Variance In Scores Research Articles

Parent language proficiency is a source of variance in CDI scores for bilingual children

Parent language proficiency is a source of variance in CDI scores for bilingual children

Why summing up bibliometric indicators does not justify a composite indicator

AbstractVarious bibliometric indicators have been used to assess the researchers’ impact, but composites of such indicators, namely a metric that combines various individual indicators to describe a complex construct, have received a strong critique thus far. We employ concepts from psychometrics to revisit a composite proposed by Ioannidis et al. (2020) that aimed to represent researcher impact. Based on a selected sample of highly cited researchers, our proof-of-concept study presents a psychometrically principled composite formation. Specifically, by relying on the congeneric measurement model (and related models) rooted in classical test theory, we found that one of the proposed indicators clearly violated the congeneric model’s fundamental assumption of unidimensionality, and two other indicators were excluded for redundancy. The resulting composite based on only three bibliometric indicators was found to display excellent reliability. Importantly, the reliability approached that of the composite based on five indicators, and it was clearly better than the original six-indicator composite. Further, we found rather homogeneous effective weights (i.e., relative contributions of each indicator to composite variance) for simple sum scores, and these weights were close to those calculated using an algorithm for equally effective weights. While the congeneric measurement model also showed strong measurement invariance across sexes, this model’s loadings and intercepts were not measurement invariant across scientific fields and academic age groups. Notably, we found that various derived composites correlate positively with academic age, hinting at a lack of fairness of the composites.

Developing Linguistic Constructs of Text Readability Using Natural Language Processing

ABSTRACT Purpose Understanding what makes a text difficult to read is an important element of literacy instruction, materials development, and research into text readability. Readability formulas are often used to quantify text readability. However, readability formulas often focus on a relatively limited number of text features that inform the reading process and/or use single features to measure complex language constructs under the presumption that related features do not interact with one another. As a result, the formulas can be difficult to interpret by practitioners. Method A principal component analysis was used to combine text features from advanced natural language processing tools into theoretically-inspired language constructs related to text comprehension. Result Results indicate that text features aggregated into seven components related to informational text, syntactic constructions, noun phrase complexity, lexical ease, function word ease, narrativity, and lexical variety. These components predicted 44% of the variance in readability scores reported in a large readability corpus. Conclusion The results provide evidence that individual linguistic features related to text readability can be combined into reading components that are strong predictors of text comprehension. Practically, these components should be more easily interpretable allowing for more actionable feedback and use by practitioners.

Factors Associated with Impact of Event Scores Among Ontario Education Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

There is limited information regarding factors related to education workers’ responses to traumatic stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study goal was to determine whether personal factors, behaviours that mitigate viral spread, and work-related factors were associated with post-traumatic symptoms. This observational study, embedded within a cohort study, recruited Ontario education workers from February 2021 to June 2023. Exposure data were collected at enrollment and updated annually. Participants completed the Impact of Event Scale (IES) at withdrawal/study completion. Modified Poisson regression was used to build hierarchical models of dichotomized IES scores (≥26: moderate/severe post-traumatic symptoms). Of the 1518 education workers who submitted an IES between September 2022 and December 2023, the incidence rate ratio of IES scores ≥26 was significantly higher among participants who usually/always wore a mask at work (1.48; 95% confidence interval 1.23, 1.79), usually/always practiced physical distancing (1.31; 1.06, 1.62), lived in larger households (1.06; 1.01, 1.12), and reported poor/fair/good health (1.27; 1.11, 1.46). However, models accounted for little of the variance in IES scores, suggesting the need for future studies to collect data on other factors associated with the development of PTSD, such as pre-existing mental health challenges. Early identification of those experiencing traumatic stress and the implementation of stress reduction strategies are needed to ensure the ongoing health of education workers.

