The effect of extreme response and non-extreme response styles on testing measurement invariance

Extreme and non-extreme response styles (RSs) are prevalent in survey research using Likert-type scales. Their effects on measurement invariance (MI) in the context of confirmatory factor analysis are systematically investigated here via a Monte Carlo simulation study. Using the parameter estimates obtained from analyzing a 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study data set, a population model was constructed. Original and contaminated data with one of two RSs were generated and analyzed via multi-group confirmatory factor analysis with different constraints of MI. The results indicated that the detrimental effects of response style on MI have been underestimated. More specifically, these two RSs had a substantially negative impact on both model fit and parameter recovery, suggesting that the lack of MI between groups may have been caused by the RSs, not the measured factors of focal interest. Practical implications are provided to help practitioners to detect RSs and determine whether RSs are a serious threat to MI

Computer-Mediated Deception: Collective Language-action Cues as Stigmergic Signals for Computational Intelligence

Collective intelligence is easily observable in group-based or interpersonal pairwise interaction, and is enabled by environment-mediated stigmertic signals. Based on innate ability, human sensors not only sense and coordinate, but also tend to solve problems through these signals. This paper argues the efficacy of computational intelligence for adopting the collective language-action cues of human intelligence as stigmertic signals to differentiate deception. A study was conducted in synchronous computer-mediated communication environment with a dataset collected from 2014 to 2015. An online game was developed to examine the accuracy of certain language-action cues (signs), deceptive actors (agents) during pairwise interaction (environment). The result of a logistic regression analysis demonstrates the computational efficacy of collective language-action cues in differentiating and sensing deception in spontaneous communication. This study contributes to the computational modeling in adapting human intelligence as a base to attribute computer-mediated deception

Psychopaths Online: The Linguistic Traces of Psychopathy in Email, Text Messaging and Facebook

Individuals high in psychopathy are interpersonally manipulative, exhibit callous affect, and have criminal tendencies. The present study examines whether these attributes of psychopathy are correlated with linguistic patterns present in everyday online communication. Participants’ emails, SMS messages, and Facebook messages were collected and analyzed in relation to their scores on the Self-Report Psychopathy Test III. The findings suggest that psychopathic tendencies leave a trace in online discourse, and that different forms of online media sometimes moderate the association between a linguistic dimension and psychopathy scores. Consistent with previous studies and the emotional and interpersonal deficits central to psychopathy, participants higher in psychopathy showed more evidence of psychological distancing, wrote less comprehensible discourse, and produced more interpersonally hostile language. The results reveal that linguistic traces of psychopathy can be detected in online communication, and that those with higher traits of psychopathy fail to modify their language use across media types

Using Finite Mixture Modeling to Deal with Systematic Measurement Error: A Case Study

Conventional methods and analyses view measurement error as random. A scenario is presented where a variable was measured with systematic error. Mixture models with systematic parameter constraints were used to test hypotheses in the context of general linear models; this accommodated the heterogeneity arising due to systematic measurement error

The role of casein in supporting the operation of surface bound kinesin

Microtubules and associated motor proteins such as kinesin are envisioned for applications such as bioseparation and molecular sorting to powering hybrid synthetic mechanical devices. One of the challenges in realizing such systems is retaining motor functionality on device surfaces. Kinesin motors adsorbed onto glass surfaces lose their functionality or ability to interact with microtubules if not adsorbed with other supporting proteins. Casein, a milk protein, is commonly used in microtubule motility assays to preserve kinesin functionality. However, the mechanism responsible for this preservation of motor function is unknown. To study casein and kinesin interaction, a series of microtubule motility assays were performed where whole milk casein, or its αs1 and αs2, β or κ subunits, were introduced or omitted at various steps of the motility assay. In addition, a series of epifluorescence and total internal reflection microscopy (TIRF) experiments were conducted where fluorescently labeled casein was introduced at various steps of the motility assay to assess casein-casein and casein-glass binding dynamics. From these experiments it is concluded that casein forms a bi-layer which supports the operation of kinesin. The first tightly bound layer of casein mainly performs the function of anchoring the kinesin while the second more loosely bound layer of casein positions the head domain of the kinesin to more optimally interact with microtubules. Studies on individual casein subunits indicate that β casein was most effective in supporting kinesin functionality while κ casein was found to be least effective

“A Foot in Both Worlds":Institutionalizing Progressive Community-Engaged Research Centers within Universities

https://dornsife.usc.edu/assets/sites/242/docs/A-Foot-In-Both-Worlds-PCERCs-Report-PERE.pd

Stellar Gyroscope for Determining Attitude of a Spacecraft

A paper introduces the concept of a stellar gyroscope, currently at an early stage of development, for determining the attitude or spin axis, and spin rate of a spacecraft. Like star trackers, which are commercially available, a stellar gyroscope would capture and process images of stars to determine the orientation of a spacecraft in celestial coordinates. Star trackers utilize chargecoupled devices as image detectors and are capable of tracking attitudes at spin rates of no more than a few degrees per second and update rates typically <5 Hz. In contrast, a stellar gyroscope would utilize an activepixel sensor as an image detector and would be capable of tracking attitude at a slew rate as high as 50 deg/s, with an update rate as high as 200 Hz. Moreover, a stellar gyroscope would be capable of measuring a slew rate up to 420 deg/s. Whereas a Sun sensor and a three-axis mechanical gyroscope are typically needed to complement a star tracker, a stellar gyroscope would function without them; consequently, the mass, power consumption, and mechanical complexity of an attitude-determination system could be reduced considerably

American Piano Quartet

A performance by the American Piano Quartet.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/music_programs/1217/thumbnail.jp