Inconsistency Index Research Articles

From pairwise comparisons to consistency with respect to a group operation and Koczkodaj's metric

Important in pairwise comparisons methods (PC) concepts of reciprocal matrices, consistency conditions and priority vectors of consistent PC matrices are investigated in a more general framework where mappings take values in a not necessarily abelian group. A problem about Pauli's matrices is posed. Notions of left and right priority mappings with respect to a group operation of consistent mappings are introduced. Hou's fixed point theorems on consistent matrices are generalized to theorems on consistent mappings with values in an arbitrarily fixed lattice-ordered group. Relevant to topology basic properties of Koczkodaj's metric which induces Koczkodaj's inconsistency index in PC are studied. It is shown in ZF that Koczkodaj's metric is Cantor complete and not totally bounded, it is equivalent with the Euclidean metric on the set of positive real numbers. A version of Heine–Borel Theorem for Koczkodaj's metric is obtained and briefly applied to the compact bornology of R+n.

Protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis of sex hormones and diabetes risk in ageing men and women of African ancestry

AimTo present the protocol of a systematic review and meta-analysis of the available evidence examining the association between sex hormones and type 2 diabetes risk in ageing men and women...

Efficacy and safety of radiofrequency, microwave and laser ablation for treating papillary thyroid microcarcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation (RFA), microwave ablation (MWA) and laser ablation (LA) for treating papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC).Materials and methods: PUBMED and EMBASE were searched for studies on the efficacy and safety of RFA, MWA and LA for treating PTMC. The standard mean difference of the tumor volume before and after therapy and the proportion of complete disappearance, local recurrence, distant metastasis and complications were assessed using both fixed or random-effects modeling. Heterogeneity among studies was determined using the Q statistic for the pooled estimates and the inconsistency index I2.Results: A total of 12 eligible studies, including a sample size of 1187 patients and 1284 PTMCs, were used. RFA, MWA and LA all showed a significant reduction in tumor volume of PTMCs (p < 0.05). Though MWA demonstrated superior efficacy over the other two therapies for volume reduction, the differences were not statistically significant. Additionally, the pooled proportion of complete disappearance after RFA was the highest (76.2%), and the pooled proportion of recurrence for RFA was the lowest (0.01%) among the three therapeutic methods, but no significant difference was detected. There was no event of distant metastasis during the follow-up in all of these studies. Few major complications were encountered; the pooled proportion of complications for RFA (1.73%), MWA (6.0%) and LA (0.92%) was low, revealing no significant differences (p > 0.05).Conclusion: RFA, MWA and LA are acceptable treatments to manage PTMCs in terms of efficacy and safety for non-surgical candidates.

A Decision Making Model Based on Intuitionistic Multiplicative Preference Relations With Acceptable Consistency

Two categories of hesitancy often exist in an intuitionistic multiplicative preference relation (IMPR). One is inconsistency among three or more preferences in an IMPR, and the other is hesitancy of a non-diagonal intuitionistic multiplicative judgment itself. Capturing such hesitancy plays an important role for deriving priority weights of IMPRs and measuring inconsistency degrees of IMPRs. This article first analyzes a recent consistency definition of IMPRs and reveals its deficiency. A normalized intuitionistic multiplicative weight vector is introduced and utilized as a benchmark of different intuitionistic multiplicative weight vectors with equivalency. A new notion of consistent IMPRs is then proposed by building the link between an IMPR and its normalized intuitionistic multiplicative weights. In order to find the closest IMPR with consistency to an original IMPR, the paper establishes a minimization model, in which the hesitancy difference between the two IMPRs is regarded as a constraint and the optimal goal function value is used to determine an inconsistency index of the original IMPR. The minimization model is further transformed into a least square model and its analytical solution is discovered by the Lagrangian multiplier method. Based on the analytical solution, an intuitionistic multiplicative judgment based index is devised to measure inconsistency of IMPRs, and an approach with checking acceptable consistency is developed for multi-criteria decision making with IMPRs. The presented models are illustrated and validated by three numerical examples including a hierarchical multi-criteria decision making problem.

Tournament indices of inconsistency

We define a new inconsistency index for tournament matrices and two tournaments-based indices for multiplicative pairwise comparison matrices. We compare them with the index defined by Kulakowski and illustrate the fundamental differences on examples.