Investigating postural control as a predictor of low back and pelvic girdle pain during and after pregnancy

BackgroundFalls are common during pregnancy, posing risks to maternal and fetal health. Pregnant individuals also commonly experience low back and/or pelvic girdle pain. Other populations with pain, such as older adults with back pain demonstrate increased fall risk. This study assessed the relationship between standing balance control characteristics during single leg stance and low back/pelvic girdle pain scores during and after pregnancy with eyes open and closed. We hypothesized that standing balance control characteristics of smaller sway and sway velocity would be related to greater low back/pelvic girdle pain during the third trimester. MethodsDuring the second trimester, third trimester, and postpartum nineteen individuals performed single leg stance on a force platform with eyes open and closed and completed the Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale. Stepwise multiple linear regressions were used to investigate the variance of Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale scores that could be explained by postural control variables for each time point and condition. FindingsDuring the third trimester, decreased total sway and anterior/posterior sway range with eyes closed were significantly associated with higher low back/pelvic girdle pain disability scores (P = 0.005, R2 = 0.480). No significant relationships were found during the second trimester or postpartum nor for eyes open conditions. InterpretationThis study suggests a potential association between low back/pelvic girdle pain and postural control during pregnancy. Pregnant individuals with lumbopelvic pain may demonstrate postural stability deficits, particularly without visual input. Balance assessments and interventions should be considered during routine care for pregnant individuals, especially for those with pain.

Alcohol Misuse and Correlates with Mental Health Indicators among Firefighters

Background: Stress and repetitive exposures to potentially traumatizing events are inherent to first-responder professions. Firefighters and other crisis responders are often exposed to incidents in their work environments and are at risk of developing acute or posttraumatic symptomatology, depression, and anxiety, as well as harmful patterns of alcohol consumption. Most prior research and theory suggests that many firefighters use alcohol to cope with past and current stressors, and that increased drinking accompanies ongoing exposures to stressful occupational hazards. Objectives: The primary aim of this research was to examine alcohol consumption and mental health variables associated in the literature with alcohol misuse. Participants included 546 predominantly male career firefighters in the U.S. Using a cross-sectional design, we examined alcohol misuse in the context of self-reported depression, generalized anxiety, PTSD, and suicidal ideation using previously validated measures. Results: Based on the AUDIT’s recommended cut score of 8, 38.8% of our sample reported drinking at hazardous levels. Hazardous alcohol use was also significantly associated with several mental health indicators with correlations ranging from .28 to .34. Regression analyses revealed that over 14% of the variance in AUDIT scores could be explained by psychological symptom measures, and 29% of the variance in suicide risk was explained by a model using both alcohol and mental health measures. Conclusions: Findings suggest that psychological distress is associated with hazardous drinking, and that more consistent screening and referral for these issues, as well as multi-level interventions, are needed to effectively address these behavioral health concerns among firefighters.

The Relationship Between Nursing Students' Perceptions of Individualized Care and Quality of Care: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

This study aims to evaluate nursing students' perceptions of individualized care and quality of care and examine the relationship between them. The population of this descriptive, cross-sectional study consisted of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-year students (n=416) who were enrolled in the nursing department of a state university. The sample consisted of 275 nursing students. Data were collected online between April and May 2022 using the "Student Information Form", “Individualized Care Scale- Nurse (ICS-A Nurse)” and “Caring Behaviors Inventory-24 (CBI-24)”. Data was analyzed using the Independent samples t-tests, ANOVA, correlation analysis, and regression analysis. The CBI-24 and ICS-A total mean scores were 5.01±0.58 and 4.12±0.53, respectively. The most commonly perceived barrier to providing individualized care was “communication problems”. The ICS-A was found to explain approximately 42.6% of the variance in students' CBI-24 mean score (p

Validity and Reliability Testing of the Turkish Version of the Self-Acceptance Scale for Pregnant Women

