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In the United States, legislation intended to limit abortion access based on fetal development markers (e.g., heartbeat, fetal pain) has become increasingly common. We found that people’s support for legal abortion decreases when survey items mention fetal developmental markers compared with items that do not. However, the majority of participants supported access to legal abortion in health-related circumstances or pregnancies as a result of rape at the detection of a fetal heartbeat. Using terms that personify the fetus may evoke responses from participants that limit their endorsement of abortion. Thus, including this terminology in the public and political discourse seems to influence abortion attitudes. This might have implications related to electoral outcomes which eventually determine whether pregnant people are guaranteed access to abortion.

A study was conducted to implement the use of a standardized effect size and corresponding classification guidelines for polytomous data with the POLYSIBTEST procedure and compare those guidelines with prior recommendations. Two simulation studies were included. The first identifies new unstandardized test heuristics for classifying moderate and large differential item functioning (DIF) for polytomous response data with three to seven response options. These are provided for researchers studying polytomous data using POLYSIBTEST software that has been published previously. The second simulation study provides one pair of standardized effect size heuristics that can be employed with items having any number of response options and compares true-positive and false-positive rates for the standardized effect size proposed by Weese with one proposed by Zwick et al. and two unstandardized classification procedures (Gierl; Golia). All four procedures retained false-positive rates generally below the level of significance at both moderate and large DIF levels. However, Weese’s standardized effect size was not affected by sample size and provided slightly higher true-positive rates than the Zwick et al. and Golia’s recommendations, while flagging substantially fewer items that might be characterized as having negligible DIF when compared with Gierl’s suggested criterion. The proposed effect size allows for easier use and interpretation by practitioners as it can be applied to items with any number of response options and is interpreted as a difference in standard deviation units.

This study examines knowledge of and attitudes toward Roe v. Wade among a sample of 779 US Latinx adults. Survey response patterns were examined in relation to generational status and choice of survey language as well as to several demographic variables previously shown to influence abortion attitudes (e.g., age, religiosity, political affiliation). Differences were found in knowledge of Roe v. Wade by generational status and survey language, with those with higher generational statuses and those taking the survey in English exhibiting greater knowledge. Finally, greater knowledge of Roe v. Wade and choosing to take the survey in English predicted more positive attitudes toward Roe v. Wade controlling for other demographic variables; no effect on attitudes of generational status was observed. These findings contribute to our understanding of abortion attitudes among US Latinxs as well as the relationship between political socialization, knowledge, and attitudes toward social issues.

The relationship between people’s attitudes toward abortion acceptability and the Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, two distinct but related issues, has not been rigorously explored. Using a mixed methods approach, we analyzed in-depth interviews to better understand how participants’ feelings toward abortion acceptability are related to perceptions of whether abortion should be legal. Then, we assessed (i) correlations between abortion acceptability and different measures of support for Roe v. Wade (ii) how the phrasing of survey items related to Roe v. Wade may evoke different responses via online surveys fielded in 2018. Our qualitative results highlight that there is a disjuncture between people’s moral feelings toward abortion and their attitudes toward abortion legality. Our quantitative results further demonstrate that correlations between abortion acceptability and support for Roe v. Wade are not strong, but rather moderate, and the differences in responses to the phrasing of survey items related to Roe v. Wade are moderated by knowledge. When developing survey items, we recommend researchers avoid ambiguities of abortion as a general construct, especially when public opinion measures on abortion are employed for research and the design of social and health policy and practice.

Public reaction to Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States initially centered around abortion. However, approximately two months after the nomination, sexual assault accusations against Kavanaugh were made public. We examined the extent that people's perceptions of Kavanaugh's stance on abortion and people's attitudes toward whether Kavanaugh committed sexual assault were associated with perceptions of Kavanaugh as a good Supreme Court justice. Data were collected from English- and Spanish-speaking participants (

Previous research indicates that abortion attitudes may vary across different contexts, such as the reason for abortion and gestational age of the pregnancy. To expand on these findings, we examine...

