Body appreciation around the world: Measurement invariance of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age.

The Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) is a widely used measure of a core facet of the positive body image construct. However, extant research concerning measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across a large number of nations remains limited. Here, we utilised the Body Image in Nature (BINS) dataset - with data collected between 2020 and 2022 - to assess measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis indicated that full scalar invariance was upheld across all nations, languages, gender identities, and age groups, suggesting that the unidimensional BAS-2 model has widespread applicability. There were large differences across nations and languages in latent body appreciation, while differences across gender identities and age groups were negligible-to-small. Additionally, greater body appreciation was significantly associated with higher life satisfaction, being single (versus being married or in a committed relationship), and greater rurality (versus urbanicity). Across a subset of nations where nation-level data were available, greater body appreciation was also significantly associated with greater cultural distance from the United States and greater relative income inequality. These findings suggest that the BAS-2 likely captures a near-universal conceptualisation of the body appreciation construct, which should facilitate further cross-cultural research. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Body appreciation around the world: Measurement invariance of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age

Abstract The Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) is a widely used measure of a core facet of the positive body image construct. However, extant research concerning measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across a large number of nations remains limited. Here, we utilised the Body Image in Nature (BINS) dataset – with data collected between 2020 and 2022 – to assess measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis indicated that full scalar invariance was upheld across all nations, languages, gender identities, and age groups, suggesting that the unidimensional BAS-2 model has widespread applicability. There were large differences across nations and languages in latent body appreciation, while differences across gender identities and age groups were negligible-to-small. Additionally, greater body appreciation was significantly associated with higher life satisfaction, being single (versus being married or in a committed relationship), and greater rurality (versus urbanicity). Across a subset of nations where nation-level data were available, greater body appreciation was also significantly associated with greater cultural distance from the United States and greater relative income inequality. These findings suggest that the BAS-2 likely captures a near-universal conceptualisation of the body appreciation construct, which should facilitate further cross-cultural research

Body appreciation around the world: Measurement invariance of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age

The Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) is a widely used measure of a core facet of the positive body image construct. However, extant research concerning measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across a large number of nations remains limited. Here, we utilised the Body Image in Nature (BINS) dataset - with data collected between 2020 and 2022 - to assess measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis indicated that full scalar invariance was upheld across all nations, languages, gender identities, and age groups, suggesting that the unidimensional BAS-2 model has widespread applicability. There were large differences across nations and languages in latent body appreciation, while differences across gender identities and age groups were negligible-to-small. Additionally, greater body appreciation was significantly associated with higher life satisfaction, being single (versus being married or in a committed relationship), and greater rurality (versus urbanicity). Across a subset of nations where nation-level data were available, greater body appreciation was also significantly associated with greater cultural distance from the United States and greater relative income inequality. These findings suggest that the BAS-2 likely captures a near-universal conceptualisation of the body appreciation construct, which should facilitate further cross-cultural research

Badanie odporności ogniowej konstrukcji stosowanych w taborze szynowym – wstępne wnioski z wdrożenia normy EN 45545-3:2013

This paper is intended primarily for designers and manufacturers of railway vehicles as the authors describe and explain the new requirements of fire resistance testing process relevant to the railway industry. Before 2013, fire resistance tests of railway rolling stock have been performed according to UIC card no. 564-2 (regulations of International Union of Railways) which referred to the ISO Standard 834-1 „Fire-resistance tests – Elements of building construction – Part 1: General requirements” containing a description of the testing procedures used in the building industry. In July 2013, a new standard was published, EN 45545-3:2013, „Railway applications – Fire protection on railway vehicles. Part 3: Fire resistance requirements for fire barriers” which describes testing methods and classification rules for different railway vehicles according to the indented use and location. This paper presents a set of requirements described in the EN 45545-3:2013 and standards cited there. The authors explain the details of the introduced, testing method together with an in-depth discussion on the classification requirements. The explanation is supported by presentation of selected results from a fire test of railway fire barrier performed according to EN 45545-3:2013 in the fire laboratory in the Ship Design and Research Centre (abbreviated CTO in Polish). In summary, explanation of the rules governing the fire resistance testing of railway vehicles and demonstration of such a test may assist the designers and producers in the creation of new constructions which meet the requirements of this standard.Artykuł ten adresowany jest głównie do projektantów i producentów pojazdów szynowych, ponieważ autorzy opisują i wyjaśniają w nim wymagania dotyczące badania odporności ogniowej konstrukcji stanowiących bariery przeciwpożarowe mające zastosowanie w kolejnictwie. Do 2013 roku badania odporności ogniowej konstrukcji kolejowych przeprowadzano zgodnie z wymaganiami karty UIC 564-2 (przepisy Międzynarodowego Związku Kolei), która przywoływała normę ISO 834-1 „Fire-resistance tests – Elements of building construction – Part 1: General requirements” zawierającą metodykę badań konstrukcji budowlanych. W lipcu 2013 roku wprowadzono nową normę – EN 45545-3 „Kolejnictwo. Ochrona przeciwpożarowa w pojazdach szynowych. Część 3: Wymagania w zakresie odporności ogniowej barier przeciwpożarowych”, która określa metodykę badań i klasyfikację dotyczącą barier ogniowych zależnie od miejsca ich lokalizacji i kategorii taboru. Niniejszy artykuł przedstawia zestaw wymagań opisanych w tej normie oraz w normach przez nią przywołanych. Autorzy wyjaśniają szczegóły wprowadzonej metody badawczej oraz dokładnie opisują zasady klasyfikacji. Przedstawione wyjaśnienia poparto wybranymi rezultatami z testu konstrukcji kolejowej przeprowadzonego według nowej normy w Laboratorium Badań Ogniowych Centrum Techniki Okrętowej (CTO). Podsumowując, przybliżenie zasad prowadzenia badań odporności ogniowej i przedstawienie przebiegu standardowej próby ogniowej może pomóc projektantom i producentom w opracowywaniu konstrukcji spełniających wymagania opisywanej normy

Mechanism of metal ion soprtion in chitosan hydrogel - calorimetric studies

Przedstawiono kalorymetryczne badania hydrożelu chitozanowego dotyczące mechanizmu sorpcji Cu(II), Ag(I) i Ca(II). Wyznaczono ciepła reakcji sorpcji tych jonów. Proces ten prowadzono dla maksymalnego stężenia danego jonu. Z pomiarów efektu cieplnego wynika, iż dla jonów Cu(II) i Ag(I) proces sorpcji ma charakter chemiczny (chemisorpcja). Efekt cieplny jest rzędu kilkudziesięciu kJ/mol. Natomiast jony Ca(II), które korzystnie wpływają na organizm ludzki, nie wykazują tego efektu.In the present research, studies were performed to determine the character of adsorption of Ca(II), Cu(II), Ag(I) ions in chitosan. The studies were carried out for chitosan hydrogel. The character of sorption was determined on the basis of calorimetric studies. The heat of reaction was measured during the sorption of individual ions. The process of adsorption was carried out for a maximum ion concentration. It follows from the measurement of the heat of sorption for Cu(II) and Ag(I) ions that the sorption process has a chemical character, which is shown by a measurable thermal effect of the order of dozens kJ/mol. It is interesting that Ca(II) ions which have an advantageous influence on living organisms, do not reveal this effect