Experimental study of the phase relations at 1023 and 1123 K in the Ag–Cu–Y system

The microstructure and phase constituents at 1023 and 1123 K of the annealed Ag–Cu–Y alloys were studied by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). A new phase τ₂ at 1023 K was found at ~33.3 at.% Y between Ag₂Y and Cu₂Y. Another ternary compound τ₁(Ag₃Cu₁₂Y₅) was confirmed to be stable at 1023 and 1123 K, and the liquidus temperatures of two annealed alloys with single phase τ₁ were determined by thermal analysis techniques. Based on the obtained solubilities of compounds and phase equilibria data, the complete isothermal section at 1023 K and partial isothermal section with Y<50 at.% at 1123 K of the Ag–Cu–Y system were constructed.     

Caregiving role in human–robot interaction: A study of the mediating effects of perceived benefit and social presence

This study investigates whether assigning a caregiving role to a robot or to its human interactant has psychological effects on the quality of human–robot interaction (HRI). College students interacted with a social robot in a between-subjects experiment (N = 60) with two manipulated conditions: one where the robot played the role of an ophthalmologist (with participants serving as patients) and one where participants played the role of the ophthalmologist (with the robot serving as the patient). Results suggest that being a recipient of caregiving acts leads users to form more positive perceptions of the robot than being an ostensible caregiver to the robot. Results also indicate that perceived benefit of being in a relationship with the robot mediates the effects of the caregiving role on relationship satisfaction with—and trust towards—the robot while feelings of social presence mediate the effects on humanlike-ness and intelligence of the robot. These findings demonstrate the applicability of the Computers Are Social Actors (CASA) paradigm to the context of HRI.