A simulation study was conducted to investigate the heuristics of the SIBTEST procedure and how it compares with ETS classification guidelines used with the Mantel–Haenszel procedure. Prior heuristics have been used for nearly 25 years, but they are based on a simulation study that was restricted due to computer limitations and that modeled item parameters from estimates of ACT and ASVAB tests from 1987 and 1984, respectively. Further, suggested heuristics for data fitting a two-parameter logistic model (2PL) have essentially went unused since their original presentation. This simulation study incorporates a wide range of data conditions to recommend heuristics for both 2PL and three-parameter logistic (3PL) data that correspond with ETS’s Mantel–Haenszel heuristics. Levels of agreement between the new SIBTEST heuristics and Mantel–Haenszel heuristics were similar for 2PL data and higher than prior SIBTEST heuristics for 3PL data. The new recommendations provide higher true-positive rates for 2PL data. Conversely, they displayed decreased true-positive rates for 3PL data. False-positive rates, overall, remained below the level of significance for the new heuristics. Unequal group sizes resulted in slightly larger false-positive rates than balanced designs for both prior and new SIBTEST heuristics, with rates less than alpha levels for equal ability distributions and unbalanced designs versus false-positive rates slightly higher than alpha with unequal ability distributions and unbalanced designs.

With the recent changes to the composition of the Supreme Court in the USA, speculation that Roe v. Wade may be overturned abounds. Research assessing people’s knowledge and sentiment toward Roe v. Wade is limited. As such, we assessed the relationship between knowledge and sentiment regarding Roe v. Wade and whether the relationship is moderated by political affiliation and abortion identity (e.g., “pro-life,” “pro-choice”). In 2018, after Justice Brett Kavanaugh was nominated to the Supreme Court, we distributed an online survey to a quota-based sample of English- and Spanish-speaking adults in the USA. Roe v. Wade knowledge was significantly related to sentiment; higher knowledge was generally associated with greater support for upholding Roe v. Wade. However, both political affiliation and abortion identity moderated this relationship. Specifically, higher baseline knowledge was associated with lower sentiment scores among those identifying as Republican and “pro-life.” Those who identified as neither or both “pro-life” and “pro-choice” and Independents responded similarly to those who identified as pro-choice and Democrats, respectively. Roe v. Wade knowledge is associated with sentiment; this relationship is moderated by political affiliation and abortion identity. People in subgroups without a clear stance on abortion (e.g., Independents; people who identify as neither or both “pro-life” and “pro-choice”) seem to hold sentiments similar to those more supportive of abortion (e.g., Democrats, “pro-choice”). In addition to other data, policymakers should consult comprehensive assessments of constituents’ attitudes toward Roe v. Wade when making decisions about abortion and reproductive health issues.

This study investigated the effects of polytomous item response theory models and item wording direction on estimated latent trait scores. The original version of the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1983) was administered to the sample, along with 10 matched, reverse-worded items. Model fit indices, test information, standard errors, and trait scores from three polytomous IRT models were compared for responses to the set of 20 items (10 positive and 10 negative items), and the subsets of 10 positive, 10 negative, 10 original items, and 10 reverse-worded items. The nominal response model may provide more maximal for those with a trait score in the middle of the distribution, but the graded response model provides more information (and smaller standard errors) of trait scores across a larger span of the scale. Scores were highly correlated, but those from subsets of positively worded and negatively worded items were only moderately correlated. The use of scales with all positively worded items was statistically more favorable, but further research is necessary to determine favorability in practice. The results have implications for researchers and practitioners using psychological scales or developing scales with polytomous responses for diagnostic purposes.

