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The gambling follow-up scale: development and reliability testing of a scale for pathological gamblers under treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To provide preliminary data on the Gambling Follow-Up Scale (GFS), a new scale assessing recovering gamblers. Secondary goals included assessing the impact of "work status," "family relationship," "leisure," and "enrolment in Gamblers Anonymous (GA)" on gambling (all items from the scale), together with the impact of treatment. METHOD: Using the GFS, 3 independent raters interviewed gamblers under treatment. The sample was collected in 2 university centres in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Patients attended psychotherapy coupled with psychiatric follow-up, participation in GA, or both. RESULTS: We interviewed 47 pathological gamblers; 13 were interviewed twice, with a minimum interval of 6 months, for a total of 60 GFS interviews. Interviews took on average 6.0 minutes, SD 2.7. Interrater concordance ranged from 82% to 95% (intraclass correlation coefficient range 0.85 to 0.99, P < 0.001). A factorial analysis showed a 1-factor solution (Eigenvalue = 2.4, 47.6% of total variance accounted). "Leisure," "frequency and time gambling," and "family relationship" showed considerable loadings (0.84; 0.71; 0.71),whereas "enrolment in GA" and "work status" showed moderate loadings (0.59; 0.56). A linear regression model significantly correlated gambling (R2 = 0.356; P < 0.001) with "leisure" and length of treatment. Treatment modalities affected "leisure" (F2,43 = 5.00, P = 0.011), with GA attendees reporting more regular and gratifying activities. CONCLUSIONS: The GFS showed interrater reliability and construct validity. More leisure and lengthier treatment were significantly relAted to less gambling. GA enrolment seemed to particularly benefit the quality of leisure. Future studies could profit from the quickness and simple structure of the GFS in providing shareable outcome measures.

Adult↗

The Wessex Head Injury Matrix (WHIM) main scale: a preliminary report on a scale to assess and monitor patient recovery after severe head injury.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a behavioural assessment based on observations of patients recovering after severe head injury whereby data could be collected by observation and by testing everyday tasks. DESIGN: A prospective observational study of a cohort of 88 consecutive hospital admissions with severe head injury. SETTING: Two district general hospitals in the UK. PATIENTS: Eighty-eight consecutive admissions with severe traumatic head injury. Ages ranged from 14 to 67 years, mean coma duration was 14 days and mean duration of post traumatic amnesia (PTA) was 56 days. RESULTS: Fifty-eight items of behaviour were identified. Paired preference analysis was used to identify a sequence of recovery of these behaviours. The sequence began with arousal and led on to behaviours signalling recovery of social interaction and communication. Subsequent behaviours indicated increasing cognitive organization and return of orientation and memory. The behaviours on the scale are hierarchical and range from coma to emergence from PTA. CONCLUSIONS: A scale to assess patients and monitor cognitive recovery after severe head injury has been developed. While individual patients will show some departures from the sequence identified, the scale helps to make explicit the earliest stages of natural recovery patterns after head injury.

Adolescent↗

Social desirability scale values of locus of control scale items.

Three groups of subjects rated each item in Rotter's I-E Scale for its social desirability value. Social desirability scale values (SDSV) of paired items were compared with one another. Results indicated that paired items are not sufficiently similar in their SDSVs, thus enabling subjects to respond on the basis of social desirability. All three groups rated internal items as being significantly more socially desirable than external items. The correlations between the SDSV ratings of the three groups were highly significant. The results indicate that the scale, as it is currently used, is seriously deficient.

Journal Article↗

Measuring the impostor phenomenon: a comparison of Clance's IP Scale and Harvey's I-P Scale.

Many of the discrepancies reported to date in empirical investigations of the impostor phenomenon (IP) may be due in part to (a) the use of different methods for identifying individuals suffering from this syndrome (impostors), (b) the common use of a median split procedure to classify subjects and (c) the fact that subjects in many studies were drawn from impostor-prone samples. In this study, we compared the scores of independently identified impostors and nonimpostors on two instruments designed to measure the IP: Harvey's I-P Scale and Clance's IP Scale. The results suggest that Clance's scale may be the more sensitive and reliable instrument. Cutoff score suggestions for both instruments are offered.

