Structure analysis of two-dimensional quasicrystals

Aperiodic materials, such as two-dimensional quasicrystalline structures, show characteristic elements in transmission electron microscopy images that are closely related to structure elements in the corresponding material. Although the arrangement of these structure elements fundamentally influences the properties of the two-dimensional quasicrystalline structures, it cannot be determined in a satisfactory way by conventional diffraction-based methods. We have developed an automated procedure for analysing images obtained by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The method, which is based on image processing, determines the two-dimensional arrangement of the characteristic features and enables subsequent statistical data analysis. It is illustrated with new tiling analyses of highly perfect decagonal Al-Co-Ni quasicrystals.     

Information search activity: An overview

IntroductionThis article exposes a brief history of information search models, from general and behavioural models to cognitive ones and presents recent theoretical advances in this research field.Literature findingsSince the beginning of 1990s, many theoretical models have tried to describe and predict the human behaviours involved in the information search tasks, and specifically when this activity is performed in computer systems. Some of these models elaborated by psychologists have attempted to infer the cognitive processes involved.DiscussionInformation search can be considered as a complex cognitive activity that involves various individual (cognitive, affective), contextual and social factors.ConclusionWe also suggest research issues to be developed in order to increase our knowledge in this area and we plead for further research on specific concepts depending on future and/or recent areas of interest.     

Juggling with bubbles in cylindrical ferrofluid foams

Monodisperse foams in long cylinders exhibit ordered spiral structures. We have made ferrofluid foams of this kind and find that they can be manipulated in a variety of ways by an external magnetic field. Effects include morphological changes, twisting of structures and size control in the bubble formation process. This offers a promising technique for the efficient transport, switching and combining of samples in fluidic networks, possibly on the microfluidic scale.     

Properties of Being in Heidegger’s Being and Time

Abstract

While it is well known that the early Heidegger distinguishes between different ‘kinds of being’ and identifies various ‘structures’ that compose them, there has been little discussion about what these kinds and structures of being are. This paper defends the ‘Property Thesis’, the position that kinds of being (and their structures) are properties of the entities that have them. I give two arguments for this thesis. The first is grounded in the fact that Heidegger refers to kinds and structures of being as ‘characteristics’ and ‘determinations’, which are just two different words for ‘properties’, in the broadest senses of these terms. The second argument is based on the fact that kinds and structures of being play three roles that properties are supposed to play: they account for similarities between things, they are what predicates express, and they are what abstract nouns refer to.     

Keeping track of what’s right

Abstract

In this paper, we argue that ordinary judgments about core normative topics purport to attribute stable, objective properties and relations. Our strategy is first to analyze the structures and practices characteristic of paradigmatically representational concepts such as concepts of objects and natural kinds. We identify three broad features that ground the representational purport of these concepts. We then argue that core normative concepts exhibit these same features.     

Approximant phases,phason planes and domain-boundary networks in Al−Ni−Rh alloys

Structurally complicated ξ′- and ξ-phases have been found, for the first time, in as-cast Al₇₃Ni₅Rh₂₂ and Al₇₅Ni₁₅Rh₁₀ alloys. The lattice parameters of these two phases were determined by means of electron diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HREM). These two phases have similar orthorhombic structures but with different lattice parameters of a?=?23.2?Å, b?=?16.4?Å, c?=?12.0?Å for the ξ′-phase and a?=?20.3?Å, b?=?16.4?Å, c?=?14.8?Å for the ξ-phase. A new two-dimensional domain-boundary network has also been observed in these two phases. Domain boundaries with normals closely parallel to the [001] direction are actually phason planes represented by a translation vector of r?=(1/2)a?+(1/2τ)c in the ξ′-phase and r=±(1/2τ²) a?+(τ/2)c in the ξ-phase, whereas the newly-found wide and zigzag boundaries perpendicular to the above set were attributed from the step-like boundary structures of domains related by a translation vector of r?=(1/τ)((1/2)a?+(1/2τ)c). The structural difference between the two types of planar faults is discussed.     

