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Selected AbstractsPrediction of heat release in the single burning item testFIRE AND MATERIALS, Issue 2 2002Anne Steen Hansen This paper presents a modification of an existing mathematical model that uses cone calorimeter test results to predict heat release rate in the single burning item (SBI) test. A method for classification of cases based on multivariate statistical analysis is incorporated in the modified model. This makes it possible to determine the development of the heat release curve in the SBI test with better precision than the original version was able to. The model has been applied to 100 cases of cone calorimeter test results from 33 different products. For most of the products the predicted shape and level of the heat release curves are close to measurements in the SBI test. Using the predicted heat release results as input to calculation of FIGRA0.2MJ and THR600s within the new European system for reaction-to-fire classification, we were able to predict membership of the correct class in 90% of the analysed cases. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Erratum: A novel splice site mutation (3157+1G>T) in the dystrophin gene causing total exon skipping and DMD phenotype ,,HUMAN MUTATION, Issue 6 2001M. Sironi Abstract Erratum: An error was printed in the original version of this article in the Comments section, paragraph 2, relating to the size of exon 22 and the RT-PCR product size described as resulting from the mutation 3157+1G>T. The paragraph should read: "We report a case of a 5 year old DMD patient with a novel splice site mutation affecting the GT dinucleotide splice donor of exon 22. The RT-PCR analysis with primer sets spanning dystrophin exons 17-25 amplified no normal size fragment (1251 bp), but a product shorter by 146 bp (the length of exon 22). Direct sequencing of the faster migrating fragment revealed total skipping of exon 22." [source] Predicting Business Failures in Canada,ACCOUNTING PERSPECTIVES, Issue 2 2007J. Efrim Boritz ABSTRACT Empirical researchers and practitioners frequently use the bankruptcy prediction models developed by Altman (1968) and Ohlson (1980). This poses a potential problem for practitioners in Canada and researchers working with Canadian data because the Altman and Ohlson models were developed using U.S. data. We compare Canadian bankruptcy prediction models developed by Springate (1978), Altman and Levallee (1980), and Legault and Véronneau (1986) against the Altman and Ohlson models using recent data to determine the robustness of all models over time and the applicability of the Altman and Ohlson models to the Canadian environment. Our results indicate that the models developed by Springate (1978) and Legault and Véronneau (1986) yield similar results to the Ohlson (1980) model while being simpler and requiring less data. The Altman (1968) and Altman and Levallee (1980) models generally have lower performance than the other models. All models have stronger performance with the original coefficients than with re-estimated coefficients. Our results regarding the Altman and Ohlson models are consistent with Begley, Ming, and Watts (1996), who found that the original version of the Ohlson model is superior to the Altman model and is robust over time. Les chercheurs empiriques et les praticiens ont souvent recours aux modèles de prédiction des faillites élaborés par Altman (1968) et Ohlson (1980). Or, le fait que ces auteurs aient utilisé des données des États-Unis dans l'élaboration de leurs modèles soulève un problème particulier pour les praticiens canadiens et les chercheurs qui traitent des données canadiennes. Les auteurs comparent les modèles canadiens de prédiction des faillites mis au point par Springate (1978), Altman et Levallée (1980) et Legault et Véronneau (1986) aux modèles proposés par Altman et Ohlson, en se servant de données récentes pour évaluer la robustesse de tous ces modèles dans le temps et l'applicabilité des modèles d'Altman et Ohlson au contexte canadien. L'analyse révèle que les modèles de Springate (1978) et de Legault et Véronneau (1986) produisent des résultats similaires à ceux du modèle d'Ohlson (1980), bien qu'ils soient plus simples et exigent moins de données. De façon générale, les modèles d'Altman (1968) et d'Altman et Levallee (1980) sont moins performants que les autres modèles. Tous les modèles sont plus efficaces lorsqu'ils font usage des coefficients initiaux que lorsqu'ils sont appliqués à de nouvelles estimations des coefficients. Les résultats obtenus en ce qui a trait aux modèles d'Altman et d'Ohlson corroborent ceux de Begley, Ming et Watts (1996) qui constatent que la version initiale du modèle d'Ohlson est supérieure au modèle d'Altman et résiste au passage du temps. [source] Using a neural network in the software testing processINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS, Issue 1 2002Meenakshi Vanmali Software testing forms an integral part of the software development life cycle. Since the objective of testing is to ensure the conformity of an application to its specification, a test "oracle" is needed to determine whether a given test case exposes a fault or not. Using an automated oracle to support the activities of human testers can reduce the actual cost of the testing process and the related maintenance costs. In this paper, we present a new concept of using an artificial neural network as an automated oracle for a tested software system. A neural network is trained by the backpropagation algorithm on a set of test cases applied to the original version of the system. The network training is based on the "black-box" approach, since only inputs and outputs of the system are presented to the algorithm. The trained network can be used as an artificial oracle for evaluating the correctness of the output produced by new and possibly faulty versions of the software. We present experimental results of using a two-layer neural network to detect faults within mutated code of a small credit approval application. The results appear to be promising for a wide range of injected faults. ? 