Digital Commons Network^™

The Proportional Odds Model For Assessing Rater Agreement With Multiple Modalities, Elizabeth Garrett-Mayer, Steven N. Goodman, Ralph H. Hruban

Johns Hopkins University, Dept. of Biostatistics Working Papers

In this paper, we develop a model for evaluating an ordinal rating systems where we assume that the true underlying disease state is continuous in nature. Our approach in motivated by a dataset with 35 microscopic slides with 35 representative duct lesions of the pancreas. Each of the slides was evaluated by eight raters using two novel rating systems (PanIN illustrations and PanIN nomenclature),where each rater used each systems to rate the slide with slide identity masked between evaluations. We find that the two methods perform equally well but that differentiation of higher grade lesions is more consistent across raters …

Evaluating The Repair Of System-On-Chip (Soc) Using Connectivity, Minsu Choi, Nohpill Park, Vincenzo Piuri, Fabrizio Lombardi

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents a new model for analyzing the repairability of reconfigurable system-on-chip (RSoC) instrumentation with the repair process. It exploits the connectivity of the interconnected cores in which unreliability factors due to both neighboring cores and the interconnect structure are taken into account. Based on the connectivity, two RSoC repair scheduling strategies, Minimum Number of Interconnections First (I-MIN) and Minimum Number of Neighboring Cores First (C-MIN), are proposed. Two other scheduling strategies, Maximum Number of Interconnections First (I-MAX) and Maximum Number of Neighboring cores First (C-MAX), are also introduced and analyzed to further explore the impact of connectivity-based repair …

Comparison Of Two Approaches To Structured Physical Activity Surveys Of Adolescents, Robert G. Mcmurray, Kimberly B. Ring, Margarita S. Treuth, Gregory J. Welk, Russell R. Pate, Kathryn H. Schmitz, Julie L. Pickrel, Vivian Gonzalez, Maria João C. A. Almeida, Deborah Rohm Young, James F. Sallis

Faculty Publications

Purpose - To compare the test-retest reliability, convergent validity, and overall feasibility/usability of activity-based (AB) and time-based (TB) approaches for obtaining self-reported moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) from adolescents.

Methods - Adolescents (206 females and 114 males) completed two 3-d physical activity recalls using the AB and TB surveys, which contained identical lists of physical activities. The participants wore an MTI Actigraph^® accelerometer for the same period.

Results - The TB instrument took about 3 min longer to complete (P=0.022). Overall 2-d test-retest correlations for MVPA were similar for the two surveys (r=0.676 and 0.667), but the girls …

Lead-Free Solder Joint Reliability – State Of The Art And Perspectives, Jianbiao Pan, Jyhwen Wang, David M. Shaddock

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

There is an increasing demand in replacing tin-lead (Sn/Pb) solders with lead-free solders in the electronics industry due to health and environmental concern. The European Union recently passed a law to ban the use of lead in electronic products. The ban will go into effect in July of 2006. The Japanese electronics industry has worked to eliminate lead from consumer electronic products for several years. Although currently there are no specific regulations banning lead in electronics devices in the United States, many companies and consortiums are working on lead-free solder initiatives including Intel, Motorola, Agilent Technologies, General Electric, Boeing, NEMI …

Assessing Student Exposure To And Use Of Computer Technologies Through An Examination Of Course Syllabi, Michael B. Madson, Timothy P. Melchert, Joan Whipp

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

A syllabus analysis instrument was developed to assist program evaluators, administrators and faculty in the identification of skills that students use as they complete their college coursework. While this instrument can be tailored for use with a variety of learning domains, we used it to assess students' use of and exposure to computer technology skills. The reliability and validity of the instrument was examined through an analysis of 88 syllabi from courses within the teacher education program and the core curriculum at a private Midwest US university. Results indicate that the instrument has good inter‐rater reliability and ratings by and …

"Ask Me No Secrets, I'Ll Tell You No Lies:" What Happens When A Respondent's Story Makes No Sense, Sarah Flicker

The Qualitative Report

In health research, we depend heavily on the goodwill of study participants. However, the whole social contract of health research is based on the premise that everyone comes to the research table with honorable intentions. What course should we take if we doubt the authenticity of our participants accounts? Through the use of an illustrative case study, this paper will explore three different ways of thinking about (and handling) implausible narratives.