With Justice Kavanaugh joining the U.S. Supreme Court, there is speculation that Roe v. Wade may be overturned. For decades, public opinion polls have asked people how they feel about overturning Roe v. Wade. However, people may be uninformed about Roe v. Wade and the implications of overturning the decision. To account for this, we examined people’s knowledge of and sentiments toward Roe v. Wade using a tiered survey design. First, we assessed participants’ baseline knowledge. Next, we provided information about Roe v. Wade and implications associated with overturning the decision. Finally, we assessed people’s sentiments toward Roe v. Wade. Using quota-based sampling, data were collected from a national sample of English- and Spanish-speaking US adults (N = 2557). Results suggest people are somewhat knowledgeable—they know Roe v. Wade pertains to abortion and they know abortion is currently legal. However, people were less knowledgeable about implications of overturning the decision. Although the majority of our sample supported upholding Roe v. Wade, support was lower compared with previous research. Perhaps being more informed dissuaded some support. We recommend researchers use comprehensive mechanisms to assess complex issues, like Roe v. Wade. We also recommend policy-makers avoid basing important decisions on data from single, simplistic items.

Evidence-based models are critical for understanding caregiver well-being and treatment interventions from a holistic perspective. This study introduces the Indivisible Self: An Evidence-Based Model of Wellness (IS-WEL) as a means for examining the holistic wellness of pediatric stroke caregivers. In this exploratory study, 161 participants completed a demographic survey and the Five-Factor Wellness Inventory (FF-WEL). Results indicate significant wellness score differences between the current sample of pediatric stroke caregivers and the FF-WEL norming sample on the higher order Total Wellness factor, the second-order wellness factors of Creative Self and Social Self, and the third-order wellness factors of thinking, emotions, control, positive humor, and love. These results support the veracity of the IS-WEL as an additional empirically sound holistic approach for understanding and addressing the well-being of stroke caregivers. The authors discuss practical clinical and research implications for utilizing the IS-WEL with pediatric stroke caregivers.

Objective: Salient belief elicitations (SBEs) measure beliefs toward a health behavior through open-ended questions, with the purpose of developing close-ended survey questions. Auxiliary verbs used in SBE questions often differ (eg, What are the top 3 reasons you would/should decide to have an abortion?). We tested how 2 auxiliary verbs function in a SBE assessing abortion in English and Spanish: would/decidíra and should/debería. Methods: We administered a SBE survey online (N = 175) and in-person (N = 72); in-person participants also participated in cognitive interviews to assess question interpretation. Participants were assigned to survey versions that included identical SBE questions aside from auxiliary verbs—would/decidíra versus should/debería. Data analysis included: (1) content analysis of survey responses to assess differences in responses by version and (2) thematic analysis of interview data focused on interpretations of would/decidíra and should/ debería. Results: Would/decidíra surveys generated more response categories. Similarly, cognitive interview findings suggest participants conceptualized would/decidíra as allowing for more options, while should/debería was thought to include only the most significant reasons/circumstances for abortion, potentially restricting participants’ responses. Conclusion: These findings have important measurement implications for researchers administering SBEs

Multilanguage surveys are a vital component of comparative public health science. And, with dozens of tools available to guide the translation and design process, an open dialogue about key translation frameworks and design approaches and their strengths and limitations is needed. Herein, we briefly summarize the application and use of several popular translation frameworks and questionnaire design approaches. Our purpose is to draw attention to the complexities of multilanguage surveys by noting how the most appropriate framework or approach is entirely dependent on the context of a specific study. We conclude with a call encouraging the adoption of frameworks and approaches that value high degrees of cultural input, ideally among a large team of culture, language, and subject matter experts. And, as the implemented translation framework or questionnaire design approach may hold implications for the quality and validity of data, we also call on editors to create recommendations that encourage disclosure of the translation framework(s) and/or questionnaire design approaches guiding multilanguage surveys.

