Test Characteristic Curves Research Articles

The irtQ R package: a user-friendly tool for item response theorybased test data analysis and calibration.

Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) has become a widely adopted test design for high-stakes licensing and certification exams, particularly in the health professions in the United States, due to its ability to tailor test difficulty in real time, reducing testing time while providing precise ability estimates. A key component of CAT is item response theory (IRT), which facilitates the dynamic selection of items based on examinees' ability levels during a test. Accurate estimation of item and ability parameters is essential for successful CAT implementation, necessitating convenient and reliable software to ensure precise parameter estimation. This paper introduces the irtQ R package (http://CRAN.R-project.org/), which simplifies IRTbased analysis and item calibration under unidimensional IRT models. While it does not directly simulate CAT, it provides essential tools to support CAT development, including parameter estimation using marginal maximum likelihood estimation via the expectation-maximization algorithm, pretest item calibration through fixed item parameter calibration and fixed ability parameter calibration methods, and examinee ability estimation. The package also enables users to compute item and test characteristic curves and information functions necessary for evaluating the psychometric properties of a test. This paper illustrates the key features of the irtQ package through examples using simulated datasets, demonstrating its utility in IRT applications such as test data analysis and ability scoring. By providing a user-friendly environment for IRT analysis, irtQ significantly enhances the capacity for efficient adaptive testing research and operations. Finally, the paper highlights additional core functionalities of irtQ, emphasizing its broader applicability to the development and operation of IRT-based assessments.

Effects of rosuvastatin on serum asymmetric dimethylarginine levels and incidence of long-term cardiovascular events in patients with hyperlipidaemia and H-type hypertension.

Aims/Background Rosuvastatin is a common lipid-lowering statin on the market, but its impact on the incidence of long-term cardiovascular events is not well clarified. This study aimed to explore the effects of rosuvastatin on serum asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels and the incidence of long-term cardiovascular events in patients with hyperlipidaemia and H-type hypertension. Methods This retrospective study included 158 patients with hyperlipidaemia and H-type hypertension who were treated in the Hebei Cangzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine from August 2015 to August 2016. The patients were divided into an occurrence group and a non-occurrence group according to the occurrence of long-term cardiovascular events following the resuvostatin treatment. The changes in blood lipids, blood pressure, serum ADMA levels and vascular endothelial function indexes before and after treatment were compared, and the effect of ADMA on the occurrence of long-term cardiovascular events and its predictive efficacy were analysed using the Spearman correlation test and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. Results After treatment, the levels of serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, serum ADMA and blood pressure became significantly lower (p < 0.001), with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol exhibiting no significant difference. Twenty-two cases developed long-term cardiovascular events after the treatment, with an incidence of 13.92%. The occurrence group had significantly higher serum ADMA levels than the non-occurrence group (p < 0.001). The rosuvastatin treatment also lowered the levels of endothelin-1 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and increased the nitric oxide level (p < 0.001). Spearman correlation analysis showed that serum ADMA levels were positively correlated with the occurrence of long-term cardiovascular events (r=0.462, p < 0.001). Meanwhile, according to the ROC curve, serum ADMA had a good predictive efficacy for long-term cardiovascular events, with an area under the curve of 0.885 (95% confidence interval 0.808-0.963; p < 0.001). Conclusion Rosuvastatin can reduce ADMA levels and exert vascular protective effects. The increase in serum ADMA levels is closely related to the occurrence of long-term cardiovascular events in patients with hyperlipidaemia and H-type hypertension, serving as a potential clinical predictor to guide disease prevention and treatment.

Diagnostic ability of [18F]FDG PET/CT for distinguishing benign from malignant spleen lesions.