Neck formation processes of nanocrystalline silicon carbide: A tight-binding molecular dynamics study

Atomistic and electronic structures in the process of intergranular neck formation of nanocrystalline silicon carbide (SiC) have been investigated by a tight-binding molecular dynamics method. An order-N parallel algorithm is employed for efficient calculations of electronic energy and forces. We find that a defect-free neck is formed between SiC nanocrystals aligned along [112] axis at T     

Mechanical hysteresis due to microplasticity in alumina with microcracks

Abstract

Stress-strain hysteresis in alumina with microcracks has been investigated by a loading–unloading test in the microstrain range around 10 ^?4 While there remains a permanent strain after the initial loading, steady-state cyclic loading results in a single closed hysteresis loop with a symmetrical shape. Such a stabilized hysteresis loop is responsible for internal friction and can be attributed to the microplasticity associated with a forerunning phenomenon of fracture.     

Diminished heart rate complexity in adolescent girls: a sign of vulnerability to anxiety disorders?

Background and Objectives: Diminished heart rate variability has been found to be associated with high anxiety symptomatology. Since adolescence is the period of onset for many anxiety disorders, this study aimed to determine sex- and anxiety-related differences in heart rate variability and complexity in adolescents.

Methods: We created four groups according to sex and anxiety symptomatology: high-anxiety girls (n?=?24) and boys (n?=?25), and low-anxiety girls (n?=?22) and boys (n?=?24) and recorded their cardiac function while they performed regular school activities. A series of two-way (sex and anxiety) MANOVAs were performed on time domain variability, frequency domain variability, and non-linear complexity.

Results: We obtained no multivariate interaction effects between sex and anxiety, but highly anxious participants had lower heart rate variability than the low-anxiety group. Regarding sex, girls showed lower heart rate variability and complexity than boys.

Conclusions: The results suggest that adolescent girls have a less flexible cardiac system that could be a marker of the girls’ vulnerability to developing anxiety disorders.     

Kinetic study of static recrystallization in an Fe–Al–O ultra-fine-grained nanocomposite

A nearly abrupt coarsening of grains is observed in a newly developed Fe–Al–O ultra-fine-grained nanocomposite with a significant volume fraction (4%) of alumina nano-precipitates. The microstructure of the alloy was analysed in different states (as-received and annealed) by means of scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and hardness. The initial grain size 150–200 nm increases up to 50 μm during annealing 1000 °C/8 h and thereafter demonstrates saturation. A linear correlation between volume fraction of coarse grains and hardness was found. It was identified by TEM that alumina nano-precipitates stabilize the dislocation microstructure against recovery very effectively and the grain coarsening is due to fast growth of very few dislocation free grains. Thus, the observed grain coarsening has the attributes of static recrystallization.     

Using neural response properties to draw the distinction between modal and amodal representations

ABSTRACT

Barsalou has recently argued against the strategy of identifying amodal neural representations by using their cross-modal responses (i.e., their responses to stimuli from different modalities). I agree that there are indeed modal structures that satisfy this “cross-modal response” criterion (CM), such as distributed and conjunctive modal representations. However, I argue that we can distinguish between modal and amodal structures by looking into differences in their cross-modal responses. A component of a distributed cell assembly can be considered unimodal because its responses to stimuli from a given modality are stable, whereas its responses to stimuli from any other modality are not (i.e., these are lost within a short time, plausibly as a result of cell assembly dynamics). In turn, conjunctive modal representations, such as superior colliculus cells in charge of sensory integration, are multimodal because they have a stable response to stimuli from different modalities. Finally, some prefrontal cells constitute amodal representations because they exhibit what has been called ‘adaptive coding’. This implies that their responses to stimuli from any given modality can be lost when the context and task conditions are modified. We cannot assign them a modality because they have no stable relation with any input type.

Abbreviatons: CM: cross-modal response criterion; CCR: conjuntive cross-modal representations; fMRI: functional magnetic resonance imaging; MVPA: multivariate pattern analysis; pre-SMA: pre-supplementary motor area; PFC: prefrontal cortex; SC: superior colliculus; GWS: global workspace     

Blood and organ donation: health impact,prevalence, correlates,and interventions

Abstract

Objective: Without a supply of blood, health services could not meet their clinical needs. Similarly, organs for transplantation save and transform lives. Donations are acts of generosity that are traditionally seen as altruistic, and accordingly, interventions to recruit and retain blood and organ donors have focused on altruism. We review the predictors, prevalence and correlates of these two behaviours, how effective interventions have been, and draw common themes.

Design: Narrative review.

Results: We highlight that both recipients and donors benefit, and as such neither blood nor organ donation is purely altruistic. We also highlight health problems associated with both types of donation. In evaluating interventions, we highlight that a move to an opt-out policy for organ donation may not be the simple fix it is believed to be, and propose interventions to enhance the effectiveness of an opt-in policy (e.g. social media updates). We show that incentives, text messaging, feedback and a focus on prosocial emotions (e.g. ‘warm-glow’, ‘gratitude’) may be effective interventions for both blood and organ donation. Interventions designed to reduce fainting (e.g. water pre-loading) are also effective for blood donation.

