mandatory Shrimp Vessel and Gear...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-20

... Collection; Comment Request; Mandatory Shrimp Vessel and Gear Characterization Survey AGENCY: National... under the Shrimp Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The regulations for the Gulf Shrimp Vessel and Gear... and Gear Characterization Form. The form will be provided by NMFS at the time of permit application...

78 FR 40436 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Mandatory Shrimp Vessel and Gear...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-05

... Collection; Comment Request; Mandatory Shrimp Vessel and Gear Characterization Survey AGENCY: National... under the Shrimp Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The regulations for the Gulf Shrimp Vessel and Gear... Gear Characterization Form. The form will be provided by NMFS at the time of permit application and...

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.

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.

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...

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.

Effects of hypnosis and level of processing on repeated recall of line drawings.

Science.gov (United States)

McKelvie, S J; Pullara, M

1988-07-01

Moderately susceptible subjects (N = 30) initially judged 30 line drawings of objects for pleasantness (deep processing) and 30 line drawings for visual complexity (shallow processing), after which they were given two immediate recall tests. Following a 48-hr delay, subjects were allocated randomly to hypnosis, simulation, or neutral control conditions and were tested four more times. Subjects produced more correct and incorrect responses over the six trials and gave a higher number of correct responses for deep items than for shallow items. Over the last four trials, hypnosis had no general facilitative effect relative to the other two treatments, but the effect of depth was strongest for hypnotized subjects, who recalled more deep items than did the controls. Finally, both hypnotized and simulating subjects rated their recall as more involuntary and their experimental treatment as more helpful than did the controls. Caution is urged in the forensic use of hypnosis as a retrieval device.

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.

ASPECTS REGARDING CORPORATE MANDATORY AND VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Popa Adina

2008-05-01

Full Text Available The paper highlights theoretical aspects regarding corporate mandatory and voluntary disclosure. Since financial and business reporting are important information sources for different stakeholders, especially for publicly traded companies, the business reporting is increasingly oriented to the need of different users. In order to make rational investment decisions, users of corporate annual and interim reports require an extensive range of information. The increasing needs of the users persuade different international bodies and researchers to investigate the improvements that can be done in business reporting. The results of those studies usually were different reporting models. Because voluntary dimension of corporate disclosure involve the manifestation of free choice of the firm and its managers, we have considered as necessary to achieve a theoretical analysis of the main costs and profits of the voluntary disclosure policy.

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.

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.

76 FR 36472 - Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases; Changes to Provisions for Electronics Manufacturing...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-22

... Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases; Changes to Provisions for Electronics Manufacturing (Subpart I) To... proposing changes to the calculation and monitoring provisions in the Electronics Manufacturing portion... Category Examples of affected Category NAICS facilities Electronics Manufacturing......... 334111...

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

Outcomes, Approaches, and Challenges to Developing and Passing a Countywide Mandatory Vaccination Policy: St. Louis County’s Experience with Hepatitis A Vaccine for Food Service Personnel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristin D. Wilson

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In the early 1990s, St. Louis County had multiple foodservice worker-related hepatitis A outbreaks uncontrolled by standard outbreak interventions. Restaurant interest groups and the general public applied political pressure to local public health officials for more stringent interventions, including a mandatory vaccination policy. Local health departments can enact mandatory vaccination policies, but this has rarely been done. The study objectives were to describe the approach used to pass a mandatory vaccination policy at the local jurisdiction level and illustrate the outcome from this ordinance 15 years later. A case study design was used. In-depth, semi-structured interviews using guided questions were conducted in spring, 2015, with six key informants who had direct knowledge of the mandatory vaccination policy process. Meeting minutes and/or reports were also analyzed. A Poisson distribution analysis was used to calculate the rate of outbreaks before and after mandatory vaccination policy implementation. The policy appears to have reduced the number of hepatitis A outbreaks, lowering the morbidity and economic burden in St. Louis County. The lessons learned by local public health officials in passing a mandatory hepatitis A vaccination policy are important and relevant in today’s environment. The experience and lessons learned may assist other local health departments when faced with the potential need for mandatory policies for any vaccine preventable disease.

78 FR 64294 - Loan Guaranty: Mandatory Electronic Delivery of Loan Files for Review

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-28

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Loan Guaranty: Mandatory Electronic Delivery of Loan Files for... Affairs (VA) Loan Guaranty Service (LGY) announces a new policy with regard to lender submission of VA- guaranteed closed loan files for review. Currently, lenders can submit loan files selected for review by LGY...

Transparency of Mandatory Information Disclosure and Concerns of Health Services Providers and Consumers

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Yu-Hua; Kung, Chih-Ming; Fang, Shih-Chieh; Chen, Yi

2017-01-01

Background: This study analyzed differences between transparency of information disclosure and related demands from the health service consumer’s perspective. It also compared how health service providers and consumers are associated by different levels of mandatory information disclosure. Methods: We obtained our research data using a questionnaire survey (health services providers, n = 201; health service consumers, n = 384). Results: Health service consumers do not have major concerns regarding mandatory information disclosure. However, they are concerned about complaint channels and settlement results, results of patient satisfaction surveys, and disclosure of hospital financial statements (p transparency of information disclosure (p < 0.001). Conclusions: It may not be possible for outsiders to properly interpret the information provided by hospitals. Thus, when a hospital discloses information, it is necessary for the government to consider the information’s applicability. Toward improving medical expertise and information asymmetry, the government has to reduce the burden among health service consumers in dealing with this information, and it has to use the information effectively. PMID:28075362

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.

Fear and loathing: undergraduate nursing students' experiences of a mandatory course in applied statistics.

Science.gov (United States)

Hagen, Brad; Awosoga, Oluwagbohunmi A; Kellett, Peter; Damgaard, Marie

2013-04-23

This article describes the results of a qualitative research study evaluating nursing students' experiences of a mandatory course in applied statistics, and the perceived effectiveness of teaching methods implemented during the course. Fifteen nursing students in the third year of a four-year baccalaureate program in nursing participated in focus groups before and after taking the mandatory course in statistics. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using content analysis to reveal four major themes: (i) "one of those courses you throw out?," (ii) "numbers and terrifying equations," (iii) "first aid for statistics casualties," and (iv) "re-thinking curriculum." Overall, the data revealed that although nursing students initially enter statistics courses with considerable skepticism, fear, and anxiety, there are a number of concrete actions statistics instructors can take to reduce student fear and increase the perceived relevance of courses in statistics.

A bovine cell line that can be infected by natural sheep scrapie prions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anja M Oelschlegel

Full Text Available Cell culture systems represent a crucial part in basic prion research; yet, cell lines that are susceptible to prions, especially to field isolated prions that were not adapted to rodents, are very rare. The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize a cell line that was susceptible to ruminant-derived prions and to establish a stable prion infection within it. Based on species and tissue of origin as well as PrP expression rate, we pre-selected a total of 33 cell lines that were then challenged with natural and with mouse propagated BSE or scrapie inocula. Here, we report the successful infection of a non-transgenic bovine cell line, a sub-line of the bovine kidney cell line MDBK, with natural sheep scrapie prions. This cell line retained the scrapie infection for more than 200 passages. Selective cloning resulted in cell populations with increased accumulation of PrPres, although this treatment was not mandatory for retaining the infection. The infection remained stable, even under suboptimal culture conditions. The resulting infectivity of the cells was confirmed by mouse bioassay (Tgbov mice, Tgshp mice. We believe that PES cells used together with other prion permissive cell lines will prove a valuable tool for ongoing efforts to understand and defeat prions and prion diseases.

[Duration of breast feeding after mandatory early discharge].

Science.gov (United States)

Kierkegaard, O

1993-08-23

A trial arrangement for mandatory early discharge for all normal multiparae was started in 1990 and the duration of breastfeeding was investigated by a questionnaire. 89 mothers who stayed at the hospital were compared to 113 mothers who were discharged within 24 hours after delivery. The latter group was also compared to 122 early discharged mothers who delivered 14-17 months after the trial arrangement had started. The three groups were comparable in all aspects. After four weeks a large proportion of the later discharged mothers were still breastfeeding compared to the other two groups (p < 0.001). This difference disappeared later, hence when comparing the total duration of breastfeeding no differences were found between the three groups.

The effect of mandatory agro-environmental policy on farm environmental performance

OpenAIRE

Jaraite, Jurate; Kažukauskas, Andrius

2011-01-01

The EU farmers are subject to mandatory cross compliance measures requiring them to meet environmental conditions to be eligible for public support. These obligations reinforce incentives for the farmers to change their behaviour towards the environment. We apply quasi-experimental methods to measure the causal relationship between cross-compliance and farm environmental performance. We find that cross compliance reduced farm fertiliser and pesticide expenditure. This result also holds for fa...

Standardization of beam line representations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carey, David C.

1998-01-01

Standardization of beam line representations means that a single set of data can be used in many situations to represent a beam line. This set of data should be the same no matter what the program to be run or the calculation to be made. We have concerned ourselves with three types of standardization: (1) The same set of data should be usable by different programs. (2) The inclusion of other items in the data, such as calculations to be done, units to be used, or preliminary specifications, should be in a notation similar to the lattice specification. (3) A single set of data should be used to represent a given beam line, no matter what is being modified or calculated. The specifics of what is to be modified or calculated can be edited into the data as part of the calculation. These three requirements all have aspects not previously discussed in a public forum. Implementations into TRANSPORT will be discussed

Standardization of beam line representations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carey, David C.

1999-01-01

Standardization of beam line representations means that a single set of data can be used in many situations to represent a beam line. This set of data should be the same no matter what the program to be run or the calculation to be made. We have concerned ourselves with three types of standardization: (1) The same set of data should be usable by different programs. (2) The inclusion of other items in the data, such as calculations to be done, units to be used, or preliminary specifications, should be in a notation similar to the lattice specification. (3) A single set of data should be used to represent a given beam line, no matter what is being modified or calculated. The specifics of what is to be modified or calculated can be edited into the data as part of the calculation. These three requirements all have aspects not previously discussed in a public forum. Implementations into TRANSPORT will be discussed

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…

The real meaning of complex Minkowski-space world-lines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adamo, T M [University of Oxford, Mathematical Institute, 24-29 St Giles, Oxford, OX1 3LB (United Kingdom); Newman, E T, E-mail: newman@pitt.ed [University of Pittsburgh, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States)

2010-04-07

In connection with the study of shear-free null geodesics in Minkowski space, we investigate the real geometric effects in real Minkowski space that are induced by and associated with complex world-lines in complex Minkowski space. It was already known, in a formal manner, that complex analytic curves in complex Minkowski space induce shear-free null geodesic congruences. Here we look at the direct geometric connections of the complex line and the real structures. Among other items, we show, in particular, how a complex world-line projects into the real Minkowski space in the form of a real shear-free null geodesic congruence.

