Wide-scale Testing Research Articles

Missed opportunities for HIV testing and counselling in Asia

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently estimated that persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) in the United States unaware of their serostatus may account for 54–70% of new infections [1]. Increasing awareness from the current 75 to 100% could reduce sexual transmission by 40% [2]. In Asia, where fewer than half of PLHA are aware of their serostatus (see Table 1) [3–17], the contribution to the epidemic made by people unaware of their serostatus is likely to be much higher. Thus, testing is a key component of HIV prevention strategies. This paper reviews the current situation and discusses strategies to increase HIV testing in Asia.

Estimating size at first maturity (L50) from Gonadossomatic Index (GSI) data

Correct estimates of size at first maturity (L50) are useful for fish stock management and different methods have been proposed. In this study we propose the use of a modified logistic to estimate L50, including a variable asymptote (A). We also test the use of the Gonadossomatic Index (GSI) as a flag to establish the reproductive status of each female fish. The method is demonstrated using GSI data for four Neotropical fish species: Characiformes: Astyanax fasciatus (n = 473) and Oligosarcus robustus (n = 297); Siluriformes: Loricariichthys anus (n = 427) and Trachelyopterus lucenai (n = 195). The results were stable enough to propose this method be used for other fish species with different life histories and with a relatively unconstrained sampling programs. Nevertheless, a wide scale test program is desirable to identify any possible bias in this approach.

Micro-dosing as a pathway to Africa’s Green Revolution: evidence from broad-scale on-farm trials

Next to drought, poor soil fertility is the single biggest cause of hunger in Africa. ICRISAT-Zimbabwe has been working for the past 10 years to encourage small-scale farmers to increase inorganic fertiliser use as the first step towards Africa’s own Green Revolution. The program of work is founded on promoting small quantities of inorganic nitrogen (N) fertiliser (micro-dosing) in drought-prone cropping regions. Results from initial on-farm trials showed that smallholder farmers could increase their yields by 30–100% through application of micro doses, as little as 10 kg Nitrogen ha−1. The question remained whether these results could be replicated across much larger numbers of farmers. Wide scale testing of the micro-dosing (17 kg Nitrogen ha−1) concept was initiated in 2003/2004, across multiple locations in southern Zimbabwe through relief and recovery programs. Each year more than 160,000 low resourced households received at least 25 kg of nitrogen fertiliser and a simple flyer in the vernacular explaining how to apply the fertiliser to a cereal crop. This distribution was accompanied by a series of simple paired plot demonstration with or without fertiliser, hosted by farmers selected by the community, where trainings were carried out and detailed labour and crop records were kept. Over a 3 year period more than 2,000 paired-plot trials were established and quality data collected from more than 1,200. In addition, experimentation to derive N response curves of maize (Zea mays L.), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.) in these environments under farmer management was conducted. The results consistently showed that micro-dosing (17 kg Nitrogen ha−1) with nitrogen fertiliser can increase grain yields by 30–50% across a broad spectrum of soil, farmer management and seasonal climate conditions. In order for a household to make a profit, farmers needed to obtain between 4 and 7 kg of grain for every kg of N applied depending on season. In fact farmers commonly obtained 15–45 kg of grain per kg of N input. The result provides strong evidence that lack of N, rather than lack of rainfall, is the primary constraint to cereal crop yields and that micro-dosing has the potential for broad-scale impact on improving food security in these drought prone regions.

Creating A Standardized Test For The Vocational High School English Final Examination: An Alternative

The final examination has a significant impact on all stakeholders in corresponding education. It has become a general measurement of success among them and the results reflect the students' and teachers' performance. The ministry of education has selected TOEIC as the vocational high school English final examination in response to the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum since 2004. The last two trials of the examinations created a lot of controversies both in the number of failures and their implications to scoring system.This article conveys reasonable objections to the adoption of international wide scale testing to the English education in Indonesia. Several issues will be addressed to the concern which leads to these failures including the decision to apply TOEIC to measure students' language competencies, the ethical issues in language testing, validity and reliability. These all lead to further idea of the construction of a good standardized English test as high school English final examination.

Widescale testing of the Crop-meter for site-specific farming

A sensor for measuring crop biomass density has been designed and developed to meet the demands for practical use in site-specific farming. The mechanical sensor named ‘Crop-meter’ is based on the pendulum principle. The suitability and measuring stability of the Crop-meter has been confirmed under field conditions in different regions of Germany. Significant correlations were obtained between Crop-meter signals and soil electrical conductivity (R 2=0.16−0.66) and grain yield (R 2=0.42−0.57). To test the suitability of the Crop-meter for site-specific management, it was used to control variable application rates for nitrogen fertiliser, growth regulators and fungicides in real time. A small increase in yield (3.1%) as well as reduced application rates for agrochemicals (14.6% nitrogen fertilisers; 23.1% fungicides and growth regulators) were proved in large-scale trials.

Psittacosis/avian chlamydiosis.

Considerable progress continues to be made in understanding chlamydial organisms, their host species, diagnosis, and treatment. (1-3) Thus, national guidelines are updated annually to provide a standardized approach to handling infections in humans and birds. (2-3) Prior to development of these guidelines, considerable variation in approach by state agencies has been documented. (39) A more recent national assessment of state regulations and procedures has not been conducted. Decreasing imports of birds and increasing education may contribute to a reduction in human risk from avian infections. Keeping new birds separate from old birds in aviaries and poultry production facilities may reduce the incidence of avian chlamydiosis. Although wide-scale testing of birds may not be cost effective, (28) focal testing and treatment may help reduce human risk. The recent loss of a major source for pelleted feed for small birds, such as budgerigars, was a severe setback for veterinarians and local agencies in managing this disease. However, new medication formulas under development may help to address this problem. (2-3)

Population-based genetic screening for reproductive counseling: the Tay-Sachs disease model.

Since 1970, more than 1.4 million individuals worldwide have been screened voluntarily to determine if they are carriers of the mutant gene for Tay-Sachs Disease (TSD). Employing both enzymatic and molecular methods (for optimal sensitivity and specificity) more than 1400 couples have been identified to be at-risk for TSD in their offspring, i.e., both parents heterozygotes. Through prenatal testing of more than 3200 pregnancies, births of over 600 infants with this uniformly fatal neurodegenerative disease have been prevented. In the United States and Canada, the incidence of TSD in the Jewish population has been reduced by more than 90%. More that 100 mutations in the hexosaminidase A gene (the TSD locus) have been identified to date. Some are associated with later onset or more chronic forms of neuronal storage disease. Two mutations cause a carrier-like "pseudo-deficiency" when enzymatic testing is used (false positives). A number of practical, social, and ethical complexities have been identified in this prototypic population-based effort. Educational and counseling components must be provided both before and after screening. Issues of privacy and confidentiality of test results must be addressed. In certain cultures insurability and employment may be involved. The public perception of the biomedical community as advocates for wide-scale testing and screening may be interpreted, in some systems, as conflicts of interest on the part of entrepreneurial scientists, clinicians, and institutions. Many new opportunities for population-based screening will be evident in this era of genome-related discovery. Accordingly, some of the experiences with Tay-Sachs disease prevention may be instructive.

Making history: Thomas Francis, Jr, MD, and the 1954 Salk Poliomyelitis Vaccine Field Trial.

This article focuses on the poliomyelitis vaccine field trial directed by Thomas Francis,Jr, MD, of the University of Michigan Vaccine Evaluation Center and sponsored by the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (NFIP) or, as it was better known to the public, the March of Dimes. It was a landmark in the widescale testing of a vaccine and the ethical use of human subjects. Millions of American parents readily volunteered their healthy children to participate. A total of 150,000 volunteers, including schoolteachers, physicians, nurses, and health officers all endorsed the study and donated their time and effort to make it successful. Avoiding the use of marginalized groups, the field trial purposefully did not involve institutionalized children; instead, it was based in 15,000 public schools in 44 of the 48 states as clinic sites. A group of 650,000 children received some type of injection, either the vaccine or a placebo, and another 1.18 million served as controls. The field trial depended, most essentially, on both public support and the participation of millions of children who remained enrolled in a study that required a series of 3 injections and a 6-month evaluation period. Enlisting the huge number of participants presented practical examples of the difficulties in experimenting on human subjects. On April 26, 1954, Randy Kerr, a participant or "Polio Pioneer" as the children involved were called, received the first inoculation of the Salk poliomyelitis vaccine. The nationwide study "designed to test the safety and efficacy" of the Salk vaccine had officially begun.

