Estimation of an Examinee's Ability in the Web-Based Computerized Adaptive Testing Program IRT-CAT

We developed a program to estimate an examinee s ability in order to provide freely available access to a web-based computerized adaptive testing (CAT) program. We used PHP and Java Script as the program languages, PostgresSQL as the database management system on an Apache web server and Linux as the operating system. A system which allows for user input and searching within inputted items and creates tests was constructed. We performed an ability estimation on each test based on a Rasch model and 2- or 3-parametric logistic models. Our system provides an algorithm for a web-based CAT, replacing previous personal computer-based ones, and makes it possible to estimate an examinee's ability immediately at the end of test

A Korean version of the Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (OIDP) scale in elderly populations: Validity, reliability and prevalence

Background: This study aimed to develop a Korean version of the OIDP index for elderly people and to assess the levels of sociodental impacts in an older Korean population.Methods: The OIDP index for elderly people was cross-culturally adapted from English into Korean and then the derived instrument was tested for reliability and validity. The study population was elderly (65+ year-old) residents of Gangneung City, South Korea. Twenty two of the 222 senior day centres were randomly selected.Results: 687 people were invited and 668 participated in the study (response rate: 97.2%). The standardized Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.85. The OIDP related significantly with different subjective measures of oral and general health (p < 0.001). 62.9% of the people had oral impacts relating to one or more performances, with eating food being the most frequently affected performance (47.6%). More than 70% of people with oral impacts had up to 3 performances affected by oral health conditions.Conclusion: The Korean OIDP index showed satisfactory validity and internal consistency reliability, confirming its appropriateness for use among older Korean people. The prevalence of oral health related impacts was high. Future studies should focus on the test-retest reliability and the sensitivity to change of the Korean OIDP

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF HYBRID SOLAR AIRWATER HEATER WITH VARIOUS INLET AIR TEMPERATURE DURING HEATING PROCESS

Research about hybrid solar air-water heater that can heating both air and liquid has been conducted for enhancing the usage of solar thermal energy. In the previous study, thermal efficiency of this collector was investigated with many operating and external conditions, but all of previous experiment conducted using outdoor air as inlet air of collector. Thus, in this study, the performance change of hybrid solar air-water heater was investigated with change of inlet air temperature during air and liquid were heated simultaneously. As a result, thermal efficiency for liquid heating was increased with increment of the inlet air temperature. On the contrary to this, thermal efficiency for air heating of collector was decreased with increment of inlet air temperature. In case of total thermal efficiency of collector considered air and liquid heat gain, it was also decreased with increment of inlet air temperature. From these results, it was confirmed that using outdoor air directly as inlet air of collector is better for the use of solar energy. However it is hard to conclude that which is better between using outdoor air and heated air on the perspective of energy saving of building because heat storage performance was increased if the return air or any heated air is used as inlet air of hybrid solar air-water heater when air and liquid was heated simultaneously even air and total thermal efficiency is decreased. Thus, the necessity of more profound study and consideration about this as a further study was also confirmed

An Experimental Study on the Thermal Conductivity of Concrete Containing Coal Bottom Ash Aggregate

Thermal conductivity plays a significant role in efficient energy usage, especially in the construction field. Low thermal conductivity is preferable because lower thermal conductivity will increase the thermal insulation provided by the concrete and reduce the heating and cooling costs for residential and commercial buildings. To accomplish this goal, porous materials can be considered for use in concrete. Additionally, researchers have had challenges producing high-strength concrete with low thermal conductivity. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of replacing crushed fine aggregates with coal bottom ash (CBA) on the thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of high-strength concrete. The concrete properties, including unit weight, compressive strength, and thermal conductivity, were measured. The experimental results revealed that the thermal conductivity of the CBA concrete decreased as the unit weight of the CBA concrete decreased, and the thermal conductivity also decreased as the compressive strength decreased. Finally, the relationships between the thermal conductivity, unit weight, and compressive strength of the CBA concrete were also examined

Comprehensive Comparison of Various Techniques for the Analysis of Elemental Distributions in Thin Films: Additional Techniques

In a recent publication by Abou-Ras et al., various techniques for the analysis of elemental distribution in thin films were compared, using the example of a 2-µm thick Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin film applied as an absorber material in a solar cell. The authors of this work found that similar relative Ga distributions perpendicular to the substrate across the Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin film were determined by 18 different techniques, applied on samples from the same identical deposition run. Their spatial and depth resolutions, their measuring speeds, their availabilities, as well as their detection limits were discussed. The present work adds two further techniques to this comparison: laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and grazing-incidence X-ray fluorescence analysisThe work was supported in part by National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by Korea government (MEST, No. 2013- 064113), by the Spanish MINECO within the Ramón y Cajal programme (RYC-2011- 08521), and by the European Metrology Research Program (EMRP) within the projects IND07 Thin Films and ENG53 ThinErg

Endophytic fungal association via gibberellins and indole acetic acid can improve plant growth under abiotic stress: an example of Paecilomyces formosus LHL10

