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Standardized Tests (standardized + test)
Selected AbstractsInstructional Tools in Educational Measurement and Statistics (ITEMS) for School Personnel: Evaluation of Three Web-Based Training ModulesEDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT: ISSUES AND PRACTICE, Issue 2 2008Rebecca Zwick In the current No Child Left Behind era, K-12 teachers and principals are expected to have a sophisticated understanding of standardized test results, use them to improve instruction, and communicate them to others. The goal of our project, funded by the National Science Foundation, was to develop and evaluate three Web-based instructional modules in educational measurement and statistics to help school personnel acquire the "assessment literacy" required for these roles. Our first module, "What's the Score?" was administered in 2005 to 113 educators who also completed an assessment literacy quiz. Viewing the module had a small but statistically significant positive effect on quiz scores. Our second module, "What Test Scores Do and Don't Tell Us," administered in 2006 to 104 educators, was even more effective, primarily among teacher education students. In evaluating our third module, "What's the Difference?" we were able to recruit only 33 participants. Although those who saw the module before taking the quiz outperformed those who did not, results were not statistically significant. Now that the research phase is complete, all ITEMS instructional materials are freely available on our Website. [source] Ultrasound Training for Emergency Physicians, A Prospective StudyACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 9 2000Diku P. Mandavia MD Abstract. Objectives: Bedside ultrasound examination by emergency physicians (EPs) is being integrated into clinical emergency practice, yet minimum training requirements have not been well defined or evaluated. This study evaluated the accuracy of EP ultrasonography following a 16-hour introductory ultrasound course. Methods: In phase I of the study, a condensed 16-hour emergency ultrasound curriculum based on Society for Academic Emergency Medicine guidelines was administered to emergency medicine houseofficers, attending staff, medical students, and physician assistants over two days. Lectures with syllabus material were used to cover the following ultrasound topics in eight hours: basic physics, pelvis, right upper quadrant, renal, aorta, trauma, and echo-cardiography. In addition, each student received eight hours of hands-on ultrasound instruction over the two-day period. All participants in this curriculum received a standardized pretest and posttest that included 24 emergency ultrasound images for interpretation. These images included positive, negative, and nondiagnostic scans in each of the above clinical categories. In phase II of the study, ultrasound examinations performed by postgraduate-year-2 (PGY2) houseofficers over a ten-month period were examined and the standardized test was readministered. Results: In phase I, a total of 80 health professionals underwent standardized training and testing. The mean ± SD pretest score was 15.6 ± 4.2, 95% CI = 14.7 to 16.5 (65% of a maximum score of 24), and the mean ± SD posttest score was 20.2 ± 1.6, 95% CI = 19.8 to 20.6 (84%) (p < 0.05). In phase II, a total of 1,138 examinations were performed by 18 PGY2 houseofficers. Sensitivity was 92.4% (95% CI = 89% to 95%), specificity was 96.1% (95% CI = 94% to 98%), and overall accuracy was 94.6% (95% CI = 93% to 96%). The follow-up ultrasound written test showed continued good performance (20.7 ± 1.2, 95% CI = 20.0 to 21.4). Conclusions: Emergency physicians can be taught focused ultrasonography with a high degree of accuracy, and a 16-hour course serves as a good introductory foundation. [source] Development of a test to evaluate residents' knowledge of medical procedures,,JOURNAL OF HOSPITAL MEDICINE, Issue 7 2009Shilpa Grover MD Abstract BACKGROUND AND AIM: Knowledge of core medical procedures is required by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) for certification. Efforts to improve the training of residents in these procedures have been limited by the absence of a validated tool for the assessment of knowledge. In this study we aimed to develop a standardized test of procedural knowledge in 3 medical procedures associated with potentially serious complications. METHODS: Placement of an arterial line, central venous catheter, and thoracentesis were selected for test development. Learning objectives and multiple-choice questions were constructed for each topic. Content evidence was evaluated by critical care subspecialists. Item test characteristics were evaluated by administering the test to students, residents and specialty clinicians. Reliability of the 32-item instrument was established through its administration to 192 medical residents in 4 hospitals. RESULTS: Reliability of the instrument as measured by Cronbach's , was 0.79 and its test-retest reliability was 0.82. Median score was 53% on a test comprising elements deemed important by critical care subspecialists. Increasing number of procedures attempted, higher self-reported confidence, and increasing seniority were predictors of overall test scores. Procedural confidence correlated significantly with increasing seniority and experience. Residents performed few procedures. CONCLUSIONS: We have successfully developed a standardized instrument to assess residents' cognitive competency for 3 common procedures. Residents' overall knowledge about procedures is poor. Experiential learning is the dominant source for knowledge improvement, but these experiences are increasingly rare. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2009;4:430,432. © 2009 Society of Hospital Medicine. [source] Effect of propranolol plus exercise on melatonin and growth hormone levels in children with growth delayJOURNAL OF PINEAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2001A. Muñoz-Hoyos The pineal gland in humans is under both ,- and ,-adrenergic control, although it seems that ,1 -adrenoceptors are mainly implicated in melatonin secretion. In the present study, we evaluated the role of ,-adrenergic innervation on melatonin production and its relation with the production of growth hormone (GH). Thirty-four children (15 males and 19 females, mean age 10.5±0.8 years) from the University of Granada Hospital were studied. The children were included in a protocol for the evaluation of growth delay using the propranolol+exercise test. This standardized test allowed us to study simultaneously the role of an unspecific ,-adrenergic blocker such as propranolol and of an adrenergic stimulus such as exercise on the pineal production of melatonin. Changes in plasma levels of melatonin and GH were determined at basal, 120 and 140 min after the test was applied. Hormonal determinations were carried out by commercial radioimmunoassay kits previously standardized in our laboratory. The results show a significant decrease in plasma melatonin levels at 120 and 140 min after the test (P<0.05), whereas GH levels increased significantly at 140 min (P<0.001). The decrease of melatonin levels was a consequence of the test, since in a control group, the circadian decay of melatonin was significantly less pronounced (P<0.05). These data suggest an inverse relationship between melatonin and GH after the propranolol+exercise test, and the reduction in melatonin may be related to its depletion by exercise-induced oxidative stress. [source] Accuracy and Fluency in List and Context Reading of Skilled and RD Groups: Absolute and Relative Performance LevelsLEARNING DISABILITIES RESEARCH & PRACTICE, Issue 4 2003Joseph R. Jenkins The purpose of this study was to examine (1) the performance levels and the magnitude of performance difference between students with reading disabilities (RD) and skilled readers when reading a typical classroom text; (2) the hypothesis that students with RD have specific difficulty using context in such a way that reading fluency is affected; and (3) whether RD subtypes may be differentiated according to performance on contextual and context-free reading tasks. Two groups of fourth graders (85 skilled readers and 24 students with RD) completed a standardized test of reading comprehension, read aloud a folktale, and read aloud the folktale's words in a randomly sequenced list. Performance was scored as correct rate and percentage correct. Based on the number of words per idea unit in the passage, we also estimated the rate at which reader groups encountered and processed text ideas. Compared to the RD group, skilled readers read three times more correct words per minute in context, and showed higher accuracy and rates on all measures. Both context and isolated word-reading rates were highly sensitive to impairment. We found no evidence for RD subtypes based on these measures. Results illustrate differences in reading levels between the two groups, the temporal advantage skilled readers have in linking text ideas, how word reading differs as a function of task format and performance dimension, and how limited word-identification skills (not comprehension) produce contextual reading difficulties for students with RD. [source] Moral judgment in high-functioning pervasive developmental disordersPSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES, Issue 4 2007TOSHINOBU TAKEDA md Abstract Individuals with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) are characterized by deficits in socialization. To date, moral judgment, which may have a considerable influence on socialization, has not been fully investigated in high-functioning PDD (HFPDD), particularly from a viewpoint of practical adjustment with peers. Human External Action and its internal Reasoning Type (HEART), a standardized test for evaluating moral judgment in school children developed in Japan, was used to compare various aspects of moral judgment between 23 students with HFPDD (6,14 years old) and 23 students with typical development matched for age, intelligence, and socioeconomic status. Students with HFPDD scored significantly lower on Internal Moral Reasoning than control students. As for the level of Internal Moral Reasoning, while both groups reached a conventional (third) level in almost all items, fewer students with HFPDD achieved an autonomous (fourth) level and more students with HFPDD remained at a heteronomous (second) level than did control students. In the HFPDD group there were significant positive correlations between some items of Internal Moral Reasoning and verbal ability-related items