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Performance-importance analysis examines the gap between the importance (ideal status) of the emitter's role on the efficiency of drip irrigation systems and the performance (status) of the factors affecting it. For this purpose, the stakeholder's perspective was investigated by means of a questionnaire. The validity of the questionnaires was checked using Content Validity Index (CVI) and their reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha in the two dimensions with the values of 0.83 (importance) and 0.86 (performance), respectively. The weighting method based on Shannon entropy was used to determine the importance of items, and in the case of performance, the significant effect of each items (current status) on the efficiency of systems was surveyed statistically. Moreover, the difference between the importance and performance of each item is also was performed through t- test. According to the results, the most statistically significant difference between the mean of importance and performance of items was observed in items 4, 6, and 12, with negative values of 3.27, 3.19, and 2.85, respectively. This result indicates that there is a significant gap between the desirable stakeholder's perspective (importance) and current status (performance) of these items. Emitters clogging (item 12) was the most important factor in the efficiency of the drip irrigation system. Furthermore, training, advice and guidance of stakeholder before and after the implementation of drip irrigation systems (items 6 and 7) are important and affect the efficiency of the systems, whereas, there was no such thing in practice. Therefore, they need focus and attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider the nonlinear space–time fractional form of Cahn–Allen equation (FCAE) with beta and M-truncated derivatives. Cahn–Allen equation (CAE) is commonly used in many problems of physics and engineering, such as, solidification problems, phase separation in iron alloys and others. We apply the improved tan (Ψ (η) 2) -expansion method (ITEM). We obtain four types of traveling wave solutions, including, trigonometric, hyperbolic, rational and exponential function solutions. We demonstrate some of the extracted solutions using definitions of the beta (BD) and M-truncated derivatives (MTD) to understand their dynamical behavior. We observe the fractional effects of the aforementioned derivatives on the related physical phenomena up to possible extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic, valued for its low cost and durability, is widely used in various aspects of daily life. However, accumulative plastic waste (PW) has emerged as an increasing environmental concern that causes a negative impact on both public well-being and marine biodiversity. Studies on marine PW have focused primarily on the number of PW items collected without considering its accumulation in coastal areas. Hence, this study aims to address this gap by meticulously examining the mass and constitution of macro PW in the summertime mangrove ecosystems of Hau Loc, Cat Ba, and Nha Trang. This study revealed that the average densities of PW collected in Hau Loc, Cat Ba, and Nha Trang mangrove forests were 0.93, 0.23, and 0.18 items·m−2 in the morning collection, whereas the afternoon collection showed slightly lower densities of 0.31, 0.12, and 0.14 items·m−2 for the same locations. Although all PWs in the standard plots were collected in the morning, PWs were present in the afternoon after the rising tide. This initially proves that tide is one of the reasons for increasing the presence of PW in mangroves. The most common types of PWs collected included water bottles, plastic bags, ropes, freight lines, fishing nets, and sponge floats. When assessing the PW composition based on mass, low-density polyethylene was the dominant PW category in Hau Loc with 5.97 g·m−2. In Cat Ba, polypropylene was the highest with 11.87 g·m−2, while polyethylene terephthalate was the highest with 0.9 g·m−2 in Nha Trang during the morning sampling. The “Others” type of PW was not present in any of the three locations. This study provides useful information that can be a foundation for future studies to analyze the relationship between socio-economic activities and the presence of PW in mangroves. Additionally, they hold the potential to guide the formulation of targeted strategies aimed at curbing plastic pollution within Vietnam’s coastal regions.

The tourism industry has currently grown in various aspects, including the types of attractions, their quantity, and the number of tourist visits in various regions, contributing positively to both regional and global economies. Historical transactions are essential for developing recommender systems, utilizing techniques such as Collaborative Filtering and Demographic Filtering. TripAdvisor is a reputable website providing a wide range of accessible tourism information, including attractions, user profiles, and ratings. However, this unstructured raw data requires processing to create an adequate dataset for recommender systems. This study conducted a series of data processing steps on the raw data, including data restructuring, validation, content addition, integration with Google Maps, normalization, and modeling. This study successfully produced an original dataset comprising User Transaction, Item or Attraction, Attraction Type, Continent, Region, Country, City, and Visiting Mode. It also includes an entity relational model for tourism in Indonesia, particularly in Bali, Malang, and Yogyakarta regions, based on various global user experiences. This dataset is adequate and essential for developing various models of tourism recommender systems such as using Collaborative Filtering.

