Mindfulness-based stress reduction as a method for personnel development: A pilot evaluation.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a potential candidate for learning to cope with stress in a high-stress professional environment. In a pilot study the authors evaluated the potential of MBSR for stress management. Workers participated in an MBSR training for stress-related problems (treatment, n = 12) or waited for such a course (control, n = 11). The authors conducted interviews and measured coping and well-being. Qualitative interviews indicated that subjects had attained more awareness of work-related problems contributing to stress and had grown more critical toward their work environment. In the treatment group, positive strategies of coping with stress increased and negative strategies of coping decreased (significant difference at post treatment: p = .039 compared to control). Eighty-two percent of the participants reported having reached their personal goal. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Chlorination of low-molecular-weight Euphorbia lactiflua natural rubber

The chlorination of low-molecular-weight natural rubber isolated from Euphorbia lactiflua latex (LMWER) was accomplished. The reaction was performed by using Cl_2(g), and CH₂Cl₂ or CCl₄ solvents. Different temperatures, reaction times and Cl₂ to isoprene ratio were used. The products were characterized by elementary analysis, infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The maximum chlorination reached was 59.9%. The properties were found to be comparable with chlorinated rubber obtained from liquid natural rubber (LNR). Received: 13 June 1997/Revised: 15 September 1997/Accepted: 23 September 1997     

Equal homophonic priming with words and pseudohomophones.

The hypothesis that the earliest representations in visual processing of print are activated word-specific units leads to the expectation that homophonic priming (HP) should be greater for word pairs than pseudohomophone pairs. Ten experiments with naming disconfirmed this hypothesis. At interstimulus intervals of 0, 129, 516, and 930 ms, HP for pseudohomophones (e.g., HOEZ-hoze vs. HOGZ-hoze) equaled HP for words (e.g., KNOWS-nose vs. KNEES-nose). The complementary finding of negative HP with pseudohomophones relative to positive HP with words was found in an additional investigation of lexical decision. The results confirm a critical early stage in visual word recognition, in which words are represented in purely phonological form, and implicate equal speeds in dual-route models for nonlexical and lexical processing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mechano-chemische Komplexbildung durch Schwingmahlung von Poly(ε-caprolactam) mit Eisenchlorid in an- oder Abwesenheit von Äthylendiamin

Mechano-chemical syntheses of polychelates by vibratory milling using poly(ε-caprolactam) as parent polymer was studied. As ligands were utilized either distruction fragments of poly(ε-caprolactam) or their polycondensation products with ethylenediamine. As complexing centers were used Fe³⁺ ions from FeCl₃·6H₂O. Some properties of the polychelates are described.     

Molecular dynamics simulations of polyphosphazenes: poly[bis(chloro)phosphazene][NPCl2]n

Suitable parameter sets for the CHARMm force field were derived for the structural units in polychlorophosphazene [P=N, P N, P Cl] using the Dinur Hagler energy second derivative procedure based on quantum mechanical SCI calculations using the 6–31G^* basis set. To validate the reliability of the parameter set, structural results obtained with CHARMm for the adopted model compounds (OP₂NCl₅ and OP₃N₂Cl₅) were compared with those derived fromab initio quantum mechanics using the 6–31G^* basis set. Application of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in combinatioin with the available X-ray diffraction data provided structural and conformational information on the polymer. The calculation made using the periodic boundary conditions (PBC) agree well with the polychlorophosphazene ordered in a monoclinic unit cell (a=5.98,b=12.99,c=4.92 A; =111.7). This model was stabilized mainly by the image atoms contribution to the electrostatic energy term and had aquasi-planar conformation of the backbone chain (glide symmetry). The MD calculations also provided evidence that the difference between single and double PN bonds is less marked than that measured experimentally. This result is, however, in agreement with more recent and accurate X-ray studies on poly(methylphosphazene). Validation of the polymer model provided a complete picture, otherwise experimentally inaccessible, of the internal fluctuations of the polymeric chains.Presented at the 1st Italian Workshop on Cyclo- and Poly(phosphazene) Materials, February 15–16, 1996, at the CNR Research Area in Padova, Italy.     

Dynamic scaffolding of socially regulated learning in a computer-based learning environment

The aim of this study is to test the effects of dynamically scaffolding social regulation of middle school students working in a computer-based learning environment. Dyads in the scaffolding condition (N = 56) are supported with computer-generated scaffolds and students in the control condition (N = 54) do not receive scaffolds. The scaffolds are dynamically adjusted to dyads’ progress with an attention management system. The scaffolds support two aspects of socially regulated learning namely the metacognitive and cognitive activities. We analyzed the effects of dynamic scaffolding on dyads’ performance, their perception of the learning environment and students' knowledge acquisition. We found that scaffolding had a positive effect on the dyads’ learning performance, but did not affect students’ domain knowledge. The repeated measurements of perception of the learning environment showed that dyads in the experimental condition were more positive about their teachers and their collaborators than students in the control condition. With respect to their perception of the software and the 3D embodied agent delivering the scaffolds, we found a stronger decrease of appreciation over time in the scaffolding condition compared to the control condition.     

Serious games for basic learning mechanisms: reinforcing Mexican children’s gross motor skills and attention

Personal and Ubiquitous Computing - Early childhood is the most important and rapid period of development in a human life as it is a period where the maturation of the brain and the central nervous...     

In Situ Induction of Strain in Iron Phosphide (FeP2) Catalyst for Enhanced Hydroxide Adsorption and Water Oxidation

Carbon‐based materials have been widely used in heterogeneous catalysis because of their advantages of high surface area, thermal stability, and chemical inertness. However, their role in the catalysis is not fully understood although most studies conclude that the coupling between the carbon support and catalyst could reduce the charge transfer resistance and improve the kinetics of catalytic reactions such as water splitting. In this study, a carbon‐modified FeP₂ electrocatalyst with a one‐step strategy is synthesized. The tensile strain is introduced in situ in the ab crystal plane of the FeP₂ catalyst. This leads to charge redistribution between H and O atoms in the OH bonds and enhances the adsorption of reaction intermediates. In the water oxidation process, this results in a decrease in the energy barrier for the rate‐determining step, specifically, the chemical step of *OH adsorption preceded by one‐electron transfer. Benefiting from the optimized adsorption energy, the strained catalysts exhibit excellent oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity with a low overpotential in addition to their increased stability. This study provides a new strategy for the introducing of strains in functional materials and provides new insights into the influence of carbon modification on OER activity.     

Retirement Saving Choices: Review of the Literature and Policy Implications

Pension reforms in many countries have resulted in more choice and risk to individuals, decreasing the dependability on State public pensions. However, it is not clear how research has addressed this issue and how much is know about retirement saving decisions. With this paper, we provided two major contributions to the literature on retirement saving. As a starting point, we developed a general chart of retirement saving choices, extending the work of Hurd and Panis (2006). These authors focused exclusively on choices at job change or retirement age and we extended their diagram to all main decisions at each stage of retirement saving, providing a more comprehensive framework. We then used this diagram as the yardstick to perform the systematic review and evaluate the breadth of research in the last 20 years. We found 130 papers and identified the most studied retirement choices and the under- researched areas. Most papers focused on asset allocation, decision to save and contribution rate. Less attention was given to decisions at retirement age and voluntary savings. Furthermore, very few papers studied the psychological and social influences in retirement saving decisions. Policy implications and future research are discussed.