The Challenges Inherent With Anchor-Based Approaches To The Interpretation of Important Change In Clinical Outcome Assessments

Purpose: Anchor-based methods have been used to derive clinical outcome assessment (COA) interpretation thresholds of meaningful change over time for understanding individual (within-patient) as well as within-group change and between-group differences. The methods explore the associations between the targeted concept of the COA measure and the concept measured by the external anchor(s), typically a global rating, chosen as easier to interpret than the COA measure. While they are valued for providing plausible interpretation thresholds, anchor-based methods pose a number of inherent theoretical and methodological conundrums. Methods: This investigation provides a critical appraisal of anchor-based methods for COA interpretation thresholds and details a key bias in anchor-based methods that directly influences the magnitude of the interpretation threshold. Results: Five important concerns for the use of anchor-based methods have emerged from the literature: 1) global estimates of change are consistently biased toward the present state; 2) the use of static current state global measures, while not subject to artifacts of recall, may exacerbate the problem of estimating clinically meaningful change; 3) the anchor assessment response(s) that indicates meaningful change usually involves an arbitrary judgment; 4) the calculated interpretation thresholds are sensitive to the proportion of patients who have improved; and 5) examination of anchor-based regression methods reveals that the correlation between the COA change scores and the anchor has a direct linear relationship to the magnitude of the interpretation threshold derived using an anchor-based approach. Stronger correlations yielding larger interpretation thresholds. Conclusions: While anchor-based methods are recognized for their utility in deriving interpretation thresholds for COAs, the biases associated with estimation of the threshold using these methods may impede progress in the development of standard-setting methodologies for COAs.

Patients and clinicians define symptom levels and meaningful change for PROMIS pain interference and fatigue in RA using bookmarking

Objectives Using patient-reported outcomes to inform clinical decision-making depends on knowing how to interpret scores. Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System® (PROMIS®) instruments are increasingly used in rheumatology research and care, but there is little information available to guide interpretation of scores. We sought to identify thresholds and meaningful change for PROMIS Pain Interference and Fatigue scores from the perspective of RA patients and clinicians. Methods We developed patient vignettes using the PROMIS item banks representing a continuum of Pain Interference and Fatigue levels. During a series of face-to-face ‘bookmarking’ sessions, patients and clinicians identified thresholds for mild, moderate and severe levels of symptoms and identified change deemed meaningful for making treatment decisions. Results In general, patients selected higher cut points to demarcate thresholds than clinicians. Patients and clinicians generally identified changes of 5–10 points as representing meaningful change. The thresholds and meaningful change scores of patients were grounded in their lived experiences having RA, approach to self-management, and the impacts on function, roles and social participation. Conclusion Results offer new information about how both patients and clinicians view RA symptoms and functional impacts. Results suggest that patients and providers may use different strategies to define and interpret RA symptoms, and select different thresholds when describing symptoms as mild, moderate or severe. The magnitude of symptom change selected by patients and clinicians as being clinically meaningful in interpreting treatment efficacy and loss of response may be greater than levels determined by external anchor and statistical methods.

Diversity of Monetary Regimes and Reactions to the Pandemic Crisis

This chapter analyses to what extent the type of monetary regime in three Balkans countries (Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia) determines the scope and nature of reactions to the pandemic crisis in the short run (providing liquidity to different sectors) and considers the possibilities for a long-term recovery. A comparative perspective is particularly suitable for the Balkan countries with great institutional diversity of the monetary regimes. In particular, the two members of the EU, Bulgaria and Romania, have been following different principles of monetary regimes for decades (Currency Board versus discretionary Monetary Policy). Both Bulgaria and Romania follow closely the ECB monetary policy. Serbia, which is outside the EU, is not affected by the constraints of European integration and actually has its independent monetary policy (although the Euro is also an important external anchor).

Linking With External Covariates: Examining Accuracy by Anchor Type, Test Length, Ability Difference, and Sample Size

Research has recently demonstrated the use of multiple anchor tests and external covariates to supplement or substitute for common anchor items when linking and equating with nonequivalent groups. This study examines the conditions under which external covariates improve linking and equating accuracy, with internal and external anchor tests of varying lengths and groups of differing abilities. Pseudo forms of a state science test were equated within a resampling study where sample size ranged from 1,000 to 10,000 examinees and anchor tests ranged in length from eight to 20 items, with reading and math scores included as covariates. Frequency estimation linking with an anchor test and external covariate was found to produce the most accurate results under the majority of conditions studied. Practical applications of linking with anchor tests and covariates are discussed.

Using Undisclosed Time Budgets to Reduce the Magnitude of Auditors' Underreporting of Chargeable Time

ABSTRACT The objectives of this study are to (1) propose a new budgetary control mechanism, previously not investigated in academia, i.e., an undisclosed time budget (UTB) and (2) test whether an UTB could be implemented as a pragmatic solution to decrease the magnitude of auditors' underreporting of chargeable time (URT). Over the past few decades, auditing researchers have relied on survey research to document the causes and negative consequences of URT. However, research has yet to experimentally test solutions to the URT problem. We define, propose, and find evidence that firms could utilize an UTB to reduce URT. In contrast to typical disclosed time budgets (where all parties concerned with a budget know the details), an UTB informs auditors of the existence of a time budget target, but does not disclose the specifics of budgeted task times. We predict and find support to suggest that while UTBs do not reduce auditors' perceptions of URT's moral intensity, UTBs do preventively reduce auditors' ability and perceived need to underreport. That is, a UTB increases self-efficacy (confidence in the appropriateness of the time spent on a task) and removes the external anchor of a disclosed time budget. By removing the external anchor, auditors assume a budget that resembles their actual task time is appropriate, which translates into a reduction in URT magnitude. Finally, our results also allow us to suggest that a UTB mitigates the negative reporting effects of tight time budget pressure.