[18F]Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is a non-invasive imaging modality used in the differential diagnosis of splenic lesions, although ideal parameters and thresholds remain unclear. The present study evaluated the ability of [18F]FDG PET/CT, including its visual and quantitative parameters, to differentiate between benign and malignant splenic lesions. Patients who underwent [18F]FDG PET/CT following the detection of splenic lesions on contrast-enhanced CT were retrospectively analysed. Visual parameters assessed on [18F]FDG PET/CT included whole spleen uptake intensity, lesion multiplicity, and lesion uptake, and quantitative parameters included maximum standardised uptake value (SUVmax), lesion-to-background ratio (LBR), metabolic tumour volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG), and lesion size. Parameters differentiating between benign and malignant lesions were evaluated by Pearson's chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U-test, and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis. Splenic lesion uptake (p = 0.001) was the only visual parameter significantly distinguishing between benign and malignant lesions. ROC curve analysis demonstrated that SUVmax had the largest area under the ROC, 0.91 (p < 0.001), with an optimal cut-off > 5.3 having a sensitivity of 90.3% and a specificity of 80.6%. Subgroup analysis of malignant lesions showed that SUVmax (p = 0.013), LBR (p = 0.012), and TLG (p = 0.034) were significantly higher in splenic lymphomas than in splenic metastases. Of the [18F]FDG PET/CT parameters investigated, SUVmax had the highest accuracy in diagnosing malignant splenic lesions and was significantly higher in splenic lymphomas than in splenic metastases. Visual determination of [18F]FDG uptake by splenic lesions may be an easily evaluated parameter. SUVmax and visual grade of [18F]FDG PET/CT help to differentiate spleen lesions. [18F]FDG PET/CT is useful for discriminating between benign and malignant spleen lesions. Many splenic lesions are difficult to diagnose on anatomical imaging, with histopathologic analyses are required. SUVmax of PET/CT provided the diagnostic ability to differentiate between benign and malignant splenic lesions. More than normal spleen uptake can be a convenient parameter to diagnose malignant spleen lesions.

Item and Test Characteristic Curves of Rank-2PL Models for Multidimensional Forced-Choice Questionnaires

ABSTRACT A process is proposed to create the one-dimensional expected item characteristic curve (ICC) and test characteristic curve (TCC) for each trait in multidimensional forced-choice questionnaires based on the Rank-2PL (two-parameter logistic) item response theory models for forced-choice items with two or three statements. Some examples of ICC and TCC plots from a real pair form and triplet form are provided, and they appear to help identify misfit trait scores at the item and test levels. TCC plots with negative statements changed to positive ones are also proposed.

Identifying a Level of Neutralizing Antibody That Correlates With Protection From Clinical Mumps Disease During a 2017 Mumps Outbreak Among Military Service Members.

In 2017, a mumps outbreak occurred in a US military barracks. Serum collected at service entry was used to compare pre-exposure with presumptive vaccine-induced antibody levels from persons who developed mumps (cases) and potentially exposed persons who did not develop mumps (non-cases). Sufficient information to determine levels of exposure during the outbreak was not available. Pre-outbreak serum samples from the Department of Defense Serum Repository were available from 254 potentially exposed service members. Twelve developed clinical symptoms and had post-outbreak serum collected. All sera were tested with a mumps-specific enzyme immunoassay for immunoglobulin M, immunoglobulin G (IgG), and IgG avidity. The neutralizing antibodies to vaccine strain (Jeryl Lynn [JL], genotype A) and wildtype virus (genotype G) was assessed by a plaque reduction neutralization test. A Fisher exact test and receiver operator characteristic curve were used to analyze the antibody response for non-cases and mumps cases. Eight mumps cases were laboratory confirmed. Pre-outbreak neutralizing antibody titers to JL and genotype G mumps virus and pre-outbreak IgG index values were proportionately lower for most cases as compared with exposed non-cases. When compared with potentially exposed non-cases, cases with clinical symptoms had greater odds of having a pre-outbreak JL titer <41 and a genotype G titer <16. We identified potential correlates of protection for mumps neutralizing antibody titers against JL and genotype G mumps viruses.

Predicting pump-turbine characteristic curves by theoretical models based on runner geometry parameters

