Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 154-162). Also available on the Internet.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:23:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-01-18Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:51:07Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 borghesan_ac_me_botfmvz.pdf: 1646300 bytes, checksum: 839e649d17087393e054d28018df89fe (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação para o Desenvolvimento da UNESP (FUNDUNESP) / A tromboflebite jugular é uma das principais doenças vasculares em eqüinos, podendo levar a edema de cabeça, diminuição do desempenho atlético e até causar o óbito. A heparina é um dos medicamentos utilizados para o tratamento dessa enfermidade com o objetivo de minimizar a evolução do trombo. O objetivo desse experimento foi avaliar, por exames clínicos, laboratoriais, ultra-sonográficos e venográficos as alterações provocadas pela administração de heparina no tratamento da tromboflebite experimental em eqüinos. Dez eqüinos foram submetidos à indução de tromboflebite jugular unilateral. Os animais foram divididos em grupo controle e grupo tratado, composto por cinco animais que receberam durante 10 dias a administração de heparina. Previamente à indução da tromboflebite e diariamente após o estabelecimento da mesma foram realizados exames clínicos e ultra-sonográficos até o 18º dia. Os exames laboratoriais tempo de tromboplastina parcial ativada (TTPA), tempo de protrombina (TP) e contagem total de plaquetas foram determinados no dia anterior à indução da tromboflebite, durante o período de indução e mensurados diariamente, até o 12º dia pós-indução. Hemogramas foram realizados no período pré-indução, imediatamente após a cirurgia para a indução do trombo e no 3°, 7° e 10° dia após a tromboflebite induzida. Medidas diárias do comprimento dos trombos foram submetidas à comparação estatística pelo método de análise de variância. Venografias foram realizadas nos momentos pré-indução, imediatamente à indução, após a indução e a cada seis dias até o 18° dia. No grupo controle, os trombos cresceram até o 9° dia pós-indução, quando foi possível observar diminuição do comprimento dos trombos e aumento de fluxo lateral. No grupo tratado com heparina observou-se a interrupção no crescimento do trombo após... / Jugular thrombophlebitis is a major vascular disease in horses which can lead to head edema, decreased athletic performance and even death. Heparin is used for the treatment of this disease in order to minimize the development of thrombus. The aim of this experiment was to evaluate clinical, laboratory, ultrasound and venographic changes caused by administration of heparin in the treatment of experimental thrombophlebitis in horses. Ten horses were subjected to induction of unilateral jugular thrombophlebitis. The animals were divided into control group and the treated group, composed of five animals each that received during 10 days the administration of heparin. Prior to the induction of thrombophlebitis and daily after the establishment of the same physical examinations and ultrasound were performed until the 18th day. The laboratory tests activated partial thromboplastin (APTT), prothrombin time (PT) and total count platelet were determined the day before the induction of thrombophlebitis, during the induction period and measured daily until the 12th day post-induction. Red blood cells counts were performed in the pre-induction, immediately after surgery for the induction of thrombus in the 3rd, 7th and 10th day after induced thrombophlebitis. Daily measurements of the length of the thrombi were subjected to statistical comparison with analysis of variance. Venographs were performed in the pre-induction, immediately before induction, after induction and every six days until the 18th day. In the control group, the thrombi to grow until the 9th day post-induction, when we observed a shortening of the thrombi and increased lateral flow. In the group treated with heparin there was a break in the growth of the thrombus after the start of administration of the drug and decrease in length of the thrombus with the appearance of flow down the sides of the cranial portion of the thrombus ...(Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:29:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2007-02-15Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:17:50Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 castro_apb_me_botfmvz.pdf: 208554 bytes, checksum: 0ef69e5e00358dd8ecdb9255b9ddff62 (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Fundação para o Desenvolvimento da UNESP (FUNDUNESP) / A toxoplasmose é uma protozoonose causada pelo Toxoplasma gondii, de distribuição mundial e que acomete todos os animais homeotérmicos, incluindo o homem. Apresenta desde quadros assintomáticos a manifestações sistêmicas graves. Nos seres humanos a infecção atinge com maior gravidade principalmente indivíduos imunocomprometidos e gestantes, sendo que a primoinfecção, pode levar a óbitos, abortamentos, natimortos além de lesões severas do sistema nervoso central. Técnicas sorológicas precisas de fácil aplicação a campo e de menores custos, podem auxiliar na promoção de medidas de prevenção e controle, mas para isso é importante garantir a produção de antígenos em quantidade e de qualidade, a fim de atender as necessidades do método empregado, para garantir a sua padronização. A produção in vitro de taquizoítos de T.gondii usando células de sarcoma murino TG180 em histoculturas, mostra-se uma alternativa viável para a produção de antígeno de T. gondii, em quantidade e qualidade para uso no diagnóstico dessa infecção utilizando-se o Método de Aglutinação Direta, o que pode permitir sua difusão como um teste rápido a campo, possibilitando a sua utilização por profissionais autônomos ou unidades de saúde, podendo-se assim agilizar com uma maior rapidez as ações de prevenção dessa zoonose. / Toxoplasmosis is one protozoonosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii, of world-wide distribution and that acomete to all the animals, including the man. It presents since without symptoms until serious clinical manifestations. In the human beings the infection reaches with bigger gravity immunocompromised patients individuals mainly and pregnant woman, being that the primary infecction, it can take the deaths, abortions, stillborn beyond severe injuries of the central nervous system. Serologicals techniques of easy application in the field and of lesser costs, can assist in the promotion of measures of prevention and control, but for this it is important to guarantee the production of antigens in amount and quality, in order to take care of the necessities of the employed method to guarantee its standardization. The production in vitro of taquizoitos of T.gondii using cells of sarcom murine TG180 in histoculture, reveals to a viable alternative for the antigen production of T. gondii, in amount and quality for use in the diagnosis of this infection by the Direct Agglutination Test, what it can allow its diffusion as a fast test in the field, allowing its use for independent professionals or units of health, and thus allowing to a bigger rapidity in the actions of prevention of this zoonose.

