Omission Of Items Research Articles

A Model-Based Approach to the Disentanglement and Differential Treatment of Engaged and Disengaged Item Omissions

Item omissions in large-scale assessments may occur for various reasons, ranging from disengagement to not being capable of solving the item and giving up. Current response-time-based classification approaches allow researchers to implement different treatments of item omissions presumably going back to different mechanisms. These approaches, however, are limited in that they require a clear-cut decision on the underlying missingness mechanism and do not allow to take the uncertainty in classification into account. We present a response-time-based model-based mixture modeling approach that overcomes this limitation. The approach (a) facilitates disentangling item omissions stemming from disengagement from those going back to solution behavior, (b) considers the uncertainty in omission classification, (c) allows for omission mechanisms to vary on the item-by-examinee level, (d) supports investigating person and item characteristics associated with different types of omission behavior, and (e) gives researchers flexibility in deciding on how to handle different types of omissions. The approach exhibits good parameter recovery under realistic research conditions. We illustrate the approach on data from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies 2012 and compare it against previous classification approaches for item omissions.

Cross Cultural Translation and Validation of the Investment Model Scale for Married Adults of Pakistan

The current study aimed at cross validating one of the most widely used scales for investigation of romantic relationships among married individuals. From past few decades, interest in understanding the contributing factors in success and failure of marriage has increased. For said purpose culturally appropriate tool was required. Investment Model Scale measures romantic relationships in four sub-dimensions: relationship satisfaction, investment size, quality of alternatives, and commitment. Urdu Translated 22 global items were administered on 298 married men and women from five provincial capitals of Pakistan. Confirmatory Factor analysis with promax rotation was performed. Results confirmed the four-factor structure with the omission of items 18, 19, and 20 because of inadequate factor loadings. Subsequently, 19 items Urdu-translated version of IMS was found to be psychometrically sound tool with semantic, idiomatic, contextual, and linguistic appropriateness as original English version.

Validation of the Tagalog and Ilokano translations of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) scale for adult cancer center patients in a state-funded tertiary hospital.

e18524 Background: Patient reported outcomes such as the health related quality of life (HRQOL) is a significant variable that should be used in clinical decision making and health policy. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - General (FACT-G), is one of the most widely used HRQOL questionnaires and to make it more accessible globally translation to local dialects are imperative for inclusive service delivery. Prior to use, the validity and reliability of these tools should be established for the population it is intended to cater. Consistent with the mission statement of the hospital the researcher wanted this service to be more accessible and equitable by addressing language differences for our non english speaking end-users. Hence, the study aimed to document validity and reliability of translated Tagalog and Ilokano versions of the FACT-G questionnaire for use in patients catered upon by the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC). Methods: Psychometric evaluation of the above tools was done involving 384 adult cancer patients of BGHMC. Data management and analysis using SPSS software was used to evaluate reliability, face validity, content validity, and construct validity. An addition of cognitive interviews was done with end-users and subsequent thematic analysis aimed to improve questionnaire quality. Results: Both the Tagalog and Ilokano questionnaires had indices above the set value for reliability measured as Chronbach’s alpha of 0.968 and 0.974, content validity indices of 0.95 and 0.95, and face validity indices of 0.98 and 0.98, respectively. Construct validity was established through an exploratory factor analysis comprised of a principal components analysis and Varimax factor rotation with Kaiser normalization. Conclusions: The Tagalog and Ilokano questionnaires are reliable and valid tools for use of approximation of HRQOL of cancer patients catered by the BGHMC. With the results of the validation study it is recommended to incorporate the use of these translated questionnaires to the day to day health service provision to approximate the health-related quality of life of cancer patients. These can also be used as measures to evaluate interventions and policies that are directed towards cancer patients catered in Northern Luzon. To better these questionnaires the revised questionnaires includes the omission of the 7th item in the scale of general social and family well-being to minimize disruptions in rapport due to nature of the question. Another is the reversion of the 2nd item in the scale of general emotional well-being so that it would have the same direction on the approximation of HRQOL with the other items in the scale.

Psychometric properties of the WHOQOL-BREF in citizens from a disadvantaged neighborhood in Southern Sweden.