Achievement↗

Ontogenetic scaling of hydrostatic skeletons: geometric, static stress and dynamic stress scaling of the earthworm lumbricus terrestris

Soft-bodied organisms with hydrostatic skeletons range enormously in body size, both during the growth of individuals and in the comparison of species. Therefore, body size is an important consideration in an examination of the mechanical function of hydrostatic skeletons. The scaling of hydrostatic skeletons cannot be inferred from existing studies of the lever-like skeletons of vertebrates and arthropods because the two skeleton types function by different mechanisms. Hydrostats are constructed of an extensible body wall in tension surrounding a fluid or deformable tissue under compression. It is the pressurized internal fluid (rather than the rigid levers of vertebrates and arthropods) that enables the maintenance of posture, antagonism of muscles and transfer of muscle forces to the environment. The objectives of the present study were (1) to define the geometric, static stress and dynamic stress similarity scaling hypotheses for hydrostatic skeletons on the basis of their generalized form and function, and (2) to apply these similarity hypotheses in a study of the ontogenetic scaling of earthworms, Lumbricus terrestris, to determine which parameters of skeletal function are conserved or changed as a function of body mass during growth (from 0.01 to 8 g). Morphometric measurements on anesthetized earthworms revealed that the earthworms grew isometrically; the external proportions and number of segments were constant as a function of body size. Calculations of static stresses (forces per cross-sectional area in the body wall) during rest and dynamic stresses during peristaltic crawling (calculated from measurements of internal pressure and body wall geometry) revealed that the earthworms also maintained static and dynamic stress similarity, despite a slight increase in body wall thickness in segment 50 (but not in segment 15). In summary, the hydrostatic skeletons of earthworms differ fundamentally from the rigid, lever-like skeletons of their terrestrial counterparts in their ability to grow isometrically while maintaining similarity in both static and dynamic stresses.

Journal Article↗

A population-based study to determine the performance of the Cognitive Adaptive Test/Clinical Linguistic and Auditory Milestone Scale to Predict the Mental Developmental Index at 18 Months on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II in very preterm infants.

OBJECTIVES: To determine optimal ages to perform the Cognitive Adaptive Test/Clinical Linguistic and Auditory Milestone Scale (CAT/CLAMS) and optimal "cutoff" score of the CAT/CLAMS to screen very preterm infants (<31 weeks) for severe cognitive-adaptive delay and to ascertain the sensitivity, specificity and likelihood ratios using optimal cutoff scores compared with the Mental Developmental Index (MDI) of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II. METHODS: A population-based cohort of very preterm infants who were born to mothers who resided in Nova Scotia or Prince Edward Island were evaluated at 4, 8, 12, and 18 months' corrected gestational age, which included a CAT/CLAMS by a physician. At 18 months' corrected gestational age, each child was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II, the "gold standard" for developmental delay in young infants. The results of each CAT/CLAMS was compared with the 18-month MDI to identify significant developmental delay (MDI <70). RESULTS: Optimal scores on the CAT/CLAMS to identify correctly MDI <70 were determined by using the kappa statistic for chance independent agreement. Sensitivities and specificities for optimal cutoff scores were as follows: 4-month score <109 (88% and 37%), 8-month score <98 (75% and 82%), 12-month score <81 (63% and 99%), and 18-month score <83 (88% and 98%). CONCLUSION: Sensitivity and specificity of the CAT/CLAMS are high in very preterm infants at identifying major developmental delay at 12 and 18 months. For follow-up programs without psychology services, the CAT/CLAMS at 12 and 18 months is a reasonable screening tool to determine which children need expedited psychology referral for cognitive delay.

Child Development↗

The Work Environment Scale and the Ward Atmosphere Scale (short forms): psychometric data.

