Effects of self–other decision-making on time-based intertemporal choice

The effects of self–other decision-making on intertemporal choice have been revealed in many studies using a monetary outcome. However, the outcome of intertemporal choice is not restricted to money; time is also a scarce and nonrenewable resource outcome. Thus, we conducted a series of experiments to address the effects of self–other decision-making on time-based intertemporal choice, a type of intertemporal choice that uses time as an outcome. Over the course of three experiments, differences in self–other decision-making were evidenced. Participants who made decisions for others were more likely to prefer the smaller but sooner (SS) option over the larger but later (LL) option and considered the gain of the SS option to be significantly greater than that of the LL option. Participants who made decisions for themselves were likely to prefer the LL option over the SS option. However, they considered the gains of the LL and the SS option to be indifferent. Changing the role of decision-making could affect the ability of individuals to consider the future consequences of their decisions. The effects of self–other decision-making on time-based intertemporal choice could be explained by the accounts of economic reasoning and construal level theory. The findings indicated that the effects of self–other decision-making on time-based intertemporal choice, which could be generated simply by rewording questions, can help individuals make optimal long-term choices without the need for increased control.     

“鲁学”北渐与齐鲁古道

齐鲁大地,海岱之间,古道众多,但据严耕望先生考证有东西两条重要之南北交通线,现代考古发现也证实了此观点。春秋末发源于鲁的儒学在战国时期兴盛于齐,既而在西汉成为罢黜百家,独尊儒术的显学。这一过程背后有很多因素,本文仅从儒学传播的地理途径——齐鲁古道入手,以孔子、孟子来往于齐鲁两地的行迹为中心,将史籍文献、历代地理变迁之大势以及迄今所存之历史遗迹等线索汇集一起,阐释齐鲁古道在鲁学北渐中的特殊意义。     

Type D personality,but not Type A behavior pattern,is associated with coronary plaque vulnerability

Personality traits are associated with major adverse coronary events (MACE) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the link between personality traits and intravascular morphology in CAD patients is poorly understood. This study investigated the relationship between personality traits, specifically Type A behavior pattern and Type D personality, and plaque vulnerability. After adjustment for demographic and clinical factors, multivariable regression analysis showed no association between Type A and optical coherence tomography indices. However, Type D personality was independently associated with lipid plaque, thin cap fibroatheroma (TCFA), and fibrous cap thickness. More specifically, negative affectivity of Type D was related to lipid plaque, TCFA and fibrous cap thickness, and social inhibition was associated with plaque rupture. Our results show that Type D personality was associated with plaque vulnerability, independent of clinical factors. Measurement of negative affectivity and social inhibition will increase our understanding of the progressive phase of the plaque vulnerability, which can contribute to the early identification of high risk patients and reduce the incidence of MACE.     

Effects of telephone support on exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a meta-analysis

The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effects of disease education or pulmonary rehabilitation programs assisted with telephone support on physical capacity and quality of life (QOL) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and The Cochrane Library was conducted until May 2017. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effects of telephone-assisted intervention versus a control group on exercise tolerance and QOL in patients with COPD were included. Two independent authors assessed the methodological quality of the trials using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. A meta-analysis was conducted with the Revman5.3 to quantify the effects of telephone-assisted interventions on walking capacity and QOL. In total, 10 studies involving 1037 participants were included. Due to the effect of telephone-assisted interventions, statistically significant results were found on Saint-George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) symptom scores [standard mean difference (SMD) ?.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) ?.33, ?.03, p-value .02)], SGRQ impact scores [SMD ?.35, 95% CI ?.60, ?.10, p-value .006)], SGRQ activity scores [SMD ?.30, 95% CI ?.45, ?.15, p-value < .0001)], SGRQ total score [SMD ?.36, 95% CI ?.51, ?.21, p-value < .00001)]. The effects on 6-min walk test (6MWT) and all Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ) subscales were not significant (p > .05) based on the insufficient evidence. In conclusion, the role of telephone-assisted interventions in the management of COPD remains equivocal. Some encouraging results were seen with regard to SGRQ symptom, SGRQ impact, SGRQ activity and SGRQ total score. We believe that more methodologically rigorous large-scale randomized controlled trials are necessary to answer this study question.     

