Test Self Research Articles

Old Wine in New Bottles? The Case of Self–Compassion and Neuroticism

Research on self–compassion, which is defined as being understanding and kind to oneself when confronted with negative experiences, has produced an impressive number of articles in recent years. This research shows that individual differences in self–compassion, as measured by the Self–Compassion Scale (SCS), are positively related to life satisfaction, health and social functioning. However, a critical and systematic test of self–compassion from a personality perspective has not yet conducted so far. In the present study ( N = 576), we (i) tested the factor structure of the SCS, (ii) examined the distinctiveness of self–compassion with regard to the five–factor model of personality, focusing on neuroticism, and (iii) tested the incremental predictive power of self–compassion beyond the five–factor model in the context of life satisfaction. Confirmatory factor analyses supported a two–factor plus six facets solution of self–compassion (a positive factor and a negative factor). Additional analyses revealed that the negative factor was redundant with facets of neuroticism ( rs ≥ .85), whereas the positive factor had some unique variance left. However, neither the negative factor nor the positive factor could explain substantial incremental variance in life satisfaction beyond neuroticism. Recommendations for how to use the SCS are provided, and the future of research on self–compassion is discussed. Copyright © 2017 European Association of Personality Psychology

Inquérito domiciliar de distúrbios fonoaudiológicos autodeclarados: desenho e protocolo de pesquisa

RESUMO Objetivo: Apresentar as ferramentas metodológicas e de investigação de um inquérito domiciliar de distúrbios fonoaudiológicos autodeclarados, implementado no sul do Brasil. Métodos: Para a condução do estudo foi realizada uma longa etapa de planejamento e de atividades piloto, que incluíram seleção e treinamento de equipe de campo, elaboração, teste e reteste de instrumento de aferição de distúrbios fonoaudiológicos autodeclarados. Técnicas de abordagem e preenchimento dos questionários também foram testadas e aplicadas, em razão da dimensão do estudo. Resultados: O tempo médio de entrevista variou de 15 a 35 minutos, dependendo da experiência dos entrevistadores e diminuiu para ambos os grupos, depois de algum tempo de trabalho de campo. A ocorrência de “não sabe ou não respondeu” variou de 0,2% (IC 95% 0,0;1,6) a 6,1% (IC 95% 2,8;11,3), foi menor para as questões relativas à história de rouquidão e zumbido respondida por substitutos e maior para a questão relacionada à percepção de alteração na emissão vocal associada ao envelhecimento. Conclusão: Inquérito domiciliar é um método viável e relevante para verificar a carga dos distúrbios fonoaudiológicos na população em geral, embora seja necessário contar com amplo conhecimento dos aspectos relacionados a essa metodologia de estudo, bem como de elementos importantes para a seleção e formação contínua dos entrevistadores, a fim de aumentar a participação da população investigada.

Cognitive training approaches to remediate attention and executive dysfunction after traumatic brain injury: A single-case series

Attentional deficits are common following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and interfere with daily functioning. This study employed a single-case design to examine the effects of individualised strategy training on attention beyond the effects of computerised training using Attention Process Training 3 (APT-3), and to examine the participants’ subjective experience of these approaches. An ABCA (baseline, APT-3, strategy training, follow-up) design was repeated across three participants with severe TBI. Outcomes were measured on alternate versions of the oral Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) and cancellation tasks; generalisation with the Test of Everyday Attention (TEA) and self and significant other (SO) ratings on the Rating Scale of Attentional Behaviour (RSAB); and participant experiences with semi-structured interviews. Planned Tau-U analyses revealed improvements in speed of processing on the SDMT and the automatic condition of the cancellation task after APT-3 and at follow-up, but with most improvement after strategy training. Limited generalisation was evident on TEA subtests and self-RSAB ratings. SO-RSAB ratings were mixed after APT-3, but demonstrated improvement after strategy training. Variability in attentional deficits and everyday attentional requirements between patients required individualised goals and approaches to rehabilitation. This study highlights the need for individualised rehabilitation of attention to improve everyday functioning after TBI.

低予算映画における照明の重要性 : 自主制作短編映画の制作と自作照明機具の実験(コンテンツ(ポスター),映像表現・芸術科学フォーラム2015)

低予算映画における照明の重要性 : 自主制作短編映画の制作と自作照明機具の実験(コンテンツ(ポスター),映像表現・芸術科学フォーラム2015)

Testing of self-(in)compatibility in apricot cultivars from European breeding programmes

Self-(in)compatibility was tested in 40 new apricot cultivars from European breeding programmes. Pollen-tube growth in pistils from laboratory pollinations was analysed using the fluorescence microscopy. Cultivars were considered self-compatible if at least one pollen tube reached the ovary in the majority of pistils. Cultivars were considered self- incompatible if the growth of pollen tubes in the style stopped along with formation of characteristic swellings. Of the examined cultivars, 18 were self-compatible and 22 were self-incompatible. Fluorescence microscopy provides a relatively rapid and reliable method to determine self-incompatibility in apricot cultivars.      

Adjunctive testing for cervical cancer screening in low resource settings

Cervical cancer screening using cytology is expensive and requires repeat testing with loss to follow-up for triage. Adjunctive testing using two tests in a parallel or sequential combination can improve diagnostic accuracy, decrease costs and minimise referral rates. To evaluate the performance of visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA and cervical cytology in sequential and parallel combinations, to determine the optimum screening strategy. A total of 548 symptomatic women presenting to a gynaecology clinic were screened using conventional cytology; HPV testing of self- and physician-collected samples using HC2 assay; and VIA. All women underwent colposcopy with biopsy from all lesions as the reference standard. Test characteristics were calculated individually, and then applied jointly in parallel and sequential combinations. Biopsy-proven CIN2+ was present in 40 (7.8%) women. The sensitivity and specificity, respectively, of the various tests were as follows - VIA 82.5, 66.9%, Pap (≥ASCUS) 77.5, 86.8%, HPV-Physician (HPV(P)) 90.0, 91.5%, HPV-Self (HPV(S)) 80.0, 88.1%. Among the adjunctive testing scenarios, sequential testing performed better than parallel. VIA followed by HPV test had the highest specificity (90.4%) and diagnostic accuracy (90.5%), comparable to HPV-P followed by Pap. Sequential testing combination of VIA and HPV, followed by colposcopy and directed biopsy for diagnosis, combines economic viability with high scientific fidelity. The high specificity and negative predictive value reduce referral and treatment rates, as well as number of visits required for diagnosis. HPV (P) followed by reflex Pap is a suitable option for high resource situations with access to liquid-based cytology.

The perceived and predicted implications of psychiatric genetic knowledge among persons with multiple cases of depression in the family

Psychiatric genetic research raises hope regarding better treatment and prevention, but also regarding a possible de-stigmatizing effect of attributing mental illness to genetics. This study explores i) the impact on family relations of participating in a genetic study; ii) the impact of biogenetic attributions on perceptions of depression and stigma and iii) the perceived benefits and concerns regarding psychiatric genetic testing. Focus groups were conducted with 17 participants suffering from depression, with multiple cases of depression in the family, and previously participating in a genetic study. Participating in a genetic study caused more openness about depression in most families. A biogenetic explanation of depression was perceived as having the potential of diminishing self stigma. Testing of self and children was widely accepted, whereas prenatal testing raised concern. Persons suffering from depression may benefit from endorsing a biogenetic explanation, especially in relation to self-understanding and self-stigma.

“The risk of age”? Early detection test, prostate cancer and practices of self

Drawing on Rose and Novas’s concept of “biological citizenship” and Michel Foucault's "practices of self", this paper reflects on how men become agents of their own therapeutic regimens, and yet internalise messages of risk and practices of self within early detection of prostate cancer discourses in the late 20th century. In doing so, it traces the ways in which concepts of age, gender and risk converge at the problematic site of prostate cancer and preventative health strategies, both of the state and the medical profession. Analysing how insecurities have simultaneously resulted in over-promoting and over-diagnosing risk, thereby blurring the lines between normal and pathological states of health and aging, the paper finishes with a critical discussion on how men have adopted self-surveying and attuned themselves to risk discourses. Suggestions are made for future research on comparative gender studies on embodied concepts of self and cancer screening and the relation between differential aging, risk management and the concept of the body.

Knowing me, knowing you: The accuracy and unique predictive validity of self-ratings and other-ratings of daily behavior.

Many people assume that they know themselves better than anyone else knows them. Recent research on inaccuracies in self-perception, however, suggests that self-knowledge may be more limited than people typically assume. In this article, the authors examine the possibility that people may know a person as well as (or better than) that person knows himself or herself. In Study 1, the authors document the strength of laypeople's beliefs that the self is the best expert. In Study 2, the authors provide a direct test of self- and other-accuracy using an objective and representative behavioral criterion. To do this, the authors compared self- and other-ratings of daily behavior to real-life measures of act frequencies assessed unobtrusively over 4 days. Our results show that close others are as accurate as the self in predicting daily behavior. Furthermore, accuracy varies across behaviors for both the self and for others, and the two perspectives often independently predict behavior. These findings suggest that there is no single perspective from which a person is known best and that both the self and others possess unique insight into how a person typically behaves.