Alpha coefficients of internal consistency for the Short Forms of the Work Environment Scale and Ward Atmosphere Scale, their major dimensions and their subscales are presented. Although some exceptions were noted, the indices reported here attest to the adequate reliability of the short forms of the two scales, which was previously documented for the unabridged forms. The few exceptions are hypothesized to be attributable to either sampling error or the fact that each factor is comprised of only 4 items. The need for further reliability testing of these short forms is emphasized.

Adult↗

The Rotterdam Daytime Sleepiness Scale: a new daytime sleepiness scale.

A new daytime sleepiness scale was constructed on the basis of interviews with 96 apnea patients (the Rotterdam Daytime Sleepiness Scale) and included three subscales of Global Evaluation, Behavioral Impact, and Affected Life Domains. The scale showed satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity.

Adult↗

Dimensionality of the Kansas Family Strengths Scale and the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale as revised to capture changes in marital satisfaction.

The Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale was modified to reflect issues of relationship development and administered, along with 19 items from a previously reported Kansas Family Strengths Scale by Schumm, Bollman, Jurich, and Hatch, to 337 married couples from a midwestern urban community. High internal consistency was obtained for the revised version (alpha=.93), and the dimensionality of the Kansas Family Strengths Scale was approximately similar to that reported previously. In both this and the previous study, communication and conflict resolution items factored together while items for enjoying time together and actually spending time together factored separately. Likewise, in both studies, normative and affective commitment factored separately, and the internal consistency of the affective commitment subscale exceeded that for the normative commitment subscale. While the subscales for affective commitment, communication or conflict resolution, positive interaction, and time together yielded fair to adequate internal consistency in both studies, both studies indicated very low internal consistency for the normative commitment subscale, suggesting a need for improvement in that particular subscale.

Adult↗

Inter-rater agreement of two functional independence scales: the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and a subjective uniform continuous scale.

The needs and clinical decisions of care centres are related to patients' ability to carry out daily living activities. Most of the functional scales are not easy to use. This study examined the inter-rater agreement of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and a subjective uniform continuous scale (UCS) (the rating varied between 0 = complete dependence and 9 = complete independence) between 'educators', physiotherapists and occupational therapists. Two hundred and fifty-four patients aged below 20 in a rehabilitation centre were rated by professionals who were most familiar with them. For the two scales, inter-rater agreement was very good for all activities except for locomotion outside the centre for the UCS. The rating differences were slightly smaller for the FIM than for the UCS. Physiotherapists rated similarly to occupational therapists. The educators rated slightly though significantly lower than the other raters. The differences could be explained by their professional activities.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Determining the significance of scale values from multidimensional scaling profile analysis using a resampling method.

Although multidimensional scaling (MDS) profile analysis is widely used to study individual differences, there is no objective way to evaluate the statistical significance of the estimated scale values. In the present study, a resampling technique (bootstrapping) was used to construct confidence limits for scale values estimated from MDS profile analysis. These bootstrap confidence limits were used, in turn, to evaluate the significance of marker variables of the profiles. The results from analyses of both simulation data and real data suggest that the bootstrap method may be valid and may be used to evaluate hypotheses about the statistical significance of marker variables of MDS profiles.

Career Choice↗

Psychometric properties of an African symptoms check list scale: the Ndetei-Othieno-Kathuku scale.

OBJECTIVES: To profile and quantify the psychometric properties of the NOK (Ndetei-Othieno-Kathuku) scale against internationally used Gold-standards and benchmarks for mild psychiatric disorders and post-traumatic stress disorders and to provide a potential easy to administer culture sensitive instrument for screening and assessing those with possible psychiatric disorders for the Kenyan and similar social-cultural situations. DESIGN: Cross-Sectional quantitative study. SETTING: A psychiatric clinical consultation setting and Kyanguli Secondary School psychotrauma counselling clinical set-up. SUBJECTS: Survivors of the Nairobi USA Embassy bombing who were referred for psychiatric treatment and survivors of a fire disaster from a rural Kenyan school (Kyanguli School fire disaster) including students, parents of the diseased children and staff members. RESULTS: Positive correlation was found between the NOK and all the instruments. The highest correlations were between the NOK and the BDI and SCL-90 (r = 0.557 to 0.786). The differences between the NOK scores among the different groups were statistically significant (F ratio = 13.54 to 160.34, p < 0.01). The reliability coefficient (internal consistency) of the scale, alpha = 0.9733. Other item statistics and correlations of the scale are discussed. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that the NOK has high concurrent and discriminant validity as well as a high internal consistency and that it can be used for the rapid assessment of psychotrauma victims of all age groups; and stress in general in similar age groups in the local setting. It is culture appropriate and sensitive.

Adolescent↗

The Stockholm Workshop scale for the classification of cold-induced Raynaud's phenomenon in the hand-arm vibration syndrome (revision of the Taylor-Pelmear scale).

On the basis of experience accumulated over the past few years, a revision has been made in the currently used Taylor-Pelmear scale for the staging of Raynaud's phenomenon in persons exposed to vibration from hand-held tools, while retaining as much as possible of the well-established advantages of the scale for research and its proved usefulness for clinical and medicolegal purposes. The 0T and 0N stages of symptoms have been omitted, together with the parallel disability scale. A separate staging for neurological disorders connected with the syndrome was proposed and accepted at the workshop "Symptomatology and Diagnostic Methods in the Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome," held in Stockholm in 1986. The criteria descriptions have been changed so as to minimize their reliance on seasonal factors. The new staging system--a stage 0 and four stages (1-4) with attacks of cold-induced Raynaud's phenomenon--clearly defines the differences in the descriptions of the stage criteria in order to improve their clinical usefulness. A numerical scoring based on the extent and distribution of finger blanching was not, however, introduced, whereas a score based on the number of affected fingers on each hand was proposed, considered, and accepted.

Arm↗

[Validation of the French version of a pleasure scale for children (The Pleasure Scale for Children, PSC, Kazdin, 1989) in 214 hospitalized children in pediatrics].

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to determine the metrological parameters of a french version of the Pleasure Scale for Children (PSC): 214 (121 males and 93 females) with a mean age of 8.69 years (sd: 1.95) ranging from 6 years to 12 years were included in the study. The children were inpatients presenting various somatic disorders. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: First a principal component analysis was done on the 39 items of the correlation matrix. Several guidelines were used to limit the number of factors (Kaiser criteria, Cattell scree test, Horn parallel analysis). Secondly the construct validity was studied using the alpha Cronbach coefficient and by calculing the Pearson correlation coefficient between each item and the total score. Thirdly the concurrent validity was determinated using two items of the Children Depression Rating Scale--Revised (CDRS-R) measuring pleasure (social withdrawal and enjoyment capacity). Fourthly the discriminant validity of the PSC was studied by comparing non depressive children (score lower than 30 to the CDRS-R) and depressive children (score higher than 30 to the CDRS-R). RESULTS: The principal component analysis showed a one factor solution with 33 items among the 39 having a higher than 0.3 saturation. The Cronbach alpha coefficient was 0.84. All the items correlated with the total score. The mean value was 0.37. The correlations between the total score of the scale and the CDRS-R enjoyment capacity and social withdrawal items were respectively -0.37 (p < 0.01) and -0.38 (p < 0.01). PSC score were significantly lower in depressive children (m = 86.96; sd = 8.33) than in non depressive children (m = 94.67; sd = 10) (t = 5.32; df = 212; p < 0.001).

Animals↗

Reactor scale-up in AOPs: from laboratory to commercial scale.

A procedure to scale-up photoreactors employed in AOPs using laboratory information has been developed. Operating with a model compound the proposed procedure was applied to the decomposition of formic acid in water solution using hydrogen peroxide and UV radiation. With laboratory experiments the parameters of the kinetic equation were obtained in a small batch reactor operated within a recycling apparatus. The whole system was modeled employing radiation and mass balances. These balances were used together with a non-linear parameter estimator to derive the model kinetic constants. Then, these results were used in the modeling of the large-scale reactor to predict exit conversions in an isothermal, continuous, tubular flow reactor that is 2 m long and has a volume of 12 I. Once more, radiation and mass balances were used to predict formic acid output concentrations. Experimental data in the large-scale apparatus are in good agreement with theoretical predictions.

