Completed Measures Research Articles

Pleasurable emotions and internalizing psychopathology: A multi-study examination of specificity and alternative explanations.

Past research has been inconclusive regarding the specificity of associations between discrete pleasurable emotions and internalizing symptoms. Contentment may be especially relevant to depression, whereas tranquillity may be especially relevant to worry. The goal of the current research was to clarify the mixed findings regarding the relation between pleasure deficits and internalizing psychopathology. Participants from three samples (Total N = 757) completed alternative measures of depression and pleasurable emotions. Participants in Study 1 also completed a measure of anticipatory and consummatory pleasure, and close peers to a subset of participants (N = 64) reported their perceptions of participants' depression severity. Participants in Studies 2 and 3 also completed a measure of worry. Across the three samples, contentment was significantly negatively associated with self-reported depression. This association could not be accounted for by tranquillity, cheerfulness, anticipatory pleasure, or consummatory pleasure. Contentment was also strongly negatively associated with peer-reported depression. Contentment was more strongly associated with depression than was cheerfulness. However, the strength of the association between contentment and depression relative to the strength of the association between tranquillity and depression depended on how contentment and depression were measured. Conversely, tranquillity was more strongly associated with worry than were contentment or cheerfulness. This study provides further evidence of the potential importance of the role of contentment in depression and tranquillity in worry. It may be useful to attend to contentment when assessing and treating depression and to attend to tranquillity when assessing and treating elevated worry.

Efficacy of the CARES® Dementia 5-Step Method for Hospitals™ Online Training and Certification Program for hospital staff

The main objective of the current study was to ascertain the efficacy of a newly developed online, video-based dementia training and certification program for hospital staff, the CARES® Dementia 5-Step Method for Hospitals™ Online Training and Certification Program. A parallel randomized waitlist control design was utilized. Participants (N = 272) completed online pre-evaluation measures. Forty-five days after completion of CARES® (treatment) or pre-evaluation measures (control), participants completed a post-evaluation online assessment. Analyses of variance found that participants in the treatment condition indicated greater and statistically significant (p < .001) increases in sense of competence, approaches to dementia, and patient care. The results implied that the CARES® Dementia 5-Step Method for Hospitals™ program could serve as a dynamic resource for hospitals nationwide to update training and share experiences, perspectives, and resources. The inherent scalability of the program regarding its acceptability, feasibility, and potential to incorporate seamlessly into routine workflows and staff training suggests high implementation potential.

Stress timing, trauma exposure, and family resilience differentially affect internalizing and externalizing symptoms at 3, 5, and 7 years of age

Mental health disorders are associated with decreased quality of life, economic productivity loss, and increased mortality. The association between stressful experiences and psychopathology is well documented. However, studies are needed to understand the impact of timing of stressful events, types of traumatic experiences, and of family resilience on internalizing and externalizing symptoms in early childhood. The present study used a longitudinal design towards this end. Parents (N = 456) completed study measures at infancy, 2 years, 3 years, 5 years, and 7 years. At 3 years, greater stressful events during the prenatal period, 1-2 years, and 2-3 years (B = 0.833–0.369, p = 0.028–0.046) predicted internalizing symptoms for female participants only. For externalizing symptoms at 3 years, every time point assessed was significantly associated with more symptoms across both sexes (B = 1.071–0.414, p < 0.001). At 5 years, both internalizing and externalizing symptoms were associated with a greater number of stressful events at every time point and across sexes (B = 1.372–0.465, p < 0.001–0.002). There was evidence for timing effects, including cumulative effects, sensitive periods, and recency effects. Exposure to interpersonal trauma associated with greater internalizing symptoms (B = 2.120, p = 0.002), whereas both interpersonal (B = 1.879, p = 0.005) and non-interpersonal (B = 1.223, p = 0.032) traumatic experiences were associated with greater externalizing symptoms. Aspects of family resilience including higher levels of family commitment, ability to face challenges, and sense of control reduced risk for internalizing symptoms (B = –0.496, p = 0.004) while only greater sense of control (B = –0.838, p = 0.040) reduced risk for externalizing symptoms at age 7 years, including in the context of trauma.

