Tests and Measurements

In the frame of a project aimed at developing a new type of optical solar reflectors we present the scientific and technological issues addressed during irradiations of nano-hybrid polyimide films deposited on quartz by using 20 keV electron beam from a modified use of Scanning Electron Microscope and with ultraviolet (UV) dose equal to 300 space-equivalent Sun hours.

ObjectiveTo establish whether people exposed to drinking water contaminated with 20 tonnes of aluminium sulphate in the Camelford area of Cornwall in the south west of England in July 1988 had suffered organic brain damage as opposed to psychological trauma only.DesignRetrospective study of affected people.Participants55 affected people and 15 siblings nearest in age to one of the group but who had not been exposed to the contaminated water were studied.Main outcome measuresVarious clinical and psychological tests to determine medical condition and anxiety levels in affected people. Assessment of premorbid IQ (pFSIQ) with the national adult reading test, a computerised battery of psychomotor testing, and measurement of the difference in latencies between the flash and pattern visual evoked potentials in all participants.ResultsThe mean (SE) pFSIQ was above average at 114.4 (1.1). The most sensitive of the psychomotor tests for organic brain disease was the symbol digit coding (SDC) test (normal score 100, abnormal <85). Participants performed less well on this test (54.5 (6.0)) than expected from their pFSIQ (P<0.0001) and a little less poorly on the averaged less discriminating tests within the battery (86.1 (2.5), P<0.0001). In a comparison with the 15 sibling pairs (affected people’s age 41.0 (3.3) years v sibling age of 42.7 (3.1) years (P=0.36) the exposed people had similar pFSIQ (114.7 (2.1)) to their siblings (116.3 (2.1), (P=0.59) but performed badly on the symbol digit coding test (51.8 (16.6)) v (87.5 (4.9) for siblings, P=0.03). The flash-pattern differences in exposed people were greater than in 42 unrelated control subjects of similar age (27.33 (1.64) ms v 18.57 (1.47) ms, P=0.0002). The 15 unexposed siblings had significantly better flash-pattern differences than their affected siblings (13.4 (2.4) ms v 29.6 (2.9) ms, P=0.0002). No effect of anxiety could be shown on these measurements from the analysis of the anxiety scores of exposed people.ConclusionPeople who were exposed to the contaminated water at Camelford suffered considerable damage to cerebral function, which was not related to anxiety. Follow up studies would be required to determine the longer term prognosis for affected individuals. Key messagesAluminium is a well established neurotoxinAccidental contamination of drinking water in Camelford by aluminium sulphate led to symptoms of loss of concentration and short term memory that were initially attributed to anxietyIn residents exposed to the contaminated water psychomotor performance was poorer than predicted from premorbid IQ and the difference between flash-pattern visual evoked potentials was greater than normalAnxiety did not influence either of these measures of cerebral functionAluminium sulphate poisoning probably led to long term cerebral impairment in some people in Camelford

RFID markers are proving to be a cheap and reliable enabler for indoor positioning applications. Motivated by this we have developed a concrete embeddable passive RFID tag for robust and long-lasting way-point identification. Embedding commercially available passive tags in concrete significantly reduces their read range and hence, usefulness as markers. By appropriate redesign of the antenna and packaging we have extended hand-held readability of concrete embedded passive tags beyond one meter. This paper details the background R&D of our prototype tags, including test and measurement results.

The rapid exchange grip (REG) test is one of many methods devised to detect insincere grip strength efforts. Studies investigating the REG test have used different testing protocols and different interpretation criteria for what constitutes a sincere effort. Since therapists get information about evaluation tools from the literature, inconsistencies among researchers may lead to a lack of standardization in the administration of the REG test among therapists. The purpose of the study was to survey therapists to determine what protocol they follow during REG test administration and how they interpret the REG test results. Fourteen therapists working in hand clinics completed the survey. The ways in which the therapists administered the REG test varied widely. Differences among therapists in administering the REG test included the position of the patient, the handling of the dynamometer, the number of repetitions, the hand switch rate, and the comparative test used to interpret the REG test. On the basis of these results, we concluded that the REG test does not meet the most basic testing and measurement criteria. This may impede the ability of therapists to report the outcomes of the REG test accurately and correctly. The implications for the profession due to the lack of standardization of the REG test are discussed.