of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III. A comparatively lower score in students with HFPDD may relate to difficulty in socialization. [source] Validating reports of poor childhood memoryAPPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 5 2002Chris R. Brewin Recent evidence indicates that judgements about the quality of one's own childhood memory can be influenced experimentally, for example by manipulating ease of retrieval. This has led to the suggestion that judgements of poor memory made by clients in therapy may not be reliable. We therefore investigated whether individuals who judge themselves to have poor memory for their childhood do in fact score worse on a standardized test of autobiographical memory. Matched groups of individuals reporting poor and normal memory for childhood were administered the Autobiographical Memory Interview. Consistent with a previous study of neurological patients, subjective judgements were associated with performance on both personal semantic memory and autobiographical incident memory. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Identification, assessment and intervention,implications of an audit on dyslexia policy and practice in ScotlandDYSLEXIA, Issue 3 2005Gavin Reid Abstract This article reports on research commissioned by the Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED). It aimed to establish the range and extent of policy and provision in the area of specific learning difficulties (SpLD) and dyslexia throughout Scotland. The research was conducted between January and June 2004 by a team from the University of Edinburgh. The information was gathered from a questionnaire sent to all education authorities (100% response rate was achieved). Additional information was also obtained from supplementary interviews and additional materials provided by education authorities. The results indicated that nine education authorities in Scotland (out of 32) have explicit policies on dyslexia and eight authorities have policies on SpLD. It was noted however that most authorities catered for dyslexia and SpLD within a more generic policy framework covering aspects of Special Educational Needs or within documentation on ,effective learning'. In relation to identification thirty-six specific tests, or procedures, were mentioned. Classroom observation, as a procedure was rated high by most authorities. Eleven authorities operated a formal staged process combining identification and intervention. Generally, authorities supported a broader understanding of the role of identification and assessment and the use of standardized tests was only part of a wider assessment process. It was however noted that good practice in identification and intervention was not necessarily dependent on the existence of a dedicated policy on SpLD/dyslexia. Over fifty different intervention strategies/programmes were noted in the responses. Twenty-four authorities indicated that they had developed examples of good practice. The results have implications for teachers and parents as well as those involved in staff development. Pointers are provided for effective practice and the results reflect some of the issues on the current debate on dyslexia particularly relating to early identification. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Bilateral medial temporal lobe damage does not affect lexical or grammatical processing: Evidence from amnesic patient H.M.HIPPOCAMPUS, Issue 4 2001Elizabeth A. Kensinger Abstract In the most extensive investigation to date of language in global amnesia, we acquired data from experimental measures and examined longitudinal data from standardized tests, to determine whether language function was preserved in the amnesic patient H.M. The experimental measures indicated that H.M. performed normally on tests of lexical memory and grammatical function, relative to age- and education-matched control participants. Longitudinal data from four Wechsler subtests (Information, Comprehension, Similarities, and Vocabulary), that H.M. had taken 20 times between 1953 (preoperatively) and 2000, indicated consistent performance across time, and provided no evidence of a lexical memory decrement. We conclude that medial temporal lobe structures are not critical for retention and use of already acquired lexical information or for grammatical processing. They are, however, required for acquisition of lexical information, as evidenced in previous studies revealing H.M.'s profound impairment at learning new words. Hippocampus 2001;11:347,360. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Human synthetic sebum formulation and stability under conditions of use and storageINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COSMETIC SCIENCE, Issue 1 2009P. W. Wertz Synopsis The human skin surface and hair are generally coated with a thin film of liquid phase sebaceous lipids. This surface lipid film contributes to the cosmetic properties of the skin. Synthetic sebum has been used for studies on properties of skin and hair. However, there has been no standardized formulation of synthetic sebum and many of the synthetic sebum formulations that have been used do not closely resemble actual sebum. In this study, a formulation for a standardized and inexpensive synthetic sebum is proposed, and the chemical stability of this lipid mixture is demonstrated under conditions of use and storage. The proposed synthetic sebum consists of 17% fatty acid, 44.7% triglyceride, 25% wax monoester (jojoba oil) and 12.4% squalene. This lipid mixture takes up approximately 6% of its weight in water when equilibrated in an atmosphere saturated with water vapour. It is stable on exposure to the atmosphere at 32°C for at least 48 h, and it is also stable on storage at 4 or ,20°C, either dry or in chloroform : methanol solution for at least 6 months. This synthetic sebum could be useful in studies on cosmetic properties of the skin surface or hair, on penetration of chemicals into the skin or in development of standardized tests of laundry detergent performance. Résumé La surface de la peau et les poils de l'être humain sont généralement enduits d'un mince film de lipides sébacés en phase liquide. Ce film lipidique de surface contribue aux propriétés esthétiques de la peau. Bien que du sébum synthétique ait été employéà des fins d'études sur les propriétés de la peau et des poils, il n'en éxiste pas de formulation standardisée. Plusieurs des formulations utilisées ne ressemblent pas au sébum naturel. La présente étude propose une formulation standardisée et peu coûteuse d'un sébum synthétique; elle vise aussi à démontrer sa stabilité chimique dans des conditions d'utilization et de stockage. Le sébum synthétique tel que proposé est composé de 17% d'acides gras, de 44.7% de triglycérides, de 25% d'un mono ester de cire (huile de jojoba) et de 12.4% de squalène. Ce mélange lipidique prend environ 6% de son poids dans l'eau lorsqu'il est équilibré dans une atmoshpère saturée en vapeur d'eau. Le mélange demeure stable pendant au moins 48 heures lorsque éxposéà une atmoshpère de 32o. Il le demeure également dans des conditions de stockage de 4oà,20oà sec ou en solution de chloroforme:méthanol pendant au moins 6 mois. Ce sébum synthétique pourrait être utile àétudier les propriétés esthétiques de la surface de la peau et des poils ou de la pénétration cutanée de produits chimiques. Il pourrait aussi servir àélaborer des tests standardisés de rendement des détergents de lessive. [source] Impact of Assessments of Validity Generalization and Situational Specificity on the Science and Practice of Personnel SelectionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SELECTION AND ASSESSMENT, Issue 4 2000Kevin R. Murphy The application of meta-analysis, in particular validity generalization (VG) analysis, to the cumulative literature on the validity of selection tests has fundamentally changed the science and practice of personnel selection. VG analyses suggest that the validities of standardized tests and other structured assessments are both higher and more consistent across jobs and organizations than was previously believed. As a result, selection researchers and practitioners can draw on the research literature to make reasonably accurate forecasts about the validity and usefulness of different tests in particular applications. Distinctions between tests of validity generalization and tests of situational specificity are described, and difficulties in demonstrating that validity is constant across the different settings where tests are used are outlined. [source] Women, the labor market, and the declining relative quality of teachersJOURNAL OF POLICY ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2004Sean P. Corcoran School officials and policymakers have grown increasingly concerned about their ability to attract and retain talented teachers. A number of authors have shown that in recent years the brightest students,at least those with the highest verbal and math scores on standardized tests,are less likely to enter teaching. In addition, it is frequently claimed that the ability of schools to attract these top students has been steadily declining for years. There is, however, surprisingly little evidence measuring the extent to which this popular proposition is true. We have good reason to suspect that the quality of those entering teaching has fallen over time. Teaching has for years remained a predominately female profession; at the same time, the employment opportunities for talented women outside teaching have soared. In this paper, we combine data from five longitudinal surveys of high school graduates spanning the classes of 1957 to 1992 to examine how the propensity for talented women to enter teaching has changed over time. While the quality of the average new female teacher has fallen only slightly over this period, the likelihood that a female from the top of her high school class will eventually enter teaching has fallen dramatically. © 2004 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. [source] From gap gazing to promising cases: Moving toward equity in urban education reform,JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 10 2001Alberto J. Rodriguez A case analysis of the Miami-Dade Urban Systemic Initiative is presented in this article, citing this initiative as one of the sites with the greatest promise for affecting equity issues. Using a grounded-theory methodological approach, a general framework for systemic reform was developed as a tool to examine the particulars of systemic reform initiatives and their potential to impact the teaching and