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Kinds of Valid Terms modified by Valid Selected AbstractsIntroducing a mouse model for pre-eclampsia: adoptive transfer of activated Th1 cells leads to pre-eclampsia-like symptoms exclusively in pregnant miceEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 2 2004Abstract Pre-eclampsia (PE) is the most severe pregnancy-related disease, leading to high maternal and fetal morbidity/mortality. Immunological imbalances associated with endothelial cell dysfunction have been hypothesized as a cause for the onset and perpetuation of PE. Valid and reliable animal models are urgently required to test this hypothesis and to better understand the mechanisms underlying PE. We developed a novel PE-model by adoptively transferring activated BALB/c Th1-like splenocytes into allogeneically pregnant BALB/c female mice during late gestation; the model mimicked the symptoms of PE, i.e. increased blood pressure and glomerulonephritis accompanied by proteinuria. Interestingly, these PE-like symptoms were not detectable in non-pregnant recipients of activated Th1-like cells. Adoptive cell transfer adversely affected the outcome of pregnancy by increasing fetal rejection, with uterine immune cells showing an inflammatory profile. In conclusion, we have established a valid and reliable PE mouse model, which opens vast opportunities for therapeutic interventions. [source] Recruiting and Retaining Students in Family and Consumer Sciences Education: El Puente Para El Futuro (The Bridge to the Future) Mentoring ProjectFAMILY & CONSUMER SCIENCES RESEARCH JOURNAL, Issue 1 2006Wanda A. Eastman El Puente Para El Futuro (The Bridge to the Future) mentoring project was undertaken to meet the need for family and consumer sciences (FCS) teachers. The centerpiece of the project was one-on-one mentoring relationships between family and consumer sciences education (FCSE) mentor students from New Mexico State University and mentee students from the Education Program at Dona Ana Branch Community College. During fall 2003, the researchers developed curricula, recruitment materials, and assessment instruments. Seven mentor-mentee pairs completed the project during spring 2004. The researchers planned monthly structured events, and each mentor-mentee pair arranged for unstructured events. Valid and reliable cognitive and affective assessments were administered to participants at the beginning and end of the project. Mentees had significant increases in both cognitive and affective mean scores regarding teaching FCS. This mentoring model is recommended to FCSE educators and others working in recruitment settings. [source] Chronic neuropathic pain: mechanisms, drug targets and measurementFUNDAMENTAL & CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 2 2007Nanna B. Finnerup Abstract Neuropathic pain is common in many diseases or injuries of the peripheral or central nervous system, and has a substantial impact on quality of life and mood. Lesions of the nervous system may lead to potentially irreversible changes and imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory systems. Preclinical research provides several promising targets for treatment such as sodium and calcium channels, glutamate receptors, monoamines and neurotrophic factors; however, treatment is often insufficient. A mechanism-based treatment approach is suggested to improve treatment. Valid and reliable tools to assess various symptoms and signs in neuropathic pain and knowledge of drug mechanisms are prerequisites for pursuing this approach. The present review summarizes mechanisms of neuropathic pain, targets of currently used drugs, and measures used in neuropathic pain trials. [source] Refining the measurement of exposure to violence (ETV) in urban youthJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 5 2007Robert T. Brennan Correlational analysis, classical test theory, confirmatory factor analysis, and multilevel Rasch modeling were used to refine a measure of adolescents' exposure to violence (ETV). Interpersonal violence could be distinguished from other potentially traumatic events; it was also possible to distinguish three routes of exposure (victimization, witnessing, and learning of). Correlations confirmed that ETV subscales are related to measures of aggression, delinquency, and depression/anxiety. Reliability was improved by combining ETV subscales and/or caregiver and youth reports. Valid and reliable measures of ETV are critical to future research in associating violence exposure with common mental health and behavioral outcomes and disorders, and tracking how early violence exposure may affect future outcomes for adolescents. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 35: 603,618, 2007. [source] People with learning disabilities admitted to an assessment and treatment unit: impact on challenging behaviours and mental health problemsJOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 7 2008E. SLEVIN This study describes the evaluation of an assessment and treatment unit for people with learning disabilities. Results showed the main reasons for admission for the 48 people admitted to the unit were because of challenging behaviours and mental health problems. Valid and reliable scales were used to measure the behaviours and mental health problems of those admitted across three-time periods: pre-admission, during admission and post-admission. The analysis found significant reductions in challenging behaviours and mental health problems following admission to the unit. The unit was staffed by a multidisciplinary team