Za svaku ljudsku djelatnost potrebna je neka vrsta mjerenja. Od konstruiranja, planiranja, proizvodnje, trgovine, eksploatacije, održavanja, pa sve do rušenja objekata i zbrinjavanja otpada, svaku tu fazu u životnom ciklusu svakog proizvoda prati određena vrsta mjerenja. Mjere se fizičke, hemijske, biološke, električne veličine. Za mjerenja se koriste različite vrste mjernih uređaja koji zahtijevaju određeni nivo tačnosti, preciznosti i pouzdanosti. Inženjerska praksa nezamisliva je bez laboratorija, kalibracije, akreditacije.
Mjerna tehnika kao naučna disciplina prisutna je u nastavnim planovima fakulteta u Bosni i Hercegovini od osamdesetih godina dvadesetog vijeka, kad je uveden predmet "Mjerna tehnika" na Mašinskom fakultetu u Zenici. U okviru predmeta izučavale su se razne tehnike, metode i uređaji za mjerenja u mašinstvu. Postdiplomski studij "Metrologija" pokrenut je 2006. godine u okviru EU Tempus projekta, čime je mjerna tehnika dobila poseban značaj kao jedna od disciplina po kojoj je Univerzitet u Zenici prepoznatljiv.
Kako se mjerna tehnika s vremenom razvija, širi i transformiše, javila se ideja da se prvi udžbenik iz mjerne tehnike, objavljen 1997. godine, obnovi i proširi. Međutim, s obzirom da bi se broj stranica tako popeo na više od pet ili šest stotina, autori su odlučili da se materija podijeli u nekoliko knjiga, da u njihovoj izradi učestvuje više autora, i tako je nastala ova, prva knjiga u seriji "Mjerna tehnika". Ova knjiga obuhvata uvodni dio s objašnjenjem osnovnih pojmova u metrologiji, zatim poglavlje o procesima, metodama i principima mjerenja fizičkih veličina, električne mjerne sisteme za mjerenje fizičkih veličina, greške mjerenja, te mjerenje pomaka, ugaone brzine, sile, mase, obrtnog momenta, snage, vibracija i buke. Procesna mjerenja biće tema druge knjige u ovoj seriji, a treća knjiga obradit će koordinatnu metrologiju.
Ova knjiga namijenjena je, prije svega, studentima prvog ciklusa studijskog programa Proizvodni biznis na Politehničkom fakultetu Univerziteta u Zenici, kao osnovna literatura za predmet "Mjerna tehnika", ali će sigurno biti koristan priručnik i svim inženjerima koji se u praksi sreću s mjernom tehnikom. Nadamo se da će ova knjiga pomoći studentima na ovim, ali i drugim univerzitetima da se upoznaju s primjenom mjerne tehnike u rješavanju inženjerskih problema. Knjiga nije zaštićena autorskim pravima, nego je dostupna pod uslovima licence Creative Commons.

This paper applied Item Response Theory (IRT) to examine the psychometric properties of 2016 Mathematics Basic Education Certificate Education (BECE) in Gombe state, Nigeria. The evaluation research design was used for the study. The population consisted of 28,077 students who sat for mathematics BECE in the year 2016, out of which a sample of 381 marked answered scripts were selected through the multistage and systematic sampling techniques. The instrument was the Part A section of the question paper which consisted of 60 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs). The data was analyzed using IRTPRO 4.2 for windows (3PLM) to determine the parameter indices (a-discrimination; b-difficulty and c-guessing) of the test items. Findings from the study showed that 52 of the 60 test items were easy; the examination discriminated well between the Upper and Lower ability groups of students, whereas many items showed a high probability to guessing. Based on the findings, conclusions were drawn and recommendations were made.

The study investigated predictive validity of Ekiti State unified examination on students' performance in economics in senior school certificate examinations. The study adopted expost facto research design. The population consisted of all 7,903 students who sat for economics in ESUE in 2014 who later sat for the subject in WASSCE and NECOSSCEin 2015. The sample comprised 720 students from 36 secondary schools selected from six Local Government Areas (LGAs) using simple and quota random sampling techniques. The instrument for the study was inventory which was used to collect students' economics grades in ESUE (2014), WASSCE (2015) and NECOSSCE (2015). Two research hypotheses formulated for the study were tested using Simple Linear Regression at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that ESUE significantly predicts students' performance in Economics in WASSCE and NECOSSCE. It was recommended among others that items of ESUE needs to be frequently validated and its reliability should be ascertained by psychometricians before administering them on students. Also the predictive validity studies of ESUE should be replicated in other subjects in secondary schools.

Using mixed methods, we explored the role of coercive con- trolling behaviors in a high-risk sample of 126 men in violent same-sex relationships. Contrary to a prediction that separate factors of physical violence and coercive control might emerge, a simple principle components analysis supported that male same-sex relationship intimate partner violence (IPV) is essentially unidimensional. Qualitative narratives supported a single latent factor solution of violence, and that coercive controlling behaviors better detect IPV dynamics within the same violent encounters (i.e., weapon use), even when com- pared to profiles defined by physical violence. Narratives also highlighted gender-different tactics of coercion used, under- scoring importance of context-based assessments.

Modeling, self-verbalization, and self-reinforcement techniques were used to train hyperactive children in more effective and less impulsive strategies for approaching cognitive tasks, academic problems, and social situations. Eighteen hyperactive children took part in the training program. The control group, which received no training, consisted of 11 children, matched with the experimental group on age, IQ, and measures of hyperactivity and impulsivity. Several tests and measures, some of which have been shown to differentiate between hyperactive and normal children, were administered prior to training, at the end of the 3- month training period, and after a further 3- month period in which no training took place. The trained group showed significantly greater improvement on several of the measures, both at the time of posttesting and on the follow-up evaluation.

