Employment testing online, offline, and over the phone: implications for e-assessment

This research investigated faking across test administration modes in an employment testing scenario. For the first time, phone administration was included. Participants (N = 91) were randomly allocated to testing mode (telephone, Internet, or pen-and-paper). Participants completed a personality measure under standard instructions and then under instructions to fake as an ideal police applicant. No significant difference in any faked personality domains as a function of administration mode was found. Effect sizes indicated that the influence of administration mode was small. Limitations and future directions are considered. Overall, results indicate that if an individual intends to fake on a self-report test in a vocational assessment scenario, the electronic administration mode in which the test is delivered may be unimportant.

Long-term relationship between energy consumption and GDP in Latin America: an empirical assessment using panel data

The main objetive of this research is to evaluate the long term relationship between energy consumption and GDP for some Latin American countries in the period 1980-2009 -- The estimation has been done through the non-stationary panel approach, using the production function in order to control other sources of GDP variation, such as capital and labor -- In addition to this, a panel unit root tests are used in order to identify the non-stationarity of these variables, followed by the application of panel cointegration test proposed by Pedroni (2004) to avoid a spurious regression (Entorf, 1997; Kao, 1999)

Ecotoxicological assessment of sediments from the Santos and São Vicente estuarine system- Brazil

O sedimento representa um importante depósito de contaminantes e uma fonte de contaminação para a cadeia alimentar aquática. Testes de toxicidade usando anfípodos como organismos-teste são empregados para avaliar sedimentos marinhos e estuarinos, juntamente com análises químicas. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar a qualidade de sedimentos de seis estações situadas no Sistema Estuarino e Portuário de Santos e São Vicente (São Paulo-Brasil), usando testes de toxicidade aguda com sedimento com anfípodos (Tiburonella viscana) e análises químicas de metais, PCB, e PAH. Outros parâmetros do sedimento foram analisados, como carbono orgânico e granulometria. Foram observados níveis de contaminação mais altos na porção interna do estuário onde se localiza o Porto de Santos e a zona industrial. Os testes de toxicidade mostraram resultados adversos significantes para a maioria das amostras testadas, e os sedimentos da porção interna do estuário apresentaram toxicidade mais alta. As análises de componentes principais indicaram uma relação forte entre contaminação do sedimento e toxicidade. As correlações positivas destes fatores nas amostras estudadas foram usadas para estabelecer os pesos das concentrações químicas que estão associadas com os efeitos adversos. Tais análises permitiram estimar valores limiares de efeito para a contaminação de sedimento através de análises multivariadas, identificando os contaminantes associados com o efeito biológico. Estes valores sugeridos são: Cu, 69.0; Pb, 17.4; Zn, 73.3(mg.kg-1); PAHs, 0.5 (mg.kg-1) e PCBs, 0.1 (µg.kg-1).

Adaptação de um instrumento de rastreio cognitivo, o MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) para população cabo-verdiana

Dissertação de Mestrado, Neurociências Cognitivas e Neuropsicologia, Faculdade de Ciências Humanas e Sociais, Universidade do Algarve, 2016

Assessment of Risk Factors and Prognosis in Asphyxiated Infants

Background: Asphyxia is considered an important cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates. This condition can affect many vital organs including the central nervous system and may eventually lead to death or developmental disorders. Objectives: Considering the high prevalence of asphyxia and its adverse consequences, the present study was conducted to evaluate the risk factors for birth asphyxia and assess their correlation with prognosis in asphyxiated infants. Patients and Methods: This two-year follow-up cohort study was conducted on 260 infants (110 asphyxiated infants and 150 healthy neonates) at Mashhad Ghaem Hospital during 2007 - 2014. Data collection tools consisted of a researcher-designed questionnaire including maternal and neonatal information and clinical/laboratory test results. The subjects were followed-up, using Denver II test for 6, 12, 18, and 24 months (after discharge). For data analysis, t-test was performed, using SPSS version 16.5. P value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Of 260 neonates, 199 (76.5%) and 61 (23.5%) cases presented with normal neonatal outcomes and with abnormal neonatal outcomes (developmental delay), respectively. Variables such as the severity of asphyxia (P = 0.000), five-minute Apgar score (P = 0.015), need for ventilation (P = 0.000), and severity of acidosis at birth (P = 0.001) were the major prognostic factors in infants with asphyxia. Additionally, prognosis was significantly poorer in boys and infants with dystocia history (P = 0.000). Conclusions: Prevalence of risk factors for developmental delay including the severity of asphyxia need for mechanical ventilation, and severity of acidosis at birth, dystocia, and Apgar score were lower in surviving infants; therefore, controlling these risk factors may reduce asphyxia-associated complications.

