Developing a validity argument for the English placement Fall 2010 Listening test at Iowa State University

The study was aimed at examining the usefulness of the English Placement Listening test (EPT) in Fall 2010 at Iowa State University (ISU) by using the current argument-based validation approach with a focus on four main inferences constructing the validity argument. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed. The results contributed both positive and negative attributes to the validity argument for the EPT Listening Fall 2010 test. The qualitative examination on the test specification and the test booklet showed that the test was authentic with a good distribution of question types and test item indices. In specific, the 30 test items were equally divided into comprehension and inference questions with 90% and 70% of them falling within an acceptable difficulty range, and an acceptable discrimination range respectively. General statistical analyses of the EPT Listening Fall 2010 test score set of 556 test takers produced a normal distribution with a reliability of nearly 0.70. Moreover, the correlation analyses among different set scores of the EPT Fall 2010 test takers supported the usefulness of the EPT test in discriminating proficiencies of the test takers besides their TOEFL scores. However, numerous weaknesses were detected such as an incomplete test specification, weak strengths of the correlational relationships between the EPT test and the TOEFL tests (r\u3c0.6). The study provided an evidence on the importance of the operation of the EPT test at ISU and lead to some recommendations on supporting the validity argument for the test

Investigating the Language Learning Potential of Data-driven Teaching Materials on Source Use for College Students in a Writing Course

This report documents the results of the investigation into the language learning potential of data-driven teaching materials on source use for undergraduates in a college-level writing course at a large land-grant Midwestern university. The investigation is a part of a large project which comprises three major stages: linguistic analyses on source use of 149 documented essays written by college students, development of data-driven materials on source use, and evaluation of the materials. The data-driven teaching materials consist of a corpus-based web tool and a computer-delivered online lesson on source use. The corpus-based web tool provides examples of citing sentences in the collection of 79 A-graded essays as concordance lines which help illustrate different features of source use, and displays graphs showing frequency distributions of citing sentences across sub-categories of each feature of source use. The computer-delivered online lesson contains two major tasks each of which has questions that guide students to observe the use of a feature of source use in the corpus-based web tool. This report summarizes key findings of the implementation of the materials in a naturalistic instructional setting. These findings focus on the language learning potential of the materials which concerns two major aspects: (1) whether the pedagogical design characteristics of the materials led to the students’ hypothesized learning processes (i.e., noticing and focusing on features of source use), and (2) whether the students gained any knowledge, skills, and awareness about source use after the training

The Relationship between Political Institutional Factors and Internal Audit Effectiveness in Vietnamese Enterprises

Using qualitative research methods, we have clarified the content of internal audits and the effectiveness of internal audits. A literature review has shown that the Political Institutions factor has not received much research attention in Vietnam. That's why we identified the gap and conducted this research. Data collected from interviews with 20 experts working in the field of accounting and auditing were analyzed using King's (2004) format and Cresswell's (2003) analysis process. The analysis results have shown that the Political Institutions factor, and its measurement factors are regulatory capacity, political stability, legal effectiveness, police accountability, and corruption control impact on internal audit effectiveness. Next, the study conducted a survey with 80 employees working in the field of accounting and auditing. This is a research step to ensure transparency in determining influencing factors. The results of this survey are consistent with the direct interview method. This means that the effectiveness of internal audits is affected by political and institutional factors

The Influence of the Level of Guarantee of Operating Expenses on the Application of Accounting Software in Public Non- Business Unit

Public non-business units are established by the state to perform public services and distribute those services to society. Through the document research method, the article has generalized the role, function, and accounting form of public non-business units and the importance of accounting. With this method, we can also evaluate the limitations in accounting and the reasons why many public non-business units do not see the need to apply accounting software in accounting. Three reasons were pointed out: unit leaders did not pay attention to accounting work, lack of funding for implementation and incorrectly identified the reasons for errors in accounting planning. The investigation method also helped us identify how accounting software applications are affected by the level of Guarantee of operating expenses. Analysis results have shown that financially autonomous units have a higher tendency to apply accounting software than units without financial revenue. The research team also proposed a number of solutions such as increasing the understanding and awareness of business unit leaders about the importance of accounting work and accounting software. Implement budget estimates for information technology construction at the unit, properly assessing the key points of existence

Constituents from stem barks of Anacolosa poilanei Gagnep. (Olacaceae)

Four compounds were isolated from the stem barks of Anacolosa poilanei Gagnep. Theirs structures were established by spectroscopic analysis including MS and NMR. Accordingly, the isolates were identified as trichadenic acid B (1), trichadonic acid (2), amentoflavone (3) and β-sitosterol (4)

Investigation of anti-inflammatory lignans from the leaves of Symplocos sumuntia Buch-Ham ex D Don (Symplocaceae)

