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Background: Cardiovascular events are known to be the leading cause of death among on-duty firefighters. Implementing fitness standards may help reduce the incidence of cardiovascular deaths; however, standards vary between firefighter type and states. We aimed to investigate the rate of cardiovascular events among firefighters across states. Methods: Using publicly available data from the United States Fire Administration, we explored the rates of cardiovascular deaths between firefighter type (e.g., career, volunteer, and wildland) and state. Specifically, we examined rates of cardiovascular deaths between California and Tennessee, which have fitness standards for all firefighters, and New York, which does not have fitness standards for volunteer firefighters. We used descriptive statistics and trend analysis to examine the data. Findings: Most cardiovascular events occur among volunteer firefighters (60.6%, n = 877). Volunteer firefighters had 7.5 (95% CI = [4.8, 11.7], p <.001) greater odds of cardiovascular events compared to wildland firefighters, who had the lowest incidence of cardiovascular events (1.7%, n = 24). New York reported the most cardiovascular events (n = 161), primarily among volunteer firefighters (73.9%, n = 119). After the passage of legislation mandating fitness standards in California, a downtrend in the number of volunteer firefighter fatalities is observed. However, a null effect was observed in Tennessee after the passage of similar fitness standards as in California. Conclusions/Applications to Practice: Volunteer firefighters are significantly more likely to die of a cardiovascular event than career and wildland firefighters, both of which have stricter fitness standards. However, the effect of legislation mandating stricter fitness standards among volunteers did not produce a clear benefit for preventing fatalities. Nurses need to promote cardiovascular health among volunteer firefighters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accuracy of performance validity tests (PVTs) with culturally diverse populations has increasingly been questioned. High false positive rates have been found in some PVTs in culturally and linguistically diverse individuals within the U.S. and internationally. No study to date has investigated the accuracy of PVTs with Chinese-speaking immigrants (CSI) in the U.S. The current study aimed to evaluate two PVTs, the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) and Dot Counting Test (DCT), to determine their accuracy in a community sample of CSI with limited English proficiency. These two measures were used in a simulation design, contrasting 52 participants who were instructed to respond honestly to 22 participants instructed to feign incompetency to stand trial. Results demonstrated the scores of TOMM Trial 1 and Trial 2 were effective in classifying honest responders from simulators, whereas the DCT E-score did not differentiate the groups better than chance. However, false positive rates for the TOMM Trial 1, Trial 2, and the DCT E-score were relatively low. Only one honest responder (1.9%) was classified as exerting insufficient effort in TOMM Trial 1 and DCT E-score, and the TOMM Trial 2 did not misclassify any honest responders. Implications and cautionary statements are provided and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along with ongoing research on the WAIS-R, short forms of the WAIS-III have attracted much attention. However, few studies of WAIS-III short forms are based on normal samples or on the validation of estimated indexes. This study examined the utility of two seven-subtest short forms in 81 healthy young adults in Taiwan with the administration of the WAIS-III (Chinese version). Participants were recruited from three high schools and one university. Comparison of both the IQs and indexes from full administration and short forms was investigated extensively by using six different criteria. Results supported the utility of the seven-subtest short form, which includes Information, Arithmetic, Similarity, Digit Span, Picture Completion, Matrix Reasoning, and Digit Symbol. This short form can be used to estimate Full Scale IQ Verbal IQ Performance IQ Verbal Comprehension Index, and Working Memory Index in young adults. Thus the study was a cross-validation of the seven-subtest short form used in clinical settings. In addition, from a cross-cultural perspective, it was also a validation of the seven-subtest short forms of the WAIS-III (Chinese version). (Contains 5 tables.)

This paper reports an initial study investigating the relations of paranormal beliefs with religiosity in a Chinese sample, as well as the development of a Chinese version of the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale and a test of its psychometric properties with 310 college students (5.5% Christians, 21.3% Buddhists, 61% believers in traditional Chinese religions, and 12% atheists). The reliability and validity of the Chinese version were satisfactory. In general, traditional Chinese religious believers had higher scores on paranormal belief than did Christians and atheists, and the mean total score of the Chinese participants was higher than previously reported in a Western sample. It was concluded that the greater involvement of practitioners of traditional Chinese religions in activities emphasizing paranormal experiences might contribute to their greater paranormal belief, especially as compared to the minority Christian group. The results are consistent with the idea that Christianity may offer the least support for paranormal belief. DOI: 10.2466/08.09.17.PR0.107.5.367-382

The importance of the separation-individuation process in object relations theory is well known in disciplines of psychology, counseling, and human development. Based on the Separation-Individuation Inventory of Christenson and Wilson, which measures the manifestations of disturbances in this process, a Chinese version of the inventory was developed. For college students Cronbach coefficient alpha was .89, and test-retest reliability over 28 days was .77. The scores of the inventory had positive correlations with both the number of borderline personality characteristics and the Individualism-Collectivism Scale, respectively. Also, the mean score on the inventory of patients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder was significantly higher than that of the two normal control groups (ns=564). Thus the inventory possessed satisfactory construct validity. Cultural differences regarding the separation-individuation process need to be investigated further.