Citizens living in disadvantaged neighborhoods experience poorer health than the majority, and this inequality is a public health problem even in a welfare state such as Sweden. Numerous initiatives aimed at improving health and quality of life in these populations are being implemented and evaluated. Given that these populations are predominantly multicultural and multilingual, an instrument such as the WHOQOL-BREF, which is cross-culturally validated and available in multiple languages, may be appropriate. However, this cannot be ascertained since the psychometric properties of WHOQOL-BREF have never been assessed in the Swedish context. Thus, the current study aimed at assessing the psychometric properties of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire in citizens from a disadvantaged neighborhood in Southern Sweden. The respondents in this study were 103 citizens who participated in the health promotional activities of a Health promotional program and also responded to the 26-item, WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire as a part of an evaluation to assess the impact of the activities on the health-related quality of life of citizens. A Rasch model using WINSTEP 4.5.1 was used to assess the psychometric properties in this study. Five of the 26 items, including pain and discomfort, dependence on medical substances, physical environment, social support, and negative feelings did not display acceptable goodness-of-fit to the Rasch model. On removing these items, the 21-item WHOQOL-BREF scale had an improved internal scale validity and person-separation reliability than the original 26-item version for this group of citizens from the neighborhood. When assessing the individual domains, three of the five items that were misfits on analyzing the full model also showed misfits in relation to two respective domains. When these items were removed, the internal scale validity of the domains also improved. WHOQOL-BREF seemed to be psychometrically inadequate when used in the original form due to internal scale validity problems, while the modified 21-item scale seemed better at measuring the health-related quality of life of citizens living in socially disadvantaged neighborhoods in Sweden. Omission of items shall be done but with caution. Alternatively, future studies may also consider rephrasing the items with misfits and further testing the instrument with larger samples exploring the associations between subsamples and specific item misfit responses.

ENGLISH VERBLESS CLAUSES As a Case of Ellipsis

1.Traditional Viewpoint:Traditional grammarians, owing to their preoccupation with the establishment of the ‘parts of speech’ and definition, have offered very little to the study of ‘ellipsis’ as a linguistic phenomenon. They have dealt with language structure on the basis of meaning. Thus, they have considered sentences as elliptical whenever there is an element which is understood but not expressed.Eckersley and Eckersley (1967:318) define ‘ellipsis’ as the part that “is missed out but is ‘understood’ by the speaker and listener”, and point out that ‘ellipsis’ is a common feature in English. Mittins (1976:52) mentions that ellipsis is the omission of items that can safely be “taken for granted”.

Care Assistance and Abnormal Activity Warning System by Bluetooth Positioning

At present, the domestic demand for long-term care is growing rapidly. However, the replenishment of related services has been slow. This leads to an imbalance in the proportion of nursing staff. The result was a shortage of manpower and a hectic work schedule. If there is a system to assist caregivers in their daily work processes, the burden on caregivers reduces. The constructed system in this research has the functions of Bluetooth indoor positioning, abnormal state judgment, early warning with processing flow control, active reminder, and recording of nursing work. Indoor positioning is used to instantly locate the elderly, know their activity statuses, and determine whether the activity is abnormal. In the event of possible abnormal conditions, active and passive alerts are issued. Through the combination of software and hardware, the processing flow is controlled to achieve the optimal allocation of manpower. In addition, proactively reminding the attendant and recording the care items before carrying out the care needs are conducted to avoid omission or duplication of care items.

언어폭력이 카지노 딜러의 감정부조화와 직무소진에 미치는 영향 : 자아탄력성의 조절효과를 중심으로

This study was conducted to examine how verbal violence affects emotional dissonance and Job burnout of casino dealers and identify the ego resiliency that controls this influence relationship. To achieve the purpose of this study, we distributed a total of 400 copies of questionnaires to 4 casino corporations (Paradise, GKL, Gangwon Land, Landing) from June 20th to September 20th, 2019 and 380 were collected. We used a total of 363 copies for the final analysis except 17 copies of questionnaires which were inappropriate for statistical analysis due to the omission of some important items and insincere responses. We used SPSS 23.0Ver. program to analyze the materials and the results of the study are as follows. First, verbal violence has a positive (+) influence on the emotional dissonance. Second, the emotional dissonance has a positive (+) influence on Job burnout. Third, ego resiliency in the relationship of effect of emotional dissonance on Job burnout has a regulation effect. In conclusion, this study suggested that it is necessary to develop internal competency programs to prevent Verbal Violence, reduce emotional-dissonance and job burnout, and improve ego-resiliency for the efficient working environment of casino companies.

Evaluation of staff satisfaction after the implementation of a daily goals sheet in the routine work of an oral outpatient department and its influence on work efficiency

BackgroundIn March 2021, the supervision group of our hospital inspected the daily work of the outpatient department in the branch and found many problems in the process, such as an excessive number of daily check-up forms, nurses’ confusion regarding the daily check-up process, and the omission of daily check-up items. Therefore, focusing on these problem, our hospital established a quality improvement team to conduct a status survey and perform this study. This study evaluated the feasibility, availability and sustainability of using a daily goals sheet in the routine work of a stomatological outpatient department and investigated the satisfaction of the nursing staff with the sheet.MethodsAfter determining the theme of this study through the status survey, 60 nurses were randomly selected and divided into an experimental group and a control group by a random grouping method. Then, the study was divided into two stages: Applying the PDCA cycle method and following the MECE (Mad Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive) principle to design, manufacture and apply the daily goals sheet. After the expert group performed Stage one, an analysis of work efficiency and routine omissions and a staff satisfaction survey were carried out. The results of the groups either using the daily goals sheet (n = 30) or not (n = 30) were analysed and compared.ResultsThe average work time of the daily goals sheet group was 15.20 ± 1.70 min, and that of the nondaily goals sheet group was 25.30 ± 2.70 min (P < 0.001). The omission rate was 0% in the daily goals sheet group and 16.67% in the nondaily goals sheet group. Staff satisfaction with the use of the daily goals sheet was high.ConclusionThe daily goals sheet can make routine work more efficient and convenient in a stomatological outpatient department. It is recommended for use in stomatological outpatient departments or hospitals.

Keyness, Context, and Cultural Specificity in Indirect Translation

The translation of references specific to a given source culture has long been a prominent, and often problematic aspect of translation practice and research. In indirect translation, or the translation of already translated material, linguistic and cultural differences accumulate, meaning that the omission of cultural references (CRs) or culture-specific items (CSIs) might be a generally expected outcome. Yet before such hypotheses can be tested, research methods are needed that can account for broad patterns across whole texts, and preferably, across semantic categories, genres, time periods, and languages. A ‘textual’ approach, focused on the linguistic context in which CRs are likely to occur, should complement the currently dominant ‘cultural’ approach, which mainly relies on predefined categories and intuition for the selection of objects of study. This article illustrates that corpus research, and particularly keyness analysis, can aid in uncovering recurrent structural patterns and textual functions in which CRs are expected to pose translation difficulties. In this regard, it focuses on expressions of enumeration, or lists, and indicators of identification, or voice. Based on a trilingual (English, French, and Italian) corpus-assisted study of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels (1726) and John Cary’s An Essay on the State of England (1695), the article accentuates the productive complementarity of numerical operations and context-sensitive readings.

Analyzing the Carbon Footprint of an Intravitreal Injection.

PurposeTo estimate the carbon footprint of a single intravitreal injection in a hospital-based intravitreal service.MethodsGreenhouse gas emissions attributable to the delivery of an intravitreal injection were calculated using a hybrid lifecycle analysis technique. Data were collected regarding procurement of materials, patient travel, and building energy use.ResultsCarbon emissions associated with a single intravitreal injection, excluding the anti-VEGF agent, were 13.68 kg COeq. This equates to 82,100 kg COeq annually for our service. Patient travel accounted for the majority of emissions at 77%, with procurement accounting 19% for and building energy usage for 4% of total emissions. The omission of items considered dispensable from injection packs would reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 0.56 kg per injection – an annual saving of 3,360 kg COeq for our service. Similar savings, if extrapolated to a country the size of the United Kingdom, could yield annual carbon savings of 450,000 kg COeq. For context, a single one-way economy transatlantic flight produces 480 kg COeq per person.ConclusionWasteful practice in healthcare increases greenhouse gas production and drives climate change. The healthcare sector should be a leader in sustainable practice promotion and changes to high volume procedures have the largest impact on emissions. Long-acting agents offer the greatest future potential for meaningful reductions.

