Validation of the Online Political Engagement Scale in a British population survey

Summary. Over the last decade, an ever increasing number of citizens have been using online media to participatein and engage with politics. Social media sites and online blogs have enabled new opportunities for interactive,user-centered political experiences. Currently, there is a general scarcity of psychometrically validated and standardizedinstruments that assess politically-related constructs (e.g., political engagement, political participation) in thefield of political science. The main aim of the present study was to develop a valid, reliable, standardized psychometrictool to assess online political engagement among the general population. The present study examined thepsychometric properties of a seven-item Online Political Engagement Scale (OPEnS) that assesses a range of politicalactions people engage in online during election campaigns. To develop the scale, data from the 2010 BritishElection Survey were used, as well as information collected from a total of 3,075 people who participated in apost-election online survey. The main findings obtained in the present study supported the unidimensional natureof the online political engagement construct given the results obtained from exploratory and confirmatory factoranalyses. The OPEnS appears to be a valid and reliable instrument for assessing this phenomenon, and it may beuseful in studies investigating newer patterns of online political engagement and disengagement.Resum. Durant l’última dècada, un nombre cada vegada més gran de ciutadans han estat utilitzant els mitjansde comunicació en línia per participar i comprometre’s amb la política. Les xarxes socials i blocs en línia hanpermès noves oportunitats per a experiències polítiques interactius, centrats en l’usuari. Actualment, hi ha unaescassetat general d’instruments psicomètrics estandarditzats i validats que avaluen constructes relacionats ambla política (per exemple, el compromís polític, participació política) en el camp de la ciència política. L’objectiuprincipal d’aquest estudi era desenvolupar una eina vàlida, fiable i estandarditzada per avaluar la participaciópolítica en línia entre la població general. El present estudi va examinar les propietats psicomètriques d’una escalade set items, l’Escala de Compromís Polític en línia (Online Political Engagement Scale, OPEnS) que avalua unseguit d’accions polítiques en les que les persones s’involucren en línia durant les campanyes electorals. Per desenvoluparl’escala, es van utilitzar les dades de l’Enquesta d’Elecció Britànica de 2010, així com la informació recopiladad’un total de 3.075 persones que van participar en una enquesta en línia després de les eleccions. Elsprincipals resultats obtinguts en el present estudi van recolzar la naturalesa unidimensional del constructe decompromís polític en línia, donat els resultats obtinguts de les anàlisis factorial exploratòria i confirmatòria.L’OPEnS sembla ser un instrument vàlid i fiable per avaluar aquest fenomen, i pot ser útil en estudis de recerca denous patrons de participació i no participació política en línia

Dual antibiotherapy of tuberculosis mediated by inhalable locust bean gum microparticles

Despite the existence of effective oral therapy, tuberculosis remains a deadly pathology, namely because of bacterial resistance and incompliance with treatments. Establishing alternative therapeutic approaches is urgently needed and inhalable therapy has a great potential in this regard. As pathogenic bacteria are hosted by alveolar macrophages, the co-localisation of antitubercular drugs and pathogens is thus potentiated by this strategy. This work proposes inhalable therapy of pulmonary tuberculosis mediated by a single locust bean gum (LBG) formulation of microparticles associating both isoniazid and rifabutin, complying with requisites of the World Health Organisation of combined therapy. Microparticles were produced by spray-drying, at LBG/INH/RFB mass ratio of 10/1/0.5. The aerodynamic characterisation of microparticles revealed emitted doses of more than 90% and fine particle fraction of 38%, thus indicating the adequacy of the system to reach the respiratory lung area, thus partially the alveolar region. Cytotoxicity results indicate moderate toxicity (cell viability around 60%), with a concentration-dependent effect. Additionally, rat alveolar macrophages evidenced preferential capture of LBG microparticles, possibly due to chemical composition comprising mannose and galactose units that are specifically recognised by macrophage surface receptors. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.National Portuguese funding through FCT - Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia [PTDC/DTP-FTO/0094/2012, UID/BIM/04773/2013, UID/Multi/04326/2013, UID/QUI/00100/2013, PEst-OE/QUI/UI4023/2011

Resposta da produção de matéria seca do meloeiro a calagem e micronutrientes em um solo de Petrolina-PE.

O trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito da omissão de calagem B, Cu, Fe, Mn e Zn em plantas de melão cucumis melo L.) cultivadas em vasos contendo um solo arenoso de Petrolina-PE, em ambiente protegido. Foram testados oito tratamentos: completo, completo menos calagem, testemunha, omissão de B, de Cu, de Fe, de Mn ou de Zn, dispostos no delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com quatro repetições. Avaliou-se o peso da matéria seca da parte aérea e das raízes aos 35 dias após a emergência das plantas. A omissão de calagem provocou uma redução significativa na produção de matéria seca da parte aérea. .A omissão de Mn e Zn também provocou decréscimo no peso da matéria seca da parte aérea. Não houve efeito dos tratamentos sobre a matéria seca das raízes.Suplemento 2. Edição dos Resumos do 42 Congresso Brasileiro de Olericultura e do 11 Congresso Latino Americano de Horticultura, Uberlândia, 2002

Assessment of the Italian version of the Internet Disorder Scale (IDS-15)