The characteristic curve of a pump-turbine is the essential data for calculating the hydraulic transient processes of a pumped storage power station. However, this curve is often unavailable during the preliminary design stage of pumped storage power stations. The shape of the characteristic curve directly influences the transient guarantee parameters. To date, adjusting the runner geometry to control the characteristic curve's shape for improving hydraulic transients remains a challenging issue. This paper proposes a model for predicting the characteristic curve that correlates its shape with the runner's geometric parameters. Considering the bidirectional flow in pump-turbines, two sets of governing equations are derived separately for the centripetal and centrifugal flow conditions. The governing equations for the unit discharge curve and the unit torque curve are constructed based on the energy equation and torque equation, respectively. Each term in these equations is subsequently organized into the expressions involving the runner's geometric parameters and unit parameters. To make the equations solvable, several sets of feature points are introduced. Based on the approach to obtain the feature points, an experiment/CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics)-based prediction method and a statistics-based prediction method are proposed. Verifications using manufacturer-measured curves show that the experiment/CFD-based method is well-suited for model test acceleration and characteristic curve repair due to its higher prediction accuracy and availability, while the statistics-based method is more suitable for borrowing similar curve data during the power plant's preliminary design phase or rapidly predicting the corresponding characteristic curves during runner design. This work establishes a theoretical basis for improving hydraulic transient guarantee parameters by runner design optimization.

Intraoperative hypothermia in patients with laparoscopic surgery: Influencing factors and prevention strategies

BackgroundEffective body temperature management is crucial for the favorable prognosis of patients undergoing surgery. The purpose of this study is to explore the risk factors of intraoperative hypothermia and to develop a risk prediction model to provide basis for clinical treatment. MethodsPatients who underwent laparoscopic surgery in a tertiary hospital in China from February 1, 2023 to January 31, 2024 were included. The body temperature characteristics of patients in hypothermia group and non-hypothermia group were collected and evaluated. Univariate and Logistic regression analysis were used to evaluate the influencing factors. Based on the regression coefficients of risk factors, a risk prediction model of hypothermia was established. The model was assessed by Hosmer's Lemeshow (H- L) test and receiver working characteristic (ROC) curve. ResultsIn 216 patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery, the incidence of hypothermia was 52.78 %. BMI≤23 kg/m2(OR = 2.061, 95%CI: 1.413–3.263), basal body temperature≤36.1 °C (OR = 3.715, 95%CI: 3.011–4.335), operating room temperature≤22 °C (OR = 2.481, 95%CI: 1.906–3.014), length of surgery≥120 min (OR = 2.228, 95%CI: 1.925–2.981) were the risk factors of hypothermia in patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery (all P < 0.05). The P value of H-L test was 0.098, the area under ROC curve and 95%CI were 0.806 (0.746–0.869). The sensitivity and specificity of the model in this study were good. ConclusionsPatients undergoing laparoscopic surgery are at a high risk of developing hypothermia, a condition influenced by a multitude of factors. This model is designed to be integrated into clinical practice, enabling healthcare providers to identify patients with a higher risk and to implement targeted preventive measures.

Development of Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Coupled with Multivariate Classification Chemometric Model for Routine Screening of Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, and Aspirin Adulteration in Herbal Products

Objective: The objective of this study is to develop and validate a routine screening test for the determination of three common antipyretic-analgesic synthetic drugs (paracetamol, ibuprofen, and aspirin) adulteration in herbal products using Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) coupled with chemometric method. Methods: ATR-FTIR spectra of sixteen testing sets of herbal product samples for pain and fever indications were used for multivariate chemometrics model construction. Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) was selected as a method for model construction with IBM SPSS for statistical analysis. Model development employed feature selection, such as the stepwise method for variable selection. The model with a high %correct classification and cross-validation was selected and was then validated with an independent testing data set with an auto-prediction test, confusion matrix, and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve. To validate the developed test for routine use, the result from ATR-FTIR method was compared with the standard HPLC and TLC analyses used for adulteration screening. Results: The selected model's overall %correct classification result was 97.7%, with a cross-validation of 93.8% rate in training set samples. External validation with an independent testing dataset gave an overall correct classification of 93.8%, with an area under the curve of ROC at 0.979. Comparative testing revealed that model performance was comparable with the HPLC and TLC methods, which routinely detect the presence of paracetamol, aspirin, and ibuprofen. The results of testing set samples classification were consistent with training set samples. Conclusion: Against the standard chromatographic methods, the multivariate chemometric model based on ATR-FTIR demonstrates comparable detection capability to determine adulteration of paracetamol, ibuprofen, and aspirin in herbal products.

