Microstructure dependence of nanometre corrosion in Al-Ni-Y glassy alloys

The study reports the discovery of a new structure and spacing versus angle relation for a prevalent type of small-angle grain boundary in YBa     

National identity and ethno-religious identity: A critical inquiry into Chinese religious policy,with reference to the Uighurs in Xinjiang

Abstract

On the basis of data from the survey of religion and values in Central and Eastern Europe Aufbruch – 2007 this article questions the applicability of the basic theoretical propositions about the relations between religion and modernity, such as theory of secularisation (classically understood) and rational choice theory, and the thesis about the vicarious nature of religion, to the religious situation in the traditionally Orthodox part of Eastern Europe (Romania, Moldova, Serbia, Bulgaria, Belarus' and Ukraine). Following Shmuel Eisenstadt's concept of multiple modernities and Grace Davie's thesis of the secular character of Western European societies, it explores the possibility of viewing the religious modernity/modernities in the postcommunist traditionally Orthodox area of Eastern Europe as an alternative to the (secular) modernity of Western Europe, and the region itself as an ‘other-worldly’ Europe. After an overview of the specific features of Orthodox Christianity enabling this traditional religion to respond successfully to the demands of modern society, the article turns to the survey data covering a range of standard and also less frequently researched aspects of religiosity. The analysis concludes with a summary of the challenges that Orthodox Europe presents to the basic theoretical propositions about religion and modernity and stresses the important role that religion (and traditional churches) play in the social and political life of this region – a role that should not be ignored.     

Impact of organ transplantation in heart,lung and liver recipients: Assessment of positive life changes

Objective: The majority of psychological studies with organ transplant recipients have examined negative psychological effects. This study aimed to further investigate the positive effects of organ transplantation and to construct a specific measurement instrument.

Design: The initial pool of 14 items for the Positive Effects of Transplant Scale (PETS) was derived from organ recipient interviews. A cross-sectional postal study included 87 heart, 46 lung and 193 liver transplant recipients. The PETS was subjected to principal components analysis (PCA) using varimax rotation, and associations with other measures investigated.

Main outcome measures: PETS and an open-ended item about positive effects.

Results: Coding of the open-ended item revealed that the majority of recipients attributed positive life changes to the transplant experience. PCA of the PETS indicated three factors that accounted for 58.82% of the variance. The 12-item questionnaire assesses improvements in: (1) life philosophy, (2) gratitude and (3) health. The total PETS scores exhibited adequate internal consistency and validity.

Discussion: Most transplant patients report positive psychological effects, which suggests this may be an understudied area. The initial development of an assessment tool provides researchers and clinicians a way to assess the degree and nature of these life changes.     

Leverpress escape/avoidance training increases neurotrophin levels in rat brain

In addition to their well-known role in neural development, the neurotrophins BDNF and NGF help mediate the plasticity that occurs in the brain to promote learning. Exposure to learning procedures often leads to increases in neurotrophins, while exposure to stress often results in decreases. It is unclear how the neurotrophins would respond to an aversive learning task. Therefore, BDNF and NGF content in the dorsal striatum, hippocampus, and basal forebrain was measured following discrete trial lever-press escape/avoidance conditioning. Conditioning significantly increased levels of both neurotrophins in hippocampus and basal forebrain, relative to home cage controls (HCC). Contrary to expectations, the dorsal striatum did not show any significant changes. However, significant correlations were observed between dorsal striatal neurotrophins and aspects of avoidance performance. This may indicate that the dorsal striatum is involved in the performance aspects of the task. Results are discussed in terms of the role of neurotrophins in the acquisition of new information, and the neural structures involved in different types of memory.     

Beyond Impression Management: Evaluating three measures of response distortion and their relationship to job performance

Three measures of response distortion (i.e., social desirability, covariance index, and implausible answers) were examined in both applicant and incumbent samples. Performance data, including supervisor ratings of task and contextual performance as well as objective performance criteria such as tardiness, work‐related accidents, and a customized work simulation, were obtained for the incumbent sample. Results provided further support for the existence of applicant faking behavior and shed light into the relationship between faking and job performance, largely depending on how one defines and measures faking as well as the performance criteria evaluated. Implications for future research and practice in personality assessment for selection purposes were discussed.     

The pursuit of multiple goals

Juggling multiple goals is an inescapable reality of human life. Over the past two decades, the study of the nature of multiple (vs. single) goals has emerged to become an influential topic. To facilitate the understanding of the current state of the literature, this article presents an overview of the study of multiple goals. It first addresses the nature and impact of dual‐goal relations and reviews strategies people use to manage goal conflict (i.e., choosing, multitasking, and prioritizing). It then examines ways to conceptualize the relations among a collection of goals (i.e., goal structure), highlights emerging research in this area, and discusses factors that contribute to optimizing the pursuit of multiple goals. Throughout, the review highlights knowledge gaps and the need for future research to study subjective experiences in managing multiple goals.     

Quality of Life and Bladder Management post Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review

To explore the relationship between neurogenic bladder management techniques and quality of life (QoL) among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). A key terms literature search was conducted in multiple electronic databases (i.e., MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, and PsycINFO). Studies published up to and including May 2013 were reviewed and evaluated based on the following criteria: (1) full-length journal article published in the English language; (ii) human subjects ≥18 years; (iii) ≥?50 % of subjects had a SCI; (iv) results on QoL, as it related to bladder management method, were reported for at least three subjects. A total of 422 articles were extracted and upon review of titles and abstracts, 7 studies met the inclusion criteria. There were two level 2 cohort studies and five level 5 observational studies. Sample sizes ranged from 37 to 282 with an average of 117.1 individuals per study. All participants were at least six months post injury. Bladder management methods used included intermittent (patient/attendant), indwelling (suprapubic/transurethral), and condom catheterization, micturition assistive maneuvers, and electrical stimulation. Normal voiders scored better in all QoL measure domains compared to other management methods. Those using attendant intermittent and indwelling catheterization scored the poorest on the domains Personal Relationships, Emotions, and Mental Health. There is insufficient evidence to provide a definite conclusion as to the relationship between bladder management methods and QoL post SCI. However, individuals relying on others to aid in voiding may experience lower QoL compared to those who are independent.     

Subject Matter Expert Judgments Regarding the Relative Importance of Competencies are not Useful for Choosing the Test Batteries that Best Predict Performance

Several recent articles have suggested that assessments of the relative importance of different abilities or competencies to a job have little bearing on the criterion‐related validity of these selection tests that measure those abilities. We hypothesize that selection test batteries chosen to maximize the judged importance of knowledge, skills, and abilities will not predict performance better than batteries of tests chosen at random. The results in two independent samples consistently show that the validity of test batteries chosen based on subject matter expert judgments of importance is not different from the validity of batteries of a comparable number of tests chosen at random from a set of intercorrelated tests, or even those chosen to provide the worst possible match between test content and job content.