Implicit response-irrelevant number information triggers the SNARC effect: Evidence using a neural overlap paradigm

There is evidence from the SNARC (spatial–numerical association of response codes) effect and NDE (numerical distance effect) that number activates spatial representations. Most of this evidence comes from tasks with explicit reference to number, whether through presentation of Arabic digits (SNARC) or through magnitude decisions to nonsymbolic representations (NDE). Here, we report four studies that use the neural overlap paradigm developed by Fias, Lauwereyns, and Lammertyn (2001) to examine whether the presentation of implicit and task-irrelevant numerosity information (nonsymbolic arrays and auditory numbers) is enough to activate a spatial representation of number. Participants were presented with either numerosity arrays (1–9 circles or triangles) to which they made colour (Experiment 1) or orientation (Experiment 2) judgements, or auditory numbers coupled with an on-screen stimulus to which they made a colour (Experiment 3) or orientation (Experiment 4) judgement. SNARC effects were observed only for the orientation tasks. Following the logic of Fias et al., we argue that this SNARC effect occurs as a result of overlap in parietal processing for number and orientation judgements irrespective of modality. Furthermore, we found stronger SNARC effects in the small number range (1–4) than in the larger number range (6–9) for both nonsymbolic displays and auditory numbers. These results suggest that quantity is extracted (and interferes with responses in the orientation task) but this is not exact for the entire number range. We discuss a number of alternative models and mechanisms of numerical processing that may account for such effects.     

The New Anti-Semitism in Europe: The Islamic Dimension of,and Jewish Belonging in,the EU

This article examines the sense of Jewish vulnerability and exclusion in Europe that has resulted from manifestations, and Jewish perceptions, of the “new anti-Semitism,” and the role of Islamic communities in Europe in propagating this form of hatred of Jews. First emerging in 2000 with the outbreak of the second Palestinian Intifada, and tied in with the Middle East conflict, anger at Israel is directed at Diaspora Jewish communities. This “new anti-Semitism” targets the Jewish collective with the characteristics of anti-Semitism previously aimed at individual Jews. The article focuses on the wave of anti-Semitism that erupted as a result of the 2014 Israeli–Hamas War. Based on an analysis of European Jewish communities, it considers the active part played by European Muslim communities in perpetrating the new anti-Semitism. Using an analysis of survey data, emigration statistics and newspaper opinion articles by leading European Jewish intellectuals, the article considers how the new anti-Semitism is adversely affecting Jewish–Muslim relations and the concomitant sense of “belonging” of European Jewry. The article considers what is required to overcome the new anti-Semitism propagated by Muslim communities to restore a greater sense of Jewish belonging to, and identification with, Europe.     

Familiarity and categorization processes in memory search

A fundamental distinction in tasks of memory search is whether items receive varied mappings (targets and distractors switch roles across trials) or consistent mappings (targets and distractors never switch roles). The type of mapping often produces markedly different performance patterns, but formal memory-based models that account quantitatively for detailed aspects of the results have not yet been developed and evaluated. Experiments were conducted to test a modern exemplar-retrieval model on its ability to account for memory-search performance involving a wide range of memory-set sizes in both varied-mapping (VM) and consistent-mapping (CM) probe-recognition tasks. The model formalized the idea that both familiarity-based and categorization-based processes operate. The model was required to fit detailed response-time (RT) distributions of individual, highly practiced subjects. A key manipulation involved the repetition of negative probes across trials. This manipulation produced a dramatic dissociation: False-alarm rates increased and correct-rejection RTs got longer in VM, but not in CM. The qualitative pattern of results and modeling analyses provided evidence for a strong form of categorization-based processing in CM, in which observers made use of the membership of negative probes in the “new” category to make old–new recognition decisions.     

The General Factor of Personality and general intelligence: Testing hypotheses from Differential-K,Life History Theory,and strategic differentiation–integration effort

Life history as applied to human psychology has progressed on different levels of analysis including between racial groups (Differential-K) and between individuals (Life History Theory). While the approaches at each level have garnered significant research support, some findings at the level of individual differences are inconsistent with findings from the level of group differences. The association between the General Factor of Personality and general intelligence was examined across and within racial groups to investigate the inconsistency. The results were in line with predictions derived from strategic differentiation–integration effort (SD–IE), the proposition that aggregation amongst variables decreases as life history strategy slows. The results suggest SD–IE may be a useful tool in reconciling the apparent contradictions across the levels of analysis.     

Effects of an 8-week meditation program on the implicit and explicit attitudes toward religious/spiritual self-representations

Explicit self-representations often conflict with implicit and intuitive self-representations, with such discrepancies being seen as a source of psychological tension. Most of previous research on the psychological effects of mindfulness-meditation has assessed people’s self-attitudes at an explicit level, leaving unknown whether mindfulness-meditation promotes changes on implicit self-representations. Here, we assessed the changes in implicit and explicit self-related religious/spiritual (RS) representations in healthy participants following an 8-week mindfulness-oriented meditation (MOM) program. Before and after meditation, participants were administered implicit (implicit association test) and explicit (self-reported questionnaires) RS measures. Relative to control condition, MOM led to increases of implicit RS in individuals whit low pre-existing implicit RS and to more widespread increases in explicit RS. On the assumption that MOM practice may enhance the clarity of one’s transcendental thoughts and feelings, we argued that MOM allows people to transform their intuitive feelings of implicit RS as well as their explicit RS attitudes.     

Vacancy-mediated structural changes in Au–Cu nanoparticles

We report the formation of new phases in bimetallic Au–Cu nanoparticles. These phases were observed in nanoparticle synthesised by adopting a three-step protocol in a single pot. Nanoparticles at 180°C for 1?h led to the formation of single-phase solid solution of Cu in Au. Subsequent heat treatment at 290°C for 2?h of these Au–Cu nanoparticles revealed three new phases. One of them relates to the modification of occupancy of Cu in an ordered AuCu tetragonal phase (tP4). This cell although retains tetragonal symmetry but displays metrical properties akin to that of a cube. The other two relates to vacancy ordering along <111> directions in the {111} planes of an ordered AuCu3 cubic phase (cP4). On the one hand, statistical occupancy of vacancy on Cu site in this cell leads to the reduction of cell size from ～3.75?Å to ～3.5?Å whereas ordering of vacant layer on the other hand gives rise to symmetry breaking. Former continues to display cubic symmetry whereas latter transforms to a trigonal cell.     

Influence of Zn incorporation on the microstructural and magnetic properties of La0.67Sr0.33Mn1−xZnxO3 nanoparticles synthesised by the sol–gel method

Perovskite manganite nanoparticles with the chemical formula La_0.67Sr_0.33Mn_1?xZn_xO₃ (x = 0, 0.1 and 0.2) were prepared by the sol–gel process and the influence of Zn substitution on their microstructural and magnetic properties studied in detail. X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed for crystal structure determination and microstructural analysis. The results of XRD analysis confirmed the polycrystalline nature and rhombohedral crystal structure with space group R(-3c) for all compositions. SEM micrographs of the samples revealed an agglomeration/well-connected appearance of the particles. The composition and uniform distribution of all the elements were established by energy-dispersive spectroscopy. TEM images clearly confirmed an almost spherical shape of the nanoparticles with an average particle size of about 11, 14 and 13 nm for the 0, 10 and 20% Zn-doped samples, respectively. The magnetic behaviour of the nanoparticles was studied at room temperature with a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) up to a field of 1.8 Tesla. These measurements established a superparamagnetic nature with a variation in the saturation magnetization (M_s) with Zn content.     

Effect of metastable Cr(Mo)s/Cr(Mo)a powders on mechanical alloying the immiscible Cu–Mo–Cr system

Metastable-state alloy powders are usually synthesised by milling and occur as products of mechanical alloying (MA), but they are rarely used as starting materials for other MA processes. In this work, metastable-state alloy powders, including supersaturated solid-solution Cr(Mo)s and amorphous Cr(Mo)a were prepared in advance. Then, the Cr(Mo)s/Cr(Mo)a powder mixture was mechanically alloyed with elemental Cu to form Cu–Mo–Cr alloy. The effects of the metastable-state powder Cr(Mo)s/Cr(Mo)a on MA of the immiscible Cu–Mo–Cr system were evaluated. Phases and microstructures of the milled powders were analysed by XRD and TEM, respectively. The results show that amorphous Cu-60wt.%Cr(Mo) and supersaturated solid-solution Cu-20wt.%Cr(Mo) alloy powders can be synthesised by MA. It is concluded that MA of the Cu–Mo–Cr ternary alloy system is significantly promoted when elemental Cu powder is milled with metastable-state alloy powder Cr(Mo)s/Cr(Mo)a. Furthermore, the promoting effect of amorphous Cr(Mo)a on MA the Cu–Mo–Cr alloy system is much greater than that of supersaturated solid-solution Cr(Mo)s, during the milling process.     

Visuospatial processing in adolescents with critical congenital heart disease: Organization,integration, and implications for academic achievement

Among the most significant factors affecting quality of life in individuals with critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) are neurodevelopmental challenges, including deficits in visuospatial processing and academic achievement. Few studies have compared outcomes across CCHD subgroups, despite their significant differences in anatomy/physiology and medical/surgical courses. This study compared visuospatial processing abilities using the Developmental Scoring System for the Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure (DSS-ROCF) across groups of adolescents with CCHD (d-transposition of the great arteries [TGA, n = 139], Tetralogy of Fallot [TOF, n = 68], single-ventricle cardiac anatomy requiring the Fontan operation [SVF, n = 145]) and a group of healthy controls (CTR, n = 111), and examined the validity of visuospatial processing in predicting concurrent academic outcomes. The CCHD subgroups were found to differ in Organization, ps < .001, Structural Accuracy, ps < .001, and Incidental Elements Accuracy scores, ps ≤ .008; the post hoc analyses show that the SVF group tended to underperform compared to the other CCHD groups. With respect to academic skills, all CCHD groups scored lower than the CTR group, ps ≤ .007; however, the CCHD groups were not different from each other, ps > .23. The regression results showed that the DSS-ROCF Style rating (reflecting integration) accounted for a small yet statistically significant portion of unique variance in “assembled” academic outcomes, over and above the variance already accounted for by DSS-ROCF Organization, p < .01. These findings support the need for comprehensive neuropsychological assessment and monitoring of children and adolescents with CCHD, as well as targeted intervention for organization and integration deficits that may increase their risk for academic underachievement.