小学儿童对复合时距认知发展的实验研究

The purpose of this study was to explore the development of the cognitive processing on temporal continuity (duration) in primary school children with the information processing approach. The results showed: (1) The performances of cognitive processing on compound duration developed increasingly with age. (2) The intervals of duration, the method of display, the varieties of display had effects on cognitive processing of compound duration; however, the effective ways and extents varied with the specific tasks. (3) The primary school children could use cognitive strategies initially, the effectiveness and the flexibility of strategies developed increasingly with age.

表征方式对网上购物信息搜索行为影响的工程心理学实验研究

Interface has been becoming a more significant element today which influences the development of shopping on-line greatly. But in practice the attention arisen from society and study made are quite inadequate. Under this circumstance, I focus my study on the purpose of improving understanding of the engineering psychological factors, which definitely will play a crucial role in shopping on-line representation in future, and of the relations between them through the following experimental research. I hope it can give a basic reference to the practical application of shopping on-line representation pattern and continuous study. In current thesis, an analysis was made on the basis of engineering psychology principles from three aspects, i.e. person (users), task and information environment. It was considered that system overview and information behavior model would have great impact on the activities of users on the web and that representation pattern of information system would affect the forming of system overview and behavior pattern and then further after the performances of users in information system. Based on above-mentioned statement, a three-dimensional conceptual model was presented which demonstrates the relations between the crucial factors, which are media representation pattern, system hierarchy and objects in information unit. Thereafter, eight study hypothesis, which are about engineering psychological factors of virtual reality (VR) representation in shopping on-line system, was taken out and four experiments were followed up to testify the hypothesis. -In experiment one, a research was made to study how the three kinds of single media representation pattern influence the forming of system overview and information behavior from the point view of task performance, operating error, overall satisfactory and mental workload etc. -In experiment two, a study of how the combined media representation pattern of system hierarchy influences users' behavior was carried out. -In experiment three, a study of the hierarchy structure feature of VR representation pattern and the tendency of its width and depth to the effects of system behavior was made. -In experiment four, a study of the location relations between different parties in VR scene (information unit) was made. The result is as follows: -During structure dimensional state: Width-increasing caused more damage to the speed of users than depth-increasing in VR representation pattern. Although the performance of subjects was quite slow in wider environment, yet the percentage rate of causing errors was in lowest level. -During hierarchy representation pattern: 1. Between the representation patterns of the three media, no significant differences was found in terms of the speed of fulfilling the task, error rate, satisfactory, mental workload etc. But the pattern with figure- aided gained the worst results on all of these aspects. 2. During primary stage of the task and the first level of the hierarchy, the speed of subjects' performance in VR pattern was slower than that in text pattern. While with developing of the task and going deeper level of the hierarchy, the speed of users' performance in VR representation pattern reached to the highest level. 3. Effects in VR representation pattern was better than that in text pattern in higher level of the system. The representation pattern in highest level has greatest impact on the performance of the system behavior, whereas results of the only VR representation in the middle part of hierarchy would be worst. 4. Activity error in single media representation pattern was more than that in combined media representation pattern. 5. Individual differences among subjects had effects on the representation pattern of the system. During VR environment, behavior tendency of party A had a significant negative correlation to the quantities of errors. -In VR-scene representation: Physical-distance and flash influenced the subjects' task performance greatly, while psychological-distance has no outstanding impact. Subjects' accurate rate of performing increased if objects with same relation were in the same structure position, in the state of close psychological-distance or if the object target flashed (not reliable). Although the article limits the topic only on the present-existing questions and analysis of shopping-on-line, as a matter of fact, it can also apply for other relevant purposes on the web. While the study of this article only gives its emphasis on the researching-task with definite goal, making no consideration of other task conditions and their relations with other navigation tools. So I hope it lay a good start to make continuous research in this areas.

