Revising the assessment of feeling of anomie: Presenting a multidimensional scale

AbstractIn spite of vast researches about anomie and its measurements at individual level, these researches have not paid enough attention to high abstraction of anomie and have considered it as one-dimensional construct. Purpose of this study is to bridge this gap and present a multidimensional scale of feeling of anomie. After reviewing all of anomie scales from 1956 to 2007, 22 items were chosen and the responses were arranged on five-point Likert format. Five hundred university students were selected through convenience method of sampling and were required to fill up the designed questionnaire. Explanatory factor analysis revealed two items with very low factor loading that were deleted. Results also suggested three sub-scales that were named meaninglessness and distrust (8 items), powerlessness (7 items), and fetishism of money (5 items). Findings were consistent with theoretical inquiry about anomie

Online alternativa: održivost, pravednost i odlazak na filozofske konferencije

The recent global pandemic has led to a shift to online conferences in philosophy. In this paper we argue that online conferences, more than a temporary replacement, should be considered a sustainable alternative to in-person conferences well into the future. We present three arguments for more online conferences, including their reduced impact on the environment, their enhanced accessibility for groups that are minorities in philosophy, and their lower financial burdens, especially important given likely future reductions in university budgets. We also present results from two surveys of participants who attended one large and three small online philosophy conferences this year. We show that participants were in general very satisfied with presentations and discussions at the conferences, and that they reported greater accessibility. This indicates that online conferences can serve as a good alternative to in-person conferences. We also find that networking was less satisfactory in online conferences, indicating a point for improvement and further research. In general, we conclude that philosophers should continue to organize online conferences after the pandemic. We also provide some advice for those wishing to organize online conferences.Nedavna globalna pandemija dovela je do prelaska na online konferencije u filozofiji. U ovom radu tvrdimo da bi se online konferencije, više od privremene zamjene, trebalo smatrati održivom alternativom konferencijama uživo i u budućnosti. Predstavljamo tri argumenta za održavanje više internetskih konferencija, među njima navodimo njihov smanjeni utjecaj na okoliš, poboljšanu dostupnost manjinskim skupinama u filozofiji te njihovu smanjenu financijsku opterećenost, posebno važnu s obzirom na vjerojatna buduća smanjenja proračuna kojima upravljaju sveučilišta. Također predstavljamo rezultate dviju anketa sudionika koji su ove godine prisustvovali na jednoj velikoj i tri male online konferencije iz filozofije. Pokazujemo da su sudionici općenito bili vrlo zadovoljni prezentacijama i raspravama na konferencijama te da su izvijestili o većoj dostupnosti. To ukazuje da online konferencije mogu poslužiti kao dobra alternativa konferencijama uživo. Također smo otkrili da je umrežavanje bilo manje zadovoljavajuće na online konferencijama, što ukazuje na potrebu za poboljšanjem i daljnjim istraživanjima. Općenito zaključujemo da bi filozofi trebali nastaviti organizirati online konferencije nakon pandemije. Također pružamo nekoliko savjeta onima koji žele organizirati online konferencije

Preservation of Testicular Tissue and Alleviation of Oxidative Stress by Carvacrol Following Torsion/ Detorsion in Adult Male Rats

Objectives: Testicular torsion is a critical medical condition necessitating prompt diagnosis and intervention. This study aimed to explore the potential safeguarding effect of carvacrol against histological damage and oxidative stress resulting from torsion/detorsion (T/D) in rat testes. Materials and Methods: A total of 32 adult male rats were randomly divided into four groups. The sham group did not undergo any intervention. The second group received an intraperitoneal injection of 75 mg/kg carvacrol half an hour before detorsion application. The third group was administered 80 mg/kg carvacrol intraperitoneally without detorsion. The fourth group (control) experienced (T/D) through the administration of saline. Following a 5-hour reperfusion period, the left testis was excised for histological slide preparation. Blood serum was used to measure antioxidant enzyme levels. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS version 19 software and analysis of variance tests. Results: Significant histological alterations were observed between the sham and other three groups. The levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and testosterone significantly decreased in all treatment groups compared to the control group (P<0.05). Conversely, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased in the torsion control group in contrast to the sham group (P<0.05). Carvacrol administration mitigated MDA levels in the treatment groups. Also, there were significant differences in tissue parameters between the sham and the other groups (P<0.05). Conclusions: According to the results of this study, carvacrol possesses the potential to mitigate testicular tissue damage, enhance testicular function, and ameliorate oxidative stress consequential to testicular rotation

Factorial Structure and Validity of Depression (PHQ-9) and Anxiety (GAD-7) Scales after Traumatic Brain Injury.

