Getting a deeper understanding of mindfulness in the context of eating behavior: Development and validation of the Mindful Eating Inventory.

PURPOSE: Current research supports the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for maladaptive eating behaviors associated with obesity and eating disorders. To investigate potential underlying mechanisms at work, reliable and valid instruments that allow for an exhaustive assessment of the context-specific construct Mindful Eating (ME) are needed. Therefore, the current work aimed to develop a comprehensive inventory reflecting a wide range of ME attitudes and behaviors: The Mindful Eating Inventory (MEI). METHODS & RESULTS: Study 1 describes the item pool development for an initial version of the MEI comprising various steps (compilation of items, expert ratings, focus groups and think aloud protocols by laypersons). Within Study 2, the factor structure of this initial version was explored in an online sample of N = 828 participants and the item pool was shortened via a sequential process based on statistical and content-related considerations. Exploratory factor analyses yielded a seven-factor structure. This structure could be confirmed within Study 3 on an independent online sample of N = 612 participants using confirmatory factor analysis. Criterion validity was supported by hypotheses-confirming correlations with eating-specific and global health-relevant outcomes. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that the MEI is a valid and reliable (in terms of internal consistency and retest-reliability) tool, which allows for a comprehensive assessment of various ME attitudes and behaviors within one parsimonious inventory. It further enabled us to propose a so far missing, initial scientific operational definition of this eating-specific construct, that may help to advance future research and clinical application by clarifying mechanisms of action.

Hidden framings and hidden asymmetries in the measurement of personality--A combined lens-model and frame-of-reference perspective.

OBJECTIVE: The symmetry principle and the frame-of-reference perspective have each made contributions to improving the measurement of personality. Although each perspective is valuable in its own right, we argue that even greater improvement can be achieved through the combination of both. Therefore, the goal of the current article was to show the value of a combined lens-model and frame-of-reference perspective. METHOD: We conducted a literature review to summarize relevant research findings that shed light on the interplay of both perspectives and developed an integrative model. RESULTS: Based on the literature review and on theoretical grounds, we argue that a basic premise of the frame-of-reference literature--that personality items are open to interpretation and allow individuals to impose their own contextual framings--should be considered from a symmetry perspective. Unintended context-specificity in items may "spread" to personality facets and domains, and thus, impact the symmetry of personality measures with other criteria. As the individuals´ frames-of-reference and (a)symmetric relationships are not always apparent, we term them as "hidden." CONCLUSIONS: The proposed combination of lens-model and frame-of-reference perspectives provides further insights into current issues in personality research and uncovers important avenues for future research.

Experimental Observation and Computational Analysis of Striations in Electronegative Capacitively Coupled Radio-Frequency Plasmas.

Self-organized spatial structures in the light emission from the ion-ion capacitive rf plasma of a strongly electronegative gas (CF_{4}) are observed experimentally for the first time. Their formation is analyzed and understood based on particle-based kinetic simulations. These "striations" are found to be generated by the resonance between the driving radio frequency and the eigenfrequency of the ion-ion plasma (derived from an analytical model) that establishes a modulation of the electric field, the ion densities, as well as the energy gain and loss processes of electrons in the plasma. The growth of the instability is followed by the numerical simulations.

Phase behavior of lysozyme solutions in the liquid-liquid phase coexistence region at high hydrostatic pressures.

We present results from small-angle X-ray scattering and turbidity measurements on the effect of high hydrostatic pressure on the phase behavior of dense lysozyme solutions in the liquid-liquid phase separation region, and characterize the underlying intermolecular protein-protein interactions as a function of temperature and pressure under charge-screening conditions (0.5 M NaCl). A reentrant liquid-liquid phase separation region is observed at elevated pressures, which may originate in the pressure dependence of the solvent-mediated protein-protein interaction. A temperature-pressure-concentration phase diagram was constructed for highly concentrated lysozyme solutions over a wide range of temperatures, pressures and protein concentrations including the critical region of the liquid-liquid miscibility gap.

Reentrant liquid-liquid phase separation in protein solutions at elevated hydrostatic pressures.

We present results from small-angle x-ray scattering data on the effect of high pressure on the phase behavior of dense lysozyme solutions in the liquid-liquid phase separation region, and characterize the underlying intermolecular protein-protein interactions as a function of temperature and pressure in this region of phase space. A reentrant liquid-liquid phase separation region has been discovered at elevated pressures, which originates in the pressure dependence of the solvent-mediated protein-protein interactions.

Specific anion effects on the pressure dependence of the protein-protein interaction potential.

We present a study on ion specific effects on the intermolecular interaction potential V(r) of dense protein solutions under high hydrostatic pressure conditions. Small-angle X-ray scattering in combination with a liquid-state theoretical approach was used to determine the effect of structure breaking/making salt anions (Cl(-), SO4(2-), PO4(3-)) on the intermolecular interaction of lysozyme molecules. It was found that besides the Debye-Hückel charge screening effect, reducing the repulsiveness of the interaction potential V(r) at low salt concentrations, a specific ion effect is observed at high salt concentrations for the multivalent kosmotropic anions, which modulates also the pressure dependence of the protein-protein interaction potential. Whereas sulfate and phosphate strongly influence the pressure dependence of V(r), chloride anions do not. The strong structure-making effect of the multivalent anions, dominating for the triply charged PO4(3-), renders the solution structure less bulk-water-like at high salt concentrations, which leads to an altered behavior of the pressure dependence of V(r). Hence, the particular structural properties of the salt solutions are able to influence the spatial organization and the intermolecular interactions of the proteins, in particular upon compression. These results are of interest for exploring the combined effects of ionic strength, temperature and pressure on the phase behavior of protein solutions, but may also be of relevance for understanding pressure effects on the hydration behavior of biological matter under extreme environmental conditions.

Quality of life and predictors of long-term outcome after severe burn injury.

The aim of this study was to identify the long-term quality of life after severe burn injury. In a prospective longitudinal design, N = 265 burn patients were examined 6, 12, 24, and 36 months after burn injury. A multilevel approach was used to measure stability and change in self-reported health status. Besides injury-related variables, self-report instruments included measures of quality of life, psychological distress, personality, and specific burn outcome measures. Fitting of unconditional growth models indicated that there was significant intra- and inter-individual variation in self-reported physical and mental health short form-12. Over the course of 3 years, participants reported on average a slight improvement of physical quality of life. Physical health was mainly predicted by mobility and level of burn severity. Variance in mental health status was mainly predicted by gender, mobility, neuroticism, level of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-related avoidance. Thus mobility (i.e., simple abilities) seems a crucial variable for overall quality of life. An early identification and treatment of patients with high levels of depression and PTSD-related avoidance may contribute to better mental health.

[Long-term effects of a cognitive-behavioral intervention on pain coping among inpatient orthopedic rehabilitation of chronic low back pain and depressive symptoms]. / Langfristige Effekte einer kognitiv-behavioralen Intervention auf die Schmerzverarbeitung in der stationären orthopädischen Rehabilitation von chronisch unspezifischem Rückenschmerz und Depressivität.

Beneficial effects on psychological measures in orthopedic inpatient rehabilitation of patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) and co-exist-ing depressive symptoms have been shown only for multidisciplinary approaches that incorporate psychotherapeutic interventions. Aim of this study was to verify these findings for pain coping outcomes (pain-related psychological disability, pain-related coping). Short-, mid-, and long-term effects of a standard pain management program that was either solely provided or combined with a supplemental cognitive-behavioral depression management were examined in a consecutive sample of n=84. Patients in both groups showed long-term beneficial effects in pain coping measures. Thus, the standard rehabilitation revealed specific and long-term effects on pain coping. However, further evidence suggests that diagnosis-specific psychotherapeutic treatment elements are required to improve psychological symptoms.

Uncovering Hidden Framings in Dark Triad Self-Ratings: What Frames-of-Reference Do People Use When Responding to Generic Dark Triad Items?

In typical Dark Triad (DT) questionnaires, generic items oftentimes refer to "others" or "people" in general. Hence, respondents have to mentally aggregate their behavior across several kinds of "others" (e.g., work colleagues, family members, and friends). It remains unknown if individuals consider different kinds of interaction partners equally or if their self-reports contain "hidden" interaction partner-specific tendencies. To shed light on this issue, we assessed generic and contextualized DT items (referring to family, friends, work, and strangers; N = 814 from the general population). The correlated trait-correlated (method - 1) model was used to investigate preregistered research questions. On average, generic DT items showed the strongest association with work-contextualized DT items and the weakest association with family-contextualized DT items. However, the associations varied considerably across DT items and traits. In sum, our results suggest that hidden framings exist in some DT items, which may impact their ability to predict relevant criteria due to contextual (a)symmetries. The generalizability of the findings to other DT instruments, items, and participant groups should be examined in future research.

Domain-Specific Greed.

Greed, the insatiable and excessive desire and striving for more even at the expense of others, may be directed toward various goods. In this article, we propose that greed may be conceptualized as a domain-specific construct. Based on a literature review and an expert survey, we identified 10 domains of greed which we operationalized with the DOmain-SPEcific Greed (DOSPEG) questionnaire. In Study 1 (N = 725), we found support for the proposed structure and convergent validity with related constructs. Bifactor-(S-1) models revealed that generic greed is differentially related to the greed domains, indicating that generic greed primarily captures a striving for money and material things. In the second study (N = 591), we found that greed domains had incremental validity beyond generic greed with regard to corresponding criteria assessed via self- and other-reports. We conclude that greed can be conceptualized as a domain-specific construct and propose an onion model reflecting this structure.

Mind the context-The relevance of personality for face-to-face and computer-mediated communication.

A large body of research has examined the link between personality and face-to-face (FtF) communication knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs). With the rise of digital media, text-based computer-mediated (CM) communication KSAOs have gained increasing attention. We conducted two studies to investigate how personality relates to KSAOs in the different contexts of FtF and CM communication. Contrasting perspectives hypothesize that the results in the FtF and CM contexts would be very similar or distinctly different. In Study 1 (n = 454), an online panel study, the Big Five personality dimensions were assessed and their relationships to FtF and CM communication KSAOs were investigated. Structural equation models and relative weight regression analyses showed that these personality dimensions, mostly extraversion and neuroticism, explained more variance in FtF as compared to CM communication KSAOs. Study 2 (n = 173), conducted in a laboratory context, showed similar results compared to Study 1. In addition, when the Big Five personality dimensions were assessed with a CM frame of reference, more variance was explained in CM than in FtF communication KSAOs. These results point to the importance of considering context effects in communication and in personality research: FtF and CM communication KSAOs need to be differentiated. If not properly contextualized, the relevance of personality and communication competencies in predicting criteria may be underestimated due to contextual mismatches.

Effectiveness and equity evaluation of an insurance-wide telephone-counseling program for self-management of chronic diseases: The Health Coach Study.

Trajectories of chronic illnesses depend on patient socioeconomic status (SES). This study examines main and equity effects (age, gender, education, region of residence) of a brief telephone self-management intervention on self-rated health and depressive symptoms of health insurance clients with chronic illnesses. Randomized invitation design (n = 2628) with predominantly male (82%) older individuals (modal age = 65-74) with one or more chronic illnesses. Primary outcomes: Self-rated health and depressive symptoms. Intervention: Brief CBT-based telephone counseling. Propensity score matching was used to equate intervention and control groups (n = 1314 pairs). Change score models were used to analyze changes in health-related outcome measures. The intervention resulted in improvements in self-rated health (d = .37) and fewer depressive symptoms (d = .17) over 4 and 6 months. There were comparable effects across education and regions, but younger and female participants profited more from the intervention compared with older and male participants. A brief telephone-based intervention led to improved self-rated health and well-being in a large sample of participants with chronic health conditions. This effect was observed over and above regular medical care. The intervention was equitable with respect to education and region, but not age and gender.

Relative calibration of a retarding field energy analyzer sensor array for spatially resolved measurements of the ion flux and ion energy in low temperature plasmas.

A calibration routine is presented for an array of retarding field energy analyzer (RFEA) sensors distributed across a planar electrode surface with a diameter of 450 mm that is exposed to a low temperature plasma. Such an array is used to measure the ion velocity distribution function at the electrode with radial and azimuthal resolutions as a basis for knowledge-based plasma process development. The presented calibration procedure is tested by exposing such an RFEA array to a large-area capacitively coupled argon plasma driven by two frequencies (13.56 and 27.12 MHz) at a gas pressure of 0.5 Pa. Up to 12 sensors are calibrated with respect to the 13th sensor, called the global reference sensor, by systematically varying the sensor positions across the array. The results show that the uncalibrated radial and azimuthal ion flux profiles are incorrect. The obtained profiles are different depending on the sensor arrangement and exhibit different radial and azimuthal behaviors. Based on the proposed calibration routine, the ion flux profiles can be corrected and a meaningful interpretation of the measured data is possible. The calibration factors are almost independent of the external process parameters, namely, input power, gas pressure, and gas mixture, investigated under large-area single-frequency capacitively coupled plasma conditions (27.12 MHz). Thus, mean calibration factors are determined based on 45 different process conditions and can be used independent of the plasma conditions. The temporal stability of the calibration factors is found to be limited, i.e., the calibration must be repeated periodically.

Resonant sheath heating in weakly magnetized capacitively coupled plasmas due to electron-cyclotron motion.

An electron heating mechanism based on a resonance between the cyclotron motion of electrons and the radio frequency sheath oscillations is reported in weakly magnetized capacitively coupled plasmas at low pressure. If half of the electron cyclotron period coincides with the radio frequency period, then electrons will coherently collide with the expanding sheath and gain substantial energy, which enhances the plasma density. A relation between the magnetic field and the driving frequency is found to characterize this resonance effect and the kinetics of electrons are revealed at resonance conditions for various driving frequencies.

Factors contributing to symptom change in standardized and individualized Internet-based interventions for depression: A randomized-controlled trial.

Research suggests 4 categories of outcome predictors in face-to-face therapy (i.e., treatment expectations, extratherapeutic factors, relationship factors, and factors specific to a treatment approach/technique). However, it is unclear whether these factors are relevant in standardized and individualized Internet-based interventions. To investigate this question, a secondary analysis of data from 1,089 mildly to moderately depressed adults undergoing 6 weeks of cognitive-behavioral Internet-based intervention for depression randomized to receive either weekly written feedback individualized by a counselor or automated and fully standardized feedback was performed. The following variables corresponding to the 4 categories were tested regarding associations with depressive symptom change during multiple treatment periods within a multigroup structural equation model: (a) outcome expectations, (b) extratherapeutic stressors and stress change during treatment, (c) midtreatment working alliance (task/goal and bond), and (d) uptake of treatment-specific components (logins and specific tool use). Results suggest similar regressive associations across treatment conditions: Previous symptom change was the most important predictor for subsequent symptom developments. Stress at baseline and the uptake of specific treatment components only played a minor role, and stronger task/goal ratings were associated with later symptom improvements. Early symptom improvements predicted stronger midtreatment task/goal and bond ratings, whereas only stronger task/goal ratings were associated with later symptom improvements. Outcome expectations were only indirectly related with symptom change mediated through goal/task ratings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Effects of the Ion to Growth Flux Ratio on the Constitution and Mechanical Properties of Cr1-x-Alx-N Thin Films.

Cr-Al-N thin film materials libraries were synthesized by combinatorial reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS). Different HiPIMS repetition frequencies and peak power densities were applied altering the ion to growth flux ratio. Moreover, time-resolved ion energy distribution functions were measured with a retarding field energy analyzer (RFEA). The plasma properties were measured during the growth of films with different compositions within the materials library and correlated to the resulting film properties such as phase, grain size, texture, indentation modulus, indentation hardness, and residual stress. The influence of the ion to growth flux ratio on the film properties was most significant for films with high Al-content (xAl = 50 at. %). X-ray diffraction with a 2D detector revealed hcp-AlN precipitation starting from Al-concentration xAl ≥ 50 at. %. This precipitation might be related to the kinetically enhanced adatom mobility for a high ratio of ions per deposited atoms, leading to strong intermixing of the deposited species. A structure zone transition, induced by composition and flux ratio JI/JG, from zone T to zone Ic structure was observed which hints toward the conclusion that the combination of increasing flux ratio and Al-concentration lead to opposing trends regarding the increase in homologous temperature.

Disrupting the spatio-temporal symmetry of the electron dynamics in atmospheric pressure plasmas by voltage waveform tailoring.

Single frequency, geometrically symmetric Radio-Frequency (rf) driven atmospheric pressure plasmas exhibit temporally and spatially symmetric patterns of electron heating, and consequently, charged particle densities and fluxes. Using a combination of phase-resolved optical emission spectroscopy and kinetic plasma simulations, we demonstrate that tailored voltage waveforms consisting of multiple rf harmonics induce targeted disruption of these symmetries. This confines the electron heating to small regions of time and space and enables the electron energy distribution function to be tailored.

Bifactor Models for Predicting Criteria by General and Specific Factors: Problems of Nonidentifiability and Alternative Solutions.

The bifactor model is a widely applied model to analyze general and specific abilities. Extensions of bifactor models additionally include criterion variables. In such extended bifactor models, the general and specific factors can be correlated with criterion variables. Moreover, the influence of general and specific factors on criterion variables can be scrutinized in latent multiple regression models that are built on bifactor measurement models. This study employs an extended bifactor model to predict mathematics and English grades by three facets of intelligence (number series, verbal analogies, and unfolding). We show that, if the observed variables do not differ in their loadings, extended bifactor models are not identified and not applicable. Moreover, we reveal that standard errors of regression weights in extended bifactor models can be very large and, thus, lead to invalid conclusions. A formal proof of the nonidentification is presented. Subsequently, we suggest alternative approaches for predicting criterion variables by general and specific factors. In particular, we illustrate how (1) composite ability factors can be defined in extended first-order factor models and (2) how bifactor(S-1) models can be applied. The differences between first-order factor models and bifactor(S-1) models for predicting criterion variables are discussed in detail and illustrated with the empirical example.

Antibodies under pressure: A Small-Angle X-ray Scattering study of Immunoglobulin G under high hydrostatic pressure.

In the present work two subclasses of the human antibody Immunoglobulin G (IgG) have been investigated by Small-Angle X-ray Scattering under high hydrostatic pressures up to 5kbar. It is shown that IgG adopts a symmetric T-shape in solution which differs significantly from available crystal structures. Moreover, high-pressure experiments verify the high stability of the IgG molecule. It is not unfolded by hydrostatic pressures of up to 5kbar but a slight increase of the radius of gyration was observed at elevated pressures.

Power supply and impedance matching to drive technological radio-frequency plasmas with customized voltage waveforms.

We present a novel radio-frequency (RF) power supply and impedance matching to drive technological plasmas with customized voltage waveforms. It is based on a system of phase-locked RF generators that output single frequency voltage waveforms corresponding to multiple consecutive harmonics of a fundamental frequency. These signals are matched individually and combined to drive a RF plasma. Electrical filters are used to prevent parasitic interactions between the matching branches. By adjusting the harmonics' phases and voltage amplitudes individually, any voltage waveform can be approximated as a customized finite Fourier series. This RF supply system is easily adaptable to any technological plasma for industrial applications and allows the commercial utilization of process optimization based on voltage waveform tailoring for the first time. Here, this system is tested on a capacitive discharge based on three consecutive harmonics of 13.56 MHz. According to the Electrical Asymmetry Effect, tuning the phases between the applied harmonics results in an electrical control of the DC self-bias and the mean ion energy at almost constant ion flux. A comparison with the reference case of an electrically asymmetric dual-frequency discharge reveals that the control range of the mean ion energy can be significantly enlarged by using more than two consecutive harmonics.