In vivo analgesic activity and safety assessment of Vitis vinifera L and Punica granatum L fruits extracts

Purpose: To investigate the analgesic properties of fruit extracts of Vitis vinifera (grape) and Punica granatum (pomegranate) in Albino mal mice. Methods: The analgesic activity of fruit extracts of V. vinifera and P. granatum were examined in vivo using thermal stimulus assays (i.e., tail immersion and hot plate) and acetic acid-induced writhing test using acetylsalicylic acid (0.1 g/kg, per os) as standard. The extracts were administered orally in doses of 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 g/kg. Results: In acetic acid writhes test, both fruit extract pretreatments (1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 g/kg, per os) significantly decreased the number of writhes (p < 0.0001) in a dose-dependent manner compared to control. The Index of Pain Inhibition (IPI) values following V. vinifera extract treatments were 36.52 % (1.0 g/kg), 66.67 % (2.0 g/kg) and 89.71 % (3.0 g/kg) which were significantly different from those for P. granatum extracts (45.39 %, 1.0 g/kg), 70.93 %, 2.0 g/kg) and 86.88 %, 3.0 g/kg) at equivalent doses of 2.0 and 3.0 g/kg of the extracts The fruit extracts of both species increased the reaction latency time. In tail-immersion assay, only the fruit extract of P. granatum significantly increased the response to heat stimulus at doses of 2.0 g/kg (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The hydroalcohol fruit extracts of P. granatum and V. vinifera have potential analgesic effects. Further studies are needed to determine the active component responsible for this effect.

The development and validation of a golf swing and putt skill assessment for children

The aim was to describe development of a process-oriented instrument designed to assess the golf swing and putt stroke, and to assess the instrument’s discriminative validity in terms of age and reliability (intra-rater and re-test). A Delphi consultation (with golf industry professionals and researchers in movement skill assessment) was used to develop an assessment for each skill based on existing skill assessment protocols. Each skill had six components to be marked as present/absent. Individual scores were based on the number of performance components successfully demonstrated over two trials for each skill (poten-tial score range 0 to 24). Children (n = 43) aged 6-10 years (M = 7.8 years, SD = 1.3) were assessed in both skills live in the field by one rater at Time 1(T1). A subset of children (n = 28) had consent for assessments to be videoed. Six weeks later 19 chil-dren were reassessed, five days apart (T2, T3). An ANOVA assessed discriminative validity i.e. whether skill competence at T1 differed by age (6 years, 7/8 years and 9/10 years). Intraclass correlations (ICC) assessed intra-rater reliability between the live and video assessment at T1 and test-retest reliability (be-tween T2 and T3). Paired t-tests assessed any systematic differ-ences between live and video assessments (T1) and between T2 and T3. Older children were more skilled (F (2, 40) = 11.18, p < 0.001). The live assessment reflected the video assessment (ICC = 0.79, 95% CI 0.59, 0.90) and scores did not differ between live and video assessments. Test retest reliability was acceptable (ICC = 0.60, 95% CI 0.23, 0.82), although the mean score was slightly higher at retest. This instrument could be used reliably by golf coaches and physical education teachers as part of sys-tematic early player assessment and feedback.

On the validity of measuring change over time in routine clinical assessment: a close examination of item-level response shifts in psychosomatic inpatients

Objective: Significant life events such as severe health status changes or intensive medical treatment often trigger response shifts in individuals that may hamper the comparison of measurements over time. Drawing from the Oort model, this study aims at detecting response shift at the item level in psychosomatic inpatients and evaluating its impact on the validity of comparing repeated measurements. Study design and setting: Complete pretest and posttest data were available from 1188 patients who had filled out the ICD-10 Symptom Rating (ISR) scale at admission and discharge, on average 24 days after intake. Reconceptualization, reprioritization, and recalibration response shifts were explored applying tests of measurement invariance. In the item-level approach, all model parameters were constrained to be equal between pretest and posttest. If non-invariance was detected, these were linked to the different types of response shift. Results: When constraining across-occasion model parameters, model fit worsened as indicated by a significant Satorra–Bentler Chi-square difference test suggesting potential presence of response shifts. A close examination revealed presence of two types of response shift, i.e., (non)uniform recalibration and both higher- and lower-level reconceptualization response shifts leading to four model adjustments. Conclusions: Our analyses suggest that psychosomatic inpatients experienced some response shifts during their hospital stay. According to the hierarchy of measurement invariance, however, only one of the detected non-invariances is critical for unbiased mean comparisons over time, which did not have a substantial impact on estimating change. Hence, the use of the ISR can be recommended for outcomes assessment in clinical routine, as change score estimates do not seem hampered by response shift effects.