Heat-Traced Pipelines: A Double-Containment Solution for a High-Temperature Pipeline

A pipe-in-pipe (PiP) technology was selected to transport hot fluids through muskeg and multiple obstacles dealt with Horizontal Directional Drillings (HDDs) in Northern Alberta. The system offers both integrity and construction advantages. • The outer pipe provides an obvious secondary barrier to any leak. It also provides the basis for a surveillance system with a sensitivity more than 1000 times the sensitivity provided by the standard mass-balance. • The system is pre-constrained: the inner pipe is pre-heated using electrical heat tracing at a temperature such that the system, once installed, has thermal stresses reduced by half and thus permits the installation of the high-temperature pipeline in non-competent soils with no expansion loop and no external anchor. • The insulation system between the two pipes reduces the heat loss to only 0.3 W/(m2.K), leading to a very long cool down time. Finally, the pipe-in-pipe can be a simple solution to high-risk and/or high scrutiny areas such as HDDs, sensitive wetlands, unstable soils, etc.

KARAKTERISTIK METODE PENYETARAAN SKOR TES UNTUK DATA DIKOTOMOS

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menemukan: 1) akurasi estimasi parameter item pada test equating menggunakan metode Item Characteristic Curve (ICC). 2) sensitivitas metode linear yang terdiri atas Tucker - Levine score method dan Levine true score method applied to observed scores serta metode equipercentile yang terdiri atas metode Braun-Holland linear dan chained equipercentile. Data empiris yang digunakan yaitu respons siswa peserta Ulangan Akhir Semester V Mata Pelajaran Ilmu Pengetahuan Alam (IPA) SMP Tahun Ajaran 2009/2010. Penyetaraan tes menggunakan anchor test design. Anchor test bersifat external, anchor test berfungsi sebagai pengait antara tes yang disetarakan. Item anchor berisi 10 item materi Fisika. Banyak item pada tes A 55 item, tes B 55 item dan tes C 50 item. Pola penyetaraan yang digunakan pola kelompok, sehingga banyak item hasil penyetaraan berjumlah 140 item terdiri atas 10 anchor item milik bersama, 45 item berasal dari tes A, 45 item berasal dari tes B, dan 40 item berasal dari tes C. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa: 1) Estimasi parameter item pada penyetaraan tes menggunakan metode Item Characteristic Curva (ICC) menghasilkan formula indeks kesulitan item, 2) urutan sensitivitas metode penyetaraan dari paling tinggi sampai paling rendah yaitu Tucker – Levine method, Levine method, Braun - Holland linear method. Chained Equipercentile Equating method.Kata kunci: Test equating, anchor test, external anchor test, RMSD, RMSE______________________________________________________________ THE CHARACTERISTICS OF TEST EQUATING METHODS FOR DICHOTOMOUS DATAAbstract This study aims: 1) to find out the accuracy of item parameter estimates in test equating by means of the Item Characteristic Curve (ICC) method, and 2) to find out the sensivity of the linear methods consisting of the Tucker-Levine score method and the Levine true score method applied to observed scores and the equipercentile methods consisting of the Braun-Holland linear method the chained equipercentile equating method. The data were empirical data obtained from the response patterns of the junior high school students taking the final test of Natural Sciences in the odd semester of the academic year of 2009/2010. The test equating employed the external anchor test design. The anchor test served to unite the equated tests. The anchor test consisted of 10 physics items. The test A had 55 items, the test B had 55 items, and the test C had 50 items. The equating pattern employed the group pattern, so that in the equating there were 140 items, consisting of 10 common anchor items, 45 items from tests A, 45 items from tests B, and 40 items from tests C. The results of the study are as follows. 1) The item parameter estimate in the test score equating by means of the Item Characteristic Curve (ICC) method yields the formula for the item difficulty index, and 2) urutan sensitivitas metode penyetaraan dari paling tinggi sampai paling rendah yaitu The order of the sensitivity of the equating methods from the highest to the lowest is Tucker- Levine method, Levine method, Braun-Holland linear method. Chained Equipercentile Equating method.Keywords: test equating, anchor test, external anchor test, RMSD, RMSE

Three-Dimensional Wireless Sensor Network Localization Algorithm Based on DV-Hop

Node positioning technology in wireless sensor network plays an important role in the whole network, and a lot of scholars engage in this field. According to the background that wireless sensor network is applied in Three-Dimensional space, an improved algorithm is proposed in this paper. The algorithm makes the average distance of each hop more rational through choosing the external anchor nodes. After the achievement of the unknown nodes positioning, initial positioning location would be corrected in order to get a higher positioning accuracy. Simulation results show that the accuracy of the improved algorithm is 13% higher than the traditional DV-Hop algorithm.