How socioemotional setting modulates late-stage conflict resolution processes in the lateral prefrontal cortex

The goal-directed control of behaviour critically depends on emotional regulation and constitutes the basis of mental well-being and social interactions. Within a socioemotional setting, it is necessary to prioritize effectively the relevant emotional information over interfering irrelevant emotional information to orchestrate cognitive resources and achieve appropriate behavior. Currently, it is elusive whether and how different socioemotional stimulus dimensions modulate cognitive control and conflict resolution. Theoretical considerations suggest that interference effects are less detrimental when conflicting emotional information is presented within a “positive socioemotional setting” compared with a “negative socioemotional setting.” Using event-related potentials (ERPs) and source localization methods, we examined the basic system neurophysiological mechanisms and functional neuroanatomical structures associated with interactive effects of different interfering facial, socioemotional stimulus dimensions on conflict resolution. We account for interactive effects of different interfering socioemotional stimulus dimensions on conflict resolution, i.e., we show how the socioemotional valence modulates cognitive control (conflict processing). The data show that conflicts are stronger and more difficult to resolve in a negative emotional task-relevant setting than in a positive emotional task-relevant setting, where incongruent information barely induced conflicts. The degree of emotional conflict critically depends on the contextual emotional valence (positive or negative) in which this conflict occurs. The neurophysiological data show that these modulations were only reflected by late-stage conflict resolution processes associated with the middle (MFG) and superior frontal gyrus (SFG). Attentional selection processes and early-stage conflict monitoring do not seem to be modulated by interactive effects of different interfering socioemotional stimulus dimensions on conflict resolution.     

Specificity Matters: Criterion-Related Validity of Contextualized and Facet Measures of Conscientiousness in Predicting College Student Performance

To enhance the predictive validity of self-report personality measures, 2 distinct ways of increasing specificity of personality measures have been proposed in the literature—contextual specificity (i.e., providing a contextual referent) and content specificity (i.e., focusing on more specific constructs such as the Big Five facets). This study extends this line of research by examining whether there is an optimal way to configure, align, or integrate contextual and content specificity using measures of conscientiousness to predict college student success. A sample of 478 undergraduate students completed 4 measures of conscientiousness that varied in the level of content and contextual specificity. These forms of specificity were crossed to yield 4 distinct measures of conscientiousness. We then evaluated and compared the relative importance and the incremental importance of these different measures in the prediction of academic success. Superior predictive validity was found for both contextualized and facet measures of conscientiousness compared to a measure of global conscientiousness in predicting grade-point average and a broader behavioral criterion of student performance. When contextual and content specificity approaches were compared and combined, we observed the strongest predictive validity when the level of specificity is appropriately matched between predictor and criterion.     

International Doctoral Students in Counselor Education: Coping Strategies in Supervision Training

This study explores 8 international doctoral students' perceptions of coping strategies used in supervision training in counselor education programs. Using human agency as a conceptual framework, the authors found 3 categories: (a) personal and professional self‐directed strategies as personal agency, (b) support and care from mentors as proxy agency, and (c) networking among international doctoral students and/or graduates as collective agency. Implications for counselor educators are discussed. Este estudio explora las percepciones de 8 estudiantes internacionales de doctorado sobre las estrategias de afrontamiento usadas en la capacitación de supervisión en programas de educación para consejeros. Usando la agencia humana como marco conceptual, se hallaron 3 categorías: (a) estrategias autodirigidas personales y profesionales como agencia personal, (b) apoyo y cuidados recibidos de mentores como agencia delegada y (c) creación de redes de contactos entre estudiantes internacionales de doctorado y/o doctores como agencia colectiva. Se discuten las implicaciones para educadores de consejeros.     

Atomic imaging of the interface between M23C6-type carbide and matrix in a long-term ageing polycrystalline Ni-based superalloy

Besides the well-known cube-on-cube orientation relationship (OR) between M₂₃C₆ carbide and matrix, we have determined a new OR named as the twin-related OR in a long-term ageing Ni-based superalloy on the basis of the extensive and detailed electron diffraction analyses. Furthermore, by means of atomic-resolution high angle annular dark-field imaging technique which is implemented in the aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope, we elucidated the interfacial characteristics between M₂₃C₆ and matrix for above two types of ORs. Taking into account of the interfacial characteristics, we propose that the twin-related OR possesses a higher total interfacial energy. Thus, its frequency of occurrence is lower than that of the cube-on-cube OR though both ORs are usually seen in the long-term ageing samples.     

Relations between virtues and positive mental health in a Korean population: A Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes (MIMIC) model approach

A Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes (MIMIC) approach was applied to investigate the relationship between virtues and positive mental health as determined using the Character Strength Test and the Mental Health Continuum‐Short Form. The study participants were 876 college students (54% women; overall mean age [SD] 21.50 years [2.35]) recruited from introductory psychology courses at two universities in Seoul. Findings revealed that the intellectual virtues of college students predicted subjective well‐being according to all emotional, social and psychological measures. Results are discussed in the context of previous work using the Values in Action classification of virtues and character strengths. In addition, implications regarding understanding the nature and possible origins of positive mental health are outlined.     

What the voice reveals: within- and between-category stereotyping on the basis of voice

The authors report research that attempts to shift the traditional focus of visual cues to auditory cues as a basis for stereotyping. Moreover, their approach examines whether gender-signaling vocal cues lead not only to between-category but also to within-category gender stereotyping. Study 1 showed that both men and women vary within category in how feminine their voices sound and that perceptions of vocal femininity are highly consensual. Furthermore, the measured acoustic characteristics that differed between gender were also related to perceptions of within-gender femininity. Subsequent studies demonstrated that variability in vocal femininity affects gender stereotyping when the targets are all of the same gender (Study 2) and when the targets are of different genders (Study 3). In the latter case, evidence of both category-based and feature-based stereotyping was found. Mediation analyses showed that the relationship between acoustics and stereotyping was in part due to femininity.     

Quasicrystalline Al-Fe phase formed by ion mixing

Abstract

A quasicrystalline Al-Fe phase has been formed by room-temperature ion mixing of AI-Fe multiple layers with no additional postannealing. The quasicrystalline phase was dispersed as grain in an amorphous matrix. The size of the grains was about 10-30nm, and the composition was determined to be Al₈₀Fe₂₀. The structure of the quasicrystalline phase was identified by calculating some 20 sharp diffraction rings in the selected-area diffraction pattern and found to be similar to that of the rapidly quenched AI-Mn quasicrystalline phase.     

Characterisation of magnesium oxide and its interface with α-Mg in Mg–Al-based alloys

Magnesium oxide (MgO) films and particles have been collected by pressurised filtration of a Mg-8.6wt%Al-0.67wt%Zn (AZ91D) alloy melt. The morphology of the oxides and their interfaces with the α-Mg phase were investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the oxide films consisted of large numbers of sub-micrometre-sized MgO particles, and that melt shearing can effectively break up the oxide films and disperse the oxide particles. For the first time, orientation relationships (ORs) of OR I: [1?1?1]_MgO～2° from (0?0?0?1)_α-Mg and (0?1?1)_MgO?//[2?1?1?0)_α-Mg; and OR II: (1?1?1)_MgO//(1?1?0?1)_α-Mg and [0?1?1]_MgO//[1?2?1?1]_α-Mg, were observed between the MgO particles and the α-Mg matrix. The calculated Bramfitt planar disregistries were 5.5% and 2.5% for the two ORs, respectively, indicating good lattice matching between MgO and α-Mg at the interface. With the evidence of grain refinement effect observed in the sheared AZ91D magnesium alloy, the possibility of MgO particles to act as potent nucleants for heterogeneous nucleation of α-Mg grains is discussed in terms of the crystallographic criterion.     

TEM observation of oxide scale formed on a Ti–Al–Zr alloy oxidized at 360°C in alkaline steam

Ti–Al–Zr alloy has been oxidized at 360°C in alkaline steam at a pressure of 10.3?±?0.7?MPa. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations indicated that the oxide scale of Ti–Al–Zr alloy was composed of outer and inner subscales, in which the outer layer consists of anatase-TiO₂ and the inner layer a mixture of TiO and Ti₂O. The thickness of the Ti₂O, TiO and anatase-TiO₂ were approximately 50, 100 and 400?nm, respectively. These results were confirmed by X-ray energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) measurements. The enhanced corrosion of titanium alloys in LiOH solution is attributed to a high hexagonal Ti₂O to tetragonal TiO₂ phase transformation rate induced by the substitution of Li⁺ for Ti⁴⁺ in the oxide layer.     

Effect of aspect ratio on the compressive deformation and fracture behaviour of Zr-based bulk metallic glass

The compressive deformation and fracture features of Zr₅₉Cu₂₀Al₁₀Ni₈Ti₃ bulk metallic glassy samples with aspect ratios in the range of 0.67–2.00 have been investigated. The compressive plastic strain of the glass monotonically increases with decreasing aspect ratio, but the maximum strength almost maintains a constant value of 1.77–1.88?GPa. All the compressive shear-band angles are equal to?～40° if modified by the rotation of the primary shear bands.