Objectives: Cannabis use quantities are relevant for determining cannabis‐related harms. This research aims to provide an overview of the available methods to assess quantities through self‐report. Methods: A rapid review of various strategies to collect information on cannabis use quantities through self‐report. Two independent literature searches resulted in n = 38 studies included for review. Results: A total of n = 14 studies employed methods for collecting cannabis use quantities that are not suitable for online surveys (e.g., rolling a fake joint). Of the remaining n = 24 studies with items that are suitable for online surveys, the quantity assessment was performed in three different ways. The data collection was either carried out by asking (a) for the total number of joints (i.e., crude joint method), (b) for the total weight (i.e., crude weight method), or (c) for specific products separately, for example, for the amount of flower and resin (i.e., product‐specific method). In only n = 8 studies, cannabis use quantities were ascertained by providing visual aids (e.g., illustration of various amounts of flower). Conclusions: The crude joint method and the product‐specific method are the two most promising methods to collect information on cannabis use quantities. Using visual aids may potentially improve the accuracy of those methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a measure of socioeconomic status (SES) for nearly all Brazilian schools. Primary indicators – calculated with data from questionnaires answered by students in educational assessments – and secondary indicators – which characterize the schools' social contexts – were aggregated into an SES scale through an Item Response Theory model. The SES was calculated for more than 180,000 schools. The methodology gave visibility to small schools or ones in remote areas that, until now were invisible to public policies since they had not participated in educational assessments. The relationship between educational outcomes and SES represents the inequalities in the country. The schools' SES are useful for academic research, and can help improve public policies aimed at reducing educational inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasingly, the elderly population is preferring a more-active lifestyle. These seniors can achieve more active social participation through driving. However, elderly drivers are required to undergo safety screening because of the high risk of accidents. Therefore, this study aimed to develop evaluation items for screening the driving risk of elderly drivers using a Delphi survey. The researchers collected the items included in the existing self-reported test of the elderly drivers and the 52 selected pre-items were those contained in at least two of the existing tests. Delphi panels were composed of professors, occupational therapists, social workers, road traffic workers and an elderly driver. In the first and second Delphi surveys, four items were integrated and 48 items were derived. The final 44 items were derived from the results of the third Delphi survey. The final 44 items contained information related to driving by elderly individuals and so can be used to formulate an appropriate test for elderly drivers. In various countries, self-evaluation for elderly drivers is provided as an IT-based service. It is expected that the items developed in this study will be used to develop Korean IT-based services for elderly drivers in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objectives Cannabis use quantities are relevant for determining cannabis‐related harms. This research aims to provide an overview of the available methods to assess quantities through self‐report. Methods A rapid review of various strategies to collect information on cannabis use quantities through self‐report. Two independent literature searches resulted in n = 38 studies included for review. Results A total of n = 14 studies employed methods for collecting cannabis use quantities that are not suitable for online surveys (e.g., rolling a fake joint). Of the remaining n = 24 studies with items that are suitable for online surveys, the quantity assessment was performed in three different ways. The data collection was either carried out by asking (a) for the total number of joints (i.e., crude joint method), (b) for the total weight (i.e., crude weight method), or (c) for specific products separately, for example, for the amount of flower and resin (i.e., product‐specific method). In only n = 8 studies, cannabis use quantities were ascertained by providing visual aids (e.g., illustration of various amounts of flower). Conclusions The crude joint method and the product‐specific method are the two most promising methods to collect information on cannabis use quantities. Using visual aids may potentially improve the accuracy of those methods.

Copyright of Journal of Philosophy, Culture & Political Science is the property of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The improved tan(φ/2)-expansion, simplest equation, and extended (G′/G)-expansion methods are employed to construct the exact solutions involving parameters of the Van der Waals equation arising in the material industry. This model explains the phase separation phenomenon. Understanding the prominent dynamic and static properties of this model and other models of this type is of great importance for the physical phenomena encountered in many areas of industry. Therefore, for such models, it is also important to obtain guiding solutions in obtaining new information. Many explicit wave solutions consisting of trigonometric, hyperbolic, rational, and exponential functions are found by using analytical techniques. The obtained solutions were verified with Maple by placing them back into the original equations. Moreover, graphical demonstrations for some of the obtained solutions are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Beckettian theatre describes the agony of the modern world. His character as shown in the phenomenon of his perception, even when limited to four aspects: body, items, time and the Other, let us confirm the validity of Beckett's reflections about a man who is lost, terrified and resigned to our world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the paper is to unify the methods of valuation of items of financial reporting of Ukrainian enterprises on the basis of national and international standards. Methodology. The theoretical aspects of the study are based on international accounting and financial reporting standards, as well as national accounting regulations (standards). The applied aspects consist in specifying the methods of valuation of certain objects of accounting (assets, liabilities, income, expenses) and their reflection in the financial statements. The results of the paper made it possible to determine the conditions for the implementation of international accounting and financial reporting standards in Ukraine. It was shown that their implementation began in 2007 and was completed in 2012 by public joint stock companies due to the requirements for placement of securities on stock markets. The impact on the implementation of international accounting and financial reporting standards by Ukrainian enterprises in connection with the signing by Ukraine of the Association Agreement with the European Union was determined. The characteristics of the Anglo-American and continental accounting models, their regulatory standards, existing differences between US GAAP and IFRS/IAS, work on their harmonization with a view to creating an international accounting model were presented. The methods of valuation of items of financial reporting were systematized: historical cost, present value, net selling price, fair value or amount of expected compensation. Their advantages, disadvantages and scope of application were determined. The cost approach to the valuation of financial reporting items and the prospects for its use were examined in more detail. It was shown that enterprise value is characterized by indicators reflected in balance sheet, off-balance sheet and financial statements. The information model for determining the value of an enterprise on the basis of financial statements was proposed. The methods of value determination depending on the organizational and legal form of an enterprise were differentiated. The sources of formation of its market and fundamental value have been clarified. The informational capacity of the items of the financial statements of an enterprise was estimated. The practical implications include the creation of an information model for determining the value of the company according to financial reporting, the substantiation of recommendations for regrouping its items for the needs of management accounting, and the creation of additional reporting forms – a value statement and a value-added statement. Value/originality. The methodological recommendations for the harmonization of the systems of financial and management accounting of added value were substantiated in terms of: recognition of income generated by fully depreciated assets; capitalization of financial costs; use of 8-class accounts; off-balance sheet accounting to reflect non-financial information about capital and integrated added value of a company; simplification of the tax system by introducing a single value added tax, which will absorb income tax and lead to further harmonization of financial and tax accounting.

Copyright of Autobiografia is the property of Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Szczecinskiego / University of Szczecin Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study analyzed the student dropout rate at the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering (FECE) of the University of Pristina, Kosovo, from 2001 to 2015. This phenomenon is a concern for many countries, not only for students due to its emotional effects and further consequences for their university careers but also for institutions and society in general due to its broader negative impact on their authority. Over the past two decades, a significant number of students have been enrolled in these programs. However, we identified several factors that influenced young people to abandon their studies. The high dropout rate associated with FECE programs results in a lack of professionals in these areas and negatively affects the country’s economy. The main reasons given by students for such dropout were unrelated to whether students were from urban or rural areas or economic factors but were strongly related to high school programs and, to a somewhat lesser degree, to poor academic performance in certain courses. This research suggests opportunities for reducing dropout rates, as improvement in this context can be achieved by updating curricula, employing contemporary literature, applying modern teaching methodologies, improving laboratories, and reforming the behavior of certain professors. The main purpose of this study is to find a compromise between the large number of students enrolled in FECE and dropout rates; however, the findings highlight a phenomenon that is very complex and multidimensional, especially when dropout occurs after the first year of study.