learning of science and mathematics in diverse school contexts. It was found that to better understand the effectiveness of systemic reform initiatives requires answering two basic questions: What is the (pedagogical and ideological) systemic conceptual clarity guiding the reform efforts? And, what is the operational approach? Once answers to these questions are found, it becomes easier to explore how key officials are implementing or not implementing other aspects of systemic reform. The article also explains why less attention should be given to student outcomes (based on standardized tests) as the main indicator of success in systemic reform. Instead, it is proposed that insights gained from studying the particulars of promising initiatives can help others stimulate systemic reform in their own contexts, especially in urban contexts, which usually have few resources and a large population of students who are traditionally underserved. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 38: 1115,1129, 2001 [source] Arterial Rigidity And Cardiovascular Sympathetic Tone In Hypertensive Obese And Type 2 Diabetic PatientsJOURNAL OF THE PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, Issue 3 2000P Valensi An increase of arterial rigidity and sympathetic activity has been suggested to contribute to essential hypertension. We have shown that vagal control of heart rate (HR) variations during standardized tests is similarly impaired in normotensive obese and type 2 diabetic patients. The aim was to compare cardiovascular vagosympathetic balance and the link between pulse pressure, an index of arterial rigidity, and sympathetic activity in normotensive and hypertensive obese and type 2 diabetic patients. Groups 1 and 2 consisted of 70 normotensive and 32 hypertensive obese patients, groups 3 and 4 of 18 normotensive and 14 hypertensive diabetic patients respectively. HR and blood pressure (BP) variations were studied with a plethysmographic system and spectral analysis (Finapres). During a 5 min-period at a controlled breathing rate, in the 4 groups, the high frequency peak of HR variations (vagal control) was significantly lower than in controls (19 healthy subjects), and the mid/high frequency peak ratio of HR variations was significantly increased. During a standing test, the mid-frequency peak of systolic BP variations (sympathetic activity) did not differ significantly in obese or diabetic patients, either normotensive or hypertensive, and in controls. This peak correlated significantly with pulse pressure in groups 2 and 4 and in the control group but not in groups 1 and 3. In conclusion, 1) spectral analysis confirms that in obese and diabetic patients vagal control of HR variations is similarly reduced and suggests that sympathetic activity is relatively increased ; 2) in hypertensive patients sympathetic tone is not higher than in normotensive ones, but may contribute to arterial rigidity. [source] Orthodontic brackets removal under shear and tensile bond strength resistance tests , a comparative test between light sourcesLASER PHYSICS LETTERS, Issue 3 2008P.C.G. Silva Abstract We have investigated if a new LEDs system has enough efficient energy to promote efficient shear and tensile bonding strength resistance under standardized tests. LEDs 470 ± 10 nm can be used to photocure composite during bracket fixation. Advantages considering resistance to tensile and shear bonding strength when these systems were used are necessary to justify their clinical use. Forty eight human extracted premolars teeth and two light sources were selected, one halogen lamp and a LEDs system. Brackets for premolar were bonded through composite resin. Samples were submitted to standardized tests. A comparison between used sources under shear bonding strength test, obtained similar results; however, tensile bonding test showed distinct results: a statistical difference at a level of 1% between exposure times (40 and 60 seconds) and even to an interaction between light source and exposure time. The best result was obtained with halogen lamp use by 60 seconds, even during re-bonding; however LEDs system can be used for bonding and re-bonding brackets if power density could be increased. (© 2008 by Astro Ltd., Published exclusively by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA) [source] The Effects of a Fluency Intervention Program on the Fluency and Comprehension Outcomes of Middle-School Students with Severe Reading DeficitsLEARNING DISABILITIES RESEARCH & PRACTICE, Issue 2 2010Sally A. Spencer Despite advances in the science of teaching reading, there still exists a small percentage of students who fail to make the expected progress in reading-related skills, notwithstanding attempts at intervention. Even if these struggling readers learn to decode adequately, fluency remains a problem for many, and little is known about the effectiveness of fluency interventions for older students with severe reading deficits. This study used a randomized experimental design to test the efficacy of a fluency intervention program on the word-identification and reading-comprehension outcomes of 60 middle-school students with severe reading delays. Results showed that students in the experimental group made more progress on standardized tests of reading fluency than students in the control