Independent use of activity materials by the elderly in a residential setting

A lottery was implemented to encourage the elderly clients of a residential home to use activity materials any time they wished, independently of staff intervention and the institutional routine of the home. During baseline, there were minimal levels of independent use of activity materials by residents. Various conditions were implemented but only the introduction of a £20 lottery prize brought about a significant increase in the frequency of independent use of activity materials. A follow‐up suggested that the reinforcing properties of the activity materials themselves eventually maintained the target behavior.     

Acting on one's attitudes: Procedures for linking attitude and behavior

Two investigations examined the determinants of correspondence between attitudes and behaviors. The first investigation examined the relationship between previously measured attitudes toward affirmative action and subsequent behavioral verdicts in a sex discrimination court case. In this basic situation, correspondence between measured attitudes and judicial decision-making behavior was minimal, for both low-self-monitoring individuals and high-self-monitoring individuals. Increasing the availability of attitudes generated substantial correspondence between attitudes and behavior for low-self-monitoring individuals, but not for high-self-monitoring individuals. Increasing the relevance of attitudes generated substantial correspondence between attitudes and behavior for both low-self-monitoring individuals and high-self-monitoring individuals. The second investigation examined the decisions of individuals with favorable attitudes toward psychological research to volunteer to participate in extra sessions of a psychology experiment. Once again, increasing the relevance of attitudes was an effective procedure for inducing individuals to translate existing attitudes into corresponding behaviors. These empirical outcomes are interpreted within a theoretical framework that specifies the interactive contributions of availability, relevance, and self-monitoring to the creation of “action structures” that link attitudes and behavior. Practical implications of this viewpoint are discussed.     

从毕生发展的角度看个体分类倾向的两次转变——材料的生命性和可操作性的作用

研究从毕生发展的视角考察了个体分类倾向的发展轨迹,并探讨任务材料内容可能对其产生的影响。选取幼儿园、小学、中学、大学和中老年个体各30名作为研究对象,记录他们面对不同的分类材料(有/无生命、高/低可操作性)的分类倾向。结果表明个体的分类倾向经历了两次转变:(1)进入小学后主题分类倾向逐渐降低,并在2、3年级时最低;(2)进入中学之后,个体逐渐恢复对主题分类倾向的偏好,中学和大学的个体面对含有生命体或是可操作性高的材料会比面对非生命体或可操作性低的材料时,更倾向于使用主题分类的策略。这一结果表明,个体对不同材料内容的分类倾向的发展轨迹存在差异,研究结果有助于理解个体概念组织的形成和发展过程。     

Synthesis of a single phase of high-entropy Laves intermetallics in the Ti–Zr–V–Cr–Ni equiatomic alloy

The high-entropy Ti–Zr–V–Cr–Ni (20 at% each) alloy consisting of all five hydride-forming elements was successfully synthesised by the conventional melting and casting as well as by the melt-spinning technique. The as-cast alloy consists entirely of the micron size hexagonal Laves Phase of C14 type; whereas, the melt-spun ribbon exhibits the evolution of nanocrystalline Laves phase. There was no evidence of any amorphous or any other metastable phases in the present processing condition. This is the first report of synthesising a single phase of high-entropy complex intermetallic compound in the equiatomic quinary alloy system. The detailed characterisation by X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirmed the existence of a single-phase multi-component hexagonal C14-type Laves phase in all the as-cast, melt-spun and annealed alloys. The lattice parameter a = 5.08 Å and c = 8.41 Å was determined from the annealed material (annealing at 1173 K). The thermodynamic calculations following the Miedema’s approach support the stability of the high-entropy multi-component Laves phase compared to that of the solid solution or glassy phases. The high hardness value (8.92 GPa at 25 g load) has been observed in nanocrystalline high-entropy alloy ribbon without any cracking. It implies that high-yield strength (~3.00 GPa) and the reasonable fracture toughness can be achieved in this high-entropy material.     

