title: Application of generalizability theory to evaluate the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale and distinguish between enduring and dynamic distress

authors: Yan, Vivienne Yu-X.

abstract: Objectives: Nowadays, the number of older people is increasing rapidly, both in absolute figures and as a proportion of the population, which makes the maintenance of psychological well-being among aging population imperative. Neuropsychological distress may promote cognitive impairment and impact on the health of older people, which makes accurate assessment of distress an important clinical and research issue. The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10) is a widely used instrument used to measure individual distress. However, the ability of K-10 to distinguish between enduring and dynamic distress symptoms, and the generalizability of its scores, have not been investigated in older populations using appropriate methodology. Method: Generalizability theory (G-theory) was applied to differentiate enduring and dynamic distress and examine the reliability of K-10 in a sample of 201 adults (43% males) aged 70 to 90 years old who participated in Sydney Memory and Ageing Study. The data were collected biennially over ten years. Results: The K-10 scale showed strong reliability (Ga=0.81, Gr=0.89) in assessing enduring distress and its assessment scores were generalizable across occasions and older adults. Most of distress symptoms represented by K-10 items were enduring. Limitations: Generalizability of these findings may be limited to older adults. Conclusions: The K-10 appears more suitable to evaluate enduring distress in aging populations over time, which is important for interventions targeting older adults’ mental health given its scores will likely capture enduring changes in neuropsychological health before and after interventions.

text: Application of generalizability theory to evaluate the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale and distinguish between enduring and dynamic distress Objectives: Nowadays, the number of older people is increasing rapidly, both in absolute figures and as a proportion of the population, which makes the maintenance of psychological well-being among aging population imperative. Neuropsychological distress may promote cognitive impairment and impact on the health of older people, which makes accurate assessment of distress an important clinical and research issue. The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10) is a widely used instrument used to measure individual distress. However, the ability of K-10 to distinguish between enduring and dynamic distress symptoms, and the generalizability of its scores, have not been investigated in older populations using appropriate methodology. Method: Generalizability theory (G-theory) was applied to differentiate enduring and dynamic distress and examine the reliability of K-10 in a sample of 201 adults (43% males) aged 70 to 90 years old who participated in Sydney Memory and Ageing Study. The data were collected biennially over ten years. Results: The K-10 scale showed strong reliability (Ga=0.81, Gr=0.89) in assessing enduring distress and its assessment scores were generalizable across occasions and older adults. Most of distress symptoms represented by K-10 items were enduring. Limitations: Generalizability of these findings may be limited to older adults. Conclusions: The K-10 appears more suitable to evaluate enduring distress in aging populations over time, which is important for interventions targeting older adults’ mental health given its scores will likely capture enduring changes in neuropsychological health before and after interventions.

year: 2023-12-01

title: Boat electrofishing survey of common smelt and common bullies in the Ohau Channel

authors: Brijs, Jeroen

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: We conducted a boat electrofishing survey of the Ohau Channel, which flows from Lake Rotorua to Lake Rotoiti, on 13 December 2007. The purpose of the survey was to investigate the longitudinal pattern in densities of common smelt (Retropinna retropinna) and common bullies (Gobiomorphus cotidianus) along the Ohau Channel. We caught 1,267 fish comprising three native fish species and two introduced fish species in 1.58 km of fished distance at a total of 10 sites. Native species caught were the common smelt, common bully and longfinned eel (Anguilla dieffenbachii) and introduced species were rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and goldfish (Carassius auratus). Assuming that the bow-mounted anodes effectively fished a 4 m swath then the total area fished was 6,328 m2 (0.632 ha). 
Common smelt densities varied among the 10 different sites in the Ohau Channel ranging from 0 to 10.6 fish 100 m-2. Smelt density was higher at the upstream end of the channel near the weir at the Lake Rotorua outlet, decreasing with increasing distance from the weir. Smelt were found in the littoral zones but were not caught in mid-channel habitats. In the upstream reaches of the Ohau Channel, directly below the weir, a high number of juveniles (4.4 fish 100 m-2) were captured compared to the amount of juveniles captured at the other sites (0 – 1.2 fish 100 m-2).
Common bully densities varied among the 10 different sites in the Ohau Channel ranging from 0.2 to 58.3 fish 100 m-2. No longitudinal pattern in the distribution of common bullies was evident along the channel. The highest densities were found halfway along the Ohau Channel where there was an abundance of dense macrophyte beds. Common bully densities were found to be much higher in the edge habitats with macrophyte beds compared to the mid-channel habitats and the willow edge habitat where there were relatively low densities. Size frequency data shows that there is generally a higher proportion of small bullies than larger ones suggesting that recruitment is occurring.
Both adult and juvenile rainbow trout were observed in the Ohau Channel. Most of these individuals were found in the upstream section of the channel below the weir and ranged from a 75 mm juvenile to a fully grown adult about 500 mm long. Large longfinned eels were also captured and were only found in the downstream section of the Ohau Channel in willow-dominated edges. In the bottom third section of the channel, near the possible artificial embayment, goldfish were present.

text: Boat electrofishing survey of common smelt and common bullies in the Ohau Channel We conducted a boat electrofishing survey of the Ohau Channel, which flows from Lake Rotorua to Lake Rotoiti, on 13 December 2007. The purpose of the survey was to investigate the longitudinal pattern in densities of common smelt (Retropinna retropinna) and common bullies (Gobiomorphus cotidianus) along the Ohau Channel. We caught 1,267 fish comprising three native fish species and two introduced fish species in 1.58 km of fished distance at a total of 10 sites. Native species caught were the common smelt, common bully and longfinned eel (Anguilla dieffenbachii) and introduced species were rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and goldfish (Carassius auratus). Assuming that the bow-mounted anodes effectively fished a 4 m swath then the total area fished was 6,328 m2 (0.632 ha). 
Common smelt densities varied among the 10 different sites in the Ohau Channel ranging from 0 to 10.6 fish 100 m-2. Smelt density was higher at the upstream end of the channel near the weir at the Lake Rotorua outlet, decreasing with increasing distance from the weir. Smelt were found in the littoral zones but were not caught in mid-channel habitats. In the upstream reaches of the Ohau Channel, directly below the weir, a high number of juveniles (4.4 fish 100 m-2) were captured compared to the amount of juveniles captured at the other sites (0 – 1.2 fish 100 m-2).
Common bully densities varied among the 10 different sites in the Ohau Channel ranging from 0.2 to 58.3 fish 100 m-2. No longitudinal pattern in the distribution of common bullies was evident along the channel. The highest densities were found halfway along the Ohau Channel where there was an abundance of dense macrophyte beds. Common bully densities were found to be much higher in the edge habitats with macrophyte beds compared to the mid-channel habitats and the willow edge habitat where there were relatively low densities. Size frequency data shows that there is generally a higher proportion of small bullies than larger ones suggesting that recruitment is occurring.
Both adult and juvenile rainbow trout were observed in the Ohau Channel. Most of these individuals were found in the upstream section of the channel below the weir and ranged from a 75 mm juvenile to a fully grown adult about 500 mm long. Large longfinned eels were also captured and were only found in the downstream section of the Ohau Channel in willow-dominated edges. In the bottom third section of the channel, near the possible artificial embayment, goldfish were present.

year: 2008

title: Te rima tekau ngahurutanga o Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato

authors: Dixon, Ngahuia

subjects: Tohu mātauranga

abstract: E te Whare Wānanga o Waikato – te tohu o te mātauranga, tēnā koe.  Tēnā koe i roto i tō rima tekau tau ngahurutanga.  Kua pakeke haere koe.  Kua tau atu koe ki tērā kaumātuatanga nō reira me mihi ka tika.  He hōnore nui tēnei mōu ake i te mea nāu te moana o mātauranga i roto o Waikato i tuku kia rere, kia pari, ka rere anō.  He wai marino ēnei i ētehi wā, he rehutai i ētehi atu,  he wā anō ka karekare, ka haruru rānei i te pai o te rere o āu mahi.  Ahakoa ēnei huringa o ngā awa o te wā, kei te rere tonu te moana nei, me ōna pikonga ki uru, ki rāwhiti, ki tonga, ki raki rānei, arā ki ngā pito katoa o te ao.  He mātauranga ēnei i tukuna e koe kia pīoioi i te ao.  Hei aha - hei whakawhānui ki te mātatoru o te tangata, he aha kei ō whare kōrero, hei whakakīkī haere i ā rātou kete mātauranga, ahakoa Māori, tauiwi huri noa.  Koinei ngā korowai mō ngā manu i kai i te mātauranga nāu i rumaki.   Ināianei arā te kōrero:

Nō rātou, nō mātou, nō tātou te ao 

E kore e mimiti ēnei huarahi tautoko āu, - nā mēnā ka tūwhera tonu tō ngākau ki ngā kete kōrero, mātauranga āku ake a ngāi-Māori, kei hea mai tō mana.

text: Te rima tekau ngahurutanga o Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato E te Whare Wānanga o Waikato – te tohu o te mātauranga, tēnā koe.  Tēnā koe i roto i tō rima tekau tau ngahurutanga.  Kua pakeke haere koe.  Kua tau atu koe ki tērā kaumātuatanga nō reira me mihi ka tika.  He hōnore nui tēnei mōu ake i te mea nāu te moana o mātauranga i roto o Waikato i tuku kia rere, kia pari, ka rere anō.  He wai marino ēnei i ētehi wā, he rehutai i ētehi atu,  he wā anō ka karekare, ka haruru rānei i te pai o te rere o āu mahi.  Ahakoa ēnei huringa o ngā awa o te wā, kei te rere tonu te moana nei, me ōna pikonga ki uru, ki rāwhiti, ki tonga, ki raki rānei, arā ki ngā pito katoa o te ao.  He mātauranga ēnei i tukuna e koe kia pīoioi i te ao.  Hei aha - hei whakawhānui ki te mātatoru o te tangata, he aha kei ō whare kōrero, hei whakakīkī haere i ā rātou kete mātauranga, ahakoa Māori, tauiwi huri noa.  Koinei ngā korowai mō ngā manu i kai i te mātauranga nāu i rumaki.   Ināianei arā te kōrero:

Nō rātou, nō mātou, nō tātou te ao 

E kore e mimiti ēnei huarahi tautoko āu, - nā mēnā ka tūwhera tonu tō ngākau ki ngā kete kōrero, mātauranga āku ake a ngāi-Māori, kei hea mai tō mana.

year: 2016