A cross‐sectional survey of the diagnosis and treatment of distal limb cellulitis in horses by veterinary surgeons in the United Kingdom

SummaryBackgroundCellulitis is a commonly recognised condition in first opinion equine practice yet there is little published information regarding its diagnosis, treatment and management.ObjectivesTo describe current approaches of veterinary surgeons working in the United Kingdom (UK) to the diagnosis, treatment and management of distal limb cellulitis in horses.Study designCross‐sectional survey.MethodsAn online questionnaire was distributed via email and social media sites for a period of 12 weeks. Descriptive statistics were produced and chi‐square or Fisher’s exact tests were used to assess associations between categorical variables, with critical probability set at 0.05.ResultsDistal limb cellulitis is frequently encountered in the UK, with 83.5% (n = 224/268) of respondents having treated &gt;5 cases in the preceding 12 months. Diagnosis was predominantly made based on clinical signs alone (89.2%; n = 239/268). The majority of respondents (95.5%; n = 256/268) treated cases with nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and antimicrobials. Phenylbutazone (93.8%; n = 240/256) and trimethoprim sulphonamide (TMPS) (72.3%; n = 185/256) were most frequently prescribed and 61.7% (n = 148/240) of respondents prescribed these drugs in combination. Duration of treatment was most frequently five days for NSAIDs (33.5%; n = 64/191), TMPS (84.4%; n = 119/141) and doxycycline (62.5%; n = 25/40), the longest prescribed duration of any treatments being 10 days. Corticosteroids were administered by 41.0% of respondents (n = 110/268). Management recommendations included cold hosing/ice packing of the affected limb (79.4%; n = 212/267) with light exercise (turnout or hand walking) if the horse was comfortable enough to do so (97.4%; n = 260/267).Main limitationsSmall sample size (n = 268) and low level of item omission for a small number of questions.ConclusionsCellulitis is common in the UK and is usually treated with NSAIDs and antimicrobials for 5–10 days, plus cold hosing and light exercise. Further study on the topics of diagnosis and treatment, with particular emphasis on the aetiology and necessity of antimicrobials, is warranted.

Examining mode effects for an adapted Chinese critical thinking assessment

We examine the effects of computer-based versus paper-based assessment of critical thinking skills, adapted from English (in the U.S.) to Chinese. Using data collected based on a random assignment between the two modes in multiple Chinese colleges, we investigate mode effects from multiple perspectives: mean scores, measurement precision, item functioning (i.e. item difficulty and discrimination), response behavior (i.e. test completion and item omission), and user perceptions. Our findings shed light on assessment and item properties that could be the sources of mode effects. At the test level, we find that the computer-based test is more difficult and more speeded than the paper-based test. We speculate that these differences are attributable to the test’s structure, its high demands on reading, and test-taking flexibility afforded under the paper testing mode. Item-level evaluation allows us to identify item characteristics that are prone to mode effects, including targeted cognitive skill, response type, and the amount of adaptation between modes. Implications for test design are discussed, and actionable design suggestions are offered with the goal of minimizing mode effect.

Performance of missing data approaches under nonignorable missing data conditions

Approaches for dealing with item omission include incorrect scoring, ignoring missing values, and approaches for nonignorable missing values and have only been evaluated for certain forms of nonignorability. In this paper we investigate the performance of these approaches for various conditions of nonignorability, that is, when the missing response depends on i) the item response, ii) a latent missing propensity, or iii) both. No approach results in unbiased parameter estimates of the Rasch model under all missing data mechanisms. Incorrect scoring only results in unbiased estimates under very specific data constellations of missing mechanisms i) and iii). The approach for nonignorable missing values only results in unbiased estimates under condition ii). Ignoring results in slightly more biased estimates than the approach for nonignorable missing values, while the latter also indicates the presence of nonignorablity under all simulated conditions. We illustrate the results in an empirical example on PISA data.