Three-dimensional transthoracic vs transesophageal echocardiography vs computed tomography angiography aorta for aortic annular diameter measurement for TAVI in our hospital

Abstract Background Tans femoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TF-TAVI) was recently the standard treatment option in patient with severe aortic stenosis. All patients undergoing TF-TAVI needed computed tomography angiography (CTA) aorta not only to evaluate entry site but to measure the annulus size to determine the prosthesis valve size. In Siriraj hospital we have protocol to perform Three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (3D-TTE) and three-dimensional esophageal echocardiography (3D-TEE) prior to TF-TAVI. We aimed to evaluate the correlation between conventional CTA aorta vs 3D-TEE vs 3D-TTE aortic annulus size. Method and result We performed a cross sectional study in all patients undergone TF-TAVI in our hospital who had all 3 aortic annulus sizes measured by 3 methods: CTA aorta, 3D-TEE vs 3D-TTE during 2015-2023. For 244 patients underwent TAVI, 52 patients were excluded (22 Transapical approach, 10 valve in valve TAVI, 6 not complete annulus measurement, 6 transcarotid, 3 severe AR, etc.) One hundred sixteen patients were female (60.4%) with average age of 83.2 years old. 98% of patients had comorbid disease; hypertension 84%, dyslipidemia 79%, diabetes 47%, coronary artery disease 55% (9% CABG), 2.6% of patients were bicuspid aortic valve. 27% of patients had LVEF less than 55%, average AVA was 0.71 centimeter-square, average mean pressure gradient was 52.5 mmHg. We analyzed the co-relation between these 3 methods by Bland–Altman plot which revealed the Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) between CTA Aorta and 3D-TEE was 0.814 with average difference of 0.68 mm (95% limit of agreement –1.68 - 3.04) and r between CTA Aorta and 3D-TTE was 0.442 with average difference of 0.41 mm (95% limit of agreement –3.82 - 4.63) Conclusion 3D-TTE annulus sizing had a reasonable correlation with CTA annulus sizing (Pearson’s correlation of 0.442) while 3D-TEE annulus sizing had a very high correlation with CTA annulus sizing (Pearson’s correlation of 0.814). In patient which CTA was not available to measure annulus size 3D-TEE annulus sizing might be reasonable method to measure the annulus size for TF-TAVI. Keyword trans femoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TF-TAVI), annulus size, three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (3D-TTE), three-dimensional esophageal echocardiography (3D-TEE), computed tomography angiography (CTA) aorta

Users' Experience of Treatment and Coercion in an Inpatient Medium-Stay Psychiatric Rehabilitation Unit: A Mixed Methods Study.

Coercion influences mental health services users' experience of care and can hinder their recovery process, so it is essential to understand how it is perceived in rehabilitation settings oriented towards recovery. To describe and measure users' experience of coercion and explore their perception of the treatment received in an inpatient medium-stay psychiatric rehabilitation unit (IMSPRU). This study, in which 75 service users participated, used a mixed methods approach. Twenty participants were administered a semistructured interview and completed quantitative measures for coercion and 55 additional service users completed the quantitative measurements only. The perception of coercion was measured using the Coercion Experience Scale. The content analysis of qualitative data resulted in two main themes: treatment received and experience of coercion in the IMSPRU. The participants made a distinction between good treatment and mistreatment or unfair treatment. Experience of coercion in the IMSPRU included the feeling of freedom or lack thereof in the unit, forms of formal and informal coercion, and the positive or negative impact of rules on the unit. The quantitative data revealed a low perception of formal coercion among the users. Individuals had different views of what it meant to be treated well, but all agreed on the importance of communication and the need to feel respected. Informal coercion was the most frequent type of coercion identified, but users were often unaware of its existence. Knowledge of how IMSPRU users experience the treatment received from nursing staff and how they perceive coercive situations will help to lay the foundations of a system of care oriented towards good treatment and noncoercive practices.