Objectives: Salient belief elicitations (SBEs), informed by the Reasoned Action Approach (RAA), are used to identify 3 sets of beliefs – behavioral, control, and normative – that influence attitudes toward a health behavior. SBEs ask participants about their own beliefs through open-ended questions. We adapted a SBE by focusing on abortion, which is infrequently examined through SBEs; we also included a survey version that asked participants their views on what a hypothetical woman would do if contemplating an abortion. Given these deviations from traditional SBEs, the purpose of this study was to assess if the adapted SBE was understood by participants in English and Spanish through cognitive interviewing. Methods: We examined participants' interpretations of SBE items about abortion to determine if they aligned with the corresponding RAA construct. We administered SBE surveys and conducted cognitive interviews with US adults in both English and Spanish. Results: Participants comprehended the SBE questions as intended. Participants' interpretations of most questions were also in line with the respective RAA construct. Conclusions: SBE survey questions were comprehended well by participants. We discuss areas in which SBE questions can be modified to improve alignment with the underlying RAA construct to assess abortion beliefs.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential effects of item direction and orientation across various uni- and multidimensional structures on model fit, item parameters, and scores, using the multidimensional graded response IRT model. Items from the Perceived Stress Scale were used, and additional items were created that were worded in the opposite direction. Item direction was categorized as positive or negative and by item orientation, e.g., the use of a contraction, such as “not” or “no,” or prefix, such as “un-,” “non-,” to denote direction. Data were collected from 3176 respondents. The data were fit to a unidimensional IRT model and to ten different multidimensional (including bifactor) model structures. Overall, the two-factor bifactor model structures fit the data best, having direction-specific factors for positive and negative items or having orientation-specific factors for items naturally worded using terms and items oriented using “not” and “un-”. Within the four subsets of item types, negatively oriented and positively worded items tended to be more discriminating on the general factor than negatively worded and positively oriented items. Estimated trait scores within subgroups based on traditional sum scores were consistent across the unidimensional model and general factor of the bifactor models, but variability existed between groups on each dimension of the four-factor multidimensional model.

Recent evidence suggests prolonged sitting strains the arteries through angulations that create turbulent blood flow. This turbulent flow reduces flow-mediated dilation (FMD), a key indicator of vascular health. The purpose of this study was to determine if arterial angulations (through sitting or standing), shear stress (through local heating), or a combination of these factors affected vascular function. In addition, we sought examined the impact of biological sex on these responses.MethodsTwenty-six healthy, young (18-40 years old) males (n=13) and females (n=13) participated. Participants completed two experimental trials (2-h sitting and 2-h standing), and, in a randomized fashion, one leg was passively heated. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) at the superficial femoral artery (SFA), and central and peripheral pulse-wave velocity (PWV) were measured using vascular ultrasound.ResultsThere was a non-significant decrease in FMD (- 1.48%; p = .06) during sitting and the decline in FMD was not different between biological sexes (−1.96% vs -0.93%; p = .49, males and females respectively). Passive heating (1.42%; p < .05) and standing (1.42%; p < .05) both improved FMD in comparison to sitting. However, standing resulted in a significant increase in peripheral PWV (50 cm/s; p < .05). Interestingly, the standing was not well tolerated among female participants with seven participants having to stop their initial trial early due to lightheadedness.ConclusionsBoth interventions appear to be equally effective at mitigating reductions FMD associated with sitting, but standing increased peripheral PWV. In addition, it does not appear that biological sex moderates these physiological responses.New FindingsWhat is the central question of this study?Prolonged sitting can cause acutely vascular dysfunction while interventions such as local heating or standing have been explored they have not been used in combination and the role of biological sex has not been fully explored.What is the main finding and its importance?In this study we demonstrate that either local heating or standing are effective at reducing some of the vascular dysfunction associated with prolonged sitting. Biological sex did not appear appear to play a role in this response. However, standing may also cause some negative effects such as increased arterial stiffness and increase the risk of syncope.

Differences in type I error and power rates for majority and minority groups are investigated when differential item functioning (DIF) contamination in a test is unbalanced. Typically, type...

Obesity and hypohydration independently affect postsynaptic endothelial function, but it is unknown if hypohydration affects lean and obese individuals differently. To examine the effect of hypohydration on postsynaptic cutaneous vasodilation and sweating in men with high and low adiposity (HI- and LO-BF, respectively). Ten males with LO-BF and ten with HI-BF were instrumented for forearm microdialysis when euhydrated and hypohydrated. Changes in cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC) with intradermal infusion of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and methacholine chloride (MCh) were assessed. Local sweat rate (LSR) was simultaneously assessed at the MCh site. At the end of the last dose, maximal CVC was elicited by delivering a maximal dose of SNP for 30 min to both sites with simultaneous local heating at the SNP site. The concentration of drug needed to elicit 50% of the maximal response (EC50) was compared between groups and hydration conditions. When euhydrated, EC50 of MCh-induced CVC was not different between LO- vs. HI-BF [− 3.04 ± 0.12 vs. − 2.98 ± 0.19 log (MCh) M, P = 0.841]. EC50 of SNP-induced CVC was higher in euhydrated HI- vs. LO-BF (− 1.74 ± 0.17 vs. − 2.13 ± 0.06 log (SNP) M, P = 0.034). Within each group, hydration status did not change MCh- or SNP-induced CVC (P > 0.05). LSR was not different between groups or hydration condition (P > 0.05). These data suggest reduced sensitivity of endothelium-independent vasodilation in individuals with high adiposity when euhydrated. However, hypohydration does not affect cutaneous vasodilation or local sweat rate differently between individuals with low or high adiposity.

To design and deliver meaningful professional development programs for faculty who teach online, the unit responsible for these activities should have a clear idea of what content participants might find most beneficial to their practice, as well as what can improve instructor and student satisfaction. Using an online survey, this study explored the perceptions of 314 faculty members at a mid-southern university as they relate to the online environment and institutional factors, personal factors, and student engagement and active learning. Faculty reported high levels of satisfaction with the accessibility of their courses and the technical support they receive, but reported lower levels of satisfaction with the effectiveness of online communication tools. The results also revealed a significant difference in how faculty rated their satisfaction with student engagement and active learning based on their level of experience, indicating that alternative approaches to faculty development might be necessary for those new to online teaching and learning.

This study provides psychometric data for the Scholastic Inquiry Observation instrument and 6 years of research data from an inquiry-based professional training program. The rating instrument provides a resource for measuring 16 inquiry-related learning activities based on level of inquiry implementation and level of active student engagement. Observational data at the item level can be useful for inquiry-based professional development programs. Four scale score options are available for inquiry summarization (Inquiry Implementation for Hypothesis Usage; Implementation of Inquiry Communication; Student Engagement in Hypothesis Usage; Student Engagement in Inquiry Communication) and two scales measuring Student Interest and Mastery of Objectives. Comparisons of the types of inquiry most commonly used and those with the highest levels of active participation by middle school students in science and math classrooms are provided.