This research examined the item and rater variabilities in students' evaluation of teaching and courses exercise at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) through the lenses of the Many-Facet Rasch Model (MFRM). The study covered students during the 2019/2020 academic year in the selected university, analysing secondary data obtained from the Directorate of Academic Planning and Quality Assurance, UCC (DAPQA-UCC). The data were analysed by conducting partial credit MFRM analyses. It was found that the sources of measurement errors in the student evaluation exercise included halo effect, non-functional item structure, inconsistent students' ratings, rater leniency, and non-functional rating scale. It was concluded that data from students' appraisal of lecturers’ teaching should be used with caution. It was recommended that DAPQA-UCC and the university management should train students on the evaluation of teaching, as well as review the existing evaluation form for appraising courses and teaching by subjecting the instrument to rigorous validation procedures.

The bibliographic universe has radically changed in a short time; the major innovations, mainly related to the digital environment, have had consequences in terms of terminology. This contribution offers an analysis of three specific international cataloguing terms: document, resource, and item. The terms document and resource constitute an example of terminological evolution; item, introduced in cataloguing by FRBR as the fourth entity of Group I, highlights the difficulties of transposition from one linguistic system to another, and the multiple terminological meanings linked to different disciplinary contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three dimensional packing is a major problem occurring in the transportation sector. It is also a challenging problem to overcome the limitations of existing businesses. This research studies the problem for packing items of Thailand Post (local branches) which provide delivery service to customers and arrange to pack items by staff for delivery to the distribution center. Moreover, the staff want to arrange and pack items into limited roll pallets which must be delivered within the specified period. In this paper, we analyze the problem under the limitations of different types of items and the number of roll pallets and developed an algorithm for sorting and packing items to minimize the amount of items left at the branch when limited roll pallets are available. Moreover, this algorithm can reduce the number of items left at the branch and serve as a guideline for staff.

The bibliographic universe has radically changed in a short time; the major innovations, mainly related to the digital environment, have had consequences in terms of terminology. This contribution offers an analysis of three specific international cataloguing terms: document, resource, and item. The terms document and resource constitute an example of terminological evolution; item, introduced in cataloguing by FRBR as the fourth entity of Group I, highlights the difficulties of transposition from one linguistic system to another, and the multiple terminological meanings linked to different disciplinary contexts.

Players in serious games may often need multiple trials for correctly completing a game task. Therefore, the number of attempts should be reflected in the score. This article presents three computational score models that take into account the number of attempts that a player makes to be successful. The models, which are extensions of test theory, quantify the random contributions to the scores that need to be removed. They also describe the influence of prior knowledge used for elimination of incorrect options, and take into account that the decision options in a node may not be equally plausible. In a series of simulation studies the score outcomes of the models are compared under various conditions. Results show that the number of trials cannot be ignored as they have a strong impact on the performance scores to be assigned. Neglecting the number of trials leads to inaccurate scores that significantly overrate the observed performances, occasionally up to 100% or even more. The effects depend on the number of decision options, the presence of obvious, correct or incorrect options given the player's knowledge level and, to a lesser extent, different plausibility levels of the options to decide upon. The practical feasibility is high, because a simple score formula largely solves the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disadvantages of the traditional description of a mechanical engineering product are shown, which are based on technological features oriented to single, typical and group operations of the technological process. It is proposed to represent the design of the product and its parts with a structured set of relevant technological modules, in the form of a graph of a hierarchical structure. The availability of a unified methodological base makes it possible to control the development of constructively complex products, minimize duplication in the creation of new designs and effectively develope resource-saving technologies for their manufacture. The choice of the method for assessing the manufacturability of the product design is substantiated by the labor intensity of the processes at the stages of its life cycle and the formation of a set of criteria that generalize the assessment of design and technological solutions by coefficients that take into account their degree of influence on the technical and economic indicators of the processes. On the basis of a technical and economic analysis, a method for the integral assessment of production manufacturability in the product life cycle has been formed. The method combines various coefficients of manufacturability, taking into account the degree of their influence on the labor intensity of production and maintenance, repair and disposal of the product structure. Based on the results of the feasibility study, it was proposed to understand the manufacturability of the product design at the stages of its production and disposal as production adaptability.

