The moderating role of emotional stability in the relationship between exposure to violence and anxiety and depression

This study investigated the associations among exposure to violence, emotional stability, and psychological symptoms. The moderating role of emotional stability in the relationship between exposure to violence and anxiety and depression was examined in a sample of 482 high school students in Hong Kong. Results showed that both witnessing violence and low levels of emotional stability were positively associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression. Low levels of emotional stability exacerbated the relation between witnessing violence and symptoms of anxiety and depression; the opposite pattern was found among adolescents with high levels of emotional stability. This study sheds light on the role of emotional stability in ameliorating the detrimental effects of witnessing violence on symptoms of anxiety and depression among adolescents. Findings of this study also have implications for the development of emotionally healthy personalities.     

Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin solution of cut-off frequency for horizontal shear (SH) waves in various inhomogeneous thin films

The Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin method is employed to study the cut-off frequencies of the horizontal shear waves in a freestanding functionally graded piezoelectric–piezomagnetic material film with the electrically and magnetically open boundary conditions. An analytical solution, which could be used in analyzing the problems of various functionally graded materials, is proven to have high precision by analytical analysis and a numerical example. The results reveal that the set of cut-off frequencies is a series of approximate arithmetic progressions. A theoretical foundation based on the relationship between the cut-off frequencies and the materials’ gradient property is established for nondestructive evaluation.     

推类等于类比推理吗？

近10年来,中国古代的推类理论被普遍认为有助于说明中国古代逻辑与西方（亚里士多德）逻辑的不同。关于推类的逻辑本质——推类的前提与结论之间究竟是何种推理关系,一种流行的观点是将推类与类比推理等而视之。不过,伍非百、汪奠基、沈有鼎、刘培育、孙中原等对类同原则的适用范围与推类的逻辑本质做了更为全面与准确的诠释。通过分析中国古代的推类实践,可以从中揭示出类同原则的工作机制,从而在经验层面上进一步确认类同原则对于演绎、归纳和类比推理的普遍意义,最终证成推类与类比推理并不等同。     

云南怒江傈僳族宗教信仰对其传统医药的影响

聚居于我国滇西北怒江大峡谷的傈僳族,主要信仰两种宗教,一是本民族固有的原始宗教;二是西方传教士于18世纪传入的基督教和天主教。宗教信仰渗透于傈僳族生产、生活的方方面面,对其传统文化的各个部分影响深刻,从宗教信仰的特征入手,分析其对傈僳族传统医药形成过程中的影响,以对这一古老民族的医药文化进行发掘整理。     

自我控制的“前额叶-皮质下平衡理论”

自我控制的前额叶-皮质下平衡理论认为,成功的自我控制基于前额叶脑区对皮质下脑区的调节能力;当前额叶脑区与皮质下脑区的平衡打破时,就会引起自我控制失败.以往各类型自我控制的脑机制研究,包括决策行为、欲求行为、情绪调节、态度/偏见调节的研究,均支持平衡理论的观点.未来研究有必要进一步分别考察不同类型自我控制中,前额叶脑区对皮质下脑区调节的具体路径,以及青少年前额叶-皮质下的平衡关系随年龄增长的发展趋势.     

Phase field microelasticity theory of dislocation dynamics in a polycrystal: Model and three-dimensional simulations

A three-dimensional multidislocation system in a polycrystal under applied stress is treated as a particular case of the phase field microelasticity theory of multivariant stress-induced martensitic transformations in polycrystals. This approach reduces the problem of the evolution of a dislocation system to a solution of the nonlinear integrodifferential Ginzburg-Landau equation. In this formalism, the elastic interaction between dislocations and the elastic coupling between grains are taken into consideration through exact analytical solution of the elasticity problem. The dislocation reactions, such as multiplication and annihilation, are taken into account automatically. The dislocations are 'free' to choose the optimal evolution path. Examples of three-dimensional computer simulations are considered.     

The beneficial effect of Tai Chi on self‐concept in adolescents

Previous research has documented the beneficial effect of Tai Chi, but most of the studies focused on elders and patients with specific health conditions. The aim of the study was to test whether Tai Chi can help to improve self‐concept in adolescents with a longitudinal study. The sample comprised 160 students from a Chinese middle school; half of students formed the experimental group and the rest formed the control group. A 1‐year Tai Chi intervention was delivered in 60‐minute sessions, five times a week. Both groups were instructed to complete the measure of self‐concept at the beginning and end of the intervention. Statistical analysis shows the significant reduction of good behaviour, intellectual and school status, popularity and anxiety in the experimental group compared with the control group. The results suggest that the Tai Chi intervention could improve self‐concept in adolescents.     

Chinese–English bilinguals processing temporal–spatial metaphor

The conceptual projection of time onto the domain of space constitutes one of the most challenging issues in the cognitive embodied theories. In Chinese, spatial order (e.g., “大树前”/da shu qian/, in front of a tree) shares the same terms with temporal sequence (三月前”, /san yue qian/, before March). In comparison, English natives use different sets of prepositions to describe spatial and temporal relationship, i.e., “before” to express temporal sequencing and “in front of” to express spatial order. The linguistic variations regarding the specific lexical encodings indicate that some flexibility might be available in how space–time parallelisms are formulated across different languages. In the present study, ERP (Event-related potentials) data were collected when Chinese–English bilinguals processed temporal ordering and spatial sequencing in both their first language (L1) Chinese (Experiment 1) and the second language (L2) English (Experiment 2). It was found that, despite the different lexical encodings, early sensorimotor simulation plays a role in temporal sequencing processing in both L1 Chinese and L2 English. The findings well support the embodied theory that conceptual knowledge is grounded in sensory-motor systems (Gallese and Lakoff, Cogn Neuropsychol 22:455–479, 2005). Additionally, in both languages, neural representations during comprehending temporal sequencing and spatial ordering are different. The time–spatial relationship is asymmetric, in that space schema could be imported into temporal sequence processing but not vice versa. These findings support the weak view of the Metaphoric Mapping Theory.