Diagnostic Outcome of Image-Guided Percutaneous Core Needle Biopsy of Sclerotic Bone Lesions: A Meta-Analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the diagnostic outcome (diagnostic yield and accuracy) of image-guided percutaneous core needle biopsy (CNB) of sclerotic bone lesions. A computerized search of the PubMed and EMBASE databases was performed to identify relevant original articles on the use of image-guided percutaneous CNB of sclerotic bone lesions. The pooled proportions of the diagnostic yield and pooled accuracy estimates were assessed using random-effects modeling. We also performed subgroup analyses of the diagnostic yield according to the drill systems (battery-powered vs manual). Heterogeneity among studies was determined using the inconsistency index (I2). Meta-regression analyses were performed to evaluate the potential sources of heterogeneity. Fifteen eligible studies, involving 969 sclerotic bone lesions for diagnostic yield, and 242 sclerotic bone lesions for diagnostic accuracy, were included. The pooled proportion of the diagnostic yield of image-guided percutaneous CNB of sclerotic bone lesions was 74% (95% CI, 62-84%), and the pooled accuracy estimate for differentiation between benign and malignant lesions was 87% (95% CI, 77-93%). In the subgroup analysis, the pooled proportion of the diagnostic yield of the battery-powered drill system (76.7% [95% CI, 64.0-85.8%]) was higher than that of the manual drill system (65.2% [95% CI, 58.0-71.8%]). In the meta-regression analyses, no variables were significantly different (p = 0.13-0.93). In conclusion, we determined that image-guided percutaneous CNB of sclerotic bone lesions is an accurate diagnostic technique with good diagnostic yield, particularly when the battery-powered bone biopsy system is used.

Association of l-Arginine Supplementation with Markers of Endothelial Function in Patients with Cardiovascular or Metabolic Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

l-Arginine supplementation is a potential therapy for treating cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. However, the use of distinct l-arginine sources, intervened populations, and treatment regimens may have yielded confusion about their efficacy. This research constitutes a systematic review and meta-analysis summarizing the effects of l-arginine supplementation compared to placebo in individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD), obesity, or diabetes. Eligibility criteria included randomized clinical trials and interventions based on oral supplementation of l-arginine with a minimum duration of three days; comparison groups consisted of individuals with the same disease condition receiving an oral placebo substance. The primary outcome was flow-mediated dilation, and secondary outcomes were nitrite/nitrate (NOx) rate and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA). Statistical heterogeneity among studies included in the meta-analyses was assessed using the inconsistency index (I2). Fifty-four full-text articles from 3761 retrieved references were assessed for eligibility. After exclusions, 13 studies were included for data extraction. There was no difference in blood flow after post-ischemic hyperemia between the supplementation of l-arginine and placebo groups before and after the intervention period (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.30; 95% confidence intervals (CIs) = −0.85 to 1.46; I2 = 96%). Sensitivity analysis showed decreased heterogeneity when the studies that most favor arginine and placebo were removed, and positive results in favor of arginine supplementation were found (SMD = 0.59; 95% CIs = 0.10 to 1.08; I2 = 75%). No difference was found in meta-analytical estimates of NOx and ADMA responses between arginine or placebo treatments. Overall, the results indicated that oral l-arginine supplementation was not associated with improvements on selected variables in these patients (PROSPERO Registration: CRD42017077289).

Association between FKBP5 polymorphisms and depressive disorders or suicidal behavior: A systematic review and meta-analysis study

Psychiatric disorders are complex polygenic diseases that show common genetic vulnerability. Several studies have investigated the association of polymorphisms of FK506 binding protein 51 (FKBP5) gene and depressive disorders or suicidal behavior, however, the results have been controversial and ambiguous. The aim of our study was to explore the role of the FKBP5 gene variants (rs1360780, rs3800373 and rs4713916), in depressive disorders or suicidal behavior through a systematic review and a meta-analysis. The protocol number of the study is PROSPERO CRD42018089295. The meta-analysis included 12 studies. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were used to evaluate the association and the publication bias was tested by Egger's test and funnel plot; heterogeneity was assessed by the Cochran's chi-square-based Q statistic test and the inconsistency index. Our results showed that the rs3800373 and rs4713916 were associated with an increased risk of depressive disorders when using the heterozygous and dominant models. In the stratified analysis by ethnicity, a significantly increased risk of depressive disorders was also observed for rs3800373 and rs4713916 in Caucasians. When we analyzed suicidal behavior, we found a significant association with the rs1360780 of FKBP5 and suicidal behavior risk in the overall population and rs3800373 in completed suicide subgroup. Existing evidence indicates that the polymorphisms of FKBP5 gene are associated with risk of depressive disorders and suicidal behavior. Future studies with larger sample sizes will be necessary to confirm the present results.