Both Earlier Times and the Future Are “Front”: The Distinction Between Time‐ and Ego‐Reference‐Points in Mandarin Speakers’ Temporal Representation

Mandarin speakers, like most other language speakers around the world, use spatial terms to talk about time. However, the direction of their mental temporal representation along the front‐back axis remains controversial because they use the spatial term “front” to refer to both earlier times (e.g., front‐year means “the year before last”) and the future (e.g., front‐road means “prospect”). Although the linguistic distinction between time‐ and ego‐reference‐point spatiotemporal metaphors in Mandarin suggests a promising clarification of the above controversy, there is little empirical evidence verifying this distinction. In this study, Mandarin speakers’ time‐ and ego‐reference‐point temporal representations on three axes (i.e., sagittal, lateral, and vertical) were separately examined through two tasks. In a time‐reference‐point task, Mandarin speakers judged whether the time point of the second picture was earlier or later than the time point of the first picture, while in an ego‐reference‐point task, they judged whether an event or phase had happened in the past or would happen in the future. The results indicate that Mandarin speakers construe an earlier‐times‐in‐front‐of‐later‐times temporal sequence and adopt the front‐to‐the‐future orientation.     

No advantage for remembering horizontal over vertical spatial locations learned from a single viewpoint

Previous behavioral and neurophysiological research has shown better memory for horizontal than for vertical locations. In these studies, participants navigated toward these locations. In the present study we investigated whether the orientation of the spatial plane per se was responsible for this difference. We thus had participants learn locations visually from a single perspective and retrieve them from multiple viewpoints. In three experiments, participants studied colored tags on a horizontally or vertically oriented board within a virtual room and recalled these locations with different layout orientations (Exp. 1) or from different room-based perspectives (Exps. 2 and 3). All experiments revealed evidence for equal recall performance in horizontal and vertical memory. In addition, the patterns for recall from different test orientations were rather similar. Consequently, our results suggest that memory is qualitatively similar for both vertical and horizontal two-dimensional locations, given that these locations are learned from a single viewpoint. Thus, prior differences in spatial memory may have originated from the structure of the space or the fact that participants navigated through it. Additionally, the strong performance advantages for perspective shifts (Exps. 2 and 3) relative to layout rotations (Exp. 1) suggest that configurational judgments are not only based on memory of the relations between target objects, but also encompass the relations between target objects and the surrounding room—for example, in the form of a memorized view.     

“集体主义—个体主义”的差异:来自基因、大脑的证据

文章以"集体主义—个体主义"这一基本文化差异维度为基础,围绕文化、基因和大脑之间的关系,介绍了国内外最新研究进展。研究显示当人类执行各种文化任务时,那些为人类生存提供有力帮助的基因会被选择和保留下来;在自我表征,注意和知觉,决策、情绪和意向推断等心理状态或过程上的"集体主义—个体主义"文化差异都可追溯到脑功能的差异。研究者先后提出社会脑假设、文化—基因协同进化论、神经—文化交互作用模型等理论来解释基因、文化与大脑交互作用的现象。文章分析了当前研究中存在的问题,并对未来的研究进行了展望。     

Modeling of 1-3 piezoelectric composites operating in thickness-stretch vibration mode

For bulk piezoelectric ceramics plates, the fundamental thickness-stretch (TSt) waves are always coupled to the in-plane extension waves and the symmetric thickness-shear waves. The occurrence of these spurious modes in bulk piezoelectric ceramics plates is undesirable as it may interfere with the operation of transducers. 1–3 piezoelectric composites are promising candidates to suppress the spurious modes mentioned above. However, theoretical modelling of multiphase ceramic composite objects is very complex. In this study, a simple analytical TSt vibration model is constructed from three-dimensional equations of linear piezoelectricity. The mechanical damping is considered in the model by introducing a complex elastic constant. The performance of 1–3 piezoelectric composites is analysed and the electrical impedance results from theoretical and experimental analysis are compared. The results show that there is excellent agreement between the experimental electrical impedance and that obtained by the theoretical TSt vibration analysis. This indicates that 1–3 piezoelectric composites can be operated in a nearly pure TSt vibration mode near the fundamental resonance. The analytical model we present is valid for analysing 1–3 piezoelectric composites plates with large aspect ratios quickly and efficiently.     

社会快感缺失认知过程的跨诊断研究进展

社会快感缺失具有广泛的跨诊断和亚临床特征,包括孤独感、内向性、社交焦虑和社会功能受损等。传统医学模型聚焦于社会快感缺失相关疾病的诊断和神经生理机制,促进了社会快感缺失药物和神经靶向治疗。然而社会快感缺失广泛地存在于健康人群和亚临床人群中,只有寻找有效的心理咨询和治疗方案,才会对亚临床人群社会快感缺失的缓解和社会功能的提升提供帮助。认知过程模型聚焦于积极效价系统,强调对积极奖赏刺激注意、记忆、心理意象等认知过程的提升,该模型将是社会快感缺失心理咨询与治疗的有效途径。