Comparability and Examination Performance: Technical and Social Approaches to Its Study

This thesis is concerned with examination comparability and the assumption that achieved grades in GCSE examinations have common currency across subjects. Technical treatments commonly used to investigate examination comparability are discussed along with the assumptions upon which they are based and their limitations. A variety of technical treatments, taking into account population sampling, tiering, coursework and cognitive skill demands, are used to investigate comparability for GCSE science results from Welsh and English examining groups. Examination comparability is shown to be undermined by fluctuations in relative ‘difficulty’ across time, different correlations between subjects, curriculum changes, and sub-group effects. Interviews with science teachers are then related to the technical findings to examine schools’, departments’ and individuals’ responses to national assessment structures and practices and how these mediate ‘gradeness’. The interviews’ initial focus on teachers’ tier entry decisions reveals that their judgements about students are constituted through interaction between their beliefs about mind, subjects and gendered behaviours amongst others, departmental and school practices, and wider social influences to do with national assessment and examining group policies and practices. The interviews show how structures and beliefs shape arena practices and teachers’ practice, the consequences for students’ access to science, and the consequent validity of assessments of their science ‘achievements’. The allocation of students to ability groups as they enter secondary school and the interactions between these groups and KS3 SAT tier allocation effectively ‘lock’ students on to an assessment pathway from Year 7 - a pathway which school structures make it almost impossible to break away from. The findings show how school practices and individual practice can disrupt or compound this and the consequences for students’ access to learning opportunities, which, the thesis argues, is a major source of invalidity in assessment that comparability studies cannot begin to take account of

Sensor system and related models to determine irregular shaped 3-D objects

This work comprises several parts, the initial part o f which is a review o f the techniques in use at present for measuring shape and characterising products. The major work details a ring sensor system, which consists o f a large number o f transmitters and receivers alternately arranged on the circumference o f a metal annulus. Using a modified polar co-ordinate system and trigonometric functions, two enveloping spirals o f an object can be determined. One or both spirals can then be used for further data analysis. Each spiral consists o f intersections between enveloping chords and parts o f the chords. The area surrounding the object is segmented and properties such as volume and axis measurements can be determined. A mode! was developed to simulate artificial objects o f various shapes. Simulation tests were carried out to determine the limits o f the system concerning position within the ring, shape and speed o f the object and resolution o f the ring. A ring was manufactured for actual tests, which were carried out mainly on potatoes to confirm the possible use in practice and to show the relative merits compared with existing systems. Interesting side issues are introduced, such as the low number of primary data, possibilities of further reduction using differential coding, and the consumption time of the algorithms. Finally, a model for the simulation o f more than one object in the ring at the same time is introduced and a possible way o f separation is investigated

Comparative study of Ranson’s Versus Apache II scoring systems in predicting the clinical outcome in patients with acute pancreatitis

INTRODUCTION: Acute pancreatitis is a common entity encountered during routine surgical practice and it poses a great challenge to the treating surgeon. It is a protean disease capable of wide clinical variation, ranging from mild discomfort to severe consequences. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Present study was aimed at analyzing patients admitted to Department of General Surgery, Madurai Medical College with a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis during the period between December 2015 and May 2017 with the following: 1. To assess the severity of acute pancreatitis using Ranson’s scoring system and APACHE II scoring system. 2. To compare these two scoring systems with respect to their accuracy in predicting the outcome in cases of acute pancreatitis. METHODOLOGY: All the 100 patients were subjected to both Ranson’s and APACHE II scoring systems. Scoring was done on admission / time of diagnosis and at 48 hours. The scores were compared with the clinical severity which was graded according to Atlanta criteria and also compared with the clinical outcome. RESULTS: Of the 100 patients, 92 were Male (92.5 %) and 8 were Female (7.5%). There was no statistical significance of Sex (p = 0.545) on the severity of the disease. Of the 100 patients, 92 were Male (92.5 %) and 8 were Female (7.5%). There was no statistical significance of Sex (p = 0.545) on the severity of the disease. Out of 100 patients, 30 (74%) had Alcohol induced Acute Pancreatitis, 3 (8%) had Gall Stones induced Acute Pancreatitis and 7 (18%) had Idiopathic Acute Pancreatitis. There was no statistical significance of Etiology (p = 0.943) on the severity of the disease. Out of 100 patients, 60% had uncomplicated outcome, 40% of patients with any complication, 6.4% of patients developed pseudo cyst, 6% of patients developed Pan – Neurosis, 3 & high paneer. CONCLUSION: The Ranson’s scoring system proved to be as powerful a prognostic model as the more complicated APACHE II scoring system even in the present era of advanced investigations

Objective on line assessment of the performance of flux cored wires by real time computer based monitoring

The aim of this research was to devise an innovative technique to obtain an objective assessment of the quality performance of tubular cored wires by sensing and measuring the signals available during welding. The work comprised: Identification of the parameters to assess. A study of the different monitoring techniques. Design of specific quality evaluation methods. The production of a system which allowed a quality index of welding performance to be obtained. Initially, the arc voltage, arc current, wire feed rate, arc light and arc sound signals were identified as possible sources of useful information. After a useful technique was accepted, the non-useful techniques were abandoned and a quality measuring instrument was built. The work involved development of statistical analysis techniques, Fast Fourier Transforms and mathematical modelling. A new approach to process modelling was devised which provided an objective and very flexible method of assessing, comparing and developing welding consumables. The final system was evaluated against conventional subjective assessment techniques and very good correlation was obtained.Ph