BACKGROUND: The dimensionality of depression and anxiety instruments have recently been a source of controversy. OBJECTIVES AND DESIGN: In a European-wide sample of patients after Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), we aim to examine the factorial structure, validity, and association of the Patient Health Questionnaire for depression (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) instruments. This study is based on longitudinal observational data. We conducted analyses of factorial structure and discriminant validity of outcomes six-months after TBI. We also examined the prevalence, co-occurrence, and changes of scores on the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 at 3-, 6-, and 12-month post-TBI assessments. PARTICIPANTS: At six-months post-TBI assessment, 2137 (738 (34.5%) women) participants completed the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 questionnaires. For the longitudinal analysis, we had 1922 participants (672 (35.0%) women). RESULTS: The results of exploratory factor analysis suggested a general latent construct underlying both PHQ-9 and GAD-7 measures. Confirmatory factor analyses showed a slight improvement in the fit indices for the bifactorial model. The Omega hierarchical test clearly differentiated two subfactors of PHQ-9 and GAD-7 items over and above the underlying general factor; however, most of the variance (85.0%) was explained by the general factor and the explained variance of the subfactors was small. The PHQ-9 and GAD-7 performed similarly in detecting post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As defined by conventional cut-offs, depression and anxiety have different prevalence rates in the sample. The scales also differed in their relationships with the short form of health survey (SF-36v2) subscales. The longitudinal analysis showed high stability of depression and anxiety symptoms: 49-67% of the post-TBI patients with comorbid depression and anxiety reported the persistence of the symptoms over time. DISCUSSION: The factorial structure analysis favors a general latent construct underlying both depression and anxiety scales among patients after TBI. We discuss the implications our findings and future research directions

Measurement invariance of assessments of depression (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7) across sex, strata and linguistic backgrounds in a European-wide sample of patients after Traumatic Brain Injury

Background The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) are two widely used instruments to screen patients for depression and anxiety. Comparable psychometric properties across different demographic and linguistic groups are necessary for multiple group comparison and international research on depression and anxiety. Objectives and Method We examine measurement invariance for the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 by: (a) the sex of the participants, (b) recruitment stratum, and (c) linguistic background. This study is based on non-randomized observational data six months after Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) that were collected in 18 countries. We used multiple methods to detect Differential Item Functioning (DIF) including Item Response Theory, logistic regression, and the Mantel-Haenszel method. Results At the 6-month post-injury, 2137 (738 [34.5%] women) participants completed the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 questionnaires: 885 [41.4%] patients were primarily admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 805 [37.7%] were admitted to hospital ward, and 447 [20.9%] were evaluated in the Emergency Room and discharged. Results supported the invariance of PHQ-9 and GAD-7 across sex, patient strata and linguistic background. For different strata three PHQ-9 items and one GAD-7 item and for different linguistic groups only two GAD-7 items were flagged as showing differences in two out of four DIF tests. However, the magnitude of the DIF effect was negligible. Limitation Despite high number of participants from ICU, patients have mostly mild TBI. Conclusion The findings demonstrate adequate psychometric properties for PHQ-9 and GAD-7, allowing direct multigroup comparison across sex, strata, and linguistic background

Ambivalent stereotypes link to peace, conflict, and inequality across 38 nations

A cross-national study, 49 samples in 38 nations (n = 4,344), investigates whether national peace and conflict reflect ambivalent warmth and competence stereotypes: High-conflict societies (Pakistan) may need clearcut, unambivalent group images distinguishing friends from foes. Highly peaceful countries (Denmark) also may need less ambivalence because most groups occupy the shared national identity, with only a few outcasts. Finally, nations with intermediate conflict (United States) may need ambivalence to justify more complex intergroup-system stability. Using the Global Peace Index to measure conflict, a curvilinear (quadratic) relationship between ambivalence and conflict highlights how both extremely peaceful and extremely conflictual countries display lower stereotype ambivalence, whereas countries intermediate on peace-conflict present higher ambivalence. These data also replicated a linear inequality-ambivalence relationship.Peer reviewe