Conclusions: We conclude that affect is key to understanding both types of donation and in designing effective interventions.     

Olympic athletes back to retirement: A qualitative longitudinal study

ObjectiveIn this qualitative longitudinal study we assess the retirement process of Olympic athletes. We aim to evaluate the influence that following a dual career or being exclusively focused on sport can have in this process. We compare athletes' prospective views before retirement (Torregrosa, Boixadós, Valiente, & Cruz, 2004) with their retrospective accounts ten years later. This allows us to assess athletes' accuracy in predicting the process and its outcomes in relation to the trajectory followed.DesignWe designed a qualitative longitudinal study (Epstein, 2002) conducting semi-structured interviews.MethodFifteen Olympic athletes were interviewed twice. Thematic analysis was performed on the qualitative data comparing prospective views and retrospective accounts of: (a) retirement planning, (b) voluntary termination, (c), multiple personal identities, (d) availability of social support, and (e) active coping strategies.ResultsTen athletes reported positive transitions related to their favorable approach to the five categories above. Most athletes reporting positive transitions followed dual careers (i.e., parallel or convergent trajectories). Five out of fifteen athletes reported unexpected difficulties in the transition. Four of these followed a linear trajectory during their sporting career. A clear view of retirement in the prospective interviews also facilitated retirement for an athlete following a linear trajectory. While a diffuse view of retirement in the prospective interview signaled future difficulties.ConclusionResults from this qualitative longitudinal study suggest that promoting dual careers in elite sport and working on the prospective view of retirement can facilitate retirement from elite sport and the transition to an alternative professional career.     

I'm worth more than you! Effects of reward interdependence on performance,cohesion, emotion and effort during team competition

ObjectivesTo examine the effects of reward structures on the performance of a motor task. To evaluate the effects of reward interdependence on performance, cohesion, emotion, and effort during intergroup (team) competition.DesignAn experimental design was used to compare the effects of reward interdependence (no, low, high) on performance of a strength and endurance task.MethodParticipants (N = 111) performed a 3-min handgrip task as a member of a team of four under three reward interdependence conditions (no; low, with an even split of prize money; high, with an uneven split of prize money) in head-to-head competitions against another team. Task performance was assessed using the cumulative force production total. Task-related cohesion, enjoyment, anxiety and effort were measured using self-report scales.ResultsPerformance was better with rewards than no reward, and better with high than low reward interdependence. Team cohesion was highest with low reward interdependence. Effort was greater with rewards than no reward. Anxiety and enjoyment did not vary among the reward conditions. Mediation analyses indicated that increased cohesion mediated improvements in performance from no reward to low reward interdependence conditions, and increased effort mediated improvements in performance from no reward to both low and high reward interdependence conditions.ConclusionPerformance of a simple physical task in team competition was facilitated by rewards, with optimal performance associated with unequal rewards (i.e., performance-related pay). The benefits of performing with rewards compared to no rewards were explained by increased cohesion and effort. Social interdependence theory can help explain performance of simple motor tasks during team-based competitions. The findings have implications for the pay structures adopted by sports teams.     

Social support from evaluative familiar persons – a buffer against stress? Preliminary evidence of neuroendocrine and psychological responses

ABSTRACT

Background and Objectives: Social support may have a stress-buffering effect when an individual is or could be negatively judged by others, but paradoxically may also exacerbate stress. The aim of our study was to examine these findings when social support was provided by a positive or negative evaluative audience composed of familiar and close others (teachers).

Design and Methods: 84 men were confronted with the Trier Social Stress Test for Groups through a 3 (negative, positive, no-audience) x?2 (familiar, unfamiliar) experimental design with four measurement points of cortisol levels and state anxiety. We also tested whether closeness with the committee members predicted these variables for the participants in the familiar conditions.

Results: Using both a frequentist and a Bayesian approach, familiarity and social support did not have stress-buffering effects (or merely anecdotal effects) on cortisol levels but buffered self-reported anxiety only for the participants faced with a supportive audience composed of familiar persons. Closeness with the experimenters was not a significant predictor of the stress responses.

Conclusions: Because these results are preliminary evidence, further investigations into the relations between support provider and recipient during evaluative tasks would be worthwhile to better explain opposing findings found in this growing literature.     

