Quantile regression provides estimates of a range of conditional quantiles. This stands in contrast to traditional regression techniques, which focus on a single conditional mean function. Lee et al. (2012) proposed efficient quantile regression by rounding the sharp corner of the loss. The main modification generally involves an asymmetric l2 adjustment of the loss function around zero. We ext...

As the number of Medicare beneficiaries receiving care under at-risk capitation arrangements increases, the method for setting payment rates will come under increasing scrutiny. A number of modifications to the current adjusted average per capita cost (AAPCC) methodology have been proposed, including an adjustment for prior utilization. In this article, we propose use of a utilization adjustmen...

Multiple Choice tests are utilized widely in educational assessment because of their objectivity, ease of scoring, and reliability. This study aimed to compare IF and ID of MC vocabulary test items and attempted to find whether these indices are affected by the number of options. To this end, four 20 item stem equivalent vocabulary tests (3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-option MC) were administered to 194 (1...

Background: Diabetes is one of the major health issues worldwide and a challenge for health care providers. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the status of psychological adjustment and associated factors in patients with type 2 diabetes in Zanjan University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on 350 patients with type 2 diabete...

introduction: research has asserted mcq items using three response options (one correct answer with two distractors) is comparable to, and possibly preferable over, traditional mcq item formats consisting of four response options (e.g., one correct answer with three distractors), or five response options (e.g., one correct answer with four distractors). some medical educators have also adopted ...

... any modification or adjustment to a job or the work environment that will enable a qualified applicant or employee with a disability to participate in the application process or to perform essential job functions. Reasonable accommodation also includes adjustments to assure that a qualified individual with a disability has rights and privileges in employment equal to those of employees with...

Recent preclinical studies have shown the feasibility of specific variants of nuclear transfer to prevent mitochondrial DNA disorders. Nuclear transfer could be a valuable reproductive option for carriers of mitochondrial mutations. A clinical application of nuclear transfer, however, would entail germ-line modification, more specifically a germ-line modification of the mitochondrial genome. On...