Validity evidence of the Health-Related Quality of Life for Drug Abusers Test based on the Biaxial Model of Addiction

The aim of this work is to show evidence of the validity of the Health-Related Quality of Life for Drug Abusers Test (HRQoLDA Test). This test was developed to measure specific HRQoL for drugs abusers, within the theoretical addiction framework of the biaxial model. The sample comprised 138 patients diagnosed with opiate drug dependence. In this study, the following constructs and variables of the biaxial model were measured: severity of dependence, physical health status, psychological adjustment and substance consumption. Results indicate that the HRQoLDA Test scores are related to dependency and consumption-related problems. Multiple regression analysis reveals that HRQoL can be predicted from drug dependence, physical health status and psychological adjustment. These results contribute empirical evidence of the theoretical relationships established between HRQoL and the biaxial model, and they support the interpretation of the HRQoLDA Test to measure HRQoL in drug abusers, thus providing a test to measure this specific construct in this population.     

Study of empathy in a Spanish sex offender sample

International research has emphasised that empathy is a relevant factor of sex offending. The main goal of this study is to explore, in a Spanish sex offender sample, the relationship between empathy deficits and sex crime for various types of victims. This study also analyses the positive effect that psychological treatment could have on empathy. For this purpose, 118 non-sex offenders were compared on an adapted version of Rape Empathy Measure to 39 treated rapists and 34 untreated rapists. Results show that the untreated rapists have lower empathy levels than non-sex offenders. Nevertheless, the treated rapists scored higher on empathy than the other two groups assessed, untreated rapists and non-sex offenders. Lastly, some suggestions are provided for future research in terms of the assessment of empathy and other factors related to sexual aggression.     

MCMI-II borderline personality disorder in anorexia and bulimia nervosa

The aim of the present study is to explore the MCMI-II personality style and MCMI-II possible disorder of borderline personality (BPD) in various groups of women. 93 patients-31 anorexia nervosa restricting subtype (ANr), 31 anorexia nervosa binge-eating/purging subtype (ANp), and 31 bulimia nervosa purging subtype (BNp); 31 women at high risk for eating disorder or symptomatic control group (S-CG) and 31 without known pathology or not symptomatic control group (NS-CG)-completed the Spanish version of the MCMI-II. The results revealed: (1) clinically significant borderline personality traits [74>Base Rate (BR) <85]: 16.1% ANr, 12.9% ANp, and 45.2% BNp versus 3.2% of the S-CG and none of the NS-CG; (2) possible disorder (BR>84): 29% ANr, 41.9% ANp and 29% BNp. According to the MCM-II, women with BNp displayed more BPD traits than possible disorder (though these were more severe). However, the probability of a possible disorder was higher in ANp (more disorders than traits).     

Variables that predict academic achievement in the Spanish compulsory secondary educational system: a longitudinal, multi-level analysis

This article presents a study whose objective was to identify certain personal and institutional variables that are associated with academic achievement among Spanish, secondary school students, and to analyze their influence on the progress of those students over the course of that stage of their education. In order to do this, a longitudinal, multi-level study was conducted in which a total of 965 students and 27 different schools were evaluated in Language, Math and Social Science at three different times (beginning, middle and end of the period). The results show progress in all the schools and in all areas. As for the personal, student variables, the longitudinal, HLM analyses confirmed the importance of sex and sociocultural background and, distinguishing it from other studies, also the predictive capacity of meta-cognitive abilities and learning strategies on success in school. On the institutional level, the school climate and teachers' expectations of their students were the most relevant of the variables studied. The size of the school, the percentage of students who repeat grades, and the leadership of the administration also explained a portion of the variance in some areas.     

A longitudinal study of temperament in infancy: stability and convergence of measures

This study analyzed the stability of individual differences in temperament and the convergence between two kinds of measures used to assess temperament: maternal report (IBQ and TBAQ), and laboratory measures. Sixty children were assessed at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age and their mothers' reports were collected at the same time. Mothers' perceptions of their children's temperament showed high stability across the range of children's ages. In laboratory, however, moderate stability was found only for the period between 9 and 12 months. Convergence between laboratory and maternal report measures was found at 6 and 12 months. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

N. R. Hanson and von Uexküll: A Biosemiotic and Evolutionary Account of Theories

Journal for General Philosophy of Science - This paper proposes a biosemiotic conception of theories, as non-intentional organic theories, which is based on an analysis and comparison of...     

Rigidity,instability and dimensionality

The paper takes a detailed look at a surprising new aspect of the dynamics of rigid bodies. Far from the usual consideration of rigid body theory as a merely technical chapter of classical physics, I demonstrate here that there are solutions to the conservation equations of mechanics that imply the spontaneous, unpredictable splitting of a rigid body in free rotation, something that has direct implications for the problem of causality. The paper also shows that the instability revealed in indeterminist splitting processes does not depend solely on the bodies’ inertial properties but also on the number of dimensions of the physical space they inhabit. The paper concludes with a conjecture on the behavior of rigid bodies in four-dimensional space.     

Zeno and flow of information

Although the current literature on supertasks concentrates largely on their supposed physical implications (extending the tradition of Zeno’s classical paradoxes of movement), in this study I propose a new model of supertask that explores for the first time some of their information-related consequences and I defend these consequences from a possible criticism.