Comparison of Global Alignment and Proportion (GAP) Score and SRS-Schwab ASD Classification in the Analysis of Surgical Outcomes for Adult Spinal Deformity

Study designThe GAP score predicted post-operative mechanical complications more effectively whereas SRS-Schwab classification improved evaluation of postoperative PROMs.ObjectiveThe study compared the GAP Score and SRS-Schwab Classification in predicting surgical outcomes for adult spinal deformity (ASD) and elucidated whether both systems should be included in the preoperative planning.Materials and methodsRadiographic measurements and health-related quality of life scores at baseline, 6 weeks after surgery, and the last follow-up were collected from a cohort of 69 ASD patients subjected to long segment spinal fusion surgery after they were grouped by GAP score and SRS-Schwab classification respectively. Fisher's exact test and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to compare the incidence of mechanical complications and the discriminant capacity during revision surgery between the two groups. Postoperative patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs) were compared by one-way ANOVA, and the proportions of MCID achieved for PROMs compared by chi-square test between the two groups.ResultsThe overall incidence of mechanical complications and revision surgery were 42% and 8.7%. Both GAP score and its categories predicted mechanical complications and revision surgery, but the GAP score system could not predict the improvements of PROMs. The SRS-Schwab classification could predict the occurrence of postoperative mechanical complications and improvements of postoperative PROMs between the aligned, moderately misaligned and severely misaligned groups (P < 0.05).ConclusionHence, a comprehensive surgical strategy for postoperative planning may improve patients’ quality of life and minimize mechanical complications.Graphical

Linking Methods for Multidimensional Forced Choice Tests Using the Multi-Unidimensional Pairwise Preference Model.

Applications of multidimensional forced choice (MFC) testing have increased considerably over the last 20years. Yet there has been little, if any, research on methods for linking the parameter estimates from different samples. This research addressed that important need by extending four widely used methods for unidimensional linking and comparing the efficacy of new estimation algorithms for MFC linking coefficients based on the Multi-Unidimensional Pairwise Preference model (MUPP). More specifically, we compared the efficacy of multidimensional test characteristic curve (TCC), item characteristic curve (ICC; Haebara, 1980), mean/mean (M/M), and mean/sigma (M/S) methods in a Monte Carlo study that also manipulated test length, test dimensionality, sample size, percentage of anchor items, and linking scenarios. Results indicated that the ICC method outperformed the M/M method, which was better than the M/S method, with the TCC method being the least effective. However, as the number of items "per dimension" and the percentage of anchor items increased, the differences between the ICC, M/M, and M/S methods decreased. Study implications and practical recommendations for MUPP linking, as well as limitations, are discussed.

Assessing Measurement Invariance in ASWB Exams: Regulatory Research Proposal to Advance Equity

ABSTRACT Purpose Social workers from minoritized racial, ethnic, linguistic, and age groups are far less likely to pass licensing examinations required to practice. Using a simulated data set, our study investigates measurement equivalence, or invariance, of social work licensing exams. Materials For this analysis, we simulated responses to 15 multiple-choice questions which were scored as either correct or incorrect using the R mirt package and used mirt to fit a 2-parameter logistic model (2PL) to the response data. We generated the data so that five items could demonstrate DIF and calculated their impact on the test characteristic curves and item characteristic curves. Results Small amounts of differential item functioning added up into differential test functioning, but the effect size was small. This result is one potential outcome of an analysis of ASWB exams. Discussion Most studies evaluating test characteristic curves demonstrate small effect sizes. Measuring the test characteristic curve and the test information curve will help to investigate content-irrelevant sources of variance in the exams, including unfairness, unreliability, and invalid pass scores. Conclusion Differential test functioning is a core part of measurement invariance studies. Psychometric standards require test developers to assess measurement invariance at both the item-level and test-level to protect themselves from accusations of bias.

Development and validation of a novel scoring system to predict the risk of uterine perforation during intracavitary brachytherapy for cervical cancer.

To develop and validate a novel scoring system for predicting the risk of uterine perforation during brachytherapy (BT) in cervical cancer patients and to stratify patients based on this score to guide the use of ultrasound guidance during BT. Fifty patients with uterine perforation during BT between January 2018 and December 2020 were included. Common reasons for perforation were identified and a scoring system was developed. This was then applied to a cohort of 50 patients without perforation. The 2 cohorts were compared using the χ² test. To validate the scoring system, all newly diagnosed patients who underwent BT in 2021 were scored, and analysed using χ² test and receiver operator characteristic curves. The mean score in the test cohort was 10.16 (range=7-14) and 5.92 (range=5-8) for patients with and without perforation. In the validation cohort, the mean score was 6.9 (range=5-10) and 9.33 (range=7-11) for those with and without perforation. Patients with a score <8 were classified as low risk, while those with a score ≥8 were classified as high risk. Among the criteria evaluated for validation, response to external beam radiotherapy, uterine position, cervico-uterine angle (uterine flexion), identification of cervical os at BT assessment, and the total score were significant predictors, while previous history of perforation, uterine length, and additional uterine anomaly were not. The novel scoring system is an effective predictor of perforation risk during BT. Implementing this during BT assessment can optimize the need for ultrasound guidance during the procedure.

Better among the two for Burn Mortality Prediction in Developing Nations: Revised Baux or Modified Abbreviated Burn Severity Index?

Burns is one of the leading causes of mortality in developing countries like India. Most of the major burns requiring hospital care are not triaged adequately for the use of medical resources. An efficient mortality predicting scale would not only help in better care to those who will benefit the most but also make it easy to explain to patient's attendants. Among the various tools, revised Baux (rBaux) and modified Abbreviated Burn Severity Index (ABSI) are two most commonly used scales in developed nations. We proposed this study to analyze the reliability of these two scoring scales in our burn population. This study aimed to retrospectively study the two scoring systems and analyze them for their reliability in predicting mortality compared to actual observed mortality in each case. This study was conducted on all burn patients admitted to the intensive care unit of our hospital. Data on their demographic profile, total burn surface area, thickness of burns, inhalational injury, and other comorbidities were collected from files. rBaux and modified ABSI (mABSI) were calculated. The end result in the form of survival or nonsurvival was also recorded. Appropriate statistical analysis using Mann-Whitney U-test, Chi-square test, and receiver operator characteristic curve was done to look for a better scoring system out of the two. A total of 504 patients were included in the study, out of which 337 were survivors. Female gender was not a risk factor for mortality in our study. The median rBaux score in the survivor group was 100 (80-110) and in nonsurvivor group was 111 (103-123). The median mABSI score in the survivor group was 8 (7-9) and in nonsurvivor group was 10 (9-11). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve shows mABSI having better specificity for predicting mortality. rBAUX, though more sensitive, overestimates mortality than actual observed mortality. mABSI predicts mortality better than rBaux. A multicentric prospective study is recommended for mABSI to be used as a standard mortality predictor in burns in India.

Analysis of Platelet Lymphocyte Ratio on Severe COVID-19 and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Grade IV

Thrombocytopenia can occur in severe COVID-19 or grade IV DHF. In COVID-19, lymphopenia occurs gradually due to Angiotensin Converting Enzyme-2 as the primary response to SARS-CoV-2 and cytokines that can damage lymphocytes. Contrastingly, lymphocytosis occurs in dengue virus infection. Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) is a new inflammatory marker in predicting the severity of both diseases. This study aimed to analyze differences in PLR values in severe COVID-19 and grade IV DHF and determine the cut-off values. Retrospective research of a cross-sectional approach was carried out using medical record data of patients diagnosed with severe COVID-19 and grade IV DHF by clinicians at Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo Hospital from January 2017 to October 2021. The platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio was obtained from the complete blood count results using the flow cytometry method at the beginning of hospitalization. Mann-Whitney test and Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve were used for statistical analysis. A total of 74 severe COVID-19 and 33 grade IV DHF patients were involved; PRL of severe COVID-19 in dead patients was higher than in recovered patients (p&gt;0.05). The platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio value was significantly lower in grade IV DHF patients who died compared to those who recovered (p&lt;0.001). Platelet to-lymphocyte ratio cut-off of 48.30 for severe COVID-19 was obtained with an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.631 (sensitivity of 54.3%, specificity of 78.6%) and cut-off of 0.715 for grade IV DHF with an AUC of 0.989 (sensitivity of 94.4%, specificity of 100%). There was a difference in PLR value in severe COVID-19 and grade IV DHF. Severe COVID-19 patients who died had higher PLR, whereas grade IV DHF patients had lower PLR values. Values above the PLR cut-off of 48.30 for severe COVID-19 and 0.715 for grade IV DHF can predict the severity of the disease.

