Increasing and decreasing motor and cognitive output: a model of general action and inaction goals

General action and inaction goals can influence the amount of motor or cognitive output irrespective of the type of behavior in question, with the same stimuli producing trivial and important motor and cognitive manifestations normally viewed as parts of different systems. A series of experiments examined the effects of instilling general action and inaction goals using word primes, such as "action" and "rest." The first 5 experiments showed that the same stimuli influenced motor output, such as doodling on a piece of paper and eating, as well as cognitive output, such as recall and problem solving. The last 2 experiments supported the prediction that these diverse effects can result from the instigation of general action and inaction goals. Specifically, these last 2 studies confirmed that participants were motivated to achieve active or inactive states and that attaining them decreased the effects of the primes on behavior.     

Chemical ordering of Co and Ni in a W-(AlCoNi) crystalline approximant related to Al–Co–Ni decagonal quasicrystals studied by atomic resolution energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy

A W-(AlCoNi) crystalline approximant, which is closely related to Al–Co–Ni decagonal quasicrystals, in an Al_72.5Co₂₀Ni_7.5 alloy has been studied by atomic resolution energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), in an instrument attached to a spherical aberration (Cs)-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope. On high-resolution EDS maps of Co and Ni elements, obtained by integrating many sets of EDS data taken from undamaged areas, chemical ordering of Co and Ni is clearly detected. In the structure of the W-(AlCoNi) phase, consisting of arrangements of transition-metal (TM) atoms located at vertices of pentagonal tilings and pentagonal arrangements of mixed sites (MSs) of TM and Al atoms, Co atoms occupy the TM atom positions with the pentagonal tiling and Ni is enriched in part of the pentagonal arrangements of MSs.     

Critical evidence: a test of the critical-period hypothesis for second-language acquisition

The critical-period hypothesis for second-language acquisition was tested on data from the 1990 U.S. Census using responses from 2.3 million immigrants with Spanish or Chinese language backgrounds. The analyses tested a key prediction of the hypothesis, namely, that the line regressing second-language attainment on age of immigration would be markedly different on either side of the critical-age point. Predictions tested were that there would be a difference in slope, a difference in the mean while controlling for slope, or both. The results showed large linear effects for level of education and for age of immigration, but a negligible amount of additional variance was accounted for when the parameters for difference in slope and difference in means were estimated. Thus, the pattern of decline in second-language acquisition failed to produce the discontinuity that is an essential hallmark of a critical period.     

A regular arrangement of SmH2 fibres in an alpha-Fe matrix,found after the hydrogenation-disproportionation processing of Sm2Fe17

In the course of a study on microstructural changes in Sm2Fe17 during a hydrogenation-disproportionation-desorption-recombination process, a peculiar microstructure has been observed just after the hydrogenation-disproportionation processing. SmH2 crystals, formed as a result of decomposition of the Sm2Fe17 compound, are present with a fibrous shape, about 7 nm in diameter and 1 mum in length. These SmH2 fibres, all with the same orientation, are arranged at nearly regular intervals of about 11nm and with a definite orientation relationship to the alpha-Fe matrix, <110> Fe// <110> SmH2.     

Decagonal quasicrystal with ordered body-centred (CsCl-type) hypercubic lattice

An ordered structure, which was found in a decagonal quasicrystal with 0.4 nm periodicity in a conventionally solidified Al₇₀Ni₂₀Ru₁₀ alloy, has been examined theoretically by the projection of an ordered body-centred (CsCl-type) hypercubic lattice. The ordered structure can be characterized as an ordered arrangement of two kinds of atom columnar cluster with different directions of pentagonal symmetry. Two lattices, which are constructed by connecting the atom clusters in the same directions, can be interpreted as ordered sublattices formed by each of vertex and body-centred positions of the CsCl-type hypercubic lattice. Diffraction patterns calculated from the ordered and disordered body-centred hypercubic lattices replicate well the electron diffraction patterns observed from the Al-Ni-Ru and other decagonal quasicrystals.     

