Examination of the Robustness of the Resilience Scale Using Multigroup Analysis

This study aimed to investigate the factor invariance and robustness of a resilience scale using multigroup analysis to allow for a relative comparison of models. Participants were 2568 high school students (male: 1211, female: 1357) in Japan. They answered the questionnaire about their respective general attributes (gender, grade) and the resilience scale. The resilience scale included 9 items and 3 factors (building relationship, overcome power, and breakthrough strength). To investigate whether the resilience scale responds appropriately to the participants in this study, a separate confirmatory factor analysis was conducted for each gender. After examining the construct validity of the resilience scale, a multigroup analysis was conducted for groups by gender. The multigroup analysis confirmed configural invariance, measurement invariance, weak factorial invariance, and strong factorial invariance. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis for each gender was a good fit. Configural invariance was adopted for multigroup analysis. The validity of interpreting resilience in male and female participants using the same model was established in this study. We expect that the current findings will help interpret gender differences in resilience in the field of mental health

Development of the Anger Coping Behaviors Style Scale for High School Students

The reliability and validity of the Anger Coping Behaviors Style Scale for High School Students were examined in this study. In the analysis, we used the data of senior high school students in A Prefecture (n=3360) who had no missing values on the survey items. We extracted the following four factors using exploratory factor analysis: Support seeking, Situation analysis, Escape, and Violence. Then, we examined the factorial validity of the scale using confirmatory factor analysis, which indicated that an oblique factor model consisting of these four factors fitted the data（CFI: Comparative Fit Index=0.955, RMSEA: Root Mean Square Error of Approximation=0.070). The results of statistical analysis supported the reliability and validity of the Anger Coping Behaviors Style Scale for High School Students developed in this study

Perioperative Evaluation of Respiratory Muscle Strength after Scoliosis Correction in Patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Study DesignRetrospective cohort study.PurposeTo investigate the effect of spinal correction on respiratory muscle strength in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).Overview of LiteratureSeveral studies have reported that scoliosis correction in patients with DMD does not improve pulmonary function. In these studies, pulmonary function was evaluated using the traditional spirometric values of percent vital capacity (%VC) and percent forced vital capacity (%FVC). However, traditional spirometry may not be suitable for patients with DMD because the results can be influenced by patient fatigue or level of understanding. Therefore, we evaluated respiratory function focusing on respiratory muscle strength using maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), and sniff nasal inspiratory pressure (SNIP), in addition to %VC and %FVC.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed 16 patients with DMD who underwent spinal correction surgery between 2006 and 2011 at Kitasato University Hospital. All patients were males, and the mean age was 13.5 years. Respiratory muscle strength was evaluated using MIP, MEP, and SNIP. Measurements were obtained preoperatively and at 1 and 6 months postoperatively, and %VC and %FVC were obtained preoperatively and within 6 months postoperatively.ResultsThe mean preoperative and postoperative %VC values were 54.0% and 51.7%, whereas the mean %FVC values were 53.9% and 53.2%, respectively. The mean MIP, MEP, and SNIP values obtained preoperatively and at 1 and 6 months postoperatively were as follows: MIP, 40.5, 42.7 and 47.2 cm H2O; MEP, 26.0, 28.0, and 29.0 cm H2O; and SNIP, 33.4, 33.0, and 33.0 cm H2O; respectively. The mean MIP and MEP values significantly improved postoperatively. There were no significant differences in SNIP, %VC, or %FVC preand postoperatively.ConclusionsBy focusing on respiratory muscle strength, our results suggest that scoliosis correction in patients with DMD might have a favorable effect on respiratory function

Έλεγχος και ανάλυση υδραυλικής αντλίας με εφαρμογές σε συστήματα άρδευσης

<p>In the HBSS model, the isolated islet yield was significantly increased in the ductal injection (gray bar: ductal group: n = 9), vascular perfusion (dotted bar: vascular group: n = 9), and ductal injection/vascular perfusion groups (squared bar: combination group: n = 10) compared with that of the cold ischemia control group (black bar: control group: n = 9). The islets isolated from pancreases with a negligible cold ischemia time (less than 10 min) served as the fresh control group (white bar: fresh group: n = 7). The islet yield of the fresh group was significantly higher than that of the other groups. No significant differences were observed among the ductal, vascular, and combination groups. *<i>P</i><0.05, **<i>P</i><0.005, ***<i>P</i><0.0001.</p

A Study on the Relationship Between the Unprofessional Help-seeking Consciousness for University Students and Cultural Views of Self <Original Articles>

本研究は,文化的自己観に注目し,大学生の友人に対する援助要請を促進させる要因を明らかにすることを目的とした。分析の結果,援助要請に対する肯定的態度と相互協調的自己観は有意な相関関係があることが認められた。また,援助要請意識のモデルを共分散構造分析によって検討したところ,文化的自己観から援助要請意識を経て精神的健康に至る有意なパスが認められた。大学生の友人に対する援助要請行動を促進させるためには,文化的自己観や精神的健康に注目した関わりが重要であると考えられた。The purpose of this study was to investigate the factor which promotes the unprofessional helpseeking consciousness for university students from viewpoint of cultural views of self. As a result, affirmative attitude to help-seeking and interdependent construal of self were significantly correlated. And, the process of unprofessional help-seeking consciousness model was examined an analysis of covariance structures and a significant pass from cultural views of self to mental health via helpseeking consciousness. It was thought that relation which observed cultural view of self and mental health was valuable in order to promote the unprofessional help-seeking