The Constructive and Destructive Power of Social Norms in the Presence of Authoritative Influence

Kitamura S., Yamada K.. The Constructive and Destructive Power of Social Norms in the Presence of Authoritative Influence. American Psychologist , (2023); https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0001288.A randomized survey experiment (N = 2,868) was conducted at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to examine the effects of information provision on individuals’ cooperation with stay home activities. Employing a 2 × 2 factorial design, the study examined the influence of social comparison and a powerful messenger. Using an online sample of approximately 3,000 Japanese respondents, it was found that participants demonstrated greater cooperation with stay-home activities when they perceived that they had spent a relatively long time outside the home compared with prevailing social norms in the previous week. Conversely, individuals who spent a relatively short time outside the home exhibited the opposite effect. However, these results were observed solely in conjunction with the influence of a powerful messenger. The study also explored heterogeneous responses based on personality traits. In conclusion, the results highlight the challenges of changing behavior through informational interventions, emphasizing the role of both the characteristics of the sender and recipient of the information

Quadrature Radar Demodulation Techniques for Accurate Displacement Detection

Ph.D. University of Hawaii at Manoa 2016.Includes bibliographical references.Microwave Doppler radar systems can be used to measure human vital signs by tracking torso displacement. Technical requirements for such systems depend on detection object and objective, resolution and sensitivity, as well as practical constraints such as cost, size and power consumption. Due to its simple structure and validity, direct conversion systems are commonly used for vital signs detection applications. One problem with such systems is that motion or displacement detection accuracy is often compromised by the presence of dc offset that limits the overall signal to noise ratio (SNR) and the system resolution. While the portion of dc offset caused by system imperfections and the external environment is problematic, the dc offset contributed from the subject is critical for accurate displacement measurement. In this research, dc offset optimization methods for direct conversion systems are studied. A method is proposed to make possible accurate measurements of a moving subject, through a system which preserves useful dc contributions while eliminating non-essential dc components which would otherwise undermine the use of appropriate gain and resolution. The performance is contrasted with an ac coupling method using high-pass or band-pass filters and other established dc management approaches

Synthesis, characterization and its photoluminescence properties of group I-III-VI2 CuInS2 nanocrystals

We report the synthesis, characterization, and photoluminescence (PL) properties of colloidal I-III-VI2 CuInS2 and CuInS2/ZnS nanocrystals (NCs). Absorption shoulder and PL bands of the NCs are located at higher energy than those of band gap energy of bulk crystals due to a quantum-confinement effect. The PL band has a relatively large Stokes-shift, broad linewidth, and long decay-time, which suggests that the PL originates from a recombination of confined-excitions associated with donor(s) and/or acceptor(s). We found that quantum yield of the PL depends strongly on the photon-energy of excitation light and that it is up to 40-50% in resonant excitation at the energy positions corresponding to the absorption shoulder. Detailed properties and possible dynamics will be described. We also present preliminary results of PL properties focused on single NCs. There exist highluminescent NCs exhibiting so-called PL blinking as similar with II-VI NCs, while the others are dark NCs. 73.21.La, 78.47.jd, 78.67.Bf, 78.67.H

Quantification of microplastic by particle size down to 1.1 μm in surface road dust in an urban city, Japan

The impact of microplastics (MPs, plastic particles ≤5 mm) on ecosystems is of great concern. Road surfaces represent a significant source of MPs where plastic fragments are physically and chemically reduced to MPs. However, the literature lacks information on fragmentation tendencies below 11 μm. This study aimed to characterize the occurrence of MPs in road dust in different size fractions down to 1.1 μm. Road dust was collected at five sites near a major road in Kusatsu city, Japan, and partitioned by size into 13 fractions (1.1–850 μm). The coarser fractions accounted for a greater proportion of the dust. The percentage of organic matter, determined by loss on ignition, increased as the fractions became finer. Pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to quantify 12 types of polymers in each fraction. The dust was found to contain nine types of MP, namely, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinylchloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), styrene/butadiene rubber (SBR), acrylonitrile/butadiene/styrene resin (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), and polyamide 66 (PA66). The total MP concentration in road dust particles by particle size fraction (concentrationf) began to increase from the 125–250 μm fraction and remained elevated in finer fractions down to 1.1 μm, indicating that MPs in the road dust micronized to at least 1.1 μm. However, for individual polymer types, the tendency for concentrationf to increase or decrease with particle size fraction varied: the concentrationf of some polymers, such as PE and PVC, remained elevated in fractions down to 1.1 μm; the concentrationf of SBR, a rubber-MP, showed a stable or decreasing trend in fractions of 7.0–11 μm and finer. Particles of PE, PVC, and some other plastics might become increasingly finer, even down to 1.1 μm. Further research is needed to understand the comminution limits of these polymers under pertinent environmental conditions

Half-Metallic Heusler Alloy/GaN Heterostructure for Semiconductor Spintronics Devices