The relationship between post-construction testing and sound insulation performance

This paper looks at the effect of post-construction testing on the sound insulation performance of housing. As a result of simpler and cheaper instrumentation, wide scale testing of sound transmission was carried out on housing in central Scotland during the 1980s. This testing showed that, initially, there was a very high number of houses that failed to meet the desired sound insulation standard but that as architects and contractors came to terms with the knowledge that completed houses might be tested, so the number of failures decreased. The results showed that post-construction testing could reduce the failure rate from around 60% to around 20%.

A COMPARISON OF SEVERAL METHODS OF ASSESSING ITEM BIAS

Controversy over testing practices has erupted at various times since the inception of wide-scale testing during World War I (Cronbach, 1975). Most recently the issue of bias in measurement and selection has come to the forefront. Minority groups have claimed that traditional educational and employment tests are oriented toward white middle class culture and may not reflect the true ability of minorities (Williams, 1970, 1971). Subsequently, research on bias in testing has followed two paths (Pothoff, 1966): the study of bias in the presence of an external criterion, called bias in selection, versus the study of bias in the absence of an external criterion, called item bias. The present paper does not deal with bias in selection, but the interested reader can refer to the special issue of the Journal of Educational Measurement (Spring, 1976) which is devoted entirely to this topic. Rather, this paper is concerned with item bias.

High-analysis granular sulphur assemblages as sources of sulphur for lucerne

A growth chamber study was conducted to compare five granulated sulphur assemblages and a commercially available prilled sulphur with gypsum and flowers of sulphur as sources of sulphur for lucerne grown on two sulphur deficient soils, one from the Armstrong area of B.C. and one from California. Following one surface application of the various sulphur supplying materials at rates of 37.5 mg, 75 mg and 150 mg of sulphur per 3750 g of soil, four consecutive harvests were removed from the Enderby silt loam during a 145 day period and three cuttings were taken over a 119 day cropping interval on the Willits soil from California. Although gypsum and finely divided sulphur were the most effective sources, three of the five assemblages also had a favourable influence upon yield of lucerne, sulphur concentration and sulphur uptake. The three acceptable assemblages were sulphur-bentonite, sulphur-goulac-ammonium sulphate and sulphur-gypsum-goulac and they produced beneficial effects upon lucerne growth that were often comparable to those obtained with finely divided sulphur. On the basis of this investigation, it appears that certain granular high-analysis sulphur assemblages made from finely divided sulphur and binding agents, such as gypsum, ammonium sulphate, goulac and bentonite have satisfactory agronomic properties. Because these assemblages have suitable agronomic and physical properties they should be ideal for bulk blending with other granular fertilizer materials or for use in direct application to the soil. Wider scale testing of the sulphur-bentonite, sulphur-goulac-ammonium sulphate and sulphur-gypsum-goulac assemblages would seem to be justified.

Mass BCG Vaccination in Czechoslovakia 1948-49, With Special Reference to Statistics on Tuberculin Testing and BCG Vaccination

This report consists of 103 pages of which 83 are charts and graphs. It is extensive and complete and gives in detail the results of a wide scale testing with tuberculin and vaccination with BCG. The organization and plans for such a survey are explained completely. The material and reliability of the tests and the evaluation of each test is recorded. Children under 12 years of age had Moro tests and those over 14 years had Mantoux tests 1-10-000. Children showing a negative Moro were given a Mantoux test.