The real meaning of complex Minkowski-space world-lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adamo, T M; Newman, E T

2010-01-01

In connection with the study of shear-free null geodesics in Minkowski space, we investigate the real geometric effects in real Minkowski space that are induced by and associated with complex world-lines in complex Minkowski space. It was already known, in a formal manner, that complex analytic curves in complex Minkowski space induce shear-free null geodesic congruences. Here we look at the direct geometric connections of the complex line and the real structures. Among other items, we show, in particular, how a complex world-line projects into the real Minkowski space in the form of a real shear-free null geodesic congruence.

Radioactive liquid wastes lines removal project at Los Alamos (1981-1986)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elder, J.C.; Cox, E.J.; Hohner, D.P.; Valentine, A.M.

1986-09-01

This report describes the abandoned liquid waste lines removal operations conducted at Los Alamos in the period 1981 to 1986. Particular emphasis has been placed on as-left conditions, that is, on the location of sections of waste lines or contaminated soil which were left in place on the basis of ALARA decisions. Contaminated items were left when interfering utilities, roads, structures, or great depth made complete removal not cost effective or not safe. Left items were either not highly contaminated or they were not near the surface. Total cost of the project was $4.2 million. Approximately 5800 m 3 of contaminated waste was placed in the Solid Waste Management Site at TA-54 Area G. The project accomplished the removal of approximately 34,500 ft (6.5 miles) of abandoned waste lines under carefully controlled conditions. Procedures for excavation, waste disposal, personnel protection, and radiation monitoring are described. Environmental monitoring criteria and methods for determining acceptable levels of contamination in soils and on surfaces are discussed

75 FR 39735 - Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases From Magnesium Production, Underground Coal Mines...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-12

... sectors of the economy, including fossil fuel suppliers, industrial gas suppliers, and direct emitters of... Part II Environmental Protection Agency 40 CFR Part 98 Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases From Magnesium Production, Underground Coal Mines, Industrial Wastewater Treatment, and Industrial...

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.

Mandatory Reporting? Issues to consider when developing legislation and policy to improve discovery of child abuse

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emma Davies

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Article by Dr Emma Davies (School of Law, Liverpool John Moores University, Associate Professor Ben Mathews (School of Law, Queensland University of Technology and Professor John Read (Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, University of Liverpool. In the United Kingdom, recent investigations into child sexual abuse occurring within schools, the Catholic Church and the British Broadcasting Corporation, have intensified debate on ways to improve the discovery of child sexual abuse, and child maltreatment generally. One approach adopted in other jurisdictions to better identify cases of severe child maltreatment is the introduction of some form of legislative mandatory reporting to require designated persons to report known and suspected cases. The debate in England has raised the prospect of whether adopting a strategy of some kind of mandatory reporting law is advisable. The purpose of this article is to add to this debate by identifying fundamental principles, issues and complexities underpinning policy and even legislative developments in the interests of children and society. The article will first highlight the data on the hidden nature of child maltreatment and the background to the debate. Secondly, it will identify some significant gaps in knowledge that need to be filled. Thirdly, the article will summarise the barriers to reporting abuse and neglect. Fourthly, we will identify a range of options for, and clarify the dilemmas in developing, legislative mandatory reporting, addressing two key issues: who should be mandated to report, and what types of child maltreatment should they be required to report? Finally, we draw attention to some inherently different goals and competing interests, both between and within the various institutions involved in the safeguarding of children and the criminal prosecution of some offenders. Based on this analysis we offer some concluding observations that we hope contribute to informed and careful

27 CFR 5.63 - Mandatory statements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS LABELING AND ADVERTISING OF DISTILLED SPIRITS Advertising of Distilled... and address of the permittee responsible for its publication or broadcast. Street number and name may... specific brand name advertised. (2) On consumer specialty items, the only information necessary is the...

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...

41 CFR 301-51.3 - Who in my agency has the authority to grant exemptions from the mandatory use of the Government...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... authority to grant exemptions from the mandatory use of the Government contractor-issued travel charge card... REIMBURSEMENT 51-PAYING TRAVEL EXPENSES General § 301-51.3 Who in my agency has the authority to grant exemptions from the mandatory use of the Government contractor-issued travel charge card? The head of your...

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

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Elizabeth; Jarrold, Christopher

2014-12-01

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

Why do they keep calling? Single parents’ Domestication of mandatory e-government self-service channels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østergaard Madsen, Christian

The Danish Digitization strategy 2011-2015 made e-government channels mandatory within multiple areas, including public benefits. Although most Danes have adopted the e-government channels, many keep using traditional channels. Moreover, some have their own ways of interpreting and using the e...... other, to claim economic benefits. The thesis positions itself within channel choice studies in the e-government research field. It contributes to this literature by studying citizens’ actual use of e-government and traditional channels in a post-adoption and mandatory setting. It applies Domestication...... theory, as a theoretical lens, and follows a social constructionist research tradition. As an Industrial PhD project, the thesis offers multiple recommendations for practitioners on how to improve the efficiency of public sector administration. The thesis’ primary recommendation is that public...

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)

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.

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.

The Effect of the Mandatory Application of IFRS on the Value Relevance of Accounting Data: Some Evidence from Greece

OpenAIRE

Karampinis N.; Hevas D.

2009-01-01

In this study we tested the effect of the mandatory adoption of IFRS upon the value relevance of earnings and book values using data from the Athens Stock Exchange that covered a period of two years before and two years after the mandatory adoption of IFRS. Greece is a code-law country with strong tax conformity, bank orientation and conservative accounting rules which have a negative effect on the value relevance of financial statements. As IFRS adoption promotes fair value accounting and we...

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…

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.

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.

Systematic inclusion of mandatory interprofessional education in health professions curricula at Gunma University: a report of student self-assessment in a nine-year implementation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Makino Takatoshi

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The mandatory interprofessional education programme at Gunma University was initiated in 1999. This paper is a statistical evaluation of the programme from 1999 to 2007. Methods A questionnaire of 10 items to assess the achievement levels of the programme, which was developed independently of other assessment systems published previously, was distributed, as well as two or three open-ended questions to be answered at the end of each annual module. A multivariate analysis of variance model was used, and the factor analysis of the responses was performed with varimax rotation. Results Over all, 1418 respondents of a possible 1629 students completed the survey, for a total response rate of 87.1%. Cronbach's alpha of 10 items was 0.793, revealing high internal consistency. Our original questionnaire was categorized into four subscales as follows: "Role and responsibilities", "Teamwork and collaboration", "Structure and function of training facilities", and "Professional identity". Students in the Department of Occupational Therapy reached a relatively lower level of achievement. In the replies to the open-ended questions, requests for the participation of the medical students were repeated throughout the evaluation period. Conclusion The present four subscales measure "understanding", and may take into account the development of interprofessional education programmes with clinical training in various facilities. The content and quality of clinical training subjects may be remarkably dependent on training facilities, suggesting the importance of full consultation mechanisms in the local network with the relevant educational institutes for medicine, health care and welfare.

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…

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…

Protecting Healthcare Personnel in Outpatient Settings: The Influence of Mandatory Versus Nonmandatory Influenza Vaccination Policies on Workplace Absenteeism During Multiple Respiratory Virus Seasons.

Science.gov (United States)

Frederick, John; Brown, Alexandria C; Cummings, Derek A; Gaydos, Charlotte A; Gibert, Cynthia L; Gorse, Geoffrey J; Los, Jenna G; Nyquist, Ann-Christine; Perl, Trish M; Price, Connie S; Radonovich, Lewis J; Reich, Nicholas G; Rodriguez-Barradas, Maria C; Bessesen, Mary T; Simberkoff, Michael S

2018-04-01

OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of mandatory and nonmandatory influenza vaccination policies on vaccination rates and symptomatic absenteeism among healthcare personnel (HCP). DESIGN Retrospective observational cohort study. SETTING This study took place at 3 university medical centers with mandatory influenza vaccination policies and 4 Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare systems with nonmandatory influenza vaccination policies. PARTICIPANTS The study included 2,304 outpatient HCP at mandatory vaccination sites and 1,759 outpatient HCP at nonmandatory vaccination sites. METHODS To determine the incidence and duration of absenteeism in outpatient settings, HCP participating in the Respiratory Protection Effectiveness Clinical Trial at both mandatory and nonmandatory vaccination sites over 3 viral respiratory illness (VRI) seasons (2012-2015) reported their influenza vaccination status and symptomatic days absent from work weekly throughout a 12-week period during the peak VRI season each year. The adjusted effects of vaccination and other modulating factors on absenteeism rates were estimated using multivariable regression models. RESULTS The proportion of participants who received influenza vaccination was lower each year at nonmandatory than at mandatory vaccination sites (odds ratio [OR], 0.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.07-0.11). Among HCP who reported at least 1 sick day, vaccinated HCP had lower symptomatic days absent compared to unvaccinated HCP (OR for 2012-2013 and 2013-2014, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.72-0.93; OR for 2014-2015, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.69-0.95). CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that mandatory HCP influenza vaccination policies increase influenza vaccination rates and that HCP symptomatic absenteeism diminishes as rates of influenza vaccination increase. These findings should be considered in formulating HCP influenza vaccination policies. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:452-461.

Are mediation clauses binding and mandatory?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Constantinescu Miruna

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This study analyses the legal force of mediation clauses in the common law systems and civil law systems with a main focus on the Romanian approach. First, the introductory section illustrates the paradox between the concept of binding and mandatory effect and the mediation mechanism, a voluntary manner to settle disputes. Notwithstanding, the possibility to coerce the parties to engage into a mediation, the voluntary character of the process is illustrated by the parties’ freedom to decide whether they settle or not. Second, the role of mediation clause is analysed and its advantages are briefly described. Third, the non-compliance of the prior mediation mechanism is presented, the starting point of the discussion being represented by the manner in which the parties drafted the mediation clause. A carefully drafted mediation clause, reflecting the parties’ consent, can determine a court or an arbitral tribunal to enforce such clause. Fourth, the study ends by mentioning the approach adopted by different national courts, emphasizing the Romanian legal perspective.

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.

76 FR 59542 - Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases: Changes to Provisions for Electronics Manufacturing To...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-27

... Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases: Changes to Provisions for Electronics Manufacturing To Provide... regulation to amend the calculation and monitoring provisions in the Electronics Manufacturing portion of the... Electronics Manufacturing 334111 Microcomputer manufacturing facilities. 334413 Semiconductor, photovoltaic...

78 FR 29384 - Petitions for Modification of Application of Existing Mandatory Safety Standards

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-20

... modify the application of any mandatory safety standard to a coal or other mine if the Secretary of Labor... running conveyor belt when a water sprinkler is activated. 9. Each automatic sprinkler will be a standard... the gauge indicates 10 psi or more. f. Verify that the water flow switch is activated and the dispatch...

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

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...

Mandatory vaccinations in European countries, undocumented information, false news and the impact on vaccination uptake: the position of the Italian pediatric society.

Science.gov (United States)

Bozzola, Elena; Spina, Giulia; Russo, Rocco; Bozzola, Mauro; Corsello, Giovanni; Villani, Alberto

2018-06-14

High rates of vaccination coverage are important in preventing infectious diseases. Enforcing mandatory vaccinations is one of the strategies that some Countries adopted to protect the community when vaccination coverage is not satisfactory. In Italy, in 2017 vaccination against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, poliovirus, Haemophilus influenzae type b, measles, mumps, rubella and varicella became compulsory in childhood. In order to contrast vaccination policies, anti-vaccination campaigns contribute to the spread of fake news. Among them, there is the false information that Italy is the only one country with mandatory vaccination policy. Aim of our study is confronting vaccination policies in children under 18 months against among different European countries for the following vaccines: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, poliovirus, Haemophilus influenzae type b, measles, mumps, rubella and varicella. Information on policies of mandatory or recommended vaccinations of the European Countries were gathered by ECDC and compared to the Italian one. European Countries recommend or contemplate compulsory vaccines. Among them, eleven Countries (35.4%) have mandatory vaccinations for at least one out of diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, poliovirus, Haemophilus influenzae type b, measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccine. Not only in Italy, vaccination against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, poliovirus, Haemophilus influenzae type b, measles, mumps, rubella and varicella is mandatory in children under 18 months. Other European countries adopted compulsory policies in order to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and to protect the community.

Transparency of Mandatory Information Disclosure and Concerns of Health Services Providers and Consumers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Hua Yan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: This study analyzed differences between transparency of information disclosure and related demands from the health service consumer’s perspective. It also compared how health service providers and consumers are associated by different levels of mandatory information disclosure. Methods: We obtained our research data using a questionnaire survey (health services providers, n = 201; health service consumers, n = 384. Results: Health service consumers do not have major concerns regarding mandatory information disclosure. However, they are concerned about complaint channels and settlement results, results of patient satisfaction surveys, and disclosure of hospital financial statements (p < 0.001. We identified significant differences in health service providers’ and consumers’ awareness regarding the transparency of information disclosure (p < 0.001. Conclusions: It may not be possible for outsiders to properly interpret the information provided by hospitals. Thus, when a hospital discloses information, it is necessary for the government to consider the information’s applicability. Toward improving medical expertise and information asymmetry, the government has to reduce the burden among health service consumers in dealing with this information, and it has to use the information effectively.

78 FR 67927 - Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR): Mandatory Automated Export System Filing for All Shipments...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-13

... Internet at [email protected] ). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nick Orsini, Chief, Foreign Trade Division... 0607-AA50 Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR): Mandatory Automated Export System Filing for All Shipments... approval of new information collection requirements. [[Page 67928

What do dental students think about mandatory laptop programs?

Science.gov (United States)

Hendricson, William; Eisenberg, Elise; Guest, Gary; Jones, Pamela; Johnson, Lynn; Panagakos, Fotinos; McDonald, James; Cintron, Laura

2006-05-01

In spite of efforts by many dental schools to provide information technology resources for students, only a handful of studies have been conducted to determine what dental students think about these initiatives. There are no reports in the literature describing students' perceptions of mandatory laptop programs, which are now being implemented by at least 25 percent of North American dental schools. In schools that have implemented laptop programs, students are required either to enroll with their own laptops that meet specifications or to purchase a laptop from the school at matriculation. In some schools, students are also required to purchase curriculum support software that is bundled with the laptop. This study was conducted to determine students' opinions at U.S. dental schools with mandatory laptop programs about these aspects of this information technology initiative: frequency of use, perceived necessity of use, note-typing during lectures, effectiveness of training, influence on study habits, benefits, implementation problems, added value in relation to added tuition costs, impact on quality of dental education, overall rating of the laptop experience, and impact of the laptop on use of other electronic curriculum resources. Responses of students at schools that purchased packaged curriculum support software from a commercial vendor were compared with students' responses at schools where faculty provided their own educational software. Responses were also compared among freshmen, sophomores, and upperclassmen in a cross-sectional sample. In 2004, approximately 800 dental students at fourteen dental schools responded to eleven questions that requested their impressions and evaluation of mandatory laptop programs and associated educational software. These questions comprised one section of the IREC Students' Questionnaire (IREC=Institutional Readiness for Electronic Curriculum) that assessed students' perceptions of various aspects of information technology

High efficacy and students' satisfaction after voluntary vs mandatory use of an e-learning program in traumatology and orthopedics--a follow-up study.

Science.gov (United States)

Back, David Alexander; Haberstroh, Nicole; Sostmann, Kai; Schmidmaier, Gerhard; Putzier, Michael; Perka, Carsten; Hoff, Eike

2014-01-01

Within the last decade, e-learning has gained a consistent place in surgical teaching. However, as the use of new programs is often voluntary, more information on the implications of the data regarding user acceptance and knowledge with mandatory use is desirable, especially in the context of the long-term developments of courses. Starting in 2009, the e-learning program Network for Students in Traumatology and Orthopedics was offered in a voluntary blended learning context. Students' satisfaction and increase in knowledge were evaluated using questionnaires and written tests. With proven effectiveness, the program became a mandatory part of the curriculum, and students' attitudes and gain of knowledge were re-evaluated in 2010 and 2011 to detect differences in voluntary vs mandatory use. In the evaluation questionnaires (n = 108 voluntary vs n = 361 mandatory), the overall appreciation regarding the offerings remained high. Significantly more students felt better prepared for clinical situations (p traumatology. Data can support the assumption that even if the voluntary evaluation of e-learning offerings might be subject to a selection bias, the results can serve as a representative impression for the students' overall mood and their gain in knowledge. However, as changes would have to be anticipated when shifting to mandatory use, users' perceptions should be constantly evaluated. © 2013 Published by Association of Program Directors in Surgery on behalf of Association of Program Directors in Surgery.

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.

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.

41 CFR 301-53.4 - May I select travel service providers for which my agency is not a mandatory user in order to...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... select travel service providers for which my agency is not a mandatory user in order to maximize my... frequent traveler benefits. You must use the travel service provider for which your agency is a mandatory... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false May I select travel...

‘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.

Socio-Praxis Preferences in Teacher Preparation for Child Sexual Abuse and Its Mandatory Reporting

Science.gov (United States)

Goldman, Juliette D. G.; Grimbeek, Peter

2015-01-01

Child abuse and neglect, particularly child sexual abuse, is a pastoral care issue that deeply concerns all education professionals. The literature strongly supports specific training for pre-service teachers about child sexual abuse and its mandatory reporting, although few studies identify how such training should be academically structured.…

Do animals and furniture items elicit different brain responses in human infants?

Science.gov (United States)

Jeschonek, Susanna; Marinovic, Vesna; Hoehl, Stefanie; Elsner, Birgit; Pauen, Sabina

2010-11-01

One of the earliest categorical distinctions to be made by preverbal infants is the animate-inanimate distinction. To explore the neural basis for this distinction in 7-8-month-olds, an equal number of animal and furniture pictures was presented in an ERP-paradigm. The total of 118 pictures, all looking different from each other, were presented in a semi-randomized order for 1000ms each. Infants' brain responses to exemplars from both categories differed systematically regarding the negative central component (Nc: 400-600ms) at anterior channels. More specifically, the Nc was enhanced for animals in one subgroup of infants, and for furniture items in another subgroup of infants. Explorative analyses related to categorical priming further revealed category-specific differences in brain responses in the late time window (650-1550ms) at right frontal channels: Unprimed stimuli (preceded by a different-category item) elicited a more positive response as compared to primed stimuli (preceded by a same-category item). In sum, these findings suggest that the infant's brain discriminates exemplars from both global domains. Given the design of our task, we conclude that processes of category identification are more likely to account for our findings than processes of on-line category formation during the experimental session. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assembly-line health check up in digitalized hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yalan; Yao, Bin; Zhang, Zigang

2002-01-01

The health check up flow of digital hospital can be consulted with the assembly line of industry factory. Because they have the following same features: highly specialized workstation, closeness and continuance, rhythm, balanced production, continuous production. The essential prerequisites are as the follows: The inspecting items and methods should be stable; advanced product mix and stable production design; standardized raw material, consumption, procedure, inspection method; there are lots of request for health inspection; the customers move at the least unit; the space arrangement should be reasonable; the time arrangement should be proportion. With the computer net, the digital inspection can achieves the raw material controlling accurately. The basis of check up line concerns about equipment, net and software, data collection, and personnel. The group technology is used in the health inspection flow design of the digital hospital in the field of items customers and zone redivided. The digital assembly linemic health inspect has the following stages: member registering, notice, check in, arrange order, time control, report, feedback and analysis. The assembly linemic has following advantages: increasing the productivity, the space utility, satisfaction of customer, fund returning, lowering the cost and ensuring the quality.

Employee Participation in Non-Mandatory Professional Development--The Role of Core Proactive Motivation Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Sankey, Kim S.; Machin, M. Anthony

2014-01-01

With a focus on the self-initiated efforts of employees, this study examined a model of core proactive motivation processes for participation in non-mandatory professional development (PD) within a proactive motivation framework using the Self-Determination Theory perspective. A multi-group SEM analysis conducted across 439 academic and general…

75 FR 75059 - Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases: Injection and Geologic Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-01

... Greenhouse Gases: Injection and Geologic Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide; Final Rule #0;#0;Federal Register... Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases: Injection and Geologic Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide AGENCY... greenhouse gas monitoring and reporting from facilities that conduct geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide...

Mandatory menu labeling in one fast-food chain in King County, Washington.