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract.

In South Africa the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination is the capping external examination taken at the culmination of twelve years of schooling. Levels of success in the examination offer examinees access to a variety of career options. High levels of success in the mathematics examination are a pre-requisite for entry into studies linked to so-called elite careers. However, performance of examinees in the NSC Mathematics examination is not of a requisite standard and only a few examinees achieve results that fall within the high levels of the achievement bands. In order to give mathematics teachers and others insight into performance in the NSC Mathematics examination, various forms of feedback are provided. One purpose in doing so is to provide teachers with an understanding of the examinees' ways of working in order for them to adjust their classroom practice to address mistakes displayed in the work of the examinees. The feedback provided is primarily of a superficial kind with the mere listing of such mistakes. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not it is possible to analyse the production of the responses of examinees in the NSC mathematics examinations more meaningfully.

M.Ed. / Although the language assessment procedures for South African Grade12 learners have been extensively investigated by language practitioners, additional research is required in order to enhance assessment procedures and questioning techniques so that attitudes, values and learners' observable knowledge be included in testing. This study addresses the deficiencies associated with the existing assessment and evaluation techniques as related to English Second Language examinations. In this regard all aspects of assessment Le. writing, language and literature have been critically analyzed. The gaps that exist between assessment theories and assessing English in practical use have also been investigated, including ways of closing these gaps. The focus of the argument in this research report is that the less effective questioning measures in Grade 12 examinations should be addressed by critically analyzing existing papers and by identifying alternative assessment techniques. An alternative assessment programme incorporating new techniques has thus been formulated, and a pilot project conducted. The results from the pilot project, including learners' critical analysis of current assessment practice and educator responses have been analyzed and documented. The major findings were that: ~ The examinations encouraged learners to write in only a limited range of genres. The tasks set were appropriate as there was an assessment of the knowledge and skills that learners require beyond the classroom. ~ The literature papers focused too narrowly on intensive reading of short extracts from text.

The style and format of Physics examination papers has changed markedly over the past hundred years. Physics was regarded formerly as a sub-division of Mathematics; hence, apart from giving formal statements of scientific laws, and some account of experimental procedures, examination candidates were required to spend most of their time, and to earn most of their marks by solving numerical problems. Most Physics examination papers today retain the emphasis on problem-solving by calculation. It has been recognised, however, that the ability to obtain correct numerical answers by substition in a formula does not necessarily imply understanding of the physical principles which underly the problem. There has been a reaction against the awarding of marks for algebraic or arithmetical manipulation. Bloom and his disciples, by calling on examiners to define precise behavioural objectives, have encouraged the development of qualitative questions. These require no calculation nor numerical answer, but do aim to test the candidate's insight, by requiring him either to explain phenomena in scientific terms, or to predict the outcome of changing conditions. In this investigation samples of both quantitative and qualitative questions were extracted from Physics papers past and present. A closer study was made of qualitative questions used in the Natal Senior Certificate Physics papers (both Higher Grade and Standard Grade) in November 1987. The examiners were asked to state the objective of each question, as well as its categorization in terms of a simplified Bloom taxonomy. Candidates' answers to these questions were extracted from the scripts written at a representative sample of Natal schools. In the case of multiple-choice questions, an item analysis was performed, and discrimination indices were calculated . The responses of individual candidates to the longer questions were collected, classified and discussed. In each case the effectiveness of the question was studied, as to whether or not it was successful in detecting the presence of correct scientific concepts in the candidates' thinking. It was concluded that most of the qualitative questions used by the examiners were effective. Suggestions were made as to how their efficacy could be improved. Much further study and experimentation are needed to develop the effective use of this type of question

