Age trends in musical preferences in adulthood: 3. Perceived musical attributes as intrinsic determinants of preferences

Increased age has been found to be associated with differences in musical preferences in adulthood. In past research, these differences were mostly attributed to changes in the social context. However, these influences were small and a large proportion of variance in age trends in musical preferences still remains to be explained. The aim of this article is to investigate the hypothesis that age trends in musical preferences are related to differences in preferences for some intrinsic attributes of the music in line with the Music Preferences in Adulthood Model (Bonneville-Roussy et al., 2017). Adult participants (N = 481) were asked to rate their preferences for extracts of 51 audio-music recordings (music clips) and musical attributes related to dynamics, pitch, structure, tempo, and timbre. Audio-features of the 51 clips were extracted using Music Information Retrieval methods. Using self-report, we found that the musical preferences of adults were linked with distinct likings for musical attributes, with large effects. We also discovered that self-rated attributes associated with dynamics and timbre moderated the links between age and musical preferences. Using the extracted features, we found that musical preferences were linked with distinct patterns of musical features. Finally, we established that the patterns of preferences of emerging, young and middle-aged adults were increasingly influenced by audio-features of timbre, dynamics and tonal clarity. These findings suggest that age trends in musical preferences could be partially explained by differences in the ways individuals process the intrinsic attributes of the music with age

HTS pulse-stretcher and second order modulator: design and first results

One of the remaining challenges in the application of superconducting electronics is the interfacing between superconducting and semiconducting environments. The voltage and speed mismatch between RSFQ pulses and semiconducting read-out electronics makes it necessary to amplify as well as stretch the RSFQ pulses. Moreover, circuits based on HTS (High Temperature Superconductor) technology are very attractive since they can operate under considerably relaxed cooling effort, which is one of the main problems with LTS (Low Temperature Superconductor) circuits. Within the European project SuperADC, a HTS second order sigma delta modulator and a pulse stretcher, used as an interface between the modulator and the first semi-conducting amplifier stage, have been designed at Twente University and will be presented here

Selective Hybridization of a Terpyridine-Based Molecule with a Noble Metal

The electronic properties of metal-molecule interfaces can in principle be controlled by molecular design and self-assembly, yielding great potential for future nano- and optoelectronic technologies. However, the coupling between molecular orbitals and the electronic states of the surface can significantly influence molecular states. In particular, molecules designed to create metal-organic self-assembled networks have functional groups that by necessity are designed to interact strongly with metals. Here, we investigate the adsorption interactions of a terpyridine (tpy)-based molecule on a noble metal, Ag(111), by low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS) together with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. By comparing the local density of states (DOS) information gained from STS for the molecule on the bare Ag(111) surface with that of the molecule decoupled from the underlying metal by a NaCl bilayer, we find that tpy-localized orbitals hybridize strongly with the metal substrate. Meanwhile, those related to the phenyl rings that link the two terminal tpy groups are less influenced by the interaction with the surface. The selective hybridization of the tpy groups provides an example of strong, orbital-specific electronic coupling between a functional group and a noble-metal surface, which may alter the intended balance of interactions and resulting electronic behavior of the molecule-metal interface

Microwave assisted heterogeneous catalysis: effects of varying oxygen concentrations on the oxidative coupling of methane

The oxidative coupling of methane was investigated over alumina supported La2O3/CeO2 catalysts under microwave dielectric heating conditions at different oxygen concentrations. It was observed that, at a given temperature using microwave heating, selectivities for both ethane and ethylene were notably higher when oxygen was absent than that in oxygen/methane mixtures. The differences were attributed to the localised heating of microwave radiation resulting in temperature inhomogeneity in the catalyst bed. A simplified model was used to estimate the temperature inhomogeneity; the temperature at the centre of the catalyst bed was 85 °C greater than that at the periphery when the catalyst was heated by microwaves in a gas mixture with an oxygen concentration of 12.5% (v/v), and the temperature difference was estimated to be 168 °C in the absence of oxygen

Characterization method of dielectric properties of free falling drops in a microwave processing cavity and its application in microwave internal gelation

[EN] Microwave internal gelation (MIG) is a chemical process proposed for the production of nuclear particle fuel. The internal gelation reaction is triggered by a temperature increase of aqueous droplets falling by gravity by means of non-contact microwave heating. Due to the short residence time of a solution droplet in a microwave heating cavity, a detailed knowledge of the interaction between microwaves and chemical solution (shaped in small drops) is required. This paper describes a procedure that enables the measurement of the dielectric properties of aqueous droplets that freely fall through a microwave cavity. These measurements provide the information to determine the optimal values of the parameters (such as frequency and power) that dictate the heating of such a material under microwaves.This work is a part of the PINE (Platform for Innovative Nuclear FuEls) project which targets the development of an advanced production method for Sphere-Pac fuel and is financed by the Swiss Competence Center for Energy and Mobility. The work has been also financed by the European Commission through contract no 295664 regarding the FP7 PELGRIMM Project, as well as contract no 295825 regarding the FP7-ASGARD Project. MC-S would like to thank the ITACA research team (UPV Valencia, Spain) and the EMPA Thun (Switzerland) for their support in the measurements and Carl Beard (PSI, Switzerland) for the help provided in respect with CST simulations. The work of FLP-F was supported by the Conselleria d'Educacio of the Generalitat Valenciana for economic support (BEST/2012/010).Cabanes Sempere, M.; Catalá Civera, JM.; Penaranda-Foix, FL.; Cozzo, C.; Vaucher, S.; Pouchon, MA. (2013). Characterization method of dielectric properties of free falling drops in a microwave processing cavity and its application in microwave internal gelation. Measurement Science and Technology. 24(9). https://doi.org/10.1088/0957-0233/24/9/095009S24

The psychology of passion: A meta-analytical review of a decade of research on intrapersonal outcomes

It is just over a decade since Vallerand et al. (J Personal Soc Psychol 85:756–767, 2003) introduced the dualistic model of passion. In this study, we conduct a meta-analytical review of relationships between Vallerand et al’s two passions (viz. harmonious and obsessive), and intrapersonal outcomes, and test the moderating role of age, gender, domain, and culture. A systematic literature search yielded 94 studies, within which 27 criterion variables were reported. These criterion variables derived from four research areas within the intrapersonal sphere: (a) well-/ill-being, (b) motivation factors, (c) cognitive outcomes and, (d) behaviour and performance. From these areas we retrieved 1308 independent effect sizes and analysed them using random-effects models. Results showed harmonious passion positively corresponded with positive intrapersonal outcomes (e.g., positive affect, flow, performance). Obsessive passion, conversely, showed positive associations with positive and negative