It is unclear whether men with low body fat (LO-BF) have impaired thermoregulation during exercise heat stress compared with those with high body fat (HI-BF) when euhydration (EU) is maintained. Furthermore, in LO-BF individuals, hypohydration (HY) impairs thermoregulatory responses during exercise heat stress, but it is unknown whether this occurs in HI-BF counterparts. The purpose of this study was to test the hypotheses that men with HI-BF have impaired thermoregulatory responses to exercise heat stress and that HY further exacerbates these impairments vs. LO-BF. Men with LO-BF [ n = 11, body mass (BM) 73.9 ± 8.5 kg, BF% 13.6 ± 3.8] and HI-BF ( n = 9, BM 89.6 ± 6.9 kg, BF% 30.2 ± 4.1), in a randomized crossover design, performed 60 min of upright cycling in a hot environment (40.3 ± 0.4°C, relative humidity 32.5 ± 1.9%) at a metabolic heat production rate of 6 W/kg BM and finished exercise either euhydrated (EU; 0.3 ± 1.2 vs. 0.3 ± 0.9% BM loss) or HY (−2.5 ± 1.1 vs. −1.7 ± 1.5% BM loss). Changes in rectal temperature (ΔTrec), local sweat rate (ΔLSR), and cutaneous vascular conductance (ΔCVC; %max) were measured throughout. When EU, LO-BF and HI-BF had similar CVC and LSR responses ( P > 0.05); however, LO-BF had a lower ΔTrec vs. HI-BF (0.92 ± 0.35 vs. 1.31 ± 0.32°C, P = 0.021). Compared with EU, HY increased end-exercise ΔTrec in LO-BF (0.47 ± 0.37°C, P < 0.01) but not in HI-BF (−0.06 ± 0.29°C, P > 0.05). HY, compared with EU, did not affect ΔLSR and ΔCVC in either group ( P > 0.05). We conclude that, when euhydrated, men with HI-BF have a greater increase in Trec vs. LO-BF but similar CVC and LSR. HY exacerbates increases in Trec in LO-BF but not HI-BF. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first known investigation to compare thermoregulatory responses to exercise heat stress between men with high and low body fat (BF) in a physiologically uncompensable environment while simultaneously examining the confounding influence of hydration status. Both groups demonstrated similar sweating and cutaneous vasodilatory responses when euhydrated, despite vast differences in rectal temperature. Furthermore, in contrast to low BF, individuals with high BF demonstrated similar increases in core body temperature when either euhydrated or hypohydrated.

The generalized partial credit model (GPCM) is often used for polytomous data; however, the nominal response model (NRM) allows for the investigation of how adjacent categories may discriminate differently when items are positively or negatively worded. Ten items from three different self-reported scales were used (anxiety, depression, and perceived stress), and authors wrote an additional item worded in the opposite direction to pair with each original item. Sets of the original and reverse-worded items were administered, and responses were analyzed using the two models. The NRM fit significantly better than the GPCM, and it was able to detect category responses that may not function well. Positively worded items tended to be more discriminating than negatively worded items. For the depression scale, category boundary locations tended to have a larger range for the positively worded items than for the negatively worded items from both models. Some pairs of items functioned comparably when reverse-worded, but others did not. If an examinee responds in an extreme category to an item, the same examinee is not necessarily likely to respond in an extreme category at the opposite end of the rating scale to a similar item worded in the opposite direction. Results of this study may support the use of scales composed of items worded in the same direction, and particularly in the positive direction.

When constructing multiple test forms, the number of items and the total test difficulty are often equivalent. Not all test developers match the number of items and/or average item difficulty within subcontent areas. In this simulation study, six test forms were constructed having an equal number of items and average item difficulty overall. Manipulated variables were the number of items and average item difficulty within subsets of items primarily measuring one of two dimensions. Data sets were simulated at four levels of correlation (0, .3, .6, and .9). Item parameters were estimated using the Rasch and two-parameter logistic unidimensional item response theory models. Estimated discrimination and difficulty were compared across forms and to the true item parameters. The average unidimensional estimated discrimination was consistent across forms having the same correlation. Forms having a larger set of easy items measuring one dimension were estimated as being more difficult than forms having a larger set of hard items. Estimates were also investigated within subsets of items, and measures of bias were reported. This study encourages test developers to not only maintain consistent test specifications across forms as a whole but also within subcontent areas.

Beta-alanine (BA) supplementation increases exercise performance due to increases in the intramuscular lactate buffer, carnosine. Females are more sensitive to these increases and results are further pronounced in trained individuals. Baseline intramuscular carnosine levels also naturally decrease with age; therefore, trained older females may experience augmented benefits from BA supplementation. However, the ability of BA to increase lower-body isokinetic strength (ISO) in female masters athletes (MA) is unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal effects of BA supplementation on ISO, handgrip strength (HG), and body composition in female MA cyclists. Twenty-two subjects participated in this double-blind randomized study. Subjects were randomized into 2 groups (placebo [PLA] = 8 g dextrose; BA = 800 mg + 8 g dextrose) and supplemented 4 times per day for 28 days. ISO, HG, and body composition were evaluated at baseline and at the same day/time each week over the 28-day intervention. No differences existed between groups at baseline or at the 7, 14, and 21 days time points for any variables (p0.05). When evaluating ISO (isokinetic) after 28 days, total work performed during the final third of the assessment (24.0 vs. -16.8% change) in flexion and average peak torque (5.4 vs. 2.9% change) in extension were significantly increased from baseline in BA compared with PLA (p ≤ 0.05). No differences existed for HG or body composition after supplementation. Twenty-eight days of BA supplementation increased peak torque and work completed, indicating BA improves lower-body exercise performance in female MA.