Science.gov (United States)

Finkelstein, Eric A; Strombotne, Kiersten L; Chan, Nadine L; Krieger, James

2011-02-01

As part of a comprehensive effort to stem the rise in obesity, King County, Washington, enforced a mandatory menu-labeling regulation requiring all restaurant chains with 15 or more locations to disclose calorie information at the point of purchase beginning in January 2009. The purpose of this study is to quantify the impact of the King County regulation on transactions and purchasing behavior at one Mexican fast-food chain with locations within and adjacent to King County. To examine the effect of the King County regulation, a difference-in-difference approach was used to compare total transactions and average calories per transaction between seven King County restaurants and seven control locations focusing on two time periods: one period immediately following the law until the posting of drive-through menu boards (January 2009 to July 2009) and a second period following the drive-through postings (August 2009 through January 2010). Analyses were conducted in 2010. No impact of the regulation on purchasing behavior was found. Trends in transactions and calories per transaction did not vary between control and intervention locations after the law was enacted. In this setting, mandatory menu labeling did not promote healthier food-purchasing behavior. Copyright © 2011 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Mandatory Uniform Policy in Urban Schools: Findings from the School Survey on Crime and Safety: 2003-04

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seunghee Han

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The main purpose of the study is to examine the relations between a mandatory school uniform policy and student problem behavior. The study is based on the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS 2003-04 data. Analyzing data from 421 urban schools, the study found that schools adopting a mandatory uniform policy are negatively associated with rates of student problem behaviors except at the high school level. As with other school safety initiatives, parental involvement at the elementary school level, and teacher training and community efforts at the high school level were revealed as negative predictors of student problem behavior.

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.

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.

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.

Technical Evaluation for the Determination of CGI Designation for Safety Class Items Incorporated in Hose-in-Hose Transfer Line Assemblies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

BUCHANAN, J.R.

2000-01-01

The purpose of this technical evaluation is to determine whether the secondary hoses are to be categorized as Commercial Grade Items (CGI) or Engineered Equipment. This determination will identify whether or not use of the CGI Dedication process is appropriate

Does Audit Quality Improve After the Implementation of Mandatory Audit Partner Rotation?

OpenAIRE

Gary MONROE; Sarowar HOSSAIN

2013-01-01

We investigate whether audit partner tenure and audit quality associations remain significant after the implementation of mandatory audit partner rotation. Carey and Simnett (2006) report a significant negative association between long audit partner tenure and the propensity to issue qualified going-concern opinions for financially distressed companies. However, their study uses data from a period when there was no restriction on the length of audit partner tenure, i.e., from a period before ...

75 FR 61478 - Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk Power System; Notice Allowing Post-Technical...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-05

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket Nos. RM06-16-010; RM06-16-011] Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk Power System; Notice Allowing Post-Technical Conference Comments September 24, 2010. On September 23, 2010, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission conducted a...

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…

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...

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…

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…

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…

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.

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

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…

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...

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

Mandatory Community-Based Learning in U.S. Urban High Schools: Fair Equality of Opportunity?

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, Jeffrey V.; Alsbury, Thomas L.; Fan, Jingjing

2016-01-01

This study explores participant experiences at two contrasting high schools in a large, urban school district in crisis who implemented mandatory community-based learning (CBL) (e.g. community service, work-based internships) as a policy of reform. Rawls' theory of justice as fairness is used to examine capacity of the district formal policy to…

Australia's mandatory renewable energy target (MRET): an assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kent, Anthony; Mercer, David

2006-01-01

In June 2004, the Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, released the long-awaited government blueprint for the favoured policy direction for the country's energy sector, Securing Australia's Energy Future. In part this document was a response to a review of the operation of Australia's mandatory renewable energy target (MRET), a regime that started in April 2001. MRET was put under detailed scrutiny from March 2003 onwards by a four-person panel (the Tambling Committee), appointed by the Howard coalition (conservative) government, that received 248 detailed submissions and finally released its findings to the public in January 2004. This paper presents an overview of (i) the range of opinions on MRET presented to the Tambling Inquiry; (ii) the recommendations of that Committee; (iii) the final judgement on MRET enunciated in Securing Australia's Energy Future; and (iv) the response of the States

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…

75 FR 59261 - Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk Power System; Supplemental Notice of Technical...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-27

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket Nos. RM06-16-010; RM06-16-011] Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk Power System; Supplemental Notice of Technical Conference September 17, 2010. On August 19, 2010 the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission announced that a Technical...

75 FR 57764 - Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk Power System; Supplemental Notice of Technical...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-22

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket Nos. RM06-16-010; RM06-16-011] Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk Power System; Supplemental Notice of Technical Conference September 14, 2010. On August 19, 2010 the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission announced that a Technical...

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...

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

Butterfly valve of all rubber lining type

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimada, Shosaku; Nakatsuma, Sumiya; Sasaki, Iwao; Aoki, Naoshi.

1982-01-01

The valves used for the circulating water pipes for condensers in nuclear and thermal power stations have become large with the increase of power output, and their specifications have become strict. The materials for the valves change from cast iron to steel plate construction. To cope with sea water corrosion, rubber lining has been applied to the internal surfaces of valve boxes, and the build-up welding of stainless steel has been made on the edges of valves. However, recently it is desired to develop butterfly valves, of which the whole valve disks are lined with hard rubber. For the purpose of confirming the performance of large bore valves, a 2600 mm bore butterfly valve of all rubber lining type was used, and the opening and closing test of 1100 times was carried out by applying thermal cycle and pressure difference and using artifical sea water. Also the bending test of hard rubber lining was performed with test pieces. Thus, it was confirmed that the butterfly valves of all rubber lining type have the performance exceeding that of the valves with build-up welding. The course of development of the valves of all rubber lining type, the construction and the items of confirmation by tests of these valves, and the tests of the valve and the hard rubber lining described above are reported. (Kako, I.)

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

Mandatory Reporting Laws and Identification of Child Abuse and Neglect: Consideration of Differential Maltreatment Types, and a Cross-Jurisdictional Analysis of Child Sexual Abuse Reports

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ben Mathews

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Mandatory reporting laws have been created in many jurisdictions as a way of identifying cases of severe child maltreatment on the basis that cases will otherwise remain hidden. These laws usually apply to all four maltreatment types. Other jurisdictions have narrower approaches supplemented by differential response systems, and others still have chosen not to enact mandatory reporting laws for any type of maltreatment. In scholarly research and normative debates about mandatory reporting laws and their effects, the four major forms of child maltreatment—physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect—are often grouped together as if they are homogenous in nature, cause, and consequence. Yet, the heterogeneity of maltreatment types, and different reporting practices regarding them, must be acknowledged and explored when considering what legal and policy frameworks are best suited to identify and respond to cases. A related question which is often conjectured upon but seldom empirically explored, is whether reporting laws make a difference in case identification. This article first considers different types of child abuse and neglect, before exploring the nature and operation of mandatory reporting laws in different contexts. It then posits a differentiation thesis, arguing that different patterns of reporting between both reporter groups and maltreatment types must be acknowledged and analysed, and should inform discussions and assessments of optimal approaches in law, policy and practice. Finally, to contribute to the evidence base required to inform discussion, this article conducts an empirical cross-jurisdictional comparison of the reporting and identification of child sexual abuse in jurisdictions with and without mandatory reporting, and concludes that mandatory reporting laws appear to be associated with better case identification.

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…

Mandatory Genres: The case of European Public Assessment Report (EPAR) summaries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Askehave, Inger; Zethsen, Karen K.

2008-01-01

The aim of this article is to consider the nature of mandatory genres (legally regulated genres) emanating from European Union directives and point to the challenges which such genres pose due to their legal origin and complex text production and text reception processes. Taking its point...... information which is understandable and useful to laypersons, respectively. The article points to some of the reasons why, in spite of careful preparation, and extensive guidelines prior to its ‘launch' into the discourse community, the EPAR summary apparently fails to fulfil its communicative purposes....

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…

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...

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…

21 CFR 810.17 - Termination of a cease distribution and notification or mandatory recall order.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... that they have been instructed to cease use of the device and to take other appropriate action; or (2..., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES MEDICAL DEVICE RECALL AUTHORITY Mandatory Medical Device Recall Procedures § 810.17 Termination of a cease distribution and notification or...

76 FR 64082 - Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System; Notice of Staff Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-17

... Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System; Notice of Staff Meeting Take notice that the Federal Energy... R1.3.10 of Commission-approved transmission planning Reliability Standard TPL-002- 0 (System... additional actions necessary to address the matter.\\3\\ \\1\\ Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power...

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.

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

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…

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.

Mandatory and Voluntary Disclosures of Serbian Listed Companies - Achieved Level and Some Recommendation for Improving their Relevance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ksenija Denčić-Mihajlov

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose – This paper investigates mandatory and voluntary disclosure practices of non-financial listed companies on the Belgrade Stock Exchange. The results help in determining the level of transparency of Serbian s listed companies and in formulating recommendations for improving the quality and relevance of disclosed information. Design/methodology/approach – We focus on modeling both mandatory and voluntary disclosure indices for financial and non-financial information in order to evaluate the level of disclosure of 63 Serbian companies for reporting period 2012. Findings – We found the low level of both mandatory and voluntary disclosures. Concerning mandatary disclosure, the information that is least frequently disclosed by the sample companies are those related to the material content of the financial statements (information on changes in accounting estimates and corrections of fundamental errors in the previous period, as well as related companies. Serbian companies usually disclose information that contributes to their greater visibility. Similar to the mandatory disclosure, usually published voluntary information are mostly "neutral" from the point of impact on the values reported in the financial statements, which do not contribute to a better understanding of the financial position, profitability and cash flows of the company. Research limitations/implications – There is a limitation concerning the sample size (which is generally intrinsic to Serbian capital market size and the sample structure (research is limited to listed non-financial companies. The study covers the annual reports for 2012 which in Serbia coincides with a crisis period. The same research methodology could be applied on a larger and comprehensive database (non-listed companies and include period after 2012, which will allow the analysis of evolution of disclosure practices by companies within new accounting framework. Originality/value – The authors give

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.

Using Logistic Approximations of Marginal Trace Lines to Develop Short Assessments

Science.gov (United States)

Stucky, Brian D.; Thissen, David; Edelen, Maria Orlando

2013-01-01

Test developers often need to create unidimensional scales from multidimensional data. For item analysis, "marginal trace lines" capture the relation with the general dimension while accounting for nuisance dimensions and may prove to be a useful technique for creating short-form tests. This article describes the computations needed to obtain…

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…

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.

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…

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…

Plasma density characterization at SPARC-LAB through Stark broadening of Hydrogen spectral lines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Filippi, F., E-mail: francesco.filippi@roma1.infn.it [Dipartimento di Scienze di Base e Applicate per l' Ingegneria (SBAI), ‘Sapienza’ Università di Roma, Via A. Scarpa 14-16, 00161 Roma (Italy); INFN-Roma1, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 2 00161 Roma (Italy); Anania, M.P.; Bellaveglia, M.; Biagioni, A.; Chiadroni, E. [Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, INFN, Via E. Fermi, Frascati (Italy); Cianchi, A. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Universitá di Roma Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Roma (Italy); Di Giovenale, D.; Di Pirro, G.; Ferrario, M. [Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, INFN, Via E. Fermi, Frascati (Italy); Mostacci, A.; Palumbo, L. [Dipartimento di Scienze di Base e Applicate per l' Ingegneria (SBAI), ‘Sapienza’ Università di Roma, Via A. Scarpa 14-16, 00161 Roma (Italy); INFN-Roma1, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 2 00161 Roma (Italy); Pompili, R.; Shpakov, V.; Vaccarezza, C.; Villa, F. [Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, INFN, Via E. Fermi, Frascati (Italy); Zigler, A. [Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904 (Israel)

2016-09-01

Plasma-based acceleration techniques are of great interest for future, compact accelerators due to their high accelerating gradient. Both particle-driven and laser-driven Plasma Wakefield Acceleration experiments are foreseen at the SPARC-LAB Test Facility (INFN National Laboratories of Frascati, Italy), with the aim to accelerate high-brightness electron beams. In order to optimize the efficiency of the acceleration in the plasma and preserve the quality of the accelerated beam, the knowledge of the plasma electron density is mandatory. The Stark broadening of the Hydrogen spectral lines is one of the candidates used to characterize plasma density. The implementation of this diagnostic for plasma-based experiments at SPARC-LAB is presented. - Highlights: • Stark broadening of Hydrogen lines has been measured to determine plasma density. • Plasma density diagnostic tool for plasma-based experiments at SPARC-LAB is presented. • Plasma density in tapered laser triggered ablative capillary discharge was measured. • Results of plasma density measurements in ablative capillaries are shown.

Plasma density characterization at SPARC-LAB through Stark broadening of Hydrogen spectral lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Filippi, F.; Anania, M.P.; Bellaveglia, M.; Biagioni, A.; Chiadroni, E.; Cianchi, A.; Di Giovenale, D.; Di Pirro, G.; Ferrario, M.; Mostacci, A.; Palumbo, L.; Pompili, R.; Shpakov, V.; Vaccarezza, C.; Villa, F.; Zigler, A.

2016-01-01

Plasma-based acceleration techniques are of great interest for future, compact accelerators due to their high accelerating gradient. Both particle-driven and laser-driven Plasma Wakefield Acceleration experiments are foreseen at the SPARC-LAB Test Facility (INFN National Laboratories of Frascati, Italy), with the aim to accelerate high-brightness electron beams. In order to optimize the efficiency of the acceleration in the plasma and preserve the quality of the accelerated beam, the knowledge of the plasma electron density is mandatory. The Stark broadening of the Hydrogen spectral lines is one of the candidates used to characterize plasma density. The implementation of this diagnostic for plasma-based experiments at SPARC-LAB is presented. - Highlights: • Stark broadening of Hydrogen lines has been measured to determine plasma density. • Plasma density diagnostic tool for plasma-based experiments at SPARC-LAB is presented. • Plasma density in tapered laser triggered ablative capillary discharge was measured. • Results of plasma density measurements in ablative capillaries are shown.

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,…

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

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.

Considering consumer choice in the economic evaluation of mandatory health programmes: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Parkinson, Bonny; Goodall, Stephen

2011-08-01

Governments are increasing their focus on mandatory public health programmes following positive economic evaluations of their impact. This review aims to examine whether loss of consumer choice should be included in economic evaluations of mandatory health programmes (MHP). A systematic literature review was conducted to identify economic evaluations of MHP, whether they discuss the impact on consumer choice and any methodological limitations. Overall 39 economic evaluations were identified, of which 10 discussed the loss of consumer choice and 6 attempted to place a value on the loss of consumer choice. Methodological limitations included: measuring the marginal cost of compliance, unavailability of price elasticity estimates, the impact of income effects, double counting health impacts, biased willingness-to-pay responses, and "protest" responses. Overall it was found that the inclusion of the loss of consumer choice rarely impacted on the final outcome of the study. The impact of MHP on the loss of consumer choice has largely been ignored in economic evaluations. Its importance remains uncertain due to its infrequent inclusion and significant methodological limitations. Further research regarding which methodology is best for valuing the loss of consumer choice and whether it is important to the final implementation decision is warranted. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mandatory International Financial Reporting Standards Adoption and Cost of Equity Capital in Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Uwuigbe Uwalomwa

2016-05-01

Full Text Available This study examined the effect of mandatory International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS adoption on the cost of equity capital on Nigerian firms and whether the cost of equity capital effect after adoption of IFRS can be moderated by Return on Equity. The study covered a sample of 11 listed companies in the industrial goods sector for the period 2011 and 2013. The data for the study was secondary data generated from the annual reports and stock market report websites. The cost of equity capital was shown as the expected return on the basic value of a share and computed based on pre and post-adoption data. Findings from the study revealed that there is a significant positive relationship between the cost of equity capital and IFRS adoption indicating that the cost of equity capital increased. The market-based performance measure failed to have significant effect on the cost of equity capital after mandatory adoption. The study recommends that policies that improve domestic savings, as a principal source of equity capital, be enacted as an increase should lead to a reduction in the cost of equity capital, interest rates and increase the appeal of equity and foreign investments.

Increasing injuries as trampoline parks expand within Australia: a call for mandatory standards.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharwood, Lisa N; Adams, Susan; Blaszkow, Tracy; Eager, David

2018-04-01

To quantify an apparent increase in indoor trampoline park related injuries in children and young people across Australia, and to understand the implications for current regulatory standards. Retrospective analyses of three state-based Injury Surveillance databases, identifying children and adolescents presenting to emergency departments between the years 2005 and 2017, who had sustained injuries during trampolining activity at an indoor trampoline park. Across the three datasets, 487 cases were identified. No cases were recorded prior to 2012, the year the first indoor trampoline park opened. At least half occurred among those aged 10-14 years. In Victoria, 58% were male, with 52% in Queensland and 60% in Western Australia being male, respectively. Hospital admission rates in these states were 15%, 11.7% and 14.5%, respectively. The most frequent injury types were dislocations, sprains and strains, followed by fractures, with some head and spinal injuries. Across several states in Australia, the incidence of indoor trampoline park related injuries is concerning, as these venues are increasing in number. Some injuries can be serious and result in lifelong disability for children or adolescents. Implications for public health: National safety standards that apply to indoor trampoline park operators are not currently mandatory; injury prevention efforts would be assisted if such standards were mandatory. © 2018 The Authors.

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.

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

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

Creating and Implementing a Regularized Monitoring and EnforcementSystem for China's Mandatory Standards and Energy Information Label forAppliances

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Jiang

2007-03-01

China has developed a comprehensive program of energy efficiency standards and labels for household appliances. In 1989, China first launched its minimum energy performance standards (MEPS), which are now applied to an extensive list of products. In 1998, China launched a voluntary energy endorsement label, which has grown to cover both energy-saving and water-saving products. And, in 2005, China launched a mandatory energy information label that initially covered two products. CLASP has assisted China in developing 11 minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for 9 products and endorsement labels for 11 products including: refrigerators; air conditioners; televisions; printers; computers; monitors; fax machines; copiers; DVD/VCD players; external power supplies; and set-top boxes. CLASP has also assisted China in the development of the mandatory energy information label. Increasingly, attention is being placed on maximum energy savings from China's standards and labeling (S&L) efforts in order to meet the recently announced goal of reducing China's energy intensity by 20 percent by 2010 with an interim objective of 4 percent in 2006. China's mandatory standards system is heavily focused on the technical requirements for efficiency performance, but historically, it has lacked administrative and personnel capacity to undertake monitoring and enforcement of these legally binding standards. Similarly, resources for monitoring and enforcement have been quite limited. As a consequence, compliance to both the mandatory standards and the mandatory energy information label is uneven with the potential and likely result of lost energy savings. Thus, a major area for improvement, which could significantly increase overall energy savings, is the creation and implementation of a regularized monitoring system for tracking the compliance to, and enforcement of, mandatory standards and the energy information label in China. CLASP has been working with the China

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

Testing of Technology Acceptance Model on Core Banking System: A Perspective on Mandatory Use

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Burhan Suryo Ambodo

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This study aims to examine the acceptance of Core Banking System (CBS which is mandatory use software. The objects of this research are teller, customer service, and back office Branch of Bank BPD DIY Wonosari. Data were measured using Likert scale in five range value. A number of 49 data were analyzed using Partial Least Square (PLS. The results showed that ease of use had no positive effect on symbolic adoption; attitudes toward usage and perceived conformance has a positive effect on symbolic adoption, ease of use and perceived compatibility has no effect on attitudes towards usage. Usability, satisfaction and compatibility that are felt to positively affect attitude toward usage. In the information technology model that is mandatory use, it is important to note the symbolic adoption of information technology therefore the performance of the user (employee/employee can remain good. In particular for banking institutions that using CBS, it is important to improve the use of CBS, user satisfaction and CBS conformity with business processes, given the current banking business processes that are constantly expanding, there is no possibility of adjusting CBS to business processes at later.

Examining Perceptions about Mandatory Influenza Vaccination of Healthcare Workers through Online Comments on News Stories.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Lei

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to understand online public perceptions of the debate surrounding the choice of annual influenza vaccinations or wearing masks as a condition of employment for healthcare workers, such as the one enacted in British Columbia in August 2012.Four national and 82 local (British Columbia Canadian online news sites were searched for articles posted between August 2012 and May 2013 containing the words "healthcare workers" and "mandatory influenza vaccinations/immunizations" or "mandatory flu shots and healthcare workers." We included articles from sources that predominantly concerned our topic of interest and that generated reader comments. Two researchers coded the unedited comments using thematic analysis, categorizing codes to allow themes to emerge. In addition to themes, the comments were categorized by: 1 sentiment towards influenza vaccines; 2 support for mandatory vaccination policies; 3 citing of reference materials or statistics; 4 self-identified health-care worker status; and 5 sharing of a personal story.1163 comments made by 648 commenters responding to 36 articles were analyzed. Popular themes included concerns about freedom of choice, vaccine effectiveness, patient safety, and distrust in government, public health, and the pharmaceutical industry. Almost half (48% of commenters expressed a negative sentiment toward the influenza vaccine, 28% were positive, 20% were neutral, and 4% expressed mixed sentiment. Of those who commented on the policy, 75% did not support the condition to work policy, while 25% were in favour. Of the commenters, 11% self-identified as healthcare workers, 13% shared personal stories, and 18% cited a reference or statistic.The perception of the influenza vaccine in the comment sections of online news sites is fairly poor. Public health agencies should consider including online forums, comment sections, and social media sites as part of their communication channels to correct

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...

