scholarly journals Longitudinal Measurement of Empathy in Student Pharmacists

2021 ◽  
pp. 8752
Author(s):  
Paul C. Walker ◽  
Vincent D. Marshall ◽  
Burgunda V. Sweet ◽  
Sarah E. Vordenberg
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Measurement

Longitudinal and Gender Measurement Invariance of the Gratitude Questionnaire in Chinese Adolescents

2021 ◽  
pp. 003329412110360
Author(s):  
Qingsong Tan ◽  
Jilin Zou ◽  
Feng Kong
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Longitudinal Measurement Invariance ◽  
Multiple Group ◽  
Longitudinal Measurement ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Adolescent Sample ◽  
Good Internal Consistency ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Mean Differences

The 5-item Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-5) is one of the most commonly used instruments to measure dispositional gratitude in adolescents. The purpose of this study was to verify the longitudinal measurement invariance (LMI) and gender measurement invariance (GMI) of the GQ-5 that was administered to an adolescent sample twice over the course of 18 months ( N = 669). Single-group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was adopted to examine the LMI and multiple-group CFA was conducted to assess the GMI. The results showed that the GQ-5 had strong invariance (i.e., equality of factor patterns, loadings, and intercepts) across time and gender. Validation of latent factor mean differences showed that females had higher gratitude scores than males. In addition, the GQ-5 exhibited good internal consistency indices across time and a moderate stability coefficient was also found across an 18-month time interval in adolescents. In summary, our study showed that LMI and GMI of the GQ-5 are satisfactory and the GQ-5 is a reliable instrument for measuring gratitude in adolescents.

scholarly journals Applying generalizability theory to examine assessments of subjective cognitive complaints: whose reports should we rely on – participant versus informant?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Q. C. Truong ◽  
C. Choo ◽  
K. Numbers ◽  
A. G. Merkin ◽  
H. Brodaty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Predominantly White ◽  
Generalizability Theory ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Sample Population ◽  
Cognitive Complaints ◽  
Longitudinal Measurement ◽  
Measurement Design ◽  
Subjective Cognitive Complaints

ABSTRACT Objectives: This study aimed to apply the generalizability theory (G-theory) to investigate dynamic and enduring patterns of subjective cognitive complaints (SCC), and reliability of two widely used SCC assessment tools. Design: G-theory was applied to assessment scales using longitudinal measurement design with five assessments spanning 10 years of follow-up. Setting: Community-dwelling older adults aged 70–90 years and their informants, living in Sydney, Australia, participated in the longitudinal Sydney Memory and Ageing Study. Participants: The sample included 232 participants aged 70 years and older, and 232 associated informants. Participants were predominantly White Europeans (97.8%). The sample of informants included 76 males (32.8%), 153 females (65.9%), and their age ranged from 27 to 86 years, with a mean age of 61.3 years (SD = 14.38). Measurements: The Memory Complaint Questionnaire (MAC-Q) and the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE). Results: The IQCODE demonstrated strong reliability in measuring enduring patterns of SCC with G = 0.86. Marginally acceptable reliability of the 6-item MAC-Q (G = 0.77–0.80) was optimized by removing one item resulting in G = 0.80–0.81. Most items of both assessments were measuring enduring SCC with exception of one dynamic MAC-Q item. The IQCODE significantly predicted global cognition scores and risk of dementia incident across all occasions, while MAC-Q scores were only significant predictors on some occasions. Conclusions: While both informants’ (IQCODE) and self-reported (MAC-Q) SCC scores were generalizable across sample population and occasions, self-reported (MAC-Q) scores may be less accurate in predicting cognitive ability and diagnosis of each individual.

scholarly journals Testing Invariance of Measures of Internalizing Symptoms Before and After a Major Life Stressor: The Impact of COVID-19 in an Adolescent and Young Adult Sample

Assessment ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 107319112110153
Author(s):  
Thomas M. Olino ◽  
Julia A. C. Case ◽  
Mariah T. Hawes ◽  
Aline Szenczy ◽  
Brady Nelson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Internalizing Symptoms ◽  
Adolescent And Young Adult ◽  
Measurement Properties ◽  
Major Life ◽  
Longitudinal Measurement Invariance ◽  
Longitudinal Measurement ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Life Stressor ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Consistent Support

There are reports of increases in levels of internalizing psychopathology during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, these studies presume that measurement properties of these constructs remained unchanged from before the pandemic. In this study, we examined longitudinal measurement invariance of assessments of depression, anxiety, and intolerance of uncertainty (IU) in adolescents and young adults from ongoing longitudinal studies. We found consistent support for configural and metric invariance across all constructs, but scalar invariance was unsupported for depression and IU. Thus, it is necessary to interpret pandemic-associated mean-level changes in depression and IU cautiously. In contrast, mean-level comparisons of panic, generalized, and social anxiety symptoms were not compromised. These findings are limited to the specific measures examined and the developmental period of the sample. We acknowledge that there is tremendous distress accompanying disruptions due to the COVID-19 outbreak. However, for some instruments, comparisons of symptom levels before and during the pandemic may be limited.

