How useful is the Rehearsal Scale for Children – Chinese in measuring emotional rehearsal in pre-adolescents of different ages?

The Rehearsal Scale for Children – Chinese (RSC-C) measures thepropensity to rehearse emotionally taxing experiences in children,however, the initial development of the scale has overlooked thevalidity of the scale for pre-adolescents of different ages whosecognitive development may differ considerably. Therefore, the aim ofthis study was to explore the internal validity of RSC-C for the differentage groups (aged 6-7, 8-9 and 10-12) across an age range of 6 to12years. Confirmatory factor analysis based on the original factorstructure suggested that the internal validity of the RSC-C is poor andthe scale was modified for the age groups concerned. Test-retest reliability for the modified scales was stronger for the younger age groups and moderate concurrent validity against the Chinese Trait Anxiety Scale for Children (CTAS-C) was established. No gender differences were found. The results highlight the importance of testing the validity of a psychometric instrument across different age ranges, given the potential for significant developmental differences. Thecurrent study also provided a new set of psychometrically sound RSC-C for the different age groups to promote greater understanding of the role of emotional rehearsal and psychological stress in physical and psychological well-being in young children

Central adiposity and the propensity for rehearsal in children.

Background: There is increasing evidence that continuous activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis and the central sympathetic nervous system contributes to the pathogenesis of central adiposity via increased psychological stress. The purpose of this study was to examine the link between central adiposity and the propensity for Chinese children to rehearse emotionally upsetting events, a dimension of psychological stress. Additionally, gender differences in this relationship were explored. Methods: Waist circumference, which is a marker of central adiposity and associated risks of developing cardiovascular disease, was measured and the propensity for rehearsal was assessed twice over two consecutive years in Hong Kong Chinese children (n = 194, aged 7–9 years), using a psychometric tool. Results: Children with waist circumference indicative of a risk of cardiovascular disease displayed higher rehearsal scores than children categorized as “not at risk”, as did boys compared with girls. Our results suggest that central adiposity and the propensity for rehearsal of emotionally upsetting events may be linked in Chinese children. Conclusion: Future prospective studies examining the direction of causality between central adiposity and rehearsal can potentially have valuable clinical implications

How useful is the Rehearsal Scale for Children – Chinese in measuring emotional rehearsal in pre-adolescents of different ages?

The Rehearsal Scale for Children – Chinese (RSC-C) measures the propensity to rehearse emotionally taxing experiences in children, however, the initial development of the scale has overlooked the validity of the scale for pre-adolescents of different ages whose cognitive development may differ considerably. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the internal validity of RSC-C for the different age groups (aged 6-7, 8-9 and 10-12) across an age range of 6 to12 years. Confirmatory factor analysis based on the original factor structure suggested that the internal validity of the RSC-C is poor and the scale was modified for the age groups concerned. Test-retest reliability for the modified scales was stronger for the younger age groups and moderate concurrent validity against the Chinese Trait Anxiety Scale for Children (CTAS-C) was established. No gender differences were found. The results highlight the importance of testing the validity of a psychometric instrument across different age ranges, given the potential for significant developmental differences. The current study also provided a new set of psychometrically sound RSC-C for the different age groups to promote greater understanding of the role of emotional rehearsal and psychological stress in physical and psychological well-being in young childre

PREDICTORS FOR ADVERSE MATERNAL AND FETAL OUTCOMES IN HIGH RISK PREGNANCY

PhDThis thesis aims to undertake health technology assessments in high risk pregnancies through the following objectives: 1. In women with pre-eclampsia, a) To evaluate the association of maternal genotype and severe pre-eclampsia b) To assess the accuracy of tests in predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes c) To develop composite outcomes for reporting in trials on late onset pre-eclampsia 2. In women with multiple pregnancy, a) To study the association between chorionicity and stillbirth b) To identify the optimal timing of delivery in monochorionic and dichorionic twin pregnancies 3. In the field of prediction research in obstetrics a) To provide an overview of the existing prognostic models and their qualities b) To evaluate the methodological challenges and potential solutions in developing a prognostic model for complications in pre-eclampsia Methods The following research methodologies were used: Delphi survey, systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Results 1. a) Maternal genotype and severe pre-eclampsia: 57 studies evaluated 50 genotypes; increased risk of severe pre-eclampsia with thromobophilic genes. b) Accuracy of tests in predicting pre-eclampsia complications: 37 studies evaluated 13 tests. No single test showed high sensitivity and specificity. c) Delphi survey of 18/20 obstetricians and 18/24 neonatologists identified clinically important maternal and neonatal outcomes and maternal and neonatal composite outcomes were developed. 2. Prospective risk of stillbirth and neonatal deaths in uncomplicated monochorionic and dichorionic twin pregnancies: 32 studies were included. In dichorionic twin pregnancies, the risk of stillbirths was balanced against neonatal death at 37 weeks’ gestation. In monochorionic pregnancies, there was a trend towards increase in stillbirths after 36 weeks but this was not significant. 3. a) From 177 studies included, 263 obstetric prediction models were developed for 40 different outcomes, most commonly pre-eclampsia, preterm delivery, mode of delivery and small for gestational age neonates. b) The obstetric prognostic model challenge of dealing with treatment paradox was explored and seven potential solutions proposed by expert consensus. Conclusion I have identified the strength of association for genes associated with complications in pre-eclampsia, components for composite outcomes for reporting in studies on pre-eclampsia, and the optimal timing of delivery for twin pregnancies. My work has highlighted the gaps in prediction research in obstetrics and the limitations of individual tests in pre-eclampsia

