Aging increases inattentional blindness to the gorilla in our midst.

When engaged in an attention-demanding task, people are surprisingly vulnerable to inattentional blindness—the failure to notice an unexpected event. Two theories of cognitive aging, attentional capacity models and inhibitory deficit models, make opposite predictions about age differences in susceptibility to inattentional blindness. We tested these predictions using an inattentional blindness paradigm developed by Simons and Chabris (1999) and found that older adults were more likely to experience inattentional blindness than young adults. These results are compatible with attentional capacity models of cognitive aging but not with current inhibitory deficit models. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The impact of posttraumatic symptoms on women's commitment to a hypothetical violent relationship: A path analytic test of posttraumatic stress, depression, shame, and self-efficacy on investment model factors.

Recent evidence shows that female victims of intimate partner violence utilize a rational-decision making framework for deciding whether to remain involved with or leave an abusive partner. This framework, known as the Investment Model, does not take into consideration intraindividual factors that may affect commitment and stay or leave decisions, as the model is predominately based on relational dynamics between partners. However, it is well-known that many victims of intimate partner violence suffer ill psychological consequences stemming from abuse, such as posttraumatic stress, depression, increased shame, and reduced self-efficacy. These posttraumatic symptoms may potentially interfere with relationship termination as defined by the Investment Model. Using a sample of female undergraduate students and a hypothetical abusive dating relationship vignette, results from path analyses indicated that posttraumatic symptoms predicted commitment through model factors. Posttraumatic stress symptoms impacted the model in expected and unexpected ways. Self-efficacy emerged as a particularly important factor predicting commitment. Directions for future research and clinical implications aimed at increasing women's empowerment are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Moth responses to selectively fluorinated sex pheromone analogs

Partially fluorinated analogs of the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) female sex pheromone, 11-tetradecenyl acetate (97:3Z:E), having mono- and trifluorsubstitutions at the terminal carbon of the pheromone chain, mimicked the biological activity of the pheromone, while analogs with fluorine at either side of the double bond and a pentafluoro analog were essentially inactive. Comparison of the pheromonal activity of these analogs with the previously reported activity of similarly fluorinated pheromones in five other species of moths revealed an unpredictable relationship between fluorine substitution pattern and pheromone-mimicking activity. Fluorine substitution patterns that rendered pheromonal analogs biologically inactive in the European corn borer had no detrimental influence upon pheromonal activity in other species and the converse was also true. This is evidence that the relative importance of electronic qualities of sites within a pheromone molecule differ from species to species. Furthermore, it indicates that the biochemical components (pheromone receptor proteins, binding proteins, and enzymes) that make up moth olfactory chemosensory systems must also vary structurally from species to species, despite the fact that they are involved in olfactory sensing of compounds having very similar chemical structure.     

An investigation of the activity of coprecipitated gold catalysts for methane oxidation

Coprecipitated Au on transition metal oxide catalysts have been tested for their activity toward methane oxidation. Catalyst activities fall in the order Au/Co₃O₄>Au/NiO> Au/MnO_x> Au/Fe₂O₃ > Au/CeO. The Au/Co₃O₄ catalyst is active just below about 250°C. The catalysts are proposed to have more than one type of reactive site since the supports are also active at higher temperatures. Analysis of spent catalysts with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates that Au exists in at least two oxidation states on some of them, a reduced state and an oxidized state. The activity for methane oxidation increases with increasing oxidation of Auin the oxidized state.     

13C CP–MAS NMR study of absorbed water in polyimide film

Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation studies were performed on Kapton H polyimide films in order to determine the location of water absorption within the polymer lattice and its effects on the microdomain properties of the polymer. Carbon spin lattice relaxation (^13CT₁), spin lattice relaxation in the rotating frame (T_1ρ), and inversion recovery cross polarization (IRCP) experiments were performed to analyze wet and dry Kapton films and films exposed to D₂O. The conventional pulse sequences for these experiments were modified with a TOSS acquisition sequence in order to remove spinning side bands from the ¹³C-NMR spectra. The data indicates that the water molecules aggregate near the carbonyl group of the imide ring and are most probably bound via hydrogen bonding. Additionally the water molecules plasticize the polymer network by increasing the amplitude of low-frequency motions. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

每一个花园都需要一个小屋和草坪!