Facility Design and Construction↗

Comparison of a visual analogue scale and a numerical rating scale for assessment of lameness, using sheep as a model.

A study was designed to compare use of an numerical rating scale (NRS) and a visual analogue scale (VAS) for subjective assessment of lameness, using sheep as a model. The NRS consisted of 5 divisions, 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4; 4 of these divisions (1-4) described lameness. The VAS used a 100-mm horizontal line with vertical bars at either end; one end was labeled 'sound' and the other was labeled 'could not be more lame.' Two independent observers graded lameness in 62 sheep, and between- and within-observer differences were assessed for each scoring system to compare the NRS with the VAS. Results indicated no significant differences between the 2 observers scoring lameness, using either the VAS or the NRS. The scores obtained, using the VAS, were not normally distributed, although differences between scores for the 2 observers were. The NRS scores followed a normal distribution pattern. Investigation of repeated measurement for the same sheep, using both scales, revealed no significant difference between either. A comparison of the NRS and VAS scores made by each observer indicated that although correlation was good (observer 1; r = 0.94; observer 2; r = 0.95), there was not perfect agreement. The maximal NRS score of 4 was associated with VAS values > 68 mm, indicating that the NRS divisions did not reflect equal increases in lameness. The VAS and NRS scores for each observer were highly reproducible, although they were more variable for sheep that were regarded as moderately lame.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Micro-scale anticonvulsant assay with use of nitrogen/phosphorus detector and on-column methylation compared with a macro-scale procedure involving flame-ionization detection.

We report a modified micro-scale gas-chromatographic procedure for determining phenobarbital, primidone, and diphenylhydantoin in serum with use of a nitrogen/phosphorus detector. Serum, 20 mul, is extracted into chloroform, the solvent is evaporated, and the residue dissolved in dilute (32 mmol/liter) trimethylanillinium hydroxide, which yields the methyl-derivatives of the drugs upon on-column injection. Within-run precision (CV) for the three drugs was 1.0, 2.1, and 1.4+, respectively, at concentrations of 19.2, 13.2, and 18.9 mg/liter; run-to-run precision at these concentrations was 4.4, 3.8, and 2.8%. Comparison of the 20-mul micro-scale procedure (y) with our conventional, flame-ionization macro-scale procedure (x), in which on-column methylation is used and which requires 1 ml of serum, gave the following respective results: y = 1.01 X -- 0.16 mg/liter, r = 0.992, y = 1.02 X + 0.29 mg/liter, r = 0.973; and y = 0.96x + 0.04 mg/liter, r = 0.996.

Anticonvulsants↗

Patient-caregiver functional unit scale: a new scale to assess the patient-caregiver dyad.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the reliability and validity of the Patient-Caregiver Functional Unit Scale (PCFUS), a new instrument to assess the stability or endurance of patient-caregiver dyads. METHODS: Patient-caregiver dyads were recruited from a nursing home (NH) (n = 38), a comprehensive geriatric assessment program (CGA) (n = 20), and an ambulatory medical clinic (controls) (n = 85). Caregivers were eligible if they assisted, or were available to assist, the patient with personal and instrumental activities of daily living, without pay. Data were collected by interviewer-administered questionnaires. Inter-rater and test-retest reliability were evaluated among the CGA sample. Validity was assessed by comparing PCFUS scores among the NH, CGA, and control groups and by correlation of PCFUS scores with other standardized caregiver burden measures. RESULTS: The PCFUS had excellent inter-rater and test-retest reliability. Mean PCFUS scores were significantly lower (ie, less stable patient-caregiver dyad) in NH than CGA and control caregivers. PCFUS scores were significantly associated with Burden Interview, Perceived Stress Scale, and Geriatric Depression Scale scores and risk factors for caregiver stress (eg, patient's cognitive impairment, disruptive behaviors). CONCLUSIONS: The PCFUS is a short, easily administered measure with good reliability and validity and is applicable to clinical and research settings.

Activities of Daily Living↗