This study investigated the effectiveness of the methods used to select British Columbia students for admission to Victoria College. During the course of the study the writer recorded and analyzed available data regarding scaling of marks and accrediting of high schools. The subjects used in the investigation were the students who entered Victoria College during eleven of the years from 1928 to 1945. The thesis includes a survey of many studies dealing with the relationship of high-school success and first year college success. As a result of this survey the writer decided to use the student's university entrance record as the best measure of his high-school achievement, and to define first year college success in terms of the average mark obtained in the full course at the end of the college year. In the light of the data studied the investigator arrived at a number of conclusions, including: (i) There was a remarkably high correlation between the average mark made on the written university entrance examination and the average mark made at the end of the first year at Victoria College. The correlations of .71,.73 and .74 which were obtained are much higher than those shown in most other studies. (ii) The correlations between average university entrance mark and average first year college mark remained consistently high despite the reduction in the number of university entrance papers written, the gradual, although not complete change from essay-type to new-type examinations, and the adoption of a system of scaling. (iii) A student's chance of passing first year at Victoria College is very closely related to his university entrance average; for instance, if his average is between fifty-three and fifty-six per cent he has one chance in two of passing while if his average is above sixty-five per cent his chances are nine in ten. (iv) The bases of accrediting certain high schools was shown to be satisfactory if the purpose of accrediting is to permit high schools to select, without departmental examinations, students capable of doing college work. The writer found that if a student was recommended by an accredited school in five or all six of the compulsory subjects his chances of passing first year at Victoria College were ninety-eight in one hundred. It was also found that the fact that a student was trained by an accredited school gave him a better chance of passing at Victoria College than if he came from a non-accredited school; the chances were eighty-seven in one hundred and and seventy-nine in one hundred respectively. The writer feels that the data presented in this study would justify the conclusion that the British Columbia system of selection for university entrance is adequate. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

Test-wiseness, possessed in different amounts by different individuals, is the ability to use test format, test characteristics, and/or the testing situation to receive a high score. As such, test-wiseness is an unwanted source of variance which can inflate test scores, thus invalidating test results. Problems of inappropriate interpretation may arise when test scores are affected by test-wiseness. The present study addressed the relationship between test-wiseness and English ability, as measured by the British Columbia Provincial English 12 Examination for June of 1989. The English 12 examination contained both selection and supply items. This provided an opportunity to examine both types of items and their relationship to test-wiseness. Previous research had focussed on selection items. To provide a framework for understanding and presenting the results the present research was divided into two substudies. Substudy I addressed questions concerning the nature and strength of the relationship of test-wiseness to the selection, short-answer, and extended-answer items of the English 12 examination. The selection items of the English 12 examination provided reference for interpreting the results for the short-answer and extended-answer items. Test scores were adjusted for the presence of verbal ability and it was found, as previous research indicated, that test-wiseness and verbal ability were moderately correlated. To further clarify the concept of test-wiseness, differences between test-wise and test-naive students were examined in terms of means and variability on selection, short-answer, and extended-answer items of the English 12 examination. The results of the study are based on test data for 735 students collected from April to June of 1989. Each student completed the Test of Test-Wiseness (TTW), Language Proficiency Index (LPI), and a form containing ethnographic information. Test scores for the English 12 examination were provided by the Ministry. Based on the analyses of test data for 735 grade twelve students, test-wiseness accounted for less than four percent of the variance on the English 12 examination for selection, short-answer, and extended-answer items on Substudy I. These results were found to be statistically significant. Results for Substudy II indicated that there were differences between test-wise and test-naive students in terms of means for the selection and short-answer items. Results for the extended-answer (essay) item were non-significant. There were no differences in variability between the test-wise and test-naive samples for any of the item types. The results of the present study will be of interest to those involved in constructing the English 12 examination, as well as grade 12 teachers and students. The test score on the English 12 examination accounts for 40% of a student's English 12 final grade, with a student's graduation or failure based upon these results. As such, English 12 examination scores should be as accurate and valid as possible. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

Differential item functioning (DIF) can occur across age, gender, ethnic, and/or linguistic groups of examinee populations. Therefore, whenever there is more than one group of examinees involved in a test, a possibility of DIF exists. It is important to detect items with DIF with accurate and powerful statistical methods. While finding a proper DIP method is essential, until now most of the available methods have been dominated by applications to large scale testing contexts. Since the early 1990s, Ramsay has developed a nonparametric item response methodology and computer software, TestGraf (Ramsay, 2000). The nonparametric item response theory (IRT) method requires fewer examinees and items than other item response theory methods and was also designed to detect DIF. However, nonparametric IRT's Type I error rate for DIF detection had not been investigated. The present study investigated the Type I error rate of the nonparametric IRT DIF detection method, when applied to moderate-to-small-scale testing context wherein there were 500 or fewer examinees in a group. In addition, the Mantel-Haenszel (MH) DIF detection method was included. A three-parameter logistic item response model was used to generate data for the two population groups. Each population corresponded to a test of 40 items. Item statistics for the first 34 non-DIF items were randomly chosen from the mathematics test of the 1999 TEVISS (Third International Mathematics and Science Study) for grade eight, whereas item statistics for the last six studied items were adopted from the DIF items used in the study of Muniz, Hambleton, and Xing (2001). These six items were the focus of this study. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate