Structural,elastic, electronic,phonon and thermal properties of Ir3Ta and Rh3Ta alloys

We have studied the structural, elastic, electronic, phonon and thermodynamic properties of Ir₃Ta and Rh₃Ta alloys, using ab initio calculations. For the L1₂ phase, we report the calculated lattice constants, bulk modulus and elastic constants, and these values are compared with previously published values. We also derive the elastic constants from the values of the slopes of the acoustic branches in the phonon dispersion curves. The band structures show that both materials are metallic. The phonon dispersion curves, and their corresponding total and projected densities of states, are obtained using a linear response in the framework of the density functional perturbation theory. The specific heat capacity at constant volume and different temperatures is calculated, and this aspect is discussed using the quasi-harmonic approximation.     

In-situ X-ray diffraction during tensile deformation of ultrafine-grained copper using synchrotron radiation

At the synchrotron facility, Super Photon Ring – 8 GeV, in-situ X-ray diffraction during tensile deformation was conducted on ultrafine-grained Cu with a grain size of about 300 nm fabricated by equal-channel angular pressing. The diffraction profile was observed with the time resolution of about 1 s using multiple MYTHEN detectors, and the diffraction angle and the full-width at half-maximum of some Bragg peaks were determined using the pseudo-Voigt function. From the analysis of Bragg peaks, it was found out that there are microscopically three regions; elastic, plastic and transition regions. The 0.2% proof stress obtained from the stress–strain curve locates within the microscopic transition region. Microstrain was evaluated using the Williamson–Hall method and the dislocation density was also obtained from the microstrain. The dislocation density starts increasing before 0.2% proof stress, which is associated with dislocation bow-out and emission from grain boundaries. The Taylor relationship seems to be still satisfied after 0.2% proof stress.     

Meet Your Neighbours. Authoritarians Engage in Intergroup Contact When They have the Opportunity

Research indicates that authoritarians tend to avoid intergroup contact. This study tested the hypothesis that living in a neighbourhood with a higher proportion of Asian peoples increases the likelihood of contact with them for the majority (New Zealand Europeans), and that this effect should increase intergroup contact for authoritarians. Multi‐level Random Coefficient Modelling of data from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (N = 3903) indicated that New Zealand Europeans high in authoritarianism in neighbourhoods with a high proportion of Asian peoples have more contact with Asian friends, relative to authoritarians in less ethnically diverse areas. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The influence of age on the take-over of vehicle control in highly automated driving

The growing proportion of older drivers in the population plays an increasingly relevant role in road traffic that is currently awaiting the introduction of automated vehicles. In this study, it was investigated how older drivers (⩾60 years) compared to younger drivers (⩽28 years) perform in a critical traffic event when driving highly automated. Conditions of the take-over situation were manipulated by adding a verbal non-driving task (20 questions task) and by variation of traffic density. Two age groups consisting of 36 younger and 36 older drivers drove either with or without a non-driving task on a six-lane highway. They encountered three situations with either no, medium or high traffic density where they had to regain vehicle control and evade an obstacle on the road. Older drivers reacted as fast as younger drivers, however, they differed in their modus operandi as they braked more often and more strongly and maintained a higher time-to-collision (TTC). Deterioration of take-over time and quality caused by increased traffic density and engagement in a non-driving task was on the same level for both age groups. Independent of the traffic density, there was a learning effect for both younger and older drivers in a way that the take-over time decreased, minimum TTC increased and maximum lateral acceleration decreased between the first and the last situation of the experiment. Results highlight that older drivers are able to solve critical traffic events as well as younger drivers, yet their modus operandi differs. Nevertheless, both age groups adapt to the experience of take-over situations in the same way.     

How is the visual working memory load of driver influenced by information density of traffic signs?