Physical therapists commonly use screening tests to identify upper motoneuron lesions such as cord compressive myelopathy (CCM), the presence of which neces- sitates appropriate medical referral. Signs and symptoms of CCM include sensory and ataxic changes of the lower extremities, poorly coordinated gait, weakness, tetraspas- ticity, clumsiness, spasticity, hyperreflexia, and primitive reflexes. Clinical tests and measures such as Hoffmann sign,

Group delay is a measure of transit time through a device or transmission link.Group delay flatness (i.e. transit time variations vs. frequency) has a significant impact on the performance of digital radio and 'mask testing' of group delay vs. frequency is routinely carried out by a vector network analyzer. This paper describes an alternative test method in order to calculate group delay flatness when only scalar instrumentation is available.

The high efficiency in the 30 GHz power production is maintained if the beam quality is preserved along the rings and the transfer lines of the CLIC Test Facility (CTF3) compressor system. The energy loss and energy spread, caused by vacuum chamber components coupling impedance and by coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) emission, must be minimized. The magnetic layouts of the first ring of the compressor system, called delay loop (DL) and of the transfer line between the Linac and DL are presented. Tests and measurements on several vacuum chamber components prototypes are reported. The 3 GHz RF deflectors, that will provide the injection in the combiner ring, have been studied, realized, tested, installed and successfully used in the first interlaced bunch trains injection in the CTF3 preliminary phase. A standing wave 1.5 GHz RF deflector for injection into the delay loop is proposed.

Democracy has believed to be accomplished with some functions of government and freedoms. These freedoms are rights and privileges that are true for any government and every citizen. When citizens experienced these functions and freedoms will in turn sustained democratic government. In Nigeria democracy, some of these functions of government and freedoms of the citizens are only printed and documented on papers but not in operation which adversely affected the youths who are the future of the nation. This poses a threat to Nigeria 20years of democracy. However, to have a functional and sustainable democracy in Nigeria there is need for the youth to be empowered with viable skills. In this paper, brief history of Nigeria democratic movement and problems associated with it was traced. Also, the paper explains the concept of empowerment, democracy, youth and education. Procedures of empowering youth, functions of democratic government and relevance of youth empowerment equally discussed. Therefore, the paper concludes that when government empowered youth, the youth in turns empowered their follow youth thereby democracy was sustained. It is recommended that youth empowerment should be in national development agenda. Entrepreneurship education should be emphasized at all level of education. Skilled acquisition centres should be established and well equipped.

Theory of mind (ToM) was examined in late-signing deaf children in two studies by using standard tests and measures of spontaneous talk about inner states of perception, affect and cognition during storytelling. In Study 1, there were 21 deaf children aged 6 to 11 years and 13 typical-hearing children matched with the deaf by chronological age. In Study 2, there were 17 deaf children aged 6 to 12 years and 17 typical-hearing preschoolers aged 4 to 5 years who were matched with the deaf by ToM test performance. In addition to replicating the consistently reported finding of poor performance on standard false belief tests by late-signing deaf children, significant correlations emerged in both studies between deaf children's ToM test scores and their spontaneous narrative talk about imaginative cognition (e.g. ‘pretend’). In Study 2, with a new set of purpose-built pictures that evoked richer and more complex mentalistic narration than the published picture book of Study 1, results of multiple regression analyses showed that children's narrative talk about imaginative cognition was uniquely important, over and above hearing status and talking of other kinds of mental states, in predicting ToM scores. The same was true of children's elaborated narrative talk using utterances that either spelt out thoughts, explained inner states or introduced contrastives. In addition, results of a Guttman scalogram analysis in Study 2 suggested a consistent sequence in narrative and standard test performance by deaf and hearing children that went from (1) narrative mention of visible (affective or perceptual) mental states only, along with FB failure, to (2) narrative mention of cognitive states along with (1), to (3) elaborated narrative talk about inner states along with (2), and finally to (4) simple and elaborated narrative talk about affective/perceptual and cognitive states along with FB test success. Possible explanations for this performance ordering, as well as for the observed correlations in both studies between ToM test scores and narrative variables, were considered.

This study is designed to report the motivation level for academic English and improved beliefs among the regular University students enrolled in the course 'English for PhD Students' at Beijing Normal University during the period of 2012 and 2013 spring semesters, in Beijing. A total of 'N=104' students volunteered for this research. The findings were clear and robust indicating that the participants' belief for academic English changed from the beginning to the end of the semesters. The research was mainly focused on finding the statistical correlation among the motivation, learning strategies, and student management of different resources pertaining to domicile (rural or urban) and sex of the students. This study is an exploratory investigation based on distributive statistics, correlation coefficients, and T-tests. No significant difference was reported in motivation strategy for learning by the students in terms of their sex and domicile. Besides the urban students and male students tend to show the significant correlation among their intrinsic goal orientation and self-efficacy for learning and performance. Male students also reported a significant correlation between the components of Test anxiety and their motivated strategy for learning academic English.