Computational and experimental test of self starting regimes for the in-house needs of the PGU-450 steam-gas unit at the Kaliningrad TÉTs-2 Heating and Power Plant during supply disruptions

The major stages of a computational test of the self starting regimes for the in-house needs of unit No. 1 of the 450 MW steam-gas unit at the Kaliningrad TETs-2 Heating and Electric Power Plant during supply disruptions are described. The results of an experimental test of five regimes are described and compared with the computational data. The results are analyzed. Recommendations are made for changes in the automatic reserve switching algorithms for the 6-kV sections, which, when realized, will ensure easier self startup for the mechanisms providing for in-house needs during supply disruptions.

Psychiatric genetic testing: Attitudes and intentions among future users and providers

Psychiatric genetic research may eventually render possible psychiatric genetic testing. Whereas all genetic knowledge has certain characteristics raising ethical, legal, and social issues, psychiatric genetic knowledge adds more controversial issues. Ethical principles have been proposed as a guide in this field, but the optimal utilization of genetic testing has also been recognized to depend on knowledge of the potential consumers' attitudes. To provide knowledge to inform the public debate on mental illness and genetics, and the future conducting of psychiatric genetic testing and counseling, we surveyed attitudes toward psychiatric genetic testing among 397 patients with a psychiatric diagnosis, 164 of their relatives and 100 medical and psychology students. The results showed widespread interest in psychiatric genetic testing of self and child, but less support for prenatal testing. Psychiatric and somatic genetic testing attracted the same amounts of accept. General attitudes toward access to psychiatric genetic testing and information revealed substantial support for bioethical principles of autonomy and privacy. However, questions describing more specific situations revealed contradictions mirroring the bioethical dilemmas recognized in the field and variations in attitudes between groups with different levels of knowledge of genetics, different kinds of experience with mental illness, and different motives and preconceptions regarding psychiatric genetics. The contradictions and differences in attitudes among possible future users and providers of psychiatric genetic testing and counseling indicate ambivalence, insecurity, and perceived lack of knowledge in relation to psychiatric genetics. These results should inform further research and the future integration of psychiatric genetics into practice.

The Self Test: a screening tool for dementia requiring minimal supervision

The main purpose of this study was to correlate a newly developed, simple, but comprehensive screening test for dementia called the Self Test (ST) with the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE), and establish the reliability and validity of the ST. The ST was administered to 42 consecutive new referrals to the memory clinic at the Cole Neuroscience Center, University of Tennessee Medical Center (UTMC), Knoxville, TN, U.S.A. and 41 age-matched control subjects at regular intervals over a 12-month period. The total ST scores correlated well with cognitive severity as measured by the MMSE (r = 0.71, p < 0.01). The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUROCC) in the group of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) with less than a high school education was 0.80, and 0.89 in those with at least a high school education. Reliability analysis showed a mean inter-item correlation of 0.31 for patients with AD, and 0.47 for normal participants. Cronbach's alpha was calculated to be 0.70 for the AD group. Test-retest reliability was determined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC = 0.93, p < 0.01). The ST is an internally consistent, reliable and valid screening test for cognitive impairment in persons exhibiting early symptoms of dementia. In addition, the ST requires minimal nonprofessional supervision and may be administered by an untrained person.

Getting Errors to Catch Themselves—Self-Testing of VLSI Circuits With Built-In Hardware

As the electronics industry continues to grow, technology feature sizes continue to decrease, and complex systems and levels of integration continue to increase, the need for better and more effective methods of testing to ensure reliable operations of chips, the mainstay of today's all digital systems, is being increasingly felt. One obvious way to significantly improve the testability of digital VLSI circuits and save testing time is to use built-in self-testing (BIST), where the basic idea is to have the chip test itself. BIST is a design methodology that combines the concepts of built-in test (BIT) and self-test (ST) in one, termed BIST. This technique generates test patterns and evaluates test responses inside the chip system, and has been widely used in many commercial VLSI products with appreciable success. The subject paper endeavors to present a comprehensive overview of the general methodology of BIST from its various perspectives, and in the sequel attempts to relate its significance in the particular context of modern embedded cores-based system-on-chip (SOC) technology.

Application of quality systems to virology testing.

1 d arily on the testing of the finished product as a means to etect products that had performance that fell outside of set pecifications. This early approach has since been replaced y more modern, and more effective, techniques, which are ased on quality assurance and quality system management in ddition to quality control procedures. These modern techiques emphasize the need for continuously improving the uality and consistency of IVD products at all phases of roduction (as well as during the design and development hases). The Quality Policy of Bayer HealthCare, Diagnostics Diision has been established to meet customers’ expectations n designing, producing and delivering IVD products and ervices. To assure the fulfillment of the Quality Policy a uality System has been put in place that meets the requirethan 34,000 employees work for Bayer HealthCare. The Diagnostics Division, with activities in more than 100 countries and sales in 2002 of EUR 2.04 billion, is one of the world’s market leaders in diagnostic systems for critical care analysis, diabetes, hematology, urine chemistry, immunology, clinical chemistry and nucleic acid analysis. The Diagnostics Division is composed of four different business segments that address the needs of three separate customer segments. The four business segments are laboratory testing (LTS), nucleic acid diagnostics (NAD), near patient testing (NPT) and self-testing (STS). LTS, with its corporate headquarter offices in Tarrytown, NY (USA), has manufacturing plants in Dublin (Ireland) and Walpole, MA (USA). LTS is involved in the development, manufacture and marketing of a portfolio of innovative and cost-effective autoents of the United State’s Food and Drug Administration’s FDA, 1996) Quality System Regulation (FDA, 1996) as ell as that of the international quality standards ISO 9001 International Standard ISO, 9001, 2000), EN 46001 (CEN mated systems for diagnostic laboratories. These systems, branded as the ADVIA® line, address the needs in the fields of hematology, immunodiagnostics, clinical chemistry and laboratory automation. Diseases such as cancer and disorders o t i

Acceptability of HPV self-testing in adolescents

Testing for high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is playing an increasingly important role in cervical cancer screening programs and research studies. If self-testing (ST) for HPV is acceptable to adolescents, offering it as an option may increase adherence to clinical recommendations and research protocols in those who prefer ST to clinician-testing (CT). The objectives of this study were to assess the performance of a scale designed to measure acceptability of HPV ST in adolescents, compare acceptability of ST to CT, and identify factors associated with acceptability.

Testing of Self- Evaluation for Nursing Practice in Introductive Education Program before Clinical Nursing Practice

Testing of Self- Evaluation for Nursing Practice in Introductive Education Program before Clinical Nursing Practice

Lquid-based cytologic screening compared with HPV testing to detect cervical cancer

Objective To evaluate the capacity of Thin Prep and HPV in testing of vaginal samples.Methods Women were instructed to collect a vaginal sample for HPV testing, then exfoliative cervical samples and subsequent colposcopic biopsies were taken on all subjects.Cervical samples were collected into a liquid buffer and utilized for both cytologic screening using ThinPrep and HPV testing of residual liquid\|based cytologic samples. All the tests were performed in an independent and blinded fashion.Results HSIL(CIN2/3) and SCC were identified in 86(4.3%) of 1997 women. There were nosignificant difference for the sensitivity between ThinPrep cytology and HPV testing of either self\|collected vaginal samples or residual liquid\|based cytologic samples ( P 0.05). The specificity of ThinPrep cytology was significant greater than the specificity of HPV testing of either self\|collected vaginal samples or residual liquid\|based cytologic samples( P 0.01).There were good concordance among these three groups.Conclusion ThinPrep cytology and HPV testing are the good methods for screening cervical carcinoma.

Gender dominance in the work setting: Implications for dietitians

Gender dominance in the work setting: Implications for dietitians

Reduced‐gate design of totally self‐checking checkers for unordered codes

AbstractSelf‐checking logic has been proposed as a means of highly efficient fault‐detection in a logical circuit. As the checking circuit (checker), the design of a totally self‐checking checker (TSCC) has been investigated for various kinds of codes. The author has considered the unordered codes which include M‐out‐of‐N codes and Berger codes, and proposed a design method by the transformation, from the logical function with code‐disjoint (CD) derived based on the property of the unordered codes, to the logical function with self‐testing (ST) based on the design conditions of the entire codewords. This paper is based on the above transformation of a logical function, and presents a design method for the unordered codes TSCC with a reduced number of gates. In the proposed method, the absorption law for the logical function is applied to eliminate the redundant terms in the logical function with CD, and the function is transformed into the logical function with ST, utilizing a new condition defined for the codeword sets obtained by bi‐partitioning the code. It is shown that by this method, the number of gates is reduced in correspondence to the small strictness of the condition for ST. By extending the method, the number of gate levels is also reduced, leading to the design of 2‐ and 3‐level TSCC, which is conjectured as the minimum possible number of levels structure.

Circumscription of Space and the Form of Poe's Arthur Gordon Pym

Circumscription of space is a fundamental and necessary feature of Poe's fictional universe of negative possibility. That his characters are almost always narrowly circumscribed suggests their severely limited prospects and interests. Diminished space also represents withdrawal into self, and Poe's centers of diminished space often contain symbols of that destructive core of the inner self which continually threatens the moral and rational being of the Poe protagonist. In undertaking The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym, Poe was committing himself uncharacteristically not only to the representation of movement in space but also to an objective mode of development, outward and ongoing testing and discovery of self in the infinite possibilities of space. The curious form of Arthur Gordon Pym is the result not so much of careless incompetence (as recent scholarship has suggested) as of a fundamental conflict between psychological inclination and the formal requirements of an unfamiliar genre. But this work is of special interest, since Arthur Gordon Pym is a first effort in an important line of experimentation in American fiction, the transformation of an undistinguished form, the sea narrative, into a vehicle of major literature.