小学儿童空间物体位置编码的实验研究

As a key issue in spatial cognitive developmental research, the coding of object location plays an important role in children's cognitive development. The development of location coding is a precondition for children's adaptation to their environments, and the development of corresponding ability could enhance children's adaptation ability and improve their synthetic diathesis. In this paper, under the improved paradigm of object searching, 7-, 9- and 11-year-olds of urban primary school students were involved in two studies including the total of four experiments. The children were examined upon the ability to encode target location in terms of the distance between two landmarks, three points on a line, the intersection of two lines, or the corresponding points on two parallel lines. The experiments were designed to explore the primary school children's cognitive developmental process upon spatial object location and the correlative restricting factors. From the studies, the following conclusions were drawn: 1)The ability of 7-year-olds to represent target location in terms of the relationships of points and lines is in the inceptive stage and appears unstable. Meanwhile, the same ability of 9-year-olds is in a state of fast developing. The 9-year-olds' performance depends on how difficult the task is. It is stable when task is easy while unstable when task becomes difficult. The ability of 11-year-olds reaches much-developed state and the group's performance is independent of the difficulty of tasks. 2) The correlate coefficient is significant between Raven Standard Inference ability levels and the performance of representing target location in terms of the relationships of points. Those children with good performance in Raven Standard Inference Test have good performance in target location coding. The case is true for all different age groups. As of the task in terms of the relationships of lines, the correlate coefficient between Raven Standard Inference ability levels and children's performance of representing target location is found significant only for the 7-year-olds' group. The case is not true for the groups of 9- and 11-year-olds. It is also found that the correlate coefficient is significant between the sum of performance and Raven Standard Inference ability levels, and that is true for all age groups. 3) Effects from task variable exist upon children's above-mentioned cognitive performance. The effects are different according to different difficulty levels of tasks. Also, they are different according to the different ages. 4) The subjects who failed in the 'no cues for encoding given' situation were able to improve their performances when the cues of encoding were given. Therefore it is possible to improve the primary school children's corresponding cognitive performance by providing the cues of encoding. 5) Two kinds of efficient strategies were used to solve the problem. They are trial-comparison strategy and anticipation-directed strategy.

基底神经节的认知和记忆功能研究

The cognition and memory functions of the Basal Ganglia have been the focus of contemporary cognitive neuroscience researches. This study, from neuroanatomical and neurophysiological point of view, thoroughly surveyed the recent relevant research progress, carefully examined the evidences of the neurological basis for the Basal Ganglia possessing or participating cognition or memory functions. Moreover, it reviewed recent achievements on the cognitive functions of the basal ganglia based on researches on rodent animals, primate animals and human beings. Then it presented a series of experiments conducted, by neuropsychological and cognitive psychological methods, on neurological patients with focal lesions to the basal ganglia or combining with bilateral hippocampus or thalamus impaired to explore what the role of the basal ganglia play in human explicit and implicit memory. It was found that the lesions to the basal ganglia partially handicapped explicit verbal memory and completely impaired perceptual priming. It was also found that right cerebral cortex dysplasia but basal ganglia spared had no effects on priming tasks performances. The results suggested that the basal ganglia contain or accommodate higher cognitive functions and further suggested that priming be irrelevant to right cerebral cortex. It was posited that the basal ganglia, on the basis of interaction with prefrontal or temporal cortices, mediate movement function as well as cognition and memory functions.

A Parallel Processing Model of Musical Structures

Euterpe is a real-time computer system for the modeling of musical structures. It provides a formalism wherein familiar concepts of musical analysis may be readily expressed. This is verified by its application to the analysis of a wide variety of conventional forms of music: Gregorian chant, Mediaeval polyphony, Back counterpoint, and sonata form. It may be of further assistance in the real-time experiments in various techniques of thematic development. Finally, the system is endowed with sound-synthesis apparatus with which the user may prepare tapes for musical performances.

Preparation and characterization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes supported PtRu catalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

A series of PtRu nanocomposites supported on H2O2-oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were synthesized via two chemical reduction methods - one used aqueous formaldehyde (HCHO method) and the other used ethylene glycol (EG method) as the reducing agents. The effects of the solvents (water and ethylene glycol) and the surface composition of the MWCNTs on the deposition and the dispersion of the metal particles were investigated using N-2 adsorption. TEM. ICP-AES. FTIR and TPD. The wetting heats of the MWCNTs in corresponding solvents were also measured. The characterizations suggest that combination of the surface chemistry of the MWCNTs with the solvents decides the deposition and the dispersion of the metal nanoparticles. These nanocomposites were evaluated as proton exchange membrane fuel cell anode catalyts for oxidation of 50 ppm CO contaminated hydrogen and compared with a commercial PtRu/C catalyst. The data reveal superior performances for the nanocomposites prepared by the EG method to those by the HCHO method and even to that for tile Commercial analogue. Structure performance relationship of the nanocomposites was also studied. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Methane dehydroaromatization over Mo/HZSM-5 catalysts: The reactivity of MoCx species formed from MoOx associated and non-associated with Bronsted acid sites

The catalytic performances of methane dehydroaromatization (MDA) under non-oxidative conditions over 6 wt.% Mo/HZSM-5 catalysts calcined for different durations of time at 773 K have been investigated in combination with ex situ H-1 MAS NMR characterization. Prolongation of the calcination time at 773 K is in favor of the diffusion of the Mo species on the external surface and the migration of Mo species into the channels, resulting in a further decrease in the number of Bronsted acid sites, while causing only a slight change in the Mo contents of the bulk and in the framework structure of the HZSM-5 zeolite. The MoQ(x) species associated and non-associated with the Bronsted acid sites can be estimated quantitatively based on the 1H MAS NMR measurements as well as on the assumption of a stoichiometry ratio of 1: 1 between the Mo species and the Bronsted acid sites. Calcining the 6 wt.% Mo/HZSM-5 catalyst at 773 K for 18 h can cause the MoOx species to associate with the Bronsted acid sites, while a 6 Wt-% MO/SiO2 sample can be taken as a catalyst in which all MoOx species are non-associated with the Bronsted acid sites. The TOF data at different times on stream on the 6 wt.% Mo/HZSM-5 catalyst calcined at 773 K for 18 h and on the 6 Wt-% MO/SiO2 catalyst reveal that the MoCx species formed from MoOx associated with the Bronsted acid sites are more active and stable than those formed from MoOx non-associated with the Bronsted acid sites. An analysis of the TPO profiles recorded on the used 6 wt.% Mo/HZSM-5 catalysts calcined for different durations of time combined with the TGA measurements also reveals that the more of the MoCx species formed from MoOx species associated with the Br6nsted acid sites, the lower the amount of coke that will be deposited on it. The decrease of the coke amount is mainly due to a decrease in the coke burnt-off at high temperature. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis and catalytic reactivity of MCM-22/ZSM-35 composites for olefin aromatization

A series of MCM-22/ZSM-35 composites has been hydrothermally synthesized and characterized by XRD, SEM, particle size distribution analysis, N-2 adsorption and NH3-TPD techniques. Pulse and continuous flow reactions were carried out to evaluate the catalytic performances of these composites in aromatization of olefins, respectively. It was found that MCM-22/ZSM-35 composites could be rapidly crystallized at 174 degrees C with an optimal gel composition of SiO2/Al2O3=25, Na2O/SiO2=0.11, HMI/SiO2=0.35, and H2O/SiO2=45 (molar ratio), of which the weight ratio of ZSM-35 zeolite in the composite relied on the crystallization time. The coexistence of MCM-22 and ZSM-35 in the composite (MCM-22/ZSM-35=45/55 wt/wt) was observed to exert a notable synergistic effect on the aromatization ability for butene conversion and FCC gasoline updating, possibly due to the intergrowth of some MCM-22 and ZSM-35 layers.

Liquid phase oxidation of toluene to benzaldehyde with molecular oxygen over copper-based heterogeneous catalysts

We conducted the liquid phase oxidation of toluene with molecular oxygen over heterogeneous catalysts of copper-based binary metal oxides. Among the copper-based binary metal oxides, iron-copper binary oxide (Fe/Cu = 0.3 atomic ratio) was found to be the best catalyst. In the presence of pyridine, overoxidation of benzaldehyde to benzoic acid was partially prevented. As a result, highly selective formation of benzaldehyde (86% selectivity) was observed after 2 h of reaction (7% conversion of toluene) at 463 K and 1.0 MPa of oxygen atmosphere in the presence of pyridine. These catalytic performances were similar or better than those in the gas phase oxidation of toluene at reaction temperatures higher than 473 K and under 0.5-2.5 MPa. It was suggested from competitive adsorption measurements that pyridine could reduce the adsorption of benzaldehyde. At a long reaction time of 4 It, the conversion increased to 25% and benzoic acid became the predominant reaction product (72% selectivity) in the absence of pyridine. The yield of benzoic acid was higher than that in the Snia-Viscosa process, which requires corrosive halogen ions and acidic solvents in the homogeneous reaction media. The catalyst was easily recycled by simple filtration and reusable after washing and drying.

Investigation of LSM1.1-ScSZ composite cathodes for anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells

La0.8Sr0.2Mn1.1O3 (LSM1.1)-10 mol% Sc2O3-Stabilized ZrO2 co-doped with CeO2 (ScSZ) composite cathodes were investigated for anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) with thin 8 mol% Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ) electrolyte. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicated that the ScSZ electrolytes displayed good chemical compatibility with the nonstoichiometric LSM1.1 against co-firing at 1300 degrees C. Increasing the CeO2 content in the ScSZ electrolytes dramatically suppressed the electrode polarization resistance, which may be related to the improved surface oxygen exchange or the enlarged active area of cathode. The 5Ce10ScZr was the best electrolyte for the composite cathodes, which caused a small ohmic resistance decrease and the reduced polarization resistance and brought about the highest cell performance. The cell performances at lower temperatures seemed to rely on the electrode polarization resistance more seriously, than the ohmic resistance. Compared with the cell impedance at higher temperatures, the higher the 5Ce10ScZr proportion in the composite cathodes, the smaller the increment of the charge transfer resistance at lower temperatures. The anode-supported SOFC with the LSM1.1-5Ce10ScZr (60:40) composite cathode achieved the maximum power densities of 0.82 W/cm(2) at 650 degrees C and 2.24 W/cm(2) at 800 degrees C, respectively. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