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [source] Psychometric properties of the Retrospective Self Report of Inhibition (RSRI) in a representative German sampleINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF METHODS IN PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH, Issue 2 2008Heike Rohrbacher Abstract The present study examined the internal consistency, factorial structure, and construct validity of the German version of the Retrospective Self Report of Inhibition (RSRI), a questionnaire measure of behavioral inhibition. The research was based on data from a German prospective-longitudinal community study of 3021 adolescents and young adults (aged 14,24 years at baseline). Diagnostic assessment was based on the DSM-IV/M-CIDI and general psychopathological distress was assessed with SCL-90-R. Results of confirmatory factor analysis indicated adequate fit of the two-factor model, suggested by the authors of the original version. Indices of internal consistency of the RSRI and its subscales ,social/school' and ,fear/illness' were shown to be sufficient for the total sample and even higher in subgroups of subjects with certain DSM-IV diagnoses. Associations with variables such as mental distress, parental psychopathology, and DSM-IV disorders were in line with theoretical assumptions and confirm different aspects of the validity (convergent, concurrent, predictive) of the instrument. The psychometric properties of the German RSRI were found to be comparable to those of the English version. The applicability of this questionnaire in German-speaking countries is therefore recommended for adolescents and young adults. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Translation and validation of a Chinese language version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS)INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY, Issue 6 2009GILLIAN H. M. LEE Objective., This study aimed to adapt the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) for pre-school children in a Chinese speaking community and to investigate its psychometric properties (validity and reliability). Methods., A Chinese language version of the ECOHIS was derived through a forward,backward translation and tested for face and content validity among a focus group. A convenient sample of pre-school children (n = 111) was recruited (including a sub-sample with early childhood caries and caries-free children). Parents of the children self-completed the derived Chinese-ECOHIS measure. Validity of the measure was assessed by investigating the relationship between dental caries status and Chinese-ECOHIS scores (construct and criterion validity). A sub-sample of the parents repeated the ratings of the measure to enable reliability assessments. Both internal and test,retest reliability were determined. Results., A Chinese version of ECOHIS was derived with minor modification to the original version. Chinese-ECOHIS scores were associated with children's caries experience (dmft) (r = 0.66, P < 0.05) supporting convergent validity. In addition, variations in ECOHIS scores were apparent with respect to caries and caries-free groups (P < 0.001), supporting the ability to distinguish between patient groups. Cronbach's alpha values (internal reliability) for total ECOHIS score were 0.91 and intraclass correlation coefficient value (test,retest reliability) was 0.64. Conclusions., A Chinese version of the ECOHIS was developed and demonstrated acceptable validity and reliability. These findings can enable assessments of pre-school child oral health-related quality of life in Chinese speaking communities. [source] Translation and restandardization of an instrument: the Early Infant Temperament QuestionnaireJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 2 2003Elisabeth O.C. Hall PhD RN Aims of the study. ,To test the psychometric properties of a Danish translation of the Early Infant Temperament Questionnaire (EITQ) and to establish standards for scoring the questionnaire. Rationale. ,The general aim was to create a translation that remained close to the original version, was meaningful for the Danish participants, and had acceptable psychometric properties. Background. ,Patterns of temperament can be discerned early in life and tend to persist over time and across situations. For the past 50 years, temperament has been studied by theorists, clinicians and nurse clinicians to predict behaviour, discover interventions that prevent serious behaviour disturbances, and help parents understand the