Objective: This study was conducted to adapt the Self-Acceptance Scale for Pregnant Women (SAS-PW), which was developed in Brazil, to Turkish and test the psychometric properties of its Turkish version. Method: This methodological study was carried out with 576 pregnant women who presented to the pregnancy outpatient clinics of a Research and Training Hospital in northern Turkey between December 2021 and April 2022. The validity of the Turkish version of SAS-PW was tested by conducting linguistic, content, and construct validity analyses, while its reliability was tested by conducting internal consistency and test-retest analyses. Results: According to the results of the exploratory factor analysis, the factor load values of the items and the rates of the total variance in scale scores explained by the factors were sufficient. The confirmatory factor analysis results demonstrated that the goodness-of-fit indices of the scale were within suitable ranges. The 2-factor and 10-item construct of the original SAS-PW was confirmed based on the factor analyses. The item-total score correlations of the scale were found sufficient, and the total Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of SAS-PW was determined to be 0.933. The test-retest analysis of the scale scores revealed a strong correlation between the scores of the two implementations. Conclusions: The Turkish version of SAS-PW is a valid and reliable measurement instrument to evaluate the self-acceptance levels of pregnant women in Turkish society.

The efficacy of a food supplement in the treatment of tinnitus with comorbid headache: A Statistical and Machine Learning analysis with a literature review.

Introduction Tinnitus, the perception of sound without an external auditory stimulus, affects approximately 10% to 15% of the population and is often associated with significant comorbidities such as headaches. These conditions can severely impact the quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a food supplement in reducing the symptoms of both tinnitus and headache in patients experiencing these conditions concurrently. Methods This prospective study included 32 patients (21 males and 11 females) aged between 23 and 68 years (mean age 49.38 years) who were experiencing both tinnitus and headache. The study assessed the impact of a food supplement on tinnitus and headache over a 90-day treatment period using three main instruments: the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), the Headache Impact Test (HIT-6), and a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for discomfort. Statistical analyses, including paired t-tests, were conducted to compare pre- and post-treatment scores. In the same dataset, Ridge Regression, a linear regression model with L2 regularization, was used to predict post-treatment scores (THI90, HIT90, VAS90). Results The results indicated a statistically significant reduction in all three measures after 90 days of treatment. The mean THI score decreased from 29.81 to 27.06 (p = 0.011), the mean HIT-6 score decreased from 50.41 to 48.75 (p = 0.019), and the mean VAS score for discomfort decreased from 7.63 to 7.13 (p = 0.033). The optimal Ridge Regression model was found with an `alpha` value of approximately 3.73. The performance metrics on the test set were as follows: Mean Squared Error (MSE) of 13.91 and an R-squared score of 0.61, indicating that the model explains approximately 61% of the variance in the post-treatment scores. These results indicate that pre-treatment scores are significant predictors of post-treatment outcomes, and gender plays a notable role in predicting HIT and VAS scores post-treatment. Conclusion This study demonstrates that a food supplement is effective in reducing the symptoms of tinnitus and headache in patients suffering from both conditions. The significant improvements in THI, HIT-6, and VAS scores indicate a positive impact on patient quality of life. Further research with larger sample sizes and more detailed subgroup analyses is recommended to fully understand the differential impacts of treatment across various demographics.