Much research has focused on the validation of psychometric tools assessing Internet addiction. One of the newest measures is the Internet Disorder Scale (IDS-15) based on the modified IGD criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). This study aimed at investigating the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the IDS-15 by examining the construct and the concurrent and the criterion-related validity and by identifying the taxonomy and the patterns of Internet users. A sample of 471 participants (Mage = 24.72 years, SD = 8.66; 256 males) was recruited from secondary schools, universities, and gaming halls. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the four-dimensional second-order structure and the three levels of the measurement invariance across gender. The reliability and the validity of the scale were confirmed, and the LPAs provided four classes of Internet users on the basis of the scores obtained in all four dimensions of the scale. The psychometric robustness of the Italian version of the IDS-15 was clearly demonstrated. Cross-cultural research should expand and generalize the present findings

Measurement invariance of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) between the United States of America, India and the United Kingdom

The Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) has been extensively used worldwide to assess Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) behaviors. Therefore, investigating cultural limitations and implications in its applicability is necessary. The cross-cultural feasibility of a test can be psychometrically evaluated with measurement invariance analyses. Thus, the present study used Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MGCFA) to examine the IGDS9-SF measurement invariance across gamers from the United States of America (USA), India, and the United Kingdom (UK). A total of 1,013 gamers from the USA (n = 405), India (n = 336), and the UK (n = 272) were recruited. Although the one-factor structure of the IGD construct was supported, cross-country variations were demonstrated considering the way that this was reflected on items assessing preoccupation/salience, tolerance, deception, gaming escapism/mood modification, as well as daily activities’ impairment related to gaming. Furthermore, the same scores on items assessing withdrawal symptoms, tolerance, lack of control over gaming engagement, escapism/mood modification and daily activities impairment associated to gaming, have been found to reflect various levels of IGD severity across the three groups. The implications of these results are further discussed in the context of existing evidence regarding the assessment of IGD

Avaliação da seletividade inicial de herbicidas para o tomateiro por meio da análise de fluorescência da clorofila.

Objetivou-se com este trabalho analisar a fluorescência da clorofila por meio da avaliação da taxa de transporte de eletrons em tomateiro como forma de avaliar a seletividade inicial de hervicidas aplicados em pré-transplate

Effect of Different Resistance Exercise Methods on Post-Exercise Blood Pressure

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the post-exercise blood pressure (BP) responses to two different methods of resistance exercise (RE, traditional multiple set and tri-set). Young adult men (n = 30, 19.6 &#; 0.7 years old; 76.0 ± 2.7 kg; 178.2 ± 6.7 cm; 90.5 ± 5.8 MBP) with six months of previous experience in RE were selected. The volunteers were randomly assigned into three groups (n = 10, each group): non-exercised control group (CON); multiple set group (MS); and a tri-set group (TRI). The TRI group performed three consecutive exercises (3 sets of 10 repetitions with 70% of 1RM and 1 minute of rest interval after the three exercises for the same muscle group) in the following order: bench press, cross-over and peck-deck and lat pull-down, seated cable row and barbell row. The multiple set group performed 3 sets of 10 repetitions for the same exercises, but with 1 minute rest interval between each set and exercise. After the exercise sessions and control situation, individuals remained seated for BP measure every 5 minutes up to 90 minutes. The repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) (2 groups by three time points) was used, followed by post-hoc Bonferroni test, for p≤0.05. There were no significant alterations for systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared with the CON group and in the moments after exercise. Heart rate was increased after exercise for both exercised groups in all post-exercise measures compared with baseline. RE method (MS or TRI) exerted no influence on post-exercise blood pressure. Post-exercise induced hypotension may require the recruitment of larger muscle groups, such as those of the lower limbs

The evolution of Internet addiction: A global perspective

Kimberly Young’s early work on Internet addiction (IA)has been pioneering and her early writings on the topic inspired many others to carry out research in the area. Young's (2015) recent paper on the 'evolution of Internet addiction' featured very little European research, and did not consider the main international evidence that has contributed to our current knowledge about the conceptualization, epidemiology, etiology, and course of Internet-related disorders. This short commentary paper elaborates on important literature omitted by Young that the present authors believe may be of use to researchers. We also address statements made in Young’s (2015) commentary that are incorrect (and therefore misleading) and not systematically substantiated by empirical evidence

Measurement invariance of the nine-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale (IGDS9-SF) across Albania, USA, UK, and Italy

The IGDS9-SF, which assesses Internet Gaming Disorder behaviors, has been validated in a number of countries (Portugal, Italy, Iran, Slovenia), although the psychometric equivalence of the instrument has been assessed only across Australia, the USA, the UK, and India. This research aimed at providing further cross-cultural insights into IGD by assessing the factorial structure of the IGDS9-SF in Albania and investigating its measurement invariance across Albanian, Italian, American, and British gamers. Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analyses were performed on a sample of 1411 participants from Albania (n=228), USA (n=237), the UK (n=275), and Italy (n=671). The CFAs confirmed the single-factor structure in the four countries. Measurement invariance supported the configural invariance and partially supported the metric and scalar invariance. Overall, the findings provided evidence for the underlying factor assessing IGD across the countries, although the specific meaning of the construct was non-identical