这一艺术装置利用英式幽默,在草坪中摆放10个花园小屋,为花园展的十周年庆献上一份薄礼,引发人们思考无处不在的花园小屋,同时又凸显花园的10个重要的元素,即花粉、水、光、概念、云、土壤、食品、美学、种子和碳。     

Do Preferences for Waterscapes Persist in Inclement Weather and Extend to Sub-aquatic Scenes?

Abstract

Water is often a feature of preferred landscapes. Three experimental studies explored possible boundary conditions and extensions of this finding. Study 1 examined the role of weather and found that landscape preferences were moderated by climatic conditions. While waterscape preferences were significantly higher under clement than inclement conditions, urban/built landscape preferences were unaffected. Studies 2a and 2b explored reactions to sub-aquatic compared to above the waterline views, using colour and monochrome images respectively. In both cases, reactions to sub-aquatic scenes were broadly similar to those of green space. Findings are discussed in terms of possible evolutionary, cultural and personal mechanisms.     

The Politics of Revitalization in Gentrifying Neighborhoods The Case of Boston's South End

Federal and local officials have in recent years enacted programs to escalate the middle-class resettlement of city neighborhoods. Enamoured with the physical and economic benefits promised by the back-to-the-city movement, they have underestimated the shortcomings of this neighborhood revitalization strategy. The experience of Boston's South End with publicly supported middle-class resettlement illustrates the severe social and political strains that can develop between incumbents and more affluent “pioneers”—strains which can ultimately inflict damage on the neighborhood's poor. Officials must direct current resources to aid the cities' poorer residents and avoid stimulating gentrification until its adverse side effects can be controlled.     

Ionic liquid‐based observation technique for nonconductive materials in the scanning electron microscope: Application to the characterization of a rare earth ore

A new approach for preparing geological materials is proposed to reduce charging during their characterization in a scanning electron microscope. This technique was applied to a sample of the Nechalacho rare earth deposit, which contains a significant amount of the minerals fergusonite and zircon. Instead of covering the specimen surface with a conductive coating, the sample was immersed in a dilute solution of ionic liquid and then air dried prior to SEM analysis. Imaging at a wide range of accelerating voltages was then possible without evidence of charging when using the in‐chamber secondary and backscattered electrons detectors, even at 1 kV. High resolution x‐ray and electron backscatter diffraction mapping were successfully obtained at 20 and 5 kV with negligible image drifting and permitted the characterization of the microstructure of the zircon/fergusonite‐Y aggregates encased in the matrix minerals. Because of the absence of a conductive layer at the surface of the specimen, the Kikuchi band contrast was improved and the backscatter electron signal increased at both 5 and 20 kV as confirmed by Monte Carlo modeling. These major developments led to an improvement of the spatial resolution and efficiency of the above characterization techniques applied to the rare earth ore and it is expected that they can be applied to other types of ores and minerals. Microsc. Res. Tech. 77:225–235, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Identifying joints from measured reflection coefficients in beam-like structures with application to a pipe support

The properties of joints in mechanical systems are notoriously uncertain causing corresponding uncertainty in the systems’ dynamic responses. A piping system is one such example where an accurate knowledge of joint properties is useful for the purposes of structure-borne sound transmission, fatigue considerations and structural health monitoring. This paper presents an inverse technique that is applicable to joint estimation in one-dimensional structures such as a pipe. Measured wave reflection coefficients are used which have several advantages over modal information. First, they characterise just the joint and adjacent pipes and are independent of the rest of the built-up system. Second, they are potentially more sensitive to the joint parameters in question than are modal parameters.The method is illustrated by means of an experimental case study featuring a straight pipe suspended by a cantilevered hanger. The stiffness and inertia of the hanger are accurately identified from measured data at frequencies significantly higher than the fundamental modes of the structure.