The Impact of Deep Muscle Training on the Quality of Posture and Breathing

Postural control and breathing are mechanically and neuromuscularly interdependent. Both systems– of spinal stability and respiration– involve the diaphragm, transversus abdominis, intercostal muscles, internal oblique muscles and pelvic floor muscles. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of exercises activating deep stabilizer muscles on postural control and quality of breathing movements. Eighteen volunteers (25,7 ± 3,5) were recruited from the general population. All the subjects implemented an exercise program activating deep muscles. Head, pelvic and trunk positions in the sagittal and frontal planes were assessed with the photogrammetric method. Breathing movements were estimated with the respiratory inductive plethysmography. The results indicate that the use of deep muscle training contributed to a significant change in the position of the body in the sagittal plane (p = 0.008) and the increase in the amplitude of breathing (p = 0.001).     

The Method of Socratic Proofs for Modal Propositional Logics: K5, S4.2, S4.3, S4F,S4R,S4M and G

The aim of this paper is to present the method of Socratic proofs for seven modal propositional logics: K5, S4.2, S4.3, S4M, S4F, S4R and G. This work is an extension of [10] where the method was presented for the most common modal propositional logics: K, D, T, KB, K4, S4 and S5. Presented by Jacek Malinowski     

Principles of good clinical practice (GCP) in clinical research

Good Clinical Practice is an international quality standard for conducting trials that involve participation of human subjects. Currently, the most widely accepted international document forming the base for GCP is the ICH Harmonised Tripartite Guideline for GCP, which defines in detail the responsibilities and obligations of parties engaged in clinical research. The purpose of this paper is to analyse how compliance with GCP provides protection of the trial subjects and assures quality and credibility of the data obtained. An earlier version of this paper was presented at a symposium, Scientific Misconduct: An International Perspective, organised by The Medical University of Warsaw, 16 November, 1998.     

Temporal-order judgments and reaction time for stimuli of different modalities

Summary Reaction times and the relative latency evaluated by the temporal-order-judgment method for two stimuli of different modalities (visual and auditory) were measured. The difference between reaction times for visual and auditory stimuli was about 40 ms. The relative latency was slightly shorter, however; in conflict with Rutschmann and Link's (1964) previous result, the auditory stimulus must be delayed to be perceived simultaneously with the visual one.     

Socratic Proofs and Paraconsistency: A Case Study

This paper develops a new proof method for two propositional paraconsistent logics: the propositional part of Batens' weak paraconsistent logic CLuN and Schütte's maximally paraconsistent logic Φ_v. Proofs are de.ned as certain sequences of questions. The method is grounded in Inferential Erotetic Logic.     

Multicultural personality dispositions and psychological well-being

The authors investigated the empirical relationship between K. I. van der Zee and J. P. van Oudenhoven's (2000, 2001) multicultural personality dispositions and C. D. Ryff's (1989b) dimensions of psychological well-being. The present sample included 270 students from one primarily graduate university and one primarily undergraduate university in the northeast region of the United States. Factor analysis indicated that a three-dimensional model of the multicultural personality was the best fit structure for the sample. Correlations between multicultural personality scores and psychological well-being scores were generally positive and in the predicted directions. However, the academic setting of the participants appeared to influence the pattern of relationships. The authors identified the multicultural personality as a promising construct for research across diverse psychology specialties.     

The ADP-IV questionnaire: differential validity and concordance with the semi-structured interview

The Assessment of DSM-IV Personality Disorders questionnaire (ADP-IV) is a self-report measure of the DSM-IV Axis II personality disorders (PDs). The ADP-IV assesses for each DSM-IV criterion its typicality as well as the accompanying distress and impairment. This study investigates two important aspects of the construct validity of the ADP-IV: (a) the differential validity (i.e., the ability to differentiate between a sample of the general Flemish population ( n = 659) and a sample of psychiatric inpatients ( n = 487) with a high prevalence of clinical PD diagnoses, and patients with and without a PD in the psychiatric sample; (b) the convergent validity with the SCID-II semi-structured interview in a population of psychiatric inpatients ( n = 59). The results indicate a good differential validity: the dimensional scales and the categorical measures discriminated well between both groups and between patients with and without a PD diagnosis in the psychiatric sample. Concerning the concordance with the SCID-II, a decent level of agreement is exemplified by a correlation of.67 between the dimensional total scores of both instruments and by kappa coefficients for an "any" Axis II diagnosis at the.50 level. In conclusion, the results indicate that the ADP-IV is an efficient method for assessing PD in dimensional and categorical ways.     

The concept of quality in clinical research

Quality in clinical research may be defined as compliance with requirements together with credibility and reliability of the data obtained. Sponsors usually apply Quality Management Systems (QMS) to ensure, control, maintain, and improve quality. These systems encompass several preventive measures, tools, and controls. Standard QMS applied by clinical research sponsors may be based on ISO 9000. An earlier version of the paper was presented at the 6th International Bioethics Conference on the subject of ‘The Responsible Conduct of Basic and Clinical Research’, held in Warsaw, Poland, 3–4 June 2005.