Latency of saccadic eye movement during contraction of bilateral and unilateral shoulder girdle elevators

We compared the timed latencies of saccadic eye movement during isometric contraction of the bilateral and unilateral shoulder girdle elevators in a sitting posture. Muscle contraction force was increased in 10% increments from 0% to 60% of the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of each side. Saccadic latency was measured as the latency to the beginning of eye movement toward the lateral target that was moved at random intervals in 20 degree amplitude jumps. Eye movement was measured using the electro-oculogram technique. During bilateral contraction, saccadic latency decreased until 30% MVC and then began to increase at 40% MVC. During unilateral contraction, saccadic latency decreased until 30% MVC in a similar pattern as in bilateral condition, was constant from 30% MVC to 50% MVC, followed by a slight increase at 60% MVC. The saccadic latencies at 10% and 40-60% MVC were significantly shorter during unilateral contraction than bilateral contraction. Thus, the relative force for producing a marked shortening of saccadic latency is observed within a wider range during unilateral contraction than bilateral contraction.     

Textural properties corresponding to visual perception based on the correlation mechanism in the visual system

We present a set of texture parameters that correspond to perceptual properties of visual texture. For machine vision or a computer interface, it is important that the computational measurements of texture correspond well to the perceptual properties. To understand the mechanism of our visual system, it is important to know how we extract or characterize information for texture perception. In this study, we show that the autocorrelation function (ACF) analysis provides useful measures for representing three salient perceptual properties of texture: contrast, coarseness, and regularity. The validity of the ACF analysis was examined by comparing the calculated factors to the subjective scores collected for various kinds of natural textures. The effectiveness of the analysis depends on the structure of the estimated ACF. When a texture has a harmonic structure, the estimated ACF has periodical peaks corresponding to the periods of the texture. Both perceived coarseness and regularity are strongly related to these peaks in the ACF. However, the estimated ACF does not have a periodical structure when the texture is random. In this case, the texture coarseness and regularity are represented by the decay rate of the ACF.     

Participating in politics resembles physical activity: general action patterns in international archives, United States archives, and experiments

A series of studies examined whether political participation can emerge from general patterns of indiscriminate activity. In the first two studies, general action tendencies were measured by combining national and state-level indicators of high activity (e.g., impulsiveness, pace of life, and physical activity) from international and U.S. data. This action-tendency index positively correlated with a measure of political participation that consisted of voting behaviors and participation in political demonstrations. The following two experimental studies indicated that participants exposed to action words (e.g., go, move) had stronger intentions to vote in an upcoming election and volunteered more time to make phone calls on behalf of a university policy than participants exposed to inaction words did (e.g., relax, stop). These studies suggest that political participation can be predicted from general tendencies toward activity present at the national and state levels, as well as from verbal prompts suggestive of activity.     

Arrangement of atomic clusters in a 2/1 cubic approximant in the Al-Zn-Mg alloy system

An arrangement of the so-called Bergman clusters of atoms in a 2/1 cubic crystalline approximant phase, which is closely related to Frank-Kasper-type icosahedral quasicrystals, in an Al-Zn-Mg alloy system is discussed in detail. The 2/1 cubic structure has eight Bergman clusters in its unit cell and the positions of the clusters can be understood as twelvefold sites in the 2/1 cubic approximant of the three-dimensional Penrose lattice. The atomic clusters are located at vertices of two types of rhombohedron, which are formed by six rhombic planes with an edge length of 3 1/2 a 2 /( 2 + 1) 1/2 and a shorter diagonal of 2 a 2 /( 2 + 1) 1/2 ( is the golden ratio and a is a quasilattice constant), which correspond to half a body diagonal and an edge length respectively of the 1/1 cubic approximant unit cell. The present results provide an important key for understanding the arrangements of atomic clusters in icosahedral quasicrystals.