Linear and Nonlinear Indices of Score Accuracy and Item Effectiveness for Measures That Contain Locally Dependent Items.

The problem of local item dependencies (LIDs) is very common in personality and attitude measures, particularly in those that measure narrow-bandwidth dimensions. At the structural level, these dependencies can be modeled by using extended factor analytic (FA) solutions that include correlated residuals. However, the effects that LIDs have on the scores based on these extended solutions have received little attention so far.

A Relative Normed Effect-Size Difference Index for Determining the Number of Common Factors in Exploratory Solutions.

Descriptive fit indices that do not require a formal statistical basis and do not specifically depend on a given estimation criterion are useful as auxiliary devices for judging the appropriateness of unrestricted or exploratory factor analytical (UFA) solutions, when the problem is to decide the most appropriate number of common factors. While overall indices of this type are well known in UFA applications, especially those intended for item analysis, difference indices are much more scarce. Recently, Raykov and collaborators proposed a family of effect-size-type descriptive difference indices that are promising for UFA applications.

Estimation of fatty liver disease clinical role on glucose metabolic remodelling phenotypes and T2DM onset.

Introduction: Metabolic syndrome (MetS), prediabetes (PreDM) and Fatty Liver Disease (FLD) share pathophysiological pathways concerning type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) onset. The non-invasive assessment of fatty liver combined with PreDM and MetS features screening might provide further accuracy in predicting hyperglycemic status in the clinical setting with the putative description of singular phenotypes. The objective of the study is to evaluate and describe the links of a widely available FLD surrogate -the non-invasive serological biomarker Hepatic Steatosis Index (HSI)- with previously described T2DM risk predictors, such as preDM and MetS in forecasting T2DM onset.

Repercussions of absolute and time-rated BMI "yo-yo" fluctuations on cardiovascular stress-related morbidities within the vascular-metabolic CUN cohort.

Aims: The association between body mass index (BMI) fluctuation and BMI fluctuation rate with cardiovascular stress morbidities in a Caucasian European cohort was evaluated to ascertain the impact of weight cycling.

Methods: A total of 4,312 patients of the Vascular-Metabolic CUN cohort (VMCUN cohort) were examined and followed up during 9.35 years ( ± 4.

Interactive Role of Surrogate Liver Fibrosis Assessment and Insulin Resistance on the Incidence of Major Cardiovascular Events.

: The combination of easy-to-obtain validated biomarkers is interesting in the prognostic evaluation of patients at cardiovascular risk in a precision medicine scenario. The evaluation of the effect modification of insulin resistance and liver fibrosis with the Triglyceride-Glucose index (TyG) and Fibrosis-4 index (FIB4) might provide prognostic information in patients at cardiovascular risk. A retrospective cohort study was performed with 2055 patients recruited in the Vascular Metabolic CUN cohort.

A Multidimensional Item Response Theory Model for Continuous and Graded Responses With Error in Persons and Items.

Item response theory "dual" models (DMs) in which both items and individuals are viewed as sources of differential measurement error so far have been proposed only for unidimensional measures. This article proposes two multidimensional extensions of existing DMs: the M-DTCRM (dual Thurstonian continuous response model), intended for (approximately) continuous responses, and the M-DTGRM (dual Thurstonian graded response model), intended for ordered-categorical responses (including binary). A rationale for the extension to the multiple-content-dimensions case, which is based on the concept of the multidimensional location index, is first proposed and discussed.

Reliability and External Validity of Personality Test Scores: The Role of Person and Item Error.

Background: This article explores the suitability of a proposed "Dual" model, in which both people and items are sources of measurement error, by assessing how the test scores are expected to behave in terms of marginal reliability and external validity when the model holds.

Method: Analytical derivations are produced for predicting: (a) the impact of person and item errors in the amount of marginal reliability and external validity, as well as the occurrence of "ceiling" effects; (b) the changes in test reliability across groups with different average amounts of person error, and (c) the phenomenon of differential predictability. Two empirical studies are also used both as an illustration and as a check of the predicted results.

InDisc: An R Package for Assessing Person and Item Discrimination in Typical-Response Measures.

InDisc is an R Package that implements procedures for estimating and fitting unidimensional Item Response Theory (IRT) Dual Models (DMs). DMs are intended for personality and attitude measures and are, essentially, extended standard IRT models with an extra person parameter that models the discriminating power of the individual. The package consists of a main function, which calls subfunctions for fitting binary, graded, and continuous responses.

To reverse or to not reverse Likert-type items: That is the question.

Background: The suitability of using reversed items in typical response measures has been a matter of controversy for many years. While some authors recommend their use, others reject them due to their undesirable effects on tests' psychometric properties. The present research intends to analyse a third alternative based on the use of reversed items plus a procedure to control response bias effects.

Multidimensional or essentially unidimensional? A multi-faceted factor-analytic approach for assessing the dimensionality of tests and items.

Background: Factor-analysis based dimensional assessment of psychometric measures is a key step in the development of tests. However, current practices for deciding between a multiple-correlated or essentially unidimensional solution are clearly improvable.

Method: A series of recent studies are reviewed, and an approach is proposed that combines multiple sources of information, which is expected to be used to make an informed judgement about the most appropriate dimensionality for the measure being studied.

Risk of incident ischemic stroke according to the metabolic health and obesity states in the Vascular-Metabolic CUN cohort.

Background Whether obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease in the absence of metabolic comorbidities remains under debate. Indeed, some obese individuals may be at low risk of metabolic-related complications, while normal-weight individuals may not be "healthy." Aims To assess the incidence of ischemic stroke according to the metabolic health and obesity states of 5171 participants from the Vascular-Metabolic CUN cohort.

Are all metabolically healthy individuals with obesity at the same risk of diabetes onset?

Objective: To examine the risk of diabetes and the development of an unhealthy status according to metabolic health. To assess the effect of changes in metabolic health among participants with metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) on the risk of diabetes.

Methods: A total of 4,340 subjects were included.

How response bias affects the factorial structure of personality self-reports.

Background: Various studies have shown that acquiescence can distort the factor structure of personality questionnaires based on the five-factor model.  In the present study, we analysed how acquiescence and social desirability affect the factor structure of a measure based on this personality model and a measure of aggression.

Method: We analysed the factor structures of both tests before and after removing both biases in a sample of 532 adolescents aged between 11 and 18 (M= 14.

TyG Index Change Is More Determinant for Forecasting Type 2 Diabetes Onset Than Weight Gain.

The risk of type 2 diabetes associated with obesity appears to be influenced by other metabolic abnormalities, and there is controversy about the harmless condition of the metabolically healthy obese (MHO) state. The aim of this study is to assess the risk of diabetes and the impact of changes in weight and in triglyceride-glucose index (TyG index), according to the metabolic health and obesity states.We analyzed prospective data of the Vascular Metabolic CUN cohort, a population-based study among a White European population (mean follow-up, 8.

Association of triglycerides and new lipid markers with the incidence of hypertension in a Spanish cohort.

Objective: Triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) are known to be risk factors for cardiovascular disease. However, there has been limited knowledge on the relationship between triglycerides and incident hypertension. The associations of incident hypertension with triglycerides and triglycerides-related indices such as triglycerides to HDL-C ratio (TG/HDL-C) and triglyceride-glucose index (TyG) were evaluated.

Triglyceride-glucose index (TyG index) in comparison with fasting plasma glucose improved diabetes prediction in patients with normal fasting glucose: The Vascular-Metabolic CUN cohort.

Aims: We evaluated the potential role of the triglyceride-glucose index (TyG index) as a predictor of diabetes in a White European cohort, and compared it to fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and triglycerides.

Methods: 4820 patients of the Vascular-Metabolic CUN cohort (VMCUN cohort) were examined and followed up for 8.84years (±4.

The TyG index may predict the development of cardiovascular events.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the worldwide leading cause of morbidity and mortality. An early risk detection of apparently healthy people before CVD onset has clinical relevance in the prevention of cardiovascular events. We evaluated the association between the product of fasting plasma glucose and triglycerides (TyG index) and CVD.

[Prevalence of burnout syndrome and its associated factors in Primary Care staff].

Introduction: Burnout syndrome is an emerging disease among health professionals. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of occupational burnout among Primary Care staff, as well as to determine the differences in prevalence between family doctors, paediatricians, nurses, administrative-officers, and social-workers, and to evaluate the different related factors.

Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted on 178 professionals from 5 different occupational groups in 54 Primary Care centres in Navarre from September to December 2010.

[Clinical and radiological diagnosis of neurocysticercosis: a case report].

Background: Neurocysticercosis is the most frequent parasitic disease of the central nervous system and the first cause of acquired epilepsy in endemic areas. Our aim in is to use clinical and radiological criteria to orientate diagnosis where there is suspicion of neurocysticercosis, presenting a clinical case as an example.

Materials And Methods: We present the case of a 43 year old woman of Bolivian origin, who came to accidents and emergencies after suffering a generalized convulsive crisis, witnessed by relatives of the patient.