Electric resistivity of organic conductor K-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu2(CN)3

U ovom radu su proučavana svojstva električne otpornosti u temperaturnom rasponu od ~300K (sobne temperature) do ~20K (do kuda je dostupna aparatura davala pouzdane rezultate), organskog kristala κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu2(CN)3. Na temelju provedenih mjerenja ispitana su slaganja rezultata mjerenja s teorijom, odnosno s Arrheniusovim zakonom i teorijom preskoka promjenjivog dosega. U metodičkom dijelu rada predstavljen je jedan način kako bi se mogao održati istraživački tip nastave na temu električnog otpora u srednoj školi sa četverogodišnjim programom fizike.The subject of this study is electric resistivity in temperature range from ~300K (room temperature) to ~20K (temperature at which available apparatus was giving reliable results), organic crystal κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu2(CN)3. The study examines connection between measured results and the theory, respectively with Arrhenius law and theory of variable range hopping. Educational part shows an exploratory teaching method how to present electric resistance in high school within four year program of physics

Intention Understanding in Autism

When we observe a motor act (e.g. grasping a cup) done by another individual, we extract, according to how the motor act is performed and its context, two types of information: the goal (grasping) and the intention underlying it (e.g. grasping for drinking). Here we examined whether children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) are able to understand these two aspects of motor acts. Two experiments were carried out. In the first, one group of high-functioning children with ASD and one of typically developing (TD) children were presented with pictures showing hand-object interactions and asked what the individual was doing and why. In half of the “why” trials the observed grip was congruent with the function of the object (“why-use” trials), in the other half it corresponded to the grip typically used to move that object (“why-place” trials). The results showed that children with ASD have no difficulties in reporting the goals of individual motor acts. In contrast they made several errors in the why task with all errors occurring in the “why-place” trials. In the second experiment the same two groups of children saw pictures showing a hand-grip congruent with the object use, but within a context suggesting either the use of the object or its placement into a container. Here children with ASD performed as TD children, correctly indicating the agent's intention. In conclusion, our data show that understanding others' intentions can occur in two ways: by relying on motor information derived from the hand-object interaction, and by using functional information derived from the object's standard use. Children with ASD have no deficit in the second type of understanding, while they have difficulties in understanding others' intentions when they have to rely exclusively on motor cues

Emotions in Action through the Looking Glass

The paper aims at highlighting how our primary understanding of others' actions is rooted in the mirror mechanism. To this end, the anatomical architecture of the mirror neuron system for action will be outlined as well as its role in grasping goals and intentions in others' motor behaviour. One further step through the looking glass of social cognition will be referring to the ubiquitous emotional colouring of actions and considering its links with the motor domaThis will allow a clearer perspective on the mechanism underlying our abilities for emotional understanding and on cases in which these abilities are amiss, as in autistic spectrum disorders

What and Why understanding in autism spectrum disorders and williams syndrome: Similarities and differences

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and children with Williams syndrome (WS) show divergent social phenotypes, but also several similarities in their socio-cognitive deficits. Cross-syndrome direct comparisons could lead to a better understanding of mechanisms that determine deficits in social cognition in the two syndromes. A fundamental factor for social cognition is the ability to understand and predict others' actions (e.g. what action is being done and why it is being done when observing a goal-related act). Here we compared the understanding of others' actions in children with ASD, WS and in children with typical development. Comprehension of what motor act was being done and of why it was being done was assessed with or without contextual cueing using a computer-based task. The results showed that what understanding was impaired in the WS group, but not in the ASD group, which showed mental-age appropriate performance. Why understanding was impaired in both experimental groups. \ua9 2014 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc