An examination of exposure control and content balancing restrictions on item selection in CATs using the partial credit model

The purpose of the present investigation was to systematically examine the effectiveness of the Sympson-Hetter technique and rotated content balancing relative to no exposure control and no content rotation conditions in a computerized adaptive testing system (CAT) based on the partial credit model. A series of simulated fixed and variable length CATs were run using two data sets generated to multiple content areas for three sizes of item pools. The 2 (exposure control) X 2 (content rotation) X 2 (test length) X 3 (item pool size) X 2 (data sets) yielded a total of 48 conditions. Results show that while both procedures can be used with no deleterious effect on measurement precision, the gains in exposure control, pool utilization, and item overlap appear quite modest. Difficulties involved with setting the exposure control parameters in small item pools make questionable the utility of the Sympson-Hetter technique with similar item pools.     

Magnetic domain-wall dynamics in a submicrometre ferromagnetic structure

As fabrication technology pushes the dimensions of ferromagnetic structures into the nanoscale, understanding the magnetization processes of these structures is of fundamental interest, and key to future applications in hard disk drives, magnetic random access memory and other 'spintronic' devices. Measurements on elongated magnetic nanostructures highlighted the importance of nucleation and propagation of a magnetic boundary, or domain wall, between opposing magnetic domains in the magnetization reversal process. Domain-wall propagation in confined structures is of basic interest and critical to the performance of a recently demonstrated magnetic logic scheme for spintronics. A previous study of a 500-nm-wide NiFe structure obtained very low domain-wall mobility in a three-layer device. Here we report room-temperature measurements of the propagation velocity of a domain wall in a single-layer planar Ni80Fe20 ferromagnetic nanowire 200 nm wide. The wall velocities are extremely high and, importantly, the intrinsic wall mobility is close to that in continuous films, indicating that lateral confinement does not significantly affect the gyromagnetic spin damping parameter to the extreme extent previously suggested. Consequently the prospects for high-speed domain-wall motion in future nanoscale spintronic devices are excellent.     

Environmental change in river channels: a neglected element. Towards geomorphological typologies,standards and monitoring

Rivers integrate the impacts of change in atmospheric and terrestrial systems; they then deliver these to the coast. En route geomorphological processes create dynamic and diverse habitats, both in-stream and in riparian/floodplain ecotones. The dynamics of channel change conflict with human resource development, the outcome is that many river and riparian environments have been significantly modified, complicating the interpretation of change. Collection of geomorphological data on both form and process has to date been overwhelmingly an academic pursuit; standard measurement networks and long-term monitoring have, as a result been largely absent-as in the Environmental Change Network (ECN), despite the emerging requirements of legislation such as the EU Water Framework Directive. In this paper, we utilise a unique set of repeat channel surveys and long-term bed-load sediment yields to provide guidance on both definitions of change and those variables and survey techniques which might form the basis, in future, of improved national-scale monitoring. The Environment Agency's River Habitat Surveys suggest the basis for channel typologies that could structure a sampling framework and rationalise the variables to be monitored. We also point to the value of more detailed geomorphological procedures in use at the catchment/project scale-Catchment Baseline Surveys and Fluvial Audits-as a standardised basis for monitoring the detail of change in the fluvial sediment system. A perfect opportunity to lay foundations for such monitoring activity has been provided in England and Wales by the winter floods of 2000/2001.     

A pyridine-thiol ligand with multiple bonding sites for heavy metal precipitation

There are immediate concerns with current commercial ligands that are used for heavy metal precipitation, especially the limited arrays of bonding sites. Previous research has indicated that not only do commercial reagents lack sufficient bonding criteria, but they also fail to provide long-term stability as ligand-metal complexes. For this reason, we have developed a pyridine-based thiol ligand (DTPY) which not only offers multiple bonding sites for heavy metals but also should form stable metal-ligand precipitates. In this study, we used the divalent metals cadmium and copper to model the reactivity and pH stability of divalent metal complexes with the DTPY ligand. Using inductively-coupled plasma spectrometry (ICP), results indicate that a 50.00ppm (parts per million) copper solution, pH of 4.5, can be reduced to below the ICP detection limits of 0.00093ppm (>99.99% removal), and a 50.00ppm cadmium solution, pH of 6.0, can be reduced to 0.06ppm (99.88%).     

Irreversible precipitation of mercury and lead

There are immediate concerns with current commercial reagents that are used for heavy metal precipitation; in particular the fact that the reagents are not specifically designed to bind the targeted metals. The current literature reveals that not only do commercial reagents lack sufficient ability to strongly bind the metals, but they also fail to provide long-term stability as ligand-metal complexes under a variety of moderate conditions. For this reason a new ligand was designed and synthesized: 1,3-benzenediamidoethanethiol (BDETH2). It offers multiple, concerted, bonding sites for heavy metals and forms a stable metal-ligand precipitate. In this study, the formation of compounds comprised of this ligand with the divalent metals, lead and mercury, was explored and the pH stability of the water insoluble precipitates was determined. The leaching properties of the metal-ligand precipitates were determined using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectroscopy and cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectroscopy (CVAF). The results indicate that a 50.00 ppm lead solution at a pH of 4.0 may be reduced to a concentration of 0.05 ppm (99.9% lead removal) and to 0.13 ppm (99.7% lead removal) at a pH 6.0. A 50.00 ppm mercury solution at pH 4.0 may be reduced to a concentration of 0.02 ppm (99.97% mercury removal) and to 0.02 ppm (99.97% mercury removal) at a pH of 6.0.     

Polarized task lighting to reduce reflective glare in open-plan office cubicles

This ergonomic study deals with the common situation where a glossy document is placed between a viewer and an under-shelf task light source in a common open-plan office cubicle workstation. With a task lamp in front, when looking at a document a viewer sees two images, the document itself and specular glare, which is the reflected image of the light source. Specular glare or veiling reflection causes eye discomfort, makes it difficult to read a document and has been thought to contribute to eyestrain. This paper analyzes the application of polarized lighting for this specific situation. The use of a linear polarized light source helps to minimize specular glare by darkening the reflected image of the light source on the document. The performance and predictive optimization of the use of polarized lighting in this situation is investigated according to female and male viewer height demographics. Theoretical predictions and light measurement analysis of specular glare reduction are compared with empirical results from testing on a panel of humans on semi-gloss finish and matte finish papers. This study shows that with the right alteration of a polarized light source position, specular glare may be significantly reduced, and correlations exist between the theory, empirical measurements and the human response to specular glare reduction.     

Phase-sensitive detection in potential-modulated in situ absorption and probe beam deflection techniques: theoretical considerations

A mathematical framework is presented for the quantitative analysis of in situ potential modulation spectroelectrochemical techniques based on phase-sensitive detection for the study of solution-phase redox systems under strict diffusion control. In the case of arrangements in which the probing beam is parallel to the electrode surface, the phase of the optical signal with respect to the applied potential, assuming negligible double-layer charging currents, was found to be proportional to y(omega/2D)(1/2), where y is the distance normal to the electrode, omega is the frequency of the perturbating signal, and D is the diffusion coefficient of the species responsible for absorption or refraction. Good agreement was found between theoretical predictions and the few available experimental results for both absorption and probe beam deflection-type experiments. In particular, in the case of solutions containing the chromophore trianisylamine and nonabsorbing p-benzoquinone, the phase angle difference between absorption and diffraction calculated from theory and measured experimentally yielded a common value of approximately 30 degrees.