Background: In the study of the psychometric properties of the items of a test, a fundamental aspect is the analysis of their dimensional structure. The objective of this work is to provide some guidelines that allow the factor analysis of the items to be carried out in a rigorous and systematic way. Method: A review of the recent psychometric literature was carried out to identify the fundamental steps to be followed in order to carry out an adequate factor analysis of the items of a test. Results: Ten main recommendations were identified to carry out the factorial analysis of the items of a test: adequacy of the data and the sample, univariate statistics, justification of the analysis, selection of the analyzable items, type of model, most appropriate factorial solution, estimation of the parameters, adequacy of the factorial solution, substantive coherence of the model, and final version of the test. Conclusions: If the ten recommendations proposed in the current psychometric literature are systematically followed, it will be possible to optimize the quality of the tests and the decision-making based on the estimates of the scores obtained through them. These recommendations should be useful to both researchers and practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Survey measurement scales are expected to be stable – to generate the same values across two timepoints and under unchanged conditions. In scale development, stability is assessed by calculating a scale's test-retest reliability – a prerequisite to validity. Yet, a systematic review shows that test-retest reliability values are reported for only 23% of newly developed scales and typically assessed only at aggregate level – based on scale-level or subscale level scores. This study (1) demonstrates how (sub)scale-level test-retest reliability indicators can conceal a lack of response stability at item level and (2) proposes a complementary protocol for assessing item-level response stability. Assessing stability at both item- and scale-level ensures that only stable items are included in a scale, which, in turn, increases the reliability and validity of the scale and contributes to the replicability of findings in the social sciences.

The controversy in the relationship between item memory and source memory is a focus of episodic memory. Some studies show the trade-off between item memory and source memory, some show the consistency between them, and others show the independence between them. This review attempts to point out the connection-strength model, implying the different types and strengths of the important role of the item–source connections in the relationship between item memory and source memory, which is based on the same essence in the unified framework. The logic of the model is that when item memory and source memory share the same or relevant connection between item and source, they positively connect, or they are independently or negatively connected. This review integrates empirical evidence from the domains of cognition, cognitive neuroscience, and mathematical modeling to validate our hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three dimensional packing is a major problem occurring in the transportation sector. It is also a challenging problem to overcome the limitations of existing businesses. This research studies the problem for packing items of Thailand Post (local branches) which provide delivery service to customers and arrange to pack items by staff for delivery to the distribution center. Moreover, the staff want to arrange and pack items into limited roll pallets which must be delivered within the specified period. In this paper, we analyze the problem under the limitations of different types of items and the number of roll pallets and developed an algorithm for sorting and packing items to minimize the amount of items left at the branch when limited roll pallets are available. Moreover, this algorithm can reduce the number of items left at the branch and serve as a guideline for staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a series of pre-registered analyses testing the same theoretically derived hypothesis: If (a) the attitudes that perceivers have toward targets contribute to the variance of judgments on most items, and (b) items' rated social desirability values align very closely with the extent to which that is the case, then the product of two items' mid-point-centered social desirability values should predict the amount of shared variance, and thus the correlation, between these items. This hypothesis applies equally to other ratings and self-ratings. Across samples, effect sizes ranged from r =.36 to r =.80 (average r =.61) and were statistically significant in every single case. We also found that the average effect is much larger for other-ratings (r =.71) than for self-ratings (r =.49). This difference was also replicable and is likely rooted in the greater relative importance of the attitude factor in other-ratings, as compared to self-ratings. An exploratory item resampling analysis suggested that scales may achieve good internal consistency, and correlate substantially with other scales, based solely on shared attitude variance. We discuss the relevance of these findings across different domains of psychological assessment, and possible ways of dealing with the issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The controversy in the relationship between item memory and source memory is a focus of episodic memory. Some studies show the trade-off between item memory and source memory, some show the consistency between them, and others show the independence between them. This review attempts to point out the connection-strength model, implying the different types and strengths of the important role of the item–source connections in the relationship between item memory and source memory, which is based on the same essence in the unified framework. The logic of the model is that when item memory and source memory share the same or relevant connection between item and source, they positively connect, or they are independently or negatively connected. This review integrates empirical evidence from the domains of cognition, cognitive neuroscience, and mathematical modeling to validate our hypothesis.

