Multidimensional adaptive testing with constraints on test content

The case of adaptive testing under a multidimensional response model with large numbers of constraints on the content of the test is addressed. The items in the test are selected using a shadow test approach. The 0–1 linear programming model that assembles the shadow tests maximizes posterior expected Kullback-Leibler information in the test. The procedure is illustrated for five different cases of multidimensionality. These cases differ in (a) the numbers of ability dimensions that are intentional or should be considered as nuisance dimensions and (b) whether the test should or should not display a simple structure with respect to the intentional ability dimensions.     

Temporal processing and phonological impairment in dyslexia: effect of phoneme lengthening on order judgment of two consonants

The evidence of supporting phonological deficit as a cause of developmental dyslexia has been accumulating rapidly over the past 2 decades, yet the exact mechanisms underlying this deficit remain controversial. Some authors assume that a temporal processing deficit is the source of the phonological disorder observed in dyslexic children. Others maintain that the phonological deficit in dyslexia is basically linguistic, not acoustic, in nature. Three experiments were conducted and tested the impact of the temporal alteration and the impact of complex syllabic structure on consonant order judgments. Thirteen phonological dyslexics (age 10-13) and 10 controls matched for chronologial age were compared on a Temporal Order Judgment (TOJ) task using the succession of two consonants (/p/ /s/) within a cluster. In order to test the possible relevance of the temporal deficit hypothesis, the task also included two additional conditions where either the two stimuli were artificially slowed or two phonological structures were opposed (CCV and CVCV). As expected, the TOJ performance was significantly poorer in dyslexics than in controls. Moreover, in the "slowed speech" condition dyslexics' performance improved to reach the normal controls' level, whereas manipulating the phonological structure complexity provided no significant improvement. Finally dyslexics' performances, especially on the slowed condition, were found correlated with several tests of phonological processing. These results lend support to the general temporal deficit theory of dyslexia.     

DNA-sequence patenting: National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) position paper

In November 2000, the Genetic Services Committee of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) convened a working group to draft a position paper on patenting of DNA-sequences. The mandate of the group was to produce general position statements that support the perspective and needs of consumers of DNA-based genetic tests and therapies (our patients and their families) and participants in DNA-based genetic research. After review and discussion of the literature on DNA-sequence patenting issues, the working group drafted position statement points that support current United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) guidelines; broad licensing of DNA-sequence patents; nonenforcement of DNA-sequence patents in noncommercial research; reasonable royalty rates; an informed consent process for research participants that discloses whether they can share in any financial rewards relating to the project; the development of guidelines for licensing of DNA-sequence patents; and the establishment of oversight organizations to monitor licensing of DNA-sequence patents. These position statements were approved by the NSGC Board of Directors in the fall of 2001.     

Factors Influencing Men's Interest in Gene Testing for Prostate Cancer Susceptibility

Interest in genetic testing for inherited cancer susceptibility is high in the general population. Women at risk for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations represent the best-studied population undergoing genetic testing for cancer susceptibility. However, it is unclear whether factors influencing interest in genetic testing in women are directly applicable to men. We designed a study to examine factors associated with men's interest in genetic testing to identify prostate cancer susceptibility. Our sample consisted of 267 men present in waiting rooms of a urology clinic in an urban area. We examined whether the concept of monitoring could be used to predict the interest of men in a genetic test for prostate cancer susceptibility. Our results indicated that monitoring trait was positively associated with interest in genetic testing in these men, but principally for patients rather than nonpatients. Moreover we found that monitoring was associated with over estimation of risk in those men with prostate cancer. Other factors found to influence interest in genetic testing included recommendation by a doctor, family history of prostate cancer, and cost. This study indicated that interest in genetic testing and estimation of risk is influenced by a complex interaction between both psychological factors (monitoring) and nonbehavioral factors (such as patient status, cost, and doctor recommendation).     

Early and late mismatch negativity elicited by words and speech-like stimuli in children

In auditory perception the brain's attentional and preattentional mechanisms select certain stimuli for preferential processing and filter out irrelevant input. This study investigated nonattentive auditory processing in children. Event-related potentials (ERPs) provide a means to study neural correlates related to language and speech-sound processing. Mismatch negativity (MMN) is an ERP wave that indicates attention-independent perceptual change detection. In this study cortical ERPs were elicited by complex tones, naturally spoken words, and pseudowords, with each stimulus type containing equal acoustical elements. Tones elicited a bifurcated mismatch negativity (MMN), with early MMN (peaking at 150-200 ms) being more dominant. On the other hand, words elicited a strong late MMN, peaking at about 400-450 ms after stimulus onset. The MMN wave form was significantly weaker for pseudowords than for words. The late MMN wave, especially for word differences, was found to reflect summating MMN generators and memory trace formation on gestalt bases. Results suggest that the auditory processing, even nonattended, is highly associated with the cognitive meaning of the stimuli.     

In search of the “Rescue Personality”. A questionnaire study with emergency medical services personnel

The construct of the “Rescue Personality” as claimed by Mitchell (1983) in the course of Critical Incident Stress Debriefing was investigated in a sample of 173 Emergency Medical Services (EMSs) personnel. As hypothesized EMS personnel scored lower on neuroticism and openness but higher on conscientiousness and risk and competition seeking compared with a norm sample. By contrast, EMS personnel showed lower scores for agreeableness and no differences for extraversion. Duration of EMS service was not associated with personality except for extraversion preliminarily supporting a predisposition model. Furthermore, EMS volunteers did not differ from EMS professionals regarding personality, again except for extraversion. These results provide first evidence for most of Mitchell’s assumptions concerning the “Rescue Personality”. Implications for vocational choice, prevention and crisis intervention are discussed.     

First-principles investigation of bowing parameter in zinc-blende ScxGa1−xN

Helium generated in materials by the nuclear reaction (n,?α) is generally considered to be harmful. It is well-known that helium prompts not only the nucleation of interstitial-type dislocation loops, but also the nucleation of voids in metals and alloys irradiated with high-energy particles, which degrades their mechanical properties. In this study, however, we find that helium trapped by dislocations in Ni increases both the ultimate tensile strength and total elongation.     

Some new features of interface roughening dynamics in paper-wetting experiments

Some new observations concerning the spatial-temporal dynamics of selfaffine interfaces formed in paper-wetting experiments are reported. We find that the motion of the wet front in a porous medium has a stepwise nature. The height of the wetted area, as a function of time, displays a Devil's-staircase-like behaviour with scaling exponent delta, whereas the front width oscillates erratically with time. These erratic oscillations possess a statistical self-affine invariance in time with the scaling exponent chi, which is found to be equal to the growth exponent beta. We also note that the values of chi, beta and delta, as well as the interface roughness (Hurst) exponent H vary from one experiment to another in wide ranges, and that their distributions obey a normal distribution. The mean values of all the exponents are dependent on the paper structure, but not on the environmental conditions. Furthermore, we find that the mean value of beta depends on the interface front orientation with respect to the fibre direction in the paper, whereas the mean values of H and delta do not depend on it.     

2008 Revision of the Chinese Code of Ethical Use of Psychological Tests and Its Implementation Status

In response to the rapidly increasing application and abuse of psychological tests in China, the Psychometrics Division of the Chinese Psychological Society published the 2008 revisions of the Chinese Code of Ethical Use of Psychological Tests. We investigated the implementation status of the code 2½ years after its promulgation. Sample included 284 psychological professionals and psychology graduate students. The average accuracy rate for the appropriate use of psychological tests was 67.1% (range = 25.5–97.5%), with 10 items having accuracy rates below 45%. Participants remained uncertain about the clients' rights to information about the purpose, psychometric properties, and scores of the tests. The most frequent violations involved “using psychological tests without psychometric information for entertainment purposes” and “using SCL-90 to measure mental health of normal people.”     

When a product takes on characteristics of the person who created it: Sometimes it sounds sweeter

We investigated when consumers' judgments about a product reflect information about its product source (the person who creates the product). Three experiments manipulated congruence between the source's gender and the gender-typing of the source's product. When congruent with expectations (a male conductor played male-typed music), pre-trial source information had the same effect on post-trial product judgments as when source information was absent. Incongruence (a female conductor played male-typed music) distorted product attribute judgments when the source's competence was questioned. Her music was judged to be more delicate, less powerful and worse quality than his. This process of product experience being assimilated into incompetence stereotypes required minimal cognitive resources. When the incongruent source was undoubtedly competent, the amount of experiential evidence about an attribute influenced distortion. Consumers judged powerful music as powerful regardless of conductor gender, but, lacking much evidence about its delicacy, judged hers as more delicate than his. The selective effect of source gender information reflects consumers' cognitively effortful hypothesis testing of beliefs that gender expresses itself in a person's output against experiential evidence.