Quantitative measurement of anti-aquaporin-4 antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using purified recombinant human aquaporin-4

2011 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 578-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Woojun Kim ◽  
Ji-Eun Lee ◽  
Xue Feng Li ◽  
Su-Hyun Kim ◽  
Byeong-Gu Han ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Disease Activity ◽  
Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Aquaporin 4 ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Specific Marker ◽  
Longitudinal Measurement ◽  
Longitudinal Measurements ◽  
Baculovirus System

Background: Antibodies to aquaporin-4 (AQP4-Ab), known as NMO-IgG, are a sensitive and specific marker for neuromyelitis optica (NMO). Methods: To develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for AQP4-Ab, we expressed M23 isoform of human AQP4 in a baculovirus system, and used it as an antigen. We measured AQP4-Ab in the sera of 300 individuals: 64 with definite NMO, 31 with high-risk NMO, 105 with multiple sclerosis (MS), 57 with other neurological diseases (ONDs), and 43 healthy controls. We also performed longitudinal measurements of AQP4–Ab in 787 samples collected from 51 patients with definite or high-risk NMO. Results: AQP4-Abs were positive in 72% with definite NMO, 55% with high-risk NMO, and 4% with MS, but none of the OND patients and the healthy individuals. The longitudinal measurement showed AQP4-Ab levels correlating with disease activity. Out of 38 initially seropositive patients, 21 became seronegative under effective immunosuppressive therapy. During most relapses, the serum AQP4-Ab levels were either high or rising compared with the previous value, although rising AQP4-Ab levels did not always lead to acute exacerbation. Two of the 13 initially seronegative patients converted to seropositive following acute exacerbations. Conclusions: We established an AQP4-Ab ELISA, which could be a potential monitoring tool of disease activity.

Longitudinal measurement of growth in definitional skill

1997 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 603-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
BRENDA F. KURLAND ◽  
CATHERINE E. SNOW
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Fourth Graders ◽  
Academic Culture ◽  
Individual Growth ◽  
Formal Schooling ◽  
Low Income Children ◽  
Longitudinal Measurement ◽  
Formal Definitions ◽  
Low Income Mothers

This study examines individual growth rates in definitional skill over a period of three to six years, for 68 low-income children. Children were asked to define words once a year at school, from kindergarten (youngest administration at 5;3) through fourth grade (oldest administration at 10;10). A plateau was observed between age nine and ten both for percent formal definitions (characterized by presence of a superordinate) and for the quality of formal definitions. The plateau was lower than the theoretical ceiling for these measures. However, the children appear to have attained ‘adult levels’ of definitional skill: forty-seven fourth-graders (aged 9;1 to 10;10) performed higher, on average, than their own mothers when giving definitions. These results support the notion that definitional skill is related to being part of an academic culture: low-income mothers, whose formal schooling is complete, generally do not give oral definitions to simple nouns as well as do their nine- to ten-year-old children.

scholarly journals Demystifying the Opioid Trade in Anonymous Markets and Forums (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhengyi Li ◽  
Xiangyu Du ◽  
Xiaojing Liao ◽  
Xiaoqian Jiang ◽  
Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Opioid Use Disorder ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Longitudinal Measurement ◽  
Online Marketplaces ◽  
Trading Activities

BACKGROUND Opioid use disorder presents a public health issue afflicting millions across the globe. There is a pressing need to understand the opioid supply chain to gain new insights into the mitigation of opioid use and effectively combat the opioid crisis. The role of anonymous online marketplaces and forums that resemble eBay or Amazon, where anyone can post, browse, and purchase opioid commodities, has become more and more important in opioid trading. Therefore, a greater understanding of anonymous markets and forums may enable public health officials and other stakeholders to comprehend the scope of the crisis. OBJECTIVE The objective of this work is to profile the opioid supply chain in anonymous markets and forums via a large-scale, longitudinal measurement study on anonymous market listings and posts. Toward this, we propose a series of techniques to collect data, to identify opioid jargon terms used in the anonymous marketplaces and forums, and to profile the opioid commodities, suppliers, and transactions. METHODS We first conducted a whole-site crawl of anonymous online marketplaces and forums to solicit data. Then, we developed a suite of opioid domain-specific text mining techniques (e.g., opioid jargon detection, opioid trading information retrieval) to recognize information relevant to opioid trading activities (e.g., commodities, price, shipping information, suppliers, etc.). After that, we conducted a comprehensive, large-scale, longitudinal study to demystify opioid trading activities in anonymous markets and forums. RESULTS A total of 248,359 listings from 10 anonymous online marketplaces and 1,138,961 traces (i.e., threads of posts) from 6 underground forums were collected. Among them, we identified 28,106 opioid product listings and 13,508 opioid-related promotional and review forum traces from 5147 unique opioid suppliers’ IDs and 2778 unique opioid buyers’ IDs. Our study characterized opioid suppliers (e.g., activeness and cross-market activities), commodities (e.g., popular items and their evolution), and transactions (e.g., origins and shipping destination) in anonymous marketplaces and forums, which enabled a greater understanding of the underground trading activities involved in international opioid supply and demand. CONCLUSIONS The results provide insight into opioid trading in the anonymous markets and forums, and may prove an effective mitigation data point for illuminating the opioid supply chain.

Longitudinal Measurement Invariance of Beck Depression Inventory–II in Early Adolescents

Assessment ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 337-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pei-Chen Wu
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Beck Depression Inventory ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Early Adolescents ◽  
Series Data ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Longitudinal Measurement Invariance ◽  
Longitudinal Measurement ◽  
Three Factor

This study explored the longitudinal measurement invariance in the Beck Depression Inventory–II (BDI-II) in early adolescents (junior high school students). The participants were 730 early adolescents (330 boys and 400 girls), who were followed up over 3 years (in six waves). To reduce the size of longitudinal model and verify the stability of the findings, the Fall and Spring series data sets were analyzed separately. Each series includes three waves of data with about 1-year apart. It was found that the three-factor model (Negative Attitude, Performance Difficulty, and Somatic Elements) best fitted the data. Results of both data sets provided support for the longitudinal measurement invariance (threshold invariance) of the three-factor model, suggesting that the BDI-II measured the same construct over 3 years. The study also examined the category function of the BDI-II on the basis of the pattern of threshold estimates. Finally, the implications of the findings on the continuing use of the BDI-II are discussed.

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