Determinants of nursing students’ satisfaction with blended learning

BackgroundBlended learning, a pedagogical approach combining traditional classroom instruction with online components, has gained prominence in nursing education. While offering numerous benefits, student satisfaction with blended learning remains a critical concern. This study contributes to the existing literature by providing a comprehensive evaluation of the determinants influencing nursing students’ satisfaction with this innovative educational modality. By examining a wide range of factors, including sociodemographic characteristics, academic factors, and environmental influences, this research offers valuable insights for educators to optimize blended learning experiences in nursing education.MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional research design was conducted. This study investigates the factors influencing nursing students’ satisfaction with blended learning at Alexandria University, Egypt, where blended learning programs have been integrated into the curriculum primarily through the Microsoft Teams platform. A convenient sample of 1266 nursing students from both bachelor and technical educational institutions participated in the study from September 2023 to the end of December 2023. Data were collected using an online survey containing two measurement tools: the Blended Learning Satisfaction Scale and the Environmental Facilitators and Barriers to Student Persistence in Online Courses scale. Statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics and backward multiple linear regression, were conducted to identify factors that are associated with the satisfaction of nursing students’ with blended learning.ResultsFindings indicate that factors such as age, gender, income, employment status, access to suitable internet sources, academic year, computer literacy, preferred learning method, and perceptions of environmental facilitators significantly influence satisfaction scores (all p < 0.001). The overall regression model, with an adjusted R² of 0.31, signifies that 31% of the variance in satisfaction scores is explained collectively by the previously mentioned variables (F = 21.21, p < 0.001).ConclusionStudents’ sociodemographic variables, preference for blended learning, and perception of environmental facilitators such as encouragement to enroll in the course significantly influence nursing students’ satisfaction levels with blended learning. However, limitations in the current study such as self-report bias, convenient sampling, and cross-sectional design limit the generalizability and causal inferences of these findings.

Bridging big data in the ENIGMA consortium to combine non-equivalent cognitive measures

Investigators in neuroscience have turned to Big Data to address replication and reliability issues by increasing sample size. These efforts unveil new questions about how to integrate data across distinct sources and instruments. The goal of this study was to link scores across common auditory verbal learning tasks (AVLTs). This international secondary analysis aggregated multisite raw data for AVLTs across 53 studies totaling 10,505 individuals. Using the ComBat-GAM algorithm, we isolated and removed the component of memory scores associated with site effects while preserving instrumental effects. After adjustment, a continuous item response theory model used multiple memory items of varying difficulty to estimate each individual’s latent verbal learning ability on a single scale. Equivalent raw scores across AVLTs were then found by linking individuals through the ability scale. Harmonization reduced total cross-site score variance by 37% while preserving meaningful memory effects. Age had the largest impact on scores overall (− 11.4%), while race/ethnicity variable was not significant (p > 0.05). The resulting tools were validated on dually administered tests. The conversion tool is available online so researchers and clinicians can convert memory scores across instruments. This work demonstrates that global harmonization initiatives can address reproducibility challenges across the behavioral sciences.

Burnout among Nurses, Midwives, and Physicians in Maternity Care Exposed to Traumatic Childbirth Events

Abstract Purpose: To describe the relationship between experiencing traumatic childbirth events and burnout. Study Designs and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study used an anonymous online survey to assess traumatic childbirth event exposure and the three independent constructs of burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Participants were a convenience sample of registered nurses, obstetric residents, family medicine residents, and attending obstetricians across five hospitals from December 2020 through June 2021. The traumatic childbirth event questionnaire measured the frequency of traumatic childbirth event exposure, perception of severity, and perceived influence on the participant's professional practice and personal life. Results: Data were analyzed from 150 participants. Registered nurses represented the largest percentage of participants (66%). Components of burnout varied according to race and occupation. Asian/Pacific Islanders had significantly higher mean depersonalization scores at 10.1 (SD = 6.0). Resident physicians had the highest emotional exhaustion scores (M = 34.6, SD = 8.8). Traumatic childbirth events perceived influence on practice correlates with personal accomplishments. Yet, no relationship was observed between traumatic childbirth events, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization. Linear mixed analysis revealed that hospitals account for 7.5% of the variance in emotional exhaustion scores, 11.1% in depersonalization scores, and 1.3% in personal accomplishments scores. Clinical Implications: Maternity clinicians experience burnout at similar rates to those in other specialties. Although traumatic childbirth events are infrequent and not strongly correlated with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, hospitals should implement effective strategies to support clinicians after such events. Educational interventions can enhance knowledge and resilience, whereas specialized training effectively alleviates burnout. Development of evidence-based strategies that prioritize the wellbeing of clinicians and patients is crucial.

Plant-Based Dietary Protein Is Associated with Lower Metabolic Syndrome Risk in Division III Female Athletes: A Pilot Study

Background: College athletes are often overlooked for metabolic syndrome (MetS), as their increased physical activity is assumed to reduce their disease risk. However, energy or macronutrient imbalance has been shown to increase risk independent of activity. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the current dietary habits of Division III female athletes and determine their associations with body composition and MetS. Secondly, we sought to determine whether dietary intake and dietary protein source (i.e., animal- and plant-based, ABP and PBP) and quality were associated with MetS, as estimated by the Simple Method for Quantifying Metabolic Syndrome (siMS) score and the siMS risk score, and whether protein pacing was associated with body composition in Division III female athletes. Methods: Stepwise linear regression determined whether age (years), body mass (kg), body mass index (BMI; kg/m2), ABP (g/d), PBP (g/d), ABP:PBP, ratio of high-quality to low-quality ABP (ABP QR), relative energy intake (kcal/kg/d), and relative protein, carbohydrate, and fat intake (g/kg/d) were predictors of siMS score and siMS risk score. Results: Twenty-five athletes (19.6 ± 1.3 years; 65.9 ± 7.0 kg; 23.5 ± 2.0 kg/m2; ABP 71.7 ± 28.2 g/d; PBP 30.0 ± 12.2 g/d) were included in the analyses. An inverse relationship was observed between PBP and the siMS score (F1, 22 = 5.498, p = 0.028) and siMS risk score (F1, 22 = 7.614, p = 0.011). The models explained 20% and 26% of the variance in siMS score and siMS risk score, respectively. Conclusions: PBP was associated with lower MetS risk in Division III female athletes, while ABP, regardless of quality, was unrelated. These associations were independent of physical activity in this cohort of Division III female athletes.

Resilience, Anger, and Insomnia in Nurses after the End of the Pandemic Crisis.

Nurses seem to be persistently experiencing intense psychological repercussions, even after the official conclusion of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this cross-sectional study conducted after the end of the pandemic crisis, from 1 June 2023 to 30 June 2023, we evaluated the levels and explored the associations between anger, insomnia, and resilience among Greek nurses. A total of 441 nurses participated in an online survey and were invited to state their work experience, gender, and age and to complete the self-report measures of the Dimensions of Anger Reactions-5 (DAR-5), the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). Overall, 62.1% of the participants presented with positive scores on the AIS, and 41.5% displayed positive values on the DAR-5 scale, whereas 24.9% demonstrated scores indicative of low resilience on the BRS. A regression analysis revealed that 23.5% of the variance in the AIS scores can be attributed to the DAR-5 scores and 3% to the BRS scores. A mediation analysis confirmed the protective role of resilience, contributing as a negative mediator in the DAR-5 and AIS relationship. Screening for insomnia symptoms and anger issues among nurses after the end of the pandemic and implementing appropriate interventions is considered imperative to avoid long-term health consequences.

The health action process approach to promote regular physical activity among people with disabilities: A hierarchical regression analysis.

People with disabilities continue to cope with high levels of stress, such as disability-related stress and sociopolitical stress. Helping people with disabilities engage in regular physical activity to improve health and reduce stress is more important than ever. This study evaluated demographic covariates, the health action process approach (HAPA) constructs (action self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, risk perception, intention/commitment, maintenance and recovery self-efficacy, and action and coping planning), and positive person-environment variables (autonomous motivation, resilience, hope, and social support) as motivators for regular physical activity in a sample of people with disabilities. People with disabilities participated in an online study (N = 266). Hierarchical regression analysis was used to determine the incremental variance in physical activity scores accounted for by variables in the regression model. Demographic covariates, HAPA constructs, and positive person-environment variables accounted for 38% of the total variance in physical activity scores (a large effect size). Low income was a risk factor that significantly and negatively associated with regular physical activity, while self-efficacy, action and coping planning, and social support were significantly and positively associated with reular physical activity after controlling for other variables. Autonomous motivation, resilience, and hope were significantly associated with regular physical activity at the zero-order correlation level, but not significant in the regression model. This study provides strong empirical support for the HAPA constructs, which can be used to inform the development of theory-driven and empirically supported physical activity interventions to improve health, stress management, and well-being of people with disabilities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The role of personality, empathy, and the perception of the instructor's caring on nursing students' burnout: A cross-sectional study

AimThe present study aimed to evaluate the contribution of personality, empathy, and the perception of instructor's caring in predicting burnout in nursing students. BackgroundBurnout is alarmingly prevalent and rising among nursing students. Furthering our understanding of individual and clinical environmental antecedents of burnout is crucial to shield nursing students' well-being during their training. MethodsIn a cross-sectional study design, the Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI), the Brief version of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (BIRI), the Nursing Students' Perception of Instructor Caring (NSPIC), and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) were administered to 361 (83.9 % females) Italian nursing students between July and December 2021. t-Tests, analyses of variance, Pearson's correlations, and hierarchical regressions were performed to examine the association of CBI with socio-demographics, TIPI, BIRI, and NSPIC. ResultsBeing female and having a low household income were predictors of Personal Burnout and Work-related Burnout. Personal Burnout was positively associated with TIPI-Neuroticism and BIRI-Personal Distress. Work-related Burnout was positively associated with BIRI-Personal Distress and NSPIC-Control, and negatively associated TIPI-Openness to Experience, NSPIC-Support, NSPIC-Confidence. Client-related Burnout was negatively associated with TIPI-Agreeableness, NSPIC-Support, NSPIC-Confidence. Beyond the effect of socio-demographics, TIPI, and BIRI, NSPIC subscales significantly contributed to the explained variance in CBI scores. ConclusionsSex, household income, personality, and empathy should be considered when designing interventions to decrease burnout in nursing students. Promoting caring relationships between clinical instructors and their pupils may contribute to reduce nursing students' burnout.

Predictive Role of Emotional Intelligence in Authenticity and Self-Disgust Levels of University Students

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationships between emotional intelligence, authenticity, and self-disgust levels of university students. 555 students, 440 females and 115 males that studying in various universities in Turkey in 2022 have participated to the study. The research model of this study is a type of quantitative research called relational survey model. Demographic Information Form, Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire–Short Form, Self-Disgust Scale-Revised and Authenticity Scale were used in the study for data collection processes. The results of the research state that emotional intelligence and authenticity levels of males were higher than females, while self-disgust did not show any difference between genders. When the variables were analyzed according to income status, the emotional intelligence level was higher in individuals with higher income, as self-disgust was higher in individuals with lower income. Authenticity level did not show any difference among income groups. When the relationships between variables were analyzed, a positive significant relationship was found between emotional intelligence and authenticity. Self-disgust was found to have a significant negative relationship with both emotional intelligence and authenticity. According to the multiple regression analyses, it was found that the subscales of emotional intelligence were significant predictors of authenticity. The subscales of emotional intelligence including well-being, self-discipline, emotionality, and sociability together explained 53% of the variance in authenticity scores. Lastly, the results indicates that the subscales of emotional intelligence were significant predictors of self-disgust. The subscales of emotional intelligence including well-being, self-discipline, emotionality, and sociability together explained 41% of the variance in self-disgust scores. According to the results obtained, it is recommended to take increasing emotional intelligence skills into account considering that it may be functional in increasing the authenticity and reducing the self-disgust of individuals in terms of psychological health.

Adaptation and Validation of School Burnout Inventory-Bangla and Its Predictive Factors Among Adolescents.