Teaching Beginning Braille Reading Using an Alphabet or Uncontracted Braille Approach

This study examined the effects of using a research based print reading program modified to accommodate beginning braille readers using an alphabet or uncontracted braille reading approach with five beginning braille readers. Four of the 5 participants displayed a clear increase in their ability to read high frequency words when they began using the Early Steps reading program modified to an Early Steps Alphabet Braille Reading Program. Study findings indicate that access to reading activities and materials afforded to sighted peers resulted in improved reading outcomes for children with visual impairments. Teachers, participants, and family members all viewed the use of the uncontracted braille reading program and materials favorably. Specialized reading instruction was also perceived as beneficial by teachers of students with visual impairments when the training addressed the specific needs of braille readers.     

Tensile deformation mechanisms of the hierarchical structure consisting of both twin-free grains and nanotwinned grains

A series of large-scale molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to investigate the tensile properties and atomistic deformation mechanisms for the nanostructured Cu with three typical microstructures: the hierarchical structure consisting of both twin-free grains (d?=?70?nm) and grains with bundles of smaller nanotwins (d?=?70?nm, λ?=?10?nm), the fully nanograined structure and the fully nanotwinned structure. The average flow stress of the hierarchically structure is found to be higher than that calculated by rule of mixture. As compared with that of fully nanograined structure, the strength for the twin-free grains in the hierarchical structure is promoted and gives extra hardening due to the increased dislocation density and dislocation behaviours. It is also found that the nanotwin bundles are more deformable than the twin-free grains in the hierarchical structure according to the deviatoric strain invariant contour. This indicates that the fully nanograined structure cannot only be strengthened to a higher level, but also obtain better ductility by embedded with stronger bundles of smaller nanotwins. Thus, a superior strength–ductility synergy could be obtained in this kind of hierarchical structures, and this novel strategy has also been implemented in bulk austenitic steels or copper by recent experiments.     

A new highly ordered Al-Ni-Ru decagonal quasicrystal with 1.6 nm periodicity

A new decagonal quasicrystal (the D phase) with a period of about 1.6 nm was found to form in conventionally solidified and heat-treated Al₇₅Ni₁₅Ru₁₀ alloys. The electron diffraction patterns of the Al-Ni-Ru D phase exhibit a large number of quite sharp diffraction spots located at precise decagonal symmetry positions, indicating a highly ordered decagonal quasicrystal with a long-range quasiperiodic correlation. The D phase is formed with a composition close to Al₇₄Ni₁₅Ru₁₁, as determined by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. By means of high-resolution electron microscopy, the structural features of the Al-Ni-Ru D phase, which are obviously different from that of the Al-Pd D phase (a typical decagonal quasicrystal with 1.6 nm periodicity reported previously), have been revealed.     

Defect formation in Nd2Fe14B grains caused by Zn diffusion

Defect formation in Nd₂Fe₁₄B grains, caused by a low-pressure-pack-sublimation Zn coating process, has been investigated. The results indicate that, in the Zn-affected region, low-angle boundaries decorated with precipitates form within the Nd2Fe14B grains. Zn, which is almost insoluble in Nd₂Fe₁₄     

Dislocation formation in the partially coherent interfaces of an embedded layer in a semi-infinite matrix

The formation of two misfit edge dislocations is theoretically investigated in the interfaces of a layer embedded in a semi-infinite matrix. Assuming the matrix–layer interfaces are partially coherent, the energy variation resulting from the formation of the dislocations from the lateral free surface of the structure has been determined in the shearing stress field due to the partial misfit. The mechanical stability of the structure is analysed with respect to the dislocation formation as a function of the size of the coherent region of the interface and the misfit strain.     

论帛书《二三子问》中的"精白"

本文讨论帛书<易传>第一篇<二三子问>的时代问题.依据传世文献材料和出土文献,并根据思想观念的发展规律,指出<二三子问>中出现的"精白"一词,已见于<鹃冠子·度万>,进而分析在孔子的时代,有可能出现"精白"这样的概念以及出现押韵的占语,对于<二三子问>的年代作出了新的推测.认为此篇时代当较早,并没有受到黄老思想的影响,有可能就是孔门弟子录所闻于夫子,整理成篇.