Confirmatory factor analysis and psychometric properties of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-Revised in clinical and normative populations

The present investigation aimed to critically examine the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index - Revised (ASI-R). Confirmatory factor analysis using a clinical sample of adults (N = 248) revealed that the ASI-R could be improved substantially through the removal of 15 problematic items in order to account for the most robust dimensions of anxiety sensitivity. This modified scale was renamed the 21-item Anxiety Sensitivity Index (21-item ASI) and reanalyzed with a large sample of normative adults (N = 435), revealing configural and metric invariance across groups. Further comparisons with other alternative models, using multi-sample analysis, indicated the 21-item ASI to be the best fitting model for both groups. There was also evidence of internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity for both samples suggesting that the 21-item ASI is a useful assessment device for investigating the construct of anxiety sensitivity in both clinical and normative populations.

Global adaptation of spring bread and durum wheat lines near-isogenic for major reduced height genes

The effect of major dwarfing genes, Rht-B1 and Rht-D1, in bread (Triticum aestivum L.) and durum (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum) wheats varies with environment. Six reduced-height near-isogenic spring wheat lines, included in the International Adaptation Trial (IAT), were grown in 81 trials around the world. Of the 56 IAT trials yielding > 3 Mg ha(-1), the mean yield of semidwarfs was significantly greater than tails in 54% of trials; in the 27 trials yielding < 3 Mg ha-1, semidwarfs were superior in only 24%. Sixteen pairs of semidwarf-tall near-isolines were grown in six managed drought environment trials (DETs) in northwestern Mexico. In these trials, semidwarfs outyielded talls in all but the most droughted environment (2.5 Mg ha(-1)). The effect of the height alleles varied with genetic background and environment. For both yield and height, variance components for allele and environment by allele interaction were larger than those for genetic background and genetic background by environment. Pattern analysis showed that tall and semidwarf lines had similar adaptation to stressed environments (< 2.8 Mg ha(-1), low rainfall), while semidwarfs yielded more in less stressed environments (> 4.3 Mg ha(-1), high rainfall). The best adapted near-isogenic pair had a Kauz background, where the tall was only 16% taller than the dwarf. In the Kauz-derived pair, the semidwarf outyielded the tall in only 13% of trials with no differences in low yielding trials. This supports the idea that '' short talls '' may be useful in marginal environments (yield < 3 Mg ha(-1)).

Pattern analysis on grain yield performance of Chinese and CIMMYT spring wheat cultivars sown in China and CIMMYT

Understanding the relationships among testing environments is essential for better targeting cultivars to production environments. To identify patterns of cultivar, environment, cultivar-by-environment interactions, and opportunities for indirect selection for grain yield, a set of 25 spring wheat cultivars from China and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) was evaluated in nine environments in China and four management environments at CIMMYT in Cd. Obregon, Mexico, during two wheat seasons. Genetic background and original environment were the main factors influencing grain yield performance of the cultivars. Baviacora M 92, Xinchun 2 and Xinchun 6 showed relatively more stable and higher grain yields, whereas highly photoperiod sensitive cultivars Xinkehan 9, Kefeng 6 and Longmai 19 proved consistently inferior across environments, except in Harbin and Keshan, the two high latitude environments. Longmai 26, also from high latitude environments in the northeastern Heilongjiang province, was however probably not as photoperiodicly sensitive as other cultivars; from that region, and produced much higher grain yield and expressed a broader adaptation. None of the environments reported major diseases. Pattern analyses revealed that photoperiod response and planting option on beds were the two main factors underlying the observed interactions for grain yield. The production environment of planting on the flat in Mexico grouped together with Huhhot and Urumqi in both wheat seasons, indicating an indirect response to selection for grain yield in this CIMMYT managed environment could benefit the two Chinese environments. Both the environment of planting on the flat with Chinese Hejin and Yongning, and the three CIMMYT enviromnents planting on raised beds with Chinese Yongning grouped together only in one season, showing that repeatability may not be stable in this case.

Pattern analysis on protein properties of Chinese and CIMMYT spring wheat cultivars sown in China and CIMMYT

Improvement of processing quality is a very important objective for Chinese wheat breeding programs. Twenty-five CIMMYT and Chinese spring wheat cultivars were grown at four managed conditions by CIMMYT in Cd. Obregon, Sonora, Mexico and in nine environments in China, over two successive wheat seasons from 2000 to 2002. These trials were used to identify patterns of cultivar, environment and cultivar x environment interactions, and to determine opportunities for indirect selection for protein content and the protein-quality related parameter, SDS sedimentation (SDSS) value. The cultivar Inqalab 91 showed low levels of interaction with environments in the 2000-01 crop cycle for protein content, and expressed intermediate levels for both protein content and SDSS value, across most of the environments in both years. Longmai 26 had consistently high protein content and SDSS value across environments in both years, indicating that it is possible to breed cultivars expressing high yields with good protein properties. Cluster analyses revealed that cultivars grouped differently for protein content and SDSS value. Besides photoperiod, water availability appeared to influence the ranking of cultivars for protein content and SDSS value. Temperature and soil type may underlie the observed interactions for protein content, while temperature may also be a factor associated with interactions for SDSS value. The full irrigation managed environment in Mexico, with the cultivars sown on raised beds two months later than optimum and exposing them to late heat, clustered together with the Chinese environments Huhhot, Yongning, and Hejin in the 2000-01 season for SDSS value. This indicates that there is an opportunity to exploit indirect responses to selection in the CIMMYT management environments for SDSS value with relevance for China's spring wheat regions. However, there seemed little chance for positive indirect selection in CIMMYT's managed environments for China in regard to protein content, as environments clustered distinctly. Pattern analyses permitted a sensible and useful summary for this multi environment experiment, helping in understanding natural relationships and variations in cultivar performance among the various environment groups, and assisting in the structuring of environments.

Charitable giving: A test of a revised Theory of Planned Behaviour model

Recent world events aside, downward trends in donating behaviour in Australia have increased the need for research into the factors that inhibit and encourage charitable giving. A revised Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) model was used to determine the influence of attitudes, norms (injunctive, descriptive, and moral norms), perceived behavioural control (PBC), and past behaviour (PB) on intentions to donate money to charities and community service organisations. Respondents (N=186) completed a questionnaire assessing the constructs of the revised TPB model. Four weeks later, self-reported donating behaviour was assessed (n=65). Results showed support for the revised TPB model. Attitudes, PBC, injunctive norms, moral norms, and PB all predicted donating intentions. Descriptive norms did not predict intentions. Intention was the only significant predictor of selfreported behaviour four weeks later, with neither PBC nor PB having a direct effect on behaviour. Theoretical and applied implications of the results are discussed.