The use of bouts and frequencies in the evaluation of hand preferences for a coordinated bimanual task in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): An empirical study comparing two different indices of laterality.

Hand preferences for a coordinated bimanual task were assessed in 109 chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Hand preference was evaluated for 4 test sessions using bouts and frequencies of hand use to compare the sensitivity of each level of analysis in evaluating individual variation in handedness. Overall, significant population-level right-handedness was found using several different measures of hand use. Handedness indices based on bouts and frequencies were highly and significantly correlated. Moreover, hand preferences were consistent across tests despite efforts to situationally bias preference during each test. Taken together, these data do not support the view that bouts are a better level of analysis for evaluating hand preference. The results further suggest that hand preferences for coordinated bimanual actions are not influenced by situational factors and may reflect an inherent specialization of the left hemisphere for motor skill. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Estimating Compaction of Cohesive Soils from Machine Drive Power

To evaluate roller-integrated machine drive power (MDP) technology for predicting the compaction parameters of cohesive soils considering the influences of soil type, moisture content, and lift thickness on machine power response, a field study was conducted with 15-m test strips using three cohesive soils and several nominal moisture contents. Test strips were compacted using a prototype CP-533 static padfoot roller with integrated MDP technology and tested using various in situ compaction measurement devices. To characterize the roller machine-soil interaction, soil testing focused on measuring compaction parameters for the compaction layer. Variation in both MDP and in situ measurements was observed and attributed to inherent variability of the compaction layer and measurement errors. Considering the controlled operations to create relatively uniform conditions of the test strips, measurement variability observed in this study establishes a baseline for acceptable variation in production operations using MDP technology in cohesive soils. Predictions of in situ compaction measurements from MDP were found to be highly correlated when moisture content and MDP-moisture interaction terms were incorporated into regression models.     

Generalizability of a checklist for assessment of psychopathy.

Suggests that there are problems associated with assessments of psychopathy in prison populations that use self-report inventories and global diagnostic procedures. In response to these problems, the authors developed a behavioral checklist for psychopathy. The psychometric qualities of the checklist were evaluated using generalizability theory and classical test score indices of reliability. In each of 5 yrs, 2 raters (usually different each year) rated prison inmates (N?=?301; mean age 26.9 yrs) on 22 items. The generalizability coefficients were .85, .86, and .89 for the years 1977–1981, respectively. The generalizability coefficient for a test–retest study was .89. Classical indices of reliability (alpha coefficients and inter- and intrarater reliability) ranged from .82 to .93. Results indicate that the checklist is a highly reliable and generalizable instrument when used with prison populations. It is highly correlated with global ratings of psychopathy and criteria from the DSM-III for antisocial personality disorder. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development of psychometrically matched English and Spanish language neuropsychological tests for older persons.

Item response theory (IRT) methods were used to develop a neuropsychological test battery with matched English and Spanish language forms. Candidate items for 12 scales measuring core neuropsychological abilities were generated and administered to 200 community-dwelling elderly participants tested in Spanish and 208 tested in English. IRT methods were used to eliminate linguistically biased items and refine scales to assess broad ability ranges. Reasonably good psychometric matching of scales was achieved within and across English and Spanish language forms. All scales were sensitive to cognitive impairment as measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), with highly similar relationships between scale scores and MMSE across English and Spanish groups. The outcome supports the use of IRT methods in cross-cultural and multilingual test development and indicates that this strategy has potential for future neuropsychological test development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Patient adaptation to technology: an application of the Roy model to nursing research

Structured interviews were used to explore 75 medical-surgical patients' reactions to intravenous (invasive) and telemetry (noninvasive) attachment. Dependent variables operationalizing constructs of comfort, self-esteem, patient role, and social relationships derived from Roy's four effector modes were organized into 19 adaptation items. It was hypothesized that patients attached to invasive technology would report more stimuli and need for behavioral responses than those attached to noninvasive technology. In keeping with the exploratory nature of the study and use of a new adaptation interview tool, item-by-item analysis was used to test the hypotheses. Most support for the hypotheses occurred when patients were attached to only one invasive device and for less than 3 days. Findings also provide new insights on how technology connections might put patients at risk for coping difficulties.     

Reliability and validity of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in studies of autism.

Three studies were conducted with the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) with autistic individuals. In Study 1, it was found that the traditional WCST is a highly reliable test for use with both autistic children and children with learning disabilities over time. In Study 2, the equivalence of the standard and computerized versions of the WCST was examined. Low-to-moderate alternate format reliability for both autistic and nonautistic samples was revealed. Study 3 dealt with group differences in performance as a function of WCST format. Although autistic children were significantly impaired relative to controls on the standard WCST, group differences on the computerized version of the test were attenuated. Autistic children tended to perform better on the computer than with the traditional format, suggesting that alternative forms of the test are not equivalent for this group. The potential contribution of social-motivational factors to this finding is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relative effectiveness of selenite cystine broth, tetrathionate broth, and rappaport-vassiliadis medium for recovery of Salmonella spp. from raw flesh, highly contaminated foods, and poultry feed: collaborative study

A collaborative study was performed in 18 laboratories to validate use of Rappaport-Vassiliadis (RV) medium in the standard culture method for recovery of Salmonella spp. from raw, highly contaminated foods and poultry feed. RV medium made from its individual ingredients and incubated at 42 degrees C was compared with selenite cystine (SC) broth incubated at 35 degrees C and tetrathionate (TT) broth incubated at 35 degrees and 43 degrees C for effectiveness in recovery of Salmonella spp. Four artificially contaminated foods (oysters, frog legs, mushrooms, and shrimp) and poultry feed and one naturally contaminated food (chicken) were analyzed. The artificially contaminated foods were inoculated with single serovars of Salmonella at target levels of 0.04 colony-forming units (CFU)/g for the low level and 0.4 CFU/g for the high level. For analysis of 1125 test portions, RV medium (42 degrees C) recovered Salmonella from 409 test portions; TT (43 degrees C), from 368 test portions; TT (35 degrees C), from 310 test portions; and SC (35 degrees C), from 334 test portions. Overall, RV medium was comparable with or better than other selective enrichments for recovery of Salmonella from the foods in this study, except mushrooms. From mushrooms, SC broth (35 degrees C) recovered more positive test portions than did RV medium (42 degrees C) and TT broth (43 degrees C). The method for detection of Salmonella in raw, highly contaminated foods and poultry feed using RV medium has been adopted by AOAC INTERNATIONAL. AOAC Official Method 967.25, Salmonella in Foods, Preparation of Culture Media and Reagents, has been revised to include RV medium, and the applicability of AOAC Official Method 967.26, Salmonella in Foods, Detection, has been restricted to processed foods.     

Use of Portable Automated Ball Indentation System to Evaluate Mechanical Properties of Steel Pipes

In this study, portable automated ball indentation technique (PABI) has been applied to evaluate the few mechanical properties of steel pipes and excellent correlation has been obtained with conventional test results. A PABI system, developed and fabricated at National Metallurgical laboratory, India, was used to evaluate the mechanical properties. The operational parameters were optimized for various materials to measure yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, true-stress versus true-plastic-strain curve, strength coefficient (K), strain-hardening-exponent (n), hardness (BHN) and fracture toughness (K_JC). This unit can be mounted on components with curved or flat surfaces and properties of the material could be evaluated by making a very small indentation. Also it has provision to use small test specimens. Automation of the test, where a computer and test controller were used in innovative ways to control the test as well as to analyze test data made it simple, accurate, economical and highly reproducible. A LabVIEW BASED S/W was made to control the unit.     

Adolescent sexual behavior, drug use, and violence: increased reporting with computer survey technology

Surveys of risk behaviors have been hobbled by their reliance on respondents to report accurately about engaging in behaviors that are highly sensitive and may be illegal. An audio computer-assisted self-interviewing (audio-CASI) technology for measuring those behaviors was tested with 1690 respondents in the 1995 National Survey of Adolescent Males. The respondents were randomly assigned to answer questions using either audio-CASI or a more traditional self-administered questionnaire. Estimates of the prevalence of male-male sex, injection drug use, and sexual contact with intravenous drug users were higher by factors of 3 or more when audio-CASI was used. Increased reporting was also found for several other risk behaviors.     

Diagnostic test usage by forensic psychologists in emotional injury cases.

Psychologists are becoming increasingly involved in forensic assessments of emotional injuries. To determine which psychodiagnostic instruments are in use in emotional injury assessments and to see if practitioners use instruments for reasons consistent with the admissibility of expert testimony under Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals (1993), current psychodiagnostic instrument use in emotional injury cases was examined among 80 concurrent members of American Psychological Association Division 12 and Division 41. Findings indicate that test selection and reasons for test selection are highly variable. It is suggested that experts need to select tests more carefully and, specifically, with Daubert criteria in mind. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A comprehensive analysis of complex traits in problem 2A

Helicobacter pylori infection is mainly acquired in childhood, and studies on the epidemiology of this infection depend on the availability of a noninvasive diagnostic test for use in children. The aim of this study was to determine whether the carbon 13-labeled urea breath test (UBT) can be used in children by evaluating: (1) its sensitivity and specificity compared with either culture or both rapid urease test and histologic examination, (2) whether a test meal or a prolonged fast is required, (3) the usefulness after treatment for H. pylori. Eighty-eight children (mean age, 10.6 +/- 4.19 years) who were undergoing upper endoscopy were studied while fasting, not fasting, and after treatment. Children were given 50 mg of 13C-urea if they weighed less than 50 kg or 75 mg of 13C-urea if they weighed more than 50 kg with 50 mg of a glucose polymer solution in 7.5 ml of water. Breath samples were collected at baseline and at 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes. In 63 fasting children the UBT was 100% sensitive and 97.6% specific at 30 minutes with a cutoff value of 3.5 delta 13CO2 per mil. Nonfasting tests in 23 children, performed between 1 and 2 hours after their usual meal, were 100% sensitive and 91.6% specific. In 13 children fed directly before the UBT, the sensitivity of the test was reduced to 50%. Thirty minutes was the optimal sampling time. There was a significant decrease in specificity when samples were obtained at 15 minutes, possibly caused by the interference of oral urease-producing organisms. The test was 100% sensitive and specific in 20 children after treatment for H. pylori infection. The UBT is a highly sensitive and specific test for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection in children. Neither a prolonged fast nor a test meal is required.     

Lower respiratory illness in infants and young children with cystic fibrosis: evaluation of treatment with intravenous hydrocortisone

The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using HLA class I molecules purified from pooled platelets has the potential to detect HLA antibodies with increased efficiency without sacrificing sensitivity or specificity. This test, which was originally developed in our institution, has been independently validated by recent studies and is now commercially available. We now present evidence of its usefulness as a routine HLA antibody screening test for renal transplant patients. A total of 515 patients were tested monthly by ELISA (13.9 tests/patient) and by antiglobulin-enhanced panel reactivity (6.3 tests/patient). In patients found to be unsensitized, the incidence of false-positive results was less for ELISA than for the panel studies. In patients who were highly sensitized, both tests performed equally well, whereas discordant results were registered mainly in cases of mild sensitization. Because 66% of our patients were not sensitized, the ELISA was effective in reducing the number of more involved tests aimed at characterizing the antibodies. These results provide a foundation to use the pooled platelet HLA ELISA on a routine basis for HLA antibody screening.     

A rapid dot immunoassay for detecting the Brazilian purpuric fever clone of Haemophilus influenzae biogroup aegyptius with a "flow through" device

Brazilian purpuric fever (BPF) is a highly fatal pediatric disease that may follow an episode of purulent conjunctivitis caused by a virulent clone of Haemophilus influenzae biogroup aegyptius (Hae). Oral rifampin prophylaxis, by eliminating carriage of the BPF clone in children with conjunctivitis, may prevent onset of the systemic disease. A test to detect the BPF clone directly from eye swabs could identify those in need of prophylaxis. This is a preliminary report of a rapid dot immunoassay performed on a "flow-through" cartridge that was developed for use under field conditions. The test is based upon recognition of a unique epitope of the 25-kDa pilin protein on the surface of BPF clone cells by a monoclonal antibody. With 36 laboratory-maintained cultures of Hae (15 clone isolates and 21 others), sensitivity of the assay was 67% and specificity was 95%. When fimbrial-enriched (25-kDa+) phenotypes of five false-negative clone strains were prepared for use as test antigens, sensitivity rose to 100%. Evaluation of the immunoassay under field conditions is necessary to prove its efficacy.     

Comparison of Methods for Determining Specific Surface Area of Soils

The present study was undertaken to compare the capabilities of four of the known methods; more specifically, N2 adsorption, methylene blue (MB)-titration, MB-spot test, and ethylene glycol monoethyl ether (EGME) methods were evaluated to determine the specific surface area (SSA) of 16 different clayey soils. The study showed that N2 adsorption method underpredicts the SSA of soils, especially for smectitic soils. No significant differences were observed between N2 SSA, MB SSA-titration, or MB-spot test for kaolinitic soils. The SSA estimates of MB-titration and MB-spot test methods were highly correlated for all soils. The EGME method has a very different procedure from the MB methods; however, it was highly correlated with MB methods (r2 = 0.95). The N2 adsorption method had no correlation to other methods. The cation exchange capacity of tested soils was highly correlated to the SSA, as high as r2 = 0.77. No unique relationship was determined between the clay fraction and SSA.     

Psychologists and technology: A look at the future.

