Nanoprecipitates of icosahedral phase in quasicrystal-strengthened Mg-Zn-Y alloys

Extensive microstructural studies have been performed with respect to the formation of the icosahedral quasicrystalline phase and its relationship to other phases in Mg 95 Zn 4.2 Y 0.8 alloy. The icosahedral phase forms as an intergranular eutectic phase as well as precipitates in the matrix. The precipitates are nanosized (typically 50 nm) with a definite orientation relationship with the matrix, sharply faceted on twofold planes which are on the basal and prismatic planes of the matrix. The detailed crystallographic relationship with the matrix is described. The icosahedral phase is occasionally found to coexist with the cubic W-Zn 3 Mg 2 Y 3 phase with a definite crystallographic relationship.     

Effects of load direction on the mechanical properties of open-cellular epoxy with a cubic prism structure

The mechanical properties of open-cellular epoxies with a cubic prism structure have been investigated by compressive tests with angles between the beam and the load direction of 0^o (90^o) and 45^o. When the angle was 45^o, the stress fluctuated in a plateau region about a roughly constant flow up to a strain of 77%. However, when the angle was 0^o (90^o), the flow stress changed significantly with the strain passing through a series of peaks. The absorption energy per unit volume was found to be essentially independent of the angle between the beam and the load direction.     

A closer look at moral dilemmas: Latent dimensions of morality and the difference between trolley and footbridge dilemmas

Although a distinction between moral-personal and moral-impersonal dilemmas (Greene, Sommerville, Nystrom, Darley, & Cohen, 2001 Greene, J. D., Sommerville, R. B., Nystrom, L. E., Darley, J. M. and Cohen, J. D. 2001. An fMRI investigation of emotional engagement in moral judgement. Science, 293: 2105–2108. doi:10.1126/science.1062872.[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) has been widely accepted as an explanation for a difference between the trolley and footbridge dilemmas (Thomson, 1985 Thomson, J. J. 1985. “The trolley problem”. In Ethics: Problems and principles, Edited by: Fischer, J. M. and Ravizza, M. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.  [Google Scholar]), its psychometric properties remain a mystery. In this study 219 participants completed 62 moral dilemma tasks used in Greene et al. (2001 Greene, J. D., Sommerville, R. B., Nystrom, L. E., Darley, J. M. and Cohen, J. D. 2001. An fMRI investigation of emotional engagement in moral judgement. Science, 293: 2105–2108. doi:10.1126/science.1062872.[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), and the correlation structure among the dilemmas was analysed through factor analysis and structural equation modelling. Findings suggest that, first, moral-personal dilemmas are composed of one factor, indicating that the assumption in Greene et al. (2001 Greene, J. D., Sommerville, R. B., Nystrom, L. E., Darley, J. M. and Cohen, J. D. 2001. An fMRI investigation of emotional engagement in moral judgement. Science, 293: 2105–2108. doi:10.1126/science.1062872.[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) was supported. Second, moral-impersonal dilemmas are explained by two factors that reflect procedural and consequential aspects of decision making. Third, the trolley and footbridge dilemmas fall under the same factor category; therefore the difference between the two dilemmas cannot be attributed to emotional involvement. Additionally, the results of the structural equation modelling suggest that they differ in the engagement of rational processing.     

Bantams (Gallus gallus domesticus) also perceive a reversed Zöllner illusion

Although pigeons have been shown to be susceptible to several size and length illusions, other avian species have not been tested intensively for illusory perception. Here we report how bantams perceive the Zöllner figure, in which parallel lines look nonparallel due to short crosshatches superimposed on the lines. Watanabe et al. (Cognition 119:137–141, 2011) showed that pigeons, like humans, perceived parallel lines as nonparallel but that the orientation of subjective convergence was opposite to that of humans. We trained three bantams to peck at the narrower (or wider) of the two gaps at the end of a pair of nonparallel lines. After adapting them to target lines with randomly oriented crosshatches (which result in no apparent illusion to humans), we tested the bantams’ responses on randomly inserted probe trials, in which crosshatches that should induce the standard Zöllner-like illusion for humans replaced the randomly oriented ones. The results suggested bantams, like pigeons, perceive a reversed Zöllner illusion.     

Asian Couples in Negotiation: A Mixed‐Method Observational Study of Cultural Variations Across Five Asian Regions

The purpose of this study was to explore variations in how contemporary couples from five different Asian regions negotiate disagreements. Video recordings of 50 couples (10 each from Japan, Korea, Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong) discussing unresolved disagreements provided raw data for quantitative and qualitative analyses. First, teams of coders from each region used a common protocol to make quantitative ratings of content themes and interaction patterns for couples from their own region. An interregional panel of investigators then performed in‐depth qualitative reviews for half of these cases, noting cultural differences not only in observed patterns of couple behavior but also in their own perceptions of these patterns. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed clear regional differences on dimensions such as overt negativity, demand‐withdraw interaction, and collaboration. The qualitative results also provided a richer, more nuanced view of other (e.g., gender‐linked) conflict management patterns that the quantitative analyses did not capture. Inconsistencies between qualitative and quantitative data and between the qualitative observations of investigators from different regions were most pronounced for couples from Korea and Japan, whose conflict styles were subtler and less direct than those of couples from the other regions.     

A Classroom-Based Study on the Antecedents of Epistemic Curiosity in L2 Learning

Journal of Psycholinguistic Research - This classroom-based study investigated the antecedents of epistemic curiosity among 25 Thai university students in an English oral communication course....     

Flow Experiences Across Adulthood: Preliminary Findings on the Continuity Hypothesis

Flow experience is a psychological state characterized by simultaneous absorption, concentration, and enjoyment. Examining the change and continuity of the flow experience––an optimal state that contributes to well-being––is critical to the understanding of the lifelong trajectory of human flourishing. Nevertheless, to date there has been no systematic investigation of the relationship between age and flow experiences across adulthood. Developmental models of flow experiences suggest the continuity hypothesis that people are motivated to sustain a high level of flow experiences as long as conditions permit. We conducted two studies to investigate flow experiences among adults of different ages. Study 1 (N?=?1,162; age range 30–80) used longitudinal data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) project, investigating the changes in flow experiences at work over a 10-year span. Study 2 (N?=?393; age range 20–82) was an online survey that examined age-related differences in flow experiences. Both studies revealed minimal relationships between age and flow experiences. Post-hoc analyses revealed no significant moderating effect of common demographics including gender, race, and education on the age–flow relationship. Taken together, these studies elucidate the “flow profile” in adulthood that is consistent with the continuity hypothesis. We discuss relations of the findings to the literature on flow experiences and well-being.

     

The Mediating Effect of Financial Motives in the Association between Entrepreneurial Experience and Subjective Well-Being: Evidence from Japan

This study investigates the relationship between entrepreneurial experience and subjective well-being. Using an original survey on subjective well-being, entrepreneurial experience, level of wealth (inferred from observed variables of income, cash, and assets), and personal attributes of 10,001 individuals in Japan, we examine the factors that mediate the association between entrepreneurial experience and subjective well-being. We measure entrepreneurial experience as an individual’s experience in funding, owning, and running a corporation. We consider the mediating effect of the level of wealth on subjective well-being because entrepreneurial well-being is associate with wealth derived from income, cash, and assets. Our results provide no significant evidence that individuals with entrepreneurial experience have higher subjective well-being. However, we find a positive indirect effect of entrepreneurial experience on subjective well-being through wealth and a negative indirect effect through debt. The findings of this study indicate the importance of considering the mediating effect of financial motives in entrepreneurial well-being.