Search results for "proficiency"

Análisis de resultados del Programa de Control de Calidad Externo de carga viral del VIH-1, del VHC y del VHB. Año 2013

2015

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and hepatitis B (HBV) and C virus (HCV) viral load determinations are among the most relevant markers for the follow up of patients infected with these viruses. External quality control tools are crucial to ensure the accuracy of results obtained by microbiology laboratories. This article summarized the results obtained from the 2013 SEIMC External Quality Control Programme for HIV-1, HCV, and HBV viral loads. In the HIV-1 program, a total of five standards were sent. One standard consisted in seronegative human plasma, while the remaining four contained plasma from three different viremic patients, in the range of 2-5 log10 copies/mL; two of thes…

Validación y verificación analítica de los métodos microbiológicos

2015

Clinical microbiologists should ensure, to the maximum level allowed by the scientific and technical development, the reliability of the results. This implies that, in addition to meeting the technical criteria to ensure their validity, they must be performed with a number of conditions that allows comparable results to be obtained, regardless of the laboratory that performs the test. In this sense, the use of recognized and accepted reference methodsis the most effective tool for these guarantees. The activities related to verification and validation of analytical methods has become very important, as there is continuous development, as well as updating techniques and increasingly complex …

Developing a web-based system to create, deliver and assess language proficiency within the PAULEX Universitas Project

2011

This study aims to examine the feasibility of a number of technical solutions implemented in a web-based system designed for the creation and management of online language exams within PAULEX Universitas, a project for the development of an online platform to design, deliver and assess the foreign language exam within the Spanish national University Entrance Examination. The paper provides an overview of the context and a discussion of current changes in Spanish ministerial policies, followed by a description of the PAULEX testing platform and a discussion on the technological solutions adopted. Lastly, the paper reflects upon a quantitative analysis derived from a pilot experience conducte…

The role of the reporting framework MIATA within current efforts to advance immune monitoring

2014

An interlaboratory study as useful tool for proficiency testing of chemical oxygen demand measurements using solid substrates and liquid samples with…

2009

In 2008, the first Proficiency Testing Scheme of Chemical Oxygen Demand (1stCOD-PTADG) was conducted to assess the results obtained for different research groups whose field work is mainly anaerobic digestion. This study was performed using four samples, two solid samples as raw materials and two solid samples to prepare high concentration suspended solid solutions. Invitations were sent to a large number of laboratories, mainly to anaerobic digestion research groups. Finally, thirty labs from sixteen countries agreed to participate, but for different reasons four participants could not send any data. In total, twenty-six results were reported to the COD-PT coordinator. This study showed th…

Challenges of Interdisciplinary University Programs of Studies: The Case of English in Public Communication

2017

The aim of this study is to track students’ self-assessed successes and failures after taking courses in English in Public Communication (EPC) at the University of Opole. This interdisciplinary BA program combines philological, sociological and public communication courses. Using the data from 204 surveys, the study compares the calculated mean scores for the achievement of “new knowledge,” “new skills” and “new social competences” within two groups of subjects: core curriculum courses and practical English courses as declared by the first- and second-year students of EPC. Results show that there are clearer self-recognized knowledge gains, but consistently lower degrees of confidence when …

A teacher-led motor programme to enhance pre-literacy and motor skills in kindergarten children

2020

Structured motor tasks may affect cognitive development by creating a cognitively challenging “enriched environment’, giving opportunity for social cooperation, increasing the joy to learn through play, improving the sense of mastery and competence. The study investigated the association between motor and cognitive exercises, through a teacher-led programme, to provide kindergarten children with the skills necessary for school literacy. Using a cluster-randomized trial design with an intervention group (N = 110) and a control group (N = 64), we examined the effects of a 3-month teacher-led motor programme enriched by executive function tasks. In the intervention group, significant gains wer…

Interrogative Clauses across CEFR Levels in Finnish and Swedish as an L2

2014

The present study investigates the frequency of three types of interrogative clauses in 329 semi-formal email messages written by language learners of Finnish and of Swedish spoken in Finland. All the written messages were assessed according to the Common European Framework of Reference by trained language professionals. The study is part of a larger research project, Topling, conducted at the University of Jyväskylä. For the purpose of the study, the interrogative clauses were divided into three categories: yes/no questions, wh-questions and subordinate interrogative clauses. We examined the frequencies according to the levels of language proficiency. The findings show that, in both langua…

L2 or L3? Foreign Language Enjoyment and Proficiency

2017

Enjoyment is among the achievement emotions encountered in school and university settings. While often identified with a sense of belonging not necessarily connected with learning (Lumby, 2011), foreign language enjoyment (FLE) in SLA has been found to correlate with teachers’ professional and affective skills, and the existence of a supportive peer group. The risk involved with meeting the challenges of the SLA process induces both private and social feelings of FLE (Dewaele & MacIntyre, 2016). This study hypothesizes that a good command of language may be a source of elevated levels of enjoyment, because greater language proficiency is connected with greater control perception, especially…

Développement de méthodes de référence pour les biomarqueurs du bilan lipidique : application au contrôle qualité en biologie clinique

2013

Reliable measurements in medical biology are essential for early screening and appropriate follow-up of patients. Ensuring metrological traceability of clinical measurements to higher order reference methods or certified reference materials enables to obtain comparable results over time and between different laboratories that could use different methods to quantify the same biomarker.In this study, reference methods were developed and validated for lipid profile biomarkers (total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C, and LDL-C). Their value added in proficiency testing schemes was demonstrated against consensus mean. They were also used to characterize a certified reference material (CRM) that…