Examination of the latent structure of the psychological sense of school membership scale

Despite its widespread use, there has been limited examination of the underlying factor structure of the Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSM) scale. The current study examined the psychometric properties of the PSSM to refine its utility for researchers and practitioners using a sample of 504 Australian high school students. Results from exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the PSSM is a multidimensional instrument. Factor analysis procedures identified three factors representing related aspects of students’ perceptions of their school membership: caring relationships, acceptance, and rejection

Safety in occupational driving : development of a driver behaviour scale for the workplace context

International statistics indicate that occupational, or work-related driving, crashes are the most common cause of workplace injury, death, and absence from work. The majority of research examining unsafe driver behavior in the workplace has relied on general road safety questionnaires. However, past research has failed to consider the organizational context in the use of these questionnaires, and as such, there is ambiguity in the dimensions constituting occupational driving. Using a theoretical model developed by Hockey (1993, 1997), this article proposes and validates a new scale of occupational driver behavior. This scale incorporates four dimensions of driver behavior that are influenced by demanding workplace conditions; speeding, rule violation, inattention, and driving while tired. Following a content validation process, three samples of occupational drivers in Australia were used to assess the scale. Data from the first sample (n=145) were used to reduce the number of scale items and provide an assessment of the factorial validity of the scale. Data from the second sample (n=645) were then used to confirm the factor structure and psychometric properties of the scale including reliability and construct validity. Finally, data from the third sample (n=248) were used to establish criterion validity. The results indicated that the scale is a reliable and valid measure of occupational driver behavior.

Older adults’ safety perceptions of driving situations: Towards a new driving self-regulation scale

The term ‘driving self-restriction’ is used in the road safety literature to describe the behaviour of some older drivers. It includes the notion that older drivers will avoid driving in specific, usually self-identified situations, such as those in which safety is compromised. We sought to identify the situations that older drivers report avoiding; and, to determine the adequacy of a key measure of such behaviour. A sample of 75 drivers aged 65 years and older completed Baldock et al.’s modification of the Driving Habits Questionnaire avoidance items (Baldock et al., 2006), the Driving Behaviour Questionnaire, and open-ended items that elicited written descriptions of the most and least safe driving situation. Consistent with previous results, we found a relatively low level of driving self-restriction and infrequent episodes of aggressive violations. However, when combined with the situation descriptions, these data suggest that Driving Habits Questionnaire did not cover all of the situations that older drivers might choose avoid. We suggest that a new avoidance scale is needed and we present a new item pool that may be used for this purpose.

Lean project management in large scale industrial project via standardization

Lean project management is the comprehensive adaption of other lean concept like lean construction, lean manufacturing and lean thinking into project management context. Execution of many similar industrial projects creates the idea of lean project management in companies and rapidly growing in industries. This paper offers the standardization method in order to achieve Lean project management in large scale industrial project. Standardization refers to all activity which makes two projects most identical and unify to each other like standardization of design, reducing output variability, value analysis and strategic management. Although standard project may have minor effi ciency decrease, compare to custom built project; but great advantage of standard project like cost saving, time reduction and quality improvement justify standardization methodology. This paper based on empirical experience in industrial project and theoretical analysis of benefi ts of project standardization.

Psychiatric and substance abuse comorbidity among a large sample of DUI Texas offenders

Research is indicating that individuals who present for DUI treatment may have competing substance abuse and mental health needs. This study aimed to examine the extent of such comorbidity issues among a sample of Texas DUI offenders. Method: Records of 36,372 DUI clients and 308,695 non-DUI clients admitted to Texas treatment programs between 2005 and 2008 were obtained from the State's administrative dataset. The data were analysed to identify the relationship between substance use, psychiatric problems, program completion and recidivism rates. Results: Analysis indicated that while non-DUI clients were more likely to present with more severe illicit substance use problems, DUI clients were more likely to have a primary problem with alcohol. Additionally, a cannabis use problem was also found to be significantly associated with DUI recidivism in the last year. In regards to mental health needs, a major finding was that depression was the most common psychiatric condition reported by DUI clients, including those with more than one DUI offence in the past year. This group were also more at risk of being diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder compared to the general population, and such a diagnosis was also associated with an increased likelihood of not completing treatment. Interestingly, female DUI and non-DUI clients were also more likely to be diagnosed with mental health problems compared to males, as well as more likely to be placed on medications at admission and have problems with methamphetamine, cocaine, and opiates. Conclusion: The findings highlight the complex competing needs of some DUI offenders who enter treatment. The results also suggest that there is a need to utilise mental health and substance abuse screening methods to ensure DUI offenders are directed towards appropriate treatment pathways as well as ensure that such interventions adequately cater for complex substance abuse and psychiatric needs.

The Behaviour of Young Novice Drivers Scale (BYNDS)

The contribution of risky behaviour to the increased crash and fatality rates of young novice drivers is recognised in the road safety literature around the world. Exploring such risky driver behaviour has led to the development of tools like the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) to examine driving violations, errors, and lapses. Whilst the DBQ has been utilised in young novice driver research, some items within this tool seem specifically designed for the older, more experienced driver, whilst others appear to asses both behaviour and related motives. Therefore there is a need for a risky behaviour measurement tool that can be utilised with young drivers with a provisional (intermediate) driving licence.

Dysbindin (DTNBP1) : a role in psychotic depression?

Previous studies yielded evidence for dysbindin (DTNBP1) to impact the pathogenesis of schizophrenia on the one hand and affective disorders such as bipolar or major depressive disorder (MDD) on the other. Thus, in the present study we investigated whether DTNBP1 variation was associated with psychotic depression as a severe clinical manifestation of MDD possibly constituting an overlapping phenotype between affective disorders and schizophrenia. A sample of 243 Caucasian inpatients with MDD (SCID-I) was genotyped for 12 SNPs spanning 92% of the DTNBP1 gene region. Differences in DTNBP1 genotype distributions across diagnostic subgroups of psychotic (N = 131) vs. non-psychotic depression were estimated by Pearson Chi2 test and logistic regression analyses adjusted for age, gender, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF). Overall, patients with psychotic depression presented with higher BDI and lower GAF scores expressing a higher severity of the illness as compared to depressed patients without psychotic features. Four DTNBP1 SNPs, particularly rs1997679 and rs9370822, and the corresponding haplotypes, respectively, were found to be significantly associated with the risk of psychotic depression in an allele-dose fashion. In summary, the present results provide preliminary support for dysbindin (DTNBP1) gene variation, particularly SNPs rs1997679 and rs9370822, to be associated with the clinical phenotype of psychotic depression suggesting a possible neurobiological mechanism for an intermediate trait on the continuum between affective disorders and schizophrenia.

A polymorphism in the dysbindin gene (DTNBP1) associated with multiple psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia

Background A number of studies have found associations between dysbindin (DTNBP1) polymorphisms and schizophrenia. Recently we identified a DTNBP1 SNP (rs9370822) that is strongly associated with schizophrenia. Individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia were nearly three times as likely to carry the CC genotype compared to the AA genotype. Methods To investigate the importance of this SNP in the function of DTNBP1, a number of psychiatric conditions including addictive behaviours and anxiety disorders were analysed for association with rs9370822. Results The DTNBP1 polymorphism was significantly associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as nicotine and opiate dependence but not alcohol dependence. Individuals suffering PTSD were more than three times as likely to carry the CC genotype compared to the AA genotype. Individuals with nicotine or opiate dependence were more than twice as likely to carry the CC genotype compared to the AA genotype. Conclusions This study provides further support for the importance of DTNBP1 in psychiatric conditions and suggests that there is a common underlying molecular defect involving DTNBP1 that contributes to the development of several anxiety and addictive disorders that are generally recognised as separate clinical conditions. These disorders may actually be different expressions of a single metabolic pathway perturbation. As our participant numbers are limited our observations should be viewed with caution until they are independently replicated.

The obsessive compulsive drinking scale is a valid measure of alcohol craving in young adults

Background: Alcohol craving is associated with greater alcohol-related problems and less favorable treatment prognosis. The Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS) is the most widely used alcohol craving instrument. The OCDS has been validated in adults with alcohol use disorders (AUDs), which typically emerge in early adulthood. This study examines the validity of the OCDS in a nonclinical sample of young adults. Methods: Three hundred and nine college students (mean age of 21.8 years, SD = 4.6 years) completed the OCDS, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and measures of alcohol consumption. Subjects were randomly allocated to 2 samples. Construct validity was examined via exploratory factor analysis (n = 155) and confirmatory factor analysis (n = 154). Concurrent validity was assessed using the AUDIT and measures of alcohol consumption. A second, alcohol-dependent sample (mean age 42 years, SD 12 years) from a previously published study (n = 370) was used to assess discriminant validity. Results: A unique young adult OCDS factor structure was validated, consisting of Interference/Control, Frequency of Obsessions, Alcohol Consumption and Resisting Obsessions/Compulsions. The young adult 4-factor structure was significantly associated with the AUDIT and alcohol consumption. The 4 factor OCDS successfully classified nonclinical subjects in 96.9% of cases and the older alcohol-dependent patients in 83.7% of cases. Although the OCDS was able to classify college nonproblem drinkers (AUDIT <13, n = 224) with 83.2% accuracy, it was no better than chance (49.4%) in classifying potential college problem drinkers (AUDIT score ≥13, n = 85). Conclusions: Using the 4-factor structure, the OCDS is a valid measure of alcohol craving in young adult populations. In this nonclinical set of students, the OCDS classified nonproblem drinkers well but not problem drinkers. Studies need to further examine the utility of the OCDS in young people with alcohol misuse.

Large-scale fabrication of H2(H2O)Nb2O6 and Nb2O5 hollow microspheres

Hollow micro-sized H2(H2O)Nb2O6 spheres constructed by nanocrystallites have been successfully synthesized via a bubble-template assisted hydrothermal process. In the reaction process, H2O2 acts as a bubble generator and plays a key role in the formation of the hollow structure. An in situ bubble-template mechanism has been proposed for the possible formation of the hollow structure. The spherelike assemblies of these H2(H2O)Nb2O6 nanoparticles have been transformed into their corresponding pseudohexagonal phase Nb2O5 through a moderate annealing dehydration process without destroying the hierarchical structure. Optical properties of the as-prepared hollow spheres were investigated. It is exciting that the absorption edge of the hollow Nb2O5 microspheres shifts about 18 nm to the violet compared with bulk powders in the UV/vis spectra, indicating its superior optical properties.

Development and validation of a pregnancy symptoms inventory

BACKGROUND. Physical symptoms are common in pregnancy and are predominantly associated with normal physiological changes. These symptoms have a social and economic cost, leading to absenteeism from work and additional medical interventions. There is currently no simple method for identifying common pregnancy related problems in the antenatal period. A validated tool, for use by pregnancy care providers would be useful. AIM: The aim of the project was to develop and validate a Pregnancy Symptoms Inventory for use by healthcare professionals (HCPs). METHODS: A list of symptoms was generated via expert consultation with midwives and obstetrician gynaecologists. Focus groups were conducted with pregnant women in their first, second or third trimester. The inventory was then tested for face validity and piloted for readability and comprehension. For test-re-test reliability, it was administered to the same women 2 to 3 days apart. Finally, outpatient midwives trialled the inventory for 1 month and rated its usefulness on a 10cm visual analogue scale (VAS). The number of referrals to other health care professionals was recorded during this month. RESULTS: Expert consultation and focus group discussions led to the generation of a 41-item inventory. Following face validity and readability testing, several items were modified. Individual item test re-test reliability was between .51 to 1 with the majority (34 items) scoring .0.70. During the testing phase, 211 surveys were collected in the 1 month trial. Tiredness (45.5%), poor sleep (27.5%) back pain (19.5%) and nausea (12.6%) were experienced often. Among the women surveyed, 16.2% claimed to sometimes or often be incontinent. Referrals to the incontinence nurse increased > 8 fold during the study period. The median rating by midwives of the ‘usefulness’ of the inventory was 8.4 (range 0.9 to 10). CONCLUSIONS: The Pregnancy Symptoms Inventory (PSI) was well accepted by women in the 1 month trial and may be a useful tool for pregnancy care providers and aids clinicians in early detection and subsequent treatment of symptoms. It shows promise for use in the research community for assessing the impact of lifestyle intervention in pregnancy.

Gender differences and store characteristics : a study of Australian supermarket consumers

It is argued, there is a paucity of research with regard to male and female consumer behaviour in the context of supermarket shopping in Australia. The purpose of this paper is to identify the differences between male and female shoppers rating the importance of store characteristics within an Australian Supermarket retail environment. A survey gathered data from two hundred and eighty male and female grocery shoppers, across four major Brisbane supermarkets. A simple-random-sample, collection methodology was employed to collect data. Significant statistical differences between male and female grocery shoppers were evident on all ten store characteristics constructs. Significant gender differences featured on twenty-eight of thirty scale items tested. Female grocery shoppers considered supermarket store characteristics more important than male shoppers. This study has implications for sociology, gender studies and consumer behaviour disciplines. It also has commercial implications for food retail management and consumer marketing activities that can positively influence consumer participation levels, increased store revenues and profitability.

Introducing action research as a vehicle to bring about change to a psychiatric nursing curriculum in Taiwan

The focus of this study is on curriculum change within a School of Nursing in Taiwan where there is a growing demand for educational reform in order to meet the new accreditation standards and demands of the Taiwan Nursing Accreditation Council (TNAC). The aim of this study was to transform the Psychiatric Nursing curriculum in ways that are empowering, generative and sustainable. This study introduced Action Research as a vehicle to bring about curriculum transformation. I conceptualised a framework to guide the transformation process based on the notions of learner-centredness, conceptual change, pedagogical knowledge, reflection, collaboration, reculturing and empowerment. The Action Plan was developed in accordance with the conceptual framework, and was developed in five steps through which team members explored and became aware of our conceptions of teaching and learning, and then planned and implemented actions to change our curriculum, and examined and reflected on the curriculum transformation. The study demonstrated the value of working collaboratively to solve educational problems. This study also suggested that experiential knowledge, when shared and integrated with theoretical knowledge, can constructively contribute to all aspects of curriculum transformation. This study further supported the value of including clinical facilitators in the development and transformation of curricula. It confirmed that academics and clinical facilitators can work together to create new learning for students. This study is significant for both practical and political reasons. Its practical significance lies in its direct utility to the learners and teachers who were involved in the study. The political significance lies in the potential of the study to lead to further changes or improvements in other, similar contexts. The study is limited in that any interpretations cannot be generalised to other contexts. However, what emerged adds to the body of knowledge in such a way that it would constitute the basis for better informed educational practice.

Remote monitoring of outdoor performance of low scale dye sensitized solar cells for nanosensors nodes

This is the first outdoor test of small-scale dye sensitized solar cells (DSC) powering a standalone nanosensor node. A solar cell test station (SCTS) has been developed using standard DSC to power a gas nanosensor, a radio transmitter, and the control electronics (CE) for battery charging. The station is remotely monitored through wired (Ethernet cable) or wireless connection (radio transmitter) in order to evaluate in real time the performance of the solar cells powering a nanosensor and a transmitter under different weather conditions. We analyze trends of energy conversion efficiency after 60 days of operation. The 408 cm2 active surface module produces enough energy to power a gas nanosensor and a radio transmitter during the day and part of the night. Also, by using a variable programmable load we keep the system working on the maximum power point (MPP) quantifying the total energy generated and stored in a battery. Although this technology is at an early stage of development, these experiments provide useful data for future outdoor applications such as nanosensor network nodes.

An examination of the relationship between emotional intelligence, leadership style and perceived leadership outcomes in Australian educational institutions

In the field of leadership studies transformational leadership theory (e.g., Bass, 1985; Avolio, Bass, & Jung, 1995) has received much attention from researchers in recent years (Hughes, Ginnet, & Curphy, 2009; Hunt, 1999). Many previous studies have found that transformational leadership is related to positive outcomes such as the satisfaction, motivation and performance of followers in organisations (Judge & Piccolo, 2004; Lowe, Kroeck, & Sivasubramaniam, 1996), including in educational institutions (Chin, 2007; Leithwoood & Jantzi, 2005). Hence, it is important to explore constructs that may predict leadership style in order to identify potential transformational leaders in leadership assessment and selection procedures. Several researchers have proposed that emotional intelligence (EI) is one construct that may account for hitherto unexplained variance in transformational leadership (Mayer, 2001; Watkin, 2000). Different models of EI exist (e.g., Goleman, 1995, 2001; Bar-On, 1997; Mayer & Salovey, 1997) but momentum is growing for the Mayer and Salovey (1997) model to be considered the most useful (Ashkanasy & Daus, 2005; Daus & Ashkanasy, 2005). Studies in non-educational settings claim to have found that EI is a useful predictor of leadership style and leader effectiveness (Harms & Crede, 2010; Mills, 2009) but there is a paucity of studies which have examined the Mayer and Salovey (1997) model of EI in educational settings. Furthermore, other predictor variables have rarely been controlled in previous studies and only self-ratings of leadership behaviours, rather than multiple ratings, have usually been obtained. Therefore, more research is required in educational settings to answer the question: to what extent is the Mayer and Salovey (1997) model of EI a useful predictor of leadership style and leadership outcomes? This project, set in Australian educational institutions, was designed to move research in the field forward by: using valid and reliable instruments, controlling for other predictors, obtaining an adequately sized sample of real leaders as participants and obtaining multiple ratings of leadership behaviours. Other variables commonly used to predict leadership behaviours (personality factors and general mental ability) were assessed and controlled in the project. Additionally, integrity was included as another potential predictor of leadership behaviours as it has previously been found to be related to transformational leadership (Parry & Proctor-Thomson, 2002). Multiple ratings of leadership behaviours were obtained from each leader and their supervisors, peers and followers. The following valid and reliable psychological tests were used to operationalise the variables of interest: leadership styles and perceived leadership outcomes (Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, Avolio et al., 1995), EI (Mayer–Salovey–Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test, Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso, 2002), personality factors (The Big Five Inventory, John, Donahue, & Kentle, 1991), general mental ability (Wonderlic Personnel Test-Quicktest, Wonderlic, 2003) and integrity (Integrity Express, Vangent, 2002). A Pilot Study (N = 25 leaders and 75 raters) made a preliminary examination of the relationship between the variables included in the project. Total EI, the experiential area, and the managing emotions and perceiving emotions branches of EI, were found to be related to transformational leadership which indicated that further research was warranted. In the Main Study, 144 leaders and 432 raters were recruited as participants to assess the discriminant validity of the instruments and examine the usefulness of EI as a predictor of leadership style and perceived leadership outcomes. Scores for each leadership scale across the four rating levels (leaders, supervisors, peers and followers) were aggregated with the exception of the management-by-exception active scale of transactional leadership which had an inadequate level of interrater agreement. In the descriptive and measurement component of the Main Study, the instruments were found to demonstrate adequate discriminant validity. The impact of role and gender on leadership style and EI were also examined, and females were found to be more transformational as leaders than males. Females also engaged in more contingent reward (transactional leadership) behaviours than males, whilst males engaged in more passive/avoidant leadership behaviours than females. In the inferential component of the Main Study, multiple regression procedures were used to examine the usefulness of EI as a predictor of leadership style and perceived leadership outcomes. None of the EI branches were found to be related to transformational leadership or the perceived leadership outcomes variables included in the study. Openness, emotional stability (the inverse of neuroticism) and general mental ability (inversely) each predicted a small amount of variance in transformational leadership. Passive/avoidant leadership was inversely predicted by the understanding emotions branch of EI. Overall, EI was not found to be a useful predictor of leadership style and leadership outcomes in the Main Study of this project. Implications for researchers and human resource practitioners are discussed.