Assessment is critical to rehabilitation practice and research, and self-reports are a commonly used form of assessment. This study examines a gender effect according to item wording on the Perceived Stress Scale for adults with multiple sclerosis. Past studies have demonstrated two-factor solutions on this scale and other scales measuring stress-related constructs with factor loadings being determined by item wording. Moreover, women have typically scored higher on these measured constructs. However, a literature review reveals that this gender difference often manifests only on the factor composed of negatively worded items. This study extends this line of research by examining gender differences on the Perceived Stress Scale on the negatively worded items at both the item and bundle levels after controlling for responses on the positively worded items. Implications of this study on the field of rehabilitation are discussed.

Although research has indicated a link between gender and perceived illness severity and the employment status of people with multiple sclerosis (MS), it has not addressed questions regarding the relationship between those variables and specific types of employment concerns. In this study, a sample of 1,310 adults with MS replied to a mail survey eliciting their concerns regarding employment services and policies. Regardless of perceived severity and gender, adults with MS were dissatisfied with many important employment services and policies. Findings also indicated gender and severity interactions, which are discussed in terms of implications for rehabilitation interventions.

Although state agencies are required by law to assess their consumers' satisfaction with vocational rehabilitation (VR), each state uses its own instrument to measure satisfaction. This not only makes comparisons across states impossible but also means that the quality of these instruments varies widely from state to state. As with other satisfaction research in general, there have been, and continue to be, many problems with the measurement of consumer satisfaction in VR. The purpose of this study was to create a valid, reliable, multidimensional consumer satisfaction instrument specifically for clients of VR agencies, without the documented problems associated with much of the existing satisfaction research.

The index of item-objective congruence developed by Rovinelli and Hambleton (1977) is a procedure used in test development for evaluating content validity at the item development stage. This measure is limited to the assessment of unidimensional items or items that measure specified composites of skills. In modern test development, items are sometimes developed to be multidimensional assessments or measures of multiple combinations of skills. The purpose of this research is to provide a mathematical extension to the Rovinelli and Hambleton index that is applicable for the multidimensional case.

Within the aging population, there exists a subset of individuals termed masters athletes (MA). As masters-level competition increases in popularity, MA must find methods to enhance individual athletic performance. Longitudinal beta-alanine (BA) supplementation is suggested to enhance physical capability during exercise; however, these effects have not been evaluated in MA. To examine the longitudinal effects of BA on time to exhaustion (TTE), total work completed (TWC), and lactate clearance in female MA cyclists. Twenty-two female MA (age = 53.3 ± 1.0) participated in this double-blind design. Subjects were randomly assigned to BA (n = 11; 800 mg BA + 8 g dextrose) or placebo (PLA; n = 11; 8 g dextrose) groups and supplemented 4 doses/day over 28 days. Every 7 days, subjects completed a cycling TTE at 120% VO2max, and TWC was calculated. Blood lactate was measured at baseline, immediate post, and 20-min post each TTE. No significant differences existed between groups for any variable at baseline (p > 0.05). After 28 days supplementation, BA had greater TTE (23 vs 1% change) and TWC (21 vs 2% change) than PLA (p < 0.05). Following the 20-min TTE recovery, lactate was 24% lower in BA compared to PLA (4.35 vs. 5.76 mmol/L, respectively). No differences existed for variables during intermittent weeks. 28 days of BA supplementation increased cycling performance via an enhanced time to exhaustion and total work completed with associated lactate clearance during passive rest in female MA.