Inconsistency evaluation of the curriculum logical structure

Purpose of the study. The main purpose of creating a curriculum is to regulate academic disciplines in accordance with the logic of the learning process, defined by the relationship between the basic concepts of the disciplines. Violation of this logic becomes apparent only directly during the training sessions.A large variety of quantitative methods uses indicators that do not reveal structural deficiencies in the curriculum. This makes it difficult to improve the curriculum.The purpose of this work is to demonstrate the application of a general approach to the assessment of the structural inconsistency of systems in relation to the evaluation of the logical structure of the curriculum.Materials and methods. The paper applies a general approach to the assessment of structural integrity, developed on the basis of the provisions of the general theory of systems and graph theory. The approach involves the construction of three interrelated structural models of the system and using them to determine the initial data for calculating the index of inconsistency of the system structure.Results. The overall approach to the assessment of structural integrity is adapted to assess the logical structure of the curriculum. Three models of curriculum structure are developed:Elementary model of interdisciplinary communication;Curriculum network model;Hierarchical curriculum model.Based on the parameters of the hierarchical curriculum model, using three adapted algorithms, the value of the inconsistency index of the curriculum structure in the direction of preparation “Applied Informatics” is calculated. Recommendations on changing the structure of the studied curriculum to reduce the degree of its structural inconsistency are proposed. Conclusion. As a result of the research, the methods were proposed that allow identifying possible contradictions in the structure of the curriculum and evaluating its inconsistency. As the experiments have shown, it is extremely difficult to study the curricula in a manual manner, the number of disciplines in which exceeds 50. In this regard, the development of a complex of computer programs that will automate the assessment of the inconsistency of large curricula is being completed.

Relationship between short telomere length and stroke: A meta-analysis.

Background:Several epidemiological studies had been carried out in different population cohorts to estimate the relationship between the shortened telomere length and stroke. However, the results still remained dispute. Consequently, we conducted this meta-analysis to estimate the relationship between them.Methods:PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science were systematically searched for related articles to evaluate the association between “stroke” and “telomere length. STATA 12.0 software was used to perform the meta-analysis. The Cochran Q test and inconsistency index (I2) were used to assess the heterogeneity. Begg funnel plot and Egger test were used to assess publication bias.Results:The meta-analysis was composed of 11 studies, consisting of 25,340 participants. We found a significant relationship between shortened telomere length and stroke (OR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.13–2.0; P = .005); however, in the prospective and retrospective study subgroup, we did not find a statistical significant relationship between shortened telomere length and stroke (the prospective subgroup: OR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1–1.98; P = .051) (the retrospective subgroup: OR: 1.89, 95% CI: 0.96–3.72; P = .067).

Chemical shift imaging for evaluation of adrenal masses: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of published data to evaluate the utility of chemical shift imaging (CSI) for differentiating between adrenal adenomas and non-adenomas. A systematic search of the MEDLINE, Web of Science Core Collection, EMBASE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials electronic databases was performed. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed by using the QUADAS-2 (Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies) tool. A bivariate random effect model was used to determine summary and subgroup sensitivity and specificity and calculate summary receiver operating characteristic curves (SROC). Eighteen studies with 1138 patients and 1280 lesions (859 adenomas, 421 non-adenomas) in total were included. In addition to summary analysis, quantitative analyses of the adrenal signal intensity index (SII, 978 lesions, 14 studies), adrenal-to-spleen ratio (ASR; 394 lesions, 7 studies) and visual analysis (560 lesions, 5 studies) were performed. The resultant data showed considerable heterogeneity (inconsistency index I2 of 94%, based on the diagnostic odds ratio, DOR). The pooled sensitivity of CSI for adenoma was 0.94 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.88-0.97] and pooled specificity was 0.95 (95% CI 0.89-0.97). The area (AUC) under the SROC curve was 0.98 (95% CI 0.96-0.99). The corresponding AUCs were 0.98, 0.99 and 0.95 for SII, ASR and visual evaluation, respectively. CSI has high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for adrenal adenoma. Diagnostic performance does not improve when quantitative indices are used. • Inclusion of CSI in abdominal MRI protocols provides an effective solution for classifying adrenal masses discovered on MR exams • Visual evaluation of adrenal CSI is sufficient; use of quantitative indices does not improve diagnostic accuracy.