A randomly sampled group of 213 California psychologists were interviewed to assess their use of practice technology and their general attitudes toward technology. Results indicated that (a) nearly 3/4 were using a computer in their practice; however, nearly all uses involved little more than word processing; (b) 1/4 had used a modem to connect to an on-line service (substantially higher than comparable data from business professionals); (c) over 3/4 were using a fax machine in their practice; (d) 1/2 used a pager; (e) 4 out of 10 used a computerized voice mail system, mostly in combination with other messaging systems; (f) few were using computerized assessments; and (g) over half rated themselves as mildly to highly technophobic. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that technophobia, use of psychological assessment instruments, age, and percentage of managed care clients predicted the use of computer applications. Results are discussed in terms of their practice implications for psychologists (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children's Action Tendency Scale: A self-report measure of aggressiveness, assertiveness, and submissiveness in children.

Describes a self-report measure of children's aggressiveness, assertiveness, and submissiveness, the Children's Action Tendency Scale. The development and validation of the measure followed the behavioral-analytic method described by M. Goldfried and T. J. D'Zurilla (1969). The measure's 3 subscales were shown to be highly correlated with peer and teacher reports of 6–12 yr old Ss' interpersonal behavior and to have moderate split-half and test–retest reliabilities. Scores on the Submissiveness subscale correlated positively with social desirability (Children's Social Desirability Questionnaire) scores and negatively with self-esteem (Self-Esteem Inventory) scores, and a negative correlation was found between Ss' aggressiveness scores and their social desirability scores. In addition, highly significant differences on the Aggressiveness and Assertiveness subscales were found between public school Ss and clinically aggressive children. Recommendations for the questionnaire's use and for further research are discussed. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Construction of a criterion-referenced, diagnostic test for an individualized instruction program.

In the absence of a well-defined technology for the construction of criterion-referenced tests, a methodology was devised for use in developing and evaluating a diagnostic test keyed to 14 modules of individualized, US Navy shipboard instruction. The test was constructed in 2 phases. In the 1st phase, preinstruction and postinstruction groups each consisted of 100 Navy boiler technicians; in the 2nd phase, each group consisted of 75 Navy boiler technicians. In both phases, 25 members of each instruction group were chosen randomly to form cross-validation samples. The main construction procedures included (a) writing and refining an item pool, (b) selecting items that best discriminated between instruction groups, (c) determining cutoff scores, (d) validating items on cross-validation samples, and (e) estimating test–retest reliability. High face validity was achieved by using materials that were encountered on the job and by having job experts write the items. In the final construction phase, the amount of agreement between actual instruction-group membership of the cross-validation sample and that diagnosed by test scores ranged from 68 to 92%. Also, the discrimination ability of refined items improved significantly. Across a test and retest during a tryout phase, the agreement in diagnostic decisions ranged from 71 to 96%. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Use of a performance test as a criterion in a differential validity study.

Examined the relationships among scores on traditional college entrance tests and scores on a 45-min essay placement test for women and men and for 4 ethnic groups. The use of a performance test (the essay) as a criterion avoided the problem of possible criterion bias. The performance-test samples were scored independently by 2 readers. College entrance measures (the Scholastic Aptitude Test and the Test of Standard Written English) and special English placement tests correlated highly with essay performance. However, women tended to be underestimated and men and ethnic minorities overestimated by these measures. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correlation of structure and function in the chicken lower intestine (coprodeum): a review

The rapid manual ParaSight-F test of Plasmodium falciparum malaria, an antigen capture test for detecting trophozoite-derived histidine rich protein-2 (PF HRP-2), is simple to perform and provides a definite diagnosis within 10 minutes. During an operational trial at health centers and mobile malaria units where microscopical diagnosis is not available and using defined symptom screening criteria, 3,361 subjects were tested yielding 618 positives (18.4%) for PF-HRP-2 by ParaSight-F. Microscopic examination of the same subjects by thick blood film examined 7 days later at a malaria clinic showed 578 falciparum, and 349 vivax and mixed infection (F+V) 41. The technology proved highly effective in detecting falciparum malaria at the peripheral levels where access to malaria laboratory services are difficult, thus allowing immediate administration of a complete course of treatment in the absence of a microscopic examination.     

Information variability and reliability effects in evaluating student performance.

In 3 experiments with 72 undergraduates, Ss were asked to evaluate student performance based on 2 sources of information differing in variability. In Exp I the relative variability of test scores and paper grades assigned to a given student had no effect on the weighting of information, and evaluations were based on averaging the 2 types of information. In Exps II–III the weighting of test scores was compared for a highly variable grader and a less variable grader. Differential weighting occurred only when instructions linked variability to reliability. It is concluded that evaluators can assign less weight to a source of information perceived to be less reliable but they will not ordinarily use relative variability of scores as an index of reliability. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)