group. No gains were seen in reading comprehension. [source] Protocol for clinical neurophysiologic examination of the pelvic floorNEUROUROLOGY AND URODYNAMICS, Issue 6 2001Simon Podnar Abstract Clinical neurophysiologic examination of the pelvic floor is performed worldwide, but there is no consensus on the choice of tests, nor on technical details of individual methods. Standardized methods are, however, necessary to obtain their valid application in different laboratories for the purpose of collection of normative data, comparison of patient data and organization of multi-center studies. It is proposed that in patients with suspected "lower motor neuron" type lesions concentric needle electromyography (CNEMG) is the most informative test to detect pelvic floor denervation/reinnervation, and the external anal sphincter (EAS) muscle is the most appropriate muscle to be examined (either in isolation,when a selective lesion is suspected,or in addition to examination of other muscles). An algorithm consisting of standardized tests including a standardized approach to CNEMG examination of the EAS is presented. The proposed electrophysiologic assessment consists of a computer-assisted analysis of denervation and reinnervation features of the CNEMG signal, a qualitative assessment of reflex and voluntary activation of EAS motor units, and of electrical (or mechanical) elicitation of the bulbocavernosus reflex in those patients in whom manual anogenital stimulation failed to elicit a robust response in the EAS. The proposed protocol could serve as a basis for further studies on validity, sensitivity and specificity of electrophysiologic assessment in patients with different types of "lower motor neuron" involvement of pelvic floor muscles and sacral dysfunction. Neurourol. Urodynam. 20:669,682, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Children With Co-Occurring Anxiety and Externalizing Disorders: Family Risks and Implications for CompetenceAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 4 2009Joan P. Yoo PhD, MSSW This study used data from 340 mother-child dyads to examine characteristics of children with co-occurring diagnoses of anxiety and externalizing disorders and compared them with children with a sole diagnosis or no diagnosis. Comparisons were made using 4 child-diagnostic groups: anxiety-only, externalizing-only, co-occurrence, and no-problem groups. Most mothers were characterized by low income and histories of psychiatric diagnoses during the child's lifetime. Analyses using multinomial logistic regressions found the incidence of co-occurring childhood disorders to be significantly linked with maternal affective/anxiety disorders during the child's lifetime. In exploring implications for developmental competence, we found the co-occurrence group to have the lowest level of adaptive functioning among the 4 groups, faring significantly worse than the no-problem group on both academic achievement and intelligence as assessed by standardized tests. Findings underscore the importance of considering co-occurring behavior problems as a distinct phenomenon when examining children's developmental outcomes. [source] Mastery learning and assessment: Implications for students and teachers in an era of high-stakes testingPSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS, Issue 3 2008Barry J. Zimmerman Federal efforts to improve American students' achievement through high-stakes testing have led to significant concerns about the fairness and effectiveness of standardized tests. We attribute these concerns to the use of summative tests to assess academic progress without the benefits of an effective formative model of assessment and instruction, such as mastery learning. Historically, mastery learning models emerged as a reaction to the misuse of psychometric models of assessment for instructional purposes. Differences between these models are discussed along with a more recent form of mastery assessment, curriculum-based measurement. Apprehensions about the summative testing requirements of No Child Left Behind are considered along with efforts to make these tests fairer, such as the inclusion of a growth provision. Finally, we identified a mastery learning intervention program in mathematics in a high school that achieved national recognition, and we interviewed participating teachers and students. They reported the positive academic and motivational outcomes expected of a mastery learning approach and a few concerns about drawbacks associated with high-stakes testing. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] THE RELATIVE EFFICIENCY OF CHARTER SCHOOLSANNALS OF PUBLIC AND COOPERATIVE ECONOMICS, Issue 1 2009Shawna Grosskopf ABSTRACT,:,This analysis compares the technical efficiency of charter school primary and secondary campuses with that of comparable campuses in traditional Texas school districts. Charter schools are hybrids,publicly funded, but not required to meet all the state regulations releant for traditional schools. Student performance is measured using value added on standardized tests in reading and mathematics, and efficiency is measured using the input distance function. The analysis suggests that at least in Texas, charter schools are substantially more efficient than traditional public schools. [source] Reliving, emotions, and fragmentation in the autobiographical memories of veterans diagnosed with PTSDAPPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2004David C. Rubin Fifty veterans diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) each recalled four autobiographical memories: one from the 2 years before service, one non-combat memory from the time in service, one from combat, and one from service that had often come as an intrusive memory. For each memory, they provided 21 ratings about reliving, belief, sensory properties, reexperiencing emotions, visceral emotional responses, fragmentation, and narrative coherence. We used these ratings to examine three claims about traumatic memories: a separation of cognitive and visceral aspects of emotion, an increased sense of reliving, and increased fragmentation. There was evidence for a partial separation of cognitive judgments of reexperiencing an emotion and reports of visceral symptoms of the emotion, with visceral symptoms correlating more consistently with scores on PTSD tests. Reliving, but not fragmentation of the memories, increased with increases in the trauma relatedness of the event and with increases in scores on standardized tests of PTSD severity. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Standard assays do not predict the efficiency of commercial cellulase preparations towards plant materialsBIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOENGINEERING, Issue 1 2006Mirjam A. Kabel Abstract Commercial cellulase preparations are potentially effective for processing biomass feedstocks in order to obtain bioethanol. In plant cell walls, cellulose fibrils occur in close association with xylans (monocotyls) or xyloglucans (dicotyls). The enzymatic conversion of cellulose/xylans is a complex process involving the concerted action of exo/endocellulases and cellobiases yielding glucose and xylanases yielding xylooligomers and xylose. An overview of commonly measured cellulase-, cellobiase-, and xylanase-activity, using respectively filter paper, cellobiose, and AZCL-dyed xylan as a substrate of 14 commercially available enzyme preparations from several suppliers is presented. In addition to these standardized tests, the enzyme-efficiency of degrading native substrates was studied. Grass and wheat bran were fractionated into a water unsoluble fraction (WUS), which was free of oligosaccharides and starch. Additionally, cellulose- and xylan-rich fractions were prepared by alkaline extraction of the WUS and were enzymatically digested. Hereby, the capability of cellulose and xylan conversion of the commercial enzyme preparations tested was measured. The results obtained showed that there was a large difference in the performance of the fourteen enzyme samples. Comparing all results, it was concluded that the choice of an enzyme preparation is more dependent on the characteristics of the substrate rather than on standard enzyme-activities measured. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Relations between fatigue, neuropsychological functioning, and physical activity after treatment for breast carcinomaCANCER, Issue 9 2002Daily self-report, objective behavior Abstract BACKGROUND Previous research indicates that disease free breast carcinoma survivors who experienced severe fatigue also had many problems with regard to neuropsychological functioning and physical activity, measured with general self-report questionnaires. Both neuropsychological functioning and physical activity can be measured with daily self-report measures in addition to measures of objective behavior. The main objective of this study was to examine the relations between 1) fatigue and 2) daily self-reported and objective measures of neuropsychological functioning and physical activity. METHODS Disease free breast carcinoma survivors and age-matched women with no history of breast carcinoma filled out a daily self-observation list and wore an actometer during a period of 12 days. Furthermore, they performed two standardized tests to assess neuropsychological functioning. RESULTS No differences were found between severely fatigued disease free breast carcinoma survivors, nonseverely fatigued disease free breast carcinoma survivors, and women in a control group with regard to daily self-reported and objective physical activity. The severely fatigued disease free patients reported more impairment in neuropsychological functioning on daily questionnaires compared with nonseverely fatigued disease free patients and women in the control group. However, no differences were found between these three groups on a standardized concentration task. On a standardized reaction time task, no significant differences were found between the two groups of disease free breast carcinoma survivors: However, women in the severely fatigued group had a significantly longer reaction time compared with women in the control group. CONCLUSIONS Fatigue is correlated strongly with daily self-reported neuropsychological functioning, but not with objective neuropsychological functioning, in a laboratory setting. In the current study, fatigue was not correlated with daily self-reported and objective physical activity. Cancer 2002;95:2017,26. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10891 [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||