Demands on Users for Interpretation of Achievement Test Scores: Implications for the Evaluation Profession

Background:  Professional standards for validity of achievement tests have long reflected a consensus that validity is the degree to which evidence and theory support interpretations of test scores entailed by the intended uses of tests.  Yet there are convincing lines of evidence that the standards are not adequately followed in practice, that standards alone are not sufficient guides to action, and that reviewers of tests do not call attention to important kinds of validity evidence that might support the demanding process of making sense of test scores or reasoning from test scores. Purpose: The intent of this article is to make more transparent the demands of achievement test interpretation on users in instructional contexts and to open up a dialogue on implications for the evaluation profession for improvement of practice along lines already set out by evaluation theorists. Setting:  Not applicable. Intervention: Not applicable. Research Design: Not applicable. Data Collection and Analysis: Review of current practice. Findings:  The article makes transparent the lack of attention to validation of achievement tests to support inferences relevant to intended uses in instruction and project evaluation. Elements of a model for the process of reasoning from test scores are articulated. The cognitive demands on the test score user are illustrated in achievement test contexts in writing, science, and mathematics. Implications are drawn for deliberation on issues and for the development of casebooks to guide practice. Keywords:  assessment; test validation; test users; test interpretation&nbsp

“Can you tell me about the future?” A narrative of the goal-setting process in family business

By relying on the taxonomy introduced by Kotlar and De Massis (2013), the present study proposes to investigate the dynamics and the set of goals perceived by the family members strategic for the future growth of their family business. Using an interview approach, the researchers recorded the professional stories of 15 family firm owners and managers. Through the interpretation of the narrative material emerged that the interviewees never mentioned the role that family-centred non-economic goals (i.e., ‘family harmony’, the ‘family social status’ and ‘the family identity’) plays in the performance of the family firms. Contrary, non-family non-economic goals, such as innovation and internationalisation, are considered two keys growth drivers. In particular, if both innovation and internationalisation have equal importance amongst the current goals, internationalisation assumes a greater importance in relation to the future goals of growth.   Keywords: Goal setting process; Family business; Growth Strategy; Narrative analysi

How do family firms grow? The strategic goals of innovation and internationalization

The aim of the paper is to identify the main strategic goals that are deemed as strategic by the owner/managers for the future growth of a family firm, and to assess how innovation ad internationalisation are included in such goals. By relying on 15 in-depth interviews with family firms’ key informants (i.e. family firms’ owners, managers and professionals), the study makes an original contribution that is significant and relevant both from a theoretical and a methodological perspective. In relation to the former, it provides a comprehensive review of the main family business goal setting models in order to identify the relevant categories used to classify the goals. Additionally, differently from extant research the study outlines the pivotal importance of innovation and internationalization as strategic goals for family firms’ growth. In relation to the latter, by relying on a narrative approach, the study provides a finer-grained understanding of how internationalization and innovation are conceived with respect to traditional characteristics of the family firms

"Can you tell me about the future?" A narrative of the goal-setting process in family business

By relying on the taxonomy introduced by Kotlar and De Massis (2013), the present study proposes to investigate the dynamics and the set of goals perceived by the family members strategic for the future growth of their family business. Using an interview approach, the researchers recorded the professional stories of 15 family firm owners and managers. Through the interpretation of the narrative material emerged that the interviewees never mentioned the role that family-centred non-economic goals (i.e., 'family harmony', the 'family social status' and 'the family identity') plays in the performance of the family firms. Contrary, non-family non-economic goals, such as innovation and internationalisation, are considered two keys growth drivers. In particular, if both innovation and internationalisation have equal importance amongst the current goals, internationalisation assumes a greater importance in relation to the future goals of growth. Keywords: Goal setting process; Family business; Growth Strategy; Narrative analysi

