Unlocking Data to Improve Public Policy

Published as: Hastings JS, Howison M, Lawless T, Ucles J, White P. Unlocking Data to Improve Public Policy. Communications of the ACM 62(10): 48-53. https://doi.org/10.1145/333515

Integrating Administrative Data for Policy Insights

Published as: Hastings JS, Howison M, Lawless T, Ucles J, White P. Unlocking Data to Improve Public Policy. Communications of the ACM 62(10): 48-53. https://doi.org/10.1145/333515

Exploration of environmental contaminants in honeybees using GC-TOF-MS and GC-Orbitrap-MS

This study reports an analytical approach by gas chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) intended to be used for investigation of non-targeted environmental contaminants in honeybees. The approach involves a generic extraction and analysis with two GC-HRMS systems: time-of-flight and Orbitrap analyzers, GC-TOF-MS, and GC-Orbitrap-MS operated in electron-impact ionization (EI) mode. The workflow for screening of non-targeted contaminants consisted of initial peak detection by deconvolution and matching the first-stage mass spectra EI-MS with a nominal mass spectral library. To gain further confidence in the structural characterization of the contaminants under investigation, molecular formula of representative ions (molecular and fragment ions) was provided for those with an accurate mass scoring (error < 5 ppm). This methology was applied for screening environmental contaminants in 75 samples of adult honeybee. This approach has provided the tentative identification of environmental contaminants belonging to different chemical groups, among them, PAHs, phthalates and synthetic musks. Residues of veterinary treatments used in apiculture were also detected in the honeybee samples

Validation of a multiclass multiresidue method and monitoring results for 210 pesticides in fruits and vegetables by gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry

International audienceA rapid, sensitive, accurate and reliable multiresidue method for the identification and quantification of 210 relevant pesticides in four representative fruit and vegetable commodities (tomato, potato, spring onion and orange) has been developed and validated by gas chromatography in tandem with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. The method has been fully validated and applied to 292 samples from different countries. Prior to instrumental analysis, an extraction procedure based on a sample extraction of multiclass analytes, using the ethyl acetate method was employed. Mass spectrometric conditions were individually optimized for each compound in the selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode to achieve maximum sensitivity. The pesticides were separated in less than 25 min. This was followed by an exhaustive control of the retention times. The Retention Time Locking Method was applied, working at a constant pressure throughout the analysis. System maintenance was reduced by using a purged capillary flow device that provided backflush capabilities by reversing column flow immediately after elution of the last compound of interest. Istotopically labelled internal standards were employed to improve the quality of the analytical results

Sequencing as an item type.

A text’s coherence clearly depends upon the way ideas are related within that text, both in terms of their logical relations, as well as the cohesive devices that show, or create, the links between ideas, across paragraphs and sentences. Thus, it would appear that part of the ability of a competent reader is to recognize the appropriate order of ideas in text, to identify cohesion and coherence in text in order to relate the ideas to each other, and to understand authorial intention with respect to the sequence of ideas. It follows from this that a potentially useful test method that might tap such abilities is to require candidates to inspect text in which the elements are out of order, and to reconstruct the original order. This, it might be supposed, would require candidates to detect the relationship among ideas, to identify cohesive devices and their interrelationships. Such test methods are, indeed, increasingly common in so-called reading tests. However, we know of no reports of research into, or even descriptions of the use of, this promising task type. In this article we report on potential problems in scoring responses to sequencing tests, the development of a computer program to overcome these difficulties, and an exploration of the value of various scoring procedures

Developing and validating a questionnaire for evaluating the EFL ‘Total PACKage’ : Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) for English as a Foreign Language (EFL)

This paper introduces a new self-report questionnaire for the assessment of TPACK for English language teaching which does not prescribe a particular approach to language teaching or the use of particular technologies. Development and validation of the questionnaire involved: (1) creation of an initial item pool based on a review of the literature on Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) and the use of technology in EFL, (2) evaluation of the content validity of the initial items with a panel of 36 international experts in computer-assisted language learning, (3) exploration and validation of the underlying factor structure through the administration of the questionnaire to 542 EFL practitioners and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). A six-factor solution, comprising PCK, TK, CK, Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK), Technological Content Knowledge (TCK), and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK), emerged from the EFA and was subsequently confirmed through CFA. The emergence of TK and CK, but not PK, as independent factors might be explained as follows. PK and CK are intrinsically linked, that is any expression of subject matter is an attempt to communicate understanding thereof. TK tends to be taught independently from CK and PK on pre-service teacher education programmes and continuing professional development programmes. And CK, namely a degree in English, has long been, and in some contexts continues to be, the only requirement to become a language teacher