Objective on line assessment of the performance of flux cored wires by real time computer based monitoring

The aim of this research was to devise an innovative technique to obtain an objective assessment of the quality performance of tubular cored wires by sensing and measuring the signals available during welding. The work comprised: Identification of the parameters to assess. A study of the different monitoring techniques. Design of specific quality evaluation methods. The production of a system which allowed a quality index of welding performance to be obtained. Initially, the arc voltage, arc current, wire feed rate, arc light and arc sound signals were identified as possible sources of useful information. After a useful technique was accepted, the non-useful techniques were abandoned and a quality measuring instrument was built. The work involved development of statistical analysis techniques, Fast Fourier Transforms and mathematical modelling. A new approach to process modelling was devised which provided an objective and very flexible method of assessing, comparing and developing welding consumables. The final system was evaluated against conventional subjective assessment techniques and very good correlation was obtained

NASA Tech Briefs, March 1992

Topics include: New Product Ideas; Electronic Components and Circuits; Electronic Systems; Physical Sciences; Materials; Computer Programs; Mechanics; Machinery; Fabrication Technology; Mathematics and Information Sciences; Life Sciences

Multiple morbidity across the lifespan in people with Down syndrome or intellectual disabilities: a population-based cohort study using electronic health records.

BACKGROUND: The Down syndrome phenotype is well established, but our understanding of its morbidity patterns is limited. We comprehensively estimated the risk of multiple morbidity across the lifespan in people with Down syndrome compared with the general population and controls with other forms of intellectual disability. METHODS: In this matched population-based cohort-study design, we used electronic health-record data from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CRPD) from Jan 1, 1990, to June 29, 2020. We aimed to explore the pattern of morbidities throughout the lifespan of people with Down syndrome compared with people with other intellectual disabilities and the general population, to identify syndrome-specific health conditions and their age-related incidence. We estimated incidence rates per 1000 person-years and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for 32 common morbidities. Hierarchical clustering was used to identify groups of associated conditions using prevalence data. FINDINGS: Between Jan 1, 1990, and June 29, 2020, a total of 10 204 people with Down syndrome, 39 814 controls, and 69 150 people with intellectual disabilities were included. Compared with controls, people with Down syndrome had increased risk of dementia (IRR 94·7, 95% CI 69·9-128·4), hypothyroidism (IRR 10·6, 9·6-11·8), epilepsy (IRR 9·7, 8·5-10·9), and haematological malignancy (IRR 4·7, 3·4-6·3), whereas asthma (IRR 0·88, 0·79-0·98), cancer (solid tumour IRR 0·75, 0·62-0·89), ischaemic heart disease (IRR 0·65, 0·51-0·85), and particularly hypertension (IRR 0·26, 0·22-0·32) were less frequent in people with Down syndrome than in controls. Compared to people with intellectual disabilities, risk of dementia (IRR 16·60, 14·23-19·37), hypothyroidism (IRR 7·22, 6·62-7·88), obstructive sleep apnoea (IRR 4·45, 3·72-5·31), and haematological malignancy (IRR 3·44, 2·58-4·59) were higher in people with Down syndrome, with reduced rates for a third of conditions, including new onset of dental inflammation (IRR 0·88, 0·78-0·99), asthma (IRR 0·82, 0·73-0·91), cancer (solid tumour IRR 0·78, 0·65-0·93), sleep disorder (IRR 0·74, 0·68-0·80), hypercholesterolaemia (IRR 0·69, 0·60-0·80), diabetes (IRR 0·59, 0·52-0·66), mood disorder (IRR 0·55, 0·50-0·60), glaucoma (IRR 0·47, 0·29-0·78), and anxiety disorder (IRR 0·43, 0·38-0·48). Morbidities in Down syndrome could be categorised on age-related incidence trajectories, and their prevalence clustered into typical syndromic conditions, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune disorders, and mental health conditions. INTERPRETATION: Multiple morbidity in Down syndrome shows distinct patterns of age-related incidence trajectories and clustering that differ from those found in the general population and in people with other intellectual disabilities, with implications for provision and timing of health-care screening, prevention, and treatment for people with Down syndrome. FUNDING: The European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation, the Alzheimer's Society, the Medical Research Council, the Academy of Medical Sciences, the Wellcome Trust, and William Harvey Research Limited

Conference on Intelligent Robotics in Field, Factory, Service, and Space (CIRFFSS 1994), volume 1

The AIAA/NASA Conference on Intelligent Robotics in Field, Factory, Service, and Space (CIRFFSS '94) was originally proposed because of the strong belief that America's problems of global economic competitiveness and job creation and preservation can partly be solved by the use of intelligent robotics, which are also required for human space exploration missions. Individual sessions addressed nuclear industry, agile manufacturing, security/building monitoring, on-orbit applications, vision and sensing technologies, situated control and low-level control, robotic systems architecture, environmental restoration and waste management, robotic remanufacturing, and healthcare applications