with nurses making up the largest group of staff. A number of issues of concern are discussed including access to mental health services for people with learning disabilities, the need for robust community services and areas that require further research. In conclusion, the study found evidence supporting the value of the unit and how it may lessen distress in learning disabled people who are behaviourally disturbed. It is suggested that nurses played a key role in the unit but they need to make the support and caring they provide more visible. Nurses need to harness and make explicit the caring they provide for people with learning disabilities. [source] Are Reports of Discrimination Valid?AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS AND SOCIOLOGY, Issue 2 2008Considering the Moral Hazard Effect Antidiscrimination laws are designed to prompt employers to stop excluding black workers from jobs they offer and from treating them unequally with respect to promotion and salaries once on the job. However, a moral hazard effect can arise if the existence of the laws leads black employees to bring unjustified claims of discrimination against employers. It has been argued that employers may become more reluctant to hire black workers for fear of being subjected to frivolous lawsuits. Using the Multi-City Study of Urban Inequality (MCSUI), we find that male and female black workers are far more likely than whites to report racial discrimination at work. This is the case even when a host of human capital and labor market factors are controlled for. Further, nearly all black workers who report they have been discriminated against on the job in the MCSUI Surveys also show statistical evidence of wage discrimination. This is not the case for white males or females. We find little evidence to support a moral hazard effect. [source] Standardized procedure for measurement of nasal potential difference: An outcome measure in multicenter cystic fibrosis clinical trials,PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY, Issue 5 2004Thomas A. Standaert PhD Abstract Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) can be discriminated from healthy subjects by measurement of the nasal potential difference, which has become a useful outcome measure for therapies directed toward correcting defective electrolyte transport in CF. A standard operating procedure was developed by a CF Foundation clinical trials network, to be followed by all sites performing collaborative studies. Key variables in the measurement included type of voltmeter, exploring probe, reference electrodes, and solutions used to assess both sodium transport and chloride conductance. Eight sites submitted data on 3,8 normal and 4,5 CF subjects. Baseline voltage, an index of sodium transport, was ,18.2,±,8.3 mV (mean,±,SD) for normals, and ,45.3,±,11.4 mV for CF patients. There was no CFTR-mediated chloride secretion in CF subjects, as evidenced by the lack of response to perfusion with zero chloride,+,beta agonist solutions (+3.2,±,3.5 mV) vs. that in normals (,23.7,±,10.2 mV). The standardized nasal potential difference measurement minimizes variability between operators and study sites. Valid and consistent results can be attained with trained operators and attention to technical details. These data demonstrate the procedure to be sufficient for multicenter studies in the CF Foundation network. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2004; 37:385,392. © 2004 Wiely-Liss, Inc. [source] Mechanistic Insight into Enzymatic Glycosyl Transfer with Retention of Configuration through Analysis of Glycomimetic Inhibitors,ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE, Issue 7 2010James Strukturelle ,Valid"-ierung: Der Mechanismus des enzymkatalysierten konfigurationserhaltenden Glycosyltransfers gibt Rätsel auf, zumal aussagekräftige 3D-Strukturen ternärer Inhibitor-Enzym-Komplexe fehlen. Durch die Synthese und mehrdimensionale kinetische Analyse von Validoxylaminderivaten wurde die 3D-Struktur eines ternären Komplexes erhalten (siehe Bild; U=Uridyl), der Einblick in die Geometrie und das Donor-Akzeptor-Wechselspiel am Glycosyltransferzentrum gibt. [source] Differential Classification of Acute Myocardial Infarction into ST- and Non-ST Segment Elevation Is Not Valid or RationalANNALS OF NONINVASIVE ELECTROCARDIOLOGY, Issue 3 2010Brendan Phibbs M.D., F.A.C.C. Background: The distinction between ST elevation and nonST elevation infarcts is widely accepted and is employed as a guide to management. Aim: This is review of the world literature to assess the basis for this distinction, since the two studies on which it is based are seriously flawed in method and conclusions. Method: Pathologic and clinical studies were reviewed from the world literature. Finding: The pathology of the two subsets is identical as are the morbidity, mortality and clinical course. Non-ST elevation infarcts are likely to be subsequent, to occur in older patients and to involve the circumflex artery: this subset therefore includes a high-risk group. ST deviation in any part of the electric field of the heart will predictably be accompanied by reciprocal deviation if the entire field of the heart is mapped. Further, ST deviation of infarction is often transient, resolving in minutes so that infarcts will be predictably misclassified. ST deviation per se is therefore not a rational basis for classification of infarcts. In fact, invasive therapy is indicated in both subsets with identical results. Conclusion: The distinction between ST elevation and non-ST elevation infarcts is baseless. The high risk subgroup included in the non-ST elevation infarct set should not be denied the benefit of early invasive therapy. Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol 2010;15(3):191,199 [source] On Resolving Conflicts Between ArgumentsCOMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, Issue 3 2000Nico Roos Argument systems are based on the idea that one can construct arguments for propositions,structured reasons justifying the belief in a proposition. Using defeasible rules, arguments need not be valid in all circumstances, therefore, it might be possible to construct an argument for a proposition as well as its negation. When arguments support conflicting propositions, one of the arguments must be defeated, which raises the question of which (sub-) arguments can be subject to defeat. In legal argumentation, metarules determine the valid arguments by considering the last defeasible rule of each argument involved in a conflict. Since it is easier to evaluate arguments using their last rules, can a conflict be resolved by considering only the last defeasible rules of the arguments involved? We propose a new argument system where, instead of deriving a defeat relation between arguments, arguments for the defeat of defeasible rules are constructed. This system allows us to determine a set of valid (undefeated) arguments in linear time using an algorithm based on a JTMS, allows conflicts to be resolved using only the last rules of the arguments, allows us to establish a relation with Default Logic, and allows closure properties such as cumulativity to be proved. We propose an extension of the argument system based on a proposal for reasoning by cases in default logic. [source] Pedestrian Reactive Navigation for Crowd Simulation: a Predictive ApproachCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 3 2007Sébastien Paris This paper addresses the problem of virtual pedestrian autonomous navigation for crowd simulation. It describes a method for solving interactions between pedestrians and avoiding inter-collisions. Our approach is agent-based and predictive: each agent perceives surrounding agents and extrapolates their trajectory in order to react to potential collisions. We aim at obtaining realistic results, thus the proposed model is calibrated from experimental motion capture data. Our method is shown to be valid and solves major drawbacks compared to previous approaches such as oscillations due to a lack of anticipation. We first describe the mathematical representation used in our model, we then detail its implementation, and finally, its calibration and validation from real data. [source] The theory of cosy NMR experiments revisited: Application to an AX spin system of quadrupolar nucleiCONCEPTS IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE, Issue 3 2010P. Kempgens Abstract The two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance correlation spectroscopy (2D NMR COSY) spectrum of an AX spin system of spin-1 has been calculated by numerical density matrix calculations. The mathematical expressions found are valid for an AX spin system of any spins. These expressions should be used to calculate the 2D NMR COSY spectrum of an AX spin system of high spin nuclei as their use will significantly simplify the calculations. More precisely, one needs to calculate only one set of coefficients despite the need of two steps in the phase cycling to achieve phase modulation during t1. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part A 36A: 170,177, 2010. [source] The Assessment of Emergency Physicians by a Regulatory AuthorityACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 12 2006Jocelyn M. Lockyer PhD Abstract Objectives To determine whether it is possible to develop a feasible, valid, and reliable multisource feedback program (360° evaluation) for emergency physicians. Methods Surveys with 16, 20, 30, and 31 items were developed to assess emergency physicians by 25 patients, eight coworkers, eight medical colleagues, and self, respectively, using five-point scales along with an "unable to assess" category. Items addressed key competencies related to communication skills, professionalism, collegiality, and self-management. Results Data from 187 physicians who identified themselves as emergency physicians were available. The mean number of respondents per physician was 21.6 (SD ± 3.87) (93%) for patients, 7.6 (SD ± 0.89) (96%) for coworkers, and 7.7 (SD ± 0.61) (95%) for medical colleagues, suggesting it was a feasible tool. Only the patient survey had four items with "unable to assess" percentages ,15%. The factor analysis indicated there were two factors on the patient questionnaire (communication/professionalism and patient education), two on the coworker survey (communication/collegiality and professionalism), and four on the medical colleague questionnaire (clinical performance, professionalism, self-management, and record management) that accounted for 80.0%, 62.5%, and 71.9% of the variance on the surveys, respectively. The factors were consistent with the intent of the instruments, providing empirical evidence of validity for the instruments. Reliability was established for the instruments (Cronbach's , > 0.94) and for each physician (generalizability coefficients were 0.68 for patients, 0.85 for coworkers, and 0.84 for medical colleagues). Conclusions The psychometric examination of the data suggests that the instruments developed to assess emergency physicians were feasible and provide evidence for validity and reliability. [source] General Gyrokinetic Equations for Edge PlasmasCONTRIBUTIONS