2 Clinical Validity and Cut-Off Scores of a Brief Neuropsychological Battery for a Large Rural Population in Community Setting

Objective:There is a dearth of an appropriate standardized tool to assess neuropsychological functions in rural population, which has low literacy rates, are culturally diverse, and have limited access to healthcare resources. The NIREH Neuropsychological Battery for Rural Population (NINB-RP) is a relatively brief and easy-to-administer battery comprising multiple tests that are modified or adopted as per rural community settings to evaluate verbal learning, fine coordination, attention efficiency, executive task, concentration, and visual attention, mental flexibility, and motor coordination in rural populations. The present study aimed to examine the clinical validity and establish cut-off scores for impairment of neuropsychological functions for different age, gender, and education levels of NINB-RP in a rural community in central India.Participants and Methods:This was a prospective cross-sectional study conducted in participants aged &gt; 18 years (n=2952, M: F=1407:1545) recruited through a stratified sampling technique from 23 randomly selected villages from central India. The data of nine neuropsychological tests [(Finger and Tweezer dexterity test (FDT, TDT); Digit Forward and Backward test (DFT, DBT); Serial subtraction test (SST); Trail Making-A and B; Finger Tapping test (FTT); and Letter Digit Substitution test, LDST)] from 215 cognitively impaired and 2737 healthy control subjects were analyzed. The tests were performed in a village school/community hall or an outdoor camp. Independent sample t-test, Chi-square test, and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve were used to calculate the area under the curve (AUC), cut-off scores, and sensitivity (ST)/specificity (SP) values for seven conditions, i.e., gender (male vs. female), age groups (up to 49 years and above 50 years); and educational levels (illiterate, intermediate and college). For those variables where ST/SP values were lower than 0.70, a unique cut-off score was calculated for the entire sample, adjusting by age and educational levels.Results:A significant difference in mean (median) scores between the healthy control and cognitively impaired groups were observed in all tests except Trail Making A and B and LDST. The AUC for most of the tests ranged from 0.70 to 0.81, and the ST/SP values ranged from 69-73% and 65-75%, respectively. The results showed that most tests of NINB-RP reached moderate to good sensitivity and specificity for gender, age and education levels, except for DBT for females, above 50 years, and illiterate and intermediate education groups. FDT for males [AUC: 0.85 (95%CI0.80-0.91], ST/SP=76/82%] and females [(AUC=0.78 (95%CI0.74-0.82), ST/SP=71/70%], TDT for intermediate education group [AUC=0.82 (95%CI0.60-1.00), ST/SP=86/83%] and FTT for less than 49 years age group [AUC=0.75 (95%CI0.67-0.84), ST/SP=71/76%] were the most useful tests to discriminate among healthy control and cognitively impaired rural population.Conclusions:The present study is an attempt to establish the cut-off scores of a neuropsychological battery for a large rural population in the community setting. The proposed cut-off values might be helpful in clinical assessment in rural areas where clinical neuropsychology services are not readily available. NINB-RP can be a valuable tool for clinical research studies in rural communities. Further studies on similar samples in other countries need to be undertaken.

Bayesian Logistic Regression: A New Method to Calibrate Pretest Items in Multistage Adaptive Testing

ABSTRACT An operational multistage adaptive test (MST) requires the development of a large item bank and the effort to continuously replenish the item bank due to concerns about test security and validity over the long term. New items should be pretested and linked to the item bank before being used operationally. The linking item volume fluctuations in MST, however, bring into question the quality of the link to the reference scale. In this study, various calibration/linking methods along with a newly proposed Bayesian logistic regression (BLR) method were evaluated by comparison with the test characteristic curve method through simulated MST response data in terms of item parameter recovery. Results generated by the BLR method were promising due to its estimation stability and robustness across studied conditions. The findings of the present study should help inform practitioners of the utilities of implementing the pretest item calibration method in MST.

Examining Appropriacy of CFI and TLI Cutoff Value in Multiple-Group CFA Test of Measurement Invariance to Enhance Accuracy of Test Score Interpretation

The most common effect size when using a multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis approach to measurement invariance is ΔCFI and ΔTLI with a cutoff value of 0.01. However, this recommended cutoff value may not be ubiquitously appropriate and may be of limited application for some tests (e.g., measures using dichotomous items or different estimation methods, sample sizes, or model complexity). Moreover, prior cutoff value estimations often have ignored consequences resulting in using measures that more accurately estimate countries’ or learners’ proficiency for some countries or groups versus others. In this study, we investigate whether the cutoff value proposed by Cheung and Rensvold (ΔCFI or ΔTLI &gt; 0.01) is appropriate across educational measurement contexts. Specifically, we investigated the performance of ΔCFI and ΔTLI in capturing LOI at the scalar level in dichotomous items within item response theory on groups whose test characteristic curves differed by 0.5. Simulation results showed that the proposed cutoff value of 0.01 in ΔCFI and ΔTLI was not appropriate to capture LOI under the study conditions, which may result in the misinterpretation of test results or inaccurate inferences.

Spatial-temporal distribution and hazard assessment of maize lodging in a synergistic disaster environment

Maize, a major food crop, holds significant edible and industrial value. Lodging poses a threat to maize yields, often resulting in reduced or even zero grain production due to the prevailing growth conditions. The precise evaluation of contributing factors on maize lodging, such as adverse environmental conditions, remains limited.This study employs the M-K test, Geodetector analysis, and Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) curve to examine the spatial-temporal distribution of maize lodging incidents and establishes a comprehensive assessment model for spring maize lodging hazard evaluation, considering environmental variables. The findings reveal the following: (1) High wind-type lodging events (≥ 10.8 m/s by universal definition, ≥ 10 m/s in this study) occurred frequently from the jointing-tasseling stage. Wind and rain-type lodging events occurred more frequently from the milk to maturity stages compared to other phases. (2) Maize lodging hazard during the jointing stage is prominent in western Jilin province and tends to expand towards central Jilin province as the growth stages progress. (3) Topographical, soil, and climatic factors all exhibited explanatory power regarding lodging incidents, with climatic factors demonstrating a substantial contribution when combined with the other two variables. (4) The accuracy test of the ROC curve for the comprehensive model surpasses the 0.05 significant confidence threshold, indicating a strong fit. The model developed in this study enables the evaluation of maize lodging hazards during the late growth stage, enhancing the reliability of lodging disaster risk assessments.

Equating of standardized science subjects tests using various methods: which is the most profitable?

A good test set can be reflected in the quality of the items. It can measure the ability of the test takers reasonably even though they are distributed in several question packages. This study uses an exploratory, descriptive method to determine the equivalence of standardized test sets in science subjects for junior high schools in Indonesia. The data were obtained from the database of Junior High School National Examination results in the subject of Natural Sciences, which consisted of 5 question packages with 40 items/package. The equating technique uses the Item Response Theory 3 PL approach with the help of R Studio Software. The research results show that the national exam questions, which consist of 5 question packages, have a good level of item difficulty and all guesses. However, the discrimination index and several items obtained unfavorable results. In addition to the results of equating the graphical method using the closeness of the test characteristic curve, the Stocking &amp;amp; Lord methods produce the most equivalent scores. These findings can be a reference for test developers or researchers in the field of measurement to produce better and more accurate test kits.

Item response theory analysis of the University Personality Inventory in medical students.

Young adulthood has been recognized as an important period for the transition from adolescence to adulthood. The University Personality Inventory (UPI), a mental health questionnaire for young adulthood, is widely used to screen university students in East Asia. However, dichotomous systems do not allow respondent choose responses other than two options on each symptom. This study employed item response theory (IRT) to examine the properties and performance of UPI items for mental health problems. Japanese medical students (n = 1185) participated in this study, and the UPI was completed at the time of university admission. The two-parameter IRT model was used to assess the measurement characteristics of the UPI items. Among all participants, 35.4% (420/1185) had total UPI score of 21 or more, and 10.6% (126/1185) indicated that they had the idea of wanting to die (item 25). For further IRT analysis, unidimensionality was confirmed by exploratory factor analysis, in which the primary factor accounted for 39.6% of the variance. The scale has sufficient discrimination power. In the test characteristic curves, the rising slopes of the lines were between θ 0 and 2. The UPI is useful to assess mild or moderate mental health problems, while precision may decline among individuals experiencing both little and extremely high levels of stress. Our findings provide a basis for identifying people who have mental health concerns.