Entanglement criteria based on quantum Fisher information

To optimize the entanglement detection, we formulate the metrologically operational entanglement condition in quantum Fisher information by maximizing the QFI on the measurement orbit. Specifically, we consider two classes of typical local observables, i.e. the local orthonormal observables and symmetric informationally complete positive operator-valued measures. Result shows that the symmetric informationally complete positive operator-valued measures are superior to local orthonormal observables in entanglement detection, which in some sense hints the yet unconfirmed generally superiority of symmetric informationally complete positive operator-valued measures in quantum information processing.

Experiences of discrimination in healthcare settings, trust in providers and disordered eating behaviors in LGBTQ+ college students

ABSTRACT Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals report more experiences of healthcare discrimination and disordered eating behaviors (DEBs), and less trust in physicians than their cisgender and heterosexual counterparts. Although research supports a link between discrimination and DEBs among LGBTQ+ populations, few studies have specifically investigated healthcare discrimination and DEBs in this population. This study examined whether LGBTQ+ status moderated the relation between negative healthcare experiences and DEBs in undergraduates. Undergraduates (n = 322) from a Southeastern (United States) university completed measures of healthcare discrimination, trust in physicians, and DEBs. Analyses investigated whether LGBTQ+ status moderated the relation between healthcare discrimination and DEBs; trust in physicians and DEBs. LGBTQ+ individuals (35% of sample), reported less trust in physicians (p < .001), and more body dissatisfaction (p = .007) and shape/weight overvaluation (p = .008). Among all undergraduates, experiences of healthcare discrimination were associated with higher body dissatisfaction (p = .003) and shape/weight overvaluation (p = .008). Less trust in physicians was associated with greater shape/weight overvaluation (p = .005). LGBTQ+ status did not moderate either relation. It is important to reduce healthcare discrimination and foster patient–provider trust for all young adults. Future research should examine factors influencing patient–provider trust among LGBTQ+ individuals.

Mind wandering about the beloved: self-reported distraction, task performance, and enjoyment.

Romantic love is associated with mind wandering about the beloved. We tested associations between mind wandering about the beloved and infatuation, attachment, self-reported distraction, task performance, and enjoyment. Participants who were in love completed self-report measures and a sustained attention response task with thought probes. Participants reported thinking about their beloved for 67% of the time in general and up to 42% of the time during task performance. Thinking about the beloved in general was positively associated with infatuation (passionate love) but not with attachment (companionate love). The more time participants reported thinking about their beloved in general, the more distracting they found it and the less they could withhold a response to no go stimuli. The more participants thought about their beloved during the task, the slower their responses to go stimuli were. In contrast to the negative terminology typically used to describe frequent thoughts about the beloved, such as intrusive or obsessive thinking, participants overwhelmingly enjoyed thinking about their beloved. The findings suggest that romantic love impairs cognitive task performance because people are thinking about their beloved instead, which may negatively impact performance at school and work. Nevertheless, people seem to greatly enjoy thinking about their beloved.

Examining the roles of reward sensitivity and difficulties in emotion regulation in relation to low-restraint binge eating.