Measurement is critical to Rehabilitation practice and research. To provide effective services and to have valid research results, it is imperative to have valid and reliable assessment tools. Differential Item Functioning (DIF) is a statistical procedure which better enables us to assess both the validity and the results of measurement instruments. As such, it is a methodology that can be very beneficial to the field of Rehabilitation. The purposes of this article are to (a) explain the fundamental principles and components of DIF, (b) discuss the practical implications of DIF for the Rehabilitation discipline, and (c) provide an example of DIF implementation and interpretation of results.

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) represent an unprecedented change in American education. As an increasingly integral part of the school accountability movement under No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top, responsibility for implementing CCSS rests largely with school leadership. One important factor in the success or failure of these efforts is the perceptions and experiences of the teachers who will ultimately employ CCSS in the classroom. This survey study examined teachers’ views of CCSS implementation, teaching conditions, collaboration, and job satisfaction. Factor analysis revealed that the openness and activeness of school leadership had a significant effect on teachers’ perceptions of implementation, suggesting that attention to these aspects of leadership is an important consideration during transition to CCSS.

This study investigated the effects of estimating unidimensional latent abilities for subgroups of a population across multiple test forms with confounding difficulty and number of items within sub-content areas. Examinees were grouped based on their true two-dimensional ability; estimates within subgroups were compared across test forms having equal length and average item difficulty overall, but differing numbers of items and/or difficulty within subsets. Examinees with differing true abilities across two dimensions had significantly different estimated scores across forms, depending on the alignment of true ability in each dimension with the number of items and average item difficulty of items within that dimension. These effects tended to decrease as the correlation between dimensions increased. The results of this study bring awareness to test developers for the need of controlling item specifications within sub-content areas.

For many college students in the sciences, organic chemistry poses a difficult challenge. Indeed, success in organic chemistry has proven pivotal in the careers of a vast number of students in a variety of science disciplines. A better understanding of the factors that contribute to achievement in this course should contribute to efforts to increase the number of students in the science disciplines. Further, an awareness of gender differences in factors associated with achievement should aid efforts to bolster the participation of women in chemistry and related disciplines. Using a correlation research design, the individual relationships between organic chemistry achievement and each of several cognitive variables and noncognitive variables were assessed. In addition, the relationships between organic chemistry achievement and combinations of these independent variables were explored. Finally, gender- and instructor-related differences in the relationships between organic chemistry achievement and the independent variables were investigated. Cognitive variables included the second-semester general chemistry grade, the ACT–English, –math, –reading, and –science-reasoning scores, and scores from a spatial visualization test. Noncognitive variables included anxiety, confidence, effectance motivation, and usefulness. The second-semester general chemistry grade was found to be the best indicator of performance in organic chemistry, while the effectiveness of other predictors varied between instructors. In addition, gender differences were found in the explanations of organic chemistry achievement variance provided by this study. In general, males exhibited stronger correlations between predictor variables and organic chemistry achievement than females.

Ethylene binding sites exist in abscission zones of Phaseolus vulgaris (Hall el al., 1987). However, attempts to characterise these binding sites have been unsuccessful due to both the low concentrations of binding sites present in a zone two cells thick and the low maximum specificity of 14Cethylene. An alternative approach has now been taken using an ethylene binding protein (EBP) purified from developing cotyledons of Phaseolus vulgaris as previously described by Thomas et al. (1985) and Williams (1988). Polyclonal antibodies (Anti-EBP) were raised against the EBP and characterised in terms of immune response, sensitivity and specificity (Western blotting) using a colloidal gold labelled goat-anti-rabbit secondary antibody. Antibodies, specific to the EBP were used to probe abscission zones from the same tissue. In this paper, evidence will be presented for the existence of putative EBP (cross reacting antigens) in abscission zones from Phaseolus vulgaris. However, the nature and biological function of these proteins is unknown at present.