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Latent profile analysis (LPA) identifies heterogeneous subgroups based on continuous indicators that represent different dimensions. It is a common practice to measure each dimension using items, create composite or factor scores for each dimension, and use these scores as indicators of profiles in LPA. In this case, measurement models for dimensions are not included and potential noninvariance across latent profiles is not modeled in LPA. This simulation study examined the robustness of LPA in terms of class enumeration and parameter recovery when the noninvariance was unmodeled by using composite or factor scores as profile indicators. Results showed that correct class enumeration rates of LPA were relatively high with small degree of noninvariance, large class separation, large sample size, and equal proportions. Severe bias in profile indicator mean difference was observed with intercept and loading noninvariance, respectively. Implications for applied researchers are discussed.

Increase in individualism and a coinciding increase in anxiety among Chinese youth propelled our inquiry on Chinese college students' self-construals and their anxiety. We surveyed 335 Chinese college students (females: n = 229; 68.4%) aged 18-24 (M = 19.30, SD = 1.16) on their self-construals and anxiety. We found that the students scored similarly on interdependent self-construal and independent self-construal, but independent self-construal predicted lower anxiety score ([beta] = -0.28, p < 0.05), while interdependent self-construal did not ([beta] = -0.01, p = 0.86). Findings were discussed within China's higher education context where competition is encouraged and celebrated.

A simulation study was conducted to examine the efficacy of nine frequently-used HOV tests, including Levene's tests with squared residuals and with absolute residuals, Brown and Forsythe (BF) test, Bootstrap BF test, O'Brien test, Z-variance test, Box-Scheffé (BS) test, Bartlett test, and Pseudo jackknife test under comprehensive simulation conditions. The results indicate that O'Brien, Levene's with squared deviations, BS, BF, and Bootstrap BF tests had adequate Type I error control, especially for O'Brien test and Levene's test with squared deviations. Under conditions of adequately controlling for Type I error, BF and Bootstrap BF tests had consistently higher power estimates across simulation conditions. Practical recommendations of guidelines for HOV test selection in factorial ANOVA designs are presented in the paper.

Collectivism remains a dominant force in the Chinese society and schooling is a process to instill collectivistic values in the students, although there has been a noticeable increase in individualistic orientation among Chinese youth. Because China's meritocratic educational system endorses high individualism to enhance academic competitiveness and performance, the Chinese educational system is contradictorily both collectivistic and individualistic. Within meritocratic educational systems, academic performance influences students' psychosocial adjustment. However, the role of students' individualistic orientation and collectivistic orientation on their psychosocial adjustment and the role of them on the link between academic performance and psychosocial adjustment are not well understood. To address this issue, we obtained survey data from 1003 6-12th grade Chinese students on their academic performance, individualistic orientation, collectivistic orientation, and psychosocial adjustment (i.e., self-esteem, anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, peer relations, and parent-child relationship quality). Results showed the students' academic performance scores predicted scores for all five psychosocial adjustment subscales in expected directions; higher collectivistic orientation scores predicted lower depression scores, higher parent-child relationship quality scores and peer relation scores, while higher individualistic orientation scores predicted higher self-esteem scores and higher depression scores. Finally, the influence of academic performance on anxiety symptoms was moderated by the students' individualistic orientation.

To test whether adoption differentially benefited adopted youth's behavioral health, 243 female American youth who were adopted from China were compared with 234 non-adopted American peers, and 955 non-adopted Chinese peers living in China on four composite scales: School Problems, Internalizing Problems, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Personal Adjustment. The adopted youth were from high socioeconomic status (SES) families, while the two comparison groups were from average SES families. Self-report data were collected with the third edition of the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC-3). Effect sizes showed that the adopted youth outperformed their non-adopted American and Chinese peers. Latent mean comparison using Mplus 8 showed that, controlling for age difference, the adopted youth's advantages over the comparison groups in some subscales dissipated. These findings were explained with possible compensating effects afforded by growing up in high SES adoptive environment, as well as on children's differential susceptibility to the benefit of intervention.

We tested the reliability and construct validity of a Chinese translation of one of the forms of the Behavior Assessment System for Children (3rd Edition)--Self-Report of Personality for adolescent 11- to 21-year olds (BASC-3-SRP-A). The BASC-3-SRP-A yields 16 subscales that form four composite scales. Data were obtained from 444 12- to 14-year olds (Group 1; girls: 59.0%) and 759 15- to 18-year olds (Group 2; girls: 69.2%). For both groups, Cronbach's alphas for most of the 16 subscales were higher than 0.70 and were higher than 0.83 for the four composite scales. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using Mplus 8 on the combined sample yielded support for the construct validity of the Chinese translation of the BASC-3-SRP-A. Findings support the use of BASC-3-SRP-A among Chinese youth.

A simulation study was conducted to examine the efficacy of nine frequently-used HOV tests, including Levene's tests with squared residuals and with absolute residuals, Brown and Forsythe (BF) test, Bootstrap BF test, O'Brien test, Z-variance test, Box-Scheffé (BS) test, Bartlett test, and Pseudo jackknife test under comprehensive simulation conditions. The results indicate that O'Brien, Levene's with squared deviations, BS, BF, and Bootstrap BF tests had adequate Type I error control, especially for O'Brien test and Levene's test with squared deviations. Under conditions of adequately controlling for Type I error, BF and Bootstrap BF tests had consistently higher power estimates across simulation conditions. Practical recommendations of guidelines for HOV test selection in factorial ANOVA designs are presented in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latent profile analysis (LPA) identifies heterogeneous subgroups based on continuous indicators that represent different dimensions. It is a common practice to measure each dimension using items, create composite or factor scores for each dimension, and use these scores as indicators of profiles in LPA. In this case, measurement models for dimensions are not included and potential noninvariance across latent profiles is not modeled in LPA. This simulation study examined the robustness of LPA in terms of class enumeration and parameter recovery when the noninvariance was unmodeled by using composite or factor scores as profile indicators. Results showed that correct class enumeration rates of LPA were relatively high with small degree of noninvariance, large class separation, large sample size, and equal proportions. Severe bias in profile indicator mean difference was observed with intercept and loading noninvariance, respectively. Implications for applied researchers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we used results from two studies to show the need to go beyond linguistic equivalence to establish construct validity and measurement invariance in cross‐cultural research. Study 1 examined Rosenberg Self‐Esteem (RSE; 10 items) data from 156 Mainland Chinese youth (M = 13.8 years, SD =.53) and 213 Chinese‐American youth (M = 13.6 years, SD = 2.1) from high socioeconomic status (SES) families. The Chinese translation of the RSE has been widely used. Study 2 included 1060 Mainland Chinese youth (M = 15.6 years, SD = 2.3) and 412 racially diverse American youth (M = 16.0, SD = 2.9) from all SES backgrounds. Data were collected with the third and newest edition of the Behavioural Assessment System for Children‐Self Report of Personality (BASC‐3‐SRP; 189 items). We translated and back‐translated the BASC‐3‐SRP between English and Chinese to establish linguistic equivalence. All participants were females. Study 1 showed that the RSE had acceptable internal consistency but lacked construct validity. Study 2 showed that the original and the translated BASC‐3‐SRP had good internal consistency and construct validity, but nine of its 16 subscales lacked measurement invariance. These results highlight measurement issues facing international and cross‐cultural research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To test whether adoption differentially benefited adopted youth's behavioral health, 243 female American youth who were adopted from China were compared with 234 non-adopted American peers, and 955 non-adopted Chinese peers living in China on four composite scales: School Problems, Internalizing Problems, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Personal Adjustment. The adopted youth were from high socioeconomic status (SES) families, while the two comparison groups were from average SES families. Self-report data were collected with the third edition of the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC-3). Effect sizes showed that the adopted youth outperformed their non-adopted American and Chinese peers. Latent mean comparison using Mplus 8 showed that, controlling for age difference, the adopted youth's advantages over the comparison groups in some subscales dissipated. These findings were explained with possible compensating effects afforded by growing up in high SES adoptive environment, as well as on children's differential susceptibility to the benefit of intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tested the reliability and construct validity of a Chinese translation of one of the forms of the Behavior Assessment System for Children (3rd Edition)–Self-Report of Personality for adolescent 11- to 21-year olds (BASC-3-SRP-A). The BASC-3-SRP-A yields 16 subscales that form four composite scales. Data were obtained from 444 12- to 14-year olds (Group 1; girls: 59.0%) and 759 15- to 18-year olds (Group 2; girls: 69.2%). For both groups, Cronbach's alphas for most of the 16 subscales were higher than.70 and were higher than.83 for the four composite scales. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using Mplus 8 on the combined sample yielded support for the construct validity of the Chinese translation of the BASC-3-SRP-A. Findings support the use of BASC-3-SRP-A among Chinese youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effect of circRNA&#95;005647 on fibrotic phenotype of mouse cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) and explore its mechanism., Methods: We used an angiotensin Ⅱ (Ang-Ⅱ) capsule pump (daily dose of 1.46 mg/kg for 2 weeks) to establish a mouse model of myocardial fibrosis in C57BL/6 mice. Masson staining was used to detect myocardial fibrosis in the myocardium. The expression of circRNA&#95;005647 in the myocardium of Ang-Ⅱ-infused mice and in Ang-Ⅱ-treated CFs were detected with real-time PCR. Actinomycin D and RNase R exonuclease digestion were used to test the stability of circRNA&#95;005647 in mouse CFs. Over- expression of circRNA&#95;005647 was achieved in the CFs by infecting the cells with a recombinant circRNA&#95;005647 adenovirus (rAd-circRNA&#95;005647), and the expressions of Col1a1, Col3a1 and Acta2 were detected in the cells with real-time PCR and Western blotting. Dual luciferase reporter assay, RNA antisense purification and RNA Pull down assay were performed to identify the interaction between circRNA&#95;005647 and miR-27b-3p., Results: CircRNA&#95;005647 was up- regulated in the myocardium of Ang-Ⅱ- infused mice and in Ang-Ⅱ-treated mouse CFs ( P < 0.01). CircRNA&#95;005647 was more stable than its host gene Myosin IXA ( Myo9a ) in response to actinomycin D ( P < 0.01) and RNase R exonuclease treatment. The expressions of fibrosis-associated genes was down-regulated in the CFs over-expressing circRNA&#95; 005647 ( P < 0.05). Dual luciferase reporter assay, RNA antisense purification and RNA Pull down assay revealed the interaction between miR-27b-3p and circRNA&#95;005647. MiR-27b-3p obviously enhanced the fibrotic phenotype but reversed the inhibitory effect of circRNA&#95;005647 on the expression of fibrosis associated genes in the CFs ( P < 0.05)., Conclusions: CircRNA&#95;005647 is upregulated in cardiac fibrosis and inhibits the expression of fibrosis-related genes through sponging miR-27b-3p in mouse CFs.