Antimicrobial activities of essential oils against common hospital Fungi species

Introduction: In hospitals and other healthcare settings the presence of airborne and sedimented fungi is an extrinsic risk factor for opportunistic infections involving both immunocompromised and non-immunocompromised persons. In hospitalized patients, it is estimated that 9% of hospital-acquired infections are caused by fungi. Lethality rate varies from 40% to 100% depending on the immunosuppression degree of stakeholders. To prevent healthcare-associated infections, the control of environmental fungal contamination through use of sanitizing/disinfecting practices is basic. However, the widespread use of common disinfectants could promote the growth of antibiotic-resistant superbugs and cause environmental harm. These aspects stimulated the search of new antimicrobial agents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of essential oils of Mentha insularis Req., Mentha pulegium L., Mentha requienii Bentham, Artemisia caerulescens L. ssp. densiflora (Viv), Rosmarinus officinalis L. var. albiflorus, Rosmarinus officinalis L. var. lavandulescens, and Ocotea puchury major Mart. against fungi species frequently found in hospitals and potentially responsible for opportunistic mycoses. Methods: The essential oils’ antifungal activity was carried out by agar disc diffusion technique. Results: All tested essential oils are effective, though to a different degree, against both molds that yeasts assessed. The major antifungal activity was showed by Mentha oils. Particularly, Mentha requienii and Mentha insularis oils were active until 1:8 dilution against Rhodotorula spp. and 1:16 dilution against mixed molds, while M. pulegium was strongly active until 1:2 against both fungi. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, few or no data are available in literature on the activity of essential oils against hospital environmental isolates of fungi. Results suggest their potential application in sanitation procedures of the hospital, and in general, of the “care settings”

Functionalized carbon nanotubes as immunomodulator systems

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<i>Thymus catharinae Camarda</i>: comparazione fitochimica della composizione dell'olio essenziale ottenuto da popolazioni puntuali vegetanti spontanee in Sardegna e valutazione della attività biologica

Sono stati intrapresi studi fitochimici al fine di descrivere compiutamente diverse popolazioni spontanee in Sardegna di Thymus catharinae. In diverse zone dell’interno della Sardegna, sono state effettuate raccolte puntuali della specie, al fine di verificare eventuali differenze fitochimiche legate al substrato, all’altitudine ed all’esposizione delle piante e infine valutarne l’attività antiradicalica ed antimicrobica

A S.M.A.R.T. system for the seismic vulnerability mitigation of Cultural Heritages

Both assessment and mitigation of seismic vulnerability connected to cultural heritages monitoring are non-trivial issues, based on the knowledge of structural and environmental factors potential impacting the cultural heritage. A holistic approach could be suitable to provide an effective monitoring of cultural heritages within their surroundings at different spatial and temporal scales. On the one hand, the analysis about geometrical and structural properties of monuments is important to assess their state of conservation, their response to external stresses as well as anomalies related to natural and/or anthropogenic phenomena (e.g. the aging of materials, seismic stresses, vibrational modes). On the other hand, the investigation of the surrounding area is relevant to assess environmental properties and natural phenomena (e.g. landslides, earthquakes, subsidence, seismic response) as well as their related impacts on the monuments. Within such a framework, a multi-disciplinary system has been developed and here presented for the monitoring of cultural heritages for seismic vulnerability assessment and mitigation purposes*. It merges geophysical investigations and modeling, in situ measurements and multi-platforms remote sensing sensors for the non-destructive and non-invasive multi-scales monitoring of historic buildings in a seismic-prone area. In detail, the system provides: a) the long-term and the regional-scale analysis of buildings’ environment through the integration of seismogenic analysis, airborne magnetic surveys, space-borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and multi-spectral sensors. They allow describing the sub-surface fault systems, the surface deformation processes and the land use mapping of the regional-scale area on an annual temporal span; b) the short-term and the basin-scale analysis of building’s neighborhood through geological setting and geotechnical surveys, airborne Light Detection And Radar (LiDAR) and ground-based SAR sensors. They enable assessing the site seismic effects, the built-up structural features and the surface deformation processes of the local-scale area on a monthly temporal span; c) the real- to near-real-time and building scale analysis of the heritage through proximal remotely sensing tools (e.g. terrestrial laser scanning, infrared thermal cameras and real aperture radar), combined with ambient vibration tests. They allow analyzing geometric, structural and material properties / anomalies of buildings as well as the state of conservation of structures on a real-time temporal span. The proposed approach is: Specific (it targets the cultural heritages monitoring for seismic mitigation purposes); Measurable (it provides synthetic descriptors or maps able to quantify structural and the environmental properties / anomalies / trends); Action-oriented (it provides information to plan consolidation and restoration actions for prevention activity); Relevant (it allows achieving consolidated results for cultural heritage monitoring); Time-related (it specifies when the results can be achieved). Meaningful results, obtained for the Saint Augustine Complex (XVI century) located in the historic center of the Calabrian chief town of Cosenza, are presented in terms of a web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) platform and a 3-dimensional (3D) visual software for the monitoring of environmental/urban landscapes and buildings. These tools represent the added-value products of the proposed SMART system, which allow integrating and combining multi-sensors analyses in order to support end-users involved into a cultural heritage monitoring.Copernicus MeetingsPublishedVienna | Austria | 17–22 April 20165T. Sismologia, geofisica e geologia per l'ingegneria sismic