A preliminary factor analytic investigation into the first-order factor structure of the Fifteen Factor Plus (15FQ+) on a sample of Black South African managers

The original publication is available at http://www.sajip.co.zaMoyo, S. & Theron, C. 2011. A preliminary factor analytic investigation into the first-order factor structure of the Fifteen Factor Plus (15FQ+) on a sample of Black South African managers. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 37(1), 1-22, doi: 10.4102/sajip.v37i1.934.Orientation: The Fifteen Factor Questionnaire Plus (15FQ+) is a prominent personality questionnaire that organisations frequently use in personnel selection in South Africa. Research purpose: The primary objective of this study was to undertake a factor analytic investigation of the first-order factor structure of the 15FQ+. Motivation for the study: The construct validity of the 15FQ+, as a measure of personality, is necessary even though it is insufficient to justify its use in personnel selection. Research design, approach and method: The researchers evaluated the fit of the measurement model, which the structure and scoring key of the 15FQ+ implies, in a quantitative study that used an ex post facto correlation design through structural equation modelling. They conducted a secondary data analysis. They selected a sample of 241 Black South African managers from a large 15FQ+ database. Main findings: The researchers found good measurement model fit. The measurement model parameter estimates were worrying. The magnitude of the estimated model parameters suggests that the items generally do not reflect the latent personality dimensions the designers intended them to with a great degree of precision. The items are reasonably noisy measures of the latent variables they represent. Practical/managerial implications: Organisations should use the 15FQ+ carefully on Black South African managers until further local research evidence becomes available. Contribution/value-add: The study is a catalyst to trigger the necessary additional research we need to establish convincingly the psychometric credentials of the 15FQ+ as a valuable assessment tool in South Africa.Publisher's versio

Management of a patient with low back pain: the problems of efficiency and safety

Low back pain (LBP) is a common condition occurring in the population in different age groups; it is characterized by a tendency to relapse.Acute pain may transform to chronic pain, causing patient disability. The goal of LBP treatment is to timely relieve painful sensations so that the patient can return to his/her normal life as soon as possible. The patient is required to participate in the therapeutic process. Ketonal that shows high efficacy and good tolerability is widely used to treat patients with LBP. The medication is available in different dosage forms, which makes it possible to individualize the therapeutic process and to reduce drug load due to its possible topical application

Exact Self-consistent Particle-like Solutions to the Equations of Nonlinear Scalar Electrodynamics in General Relativity

Exact self-consistent particle-like solutions with spherical and/or cylindrical symmetry to the equations governing the interacting system of scalar, electromagnetic and gravitational fields have been obtained. As a particular case it is shown that the equations of motion admit a special kind of solutions with sharp boundary known as droplets. For these solutions, the physical fields vanish and the space-time is flat outside of the critical sphere or cylinder. Therefore, the mass and the electric charge of these configurations are zero.Comment: 17 pages, Submitted to the International Journal of Theoretical Physic

Ведение пациента с поясничной болью – проблемы эффективности и безопасности

Low back pain (LBP) is a common condition occurring in the population in different age groups; it is characterized by a tendency to relapse.Acute pain may transform to chronic pain, causing patient disability. The goal of LBP treatment is to timely relieve painful sensations so that the patient can return to his/her normal life as soon as possible. The patient is required to participate in the therapeutic process. Ketonal that shows high efficacy and good tolerability is widely used to treat patients with LBP. The medication is available in different dosage forms, which makes it possible to individualize the therapeutic process and to reduce drug load due to its possible topical application.Поясничная боль (ПБ) – распространенное в популяции состояние, встречающееся в различных возрастных группах, характеризующееся склонностью к рецидивированию. Острая боль может трансформироваться в хроническую, вызывая инвалидизацию больного. Задача лечения пациента с ПБ – своевременно купировать болевые ощущения, чтобы он максимально скоро вернулся к привычному образу жизни. Обязательным является участие самого больного в лечебном процессе. При лечении пациентов с ПБ широко используется кетонал, характеризующийся высокой эффективностью и хорошей переносимостью. Препарат выпускается в различных лекарственных формах, что позволяет индивидуализировать лечебный процесс и снизить лекарственную нагрузку за счет возможности местного применения