NY10128

This work for chamber orchestra explores the relationship between music and architecture, specifically that of the Guggenheim Museum, NYC. It was commissioned by the Edinburgh Contemporary Music Ensemble who gave the first performance in June 2008. Subsequent performances in 2011 by the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland have been accompanied by a film I created exploring the surfaces and profiles of the Guggenheim NYC.

Agency and animation: the performance of interactive game characters

As an animator and practice-based researcher with a background in games development, I am interested in technological change in the video game medium, with a focus on the tools and technologies that drive game character animation and interactive story. In particular, I am concerned with the issue of ‘user agency’, or the ability of the end user to affect story development—a key quality of the gaming experience and essential to the aesthetics of gaming, which is defined in large measure by its interactive elements. In this paper I consider the unique qualities of the video game1 as an artistic medium and the impact that these qualities have on the production of animated virtual character performances. I discuss the somewhat oppositional nature of animated character performances found in games from recent years, which range from inactive to active—in other words, low to high agency. Where procedural techniques (based on coded rules of movement) are used to model dynamic character performances, the user has the ability to interactively affect characters in real-time within the larger sphere of the game. This game play creates a high degree of user agency. However, it lacks the aesthetic nuances of the more crafted sections of games: the short cut-scenes, or narrative interludes where entire acted performances are mapped onto game characters (often via performance capture)2 and constructed into relatively cinematic representations. While visually spectacular, cut-scenes involve minimal interactivity, so user agency is low. Contemporary games typically float between these two distinct methods of animation, from a focus on user agency and dynamically responsive animation to a focus on animated character performance in sections where the user is a passive participant. We tend to think of the majority of action in games as taking place via playable figures: an avatar or central character that represents a player. However, there is another realm of characters that also partake in actions ranging from significant to incidental: non-playable characters, or NPCs, which populate action sequences where game play takes place as well as cut scenes that unfold without much or any interaction on the part of the player. NPCs are the equivalent to supporting roles, bit characters, or extras in the world of cinema. Minor NPCs may simply be background characters or enemies to defeat, but many NPCs are crucial to the overall game story. It is my argument that, thus far, no game has successfully utilized the full potential of these characters to contribute toward development of interactive, high performance action. In particular, a type of NPC that I have identified as ‘pivotal’3—those constituting the supporting cast of a video game—are essential to the telling of a game story, particularly in genres that focus on story and characters: adventure games, action games, and role-playing games. A game story can be defined as the entirety of the narrative, told through non-interactive cut-scenes as well a interactive sections of play, and development of more complex stories in games clearly impacts the animation of NPCs. I argue that NPCs in games must be capable of acting with emotion throughout a game—in the cutscenes, which are tightly controlled, but also in sections of game play, where player agency can potentially alter the story in real-time. When the animated performance of NPCs and user agency are not continuous throughout the game, the implication is that game stories may be primarily told through short movies within games, making it more difficult to define video games animation as a distinct artistic medium.

In Comes I: Performance, Memory and Landscape

Pearson, Mike, In Comes I: Performance, Memory and Landscape (Exeter: University of Exeter Press, 2007) RAE2008

The game jam movement: disruption, performance and artwork

This paper explores the current conventions and intentions of the game jam - contemporary events that encourage the rapid, collaborative creation of game design prototypes. Game jams are often renowned for their capacity to encourage creativity and the development of alternative, innovative game designs. However, there is a growing necessity for game jams to continue to challenge traditional development practices through evolving new formats and perspectives to maintain the game jam as a disruptive, refreshing aspect of game development culture. As in other creative jam style events, a game jam is not only a process but also, an outcome. Through a discussion of the literature this paper establishes a theoretical basis with which to analyse game jams as disruptive, performative processes that result in original creative artefacts. In support of this, case study analysis of Development Cultures: a series of workshops that centred on innovation and new forms of practice through play, chance, and experimentation, is presented. The findings indicate that game jams can be considered as processes that inspire creativity within a community and that the resulting performances can be considered as a form of creative artefact, thus parallels can be drawn between game jams and performative and interactive art.

Ansiedade e percepções/atitudes dos profissionais da educação face à avaliação de desempenho

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Psicologia, especialização em Psicologia da Educação e Intervenção Comunitária.