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.

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

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).

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.

Effectiveness and acceptability of parental financial incentives and quasi-mandatory schemes for increasing uptake of vaccinations in preschool children: systematic review, qualitative study and discrete choice experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Jean; Bateman, Belinda; Becker, Frauke; Cresswell, Tricia; Flynn, Darren; McNaughton, Rebekah; Oluboyede, Yemi; Robalino, Shannon; Ternent, Laura; Sood, Benjamin Gardner; Michie, Susan; Shucksmith, Janet; Sniehotta, Falko F; Wigham, Sarah

2015-11-01

Uptake of preschool vaccinations is less than optimal. Financial incentives and quasi-mandatory policies (restricting access to child care or educational settings to fully vaccinated children) have been used to increase uptake internationally, but not in the UK. To provide evidence on the effectiveness, acceptability and economic costs and consequences of parental financial incentives and quasi-mandatory schemes for increasing the uptake of preschool vaccinations. Systematic review, qualitative study and discrete choice experiment (DCE) with questionnaire. Community, health and education settings in England. Qualitative study - parents and carers of preschool children, health and educational professionals. DCE - parents and carers of preschool children identified as 'at high risk' and 'not at high risk' of incompletely vaccinating their children. Qualitative study - focus groups and individual interviews. DCE - online questionnaire. The review included studies exploring the effectiveness, acceptability or economic costs and consequences of interventions that offered contingent rewards or penalties with real material value for preschool vaccinations, or quasi-mandatory schemes that restricted access to 'universal' services, compared with usual care or no intervention. Electronic database, reference and citation searches were conducted. Systematic review - there was insufficient evidence to conclude that the interventions considered are effective. There was some evidence that the quasi-mandatory interventions were acceptable. There was insufficient evidence to draw conclusions on economic costs and consequences. Qualitative study - there was little appetite for parental financial incentives. Quasi-mandatory schemes were more acceptable. Optimising current services was consistently preferred to the interventions proposed. DCE and questionnaire - universal parental financial incentives were preferred to quasi-mandatory interventions, which were preferred to targeted

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.

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.

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.

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...

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 ...

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...

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…

Suspension of mandatory vaccination and public health preserving: Rovigo local health unit experience after appliance of Veneto regional law 7/2007.

Science.gov (United States)

Cattarin, M; Bellè, M; Bergamini, M; Gallo, L

2013-09-01

The burden of infectious diseases preventable by vaccination decreased considerably over last decades in all countries provided with effective immunization schedules. Implementation of these programs with new vaccines has started discussion on duality between mandatory and recommended vaccinations. Regional autonomy has allowed the Veneto Region, with introduction of Law 7/2007, to experience suspension of all mandatory childhood vaccinations, replaced by an active and free offer of all vaccines recognized as safe and effective. Coverage's trends and acceptance of invitation are carefully monitored to avoid loss of compliance and reduction of immunized children. The evaluation, performed on population of Rovigo ULSS18 for 2002-2008 birth cohorts (2008 is the first concerned by the change), revealed no fall for previously mandatory vaccinations, but rather a slight increase. Percentage of non-vaccinated children was negligible. The leading cause of non-vaccination to polio was inability to deliver the letter of invitation due to wrong address. An informed dissent was expressed only by a minority (0.9% in 2008 birth cohort). Compliance to immunization offer was elevated both for previously compulsory and recommended vaccinations. Experience of Rovigo ULSS 18 showed that, in a context of already high levels of coverage for recommended vaccinations with optimal organization of immunization services, coverage rates for ex-mandatory vaccines remain unchanged. Further research and reports are required to carefully assess the effect on coverage rates in next birth cohorts, but available data are encouraging. Similar legislative measures can be successfully adopted by other Regions with starting conditions comparable to Veneto Region.

76 FR 80553 - Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases: Technical Revisions to the Petroleum and Natural Gas...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-23

... permeability gas, shale gas, coal seam, or other tight reservoir rock. For example, wells producing coal bed... separation means one or more of the following processes: forced extraction of natural gas liquids, sulfur and... Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases: Technical Revisions to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems...

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....

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…

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

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…

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.…

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

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…

The Introduction of Corporate Governance Codes in a Transitional Economy And its Impact on Compliance with Mandatory Disclosures: The Case of Egypt

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marwa Hassaan

2016-01-01

extends the financial reporting literature and the emerging markets disclosure literature by being the first to investigate the influence of corporate governance requirements for best practices on the levels of compliance with mandatory IFRSs disclosure requirements by companies listed on the EGX. Results provide evidence of the lack of influence of corporate governance best practices on the levels of compliance with mandatory IFRSs disclosure requirements as it is not yet part of the cultural values within the Egyptian context. These findings are consistent with the notions of the proposed theoretical foundation.

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.

Autonomous Cars: In Favor of a Mandatory Ethics Setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Gogoll, Jan; Müller, Julian F

2017-06-01

The recent progress in the development of autonomous cars has seen ethical questions come to the forefront. In particular, life and death decisions regarding the behavior of self-driving cars in trolley dilemma situations are attracting widespread interest in the recent debate. In this essay we want to ask whether we should implement a mandatory ethics setting (MES) for the whole of society or, whether every driver should have the choice to select his own personal ethics setting (PES). While the consensus view seems to be that people would not be willing to use an automated car that might sacrifice themselves in a dilemma situation, we will defend the somewhat contra-intuitive claim that this would be nevertheless in their best interest. The reason is, simply put, that a PES regime would most likely result in a prisoner's dilemma.

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.

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…

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...

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.

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.…

Mandatory IFRS adoption and the cost of Equity Capital. Evidence from Spanish Firms

OpenAIRE

David Castillo-Merino; Carlota Menéndez-Plans; Neus Orgaz-Guerrero

2014-01-01

Purpose: The main objective of this paper analyses the effects of mandatory International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption by Spanish firms in 2005 on the cost of equity capital. Design/methodology: Using a sample of listed Spanish companies during the 1999 to 2009 period and a country-level focused analysis. To achieve our objective we relied on OLS regression analysis and estimate the dependent variable – the cost of equity – by using the proxy suggested in Easton (2004). Find...

77 FR 10358 - Acceptance of ASTM F963-11 as a Mandatory Consumer Product Safety Standard

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-22

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION 16 CFR Chapter II Acceptance of ASTM F963-11 as a Mandatory... have accepted the revised ASTM F963-11 standard titled, Standard Consumer Safety Specifications for Toy Safety. Pursuant to section 106 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, ASTM F963-11 will...

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.

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.

Visual coherence for large-scale line-plot visualizations

KAUST Repository

Muigg, Philipp

2011-06-01

Displaying a large number of lines within a limited amount of screen space is a task that is common to many different classes of visualization techniques such as time-series visualizations, parallel coordinates, link-node diagrams, and phase-space diagrams. This paper addresses the challenging problems of cluttering and overdraw inherent to such visualizations. We generate a 2x2 tensor field during line rasterization that encodes the distribution of line orientations through each image pixel. Anisotropic diffusion of a noise texture is then used to generate a dense, coherent visualization of line orientation. In order to represent features of different scales, we employ a multi-resolution representation of the tensor field. The resulting technique can easily be applied to a wide variety of line-based visualizations. We demonstrate this for parallel coordinates, a time-series visualization, and a phase-space diagram. Furthermore, we demonstrate how to integrate a focus+context approach by incorporating a second tensor field. Our approach achieves interactive rendering performance for large data sets containing millions of data items, due to its image-based nature and ease of implementation on GPUs. Simulation results from computational fluid dynamics are used to evaluate the performance and usefulness of the proposed method. © 2011 The Author(s).

Visual coherence for large-scale line-plot visualizations

KAUST Repository

Muigg, Philipp; Hadwiger, Markus; Doleisch, Helmut; Grö ller, Eduard M.

2011-01-01

Displaying a large number of lines within a limited amount of screen space is a task that is common to many different classes of visualization techniques such as time-series visualizations, parallel coordinates, link-node diagrams, and phase-space diagrams. This paper addresses the challenging problems of cluttering and overdraw inherent to such visualizations. We generate a 2x2 tensor field during line rasterization that encodes the distribution of line orientations through each image pixel. Anisotropic diffusion of a noise texture is then used to generate a dense, coherent visualization of line orientation. In order to represent features of different scales, we employ a multi-resolution representation of the tensor field. The resulting technique can easily be applied to a wide variety of line-based visualizations. We demonstrate this for parallel coordinates, a time-series visualization, and a phase-space diagram. Furthermore, we demonstrate how to integrate a focus+context approach by incorporating a second tensor field. Our approach achieves interactive rendering performance for large data sets containing millions of data items, due to its image-based nature and ease of implementation on GPUs. Simulation results from computational fluid dynamics are used to evaluate the performance and usefulness of the proposed method. © 2011 The Author(s).

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...

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.

A successful strategy for increasing the influenza vaccination rate of healthcare workers without a mandatory policy outside of the United States: a multifaceted intervention in a Japanese tertiary care center.

Science.gov (United States)

Honda, Hitoshi; Sato, Yumiko; Yamazaki, Akinori; Padival, Simi; Kumagai, Akira; Babcock, Hilary

2013-11-01

Although mandatory vaccination programs have been effective in improving the vaccination rate among healthcare workers, implementing this type of program can be challenging because of varied reasons for vaccine refusal. The purpose of our study is to measure improvement in the influenza vaccination rate from a multifaceted intervention at a Japanese tertiary care center where implementing a mandatory vaccination program is difficult. Before-and-after trial. Healthcare workers at a 550-bed, tertiary care, academic medical center in Sapporo, Japan. We performed a multifaceted intervention including (1) use of a declination form, (2) free vaccination, (3) hospital-wide announcements during the vaccination period, (4) prospective audit and real-time telephone interview for healthcare workers who did not receive the vaccine, (5) medical interview with the hospital executive for noncompliant (no vaccine, no declination form) healthcare workers during the vaccination period, and (6) mandatory submission of a vaccination document if vaccinated outside of the study institution. With the new multifaceted intervention, the vaccination rate in the 2012-2013 season increased substantially, up to 97%. This rate is similar to that reported in studies with a mandatory vaccination program. Improved vaccination acceptance, particularly among physicians, likely contributed to the overall increase in the vaccination rate reported in the study. Implementation of comprehensive strategies with strong leadership can lead to substantial improvements in vaccine uptake among healthcare workers even without a mandatory vaccination policy. The concept is especially important for institutions where implementing mandatory vaccination programs is challenging.

