Belbin Revisited: The Construct Validity of the Interplace II Team Role Instrument

In the present study the construct validity of the revised edition of the Belbin Team Roles measure, the so-called Interplace II program, is tested. Three parallel parts were used to determine someone’s team roles. The sample included 1434 persons who were asked to fill out the self-perception inventory and the self-perception assessment, whereas the observer assessment sheet was filled out by at least four observers. The inter-rater reliability appeared to be satisfactory across all team roles. As for the construct validity, which was studied in a multitrait-multimethod design using structural equation modeling, the results revealed that the discriminant and convergent validity for the instrument as a whole is good; only a small effect could be contributed to method variance.Belbin;multitrait-multimethod methodology;team roles;teams

Optimizing the Post Sandvik Nanoflex material model using inverse optimization and the finite element method

This article describes an inverse optimization method for the Sandvik Nanoflex steel in cold forming\ud processes. The optimization revolves around measured samples and calculations using the Finite Element\ud Method. Sandvik Nanoflex is part of the group of meta-stable stainless steels. These materials are characterized\ud by a good corrosion resistance, high strength, good formability and crack resistance. In addition, Sandvik\ud Nanoflex has a strain-induced transformation and, depending on austenising conditions and chemical composition,\ud a stress-assisted transformation can occur. The martensite phase of this material shows a substantial aging\ud response. The inverse optimization is a sub-category of the optimization techniques. The inverse optimization\ud method uses a top down approach, as the name implies. The starting point is a prototype state where the current\ud state is to converge on. In our experiment the test specimen is used as prototype and a calculation result as\ud current state. The calculation is then adapted so that the result converges towards the test example. An iterative\ud numerical optimization algorithm controls the adaptation. For the inverse optimization method two parameters\ud are defined: shape of the product and martensite profile. These parameters are extracted from both calculation\ud and test specimen, using Fourier analysis and integrals. An optimization parameter is then formulated from\ud the extracted parameters. The method uses this optimization parameter to increase the accuracy of ”The Post”\ud material model for Sandvik Nanoflex. [1] The article will describe a method to optimize material models, using\ud a combination practical experiments, Finite Element Method and parameter extraction

Belbin Revisited: The Construct Validity of the Interplace II Team Role Instrument

In the present study the construct validity of the revised edition of the Belbin Team Roles measure, the so-called Interplace II program, is tested. Three parallel parts were used to determine someone’s team roles. The sample included 1434 persons who were asked to fill out the self-perception inventory and the self-perception assessment, whereas the observer assessment sheet was filled out by at least four observers. The inter-rater reliability appeared to be satisfactory across all team roles. As for the construct validity, which was studied in a multitrait-multimethod design using structural equation modeling, the results revealed that the discriminant and convergent validity for the instrument as a whole is good; only a small effect could be contributed to method variance

Two-dimensional superconductivity at the (111)LaAlO3_3/SrTiO3_3 interface

We report on the discovery and transport study of the superconducting ground state present at the (111)LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ interface. The superconducting transition is consistent with a Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition and its 2D nature is further corroborated by the anisotropy of the critical magnetic field, as calculated by Tinkham. The estimated superconducting layer thickness and coherence length are 10 nm and 60 nm, respectively. The results of this work provide a new platform to clarify the microscopic details of superconductivity at LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ interfaces, in particular in what concerns the link with orbital symmetry.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

The effects of oxytocin in autism

Background: Oxytocin is considered as the hormone of calm, healing and love, and it plays an important role in establishing and maintaining social relationships. As autism is characterized by difficulties in social relationships, a dysregulated oxytocin system could possibly be an underlying factor. Aim: To investigate treatment effects of oxytocin in adults with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) on affective empathy.Methods: A randomized placebo-controlled cross-over trial investigated the effects of oxytocin nasal spray on oxytocin blood levels and affective empathy in young men with autism (n = 32) and neurotypicals (n = 30). Brain responses (EEG Event Related Potentials) and cardiac evoked responses (ECG) were recorded while participants viewed (IAPS) pictures with or without humans. Blood samples were taken before and after taking the nasal spray in order to validate absorption.Results: Surprisingly, we found evidence for enhanced blood levels of oxytocin at baseline in high functioning males with autism, especially in those with high intelligence. Oxytocin nasal spray induced a tenfold increase in blood levels in males with and without autism. Blood levels may however not reflect brain levels of oxytocin. Therefore we looked into the effects on the brain responses and centrally controlled heart rate responses to empathy evoking pictures. A subgroup of men with autism had lower empathic orienting responses to positive human emotions, which improved after treatment with oxytocin nasal spray. This subgroup was characterized by high scores (15+) on the Personal Distress (PD) scale of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Those with higher baseline levels of oxytocin also showed a higher treatment effect.Conclusion: Only a subgroup of men with ASD appears to benefit from oxytocin nasal spray for enhancing affective empathy; those who are sensitive to distress of others. Higher baseline levels of oxytocin also predicted a higher treatment effect.<br/

Local-global processing approaches in older autistic adults:A matched control study using RCFT and WAIS-IV

Background Research on information processing of older adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is scarce, which is a caveat because findings in children may not apply to (older) autistic adults. This study examines visual local-global processing approaches in older autistic adults. Method The Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (RCFT) is a popular measure of visual-constructional ability, organisational strategy and memory. In this matched-control study, we explore if the qualitative and quantitative performance on the RCFT can be used as an operationalisation of central coherence in autistic older adults (n = 36; ages 50−84 years), and whether RCFT performance associates with autism-symptoms. WAIS-IV scores were also obtained to test for local-global differences in performance. Results No evidence was found for deviating processing approaches on the RCFT (both quantitative and qualitative) in the ASD group, although copying the RCFT was significantly slower. The WAIS-IV showed no differences between participant-groups, except for a significantly better performance on Visual Puzzles by autistic participants. Conclusions Using visual local-global processing tests common to clinical practice, this study provides no evidence for a weak central coherence but some support for enhanced perceptual functioning in late-diagnosed high functioning older autistic adults. There was no evidence for altered strategic approaches during the completion of a complex visual information processing task (RCFT). Combining a quantitative and a qualitative scoring system of visual information processing tasks (such as RCFT) can elucidate the preferred visual information processing style in autistic individuals