School burnout (SB) among adolescents is a growing concern, yet there has been limited research in Bangladesh. This study aims to address this gap by validating the School Burnout Inventory (SBI) in Bangla and investigating the predictive factors of SB among high-school-going adolescents in Bangladesh. The study employed a cross-sectional design, recruiting participants from various high schools across urban and rural areas. Data were collected through self-reported questionnaires, which included information related to demographics, COVID-19, school burnout, daytime sleepiness, insomnia, and depression. The SBI-Bangla demonstrated high reliability and validity. The mean score of SB was 20.26 (±7.84). Significant differences in SB levels were observed across different age groups, grades, locations, mother's education levels, smoking status, and self-reported COVID-19 infection status. Multiple linear regression identified age (B = 0.647, p = .010), location (B = -1.043, p = .034), depression (B = 0.270, p < .001), daytime sleepiness (B = 0.208, p < .001), and insomnia (B = 0.662, p < .001) as significant predictors of SB. The final model explained 12.3% of the variance in SB scores. Enhancing sleep hygiene and addressing psychological issues may help reduce academic burnout. This study provides valuable baseline data that can inform future research and policy formulation aimed at reducing adolescent SB in Bangladesh.

Task complexity effects on L2 speech rhythm in spontaneous speech production

Task-based pronunciation teaching studies have shown that the cognitive complexity of a task affects different aspects of second language (L2) speech, such as vowel accuracy and comprehensibility. However, its impact on L2 speech rhythm is still under-researched, especially in spontaneous pronunciation-unfocused tasks. In this study, we first investigated how task complexity influences L2 speech rhythm, and we then explored how L2 speech rhythm metrics might predict global pronunciation proficiency (comprehensibility and accentedness). Eighty-two Spanish/Catalan bilingual learners of English and a control group of eight native speakers (NSs) completed a simple and a complex version of an adapted monologic decision-making task. Oral production data were analysed using well-established rhythm metrics (%V, VarcoV, nPVI-V, and VarcoC), novel distance measures (Euclidean and Mahalanobis distance scores) and ratings from 13 English NSs. Results showed differential task complexity effects on L2 speech rhythm depending on the rhythm metrics and distance measures considered. Additionally, the %V rhythm metric and the Mahalanobis distance measure accounted for a modest amount of variance in both comprehensibility and accentedness scores, with Mahalanobis distances having a more reliable predicting power. The outcomes of this study point to the importance of further examining the role of task complexity in L2 speech rhythm in spontaneous speech and to what extent L2 speech rhythm is related to global measures of L2 pronunciation proficiency. These findings also highlight the need for identifying which rhythm metrics are more suitable to depict L2 speech elicited through different methods, particularly spontaneous speech.

Cytokine dysregulation in amnestic mild cognitive impairment

The pathophysiology of amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI) is largely unknown, although some papers found signs of immune activation. To assess the cytokine network in aMCI after excluding patients with major depression (MDD) and to examine the immune profiles of quantitative aMCI (qMCI) and distress symptoms of old age (DSOA) scores. A case-control study was conducted on 61 Thai aMCI participants and 60 healthy old adults (both without MDD). The Bio-Plex Pro human cytokine 27-plex test kit was used to assay cytokines/chemokines/growth factors in fasting plasma samples. aMCI is characterized by a significant immunosuppression, and reductions in T helper 1 (Th)1 and T cell growth profiles, the immune-inflammatory responses system, interleukin (IL)1β, IL6, IL7, IL12p70, IL13, GM-CSF, and MCP-1. These 7 cytokines/chemokines exhibit neuroprotective effects at physiologic concentrations. In multivariate analyses, three neurotoxic chemokines, CCL11, CCL5, and CXCL8, emerged as significant predictors of aMCI. Logistic regression showed that aMCI was best predicted by combining IL7, IL1β, MCP-1, years of education (all inversely associated) and CCL5 (positively associated). We found that 38.2% of the variance in the qMCI score was explained by IL7, IL1β, MCP-1, IL13, years of education (inversely associated) and CCL5 (positively associated). The DSOA was not associated with any immune data. An imbalance between lowered levels of neuroprotective cytokines and chemokines, and relative increases in neurotoxic chemokines are key factors in aMCI. Future MCI research should always control for the confounding effects of affective symptoms.