Determinants of health-related quality of life in elderly in Tehran, Iran

BACKGROUND: As Iran started to experience population ageing, it is important to consider and address the elderly people's needs and concerns, which might have direct impacts on their well-being and quality of life. There have been only a few researches into different aspects of life of the elderly population in Iran including their health-related quality of life. The purpose of this study was to measure health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of elderly Iranians and to identify its some determinant factors. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional survey of a random sample of community residents of Tehran aged 65 years old and over. HRQoL was measured using the Short From Health Survey (SF-36). The study participants were interviewed at their homes. Uni-variate analysis was performed for group comparison and logistic regression analysis conducted to predict quality of life determinants. RESULTS: In all, 400 elderly Iranian were interviewed. The majority of the participants were men (56.5%) and almost half of the participants were illiterate (n = 199, 49.8%). Eighty-five percent of the elderly were living with their family or relatives and about 70% were married. Only 12% of participants evaluated their economic status as being good and most of people had moderate or poor economic status. The mean scores for the SF-36 subscales ranged from 70.0 (SD = 25.9) for physical functioning to 53.5 (SD = 29.1) for bodily pain and in general, the respondents significantly showed better condition on mental component of the SF-36 than its physical component (mean scores 63.8 versus 55.0). Performing uni-variate analysis we found that women reported significantly poorer HRQoL. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that for the physical component summary score of the SF-36, age, gender, education and economic status were significant determinants of poorer physical health-related quality of life; while for the mental component summary score only gender and economic status were significant determinants of poorer mental health-related quality of life. The analysis suggested that the elderly people's economic status was the most significant predictor of their HRQoL. CONCLUSION: The study findings, although with a small number of participants, indicate that elderly people living in Tehran, Iran suffer from relatively poor HRQoL; particularly elderly women and those with lower education. Indeed to improve quality of life among elderly Iranians much more attention should be paid to all aspects of their life including their health, and economic status

Materialist and Post-Materialist Concerns and the Wish for a Strong Leader in 27 Countries

There is evidence that democracies are under threat around the world while the quest for strong leaders is increasing. Although the causes of these developments are complex and multifaceted, here we focus on one factor: the extent to which citizens express materialist and post-materialist concerns. We explore whether objective higher levels of democracy are differentially associated with materialist and post-materialist concerns and, in turn, whether this is related to the wish for a strong leader. Testing this hypothesis across 27 countries (N = 5,741) demonstrated a direct negative effect of democracies' development on the wish for a strong leader. Further, multi-level mediation analysis showed that the relation between the Democracy Index and the wish for a strong leader was mediated by materialist concerns. This pattern of results suggests that lower levels of democracy are associated with enhanced concerns about basic needs and this is linked to greater support for strong leaders.Peer reviewe

Materialist and Post-Materialist Concerns and the Wish for a Strong Leader in 27 Countries

There is evidence that democracies are under threat around the world while the quest for strong leaders is increasing. Although the causes of these developments are complex and multifaceted, here we focus on one factor: the extent to which citizens express materialist and post-materialist concerns. We explore whether objective higher levels of democracy are differentially associated with materialist and post-materialist concerns and, in turn, whether this is related to the wish for a strong leader. Testing this hypothesis across 27 countries (N = 5,741) demonstrated a direct negative effect of democracies' development on the wish for a strong leader. Further, multi-level mediation analysis showed that the relation between the Democracy Index and the wish for a strong leader was mediated by materialist concerns. This pattern of results suggests that lower levels of democracy are associated with enhanced concerns about basic needs and this is linked to greater support for strong leaders.Peer reviewe

Dietary differences between elderly Iranians living in Sweden and Iran a cross-sectional comparative study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>During the last decades, global migration has increased and many immigrant groups have a higher prevalence than the native born population of several cardiovascular disease risk factors, including poor dietary habits. However, it is uncertain if dietary habits in immigrant populations reflect dietary habits in their country of origin or if the current diet is a consequence of the migration and possible change of dietary habits. The aim of this study was to examine possible dietary differences between elderly Iranians living in Stockholm, Sweden with elderly Iranians living in Tehran, Iran, taking into account sex, age, marital status, and education.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Dietary intakes were assessed by semi - quantitative food frequency questionnaire in a cross-sectional study of 121 Iranians living in Stockholm and 52 Iranians living in Tehran, aged 60-80. Differences in dietary habits between the two groups was analysed by bootstrapped regression analyses with 1000 replications.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Iranians living in Sweden had significantly higher intake of protein, total fat, fiber than Iranians living in Iran, but lower consumption of carbohydrates. The observed differences in intake of macronutrients were reflected in consumed amount of all food items, which were higher among Iranians living in Iran with the exception of bread and grain consumption which was lower.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>There are general differences in dietary habits between Iranians living in Iran and Iranians living in Sweden. Parts of observed differences in dietary habits may reflect a favourable adoption process to the Swedish dietary habits after migration. Meanwhile other differences are point of concern in light of the high prevalence of overweight, among Iranians living in Sweden and can have unfavourable impact in particular in the context of cardiovascular health.</p