Premarital Counseling

Abstract

A number of different approaches to premarital counseling have been developed to better prepare couples for marriage. A variety of these of approaches will be described here, including those used in churchsettings, where the majority of premarital counseling is performed. A brief summary of the premarital counseling research will also be presented, including what research suggests are important ingredients to designing effective premarital counseling approaches.     

Reproducible research in sport and exercise psychology: The role of sample sizes

ObjectivesWe aim to introduce the discussion on the crisis of confidence to sport and exercise psychology. We focus on an important aspect of this debate, the impact of sample sizes, by assessing sample sizes within sport and exercise psychology. Researchers have argued that publications in psychological research contain numerous false-positive findings and inflated effect sizes due to small sample sizes.MethodWe analyse the four leading journals in sport and exercise psychology regarding sample sizes of all quantitative studies published in these journals between 2009 and 2013. Subsequently, we conduct power analyses.ResultsA substantial proportion of published studies does not have sufficient power to detect effect sizes typical for psychological research. Sample sizes and power vary between research designs. Although many correlational studies have adequate sample sizes, experimental studies are often underpowered to detect small-to-medium effects.ConclusionsAs sample sizes are small, research in sport and exercise psychology may suffer from false-positive results and inflated effect sizes, while at the same time failing to detect meaningful small effects. Larger sample sizes are warranted, particularly in experimental studies.     

A first HREM observation of the ordered carbon sublattice in a transition-metal carbide (VC1-x)

Abstract

The microstructure of long-range-ordered vanadium carbides based on V₆C₅ has been analysed by means of high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM). Lattice images have been produced by including in the objective-aperture superlattice spots associated with the ordered distribution of vacancies in the interstitial carbon sublattice of these substoichiometric compounds: ‘perfectly’ ordered structures have been imaged, and a direct discussion of the experimental micrographs is made in terms of positions of the vacancy-containing columns. This HREM study will soon be extended to theinvestigation of various kinds of planar defects within differently annealed specimens.     

Combining total laparoscopic hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with subcutaneous mastectomy in trans men: The effect on safety outcomes

Abstract

Background: Masculinizing mastectomy is the most requested gender affirming surgery (GAS) in trans men, followed by genital GAS. Mastectomy and total laparoscopic hysterectomy, with or without bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (TLH?±?BSO), can both be performed in one single operation session. However, data on complication rates of the combined procedure is scarce and no consensus exists on the preferred order of procedures.

Aims: To compare safety outcomes between mastectomy performed in a single procedure with those when performed in a combined procedure and assess whether the order of procedures matters when they are combined.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed of trans men who underwent masculinizing mastectomy with or without TLH?±?BSO in a combined session. The effects of the surgical procedure on complication and reoperation rate of the chest were assessed using logistic regression.

Results: In total, 480 trans men were included in the study. Of these, 212 patients underwent the combined procedure. The gynecological procedure was performed first in 152 (71.7%) patients. In the total sample, postoperative hematoma of the chest occurred in 11.3%; 16% in the combined versus 7.5% in the single mastectomy group (p?=?0.001). Reoperations due to hematoma of the chest were performed in 7.5% of all patients; 10.8% in the combined versus 4.9% in the single mastectomy group (p?=?0.017). The order of procedures in the combined group had no significant effect on postoperative hematoma of the chest (p?=?0.856), and reoperations (p?=?0.689).

Conclusion: Combining masculinizing mastectomy with TLH?±?BSO in one session was associated with significantly more hematoma and reoperations compared with separately performing mastectomy. This increased risk of complications after a combined procedure should be considered when deciding on surgical options. The order of procedures in a combined procedure did not have an effect on safety outcomes.     

Detention conditions’ impact on anxiety and depression levels of prisoners

IntroductionThe mortality rate in Portuguese prisons is the highest of the European Community. Two thirds of these deaths concern individuals in preventive detention, who have not yet faced trial.ObjectiveOur objective is to examine the impact of different detention conditions on the anxiety and depression rates of inmates. We predict that the anxiety and depression rates would be higher for inmates in preventive detention.ResultsResults have shown that the depression rates of inmates in open detention were the lowest. Depression rates were highest among inmates in preventive detention.DiscussionThe results do not allow us to confirm our hypothesis regarding anxiety rates. Considering our results, inmates in preventive detention seem to represent the most vulnerable population of the prison in relation to the two other groups.