A constitutive model for quasicrystal plasticity

High-pressure X-ray diffraction studies on gadolinium sesquioxide (Gd₂O₃) have been carried out up to a pressure of ～25 GPa in a diamond-anvil cell at room temperature. Gadolinium oxide, which has a cubic or bixbyite structure under ambient conditions, undergoes an irreversible structural phase at around 12 GPa. The high-pressure phase has been identified as a hexagonal La₂O₃-type structure. The bulk modulus and its pressure derivative of this phase have been calculated.     

Electron irradiation damage in SnO

In a study of radiation effects in SnO we have found that electron-beam damage is observable from changes in a high-resolution electron microscopy image or electron diffraction pattern. The early stage of the damage is not accompanied by a change in composition or a loss of crystallinity. The dose required for this damage (about 600 C cm^?2) is approximately independent of electron energy (between 100 and 400 keV) and specimen temperature (between 100 and 300 K). The damage is believed to start with displacement of oxygen atoms from their lattice position through a radiolytic mechanism with an efficiency of approximately 10^?4.     

Linear-parabolic shift of initially sharp interface in AB diffusion couple above the ordering temperature

It is shown that initially sharp interface in AB diffusion couple, above the ordering temperature, can shift with anomalous kinetics, i.e. deviations from the parabolic growth kinetics are possible. The initial slopes of the shift versus time functions can be even unity for large diffusion asymmetry (the ratio of diffusion coefficients of the parent materials in orders of magnitude) and gradually decrease to 0.5 at larger distances (longer times). This is in accordance with earlier results obtained in phase separating systems. It is shown that from the results of simulations the crossover thickness, X*, between the linear and parabolic regimes can also be calculated, and the applicability of the linear–parabolic law is confirmed. Furthermore, it is illustrated that the crossover thickness depends exponentially on the diffusion asymmetry parameter, with the exponent close to the value obtained from analytical estimations.     

The relationship between employees’ experience of performance management and work engagement within a South African organisation

The study investigated the relationship between employees’ experience of performance management and work engagement. Participants were a convenience sample of employed adults (N=202; females=59%, middle management?=?48%, White?=?54%, tenure more than 9 years?=?48%) in an organisation in the vehicle and asset-based finance industry. They completed the Performance Management Questionnaire (PMQ) and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the proportion of variance of work engagement that is explained by employees’ experience of performance management. Results revealed that only empowerment significantly predicted work engagement. These findings suggest that when employees experience performance management as empowering, they are also likely to have higher levels of work engagement.     

Divine Action,Resurrection, and the Transformation of the Universe

Abstract

The article examines the notion of self-organization and explores the reality of biological processes from an epistemological point of view. First, I briefly analyze what is currently regarded as one of the most important discoveries not only in physics, but also in biology—namely, complex systems and deterministic chaos; secondly, I offer some reflections on the new frontiers of contemporary biology— namely, functional genomics and systems biology. The central part of the article focuses on the epistemological transition from genetic determinism to the new conception of “meaning” as emergence.     

Multicriteria Classification with Unknown Categories: A Clustering–Sorting Approach and an Application to Conflict Management

This work proposes an approach to cluster and sort a set of alternatives considering multi‐criteria categories with a partial order structure. It can be considered a heuristic approach because it does not attempt to derive an optimal partial order among all conceivable clusters of alternatives. Rather than this, it intends to be a simple approach that is transparent to the Decision Maker (DM) whose assistance is sought to help shaping the results. The approach proposed arises from the conjugation of traditional Clustering analysis and Multi‐criteria sorting tools. At the outset, the number of categories and their characteristics is unknown. First, we need to detect only the clusters themselves on the basis of a similarity measure independent of the preferences of the DM. Next, we detect potential partial order relations that might exist between them, according to the subjective preferences of the DM. Such preferences are elicited only after the DM has examined the clusters detected and deemed that these categories made sense. The new approach performs very well in a real‐world problem of management of intragroup conflicts and conflict handling strategies. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