Leading treatments for binge eating target dietary restraint, but up to 35% of the people with binge eating report low restraint. This study examined the roles of reward sensitivity and emotion dysregulation in relation to low-restraint binge eating. Women with binge eating (low-restraint: n = 22; high-restraint: n = 69) and controls (n = 49) completed self-report measures of generalized reward sensitivity and emotion dysregulation and a picture-viewing task assessing craving and pleasure for high-calorie food. As expected, food-related craving and emotion dysregulation were greater in the clinical than in the control group, but no differences emerged between high- and low-restraint binge eating groups. However, correlational analyses found that, within the clinical group, the number of restraint days related to greater anticipatory sensitivity for generalized rewards and lower pleasure ratings of food. Results suggest that emotion dysregulation characterizes both high- and low-restraint binge eating. As self-reported food liking was linked with lower restraint, greater enjoyment of palatable foods may uniquely contribute to low-restraint binge eating. Increasing emphasis on emotion regulation and food-related reward sensitivity may enhance treatment outcomes for individuals with low-restraint binge eating.

New measurement of the Hoyle state radiative transition width

The radiative decay of the Hoyle state serves as the gateway to the production of heavier elements in a stellar environment. Here, we present an exclusive measurement of electric quadruple (E2) transitions of the Hoyle state to the ground state of 12C through the 12C(p, p′γγ)12C reaction. A triple coincidence measurement yields the radiative branching ratio Γrad/Γ = 4.01 (30) × 10−4. This result was corroborated by an independent experiment based on the complete kinematical measurement via12C(p, p′)12C reaction, yielding a consistent result of Γrad/Γ = 4.04 (30) × 10−4. Combining our results with the currently adopted values of Γπ(E0)/Γ and Γπ(E0), the radiative width of the Hoyle state is determined to be 3.75 (40) × 10−3 eV. It is important to note that our finding do not align with a recently reported 34% increase in the radiative decay width of the Hoyle state but is consistent with the currently accepted value.

Perceived partner responsiveness alters the association between marital distress and well-being in dementia spousal caregivers

Caregivers for spouses with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) experience drastic changes in the marital relationship that may put them at risk for worsening well-being. Perceived partner responsiveness, or feeling cared for, understood, and appreciated by one's spouse, may help mitigate these effects. In this study, we investigated the associations between marital distress, perceived partner responsiveness, and psychological and physiological well-being indicators among ADRD spousal caregivers. MethodA sample of 161 caregivers provided blood samples and completed self-report measures of marital distress, perceived partner responsiveness, and depressive symptoms. We tested hypotheses in our sample cross-sectionally based on two theoretical frameworks. ResultsTesting the marital discord model of depression, caregivers who reported greater marital distress also reported more depressive symptoms, and this association was stronger as participants reported lower perceived partner responsiveness. Caregivers who reported greater marital distress exhibited elevated proinflammatory cytokine production by in vitro lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated peripheral blood leukocytes at low levels of perceived partner responsiveness, but not mean or high levels. Testing the vulnerability-stress-adaptation model, caregivers who reported more depressive symptoms also reported greater marital distress. Further, caregivers who exhibited elevated LPS-stimulated proinflammatory cytokine production reported greater marital distress at mean and high levels of perceived partner responsiveness, but not low levels. These patterns of results held even when accounting for the dementia stage and reported hours of caregiving per day. DiscussionThis study's findings contribute to the body of research examining interpersonal factors that shape health and well-being among the caregiver population.

Predictors of treatment outcome in higher levels of care among a large sample of adolescents with heterogeneous eating disorders

BackgroundDespite widespread use of higher levels of care in treating eating disorders in adolescents, research supporting the use of these treatments remains limited by small sample sizes and a predominant focus on anorexia nervosa. Further, existing data regarding predictors of outcome have yielded mixed findings. In the current study, we evaluated treatment outcomes and predictors of outcome among a large sample of adolescents with eating disorders presenting to inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization programs, and intensive outpatient programs across the United States.MethodsAdolescents (N = 1,971) completed self-report measures of eating disorder symptoms, depression, and anxiety at treatment admission, stepdown, and discharge. Using linear mixed effect models, we evaluated changes in symptoms over treatment separately among youth admitted to inpatient/residential treatment and those admitted to partial hospitalization/intensive outpatient programs, and used established metrics to gauge frequency of reliable (i.e., statistically reliable) and clinically significant change.ResultsResults suggested decreases in eating disorder symptoms, depression, and anxiety from intake to discharge. Around 50% of the sample reported reliable decreases in eating disorder symptoms at stepdown and discharge, with 30% of the sample reporting reliable reductions in depression and anxiety. Psychiatric comorbidity, primary diagnosis, age, and eating disorder symptoms at admission consistently predicted treatment-related change, although patterns in findings varied across symptoms.ConclusionsData from our sample are consistent with past work suggesting that adolescents enrolled in higher levels of care report clinical benefit; however, these effects are heterogenous, and a significant portion of individuals may not report reliable change in symptoms. Ultimately, ongoing work is required to better understand how and for whom higher levels of care may achieve their benefit and to identify the optimal approach for improving outcomes for adolescents with eating disorders.

Digital phenotyping in bipolar disorder: Using longitudinal Fitbit data and personalized machine learning to predict mood symptomatology.

Effective treatment of bipolar disorder (BD) requires prompt response to mood episodes. Preliminary studies suggest that predictions based on passive sensor data from personal digital devices can accurately detect mood episodes (e.g., between routine care appointments), but studies to date do not use methods designed for broad application. This study evaluated whether a novel, personalized machine learning approach, trained entirely on passive Fitbit data, with limited data filtering could accurately detect mood symptomatology in BD patients. We analyzed data from 54 adults with BD, who wore Fitbits and completed bi-weekly self-report measures for 9 months. We applied machine learning (ML) models to Fitbit data aggregated over two-week observation windows to detect occurrences of depressive and (hypo)manic symptomatology, which were defined as two-week windows with scores above established clinical cutoffs for the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) and Altman Self-Rating Mania Scale (ASRM) respectively. As hypothesized, among several ML algorithms, Binary Mixed Model (BiMM) forest achieved the highest area under the receiver operating curve (ROC-AUC) in the validation process. In the testing set, the ROC-AUC was 86.0% for depression and 85.2% for (hypo)mania. Using optimized thresholds calculated with Youden's J statistic, predictive accuracy was 80.1% for depression (sensitivity of 71.2% and specificity of 85.6%) and 89.1% for (hypo)mania (sensitivity of 80.0% and specificity of 90.1%). We achieved sound performance in detecting mood symptomatology in BD patients using methods designed for broad application. Findings expand upon evidence that Fitbit data can produce accurate mood symptomatology predictions. Additionally, to the best of our knowledge, this represents the first application of BiMM forest for mood symptomatology prediction. Overall, results move the field a step toward personalized algorithms suitable for the full population of patients, rather than only those with high compliance, access to specialized devices, or willingness to share invasive data.

Uncertainty relations for quantum coherence with respect to mutually unbiased equiangular tight frames

The role of quantum coherence as an information resource has attracted increasing attention in recent years. Many protocols of quantum information science deal with specially selected states. Complete sets of mutually unbiased bases and symmetric informationally complete measurements are widely used in this regard. Other constructions were found to be useful, including projective designs and equiangular tight frames. As a rule, there are additional restrictions on the probabilities generated by quantum measurements assigned to such sets. Inequalities in terms of coherence quantifiers allow one to examine complementarity with respect to different sets. This study aims to examine uncertainty relations for coherence quantifiers averaged with respect to a set of mutually unbiased equiangular tight frames. To quantify the amount of coherence, quantum coherence quantifiers of the Tsallis type and the geometric coherence are used. The first case is induced by the Tsallis relative entropies. The derived inequalities are exemplified with equiangular tight frames of a ququart.

Narrative identity in context: How adults in Japan, Denmark, Israel, and the United States narrate difficult life events.

Integrating the selective reconstruction of the past with an imagined future, narrative identity is a person's internalized and evolving story of the self, functioning to provide life with some degree of meaning and purpose (McAdams & McLean, 2013). While narrative identity has been found to be associated with a range of psychological and social phenomena (e.g., Adler et al., 2015; McAdams & Guo, 2015), cross-national variation in narrative identity has been only minimally examined. For the purposes of the current inquiry, 438 adults from the United States (N = 102), Japan (N = 122), Israel (N = 103), and Denmark (N = 111) wrote narratives on adversity (low point and life challenge) and completed self-report measures on psychological well-being. Part 1 examined the narrative topics discussed, the frequency of narrative indices (redemption, contamination, agency, communion, meaning-making), and their relationship to well-being across the four countries, finding the most cultural difference in levels of redemption and meaning-making and the kinds of events narrated. Part 2 involved a qualitative, thematic analysis of the Japanese, Danish, and Israeli narratives to derive a set of narrative indices characterizing each country. Several emerged in the Japanese narratives (acceptance, attribution of blame, unresolved), the Danish narratives (balanced affect, communal growth, normality), and Israeli narratives (collective responsibility). Taken together, our findings regarding narratives of adversity support the idea that narrative identity cannot be fully captured without an understanding of culture but needs to instead be studied in tandem with the cultural context in which stories reside. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

High-temperature structure, elasticity, and thermal expansion of ε-ZrH1.8

Zirconium hydride is a promising candidate material for nuclear microreactor applications as a solid-state moderator component, owing to its favorable neutronics properties and good thermal stability over other metal hydrides. In the present work, the crystal structure, thermal expansion, and elastic properties of the hydrogen-rich ε phase hydride were measured at elevated temperatures in the range 300–900 K. Samples were prepared by direct hydriding Zircaloy-4 metal – a nuclear-grade zirconium alloy. Room-temperature lattice parameters agree well with those reported from literature for unalloyed zirconium hydride and fall within an observed quadratic H-content dependence. The coefficients of thermal expansion, determined from lattice expansion and dilatometry, agree well within our work but were about 30 % lower than those reported by others for unalloyed hydrides. Density functional theory-based molecular dynamics simulations were used to compare with thermal expansion and elasticity measurements. Results showed lattice parameter temperature dependence and slope of thermal expansion align with those from measurements. Based on diffraction scans at select temperatures, ε phase remained stable in air up to at least 770 K. Likewise, dilatometry showed smooth thermal expansion up to the thermal decomposition temperature around 950 K. The precise decomposition temperature was not determined via diffraction due to sparse scanning. The complete elastic property measurements were gathered for ε-phase Ziracloy-4 hydride for the first time. Young's modulus was lower compared to the metal and δ hydride phases. High-temperature elasticity measurements were limited to <350 K due to acoustic dissipation effects.

Predominantly antibody deficiencies: An important underlying cause of recurrent pneumonia in adults

RATIONALE Limited information exists concerning the causes of recurrent pneumonia in adults, particularly regarding immunodeficiencies or inborn errors of immunity. OBJECTIVES This study aims to evaluate the etiology of recurrent pneumonia in the adult population, with a focus on humoral deficiency and inborn errors of immunity. METHODS A cross-sectional non-interventional study was conducted in Cali, Colombia, from January 2019 to March 2021. Consecutive patients, aged over 14 years but under 65 years, with a history of recurrent pneumonia, were included after providing consent. The study involved a thorough review of their past medical records and radiological studies. All participants underwent complete blood count and serum immunoglobulin level measurements (IgG, IgA, IgM and IgE). Further testing was carried out based on the evaluation of a clinical immunologist. RESULTS Sixty-six (66) individuals, comprising 34 females and 32 males, were enrolled in the study. The onset of symptoms occurred at an average age of 14 years (ranging from 5 to 36 years). The analysis revealed that the most prevalent cause of recurrent pneumonia was inborn errors of immunity (20 cases, 30.3%), followed by idiopathic (9 cases, 13.7%), bronchiectasis (7 cases, 10.7%), primary ciliary dyskinesia (6 cases, 9.0%), asthma (6 cases, 9.0%), and post-tuberculosis complications (5 cases, 7.6%). CONCLUSION Predominantly antibody deficiencies, along with other inborn errors of immunity, were identified as an important factor contributing to recurrent pneumonia in adults. These findings highlight the importance of these conditions as major etiological factors in the context of recurrent pneumonia in the Colombian adult population.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Thai Version of the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for Patellofemoral Pain and Osteoarthritis (KOOS-PF).

The Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for patellofemoral pain and osteoarthritis (KOOS-PF) is a condition-specific patient-reported outcome measure that is used to evaluate patients with patellofemoral pain. To translate the KOOS-PF into the Thai language, to make necessary adaptations to a Thai cultural context, and to assess the measurement properties of the Thai version of the KOOS-PF (TH-KOOS-PF) using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist. Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 3. This study was conducted between December 2021 and May 2023. Language translation of the KOOS-PF was performed according to guidelines for the cross-cultural adaptation of self-report measures. Eligible participants aged 18 to 50 years were asked to complete various patient-reported outcome measures including the TH-KOOS-PF at 3 time points: baseline, 2 weeks after baseline for test-retest reliability analysis, and 2 months after baseline for responsiveness assessment. The KOOS-PF was successfully translated and culturally adapted to create the TH-KOOS-PF. A total of 86 participants (mean age, 37.0 ± 8.1 years; 59.3% female) with patellofemoral pain participated in the validation process. Construct validity of the TH-KOOS-PF was demonstrated by confirmation of all a priori hypotheses. The standardized Cronbach alpha coefficient was 0.88 (95% CI, 0.83-0.91), which indicated good internal consistency. Test-retest reliability was high, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.87 (95% CI, 0.77-0.92). The TH-KOOS-PF demonstrated good responsiveness, as evidenced by all predefined hypotheses' being confirmed, and there were no floor or ceiling effects. Using an anchor-based approach, the minimal clinically important difference was 11.6 points. The results of this study revealed the TH-KOOS-PF to be a valid, reliable, and responsive tool for assessing Thai patients with patellofemoral pain. The TH-KOOS-PF will be useful in both clinical and research settings.

Gradient estimates for unbounded Laplacians with ellipticity condition on graphs

In this article, we prove various gradient estimates for unbounded graph Laplacians which satisfy the ellipticity condition. Unlike common assumptions for unbounded Laplacians, i.e. completeness and non-degenerate measure, the ellipticity condition is purely local that is easy to verify on a graph. First, we establish an equivalent semigroup property, namely the gradient estimate of exponential curvature-dimension inequality, which is a modification of the curvature-dimension inequality and can be viewed as a notion of curvature on graphs. Additionally, we use the semigroup method to prove the Li-Yau inequalities and the Hamilton inequality for unbounded Laplacians on graphs with the ellipticity condition.

The Classification and Stability of Psychotic-Like Experiences

Abstract: We examined psychotic-like experiences in adults. In Session 1, 404 participants completed domain measures of the Big Five and HEXACO. We identified 25 potential Psychoticism markers in Session 2, which was roughly 3 weeks later. Exploratory factor analyses (EFAs) of the Session 1 and Session 2 scales revealed six factors: the Big Five, plus Psychoticism. Eighteen scales marked the Psychoticism factor; in addition, five scales assessing negative symptoms of schizotypy defined low Extraversion. Finally, we identified a semioverlapping set of 22 potential Psychoticism markers in Session 3 ( N = 292), which was roughly 9.5 months after Session 2. EFAs of the Session 1 and Session 3 scales produced the same six factors. Sixteen scales defined Psychoticism; four scales assessing negative symptoms of schizotypy again formed a bipolar factor with Extraversion. Scores on the Psychoticism factors correlated .78 ( N = 287) across this 9.5-month interval, demonstrating a trait-like level of stability.