A sedimentological connectivity approach for assessing on-site and off-site soil erosion control services

Abstract Soil erosion, a widely-occurring phenomenon in the terrestrial environment, affects land productivity and infrastructure security negatively both on-site and off-site. Therefore, soil erosion control services (SECS) are one of the most fundamental ecosystem services for human well-being. Although previous SECS assessments elaborated the benefits from preventing on-site soil erosion and soil loss comprehensively, the off-site benefits remain vague. They are usually estimated only through multiplying the capacity of on-site soil erosion prevention by land-use-based, and spatially consistent, allocation coefficients. The corresponding overestimation, item omission, and inability to represent the spatial heterogeneity of SECS may lead to great uncertainties. In addition, the SECS decay with travel distance is not well represented, because of a neglect of the cascading nature of SECS formation and its delivery. Here, to address these deficiencies, a cascade framework for SECS assessment is developed that incorporates the concept of sedimentological connectivity over the landscape. This approach quantifies both the on-site soil erosion prevention and mitigation of sediment delivery over the landscape, based on an understanding of the cascading nature of soil erosion and sediment delivery, by referring to the framework of WATEM/SEDEM that potentially reveals the sedimentological connectivity over landscape. A monetized valuation of SECS delivered to local communities was derived by employing a land-use based replacement cost technique, which takes cultivated land units as a SECS receiver and conveyer. The approach was applied in a loess catchment located in the middle Yellow River basin, China as a case study. For this watershed, with an area of 54.2 km2, the gross soil erosion reduction was up to 156.93 × 104 t; the reduction of sediment input was 11.28 × 104 t; and the reduction in gross sediment export is up to 181.34 × 104 t. The monetized SECS value delivered to utilized land units was 910.13 × 104 CNY. The approach described provides a tool that specifically addresses the SECSs directly useful to humans, contributes to quantifying the soil erosion control services provided by the landscape, and improves the reliability of SECS evaluation.

PNS48 DEVELOPMENT OF A BRIEF, GENERIC, MODULAR RESOURCE-USE MEASURE: QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS WITH HEALTH ECONOMISTS

In healthcare studies, participants often complete resource-use measures (RUMs). RUMs are often adapted on a study-by-study basis, with limited psychometric testing. This study undertook qualitative interviews with experienced health economists to test the usability, face validity and content validity of a newly developed RUM (ModRUM). ModRUM is a brief, generic RUM with a core module (6 questions) on healthcare use and modules to increase depth and breadth. A purposeful sampling strategy was used to recruit health economists with recent experience of implementing RUMs. Health economists were sent two versions of ModRUM (core module and depth extension). During telephone interviews, pre-defined questions on the relevance, clarity, conciseness, and omission of items were asked. Audio-recordings were transcribed and transcripts coded. Analysis drew on methods of constant comparison, where participants’ comments were continually compared to identify common themes. Findings were discussed with the research team, who decided whether ModRUM should be adapted or the suggestion should be explored with patients. Ten health economists from the United Kingdom were interviewed (mean duration: 44 minutes). Common themes emerged for the core module, with most questions considered adequate. Feedback on depth questions varied on whether more, less or alternative detail should be captured. For example, many thought it was inadequate to group community-based non-GP healthcare professionals in one question. ModRUM was revised to incorporate suggested changes agreed by the research team, including for example, an option to pre-specify numerous non-GP healthcare professionals. Our aim is to develop a well-validated, brief, generic RUM, which is needed to increase comparability of health economic research. In previous work, we used consensus methods to identify items and develop ModRUM. In this work, we used qualitative methods to enhance the usability and validity of ModRUM. Our findings in this study suggest that we are closer to achieving a valid measure.

An Analysis of Grammatical Errors made by Senegalese English Majors

This study identifies, classifies, and interprets the grammatical errors made by 30 second-year students at the English Department of Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar (Senegal) in their grammar translation tests. The said students took a course on Grammar during the academic year 2018-2019. The exercises consist of translating some French sentences into English. The errors made by these participants can be classified into seven categories. There are errors in the use of tenses, auxiliaries, articles, relative adverbs. In addition, morphological and structural error types and other errors related to the choice of verbs (i.e., tell/say) have also been listed. The results show that the participants made both inter-lingual errors (due to the influence of French language) and intra-lingual errors (over generalization of rules, addition or omission of items, etc.).

