Current VLSI technology allows more than two wiring layers and the number is expected to rise in future. In this paper, we show that, by designing VLSI layouts directly for an L-layer model, the layout area for a variety of networks can be reduced by a factor of about L 2 2 compared to the layout area required under a 2-layer model, and the volume and maximum wire length can be reduced by a fac...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to develop valid and reliable instruments to assess priority psychosocial problems and functioning among adult survivors of systematic violence from Burma living in Thailand. METHODS The process involved four steps: 1) instrument drafting and piloting; 2) reliability and validity testing; 3) instrument revision; and 4) retesting revised instrument. R...

In a cross-cultural study, it is crucial to understand whether items and the factorial structure of a survey instrument are equivalent across different cultural groups, because items might mean differently to different population groups, and thus the factorial structure of the measurement instrument might not hold across groups. The purpose of this study was to investigate the measurement invar...

The need for calibration arises frequently in the use of strain gage instrumentation. Periodic calibration is required, of course, to assure the accuracy and/or linearity of the instrument itself. More often, calibration is necessary to scale the instrument sensitivity (by adjusting gage factor or gain) in order that the registered output correspond conveniently and accurately to some predeterm...

The purpose of this study was to construct and validate a "Perceived Physical Literacy Instrument" (PPLI) for physical education teachers. Based on literature review and focus group interviews, an 18-item instrument was developed for the initial tests. This self-report measure, using a 5-point Likert scale, formed the PPLI and was administered to 336 physical education teachers in Hong Kong. Th...

A proposed Chinese Nurses Job Satisfaction Scale was developed and its psychometric properties tested. Instrument development was conducted in four phases. The constructs and items of the instrument were developed from literature review and were confirmed by interviewing six Chinese clinical experts in phase I. During phase II, five experts evaluated the scale’s content validity. In phase III, ...

This paper analyzes the pricing of defaultable securities in rating based models where the default of more than one agent is involved. We extend the model of Duffie and Huang (1996) to a framework which explicitly takes into account the rating of each party. Although our method is by no means restricted to swap contracts we will use as our illustrative example a plain vanilla interest rate swap...

BACKGROUND Self-esteem is positively associated to the well being of people and could be a good mental health indicator. AIM To determine the reliability and validity of the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale in a Chilean adult sample. MATERIAL AND METHODS The instrument was applied to 473 subjects living in the Metropolitan Region of Santiago, evenly distributed according to gender, age, educatio...

The continuing development of leadership research calls for measurement instruments that can tap into the communication process between leaders and members. The purpose of this present research is to develop and validate a Leader–Member Conversational Quality (LMCQ) scale—an instrument that measures the quality of conversations between leaders and members in the workplace. A series of three stu...

A standard wide field inverted microscope was converted to a spatially selective spectrally resolved microscope through the addition of a polarizing beam splitter, a pair of polarizers, an amplitude-mode liquid crystal-spatial light modulator, and a USB spectrometer. The instrument is capable of simultaneously imaging and acquiring spectra over user defined regions of interest. The microscope c...