implications of their child's temperament. Thomas and Chess's conceptualization of temperament in nine categories was the framework for the development of the English-language EITQ. Research methods. ,The translation followed a stepwise process of translation, back translation and consensus. A convenience sample of 204 Danish mothers with 1,4-month old infants completed the translated questionnaire and a demographic questionnaire in 1999. Results. ,Alpha coefficients for the nine subscales ranged from 0·59 to 0·82. All alpha coefficients were comparable to or higher than those reported on the original United States standardization study. There were statistically significant differences between reported United States mean scores and those in the Danish sample. Discussion. ,The psychometric properties of the Danish translation are equal to or better than those reported for the United States study. Differences in mean scores or most subscales point to the need to create Danish profiles for scoring. Conclusions. ,The Danish version of the EITQ has acceptable reliability and is ready for use in Denmark. [source] KERIS: evolving software with extensible modulesJOURNAL OF SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE AND EVOLUTION: RESEARCH AND PRACTICE, Issue 5 2005Matthias ZengerArticle first published online: 26 SEP 200 Abstract We present the programming language KERIS, an extension of Java with explicit support for software evolution. KERIS introduces extensible modules as the basic building blocks for software. Modules are composed hierarchically, explicitly revealing the architecture of systems. A distinct feature of the module design is that modules do not get linked manually. Instead, the wiring of modules gets inferred. The module assembly and refinement mechanism of KERIS is not restricted to the unanticipated extensibility of atomic modules. It also allows extensions of already linked systems by replacing selected submodules with compatible versions without needing to re-link the full system. Extensibility is type-safe and non-invasive, i.e., the extension of a module preserves the original version and does not require access to source code. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Suppressing One-Bond Correlations in HMBC Spectra: Improved Performance for the BIRD,HMBC Pulse SequenceMAGNETIC RESONANCE IN CHEMISTRY, Issue 3 2009Julien Furrer Abstract An improved version of the BIRD,HMBC experiment is proposed. In comparison to the original version, the filtering (suppression of 1JCH signals) is accomplished using a double tuned G-BIRD filter positioned in the middle of the long-range correlations evolution period. Compensation of offset dependence by replacing the rectangular 180° pulses with the broadband inversion pulses (BIPs), with superior inversion performance and improved tolerance to B1 field inhomogeneity, significantly improves the sensitivity of the original BIRD,HMBC experiment. For usual one-bond coupling constants ranges (115,180 Hz), optimal results are easily obtained by adjusting the delays, ,, of the BIRD elements to an average J value. For larger ranges (e.g. 110,260 Hz), the use of a double tuned G-BIRD filter allows excellent suppression degrees for all types of one-bond constants present in a molecule, superior to the original scheme and other purging schemes. These attributes make the improved version of the BIRD,HMBC experiment a valuable and robust tool for rapid spectral analysis and rapid checks of molecular skeletons with a minimum spectrometer time. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Concepts and Epistemic IndividuationPHILOSOPHY AND PHENOMENOLOGICAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2005WAYNE A. DAVIS Christopher Peacocke has presented an original version of the perennial philosophical thesis that we can gain substantive metaphysical and epistemological insight from an analysis of our concepts. Peacocke's innovation is to look at how concepts are individuated by their possession conditions, which he believes can be specified in terms of conditions in which certain propositions containing those concepts are accepted. The ability to provide such insight is one of Peacocke's major arguments for his theory of concepts. I will critically examine this "fruitfulness" argument by looking at one philosophical problem Peacocke uses his theory to solve and treats in depth. Peacocke (1999, 2001) defines what he calls the "Integration Challenge." The challenge is to integrate our metaphysics with our epistemology by showing that they are mutually acceptable. Peacocke's key conclusion is that the Integration Challenge can be met for "epistemically individuated concepts."A good theory of content, he believes, will close the apparent gap between an account of truth for any given subject matter and an overall account of knowledge. I shall argue that there are no epistemically individuated concepts, and shall critically analyze Peacocke's arguments for their existence. I will suggest more generally that the possession conditions of concepts and their principles of individuation shed little light on the epistemology or metaphysics of things other than concepts. My broader goal is to shed light on what concepts are by showing that they are more fundamental than the sorts of cognitive and epistemic factors a leading theory uses to define them.1 [source] Reliability and validity of Japanese version of the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric InterviewPSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES, Issue 5 2005TEMPEI OTSUBO md Abstract The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) is a short, structured diagnostic interview used as a tool to diagnose 16 axis I (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) DSM-IV disorders and one personality disorder. Its original version was developed by Sheehan and Lecrubier. We translated the MINI into Japanese, and investigated the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of MINI. Eighty-two subjects participated in the validation of the MINI versus the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID-P). One hundred and sixty-nine subjects participated in the validation of the MINI versus an expert's professional opinion. Seventy-seven subjects were interviewed by two investigators and subsequently readministered by a third interviewer blind to the results of initial evaluation 1,2 days later. In general, kappa values indicated good or excellent agreement between MINI and SCID-P diagnoses. Kappa values indicated poor agreement between MINI and expert's diagnoses for most diagnoses. Interrater and test,retest reliabilities were good or excellent. The mean durations of the interview were 18.8 min for MINI and 45.4 min for corresponding sections of SCID-P. Overall, the results suggest that the MINI Japanese version succeeds in reliably and validly eliciting symptom criteria used in making DSM-III-R diagnoses, and can be performed in less than half the time required for the SCID-P. [source] Proposition for an improved version of the consumer entitlement inventory,PSYCHOLOGY & MARKETING, Issue 3 2010Raphaëlle Butori This note proposes an improved version of the Consumer Entitlement Inventory (CEI) developed by Boyd and Helms (2005). Two studies, conducted in two different cultural settings,France (n = 203) and the United States (n = 181),raised some issues with the original version of the CEI. The underlying theoretical reasons for these results are discussed and an analysis of the CEI's content validity is performed. An improved version of the CEI, enriched with items that more closely capture the consumer entitlement construct, is proposed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MINI-MAC) scalePSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 6 2003Samuel M.Y. Ho The psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer scale (Mini-MAC) were examined among 115 Chinese cancer patients in Hong Kong. The five subscales from the original Mini-MAC (Anxious Preoccupation, Helpless,Hopeless, Fighting Spirit, Fatalism, Cognitive Avoidance) had acceptable internal reliabilities (Cronbach's , ranged from 0.65 to 0.88) and construct validities in our sample. Factor analysis suggested three factors: (1) Negative Emotion (,=0.91) contained items of the Anxious Preoccupation and the Helpless,Hopeless subscales of the original Mini-MAC, (2) Positive Attitude (,=0.77) combined the Fighting Spirit and the Fatalism subscales of the original version, and (3) Cognitive Avoidance (,=0.65) which was identical to the Cognitive Avoidance subscale of the original Mini-MAC. Construct validities of the novel factors were shown by their correlations with HADS Anxiety and Depression scores in the predicted directions. It was concluded that both the 5-factor model from the original Mini-MAC and the 3-factor model from the present study were valid in Hong Kong Chinese cancer patients. The results were discussed in terms of the meaning of the original Mini-MAC factors and cultural differences in coping functions between Chinese and UK cancer patients. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The dynamics of heat lows over flat terrainTHE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY, Issue 637 2008Thomas Spengler Abstract The numerical model for a heat low developed by Rácz and Smith is extended to include a representation of radiative heating and cooling. The model is run with a higher horizontal resolution than the original version and is used to investigate additional dynamical aspects of the structure and evolution of a heat low over a subcontinental- or continental-scale circular island surrounded by sea. Of particular interest is the diurnal and day-to-day evolution of the upper- and lower-level circulations and the degree of balance that exists in these. The heat low is surmounted by an anticyclone, the development of which is closely tied to the outflow branch of the sea breeze. The anticyclone has a much smaller diurnal variation than the heat low and, unlike the heat low is largely in balance, except in the region affected by the upward-propagating gravity wave induced by the inland-penetrating sea breeze. There is a strong analogy to certain aspects of tropical cyclones, which have a warm core, a shallow unbalanced boundary layer, and which are surmounted also by an anticyclone. Principles governing the absolute angular momentum budget are the same as those relating to the tropical cyclones and to the zonal-mean flow over Antarctica. Implications of these principles for obtaining a realistic steady state in long-term integrations of axisymmetric models are discussed. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Know your dose: RADDOSEACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 4 2010Karthik S. Paithankar The program RADDOSE is widely used to compute the dose absorbed by a macromolecular crystal during an X-ray diffraction experiment. A number of factors affect the absorbed dose, including the incident X-ray flux density, the photon energy and the composition of the macromolecule and of the buffer in the crystal. An experimental dose limit for macromolecular crystallography (MX) of 30,MGy at 100,K has been reported, beyond which the biological information obtained may be compromised. Thus, for the planning of an optimized diffraction experiment the estimation of dose has become an additional tool. A number of approximations were made in the original version of RADDOSE. Recently, the code has been modified in order to take into account fluorescent X-ray escape from the crystal (version 2) and the inclusion of incoherent (Compton) scattering into the dose calculation is now reported (version 3). The Compton cross-section, although negligible at the energies currently commonly used in MX, should be considered in dose calculations for incident energies above 20,keV. Calculations using version 3 of RADDOSE reinforce previous studies that predict a reduction in the absorbed dose when data are collected at higher energies compared with data collected at 12.4,keV. Hence, a longer irradiation lifetime for the sample can be achieved at these higher energies but this is at the cost of lower diffraction intensities. The parameter `diffraction-dose efficiency', which is the diffracted intensity per absorbed dose, is revisited in an attempt to investigate the benefits and pitfalls of data collection using higher and lower energy radiation, particularly for thin crystals. [source] Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the child abuse potential inventory abuse scaleASIA-PACIFIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 3 2009Yoshiya Kawamura BE MD Abstract Introduction: The present study examined the reliability, validity, and cutoff scores of the Japanese version of the Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAPI) abuse scale, which screens for parents at risk of child abuse. Methods: Samples consisted of 1,809 parents, 109 students, and 33 child abusers in Japan. The CAPI was administered to all participants, and twice to the student sample at a 2-week interval. Internal consistency was evaluated by Cronbach's ,, and construct validity by principal factor analysis with the parent sample. Test-retest reliability was assessed with Pearson's r with the student sample. With regard to predictive validity, the cutoff scores and classification rates were calculated through discriminant analysis between abusers and matched non-abusers. Results: Internal consistency (Cronbach's ,=0.88), test-retest reliability (Pearson's r=0.93; two-tailed P<0.001), and predictive validity (overall diagnostic power=90%) were all highly satisfactory. Regarding construct validity, the six-factor structure of the original version was not replicated; only three factors were obtained. The discriminant analysis showed the basic cutoff score as 159. The conservative cutoff score for the upper 5% of the parent sample was 218. Discussion: The Japanese version of the CAPI abuse scale showed highly satisfactory internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and predictive validity. The construct correspondence with the original version was more compromised. This version of the CAPI identified parents with scores of 159 or greater as being at risk of abusing a child. [source] The performance of the Japanese version of the K6 and K10 in the World Mental Health Survey JapanINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF METHODS IN PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH, Issue 3 2008Toshi A. Furukawa Abstract Two new screening scales for psychological distress, the K6 and K10, have been developed using the item response theory and shown to outperform existing screeners in English. We developed their Japanese versions using the standard backtranslaton method and included them in the World Mental Health Survey Japan (WMH-J), which is a psychiatric epidemiologic study conducted in seven communities across Japan with 2436 participants. The WMH-J used the WMH Survey Initiative version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) to assess the 30-day Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). Performance of the two screening scales in detecting DSM-IV mood and anxiety disorders, as assessed by the areas under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs), was excellent, with values as high as 0.94 (95% confidence interval = 0.88 to 0.99) for K6 and 0.94 (0.88 to 0.995) for K10. Stratum-specific likelihood ratios (SSLRs), which express screening test characteristics and can be used to produce individual-level predicted probabilities of being a case from screening scale scores and pretest probabilities in other samples, were strikingly similar between the Japanese and the original versions. The Japanese versions of the K6 and K10 thus demonstrated screening performances essentially equivalent to those of the original English versions. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||