Psychometric properties of the Friedreich Ataxia Rating Scale.

ObjectiveTo investigate the psychometric properties of the Friedreich Ataxia Rating Scale neurologic examination (FARSn) and its subscores, as well as the influence of the modifications resulting in the now widely used modified FARS (mFARS) examination.MethodsBased on cross-sectional FARS data from the FA–Clinical Outcome Measures cohort, we conducted correlation-based psychometric analyses to investigate the interplay of items and subscores within the FARSn/mFARS constructs.ResultsThe results provide support for both the FARSn and the mFARS constructs, as well as individually for their upper limb and lower limb coordination components. The omission of the peripheral nervous system subscore (D) and 2 items of the bulbar subscore (A) in the mFARS strengthens the overall construct compared with the complete FARS.ConclusionsA correlation-based psychometric analysis of the neurologic FARSn score justifies the overall validity of the scale. In addition, omission of items of limited functional significance as created in the mFARS improves the features of the measures. Such information is crucial to the ongoing application of the mFARS in natural history studies and clinical trials. Additional analyses of longitudinal changes will be necessary to fully ascertain its utility, especially in nonambulant patients.

Using Response Times for Joint Modeling of Response and Omission Behavior

For adequate modeling of missing responses, a thorough understanding of the nonresponse mechanisms is vital. As a large number of major testing programs are in the process or already have been moving to computer-based assessment, a rich body of additional data on examinee behavior becomes easily accessible. These additional data may contain valuable information on the processes associated with nonresponse. Bringing together research on item omissions with approaches for modeling response time data, we propose a framework for simultaneously modeling response behavior and omission behavior utilizing timing information for both. As such, the proposed model allows (a) to gain a deeper understanding of response and nonresponse behavior in general and, in particular, of the processes underlying item omissions in LSAs, (b) to model the processes determining the time examinees require to generate a response or to omit an item, and (c) to account for nonignorable item omissions. Parameter recovery of the proposed model is studied within a simulation study. An illustration of the model by means of an application to real data is provided.

Validation of the Online version of the Previous Day Food Questionnaire for schoolchildren

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the validity of the web-based version of the Previous Day Food Questionnaire Online for schoolchildren from the 2nd to 5th grades of elementary school. Methods Participants were 312 schoolchildren aged 7 to 12 years of a public school from the city of Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Validity was assessed by sensitivity, specificity, as well as by agreement rates (match, omission, and intrusion rates) of food items reported by children on the Previous Day Food Questionnaire Online, using direct observation of foods/beverages eaten during school meals (mid-morning snack or afternoon snack) on the previous day as the reference. Multivariate multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the influence of participants’ characteristics on omission and intrusion rates. Results The results showed adequate sensitivity (67.7%) and specificity (95.2%). There were low omission and intrusion rates of 22.8% and 29.5%, respectively when all food items were analyzed. Pizza/hamburger showed the highest omission rate, whereas milk and milk products showed the highest intrusion rate. The participants who attended school in the afternoon shift presented a higher probability of intrusion compared to their peers who attended school in the morning. Conclusion The Previous Day Food Questionnaire Online possessed satisfactory validity for the assessment of food intake at the group level in schoolchildren from the 2nd to 5th grades of public school.

The “About Me” Questionnaire: Factorial Structure and Measurement Invariance

The “About Me” Questionnaire (AMQ) has been used to measure components of social identity, academic self-concept and self-worth in children and adolescents in the United Kingdom and abroad. Studies have reported simple reliability statistics but a comprehensive assessment of the scale’s psychometric properties has not been conducted. Confirmatory factor analysis, using a sample of 5,082 children aged 6 to 18 years from combined datasets of five cross-sectional research studies, was used to establish the psychometric soundness of the 29-item AMQ. Analysis revealed generally adequate reliability with the seven-factor structure confirmed in a replication sample. Results provide evidence of adequate psychometric properties, optimized with the omission of reverse-coded item and selected items, suggesting it is suitable for assessing social identity and academic self-concept of children and adolescents in applied settings. Tests for measurement invariance showed that the assessment of parallel constructs was strongly supported across males and females and partially supported across primary and secondary school–age groups.