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Endophytic fungi are little known for exogenous secretion of phytohormones and mitigation of salinity stress, which is a major limiting factor for agriculture production worldwide. Current study was designed to isolate phytohormone producing endophytic fungus from the roots of cucumber plant and identify its role in plant growth and stress tolerance under saline conditions.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We isolated nine endophytic fungi from the roots of cucumber plant and screened their culture filtrates (CF) on gibberellins (GAs) deficient mutant rice cultivar <it>Waito-C </it>and normal GAs biosynthesis rice cultivar Dongjin-byeo. The CF of a fungal isolate CSH-6H significantly increased the growth of <it>Waito-C </it>and Dongjin-byeo seedlings as compared to control. Analysis of the CF showed presence of GAs (GA₁, GA₃, GA₄, GA₈, GA₉, GA₁₂, GA₂₀and GA₂₄) and indole acetic acid. The endophyte CSH-6H was identified as a strain of <it>Paecilomyces formosus </it>LHL10 on the basis of phylogenetic analysis of ITS sequence similarity. Under salinity stress, <it>P. formosus </it>inoculation significantly enhanced cucumber shoot length and allied growth characteristics as compared to non-inoculated control plants. The hypha of <it>P. formosus </it>was also observed in the cortical and pericycle regions of the host-plant roots and was successfully re-isolated using PCR techniques. <it>P. formosus </it>association counteracted the adverse effects of salinity by accumulating proline and antioxidants and maintaining plant water potential. Thus the electrolytic leakage and membrane damage to the cucumber plants was reduced in the association of endophyte. Reduced content of stress responsive abscisic acid suggest lesser stress convened to endophyte-associated plants. On contrary, elevated endogenous GAs (GA₃, GA₄, GA₁₂and GA₂₀) contents in endophyte-associated cucumber plants evidenced salinity stress modulation.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results reveal that mutualistic interactions of phytohormones secreting endophytic fungi can ameliorate host plant growth and alleviate adverse effects of salt stress. Such fungal strain could be used for further field trials to improve agricultural productivity under saline conditions.</p

Inter-rater agreement among shoulder surgeons on treatment options for proximal humeral fractures among shoulder surgeons

Background The treatment approach for proximal humeral fractures is determined by various factors, including patient age, sex, dominant arm, fracture pattern, presence of osteoporosis, preexisting arthritis, rotator cuff status, and medical comorbidities. However, there is a lack of consensus in the literature regarding the optimal treatment for displaced proximal humeral fractures. This study aimed to assess and quantify the decision-making process for either conservative or surgical treatment and the choice of surgical method among shoulder surgeons when treating proximal humeral fractures. Methods Forty sets of true anteroposterior view, scapular Y projection view, and three-dimensional computed tomography of proximal humeral fractures were provided to 12 shoulder surgeons along with clinical information. Surveys regarding Neer classification, decisions between conservative and surgical treatments, and chosen methods were conducted twice with an interval of 2 months. The factors affecting the treatment plans were also assessed. Results The inter-rater agreement was fair for Neer classification (kappa=0.395), moderate for the decision between conservative and surgical treatments (kappa=0.528), and substantial for the chosen method of surgical treatment (kappa=0.740). The percentage of agreement was 71.1% for Neer classification, 84.6% for the decision between conservative and surgical treatment, and 96.4% for the chosen method of surgical treatment. The fracture pattern was the most crucial factor in deciding between conservative and surgical treatments, followed by age and physical activity. Conclusions The decision between conservative and surgical treatment for proximal humeral fractures showed good agreement, while the chosen method between osteosynthesis and arthroplasty showed substantial agreement among shoulder surgeons

Effects of Berberine and Hwangryunhaedok-Tang on Oral Bioavailability and Pharmacokinetics of Ciprofloxacin in Rats

Hwangryunhaedok-Tang (HR) and berberine-containing single herbs are used to treat bacterial infection and inflammatory diseases in eastern Asia. The combination of berberine-containing herbal medicines and ciprofloxacin can be an excellent antibacterial chemotherapy against multidrug resistance bacteria. To evaluate the pretreatment effect of berberine and HR, vehicle, berberine (25 and 50 mg/kg/day), and HR (1.4 g/kg/day) were daily administered to rats for five consecutive days. On day 6, ciprofloxacin was administered (10 mg/kg, i.v. and 20 mg/kg, p.o.) to rats. To assess cotreatment effect of berberine and ciprofloxacin, berberine (50 mg/kg) and ciprofloxacin (20 mg/kg) were coadministered by single oral gavage. Pharmacokinetic data were estimated by noncompartmental model. Compared with ciprofloxacin alone (control group), coadministration of berberine (50 mg/kg) and ciprofloxacin significantly decreased Cmax of ciprofloxacin (P<0.05). In addition, the pretreatment of berberine (50 mg/kg/day) and HR (1.4 g/kg/day) significantly decreased Cmax and AUC0→∞, compared with control group (P<0.05). The oral bioavailability of ciprofloxacin was reduced by cotreatment of berberine and pretreatment of berberine and HR. Our results suggest that the expression of P-glycoprotein and organic anion and/or organic cation transporters (OAT/OCT) could take a role in reduced oral bioavailability of ciprofloxacin by berberine and HR