There Is More to Transparency than Meets the Eye: The Impact of Mandatory Disclosure Laws Aimed at Promoting Breastfeeding.

Science.gov (United States)

Lytton, Timothy D; Dennison, Barbara A; Nguyen, Trang Q; Jurkowski, Janine M

2014-01-01

Requiring hospitals to inform patients of clinical best practices and to disclose performance data are two common regulatory strategies for improving healthcare. Proponents of such mandatory disclosure laws--sometimes referred to as "targeted transparency "--argue that they increase patient awareness and thereby create reputational incentives for hospitals to improve their performance. Evaluation of targeted transparency typically focuses on patient responses to information and changes in hospital behavior based on reputational concerns. This standard account, however, overlooks other important ways targeted transparency can influence hospital performance. This article presents a case study of disclosure laws designed to promote breastfeeding to illustrate how targeted transparency can influence hospitals independently of its effects on patients' choice of provider or hospitals' fear of losing business. We found that mandatory disclosure laws emboldened state regulators to take a more aggressive approach to enforcement of hospital regulations, empowered nurse managers to advocate more effectively within hospitals for changes in hospital policies, and enabled nurse managers to implement verifiable performance goals for clinical staff under their supervision. These findings suggest that the study of mandatory disclosure more generally--in areas such as financial regulation, environmental protection, food labeling, and workplace safety--would benefit by analyzing not only its influence on public awareness and its reputational effects but also how regulators use transparency laws and how managers within regulated entities employ the information that the laws provide.

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.

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.

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.

Overcoming pitfalls: Results from a mandatory peer review process for written examinations.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilby, Kyle John; El Hajj, Maguy S; El-Bashir, Marwa; Mraiche, Fatima

2018-04-01

Written assessments are essential components of higher education practices. However, faculty members encounter common pitfalls when designing questions intended to evaluate student-learning outcomes. The objective of this project was to determine the impact of a mandatory examination peer review process on question accuracy, alignment with learning objectives, use of best practices in question design, and language/grammar. A mandatory peer review process was implemented for all midterm (before phase) and final (after phase) examinations. Peer review occurred by two reviewers and followed a pre-defined guidance document. Non-punitive feedback given to faculty members served as the intervention. Frequencies of flagged questions according to guidance categories were compared between phases. A total of 21 midterm and 21 final exam reviews were included in the analysis. A total of 637 questions were reviewed across all midterms and 1003 questions were reviewed across all finals. Few questions were flagged for accuracy and alignment with learning outcomes. The median total proportion of questions flagged for best practices was significantly lower for final exams versus midterm exams (15.8 vs. 6.45%, p = 0.014). The intervention did not influence language and grammar errors (9.68 vs. 10.0% of questions flagged before and after, respectively, p = 0.305). A non-punitive peer review process for written examinations can overcome pitfalls in exam creation and improve best practices in question writing. The peer-review process had a substantial effect at flagging language/grammar errors but error rate did not differ between midterm and final exams. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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 ...

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…

Experiences gained from implementing mandatory buffer strips in Denmark: how can we enhance their ecosystem services?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kronvang, Brian; Hoffmann, Carl Christian; Baatrup-Pedersen, Annette

The Danish Parliament adopted in June 2012 a Buffer Strip Act that required 10 m mandatory buffer strips (BSs) to be established along all watercourses and lakes with a surface area greater than 100 m2 from 1st September 2012. The main reasons for deploying BSs was to reduce nitrate-N leaching an...

International financial reporting standards and earnings Quality: the myth of voluntary vs. mandatory adoption

OpenAIRE

Günther, Nina; Gegenfurtner, Bernhard; Kaserer, Christoph; Achleitner, Ann-Kristin

2009-01-01

We revisit evidence whether incentives or IFRS drive earnings quality changes, analyzing a large sample of German firms in the period from 1998 to 2008. Consistent with previous studies we find that voluntary and mandatory adopters differ distinctively in terms of essential firm characteristics and that size, leverage, age, bank ownership and ownership concentration influenced the decision to voluntarily adopt IFRS. However, regardless of the decision to voluntarily adopt IFRS, we find that c...

The effect of mandatory regulation on corporate social responsibility reporting quality: evidence from China

OpenAIRE

Wang, Jianling; Tian, Gaoliang; Fan, Weiguo; Luo, Dan

2017-01-01

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) disclosure has attracted attention from regulatory bodies and academics over the past few decades. Due to the unreliability resulted from CSR voluntary disclosure, an increasing number of researchers are calling for more government regulation on CSR disclosure. Based on 1830 standalone CSR reports disclosed by the Chinese-listed firms during 2009-2012, we examine the effect of mandatory regulation on CSR\\ud reporting quality. We further hypothesize and te...

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.

76 FR 53057 - Change to the Reporting Date for Certain Data Elements Required Under the Mandatory Reporting of...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-25

.... Fluorinated GHG Production..... 325120 Industrial gases manufacturing facilities. Glass Production 327211 Flat... Greenhouse Gases Rule AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: EPA is... emission equations under the Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule. The deadline for reporting some of...

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.

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.

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

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 ...

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

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…

Should a clinical rotation in hematology be mandatory for undergraduate medical students?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mandan J

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Jay Mandan,1 Harmeet Singh Sidhu,1 Adil Mahmood2 1Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK; 2Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London, UK Abstract: Clinical rotations form the foundation of medical education. Medical students in the UK are offered conventional rotations such as cardiology, surgery, and psychiatry as part of their undergraduate curriculum, but a rotation in hematology is not currently mandatory. This paper explores the benefits of a compulsory hematology rotation, and suggests recommendations for its implementation in UK medical school curricula. Keywords: medical education, clinical rotations, hematology

Acute Aortic Dissection Mimicking STEMI in the Catheterization Laboratory: Early Recognition Is Mandatory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alessio Arrivi

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Coronary malperfusion due to type A aortic dissection is a life-threatening condition where timely recognition and treatment are mandatory. A 77-year-old woman underwent an acute evolving type A aortic dissection mimicking acute myocardial infarction. Two pathophysiologic mechanisms are discussed: either thrombosis migrating from a previously treated giant aneurism of proximal left anterior descending or a local arterial complication due to left main stenting. Recognition of these occurrences in the catheterization laboratory is important to look immediately for surgery.

Cytotoxicity effects of metal oxide nanoparticles in human tumor cell lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lozano, T; Rey, M; Gonzalez-Fernandez, Africa; Rojas, E; Moya, S; Fleddermann, J; Estrela-Lopis, I; Donath, E; Wang, B; Mao, Z; Gao, C

2011-01-01

Metallic and metal oxide nanoparticles (Nps) have a wide range of applications in various settings including household, cosmetics and chemical industries, as well as for coatings. Nevertheless, an in-depth study of the potential toxic effects of these Nps is still needed, in order to fulfill the mandatory requirement of ensuring the safety of workers, patients and the general public. In this study, Quick Cell colorimetric assays were used to evaluate the in vitro toxicity of different metal oxide Nps [Fe(II,III)O x , TiO x , ZnO and CeO 2 ] in several cell lines. The ZnO Nps were found to be highly toxic, with a lethal dose ≤100 μg/ml for all the cell lines studied. Western blot was also used to test the ability of the different Nps to activate the complement pathway. However, no activation of this cascade was observed when the Nps were added. In addition, the aggregation state and charge of the Nps in culture media was studied by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and measurement of zeta potential. Transmission Electron Microscopy was used to analyze Np uptake and localization at the cellular level.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

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.

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...

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.

Large Item Disposal At The Drigg Low Level Waste Repository, United Kingdom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Griffiths, Steve

2012-01-01

Currently the UK operates only one repository for low level radioactive waste, the LLWR near Drigg in Cumbria. It is located on the West Cumbrian coast near the village of Drigg. LLWR is designed for the management of solid LLW and has operated as the principal national disposal facility for LLW since 1959. LLWR is managed and operated on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) by UK Nuclear Waste Management Ltd. (UKNWM), parent body of LLW Repository Ltd. UKNWM is a consortium led by URS, Studsvik and AREVA. Waste is accepted at LLWR based on conditions for acceptance (1). Although there is some history of disposal of non-containerised 'large items' at the Drigg site these are anecdotally described as 'not quite fitting into an ISO container (2)' and enquiries indicate that their disposal was restricted to the legacy times when items were tumble-tipped into open trenches at the site, a practise now long ceased. The feasibility of true single large item disposal at the LLWR presents complex problems arising from the poor suitability of both rail and road infrastructure in UK. LLWR is serviced both by road and rail links. The static weight of large items being taken nominally as up to ∼300 metric tons would not necessarily preclude transportation by rail but the practicalities of this route are limited. The ageing rail infrastructure includes numerous tunnels, bridges and sections of line with overhead electrification. All these would require either careful justification or significant work to ensure the safe transit of large loads. Nuclear facilities in UK are by design in remote locations, not all of which are serviced by rail connections and the rail network itself has evolved to service inter-city transportation rather than heavy freight and as such tends to route through town centres, exacerbating the tunnel, bridge and pantograph concerns already identified. Within only a few miles of the LLWR itself there are requirements to pass both over and

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.

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.

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.

The value relevance of R & D reporting in the UK after IFRS mandatory implementation

OpenAIRE

Tsoligkas, F.; Tsalavoutas, I.

2011-01-01

Following IFRS mandatory adoption in 2005, the criteria determining the accounting treatment of R&D expenditure have changed for UK listed companies that publish consolidated financial statements. Therefore, recent literature raises concerns about the value relevance of R&D assets and expenses in the UK, after 2005. Using very recent data, we respond to these calls for research. Adding to the absence of prior evidence regarding the pre-IFRS period, we find that the capitalised portion...

Assessing the mandatory bovine abortion notification system in France using unilist capture-recapture approach

OpenAIRE

Bronner, Anne-Christine; Hénaux, Viviane; Vergne, Timothée; Vinard, Jean-Luc; Morignat, Eric; Hendrikx, Pascal; Calavas, Didier; Gay, Emilie

2013-01-01

The mandatory bovine abortion notification system in France aims to detect as soon as possible any resurgence of bovine brucellosis. However, under-reporting seems to be a major limitation of this system. We used a unilist capture-recapture approach to assess the sensitivity, i.e. the proportion of farmers who reported at least one abortion among those who detected such events, and representativeness of the system during 2006-2011. We implemented a zero-inflated Poisson model to estimate the ...

Folate knowledge and consumer behaviour among pregnant New Zealand women prior to the potential introduction of mandatory fortification.

Science.gov (United States)

Mallard, Simonette R; Houghton, Lisa A

2012-01-01

To reduce the risk of neural tube defects, the New Zealand Ministry of Health recommends women take supplemental folic acid from at least one month preconception until the end of the twelfth week of pregnancy, as well as consume folate-rich foods. A postpartum survey was conducted to describe folate knowledge and consumer behaviour among pregnant New Zealand women prior to the potential implementation of mandatory folic acid fortification of bread in May 2012. Increasing knowledge of folic acid recommendations was associated with higher supplement uptake among women who planned their pregnancies (p=0.001 for linear trend). Folic acid information failed to adequately reach some socio-demographic subgroups before conception, even when pregnancy was planned, including: indigenous Maori, Pacific and Asian women, younger women, women with large families, and women with lower educational attainment and income. Only half of all women surveyed knew some bread contained added folic acid, and among these women, less than 2% consistently chose voluntarily fortified bread during the periconceptional period by inspecting labels. Sixty-one percent of women indicated they were either in favour of mandatory fortification, or held no opinion on the matter, while 4% were opposed to the addition of folic acid to bread. Approximately one-third (35%) of women agreed with voluntary fortification. Future health promotion initiatives should be tailored toward women who are younger, less educated, with lower income, multiparous or of minority ethnicity status. Nonetheless, mandatory folic acid fortification may be required to attain the desired degree of equity.

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.

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.

Mandatory Adoption of IFRS: It´s Effect on Accounting Quality, Information Environment and Cost of Equity Capital – The Case of Swedish Banks

OpenAIRE

Gautam, Rekha

2011-01-01

IFRS standards are getting acceptance day by day rapidly in all over the world. It is because IFRSs are the global and common language, which are more transparent and comparable for the investors and users residing in different nations. IFRSs are mandatory for all companies listed in capital market within EU from the beginning of 2005. As a member state of EU, Swedish banks also adopted mandatory IFRS from 1 January 2005. However, the banks were already implementing IFRS to some extent as mos...

A comparison of mandatory and voluntary approaches to the implementation of Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) in the management of hazardous chemicals.

Science.gov (United States)

Ta, Goh Choo; Mokhtar, Mazlin Bin; Peterson, Peter John; Yahaya, Nadzri Bin

2011-01-01

The European Union (EU) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have applied different approaches to facilitate the implementation of the UN Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). The EU applied the mandatory approach by gazetting the EU Regulation 1272/2008 incorporating GHS elements on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures in 2008; whereas the WHO utilized a voluntary approach by incorporating GHS elements in the WHO guidelines entitled 'WHO Recommended Classification of Pesticides by Hazard' in 2009. We report on an analysis of both the mandatory and voluntary approaches practised by the EU and the WHO respectively, with close reference to the GHS 'purple book'. Our findings indicate that the mandatory approach practiced by the EU covers all the GHS elements referred to in the second revised edition of the GHS 'purple book'. Hence we can conclude that the EU has implemented the GHS particularly for industrial chemicals. On the other hand, the WHO guidelines published in 2009 should be revised to address concerns raised in this paper. In addition, both mandatory and voluntary approaches should be carefully examined because the classification results may be different.

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…

Republic of Croatia's Experiences in the Implementation of the EU Directive About Dual-Use Items

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vidas, Z.; Orehovec, Z.; Superina, V.

2007-01-01

The Republic of Croatia is undergoing a process of adjusting its own legislation to the legislation of EU. It is one of the most important obligations of the EU-Croatia Stabilization and Association Agreement. It is also a basic prerequisite for the practical realization of the modern, unique and integral Export and Import Control system of the Sensitive Items. At the same time, it is a very important step towards better understanding of real and great danger of the weapons of mass destruction (WMD) proliferation and their possible usage in terrorism. That means that Republic of Croatia will act along with EU in the complex activities to prevent and minimize the WMD proliferation, to participate in antiterrorism activities, and to maintain regional and global security. In the year 2004, along the lines of the EU Legislation, the Croatian Parliament adopted the basic legal act - Act on export of Dual-use Items and its accompanying rules and regulations. The existing act on dual-purpose items in Croatia is mostly in harmony with the 2000 and 2003 EU Decrees which regulate te regime of the dual-purpose items export control. Nevertheless, the EU legislation experiences constant amendments in the field. And the Croatian Government is committed to following the improvements of te system and adjusting its own. However, during this process, a series of vague wordings and inconsistencies were noticed in the WMD nonproliferation policy and in the legislation to control the export of high technology products which could be abused for the WMD development. In addition, there is neither regulation on import control system nor control on the export of knowledge through scientific and professional cooperation. The purpose of this article is to professionally elaborate the value wordings and inconsistencies. It can be done on the basis of Croatia's experiences in the export and import control system of the dual-purpose items and knowledge and experience acquired through the

Mandatory weight loss during the wait for bariatric surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Glenn, Nicole M; Raine, Kim D; Spence, John C

2015-01-01

Mandatory presurgical, behavior-induced weight loss, although not standard, is a relatively common practice among bariatric surgical clinics. We explore the patient's experience of this practice using phenomenology. We gathered experiential accounts from 7 individuals waiting to have the procedure at a large publically funded clinic in western Canada. In writing this article, we focused on four phenomenological themes: "just nod your head and carry on"-silencing through the ideal; waiting and weighing-promoting weight consciousness to the weight conscious; paying for surgical approval through weight loss; and presurgical weight loss and questioning the need for weight loss surgery altogether. We contrast the experiential findings with the clinical literature to question the impact and possible (unintended or unexpected) effects the practice might have, particularly on patients' lives. We situate this article within a larger discussion about the possible contribution of experiential knowledge to clinical guidelines, practices, and pedagogies. © The Author(s) 2014.

Safeguards and security benefits of project straight-line

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaeger, C.D.; Waddoups, I.G.

1995-01-01

As a result of a number of events the inventory of fissile materials no longer in nuclear weapons in the United States is increasing. This has led to a growing concern regarding the potential for theft and/or diversion and accountability of this material. Straight-Line is a project whose purpose is to demonstrate a site-independent system to monitor stored nuclear material (e.g. plutonium) and integrate the collection, processing and dissemination of information regarding this material. Safeguards and security (S ampersand S) goals of this project include data transfer of information on nuclear material to appropriate users to enhance S ampersand S, continuous on-line accountability, reduction of hands-on access to nuclear materials, incorporation of information security technologies, and early detection of tampering or unauthorized material movement. This paper addresses threat considerations, S ampersand S requirements, S ampersand S objectives, and issues for the Straight-Line project. S ampersand S features and benefits of this project are discussed with respect to existing item monitoring systems and/or other material tracking systems being developed

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

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.

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

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…

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.

On-line data processing for scintillation camera

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ueyanagi, Hideo

1974-01-01

To process on-line the information from scintillation cameras, the computing/processing device of wired program type, with a specialized mini-computer for the processing, is generally used; and by this method, the data processing is done by the users of scintillation cameras. In the device with a mini-computer with processing programming by software, the almost all items in processing can be executed; but the operation requires some skill. With mini-computer operation, on the other hand, there are the problems of data-point number, process-time reduction, and image storage for both long and short terms. (Mori, K.)

77 FR 20700 - Examinations of Work Areas in Underground Coal Mines for Violations of Mandatory Health or Safety...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-06

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Mine Safety and Health Administration 30 CFR Part 75 RIN 1219-AB75 Examinations of Work Areas in Underground Coal Mines for Violations of Mandatory Health or Safety Standards AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health Administration, Labor. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Mine Safety and...

77 FR 43721 - Examinations of Work Areas in Underground Coal Mines for Violations of Mandatory Health or Safety...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-26

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Mine Safety and Health Administration 30 CFR Part 75 RIN 1219-AB75 Examinations of Work Areas in Underground Coal Mines for Violations of Mandatory Health or Safety Standards AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health Administration, Labor. ACTION: Notice of OMB approval of information...

A Mandatory, High-Stakes National Teacher Evaluation System: Perceptions and Attributions of Teachers Who Actively Refuse to Participate

Science.gov (United States)

Tornero, Bernardita; Taut, Sandy

2010-01-01

This study examines why some public elementary school teachers openly refuse participation in a mandatory national, standards-based teacher evaluation program. We describe the perceptions these "rebel" teachers have of the evaluation system, studying their open resistance based on the meanings they construct, and elaborated an…

Iodine nutrition status in lactating mothers residing in countries with mandatory and voluntary iodine fortification programs: an updated systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Nazeri, Pantea; Mirmiran, Parvin; Shiva, Niloofar; Mehrabi, Yadollah; Mojarrad, Mehdi; Azizi, Fereidoun

2015-06-01

The aim of this review is to assess data available on iodine nutrition status in lactating mothers residing in countries with mandatory and voluntary iodine fortification programs and/or iodine supplementation. A systematic review was conducted by searching articles published between 1964 and 2013 in Pub Med, ISI Web, and Cochrane Library using iodine nutrition, lactation, iodine supplementation, and iodine fortification as keywords for titles and/or abstracts. Relevant articles were included if they reported urinary iodine concentration (UIC) in lactating mothers and, if determined, the type of iodine fortification program and/or iodine supplementation. Forty-two studies met the inclusion criteria. Among these, 21 studies assessed lactating mothers in countries with a mandatory iodine fortification program, 17 studies were from countries with voluntary and/or without iodine fortification programs, and four studies assessed iodine nutrition status in lactating mothers undergoing iodine supplementation. Among countries with mandatory iodine fortification programs, the range of salt iodization level in lactating mothers with a UIC 100 μg/L, it was between 15 and 60 ppm. Levels of UIC Chile, Iran, Mongolia, New Guinea, and Nigeria, the median or mean of UIC was >100 μg/L. There was a median or mean UIC program was voluntary, including Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and Germany. However, in some countries with voluntary iodine fortification programs, such as the United States, Spain, and Japan, a mean or median UIC of >100 μg/L has been reported. Although universal salt iodization is still the most feasible and cost-effective approach for iodine deficiency control in pregnant and lactating mothers, UIC in lactating mothers of most countries with voluntary programs and in areas with mandatory iodine fortification is still within the iodine deficiency range, indicating that iodine supplementation in daily prenatal vitamin/mineral supplements in

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.

LS1 Report: The cryogenic line goes through the scanner