Because spin-orbit coupling in wurtzite semiconductors is relatively weak compared with that in zincblende ones, the III-nitride semiconductor GaN is a promising material for high-performance optical semiconductor spintronic devices such as spin lasers. For the purpose of reducing the operating power of spin lasers, it is necessary to demonstrate highly efficient electrical spin injection from a ferromagnetic material into GaN with a low-resistance contact. Here, an epitaxial half-metallic Heusler alloy Co2FeAlxSi1−x(CFAS)/GaN heterostructure is developed by inserting an ultrathin Co layer between the CFAS and GaN. The CFAS/n+-GaN heterojunctions clearly show tunnel conduction with very small rectification and a low resistance-area product of ≈3.8 kΩµm2, which is several orders of magnitude smaller than those reported in previous work, at room temperature. Nonlocal spin signals and a Hanle effect curve are observed at low temperatures using lateral spin-valve devices with the CFAS/n+-GaN contacts, suggesting pure spin current transport in bulk GaN. The spin transport is observed at temperatures as high as room temperature, with a high spin polarization of 0.2 at a low bias voltage less than 2.0 V. This study is expected to open a path to GaN-based spintronic devices with highly spin-polarized and low-resistance contacts.Yamada S., Kato M., Ichikawa S., et al. Half-Metallic Heusler Alloy/GaN Heterostructure for Semiconductor Spintronics Devices. Advanced Electronic Materials 9, 2300045 (2023); https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.202300045

幼児向け科学実験あそびの実践と考察

本稿は幼児期の豊かな遊びの一つとして科学実験遊びを取り上げる.本研究では,研究紀要53号で論じた幼児期の科学遊びが目指しているものは科学的知識の理解ではなく,科学を使った遊びにある.という論を更に検証すべく,科学実験遊びの実施を重ね,8つ遊びを考察する.ねらいとして設定した,「子どもたちが主体的に物質に関わり,実験遊びを楽しみ,遊びを展開させる様子」が見て取れ,さらに,子どもたちが遊びを大人が意図しなかった方向に豊かに発展させる様子や,活動中に見られた科学に対する興味の芽吹きの様子から,科学を専門としない保育者が幼児向け科学実験遊びを実施し,遊びをサポートする意義が見出せた.一方,不十分であった実験遊びの考察から,科学実験遊びが豊かな遊びとして楽しまれるためには,実験遊びで扱う現象に対する遊び手の原体験が必要と結論づけた

幼児期の科学実験遊び : 幼児と保護者に向けた科学実験の在り方

本稿は幼児期の豊かな遊びの一つとして科学実験遊びを取り上げる.科学実験遊びは保護者からニーズの高い遊びであるが,その背景には子どもたちが遊びを通じて科学的知識を獲得する期待が含まれている.地域では科学的知識獲得の機会として科学実験が実施される傾向が見え,そのため幼児向けの実践は難しく敬遠されている現状が明らかになった.本研究では,幼児期の科学遊びが目指しているものは科学的知識の理解ではなく,科学を使った遊びにある.という考えから科学実験遊びの実施と検証を試みた.幼児と保護者に向けた科学実験遊び「紫キャベツのリトマス試験液で身近なモノを測ってみよう」という実践では,子どもたちが主体的に物質に関わり,実験遊びを楽しみ,遊びを展開させる様子が見て取れた.このことから,幼児にとって科学実験遊びは,楽しみながら変化,材料,道具に出会う遊びであり,未知の世界に興味を持つきっかけとなる遊びとして有効であると結論した

リョウイキ ｢ヒョウゲン｣ ニオケル ICT､ジョウホウ キキ カツヨウ ノ コウサツ : ジョウホウ キキ オ モチイタ ヒョウゲン カツドウ

教職課程コアカリキュラムでは保育内容の指導法の到達目標に「情報機器及び教材の活用法を理解し、保育構想に活用することができる」ことを求めている。本稿ではICT、情報機器を活用した表現活動が領域「表現」のねらいに沿い、子どもや学生を主体とした活動になり得るかどうか実践検証を行った。検証を行った逆再生ムービーという表現活動は、子どもや学生にとって領域「表現」のねらいに沿った活動になることが明らかになった。情報機器がアウトプットを担うため、苦手意識が払拭されること。内発的に動機付き、意欲の高い制作～鑑賞が行われること。長期にわたり継続した表現活動の選択肢となること。絵や工作だけではない表現の幅を広げる契機となることなどが明らかになった

Differential determinants of physical daily activities in frail and nonfrail community-dwelling older adults

AbstractBackground/PurposeThe purpose of this study was to determine whether or not daily activities determined by average daily steps are associated with age, gender, body mass index, fear of falling, and physical functions (locomotive function, balance function, and muscle power) in community-dwelling nonfrail and frail older adults.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study conducted in community-dwelling older adults in Japan. Based on the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, 629 elderly adults were divided into two groups: 515 were grouped to nonfrail elderly (TUG time less than 13.5 seconds, mean age 77.0±7.2 years) and 114 to frail elderly (TUG time of 13.5 seconds or more, mean age 76.1±7.5 years). Daily physical activities were determined by average daily steps measured by pedometer and four other physical function tests (10-m walk test, single-leg standing, functional reach, and five-chair stand test) were performed along with the assessment of fear of falling.ResultsStepwise regression analysis revealed that age, gender, 10-m walk test, and single-leg standing were significant and independent determinants of the average step counts in the nonfrail elderly (R2=0.282, p<0.001), whereas fear of falling was the only significant and independent determinant of the average step counts in the frail elderly (R2=0.119, p<0.001).ConclusionThese results indicate that differential factors may be related to daily activities depending on the level of frailty in community-dwelling older adults