The rapid development of urban roads has resulted in an increase in the amount of information that needs to be displayed on traffic signs. The overloading of information on traffic signs may increase drivers’ visual cognition burden and cause driving errors. It could be an important factor affecting driving safety and result in accidents. To enable drivers to cognize traffic signs, the information density that they could endure under reasonable workload levels should be determined. In this study, we designed and implemented trials to analyze drivers’ visual working memory load (VWML) caused by different information densities (including stimulus intensity (SI) and interval time of stimulus (IS)) of traffic signs. Twenty-four paid participants (12 females) with a mean age of 23.38 years (SD = 1.38) participated in laboratory simulation trials based on the memory retrieval approach. Subjective ratings (rating scale mental effort (RSME)), and performance measurement based on reaction time and accuracy of information-matching task were measured to reflect drivers’ VWML at different information densities. The results show that information density is an important factor affecting drivers’ VWML. The following are the significant observations of the study: (1) The subjective ratings on mental effort increased with increase in the SI. Meanwhile, it first decreased and then increased with increase in the IS. (2) The response accuracy results show that a high accuracy (≥0.7) was achieved by drivers in an IS of 15 s when the SI was at most 14.16 bit/m². Correspondingly, the drivers underwent less mental workload as a result of their better short-term memory characteristic. (3) The mean reaction time was over 1800 ms when the SI was over 14.16 bit/m². This indicated a reduction in the information-processing capability of the drivers. The results indicate that cognition of information of unreasonable density on traffic signs would increase drivers’ VWML. This would, in turn, result in an increase in their reaction time and decrease in accuracy. The threshold of information density was also determined through the experiment. It would satisfy the information demand of drivers and prevent information redundancy. The results contribute to an understanding of drivers’ VWML while cognizing traffic signs with different information densities and provide safety, effectiveness, and information continuity considerations for the design and setting of traffic signs.     

Crowding Effects of Density and Personal Space Requirements Among Older People: The Impact of Self-Control and Social Support

Abstract

The authors examined the effects of self-control and social support among a representative sample of 300 older people, 150 in high-density and 150 in low-density households in India. The Self-Control Schedule (M. Rosenbaum, 1980), the Comfortable Interpersonal Distance Test (M. Duke & S. Nowicki, 1972), the Social Support Questionnaire, and the Judgement of Environmental Quality Scale (I. G. Sarason, H. M. Levine, R. B. Basham, & B. R. Sarason, 1983) were the measures. A 2 × 2 × 2 (Density × Social Support × Self-Control) analysis of variance for perceptions of home environment and personal space requirements revealed that the Self-Control x Social Support interaction moderated the crowding effects of density: The participants in high-density households evaluated their home environments more positively and reduced their personal space requirements.     

Density evolution during the growth of disc-shaped aluminium nanoparticles on a liquid surface

Aluminium (Al) nanoparticles (NPs) have been successfully fabricated on a liquid surface by thermal evaporation at room temperature. The Al NPs exhibit a disc-shaped morphology with mean diameter and height in the ranges 20–35 and 1.3–3.7?nm, respectively. As the nominal film thickness increases from 0.02 to 0.18?nm, the mean diameter and height are nearly independent of the thickness, implying that the density of the NPs increases during their growth. An explanation for this phenomenon is presented.     

AC loss density component in electrical steel sheets

This article proposes a new approach to the loss separation issue. The conventional loss separation into three components is abandoned. The dependence of the dynamic component of loss density versus frequency is assumed to be a power law. The model is verified for selected samples of nonoriented and grain-oriented steel.     

关于B族Ⅰ型清道夫受体研究进展的认识

B族I型清道夫受体(SR-BI)具有经典的清道夫受体功能,且是HDL的高亲和力受体,并能介导HDL中胆固醇的选择性摄取、影响血浆HDL-C水平以及介导非酯化胆固醇在脂蛋白和细胞之间的双向运动,具有抗动脉粥样硬化的作用。其研究过程反映了相对真理与绝对真理、现象与本质的辩证关系。当新现象被逐一发现,相对真理就逐渐确立,而循序渐进并运用创造性思维,最终将揭示事物的本质,实现相对真理向绝对真理的转化。     

Is Detecting a Target in a Compound Geometric Shape Influenced by Stimulus Density? A Developmental Study

We studied the pattern of performance in elementary school children and adults detecting a target in compound geometric shapes. The target was randomly presented at the global, local, or neither level of compound shapes with different elemental density. A significant difference between the pattern of performance in children and adults emerged when the geometric shape was constructed with fewer constituent parts. That is, children showed difficulties in recognizing the global level while adults could efficiently process it. We suggest that global processing continues to develop as children grow older. Also, integration ability could benefit from increasing familiarity with the geometric concepts.