Experimental investigations on biopolymer in enhancing the liquid flow in microchannel

Drag reduction has been incorporated in various industrial fields. Most of the works proved that drag reduction is efficient in turbulent flow. It is also observed that polymers can enhance the laminar flow which could be a milestone in medical field. In this work, five straight microchannels with fixed depth of 100, 50, and 60 μm in width and 200, 300, 400, and 500 μm in length were designed and fabricated using direct writing method. Xanthan gum as bio‐based drag reducing additive was chosen and diluted with deionized water to investigate its feasibility in enhancing the laminar flow in the microchannel. Eight different concentrations of xanthan gum ranging from 20 to 500 ppm were used to evaluate the effect of concentration on drag reduction performance using pressure measurement. The maximum flow increment of 34.90% was achieved by utilizing 500 ppm of xanthan gum at an operating pressure of 100 mbar in the microchannel with a width of 500 μm

State Transportation Improvement Program for Federal Fiscal Years 2011-2014

OBJECTIVES:To develop and validate a Taiwanese version of the Health Enhancement Lifestyle Profile (HELP-T) for community-dwelling older Taiwanese adults (≥ 55 years). METHODS:The original Health Enhancement Lifestyle Profile (HELP) is a 56-item self-report questionnaire measuring various aspects of health-related lifestyles in older adults. The standard cultural-adaptation procedure was used for questionnaire translation and modification. A field test was conducted for culturally specific item selection, rating-scale analysis, and psychometric validation of the HELP-T in a sample of 274 community-dwelling older adults via classical test theory. RESULTS:The 59-item HELP-T is culturally adapted from the original 56-item HELP. The original 6-point rating scale was modified to a 3-point scale for easy use by Taiwanese older adults. The HELP-T had good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.82). The test-retest reliability for the total score was high (0.92), and moderate to high (range: 0.57-0.92) for subscales. The construct validity was supported by the significant correlations between each subscale and the total score (Spearman's rho = 0.41-0.67, p < 0.0001) and by the ability of the scores to significantly discriminate between participants with different levels of self-rated health (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS:The HELP-T is a suitable clinical tool for assessing and monitoring lifestyle risk factors, establishing client-centered lifestyle intervention goals, and determining the outcomes of lifestyle interventions

Development and validation of Physical Activity-Specific Rumination Scale for Children through UK children’s voice

Many physical activity (PA) interventions implemented to tackle the child obesity epidemic have shown limited effectiveness, possibly due to a lack of consideration of potential stress that accompanies behavior adaptation and the automatic perseverative cognition that exacerbates the stress (namely rumination). Purpose: The main aim of this paper is to develop and validate the PA-specific Rumination Scale for Children (PARSC) that assesses children’s tendencies to engage in repeated negative thoughts about PA (Study 2). Items in the scale were derived from qualitative information about factors that inherently demotivates PA participation (intrinsic barriers) through the lived experience of UK children (Study 1). Methods: For Study 1, pedometry PA data were collected from 143 children (aged 6-10 years). Twenty-one focus groups were formed based on participants’ year group, sex and PA level. For PARSC validation (Study 2), 382 children completed the questionnaire twice. Self-reported PA, objective PA and avoidant coping were also assessed. Results: Study 1 – Four overarching themes identified as intrinsic barriers were lack of competence, fear of negative experiences, external constraints and lacking a sense of purpose. Altogether, ten higher order and lower order themes were used to construct PARSC items. Study 2 - From Rasch analysis, PARSC possessed sound internal validity, internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Self-reported PA and avoidant coping were predictive of PA-specific rumination, but not objective PA. Conclusion: PARSC is a useful tool to identify children ruminative about PA for whom interventions can be designed, with the intrinsic barriers considered, to promote PA behavior adaptation

Erratum: Corrigendum to “Development and initial validation of the Role Strain Questionnaire for Junior Athletes (RSQ-JA)” (Psychology of Sport and Exercise (2016) 24 (168–178)(S146902921630022X)(10.1016/j.psychsport.2016.02.004))

The authors regret to let us know that there is an authorship change in the article. The authors would like add another author to the article namely Fiona Chun Man Ling, as they believe that she has made a substantial intellectual contribution to this work and is deserving authorship. As such, they would like to change the reference of the article to: Fleur E.C.A. van Rens a, *, Erika Borkoles b, Damian Farrow a, c, Thomas Curran d, Fiona Chun Man Ling a, Remco C.J. Polman e The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused