Development and Preliminary Validation of a Trait Version of the Toronto Mindfulness Scale

2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 185-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen M. Davis ◽  
Mark A. Lau ◽  
David R. Cairns
Keyword(s):  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Internal Consistency Reliability ◽  
The Other ◽  
Trait Mindfulness ◽  
Preliminary Validation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Unique Aspect ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Meditation Experience ◽  
Toronto Mindfulness Scale

After developing a trait version of the Toronto Mindfulness Scale (TMS), we evaluated its reliability, its convergent validity with six other trait mindfulness measures, and its construct validity in relation to prior meditation experience. A sample of nonmeditators (N = 218) and meditators (N = 243) with a wide range of meditation experience completed the Trait TMS and the six other mindfulness measures. Internal consistency reliability of the Trait TMS was comparable to that of the original State TMS. Significant positive correlations were found between both TMS factors and the other mindfulness measures; however, in general, the correlations for TMS Decenter were higher than for TMS Curiosity. Scores for TMS Decenter were shown to increase with meditation experience, but this was not the case for TMS Curiosity. The TMS Curiosity factor may assess a unique aspect of the mindfulness construct. Implications of these findings in relation to future mindfulness research are discussed.

Factorial Structure of the SCAS and Its Relationship With the SDQ

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Di Riso ◽  
Daphne Chessa ◽  
Andrea Bobbio ◽  
Adriana Lis
Keyword(s):  
Age Differences ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Factorial Structure ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Culturally Based ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Italian Children

The factorial structure of the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS; Spence, 1997 ) was examined in a community sample of 1,397 Italian children from 8 to 10 years old. Sex and age differences as regards anxiety symptoms were also analyzed. The convergent validity of the SCAS was explored through correlations with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ; Goodman, 1997 ). The use of confirmatory factor analysis supported the six correlated factor model of the SCAS with only minor differences compared to the original work by Spence (1997 ), and it was therefore named SCAS-it. Modifications to the original SCAS were supported by methodologically, theoretically, and culturally based arguments. The internal consistency of the SCAS-it was acceptable. Females displayed significantly higher levels of anxiety symptoms than males, while age differences were nonsignificant. Positive correlations were found between the SCAS-it and selected subscales of the SDQ. The results support the SCAS model, with few exceptions that do not threaten the utility of Spence’s tool.

2D Color-Intensity Representation of Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge Measurements

2020 ◽  
pp. 1192-1198
Author(s):  
M.S. Mohammad ◽  
Tibebe Tesfaye ◽  
Kim Ki-Seong
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effective ◽  
The Other ◽  
Thickness Gauge ◽  
Color Intensity ◽  
Digital Readout ◽  
Flat Surfaces ◽  
Video Cameras ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Cost Effective Alternative ◽  
Ultrasonic Thickness

Ultrasonic thickness gauges are easy to operate and reliable, and can be used to measure a wide range of thicknesses and inspect all engineering materials. Supplementing the simple ultrasonic thickness gauges that present results in either a digital readout or as an A-scan with systems that enable correlating the measured values to their positions on the inspected surface to produce a two-dimensional (2D) thickness representation can extend their benefits and provide a cost-effective alternative to expensive advanced C-scan machines. In previous work, the authors introduced a system for the positioning and mapping of the values measured by the ultrasonic thickness gauges and flaw detectors (Tesfaye et al. 2019). The system is an alternative to the systems that use mechanical scanners, encoders, and sophisticated UT machines. It used a camera to record the probe’s movement and a projected laser grid obtained by a laser pattern generator to locate the probe on the inspected surface. In this paper, a novel system is proposed to be applied to flat surfaces, in addition to overcoming the other limitations posed due to the use of the laser projection. The proposed system uses two video cameras, one to monitor the probe’s movement on the inspected surface and the other to capture the corresponding digital readout of the thickness gauge. The acquired images of the probe’s position and thickness gauge readout are processed to plot the measured data in a 2D color-coded map. The system is meant to be simpler and more effective than the previous development.

Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS): Translation and Validation in Urdu Language

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-189
Author(s):  
Afifa Anjum ◽  
Naumana Amjad
Keyword(s):  
Factor Structure ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Character Strengths ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Structure Factors ◽  
Adult Participants ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Cross Language ◽  
Translation And Validation

Values in Action is a classification of 24 character strengths grouped under six virtue categories. This classification is claimed to be universal across cultures and religions (Peterson & Seligman, 2004) and its measure that is, Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) has been translated and validated in many languages. The present study aimed at its Urdu translation and validation on Pakistani adults taken from different educational institutes and workplaces. Study comprised two parts. Part I dealt with the translation and cross-language validation while in Part II, Construct validation on a sample of 542 adults and convergent validity on a sample of 210 adult participants were determined. Findings revealed satisfactory alpha coefficients for Urdu version. Significant positive correlations with positive affect and life satisfaction and negative correlations with negative affect were indicators of its convergent validity. Age was negatively associated with five strengths whereas significant gender differences were found on seven strengths. Social desirability effects were nonsignificant. Strength-to-virtue level factor structure exploration resulted in a theoretically meaningful four factor structure. Factors were named as Interpersonal, Cognitive, Vitality, and Transcendence and were comparable to factor structures proposed in studies on VIA-IS from a few other cultures. The study offers a valid Urdu translation for use in future studies with adult Urdu speaking population.

p-Sulfonic acid calix[n]arene catalyzed synthesis of bioactive heterocycles: A review

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bubun Banerjee ◽  
Gurpreet Kaur ◽  
Navdeep Kaur
Keyword(s):  
Supramolecular Chemistry ◽  
Sulfonic Acid ◽  
Catalytic Efficiency ◽  
The Other ◽  
Reaction Conditions ◽  
Metal Free ◽  
Bioactive Scaffolds ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Efficient Alternative ◽  
Bioactive Heterocycles

: Metal-free organocatalysts are becoming an important tool for the sustainable developments of various bioactive heterocycles. On the other hand, during last two decades, calix[n]arenes have been gaining considerable attention due to their wide range of applicability in the field of supramolecular chemistry. Recently, sulfonic acid functionalized calix[n] arenes are being employed as an efficient alternative catalyst for the synthesis of various bioactive scaffolds. In this review we have summarized the catalytic efficiency of p-sulfonic acid calix[n]arenes for the synthesis of diverse biologically promising scaffolds under various reaction conditions. There is no such review available in the literature showing the catalytic applicability of p-sulfonic acid calix[n]arenes. Therefore, we strongly believe that this review will surely attract those researchers who are interested about this fascinating organocatalyst.

scholarly journals Construct and Predictive Validity of an Assessment Game to Measure Honesty–Humility

Assessment ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 107319112098561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ard J. Barends ◽  
Reinout E. de Vries ◽  
Mark van Vugt
Keyword(s):  
Computer Games ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Incremental Validity ◽  
The Other ◽  
Personality Measurement ◽  
Divergent Validity ◽  
Personality Profiles ◽  
Personality Assessments ◽  
Financial Gain ◽  
Unethical Behaviors

Research on commercial computer games has demonstrated that in-game behavior is related to the players’ personality profiles. However, this potential has not yet been fully utilized for personality assessments. Hence, we developed an applied (i.e., serious) assessment game to assess the Honesty–Humility personality trait. In two studies, we demonstrate that this game adequately assesses Honesty–Humility. In Study 1 ( N = 116), we demonstrate convergent validity of the assessment game with self-reported Honesty–Humility and divergent validity with the other HEXACO traits and cognitive ability. In Study 2 ( N = 287), we replicate the findings from Study 1, and also demonstrate that the assessment game shows incremental validity—beyond self-reported personality—in the prediction of cheating for financial gain, but not of counterproductive work and unethical behaviors. The findings demonstrate that assessment games are promising tools for personality measurement in applied contexts.

scholarly journals Phenotypic Characterisation for Growth and Nut Characteristics Revealed the Extent of Genetic Diversity in Wild Macadamia Germplasm

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 680
Author(s):  
Thuy T. P. Mai ◽  
Craig M. Hardner ◽  
Mobashwer M. Alam ◽  
Robert J. Henry ◽  
Bruce L. Topp
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Growth Traits ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Wild Germplasm ◽  
Phenotypic Characterisation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Wild Accessions

Macadamia is a recently domesticated Australian native nut crop, and a large proportion of its wild germplasm is unexploited. Aiming to explore the existing diversity, 247 wild accessions from four species and inter-specific hybrids were phenotyped. A wide range of variation was found in growth and nut traits. Broad-sense heritability of traits were moderate (0.43–0.64), which suggested that both genetic and environmental factors are equally important for the variability of the traits. Correlations among the growth traits were significantly positive (0.49–0.76). There were significant positive correlations among the nut traits except for kernel recovery. The association between kernel recovery and shell thickness was highly significant and negative. Principal component analysis of the traits separated representative species groups. Accessions from Macadamia integrifolia Maiden and Betche, M. tetraphylla L.A.S. Johnson, and admixtures were clustered into one group and those of M. ternifolia F. Muell were separated into another group. In both M. integrifolia and M. tetraphylla groups, variation within site was greater than across sites, which suggested that the conservation strategies should concentrate on increased sampling within sites to capture wide genetic diversity. This study provides a background on the utilisation of wild germplasm as a genetic resource to be used in breeding programs and the direction for gene pool conservation.

scholarly journals Density Guarantee on Finding Multiple Subgraphs and Subtensors

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-32
Author(s):  
Quang-huy Duong ◽  
Heri Ramampiaro ◽  
Kjetil Nørvåg ◽  
Thu-lan Dam
Keyword(s):  
Lower Bound ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
The State ◽  
The Other ◽  
Exact Methods ◽  
Practical Solution ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Real World Datasets ◽  
Tensor Data

Dense subregion (subgraph & subtensor) detection is a well-studied area, with a wide range of applications, and numerous efficient approaches and algorithms have been proposed. Approximation approaches are commonly used for detecting dense subregions due to the complexity of the exact methods. Existing algorithms are generally efficient for dense subtensor and subgraph detection, and can perform well in many applications. However, most of the existing works utilize the state-or-the-art greedy 2-approximation algorithm to capably provide solutions with a loose theoretical density guarantee. The main drawback of most of these algorithms is that they can estimate only one subtensor, or subgraph, at a time, with a low guarantee on its density. While some methods can, on the other hand, estimate multiple subtensors, they can give a guarantee on the density with respect to the input tensor for the first estimated subsensor only. We address these drawbacks by providing both theoretical and practical solution for estimating multiple dense subtensors in tensor data and giving a higher lower bound of the density. In particular, we guarantee and prove a higher bound of the lower-bound density of the estimated subgraph and subtensors. We also propose a novel approach to show that there are multiple dense subtensors with a guarantee on its density that is greater than the lower bound used in the state-of-the-art algorithms. We evaluate our approach with extensive experiments on several real-world datasets, which demonstrates its efficiency and feasibility.

scholarly journals Perceptions and Attitudes towards Mules in a Group of Sodiers

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1009
Author(s):  
Javiera Lagos ◽  
Manuel Rojas ◽  
Joao B. Rodrigues ◽  
Tamara Tadich
Keyword(s):  
Text Mining ◽  
Pain Perception ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Emotional Needs ◽  
Mountainous Areas ◽  
Working Capacity ◽  
Perceptions And Attitudes ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Word Attention

Mules are essential for pack work in mountainous areas, but there is a lack of research on this species. This study intends to assess the perceptions, attitudes, empathy and pain perception of soldiers about mules, to understand the type of human–mule relationship. For this, a survey was applied with closed-ended questions where the empathy and pain perception tools were included and later analyzed through correlations. Open-ended questions were analyzed through text mining. A total of 73 soldiers were surveyed. They had a wide range of ages and years of experience working with equids. Significant positive correlations were found between human empathy, animal empathy and pain perception. Soldiers show a preference for working with mules over donkeys and horses. Text mining analysis shows three clusters associated with the mules’ nutritional, environmental and health needs. In the same line, relevant relations were found for the word “attention” with “load”, “food”, and “harness”. When asked what mules signify for them, two clusters were found, associated with mules’ working capacity and their role in the army. Relevant relations were found between the terms “mountain”, “support”, and “logistics”, and also between “intelligent” and “noble”. To secure mules’ behavioral and emotional needs, future training strategies should include behavior and welfare concepts.

scholarly journals Grasp to See—Object Classification Using Flexion Glove with Support Vector Machine

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1461
Author(s):  
Shun-Hsin Yu ◽  
Jen-Shuo Chang ◽  
Chia-Hung Dylan Tsai
Keyword(s):  
Support Vector Machine ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Object Classification ◽  
Target Object ◽  
The Other ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Dark Space ◽  
Flex Sensors ◽  
Shape And Size

This paper proposes an object classification method using a flexion glove and machine learning. The classification is performed based on the information obtained from a single grasp on a target object. The flexion glove is developed with five flex sensors mounted on five finger sleeves, and is used for measuring the flexion of individual fingers while grasping an object. Flexion signals are divided into three phases, and they are the phases of picking, holding and releasing, respectively. Grasping features are extracted from the phase of holding for training the support vector machine. Two sets of objects are prepared for the classification test. One is printed-object set and the other is daily-life object set. The printed-object set is for investigating the patterns of grasping with specified shape and size, while the daily-life object set includes nine objects randomly chosen from daily life for demonstrating that the proposed method can be used to identify a wide range of objects. According to the results, the accuracy of the classifications are achieved 95.56% and 88.89% for the sets of printed objects and daily-life objects, respectively. A flexion glove which can perform object classification is successfully developed in this work and is aimed at potential grasp-to-see applications, such as visual impairment aid and recognition in dark space.

scholarly journals Natural Science and Supernatural Thought Experiments

Religions ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 389
Author(s):  
James Robert Brown
Keyword(s):  
Natural Science ◽  
Thought Experiment ◽  
Thought Experiments ◽  
The Other ◽  
Space And Time ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Theological Thought

Religious notions have long played a role in epistemology. Theological thought experiments, in particular, have been effective in a wide range of situations in the sciences. Some of these are merely picturesque, others have been heuristically important, and still others, as I will argue, have played a role that could be called essential. I will illustrate the difference between heuristic and essential with two examples. One of these stems from the Newton–Leibniz debate over the nature of space and time; the other is a thought experiment of my own constructed with the aim of making a case for a more liberal view of evidence in mathematics.

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