Day 2: Thursday, August 5, 2004: Xcel Energy Lookout Dispatch Center, Doug Larson, United States. Department Of Energy

Energy Field Tour 2004 (August 4-6)

7 pages (includes illustrations and maps).

Soil Hydraulics Properties Estimation By Using Pedotransfer Functions In A Northeastern Semiarid Zone Catchment, Brazil, Lúcio Flávio Ferreira Moreira, A. M. Righetto, V. M. De A. Medeiros

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Hydrological modeling of the unsaturated soil zone fluxes allows the transfer processes simulation through the hydrological active soil zone. The pedotransfer functions (FTP) are useful tools in the modeling process. They contain analytical functions derived through statistic optimization process using a large amount of soil information data. This paper aims to analyze the level of reliability of two different pedotransfer functions [Wösten et al. (2001); Hodnett and Tomasella (2000)] by using field measurement of soil properties and experimental infiltration data through a disc infiltrometer in an experimental catchment at northeastern semi arid zone of Brazil. FTP’s used in this study …

Method For Water Distribution Systems Reliability Evaluation, Tina Dasic, Branislav Djordjevic

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

A new methodology for water resources systems reliability evaluation is presented. The proposedmethodology considers both: mechanical reliability (probability of pipe failure) and reliability of hydraulicparameters in the nodes and links (pressure, velocity). On the basis of this methodology the model NetRelwas developed. This model is useful for determining reliability of systems with different configurations andcomplexity. Also, methodology for optimal reliability allocation, based on genetic algorithms, is proposed.That methodology, coupled with the reliability evaluation method, is an efficient tool for solving problems ofoptimal allocation of water distribution network reliability.

Hearing The Difference: A Computer-Based Speech-Perception Diagnostic Tool For Non-Native Speakers Of English, Justin Reed Shewell

Theses and Dissertations

This project was completed to fill a need in the field of pronunciation teaching and learning by providing a computer-based, speech-perception diagnostic tool that helps determine learners' problem areas in the perception of English speech. Current diagnostic tools are few and very limited in their scope and application in the language classroom. The Perception of Spoken English Test diagnoses learners' specific speech perception problems, alerting teachers to areas that require special attention in a particular course or lesson. This project involved the development, production, piloting, evaluation, and revision of a computer-based instrument in an intensive English program. The data collected …

Investigation Into The Current Statistical Distribution For Oxide Breakdown Versus The Oxide Thickness Used In Integrated Circuit Manufacture, Eoin James O Driscoll

Theses

A critical aspect of integrated circuit manufacturing is the reliability of the components, in particular the gate oxide of transistors and capacitors. Accelerated stress tests are used for reliability predictions of gate oxides. There are two statistical distributions, which can be applied to stress test failure data, namely the Lognormal or the Weibull distributions. The failure data can fit each distribution equally well. However the use of either distribution will give vastly different lifetime predictions and their correct use is crucial for accurate lifetime prediction. A statistical based test, developed with Monte Carlo data, which is designed to decide if …

The Reliability And Validity Of The Boatwright-Bracken Child Attention Deficit Scales: Child And Parent Versions, Erica S. Thomas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the psychometric properties of a new measure of attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD) symptoms, the Boatwright-Bracken Child Attention Deficit Scale (BCADS), self- and parent-report forms. Parents and children with and without ADHD completed the BCADS to determine the reliability and validity of the BCADS. The BCADS-Child and Parent had high internal consistency reliability. The total sample parent-selfratings were moderately correlated, indicating a typical level of cross informant agreement.

Results indicate that the BCADS differentiates children with ADHD from children without ADHD. Children and parents in the clinical sample reported more symptoms of ADHD than those in the comparison sample. …

Global Shear Wave Velocity Database For Probabilistic Assessment Of The Initiation Of Seismic-Soil Liquefaction, Robert Kayen, Raymond B. Seed, Robb E.S. Moss, Onder K. Cetin, Y. Tanaka, Kohji Tokimatsu

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Engineering practitioners commonly use penetration-based methods (SPT & CPT) for assessment of seismic liquefaction triggering hazard. On the horizon, shear wave velocity (V_s) may offer engineers a third tool that is lower cost and provides more physically meaningful measurements. Development of the shear wave velocity liquefaction method has been hampered by a paucity of published velocity profiles; particularly in deeper soil deposits (>10m) and deposits subjected to high cyclic stress ratios (CSR > 0.3). A review of the literature reveals that most historic liquefaction sites fitting this depth and CSR criteria are located in Asia, though most of …

Validity Of Scandura And Ragins' (1993) Multidimensional Mentoring Measure: An Evaluation And Refinement, Stephanie L. Castro, Terri A. Scandura Phd, Ethlyn A. Williams

Management Faculty Articles and Papers

The establishment of a mentoring relationship can be important to an individual‘s career for multiple reasons. However, in order to study this construct, we must be able to accurately measure it. In this paper, three separate studies were conducted to examine and refine Scandura and Ragins‘ (1993) multidimensional mentoring measure. In Study 1, an empirical assessment of the content validity of the measure was conducted. The convergent and discriminant validity, reliability, and item-total correlations were then examined in Study 2, and the measure was reduced to nine items. The convergent and discriminant validity, reliability, and item-total correlations of this reduced …

The Confrontation Clause Re-Rooted And Transformed, Richard D. Friedman

Articles

For several centuries, prosecution witnesses in criminal cases have given their testimony under oath, face to face with the accused, and subject to cross-examination at trial. The Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the procedure, providing that ‘‘[i]n all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right . . . to be confronted with the witness against him.’’ In recent decades, however, judicial protection of the right has been lax, because the U.S. Supreme Court has tolerated admission of outof- court statements against the accused, without cross-examination, if the statements are deemed ‘‘reliable’’ or ‘‘trustworthy.’’ …

Adjusting To Crawford: High Court Decision Restores Confrontation Clause Protection, Richard D. Friedman

Articles

In Crawford v. Washington, 124 S. Ct. 1354 (2004), the U.S. Supreme Court radically transformed its doctrine governing the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Craitiord is a very positive development, restoring to its central position one of the basic protections of the common law system of criminal justice. But the decision leaves many open questions, and all lawyers involved in the criminal justice process will have to adjust to the new regime that it creates. This article outlines and summarizes the problems with the law as it stood before Crait/brd. It then explains the theoretical …

Face To Face': Rediscovering The Right To Confront Prosecution Witnesses, Richard D. Friedman

Articles

The Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution protects the right of an accused 'to confront the witnesses against him'. The United States Supreme Court has treated this Confrontation Clause as a broad but rather easily rebuttable rule against using hearsay on behalf of a criminal prosecution; with respect to most hearsay, the exclusionary rule is overcome if the court is persuaded that the statement is sufficiently reliable, and the court can reach that conclusion if the statement fits within a 'firmly rooted' hearsay exception. This article argues that this framework should be abandoned. The clause should not be regarded …

Reliability Of Higher Seeding Rates Of Wheat For Increased Competitiveness With Weeds In Low Rainfall Environments, D Lemerle, R D. Cousens, G S. Gill, S J. Peltzer, M Moerkerk, C E. Murphy, D Collins, Brian R. Cullis

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Increasing crop competitiveness using higher seeding rates is a possible technique for weed management in low input and organic farming systems or when herbicide resistance develops in weeds. A range of wheat seeding rates were sown and resulted in crop densities between 50–400 plants/m² (current recommendations are 100–150 plants/m²) in the presence and absence of annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum Gaud.) in three wheat cultivars at nine experiments in southern Australia. Wheat densities of at least 200 plants/m² were required to suppress L. rigidum and to a lesser extent increase crop yield across a wide range …

Development And Validation Of An Instrument To Assess The General Knowledge Of Patients With Diabetes(การสร้างและทดสอบความตรงของเครื่องมือเพื่อใช้วัดควา..., Supakit Wongwiwatthananukit, Sarinee Krittiyanunt, Aunchalee Wannapinyo

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

The purpose of this methodological study was to develop a reliable and valid instrument to assess the general knowledge of diabetic patients. The study was implemented through three major steps: (1) instrument development, (2) expert review of the instru...

Determination Of Reliability Indices For Congestion On Urban Arterial Streets, Venu Parimi

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Motorists tend to accept certain levels of delay during peak traffic conditions, but become increasingly agitated when the travel times increase unpredictably due to incidents on roadways. The objective of this thesis is to develop a reliability index quantifying the spatial and temporal distribution of traffic congestion on urban arterial streets. Delays caused due to recurrent and non-recurrent congestion need to be differentiated. Two approaches for estimating road network reliability are proposed to quantify delays due to recurrent and non-recurrent congestion. These indices are expressed as functions of operating speed and travel time respectively. A case study using urban arterial …

Self-Reported Versus Recorded Sleep Position: An Observational Study, Susan J. Gordon, Karen A. Grimmer, Patricia Trott

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Background: Patient reports of ‘usual’ and ‘recent’ sleep positions are used by allied health professionals to direct the management of waking and nocturnal musculoskeletal symptoms. However no published studies have determined if self reports of sleep position are valid, consistent or reliable. An observational study was conducted at the Centre for Sleep Research of the University of South Australia. Twelve subjects, four in each of the age groups 18 to 39 years, 40 to 59 years and 60 years and over, without any known sleep disorders or sleep-disturbing medical or emotional problems participated in the study. Subjects spent two non-consecutive …

A Nonlinear Random Coefficients Model For Degradation Testing, Suk Joo Bae, Paul H. Kvam

Department of Math & Statistics Faculty Publications

As an alternative to traditional life testing, degradation tests can be effective in assessing product reliability when measurements of degradation leading to failure can be observed. This article presents a degradation model for highly reliable light displays, such as plasma display panels and vacuum fluorescent displays (VFDs). Standard degradation models fail to capture the burn-in characteristics of VFDs, when emitted light actually increases up to a certain point in time before it decreases (or degrades) continuously. Random coefficients are used to model this phenomenon in a nonlinear way, which allows for a nonmonotonic degradation path. In many situations, the relative …

Face To Face With The Right Of Confrontation, Richard D. Friedman

Other Publications

This article is an edited excerpt from the amicus curiae brief filed in Crawford v. Washington, heard before the United States Supreme Court on November 10, 2003. Prof. Friedman wrote the brief for the Court.

Development And Validation Of An Instrument To Assess The Attitudes Of Patients With Diabetes(การสร้างและทดสอบความตรงของเครื่องมือเพื่อใช้วัดทัศนคต..., Supakit Wongwiwatthananukit, Sarinee Krittiyanunt, Aunchalee Wannapinyo

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

The purpose of this methodological study was to develop a reliable and valid instrument to assess attitudes of patients with diabetes. This study was implemented through three major steps: (1) instrument development, (2) expert review of the instrument, ...

The Effects Of Operator Trust, Complacency Potential, And Task Complexity On Monitoring A Highly Reliable Automated System, Nathan R. Bailey

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Technological advances have allowed for widespread implementation of automation in complex systems. However, the increase in quantity and complexity of advanced automated systems has raised a number of potential concerns including degraded monitoring skills. The present investigation consisted of two studies that assessed the impact of system reliability, complacency potential, monitoring complexity, operator trust, and system experience on monitoring performance. In both studies, participants monitored a simulated aviation display for failures while operating a manually controlled flight task. In addition, the second experiment assessed the ability of operators to detect a single automation failure over three experimental sessions. Results indicated …