Purpose: To investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of Symplocos sumuntia Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don and identify the main secondary metabolites responsible for this effect.Methods: The in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of the plant extract and isolated compounds was determined in terms of the ability to inhibit the production of nitric oxide (NO), and expressions of iNOS and COX-2 proteins in RAW264.7 cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Compounds were isolated and identified by spectroscopic methods.Results: The methanol extract of S. sumuntia leaves showed strong inhibitory effects on nitric oxide (NO) production and expression of iNOS and COX-2 in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. A phytochemical assay-guided fractionation of the methanol extract of S. sumuntia leaves led to the isolation of four lignans which are arctigenin (1), matairesinol (2), monomethylpinoresinol (3) and pinoresinol (4). These compounds were identified for the first time from S. sumuntia. All four compounds inhibited the production of nitric oxide (NO), with arctigenin showing the most potent activity with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 4.08 μM.Conclusion: S. sumuntia is a promising source of anti-inflammatory agents, which may clarify to the therapeutic use of this plant in Vietamese traditional medicine.Keywords: Symplocos sumuntia, Symplocos caudata, Lignan, Arctigenin, Anti-inflammator

Elaborating a people-centered approach to understanding sustainable livelihoods under climate and environmental change: Thang Binh District, Quang Nam Province, Vietnam

This paper explores the maintenance of livelihoods under climate, environmental, and economic development pressures, through the case of Thang Binh District in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam. Within widespread recognition of the need to link sustainable livelihoods approaches with climate change adaptation, there is growing awareness of the importance of people-centered approaches which keep the diverse experience, capabilities, and knowledges of the most vulnerable at the heart of sustainable livelihoods thinking. In response, this paper explores the conditions for changes in modes of livelihoods in a case study area where top-down strategies for sustainable livelihoods are met with residents’ diverse experiences of vulnerability, and where climate and environmental changes shape residents’ relations with the landscape. The research is undertaken via interviews with residents, farmers/fishers, and local government officials. Our study finds that whilst government-led initiatives for sustainable livelihoods are welcomed in the locality, inflexible policies can make it challenging for the most vulnerable people to access support. Moreover, residents see the capacity to live with and respond to extreme weather events as a critical component of maintaining a sustainable livelihood. Our findings reinforce international literature, showing that ‘the poor’ are not a homogenous category, and illustrate the importance of attention to the smallest levels of government who are tasked with putting sustainable livelihoods initiatives into practice in relation to people’s daily lives

Rifampicin resistant 'Mycobacterium tuberculosis' in Vietnam, 2020–2022

Objective: We conducted a descriptive analysis of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in Vietnam’s two largest cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city. Methods: All patients with rifampicin resistant tuberculosis were recruited from Hanoi and surrounding provinces between 2020 and 2022. Additional patients were recruited from Ho Chi Minh city over the same time period. Demographic data were recorded from all patients, and samples collected, cultured, whole genome sequenced and analysed for drug resistance mutations. Genomic susceptibility predictions were made on the basis of the World Health Organization’s catalogue of mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis associated with drug resistance, version 2. Comparisons were made against phenotypic drug susceptibility test results where these were available. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess risk factors for previous episodes of tuberculosis. Results: 233/265 sequenced isolates were of sufficient quality for analysis, 146 (63 %) from Ho Chi Minh City and 87 (37 %) from Hanoi. 198 (85 %) were lineage 2, 20 (9 %) were lineage 4, and 15 (6 %) were lineage 1. 17/211 (8 %) for whom HIV status was known were infected, and 109/214 (51 %) patients had had a previous episode of tuberculosis. The main risk factor for a previous episode was HIV infection (odds ratio 5.1 (95 % confidence interval 1.3–20.0); p = 0.021). Sensitivity for predicting first-line drug resistance from whole genome sequencing data was over 90 %, with the exception of pyrazinamide (85 %). For moxifloxacin and amikacin it was 50 % or less. Among rifampicin-resistant isolates, prevalence of resistance to each non-first-line drug was < 20 %. Conclusions: Drug resistance among most MDR-TB strains in Vietnam’s two largest cities is confined largely to first-line drugs. Living with HIV is the main risk factor among patients with MDR-TB for having had a previous episode of tuberculosis

COPPER HEXACYANOFERRATE (II): SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, AND CESIUM, STRONTIUM ADSORBENT APPLICATION

Low-cost nanoscale copper hexacyanoferrate (CuHF), a good selective adsorbent for cesium (Cs+) removal, was prepared using the chemical co-precipitation method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) were conducted to determine the CuHF morphology. Copper hexacyanoferrate, Cu13[Fe(CN)6]14.(2K).10H2O, has a cubic structure (space group F-43m) in the range of 10-30 nm and a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 462.42 m2/g. The removal of Cs+ and Sr2+ is dependent on pH; the maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) of CuHF is achieved at a pH = 6. From the Langmuir model, qmax = 143.95 mg/g for Cs+ and 79.26 mg/g for Sr2+, respectively. At high concentrations, Na+, Ca2+, and K+ ions have very little effect on Cs+ removal, and Na+ and K+ ions have a higher affinity for removing Sr2+ than Ca2+ at all concentrations. CuHF has a high affinity for alkaline cations in the order: Cs+ &gt; K+ &gt; Na+ &gt; Ca2+ &gt; Sr2+, as proposed and discussed