A general formulation for some inconsistency indices of pairwise comparisons

We propose a unifying approach to the problem of measuring the inconsistency of judgments. More precisely, we define a general framework to allow several well-known inconsistency indices to be expressed as special cases of this new formulation. We consider inconsistency indices as aggregations of ‘local’, i.e. triple-based, inconsistencies. We show that few reasonable assumptions guarantee a set of good properties for the obtained general inconsistency index. Under this representation, we prove a property of Pareto efficiency and show that OWA functions and t-conorms are suitable aggregation functions of local inconsistencies. We argue that the flexibility of this proposal allows tuning of the index. For example, by using different types of OWA functions, the analyst can obtain the desired balance between an averaging behavior and a ‘largest inconsistency-focused’ behavior.

Systematic review and meta-regressions: management of eosinophilic esophagitis requires histologic assessment.

Treatment endpoints in eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) are response of eosinophilic inflammation and of symptoms. Steroids and diet therapy are effective in inducing histologic response in EoE, but there may be poor correlation between histologic and symptomatic response. Despite this, we find that in clinical practice symptoms are commonly used to guide management without assessing histologic response. We hypothesized that symptom response alone is not reliable in assessing response to therapy and is confounded by endoscopic dilation. We conducted a systematic review and meta-regressions to estimate the association of histologic and symptomatic response, stratified by whether concurrent dilation was permitted. We performed a systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science for studies describing both histologic and symptomatic responses to dilation, steroid, and diet therapies. We abstracted the proportion of histologic response and symptom response. Studies were stratified by whether dilation was permitted. We performed meta-regressions of the association between the proportions with histologic and symptomatic response, stratified by whether dilation was permitted. We identified 1359 articles, of which 62 articles were assessed for eligibility, and 23 were included providing data on 1202 patients with EoE. Unstratified meta-regression of histologic versus symptomatic response showed moderate association and large heterogeneity (inconsistency index [I2]=89%). In adult studies in which dilation was allowed, there was weak association between symptomatic and histologic response (β1=0.21), minimal symptomatic response of 67% and the heterogeneity persisted, I2=77%. In studies that prohibited dilation, maximal symptomatic response was 72% and was moderately associated with histologic response (β1=0.39) with less heterogeneity, I2=59%. Studies of EoE that permit dilation obscure the relation between histologic and symptomatic response and have a high floor effect for symptomatic response. Studies that prohibit dilation demonstrate moderate association between histologic and symptomatic response, but have a ceiling effect for symptomatic response. Our results demonstrate that success of dietary or medical management for EoE cannot be judged by symptoms alone, and require histologic assessment, particularly if dilation has been performed.

Lessons from a systematic literature review of the effectiveness of recombinant factor VIIa in acquired haemophilia

To conduct a systematic review of the literature reporting efficacy and safety of recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) for the treatment of bleeding in acquired haemophilia and, if data permitted, undertake a meta-analysis of the current evidence. MEDLINE®, Embase®, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases were searched for all studies on rFVIIa treatment in acquired haemophilia. Heterogeneity of included studies was measured using the inconsistency index (I2). Of the 2353 publications screened, 290 potentially relevant references were identified: 12 studies published in 32 publications met inclusion criteria. In total, 1244 patients and 1714 bleeds were included (671 patients received rFVIIa treatment for 1063 bleeds). In seven of 12 studies, the initial dose of Recombinant FVIIa was 90 ± 10 μg/kg. Recombinant FVIIa was used as first-line therapy in the majority of cases. Median number of doses administered ranged from 10 to 28. Between 68 and 74% of bleeds were spontaneous, whereas 4–50% were traumatic. Thirty-nine to 90% of bleeds were severe. Haemostatic effectiveness was > 90% in 5/6 studies for both patient and bleed level. Recombinant FVIIa had a favourable safety profile with low risk of general adverse events and thromboembolic-associated events. The heterogeneity of the studies and data precluded a meta-analysis. Recombinant FVIIa demonstrated effectiveness for the treatment of bleeds and had a good safety profile. It is apparent from these data that there is a need for more standardised measures of clinical effectiveness in acquired haemophilia to enable comparison and pooling of results in the future.

Complications following ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy of thyroid nodules: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

To identify the complication rate associated with US-guided core needle biopsy (CNB) of thyroid lesions using a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ovid-MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched for studies on US-guided CNB of thyroid lesions from 1 January 1994-13 December 2016. A review of 393 potential papers identified 39 eligible papers including 14,818 patients. The pooled proportions of complications were assessed using random-effects modelling. Subgroup analysis was performed. Among-study heterogeneity was explored using χ2 statistic for pooled estimates and inconsistency index I2. Quality of the studies was evaluated using the Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for Nonrandomized Studies. The pooled proportion of overall complications after CNB of thyroid lesions was 1.11% (95% CI: 0.64-1.51, I2: 87.2%). The pooled proportion of major complications (0.06% [95% CI: 0.02-0.10], I2: 0.0%) was much lower than that of minor complications (1.08%[95% CI: 0.63-1.53], I2: 93.17%). Subgroup analysis revealed no significant differences between studies on Asian versus non-Asian groups (p=0.7769), radiologist versus non-radiologist groups (p=0.8607), nodule size <20 mm versus nodule size ≥20 mm (p=0.1591) groups, CNB versus CNB-plus-FNA groups (p=0.9281) and studies performed before and after 2012 (p=0.6251). The overall quality of the included studies was moderate with all of the studies satisfying five or more of the eight total domains. Various complications can occur after US-guided CNB of thyroid lesions. However, the procedure is safe, with a low complication rate. • Various complications occurred after CNB of thyroid lesions, but the pooled complication rate was low (1.11%, I 2 = 87.2%). • The pooled proportion of major complications (0.06%) was much lower than that of minor complications (1.08%). • There was no significant differences between studies on Asian vs. non-Asian groups, radiologist vs. non-radiologist groups, nodule size <20 mm vs. nodule size ≥20 mm groups, CNB vs. CNB-plus-FNA groups, or studies performed before 2012 vs. after 2012.

Inconsistency of special cases of pairwise comparisons matrices

This study presents special cases of inconsistent pairwise comparisons PC matrices. The analysis of the selected inconsistency indicators is provided. One of the compared inconsistencies is the popular eigenvalue-based consistency index (CI) which fails to follow axiomatization recently published by this journal. The other inconsistency, based on the exponentially invertible measure (also known as Koczkodaj's inconsistency indicator or Kii) follows the axiomatization.All studied special cases of PC matrices are Toeplitz matrices with only three different entries 1, x, and 1/x. A circulant matrix has been used for pairwise comparisons to analyze inconsistency. Although this class of PC matrices may be perceived as restricted, it is general enough to cover all values of the eigenvalue-based inconsistency index from the lowest to the highest. Both exact mathematical expressions and estimations, where the exact expression was impossible to find, are provided.

Characteristics of the Middle Cervical Sympathetic Ganglion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Understanding the characteristics of the middle cervical sympathetic ganglion (MCSG) may minimize procedure-related complications and maximize efficacy during surgery or ultrasound (US)-guided procedures. The location and detection rate of the MCSG were variable in small population studies. Therefore, a large population study or meta-analysis could give more information about the MCSG. We aim to review the published literature and evaluate the anatomical features of the MCSG, including the detection rate, location, size, and a normal variation, and to review the clinical relevance of MCSG for procedures including, US-guided ganglion block, ethanol ablation (EA), or radiofrequency ablation (RFA). A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Ovid-MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched to find the detection rate, location, and other characteristics of the MCSG. The pooled proportions for the detection rate of the MCSG were assessed using the DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model. Heterogeneity among the studies was determined using a chi-square analysis for the pooled estimates and inconsistency index (I²). In order to reduce the heterogeneity, sensitivity analyses were performed. A review of 542 studies identified 8 eligible studies, with 273 MCSGs included in the meta-analysis. The pooled proportion for the detection rate of the MCSG was 50.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 34.5 - 66.4%). Considerable heterogeneity among the studies was observed (I² = 94.9%). In the sensitivity analysis, when excluding one study, heterogeneity was reduced with a recalculated pooled proportion of 44.2% (95% CI, 32.1 - 56.2%; I² = 86.0%). The location of the MCSG is usually posterior to the carotid sheath and anterior to the longus colli muscle at the level of the C3 - C7 vertebrae. There was a variant where the cervical sympathetic trunk was located at the posterior wall of the carotid sheath and was adherent to the sheath. The size of the MCSG is as follows: the width, length, and height ranges were 3.8 - 6.3 mm, 6.3 - 10.5 mm, and 1.7 - 2.1 mm, respectively. A specific type of MCSG, referred to as the "double middle cervical ganglion", consisting of 2 ganglia, was demonstrated in 3 studies with a detection rate of 2.9 - 10%. This meta-analysis included a relatively small number of studies. Significant heterogeneity was also present in the detection rate of MCSG in these studies. There was a lack of concentrated information about the MCSG, because the majority of the included studies focused on the entire cervical sympathetic chain, not only MCSG primarily. Improving complication rates might be limited due to the approximate 50% detection rate. Understanding the characteristics and variations of the MCSG could minimize complications and maximize efficacy during surgery and US-guided procedures. Middle cervical sympathetic ganglion, cervical sympathetic trunk, cervical sympathetic chain, ultrasound, nerve block, ethanol ablation, radiofrequency ablation, thyroid, Horner syndrome, meta-analysis.

