Phase transformation of Cu precipitate in Fe–Cu alloy studied using self-guided molecular dynamics

The self-guided molecular dynamics (SGMD) method, which can enhance the conformational sampling efficiency in MD simulations, was applied in investigating the phase transformation of Cu precipitate in α-iron that took place during thermal aging. It was shown that the SGMD method can accelerate calculating the bcc to 9R structure transformation of a small precipitate (even 4.0 nm in size), enabling the transformation without introducing any excess vacancies. The size dependence of the transformation also agreed with that seen in previous experimental studies.     

On the dislocation mechanism of amorphization of Si by indentation

The formation of an amorphous phase underneath a Vickers indentation produced on a Si(001) surface at room temperature has been observed by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. Two types of location are observed for the amorphous phase. One is formed just underneath the image of the indentation and the other is parallel to the slip planes of Si. It is concluded that the latter type, at least, is formed as a result of activation of dislocations which is induced by an external shear stress combined with a hydrostatic pressure.     

On the atomic structure of an asymmetrical near Σ = 27 grain boundary in copper

The atomic structure of an asymmetrical near Σ = 27 {525} tilt grain boundary (GB) in copper is determined by coupling high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and molecular dynamics simulation. The average GB plane is parallel to {414} in crystal (1) and {343} in crystal (2). The detailed GB structure shows that it is composed of facets always parallel to {101} and {111} in crystals (1) and (2), respectively. The atomic structure of one facet is described using the structural units model. Each facet is displaced with respect to its neighbours by a pure step, giving rise to the asymmetry of the GB plane orientation. The energy of this asymmetrical GB is significantly lower than that of both the {525} symmetrical and the {11,1,11}/{111} asymmetrical Σ = 27 GBs. One GB region displays another atomic structure with a dislocation that accounts for the misfit between interatomic distances in the {414} and {343} GB planes.     

Attention can operate on semantic objects defined by individual Chinese characters

Attention can select perceptual objects, but it is less clear whether attention can operate on objects defined by higher level cognition, such as semantic associations. Recent studies have shown that attention may be based on objects defined by Chinese two-character compound words, suggesting that attention can operate on semantic objects. In the present study, object-based attention (OBA) effect was investigated at the level of individual Chinese characters, and the role of character structure and radical order in OBA was explored by using a spatial cueing paradigm. In Experiment 1, we found OBA effect for conditions that had legal radical order, but not for other conditions in which the radical order information was disrupted. Character structure, however, had no influence on the OBA effect. In Experiment 2, we observed OBA effect for all conditions after enhancing the radical order and character structure information by adding perceptual cues. The results extend previous findings of a “semantic object”-based attention effect from the two-character word level to the individual character level. Moreover, we found that radical order but not character structure was important for this semantic OBA effect. We conclude that visual attention can be based on semantic objects at the level of individual characters, and that the development of semantic objects is affected by the perceptual grouping of the radicals.     

The Lazarus Project: a longitudinal study of spiritual transformation among substance abusers

This is a longitudinal study of spiritual transformation at the Lazarus Project (LP), a 12-month Pentecostal-Charismatic residency program for substance abuse. In 2006, we began administering to residents an assessment protocol consisting of psychological (depression, self-esteem, psychopathology, Big 5 personality markers) and religiosity (fundamentalism, religious orientation, spiritual well-being, mysticism) measures. Assessments were at: (T1) induction; (T2) six months; (T3) graduation; and (T4) one-year post-graduation. We also assessed a membership group from the sponsoring church using the same protocol. Analyses found that general change in graduate scores occurred from T1 to T2 and persisted to T3 and T4. Comparative analyses found that LP graduate score patterns generally agreed with those of LP dropouts at T1, but diverged at T2, becoming more similar to score patterns of church members. Using all measures, a regression analysis found that the personality marker of (less) openness was the most powerful predictor of resident dropout. The preliminary findings suggest that, among chronic substance abusers, the LP helps to facilitate conversion as a form of spiritual transformation that persists at least one-year post-graduation.     

Personality,self-efficacy and risk-taking in parkour (free-running)

ObjectiveTo assess the effect of self-efficacy on the relationship between personality and risk-taking in parkour/free-running, a growing high-risk sport.DesignQuantitative cross-sectional study.Method277 parkour and free-running practitioners were recruited online to complete a survey assessing Big Five personality traits, self-efficacy and perceived risk-taking.ResultsGreater reckless risk-taking behaviours were associated with high neuroticism (p = .013) and low conscientiousness (p = .004). Mediation analysis showed that self-efficacy exerted a significant (95% CI) indirect mediation on the relationship between personality traits of neuroticism and conscientiousness, and risk-taking. Extraversion did not predict risk-taking, and was not significantly mediated by self-efficacy.ConclusionsSelf-efficacy plays a significant mediation role in the relationship between stable traits of neuroticism and conscientiousness, and risk-taking amongst parkour/free-running practitioners. This may help elucidate reasons underlying risky sports behaviours.     

Comparison of Return-on-Effort and Conventional Expectancy Theory Predictions of Work Effort and Job Performance: Results from Three Field Studies

It was predicted that a return-on-effort version of expectancy theory, an approach that examines the incremental benefits associated with increased effort, would yield superior predictions of work effort and job performance, in comparison with the conventional approach. Data were collected from the following three work settings: a manufacturing concern, a supermarket, and a bank. Unlike prior research that has uniformly found superior predictions using the return-on-effort model (and that has uniformly examined student samples), the present research found only modest support. Three possible boundary conditions were discussed—format effects, reward system responsiveness, and ability differences. The latter two, examined empirically via supplementary analyses, provided increased support for the return-on-effort model.     

Index to Volume 129

This study addresses the basic structure of playfulness in adults from a psy-cho-lexical approach and its relationship with the sense of humor. Using items derived from a corpus analysis of written accounts in the German language, five factors were derived (N = 195); that is, (a) cheerful-engaged; (b) whimsical; (c) creative-loving; (d) intellectual; and (e) impulsive. Their contents strongly overlap in comparison with an earlier study using this approach. However, the correlation of the intellectual component with two current measures of adult playfulness was low, and the impulsive component was not correlated with these measures. The question arises as to whether these aspects exist only as components in the implicit psychological and linguistic theories. The sense of humor was most strongly related with the cheerful-engaged factor while some “humor skills” were particularly related to other factors; for example, finding humor under stress with the intellectual component. This study helps toward a better understanding of the basic structure of playfulness in adults.     

The role of specificity in the lexical encoding of participants

In addition to information about phonology, morphology and syntax, lexical entries contain semantic information about participants (e.g., Agent). However, the traditional criteria for determining how much participant information is lexically encoded have proved unreliable. We have proposed two semantic criteria (obligatoriness and selectivity) that jointly identify the participants that are lexically encoded in verbs. We tested whether one of these criteria, semantic selectivity, makes psychologically real distinctions between participant information that is lexically encoded and participant information that is not. We examined how readers integrated syntactically optional WH-constituents in filler-gap sentences when the participant information conveyed by the WH-filler was specific to a restricted class of verbs (i.e., source locations) and when it was not (i.e., event locations). Our results provide support for the role of specificity in the lexical encoding of participant information of syntactically optional constituents.     

不同阅读水平与文章熟悉程度条件下文章标记效应的研究

探讨文章阅读过程中读者的阅读水平与文章熟悉程度对文章标记效应的影响。结果表明,文章标记与文章主题熟悉程度存在显著的交互作用,文章标记对熟悉文章的信息保持无明显的促进效应．但对不熟悉文章信息保持的促进效应非常明显;文章标记对不同阅读水平读者的文章信息保持都有显著的促进效应,但对阅读水平高的读者的促进效应大于对阅读水平低的读者的促进效应。文章阅读中的结构搜索加工的观点得到初步证明。