From goal motivation to goal progress: the mediating role of coping in the Self-Concordance Model

Abstract

The present studies examined the mediating role of self-regulatory mechanisms in the relationship between goal motivation and goal progress in the Self-Concordance Model. First, a systematic review, using meta-analytical path analysis, supported the mediating role of effort and action planning in the positive association between autonomous goal motivation and goal progress. Second, results from two additional empirical studies, using structural equation modeling, lent credence to the mediating role of coping in the relationship between goal motivation and goal progress of university students. Autonomous goal motivation was positively associated with task-oriented coping, which predicted greater goal progress during midterm exams (Study 1, N=702) and at the end of the semester in a different sample (Study 2, N=167). Controlled goal motivation was associated with greater disengagement-oriented coping (Study 1 and Study 2) and lesser use of task-oriented coping (Study 2), which reduced goal progress. These results held up after controlling for perceived stress (Study 2). Our findings highlight the importance of coping in the “inception-to-attainment” goal process because autonomous goal motivation indirectly rather than directly predicts goal progress of university students through their usage of task-oriented coping.     

PTSD and Epigenetic Research: Decentering the Physical Body

To prevent youth violence, the GREAT Families program was implemented with a selective sample of 1,196 families of sixth-grade children from low-income schools in 4 cities making the transition to adolescence. To assess intervention effects, we used pre- and posttest data to estimate a structural model to test the hypothesis that random assignment to the intervention would predict changes in parenting practices, which in turn would predict changes in exposure to violence (i.e., a mediational model). We found that participation in GREAT was significantly related to changes in parenting practices and these changes significantly predicted changes in violence exposure. Furthermore, adolescents who reported greater increases in exposure to violence also tended to experience greater decreases in parental monitoring, discipline, and involvement. Implications for future research and prevention efforts are discussed.     

Shall we continue or stop disapproving of self-presentation? Evidence on impression management and faking in a selection context and their relation to job performance

The self-presentation tactics of candidates during job interviews and on personality inventories have been a focal topic in selection research. The current study investigated self-presentation across these two selection devices. Specifically, we examined whether candidates who use impression management (IM) tactics during an interview show more faking on a personality inventory and whether the relation to job performance is similar for both forms of self-presentation. Data were collected in a simulated selection process with an interview under applicant conditions and a personality inventory that was administered under applicant conditions and thereafter for research purposes. Because all participants were employed, we were also able to collect job performance ratings from their supervisors. Candidates who used IM in the interview also showed more faking in a personality inventory. Importantly, faking was positively related to supervisors’ job performance ratings, but IM was unrelated. Hence, this study gives rise to arguments for a more balanced view of self-presentation.     

Speaking up in ad hoc multiteam systems: Individual-level effects of psychological safety,status, and leadership within and across teams

Speaking up in high-risk organizations plays a pivotal role in the mitigation of errors and can make the difference between life and death. To date, speaking up has been studied mostly within teams. However, many high-risk organizations rely on the effective collaboration across teams in ad hoc multiteam systems (MTS). This study widens the scope of research from teams to MTS and empirically compares the mechanisms involved in speaking up within versus across teams in ad hoc MTS-aircrews. In a sample of 1490 aircrew members of a European airline, we found that crewmembers’ individual level perceptions of psychological safety mediated both the relationship between status and speaking up and between perceived leader inclusiveness and speaking up within teams. Across teams, however, psychological safety and leader inclusiveness—as perceived by pursers in their role as boundary spanners—showed no effect. Instead, it was pursers’ within-team perceptions of psychological safety that mediated between status and speaking up across teams. Teams in ad hoc MTS may thus serve as safe harbours supporting their members also in interactions across team boundaries. Implications of findings for research on MTS and practical recommendations to improve speaking up within and across teams in ad hoc MTS are discussed.