The diagnostic validity and reliability of an internet-based clinical assessment program for mental disorders

BACKGROUND: Internet-based assessment has the potential to assist with the diagnosis of mental health disorders and overcome the barriers associated with traditional services (eg, cost, stigma, distance). Further to existing online screening programs available, there is an opportunity to deliver more comprehensive and accurate diagnostic tools to supplement the assessment and treatment of mental health disorders. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to evaluate the diagnostic criterion validity and test-retest reliability of the electronic Psychological Assessment System (e-PASS), an online, self-report, multidisorder, clinical assessment and referral system. METHODS: Participants were 616 adults residing in Australia, recruited online, and representing prospective e-PASS users. Following e-PASS completion, 158 participants underwent a telephone-administered structured clinical interview and 39 participants repeated the e-PASS within 25 days of initial completion. RESULTS: With structured clinical interview results serving as the gold standard, diagnostic agreement with the e-PASS varied considerably from fair (eg, generalized anxiety disorder: κ=.37) to strong (eg, panic disorder: κ=.62). Although the e-PASS' sensitivity also varied (0.43-0.86) the specificity was generally high (0.68-1.00). The e-PASS sensitivity generally improved when reducing the e-PASS threshold to a subclinical result. Test-retest reliability ranged from moderate (eg, specific phobia: κ=.54) to substantial (eg, bulimia nervosa: κ=.87). CONCLUSIONS: The e-PASS produces reliable diagnostic results and performs generally well in excluding mental disorders, although at the expense of sensitivity. For screening purposes, the e-PASS subclinical result generally appears better than a clinical result as a diagnostic indicator. Further development and evaluation is needed to support the use of online diagnostic assessment programs for mental disorders. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN121611000704998; http://www.anzctr.org.au/trial_view.aspx?ID=336143 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/618r3wvOG).

Self-report use-of-time tools for the assessment of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in young people: systematic review

UNLABELLED: Regular physical activity and limiting extended periods of sitting are two behaviours critical for the prevention of obesity in young people. The purpose of the systematic review was to synthesize the psychometric evidence for self-report use-of-time tools that assess these behaviours. Articles were retrieved that reported reliability and/or validity for use-of-time tools in participants aged 18 years or under. Outcome variables were physical activity, sedentary behaviour and energy expenditure. Study quality was appraised, and the results summarized narratively. Sixteen studies and six different tools were identified. The tools were the Previous Day Physical Activity Recall, the Three-Day Physical Activity Recall, the Physical Activity Interview, the Computerized Activity Recall, the Activitygram, and the Multimedia Activity Recall for Children and Adolescents. Overall, tools indicated moderate validity compared with objective and criterion comparison methods. Generally, validity correlation coefficients were in the range of 0.30-0.40. Correlation coefficients for test-retest reliability ranged widely from 0.24 to 0.98. CONCLUSION: Use-of-time tools have indicated moderate reliability and validity for the assessment of physical activity and energy expenditure. Future research should focus on using criterion methods and on validating specifically for sedentary behaviour outcomes. Implementation of these tools for population surveillance should be considered.

Assessment of a six-week computer-based remediation program for social cognition in chronic schizophrenia

Background: Programs to remediate cognitive deficits have shown promising results in schizophrenia, but remediation of social cognition deficits is less well understood. Social cognitive deficits may cause more disability than the widely recognized neurocognitive deficits, suggesting that this is an area worthy of further investigation. Aim: Implement and evaluate a brief computerized cognitive remediation program designed to improve memory, attention, and facial affect recognition (FAR) in outpatients with chronic schizophrenia.

Methods: Baseline assessments of FAR and of clinical, cognitive, and psychosocial functioning were completed on 20 males with schizophrenia enrolled in an outpatient rehabilitation program at the Shanghai Mental Health Center (the intervention group) and on 20 males with schizophrenia recruited from among regular outpatients at the Center (the control group). Both groups received treatment as usual, but the intervention group also completed an average of 12.7 sessions of a computer-based remediation program for neurocognitive, social, and FAR functioning over a 6-week period. The baseline measures were repeated in both groups at the end of the 6-week trial.

Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the changes in clinical symptoms (assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, PANSS) or cognitive measures (assessed using the Hong Kong List Learning Test and the Letter-Number Sequencing Task) between the intervention and control groups over the 6-week trial, but there were modest improvements on the PANSS for the intervention group between baseline and after the intervention. There was a significantly greater improvement in the social functioning measure (the Personal and Social Performance scale, PSP) in the intervention group than in the control group. The pre-post change in the total facial recognition score in the intervention group was statistically significant (paired t-test=-2.60, p=0.018), and there was a statistical trend of a greater improvement in facial recognition in the intervention group than in the control group (F(1,37)=2.93; p=0.092).

Conclusions: Integration of FAR training with a short, computer-administrated cognitive remediation program may improve recognition of facial emotions by individuals with schizophrenia, and, thus, improve their social functioning. But more work on developing the FAR training modules and on testing them in larger, more diverse samples will be needed before this can be recommended as a standard part of cognitive remediation programs.

An Australian study comparing the use of multiple-choice questionnaires with assignments as interim, summative law school assessment

o the author’s knowledge, this is the first Australian study to empirically compare the use of a multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ) with the use of a written assignment for interim, summative law school assessment. This study also surveyed the same student sample as to what types of assessments are preferred and why. In total, 182 undergraduate property law students participated in this study. Results showed that scores for the MCQ (assessing five topics) and assignment (assessing one topic) followed a similar distribution. This indicates that an MCQ does not necessarily skew students towards higher grades than an assignment. Results also showed significant but low correlations of test scores across instruments. When asked which instrument best assessed their knowledge of property law, students expressed a strong preference for an assignment over an MCQ or examination. Comments revealed a strong belief that, because lawyers write, law schools must assess legal writing – a skill not captured by MCQs. This study is important as many Australian law schools face increasing marking loads due to higher student numbers and compulsory mid-term assessments. This article endorses the use of MCQs but only as part of a diverse suite of law school assessment.

Assessment of the sensitivity and specificity of serological (IFAT) and molecular (direct PCR) techniques for diagnosis of leishmaniasis in lagomorphs using a Bayesian approach

Leishmaniasis, caused by Leishmania infantum, is a vector-borne zoonotic disease that is endemic to the Mediterranean basin. The potential of rabbits and hares to serve as competent reservoirs for the disease has recently been demonstrated, although assessment of the importance of their role on disease dynamics is hampered by the absence of quantitative knowledge on the accuracy of diagnostic techniques in these species. A Bayesian latent-class model was used here to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of the Immuno-fluorescence antibody test (IFAT) in serum and a Leishmania-nested PCR (Ln-PCR) in skin for samples collected from 217 rabbits and 70 hares from two different populations in the region of Madrid, Spain. A two-population model, assuming conditional independence between test results and incorporating prior information on the performance of the tests in other animal species obtained from the literature, was used. Two alternative cut-off values were assumed for the interpretation of the IFAT results: 1/50 for conservative and 1/25 for sensitive interpretation. Results suggest that sensitivity and specificity of the IFAT were around 70–80%, whereas the Ln-PCR was highly specific (96%) but had a limited sensitivity (28.9% applying the conservative interpretation and 21.3% with the sensitive one). Prevalence was higher in the rabbit population (50.5% and 72.6%, for the conservative and sensitive interpretation, respectively) than in hares (6.7% and 13.2%). Our results demonstrate that the IFAT may be a useful screening tool for diagnosis of leishmaniasis in rabbits and hares. These results will help to design and implement surveillance programmes in wild species, with the ultimate objective of early detecting and preventing incursions of the disease into domestic and human populations.

UNDERSTANDING ESSAY RATING AS A SOCIALLY MEDIATED ACTIVITY: THE CASE OF A HIGH-STAKES ENGLISH TEST IN CHINA

Thesis (Ph.D, Education) -- Queen's University, 2016-09-22 22:05:24.246

Concurrent validity of the Swedish version of the life-space assessment questionnaire

BACKGROUND: The Life-Space Assessment (LSA), developed in the USA, is an instrument focusing on mobility with respect to reaching different areas defined as life-spaces, extending from the room where the person sleeps to mobility outside one's hometown. A newly translated Swedish version of the LSA (LSA-S) has been tested for test-retest reliability, but the validity remains to be tested. The purpose of the present study was to examine the concurrent validity of the LSA-S, by comparing and correlating the LSA scores to other measures of mobility. METHOD: The LSA was included in a population-based study of health, functioning and mobility among older persons in Sweden, and the present analysis comprised 312 community-dwelling participants. To test the concurrent validity, the LSA scores were compared to a number of other mobility-related variables, including the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) as well as "stair climbing", "transfers", "transportation", "food shopping", "travel for pleasure" and "community activities". The LSA total mean scores for different levels of the other mobility-related variables, and measures of correlation were calculated. RESULTS: Higher LSA total mean scores were observed with higher levels of all the other mobility related variables. Most of the correlations between the LSA and the other mobility variables were large (r = 0.5-1.0) and significant at the 0.01 level. The LSA total score, as well as independent life-space and assistive life-space correlated with transportation (0.63, 0.66, 0.64) and food shopping (0.55, 0.58, 0.55). Assistive life-space also correlated with SPPB (0.47). With respect to maximal life-space, the correlations with the mobility-related variables were generally lower (below 0.5), probably since this aspect of life-space mobility is highly influenced by social support and is not so dependent on the individual's own physical function. CONCLUSION: LSA was shown to be a valid measure of mobility when using the LSA total, independent LS or assistive LSA.