A group decision making model based on an inconsistency index of interval multiplicative reciprocal matrices

In order to cope with uncertainty experienced by decision makers, interval multiplicative reciprocal matrices are used to express judgments in the framework of the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP). When considering the logical consistency of the judgments, it is important to study the consistency of interval multiplicative reciprocal matrices developed in the AHP. In this study, an inconsistency index is proposed to quantify the inconsistency degree of interval multiplicative reciprocal matrices. The concept of the approximate consistency is extended to study group decision making problems with interval multiplicative reciprocal matrices. A new aggregation operator is formed to combine individual matrices. By considering permutations of alternatives, the properties of the collective interval multiplicative reciprocal matrix are studied in detail. Numerical results are reported to show the applications of the proposed indexes to group decision making. The advantages of the proposed group decision making model together with the inconsistency indexes are involved of handling the uncertainty factor, the permutations of alternatives and the reciprocity exhibited in interval multiplicative reciprocal matrices.

Double Hierarchy Hesitant Fuzzy Linguistic Mathematical Programming Method for MAGDM Based on Shapley Values and Incomplete Preference Information

This paper investigates a double-hierarchy hesitant fuzzy linguistic mathematical programming method to multiple attribute group decision making (MAGDM) problems, where the assessment values of alternatives and the truth degrees of pairwise comparisons between alternatives are denoted by double-hierarchy hesitant fuzzy linguistic elements (DHHFLEs) and the inter-dependent or interactive characteristics among attributes and the incomplete preference information are taken into account. First, based on the distance measure between DHHFLEs, the double-hierarchy hesitant fuzzy linguistic positive ideal group consistency index (DHHFLPIGCI), double-hierarchy hesitant fuzzy linguistic positive ideal group inconsistency index (DHHFLPIGII), double-hierarchy hesitant fuzzy linguistic negative ideal group consistency index (DHHFLNIGCI), and double-hierarchy hesitant fuzzy linguistic negative ideal group inconsistency index (DHHFLNIGII) are defined, respectively. Then, to determine the positive ideal solution (PIS), negative ideal solution (NIS), and Shapley values of attributes simultaneously, a four-objective double-hierarchy hesitant fuzzy linguistic mathematical programming model is constructed by minimizing the DHHFLPIGII and DHHFLNIGII as well as maximizing the DHHFLPIGCI and DHHFLNIGCI. Subsequently, the relative closeness degrees (RCDs) of all feasible alternatives for each decision maker (DM) are obtained and the individual ranking order of alternatives for each DM is derived according to the descending order of RCDs, and thus a single-objective assignment model is established to generate the group ranking order of alternatives. Finally, a numerical example is given to illustrate the application of the proposed method and its effectiveness is demonstrated by comparison analysis.

Utility of the Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scale validity scales in identifying simulated attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and random responding.

Recent concern about malingered self-report of symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in college students has resulted in an urgent need for scales that can detect feigning of this disorder. The present study provided further validation data for a recently developed validity scale for the Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scale (CAARS), the CAARS Infrequency Index (CII), as well as for the Inconsistency Index (INC). The sample included 139 undergraduate students: 21 individuals with diagnoses of ADHD, 29 individuals responding honestly, 54 individuals responding randomly (full or half), and 35 individuals instructed to feign. Overall, the INC showed moderate sensitivity to random responding (.44-.63) and fairly high specificity to ADHD (.86-.91). The CII demonstrated modest sensitivity to feigning (.31-.46) and excellent specificity to ADHD (.91-.95). Sequential application of validity scales had correct classification rates of honest (93.1%), ADHD (81.0%), feigning (57.1%), half random (42.3%), and full random (92.9%). The present study suggests that the CII is modestly sensitive (true positive rate) to feigned ADHD symptoms, and highly specific (true negative rate) to ADHD. Additionally, this study highlights the utility of applying the CAARS validity scales in a sequential manner for identifying feigning. (PsycINFO Database Record