TO PLASMA PHYSICS, Issue 7-9 2006H. Qin Abstract During the pedestal cycle of H-mode edge plasmas in tokamak experiments, large-amplitude pedestal build-up and destruction coexist with small-amplitude drift wave turbulence. The pedestal dynamics simultaneously includes fast time-scale electromagnetic instabilities, long time-scale turbulence-induced transport processes, and more interestingly the interaction between them. To numerically simulate the pedestal dynamics from first principles, it is desirable to develop an effective algorithm based on the gyrokinetic theory. However, existing gyrokinetic theories cannot treat fully nonlinear electromagnetic perturbations with multi-scale-length structures in spacetime, and therefore do not apply to edge plasmas. A set of generalized gyrokinetic equations valid for the edge plasmas has been derived. This formalism allows large-amplitude, time-dependent background electromagnetic fields to be developed fully nonlinearly in addition to small-amplitude, short-wavelength electromagnetic perturbations. It turns out that the most general gyrokinetic theory can be geometrically formulated. The Poincaré-Cartan-Einstein 1-form on the 7D phase space determines particles' worldlines in the phase space, and realizes the momentum integrals in kinetic theory as fiber integrals. The infinitesimal generator of the gyro-symmetry is then asymptotically constructed as the base for the gyrophase coordinate of the gyrocenter coordinate system. This is accomplished by applying the Lie coordinate perturbation method to the Poincaré-Cartan-Einstein 1-form. General gyrokinetic Vlasov-Maxwell equations are then developed as the Vlasov-Maxwell equations in the gyrocenter coordinate system, rather than a set of new equations. Because the general gyrokinetic system developed is geometrically the same as the Vlasov-Maxwell equations, all the coordinate-independent properties of the Vlasov-Maxwell equations, such as energy conservation, momentum conservation, and phase space volume conservation, are automatically carried over to the general gyrokinetic system. The pullback transformation associated with the coordinate transformation is shown to be an indispensable part of the general gyrokinetic Vlasov-Maxwell equations. As an example, the pullback transformation in the gyrokinetic Poisson equation is explicitly expressed in terms of moments of the gyrocenter distribution function, with the important gyro-orbit squeezing effect due to the large electric field shearing in the edge and the full finite Larmour radius effect for short wavelength fluctuations. The familiar "polarization drift density" in the gyrocenter Poisson equation is replaced by a more general expression. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Interpolation formula for the electrical conductivity of nonideal plasmasCONTRIBUTIONS TO PLASMA PHYSICS, Issue 1 2003A. Esser Abstract On the basis of a quantum-statistical approach to the electrical conductivity of nonideal plasmas we derive analytical results in the classical low-density regime, in the degenerate Born limit, and for the contribution of the Debye-Onsager relaxation effect. These explicit results are used to construct an improved interpolation formula of the electrical conductivity valid in a wide range of temperature and density which allows to compare with available experimental data of nonideal plasmas. [source] Shareholding Versus Stakeholding: a critical review of corporate governanceCORPORATE GOVERNANCE, Issue 3 2004Steve Letza The current debate and theorising on corporate governance has been polarised between a shareholder perspective and a stakeholder perspective. While advocates and supporters of each camp attempt to justify the superiority, rationality and universality of each model in theory, they rarely pay attention to the age-old conceptions, assumptions and presuppositions underpinning their perspectives which are less credible and valid in matching the continually changing practice of corporate governance. This paper serves as a survey and critical review of major current theories on corporate governance. In so doing, it reveals the inadequacy of conventional approaches employed in corporate governance theorising. It calls for a new mode of thinking in analysing corporate governance and concludes by outlining a new direction of research in this field. [source] A case study of shell at Sakhalin: having a whale of a time?CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2008Subhasis Ray Abstract This is a case study on the world's largest oil and gas project, at the Sakhalin Islands, Russia. Shell is the key promoter of this project. The case highlights the sustainability challenges that Shell faced when working on the mega-project. By their very nature, all such projects involve disruptions in the environmental and social fabric of the project site. NGOs often take up these issues and create international headlines, bringing pressure on the management team. The Russian government also changed its stand over a period of time. While many of these issues are valid in their own way, they often create managerial dilemmas. Traditional management approaches to community development and environmental conservation fell short of stakeholder expectations at Sakhalin. The issue of saving around 100 endangered whales put a cloud of doubt over this $20 billion project. The case highlights strategic issues involved in crafting sustainability strategies at mega-projects, possible pitfalls and the challenge of balancing project execution and stakeholder commitments against an unstable political backdrop. As Shell plans to start many exploration projects in bio-diversity rich parts of the world, the Sakhalin project acts as a pilot to and reminder of social responsibility challenges to big multi-nationals. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Functional Management Competence and Growth of Young Technology-Based FirmsCREATIVITY AND INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2008Sören Salomo Acknowledging an increased research interest into the success factors for young technology-based firms in the last decade, the present study serves two main purposes. First, we aim at developing a comprehensive concept of functional management competence in young technology-based firms. Functional management competence covers the understanding of and proficiency in managing specific functional tasks (Katz, 1974). As we focus on young technology-based firms, it is suggested that marketing, financial and technology management tasks are at the core of functional management competence. Second, we aim at delineating and validating an appropriate measurement model for functional management competence. In order to test the model's nomological validity, we investigate the impact of functional management competence on firm growth. Therefore, building on established firm development approaches, we propose a phase model for the development of young technology-based firms. Our study builds upon data from 212 young technology-based firms in the field of microtechnology, nanotechnology, electronics, optics and lasers. We use formative measurement models to establish valid and reliable constructs and a path model based on partial least squares modelling to investigate the performance effects. The results suggest that functional management competences generally are significant drivers of firm development speed. In particular, technology and marketing management competences are shown to impact development speed. While technology management competence is positively driving development speed, the marketing management competence impact on speed is mediated by competitive advantage of the new products developed by young technology-based firms. Financial management competence has no significant link to firm development speed. [source] Creativity and Work Environment in a High-Tech ContextCREATIVITY AND INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2003Jozée Lapierre Creativity is essential for success in business, especially in the high-tech field where knowledge is the key resource. This study addresses the ways in which creativity is fostered in high-tech organizations. It melds the different perspectives on organizational creativity into one six-dimensional model that defines the creativity work environment. Those dimensions are: work atmosphere; vertical collaboration; autonomy/freedom; respect; alignment; and lateral collaboration. They are valid, reliable predictors of the creativity achieved in high-tech organizations. [source] Social and emotional detachment: A cross-cultural comparison of the non-disruptive behavioural psychopathic traits in childrenCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 3 2009Eirini Manti Background,Questions about the international reliability and validity of aspects of psychopathy have been raised for adults, but hardly considered when applying the constructs to children. Aims/objectives,Our aim was to compare the psychometrics of a new instrument to measure psychopathic traits in children between two countries , the Netherlands and Greece. We also tested the hypothesis that, in both countries, both narcissistic-egocentric and callous-unemotional dimensions would be related to observed behavioural disorders. Methods,The Social and Emotional Detachment Questionnaire was used to assess narcissistic-egocentric and callous-unemotional dimensions of personality in representative national and community samples of 4,12-year-old children in the Netherlands and Greece, respectively. Parents filled in the questionnaires anonymously and also provided ratings of conduct disorders. Results,A two-dimensional construct of the psychopathic syndrome depicting, respectively, narcissistic and unemotional traits was reliable and valid in both countries, although there was considerable correlation between these two dimensions, which we designated ,social detachment' and ,emotional detachment', respectively. In both countries, the composite of social and emotional detachment was associated with aggressive and antisocial conduct disorders. Conclusions/implications,The reliability, validity and predictive value of this questionnaire must be tested further, for example, through multiple informants and longitudinally, but our findings that the tool performs robustly in two very different European countries is encouraging in terms of its potential value as a clinical screening tool and a tool for furthering the understanding of serious behavioural disorders in children. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Using the SWAP-200 in a personality-disordered forensic population: is it valid, reliable and useful?CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 1 2005Luisa E. Marin-Avellan Background Treatment and risk management of forensic patients relies heavily on diagnosing psychopathology, yet the reliability of clinical diagnoses of personality disorder has been found to be only fair to low. Structured instruments for the global assessment of personality disorder are infrequently used in clinical assessments possibly due to their limited validity and clinical utility. Aims/methods The Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure-200 (SWAP-200) was developed in an effort to address these limitations. Although good reliability and validity in relation to clinicians' diagnosis of personality disorder has been reported, to date the validity of this instrument has not been assessed in relation to other standardized instruments or in a personality-disordered, forensic population. This study aims to establish the reliability and validity of the SWAP-200 against other diagnostic instruments and measures of interpersonal functioning in a personality disordered forensic population. Results This paper reports the results of 30 subjects from a high secure hospital in the UK who were assessed with the SWAP-200, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders (SCID-II), the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) and the Chart of Interpersonal Reactions in Closed Living Environments (CIRCLE). Preliminary results suggest that the SWAP-200 is a reliable instrument for the diagnosis of personality disorder in forensic patients. Conclusions Although the small sample size allows only preliminary conclusions about the validity of this instrument, early results show a reduction of the diagnosis of comorbidity compared with the SCID-II, together with an increased number of expected associations between independent measures of interpersonal functioning and categories of personality disorder. Copyright © 2005 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source] Predictive, concurrent, prospective and retrospective validity of self-reported delinquencyCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 3 2003Darrick Jolliffe Background The self-report method is widely used to measure offending. Previous studies suggest that it is generally valid, but that its validity may be lower for blacks than for whites. Aim To assess the validity of self-reported offending in relation to court referrals, and to investigate how it varies with types of offences, sex and race. Method Annual court and self-report data were collected between ages 11 and 17 for eight offences in the Seattle Social Development Project, which is a prospective longitudinal survey of 808 youths. Results Self-reports predicted future court referrals. Predictive validity was highest for drug offences, for males and for whites, and lowest for females and Asians. The probability of youths with a court referral reporting offences and arrests was highest for drug offences, for males, for whites and for blacks. Retrospective ages of onset agreed best with prospective ages for drug offences, Asians and whites. More Asians than blacks or whites failed retrospectively to report offences that had been reported prospectively. Conclusions The validity of self-reports of offending was high, especially for drug offences, for males and for whites. Contrary to prior research, validity was high for black males. It was lowest for Asian females. Sex and race differences in validity held up after controlling for socioeconomic status. Differential validity probability did not reflect police bias. Copyright © 2003 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source] Measurement Equivalence Using Generalizability Theory: An Examination of Manufacturing Flexibility DimensionsDECISION SCIENCES, Issue 4 2008Manoj K. Malhotra ABSTRACT As the field of decision sciences in general and operations management in particular has matured from theory building to theory testing over the past two decades, it has witnessed an explosion in empirical research. Much of this work is anchored in survey-based methodologies in which data are collected from the field in the form of scale items that are then analyzed to measure latent unobservable constructs. It is important to assess the invariance of scales across groups in order to reach valid, scientifically sound conclusions. Because studies have often been conducted in the field of decision sciences with small sample sizes, it further exacerbates the problem of reaching incorrect conclusions. Generalizability theory can more effectively test for measurement equivalence in the presence of small sample sizes than the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) tests that have been conventionally used for assessing measurement equivalency across groups. Consequently, we introduce and explain the generalizability theory (G-theory) in this article to examine measurement equivalence of 24 manufacturing flexibility dimension scales that have been published in prior literature and also compare and contrast G-theory with CFA. We show that all the manufacturing flexibility scales tested in this study were invariant across the three industry SIC groups from which data were collected. We strongly recommend that G-theory should always be used for determining measurement equivalence in empirical survey-based studies. In addition, because using G-theory alone does not always reveal the complete picture, CFA techniques for establishing measurement equivalence should also be invoked when sample sizes are large enough to do so. Implications of G-theory for practice and its future use in operations management and decision sciences research are also presented. [source] Service Management,Academic Issues and Scholarly Reflections from Operations Management Researchers,DECISION SCIENCES, Issue 2 2007Richard Metters ABSTRACT Services are now a larger portion of the economy than manufacturing for every nation on Earth, and services are an overwhelming portion of Western economies. While decision-making research has begun responding to this change, much of the scholarly work still addresses manufacturing issues. Particularly revealing is the field of operations management (OM), in which the proportion of manuscripts dedicated to services has been estimated at 3%, 6%, and 7.5% by various authors. We investigate several possible reasons for the neglect of services in research, including the difficulty in defining services, viewing services as derivative activities, a lack of defined processes, a lack of scale in services, and the effect of variability on service performance. We argue that times have changed, and none of these reasons is valid anymore. We sound the warning that failure to emphasize services in our research and teaching may signal the decline of the discipline. We note the proportion of OM faculty in business schools has shrunk in the past 10 years. Finally, we examine a selection of service research agendas and note several directions for high-impact, innovative research to revitalize the decision sciences. With practitioners joining the call for more research in services, the academic community has an exciting opportunity to embrace services and reshape its future. [source] The Impact of Forecast Errors on Early Order Commitment in a Supply Chain,DECISION SCIENCES, Issue 2 2002Xiande Zhao ABSTRACT Supply chain partnership involves mutual commitments among participating firms. One example is early order commitment, wherein a retailer commits to purchase a fixed-order quantity and delivery time from a supplier before the real need takes place. This paper explores the value of practicing early order commitment in the supply chain. We investigate the complex interactions between early order commitment and forecast errors by simulating a supply chain with one capacitated supplier and multiple retailers under demand uncertainty. We found that practicing early order commitment can generate significant savings in the supply chain, but the benefits are only valid within a range of order commitment periods. Different components of forecast errors have different cost implications to the supplier and the retailers. The presence of trend in the demand increases the total supply chain cost, but makes early order commitment more appealing. The more retailers sharing the same supplier, the more valuable for the supply chain to practice early order commitment. Except in cases where little capacity cushion is available, our findings are relatively consistent in the environments where cost structure, number of retailers, capacity utilization, and capacity policy are varied. [source] Healing and prognosis of teeth with intra-alveolar fractures involving the cervical part of the rootDENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2002Miomir Cvek Abstract Healing and long-term prognosis of 94 cervical root fractures were evaluated. The teeth were divided into two groups according to type of fracture: transverse fractures limited to the cervical third of the root (51 incisors) and oblique fractures involving both the cervical and middle parts of the root (43 incisors). Neither the frequency nor the type of fracture healing differed significantly between the two groups. In the material as a whole, healing of the fracture with hard tissue formation was observed in 17 teeth (18%), and healing with interposition of periodontal ligament (PDL) and, in some cases, hard tissue between the fragments in 62 teeth (66%). Fifteen teeth (16%) showed no healing and a radiolucency adjacent to the fracture. Statistical analyses revealed that incomplete root formation and a positive sensibility test at the time of injury were significantly related to both healing and hard tissue repair. The same applied to concussion or subluxation compared with dislocation of coronal fragment, as well as optimal compared with suboptimal reposition of displaced coronal fragments. The type and duration of splinting (or no splinting) appeared to be of no significance for frequency or type of healing of cervical root fractures. During the observation time (mean = 75 months), 19 (44%) of the teeth with transverse fractures and 3 (8%) of those with oblique fractures were lost after healing. In conclusion, fractures in the cervical part of the root had a healing potential and the predictive parameters identified for fractures in other parts of the root seemed to be valid for the healing of cervical root fractures. Transverse fractures appeared to have a significantly poorer long-term prognosis compared to oblique fractures, apparently due to a marked post-treatment mobility, which often led to new luxation caused by even minor impacts. [source] Diagnostic utility of the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS-C16 and QIDS-SR16) in the elderlyACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 3 2010P. M. Doraiswamy Doraiswamy PM, Bernstein IH, Rush AJ, Kyutoku Y, Carmody TJ, Macleod L, Venkatraman S, Burks M, Stegman D, Witte B, Trivedi MH. Diagnostic utility of the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS-C16 and QIDS-SR16) in the elderly. Objective:, To evaluate psychometric properties and comparability ability of the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) vs. the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology,Clinician-rated (QIDS-C16) and Self-report (QIDS-SR16) scales to detect a current major depressive episode in the elderly. Method:, Community and clinic subjects (age ,60 years) were administered the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) for DSM-IV and three depression scales randomly. Statistics included classical test and