Testing the generality of the general factor of personality: An exploratory bifactor approach

Objective: To investigate whether the psychometric properties of the general factor of personality (GFP) obtained through self-reported measures support its interpretation as a substantive dimension of general order. Method: We estimated oblique and orthogonal bifactor exploratory structural equation models of the Big Five. Results: The GFP explained considerably less variance than the five group factors, and showed poor model-based reliability. The pattern of GFP loadings were consistent with those of a reverse-keyed wording factor. When related to an external variable (dispositional optimism) the GFP was primary associated to method variance, and not to the substantive criterion. Conclusions: Although there is a certain degree of variance common to most behavioral indicators of personality, its properties are not compatible with an interpretation of the GFP as a reliable and psychometrically meaningful general factor of personality

A valid and reliable measure of nothing: disentangling the “Gavagai effect” in survey data

[EN]Background. In three recent studies, Maul demonstrated that sets of nonsense items can acquire excellent psychometric properties. Our aim was to find out why responses to nonsense items acquire a well-defined structure and high internal consistency. Method. We designed two studies. In the first study, 610 participants responded to eight items where the central term (intelligence) was replaced by the term ``gavagai''. In the second study, 548 participants responded to seven items whose content was totally invented. We asked the participants if they gave any meaning to ``gavagai'', and conducted analyses aimed at uncovering the most suitable structure for modeling responses to meaningless items. Results. In the first study, 81.3% of the sample gave ``gavagai'' meaning, while 18.7% showed they had given it no interpretation. The factorial structures of the two groups were very different from each other. In the second study, the factorial model fitted almost perfectly. However, further analysis revealed that the structure of the data was not continuous but categorical with three unordered classes very similar to midpoint, disacquiescent, and random response styles. Discussion. Apparently good psychometric properties on meaningless scales may be due to (a) respondents actually giving an interpretation to the item and responding according to that interpretation, or (b) a false positive because the statistical fit of the factorial model is not sensitive to cases where the actual structure of the data does not come from a common factor. In conclusion, the problem is not in factor analysis, but in the ability of the researcher to elaborate substantive hypotheses about the structure of the data, to employ analytical procedures congruent with those hypotheses, and to understand that a good fit in factor analysis does not have a univocal interpretation and is not sufficient evidence of either validity nor good psychometric properties

A Quantitative Account of the Behavioral Characteristics of Habituation: The Sometimes Opponent Processes Model of Stimulus Processing

Habituation is defined as a decline in responding to a repeated stimulus. After more than 80 years of research, there is an enduring consensus among researchers on the existence of 9–10 behavioral regularities or parameters of habituation. There is no similar agreement, however, on the best approach to explain these facts. In this paper, we demonstrate that the Sometimes Opponent Processes (SOP) model of stimulus processing accurately describes all of these regularities. This model was proposed by Allan Wagner as a quantitative elaboration of priming theory, which states that the processing of a stimulus, and therefore its capacity to provoke its response, depends inversely on the degree to which the stimulus is pre-represented in short-term memory. Using computer simulations, we show that all the facts involving within-session effects or short-term habituation might be the result of priming from recent presentations of the stimulus (self-generated priming). The characteristics involving between-sessions effects or long-term habituation would result from the retrieval of the representation of the stimulus from memory by the associated context (associatively generated priming)

Prevalence of severe esophagitis in Spain. Results of the PRESS study (Prevalence and Risk factors for Esophagitis in Spain: A cross-sectional study)

Background The current prevalence of esophagitis in southern Europe is unknown. In addition, the risk factors for reflux esophagitis are not fully understood. Objective The objective of this article is to assess the prevalence and risk factors for esophagitis in Spain. Methods A prospective, observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study (PRESS study) was conducted among 31 gastrointestinal endoscopy units throughout Spain. A total of 1361 patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy were enrolled. Sociodemographic, clinical and treatment data were recorded. Results A total of 95% of patients were Caucasian and 52% were male (mean age: 5317 years). The most frequent symptoms prompting endoscopy were heartburn (40%), regurgitation (26%) and dysphagia (15%). Fifty-four percent of patients undergoing endoscopy were receiving proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment. Esophagitis (mainly mild-moderate) was present in 154 (12.4%) patients. The severe form was recorded in only 11 (0.8%) patients. Multivariate analysis results indicated that the likelihood of esophagitis was higher in men (OR=1.91, 95% CI=1.31-2.78), in patients with high GERD-Q scores (OR=1.256, 95% CI=1.176-1.343), weight increase (OR=1.014, 95% CI=1.003-1.025) and high alcohol consumption (OR=2.49, 95% CI=1.16-5.36). Conclusion Severe esophagitis is a rare finding in the Spanish population. Male gender, high GERD-Q score, weight increase and high alcohol consumption are main risk factors for its appearance

Metastatic gallbladder adenocarcinoma with signet-ring cells: A case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Signet-ring cell carcinoma is a rare and aggressive variant of mucinous adenocarcinoma. Only a few cases of gallbladder adenocarcinoma with signet-ring cells have been reported and because of this there is a lack of knowledge about the behavior and biology of this pathology.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We present the case of a 63-year-old Arab man with gallbladder signet-ring cell adenocarcinoma. He had an elective cholecystectomy and refused chemotherapy. Two months later, a small hepatic metastatic nodule was found, and nine months later he presented with multiple metastases in the liver, lymphatic nodes, both pleuras, peritoneum and subcutaneous tissue.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The proliferation of signet-ring cells in a gallbladder adenocarcinoma worsens the prognosis of an already adverse neoplasm. New lines of treatment in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, or new biological therapy, such as monoclonal antibody c-myc oncogene, should be encouraged to improve the survival and life quality of these oncologic patients.</p

Measurement of the production of a W boson in association with a charm quark in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The production of a W boson in association with a single charm quark is studied using 4.6 fb−1 of pp collision data at s√ = 7 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. In events in which a W boson decays to an electron or muon, the charm quark is tagged either by its semileptonic decay to a muon or by the presence of a charmed meson. The integrated and differential cross sections as a function of the pseudorapidity of the lepton from the W-boson decay are measured. Results are compared to the predictions of next-to-leading-order QCD calculations obtained from various parton distribution function parameterisations. The ratio of the strange-to-down sea-quark distributions is determined to be 0.96+0.26−0.30 at Q 2 = 1.9 GeV2, which supports the hypothesis of an SU(3)-symmetric composition of the light-quark sea. Additionally, the cross-section ratio σ(W + +c¯¯)/σ(W − + c) is compared to the predictions obtained using parton distribution function parameterisations with different assumptions about the s−s¯¯¯ quark asymmetry

Search for a CP-odd Higgs boson decaying to Zh in pp collisions at √s=8TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for a heavy, CP-odd Higgs boson, A, decaying into a Zboson and a 125GeV Higgs boson, h, with the ATLAS detector at the LHC is presented. The search uses proton–proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of 8TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3fb−1. Decays of CP-even hbosons to ττor bbpairs with the Zboson decaying to electron or muon pairs are considered, as well as h →bbdecays with the Zboson decaying to neutrinos. No evidence for the production of an Aboson in these channels is found and the 95% confidence level upper limits derived for σ(gg→A) ×BR(A →Zh) ×BR(h →f¯f)are 0.098–0.013pb for f=τand 0.57–0.014pb for f=bin a range of mA=220–1000GeV. The results are combined and interpreted in the context of two-Higgs-doublet models. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons