The exploration of the subnuclear world is done through increasingly complex experiments covering a wide range of energy and performed in a large variety of environments ranging from particle accelerators, underground detectors to satellites and the space laboratory. The achievement of these research programs calls for novel techniques, new materials and instrumentation to be used in detectors, often of large scale. Therefore, fundamental physics is at the forefront of technological advance and also leads to many applications. Among these, are the progresses from space experiments whose results allow the understanding of the cosmic environment, of the origin and evolution of the universe after the Big Bang.

The exploration of the subnuclear world is done through increasingly complex experiments covering a wide range of energy and performed in a large variety of environments ranging from particle accelerators, underground detectors to satellites and the space laboratory. Among recent advances one has to indicate, for instance, first results obtained from space and LHC experiments and progress done in preparation of the latter experiments upgrades, including plans for the LHC machine upgrade. The achievement of these research programs calls for novel techniques, new materials and instrumentation to be used in detectors, often of large scale. Therefore, fundamental physics is at the forefront of technological advance and also leads to many applications. Among these, medical applications have a particular importance due to health and social benefits they bring to the public.

Often, educational and psychological measurement instruments must be translated from one language to another when they are administered to different cultural groups. The translation process often necessarily introduces measurement inequivalence. Therefore, an examination may be said to be culturally biased if the test provides a consistent advantage to one particular race or culture through the manner in which the test items are written. One-thousand American and one-thousand one hundred thirty-four Japanese examinees participating in a scuba diving certification course completed a standardized criterion mastery test for certification. Differential Functioning of Items and Tests (DFIT) proposed by Raju, van der Linden, and Fleer (1995) was used to detect Differential Item and Test Functioning (DIF/DTF). Results from the study support the idea that the translation process contributed little to the cause/explanation for DIF/DTF. Another possible and more influential cause of DIF/DTF was due to individual differences in teaching and leadership styles by Instructors from America and Japan.