Samejima item response theories, factor analyzes, and receiver operating characteristic methods. Results:, In 229 elderly patients (mean age = 73 years, 39% male, 54% current depression), all three scales were unidimensional and with nearly equal Cronbach , reliability (0.85,0.89). Each scale discriminated persons with major depression from the non-depressed, but the QIDS-C16 was slightly more accurate. Conclusion:, All three tests are valid for detecting geriatric major depression with the QIDS-C16 being slightly better. Self-rated QIDS-SR16 is recommended as a screening tool as it is least expensive and least time consuming. [source] Classification of Anxiety and Depressive disorders: problems and solutionsDEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 4 2008G. Andrews MD Abstract The American Psychiatric Association and the World Health Organization have begun to revise their classifications of mental disorders. Four issues related to these revisions are discussed in this study: the structure of the classifications, the relationship between categories and dimensions, the sensitivity of categorical thresholds to definitions, and maximizing the utility and validity of the diagnostic process. There is now sufficient evidence to consider replacing the present groupings of disorders with an empirically based structure that reflects the actual similarities among disorders. For example, perhaps the present depression and anxiety disorders would be best grouped as internalizing disorders. Most mental disorders exist on a severity dimension. The reliability and validity of the classification might be improved if we accepted the dimensional nature of disorders while retaining the use of categorical diagnoses to enhance clinical utility. Definitions of the thresholds that define categories are very susceptible to detail. In International Classification of Diseases-11(ICD-11) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-V (DSM-V), disorders about which there is agreement should be identically defined, and disorders in which there is disagreement should be defined differently, so that research can identify which definition is more valid. The present diagnostic criteria are too complex to have acceptable clinical utility. We propose a reduced criterion set that can be remembered by clinicians and an enhanced criterion set for use with decision support tools. Depression and Anxiety 25:274,281, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Longitudinal assessment of symptom and subtype categories in obsessive,compulsive disorderDEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 7 2007Lutfullah Besiroglu M.D. Abstract Although it has been postulated that symptom subtypes are potential predictors of treatment response, few data exist on the longitudinal course of symptom and subtype categories in obsessive,compulsive disorder (OCD). Putative subtypes of OCD have gradually gained more recognition, but as yet there is no generally accepted subtype discrimination. Subtypes, it has been suggested, could perhaps be discriminated based on autogenous versus reactive obsessions stemming from different cognitive processes. In this study, our aim was to assess whether symptom and subtype categories change over time. Using the Yale,Brown Obsessive Compulsive Symptom Checklist (Y-BOCS-SC), we assessed 109 patients who met DSM-IV criteria for OCD to establish baseline values, then reassessed 91 (83%) of the initial group after 36±8.2 months. Upon reassessment, we found significant changes from baseline within aggressive, contamination, religious, symmetry and miscellaneous obsessions and within checking, washing, repeating, counting and ordering compulsion categories. Sexual, hoarding, and somatic obsessions, and hoarding and miscellaneous compulsions, did not change significantly. In accordance with the relevant literature, we also assigned patients to one of three subtypes,autogenous, reactive, or mixed groups. Though some changes in subtype categories were found, no subtype shifts (e.g., autogenous to reactive or reactive to autogenous) were observed during the course of the study. Significantly more patients in the autogenous group did not meet OCD criteria at follow-up than did patients in the other groups. Our results suggest that the discrimination between these two types of obsession might be highly valid, because autogenous and reactive obsessions are quite different, both in the development and maintenance of their cognitive mechanisms, and in their outcome. Depression and Anxiety 24:461,466, 2007. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Factorial validity of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire in men and womenDEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 4 2001Kristi D. Wright B.A. Abstract In an effort to confirm the factorial validity of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) across sex, the items from the CTQ for 916 university students were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis. Results indicated that the factor structure for the CTQ was significantly different for men and women. For women, the items from the Physical Abuse subscale did not create a stable factor and thus appear not to be conceptually valid. Conversely, for men, the five-factor model provided a relatively good fit to the data. This investigation provides important information regarding sex differences in the factorial validity of the CTQ. Implications and future research directions are discussed. Depression and Anxiety 13:179,183, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||