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Abstract: By analyzing COSMIC data, found more than 50% reduction in electron density during a solar eclipse at the F2-layer and above, with the peak of ∼70% at 370km. So great eclipse effect on topside ionosphere was very abnormal and much different from previous studies. However, by comparing the cosmic data with IRI results, we find that the abnormal reduction comes mainly from the significant local time variation at sunrise, not from the eclipse effect. Furthermore, we simulated the eclipse effect by using a theoretical model to confirm our analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: Previous studies using the WHOQOL measures have demonstrated that the relationship between individual items and the underlying quality of life (QoL) construct may differ between cultures. If unaccounted for, these differing relationships can lead to measurement bias which, in turn, can undermine the reliability of results.Methods: We used item response theory (IRT) to assess differential item functioning (DIF) in WHOQOL data from diverse language versions collected in UK, Zimbabwe, Russia, and India (total N = 1332). Data were fitted to the partial credit 'Rasch' model. We used four item banks previously derived from the WHOQOL-100 measure, which provided excellent measurement for physical, psychological, social, and environmental quality of life domains (40 items overall). Cross-cultural differential item functioning was assessed using analysis of variance for item residuals and post hoc Tukey tests. Simulated computer-adaptive tests (CATs) were conducted to assess the efficiency and precision of the four items banks.Results: Splitting item parameters by DIF results in four linked item banks without DIF or other breaches of IRT model assumptions. Simulated CATs were more precise and efficient than longer paper-based alternatives.Discussion: Assessing differential item functioning using item response theory can identify measurement invariance between cultures which, if uncontrolled, may undermine accurate comparisons in computer-adaptive testing assessments of QoL. We demonstrate how compensating for DIF using item anchoring allowed data from all four countries to be compared on a common metric, thus facilitating assessments which were both sensitive to cultural nuance and comparable between countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The selection of career paths and making of academic choices is a difficult and often confusing task for young people. The impact on their lives, however, is enormous as it can determine entire future career possibilities. In India, a general remedy to this stress is that instead of choosing a field of study tailored to individual preferences and strengths, topics are chosen that align with the choices of the students' families or their friends. This can have the effect of entrenching patterns of intergenerational inequity. The aim of this research is to give students greater access to the knowledge capital which will help them make better choices. This is achieved by engaging students in the career planning process, in order to convey information in a likeable and credible way. The COMPCAT (Competency and Career Assessment Tool) game engine combines the use of learning analytics and real time, interactive computer simulations designed to gain insights into the students' engagement in the making of these complex decisions. This paper presents the conceptual architecture of the game and demonstrates its role in enhancing the learning effectiveness of the students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fuzzy time series models are of great interest in forecasting when the information is imprecise and vague. However, the major problem in fuzzy time series forecasting is the accuracy of the forecasted values. In the present study we propose a hybrid method of forecasting based on fuzzy time series and intuitionistic fuzzy sets. The proposed model is a simplified computational approach that uses the degree of nondeterminacy to establish fuzzy logical relations on time series data. The developed model was implemented on the historical enrollment data for the University of Alabama and the forecasted values were compared with the results of existing methods to show its superiority. The suitability of the proposed method was also examined in forecasting market share prices of the State Bank of India on the Bombay Stock Exchange, India. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]