Surface and Subsurface Quality Assessment of Polished Lu2O3 Single Crystal Using Quasi-Brewster Angle Technique

The sesquioxide Lu2O3 single crystal has attracted tremendous attention as potential host material for high-power solid-state lasers. As polishing is the terminal process of conventional ultra-precision machining, the quality of polished crystal directly impacts the crucial performance indicators of optics. The high melting point of Lu2O3 single crystal makes crystal preparation difficult. Therefore, investigations on the surface/subsurface quality inspection of polished Lu2O3 single crystal are scarce. In this paper, we utilize the quasi-Brewster angle technique (qBAT) based on ellipsometry to inspect the quality of polished Lu2O3 single crystal, achieving fast, non-destructive, and high-sensitive surface/subsurface damage assessment. A systematic crystal processing scheme is designed and polished Lu2O3 crystal samples are obtained. To verify the results of qBAT, the surface and subsurface quality are tested using optical profilometer and transmission electron microscope, respectively. The consistency of the test results demonstrates the feasibility, high sensitivity, and accuracy of the qBAT. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the qBAT is applied to investigate the polished surface/subsurface quality of Lu2O3 single crystal. In conclusion, this method provides a powerful approach to the high-precision characterization of the surface/subsurface quality of Lu2O3 single crystal, and has significant potential for material property study and process optimization during ultra-precision machining.

Sty in the Mind’s Eye: A Meta-Analytic Investigation of the Nomological Network and Internal Consistency of the “Reading the Mind in the Eyes” Test

The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) is the most popular adult measure of individual differences in theory of mind. We present a meta-analytic investigation of the test’s psychometric properties ( k = 119 effect sizes, 61 studies, ntotal = 8,611 persons). Using random effects models, we found the internal consistency of the test was acceptable (α = .73). However, the RMET was more strongly related with emotion perception ( r = .33, ρ = .48) relative to alternative theory of mind measures ( r = .29, ρ = .39), and weakly to moderately related with vocabulary ( r = .25, ρ = .32), cognitive empathy ( r = .14, ρ = .20), and affective empathy ( r = .13, ρ = .19). Overall, we conclude that the RMET operates rather as emotion perception measure than as theory of mind measure, challenging the interpretation of RMET results.

Rockwell hardness unmanned precision metering calibration device

Based on the concept and technology of precision metering and intelligent metering, this research combines high-precision force loading technology, indentation measurement technology, automatic control technology and robot technology. An unmanned precise measurement and calibration device for Rockwell hardness is designed and developed. The design scheme and research results are given. The test results show a high measurement accuracy of the device, and it has obvious advantages in the standardization and consistency of the test process. The completion of this device has made a great breakthrough in the work of hardness measurement and calibration and provided a good direction for the development of other parameter unmanned precision measurement and calibration.

Perception of Dating Violence in Teenage Couples: A Cross Validation Study in Spain and Colombia

Background: dating violence, or violence in teenage couples, is a socially interesting topic, due to its prevalence and its possible use in predicting violence in adult couples. The perception of violence, or the detection of abusive behaviors by teenagers and young people (which can be considered as equivalent concepts), is essential to prevent violence itself. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to determine which behaviors are identified as abusive by teenagers and young people, and the severity that they attribute to them—meaning how they perceive them. Moreover, we will be able to determine whether there are differences between boys and girls in two countries: Spain and Colombia. Methods: for this study, we used two samples from both countries, with a total of 389 teenagers (50.9% females and 49.1% males) who were, on average, 16.56 years old (SD = 1.94 years). We analyzed the factorial invariance depending on sex and country of the sample and the different profiles of violence perception. Results: we found evidence of the internal validity of the questionnaire for what concerns the perception of inter-partner violence. The results point out that the perception of violence in the relationship is composed of two factors related to each other (Multiple and Emotional Abuse), which are invariant depending of sex and country of origin of the sample. The internal consistency of the test is adequate (>0.90). The analysis of the violence perception profiles indicates that Spanish teenagers have a higher perception of it, and, also, that girls hold a higher perception than boys. Conclusions: the results of this research have shown how dating violence (or violence in teenage couples) is differentially perceived not only between genders, but also across cultural contexts. Moreover, these outcomes may enhance the development of possible evidence-based interventions approaching the social problem generated by violence in teenage couples.

A Density-Based Empirical Likelihood Ratio Approach for Goodness-of-fit Tests in Decreasing Densities

In this paper, we propose a test for the null hypothesis that a decreasing density function belongs to a givenparametric family of distribution functions against the non-parametric alternative. This method, which is based on an empirical likelihood (EL) ratio statistic, is similar to the test introduced by Vexler and Gurevich [23]. The consistency of the test statistic proposed is derived under the null and alternative hypotheses. A simulation study is conducted to inspect the power of the proposed test under various decreasing alternatives. In each scenario, the critical region of the test is obtained using a Monte Carlo technique. The applicability of the proposed test in practice is demonstrated through a few real data examples.

Two-sample statistics based on anisotropic kernels

The paper introduces a new kernel-based Maximum Mean Discrepancy (MMD) statistic for measuring the distance between two distributions given finitely many multivariate samples. When the distributions are locally low-dimensional, the proposed test can be made more powerful to distinguish certain alternatives by incorporating local covariance matrices and constructing an anisotropic kernel. The kernel matrix is asymmetric; it computes the affinity between $n$ data points and a set of $n_R$ reference points, where $n_R$ can be drastically smaller than $n$. While the proposed statistic can be viewed as a special class of Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Space MMD, the consistency of the test is proved, under mild assumptions of the kernel, as long as $\|p-q\| \sqrt{n} \to \infty $, and a finite-sample lower bound of the testing power is obtained. Applications to flow cytometry and diffusion MRI datasets are demonstrated, which motivate the proposed approach to compare distributions.

High-Fidelity Microsurgical Simulation: The Thiel Cadaveric Nerve Model and Evaluation Instrument

With surgical education moving from a time-based to a competency-based model, developing high-fidelity simulation models has become a priority. The Thiel cadaveric model has previously been used for a number of medical and surgical simulations, including microvascular simulation. We aim to investigate the use of the Thiel model in peripheral nerve simulation and validate a novel evaluation instrument. Sixteen residents ranging from postgraduate years 1 to 6 participated in the study. Their nerve coaptations using Thiel cadaveric nerves were video recorded and evaluated by 5 fellowship-trained microsurgeons using the Micro-Neurorrhaphy Evaluation Scale (MNES). The intraclass correlation among the 5 evaluators was 0.75, revealing excellent interrater reliability. The Cronbach α was .77, underlining the internal consistency of the test items. Bivariate analysis revealed a significant association between the MNES scores and the participants’ self-declared level of experience. This correlation was confirmed by mixed modeling. Our results validate the MNES and underscore the utility of the Thiel nerve tissue for peripheral nerve surgical simulation.

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE CONTENT VALIDITY OF A VIETNAMESE STANDARDIZED TEST OF ENGLISH PROFICIENCY (VSTEP.3-5) READING TEST

This paper investigated the content validity of a Vietnamese Standardized Test of English Proficiency (VSTEP.3-5) Reading test via both qualitative and quantitative methods. The aim of the study is to evaluate the relevance and the coverage of the content in this test compared with the description in the test specification and the actual performance of examinees. With the content analysis provided by three testing experts using Bachman and Palmer’s 1996 framework and test score analysis, the study results in a relatively high consistency of the test content with the test design framework and the test takers’ performance. These findings help confirm the content validity of the specific investigated test paper. However, a need for content review is raised from the research as some problems have been revealed from the analysis.

A Nonparametric Statistical Approach to Content Analysis of Items

In order to use psychometric instruments to assess a multidimensional construct, we may decompose it into dimensions and, in order to assess each dimension, develop a set of items, so one may assess the construct as a whole, by assessing its dimensions. In this scenario, content analysis of items aims to verify if the developed items are assessing the dimension they are supposed to by requesting the judgement of specialists in the studied construct about the dimension that the developed items assess. This paper aims to develop a nonparametric statistical approach based on the Cochran’s Q test to analyse the content of items in order to present a practical method to assess the consistency of the content analysis process; this is achieved by the development of a statistical test that seeks to determine if all the specialists have the same capability to judge the items. A simulation study is conducted to check the consistency of the test and it is applied to a real validation process.

Controlled deterioration test and use of the Seed Vigor Imaging System (SVIS ® ) to evaluate the physiological potential of crambe seeds

Vigor tests are important tools for verifying the physiological potential of seed lots; however, various aspects can interfere in the consistency of the test results. The search for less subjective procedures has drawn the interest of researchers. The aim of this study was to adapt the methodology of the controlled deterioration test and verify the efficiency of the Seed Vigor Imaging System (SVIS ® ) to evaluate the vigor of crambe seeds. Initially, seed moisture content was determined and germination and vigor were evaluated in five seed lots. For the controlled deterioration test, the seed moisture content was adjusted to 18%, 20%, and 22%, and the results were interpreted at four and five days after sowing. The controlled deterioration test should be performed with initial adjustment of seed moisture content to 18%, and the germination test should be evaluated on the fifth day after sowing. SVIS ® provided information on the vigor index and the length and uniformity of seedling development. Computerized image analysis is effective in evaluating the vigor of crambe seeds, and the uniformity of seedling development parameter offers the most consistent data.