Abstract The importance of quality cognitive assessment instruments so that evaluations conducted really measure what the instrument should measure. This study aims to describe the number of items that are fit in the cognitive assessment instruments of junior high school science subjects that have been developed. This descriptive research was conducted in 7 SMP / MTs in Banjar District. Data in the form of a comparison of questions that are not fit. The results showed that items that were fit on the cognitive assessment instruments developed were 59.80% (2013 curriculum), 12.74% (KTSP), and 78.43% (2013 Impact Curriculum). Abstrak Pentingnya instrumen penilaian kognitif yang berkualitas agar evaluasi yang dilakukan benar-benar mengukur apa yang seharusnya diukur oleh instrumen tersebut. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan jumlah butir soal yang fit pada pengembangan instrumen penilaian kognitif mata pelajaran IPA SMP. Penelitian deskriptif ini dilakukan pada 7 SMP/MTs Kabupaten Banjar. Data berupa perbandingan soal yang tidak fit menurut kurikulum yang diimplementasikan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa butir soal yang fit pada instrumen penilaian kognitif yang dikembangkan adalah 59,80% (kurikulum 2013), 12,74% (KTSP), dan 78,43% (Kurikulum Imbas 2013).

In the process of teaching and learning basic mathematics, topics related to the algebraic expressions are the basis of many of the key topics at school and advanced mathematics, and especially they are used in teaching the topics related to the functions and operators. Therefore, it is important to find the relationships among the effective components and their dimensions at the level of knowledge and skills of students, as a model for mathematics educators. This research seeks to provide a structural model for the topic of algebraic expressions at secondary school level, using a mathematical test tool and then through analyzing data through the software R, applying Cognitive Diagnostic Assessment (CDA) to analyze data and then extracting the results using the Attribute Hierarchy Method (AHM). The results were examined in three content areas of “recognition and detection”, “simplification” and “factorization and distribution”. The structural model, based on the analysis of the results, showed a convergent and linear pattern for the model of the relationship among the components. And this model became fixed with the model of measurement to find the dimensions, validity, reliability and fit of the model.

Revisits a paper published ten years ago suggesting that a single shared catalog would be more cost-efficient than the many different catalogs libraries maintain now. Compares OCLC and the semantic web as possible providers of the single shared catalog. Includes a critique of both RDA and RDF for encoding cataloging data for a single shared catalog.

Background and Aim: Assessing service quality is one of the basic requirements to develop outpatient service. There is no valid and reliable tool to measure quality of outpatient service, therefore this study was performed to determine dimensions and items for assessing service quality of outpatient in Iran. Materials and Methods: To determine dimensions and items of the outpatient service quality, a cross-sectional study was conducted with participating of 550 outpatients referred to Ahvaz hospitals in year 2015. To determine content validity, the Delphi technique (3 rounds) with participating of 8 quality experts was used. Construct validity of the tool was assessed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability was assessed using Cronbachchr('39')s alpha coefficient. Data were analyzed by Excel, Spss, and Lisrel softwares. Results: The content validity of tool with CVI=0.94 was confirmed. According to exploratory factor analysis, the hospital outpatient service quality tool included 36 items and 11 dimensions (choosing the service provider, communication and interaction, having authority, continuity of service, quality of facilities and basic amenities, respect, immediate and timely attention, safety, prevention, access and reliability). Construct validity of the tool was confirmed based on the goodness of fit quantities of model (RMSEA=0.007, CFI= 0.99, GFI=0.95). Conclusion: The results of study showed that the outpatient SERVQUAL tool with 36 items and 11 dimensions was a valid and reliable tool to measure quality of outpatient service in Iranian hospitals.

A negative polarity item (NPI) is a word or expression that occurs grammatically in negative clauses and a variety of other types of clauses such as interrogatives and conditionals, but not in ordinary affirmative sentences. Examples from classical Biblical Hebrew include the pronoun ‮מאומה‬‎ "anything" and the semantically-bleached noun ‮דבר‬‎ "a thing," which has been produced from the ordinary noun ‮דבר‬‎ "word, matter, action" by the process of grammaticalization. This paper examines the noun ‮דבר‬‎ in the non-biblical DSS with the purpose of determining whether it is used as there as an NPI, as in Biblical Hebrew, or as an ordinary semantically-bleached noun, as in Rabbinic Hebrew. The results show that the diachronic development of ‮דבר‬‎ in the DSS appears to be at an earlier stage than classical Biblical Hebrew, despite the later dating of the scrolls. This finding is explained as a special kind of pseudo-classicism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contract as an institute of civil law which is taught in the law of obligations, is created with the consent of the wills of its subjects. The sales contract is the most common contract because most of the exchange of goods is done (made) with this contract.The contract of sale arises on the basis of the free declaration of the will of the contracting parties, a will that leads to the creation, modification and termination of rights and obligations. In order for the contract of sale to be realized, the contracting parties must enjoy the ability to act, as well as express their will either as a seller or a buyer, and the item and its price must be determined. The items to which the sales contract is related can only be items that are in circulation. With exception, items that have limited legal circulation may also be subject. But special rules apply to them. The object of the sales contract can be movable and immovable items, consumable items, non-consumable items, etc. In addition to items as the subject of the contract of sale may also be property rights. The price of the item is an essential element, as it is the amount of money the buyer pays the seller for the item. The sale price is determined by the contracting parties, the parties can agree that the price corresponds to the real value of the item, also be determined in money, because otherwise it may be another contract.So the contract of sale is a consensual and rewarding contract. With the conclusion of the contract of sale, legal relations of obligations are created, for each contracting party.What is right for the seller is an obligation for the buyer and vice versa.A very important element is the time and place of delivery of the item. It is assumed that the seller has delivered the item with his delivery at the time and place specified in the contract, when the buyer gives the item or the document with which he can receive the item. The costs of the contract of sale are borne by the buyer, except in cases where the parties at the time of entering into the contract have agreed otherwise.The parties may provide in the contract that it be resolved when a certain obligation can not be fulfilled under the conditions provided. In this case the contract is terminated when the interested party declares to the other party that he will use the condition of termination of the contract. In the event of termination of the contract, the seller must return the price and pay the buyer the costs and payments made legally. The buyer must return the item, if it has not been lost or destroyed as a result of his vices. In addition, the legislator for the creation of the seller and the buyer, in cases of dispute has also guaranteed me a lawsuit, before the competent elections. When bringing the judgment, the opponent is obliged to take the circumstances that precede it and do it with the constants of sale and purchase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most important factors that should be examined when determining the performance of a multiple-choice item in the measuring instrument is the effectiveness of distractors. The performance of the items formed with effective distractors is higher. At this point, the process of preparation of distractors also plays an effective role. It is important to note that a strong and effective distractor does not carry any information about the correct answer. Investigating the reason why respondents chose distractors in a measuring instrument consisting of quality items is an important part of the item analysis process. When calculating item statistics during the known item analysis process, wrong answer options, i.e. distractors, are not included in the calculation. In distractor analysis, the power of these false answer options, which are not included in item analysis, is investigated and comments are made on the quality of these options. Thus, it is possible to have an idea of how the item of interest works in the measuring instrument. In this study, Statistical Literacy Test was applied to the students of the Department of conometrics, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Karadeniz Technical University, and distractor analysis was conducted for the items covered by the test. The analyzes were performed with the help of R software. Based on the results obtained, comments were made about whether the distractors in the items were effective and strong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Shanghai Physical Education Institute / Shanghai Tiyu Xueyuan Xuebao is the property of Shanghai Physical Education Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai, Philologia is the property of Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article represents the study of the meanings and functions of family items when moving to a new place among the residents of the Kola North. The change of residence is always connected with the interruption of established lifestyle and placement of items. It revealed that while moving, the items environment of the family was reorganized and transformed completely or partially. It means the accelerated change of meaning and status of the moved family items.