The world of emotions is not two-dimensional

For more than half a century, emotion researchers have attempted to establish the dimensional space that most economically accounts for similarities and differences in emotional experience. Today, many researchers focus exclusively on two-dimensional models involving valence and arousal. Adopting a theoretically based approach, we show for three languages that four dimensions are needed to satisfactorily represent similarities and differences in the meaning of emotion words. In order of importance, these dimensions are evaluation-pleasantness, potency-control, activation-arousal, and unpredictability. They were identified on the basis of the applicability of 144 features representing the six components of emotions: (a) appraisals of events, (b) psychophysiological changes, (c) motor expressions, (d) action tendencies, (e) subjective experiences, and (f) emotion regulation.

Sobre cuerpo y... ¿Educación Física? ¿Educación Corporal? ¿Expresiones Motrices? Entrevista a Rubiela Arboleda Gómez

A lo largo de la entrevista Rubiela Arboleda Gómez aborda la noción de cuerpo y la de movimiento, poniendo en tensión el concepto de Expresiones Motrices, concepto elaborado y desarrollado por ella, con el de Educación Corporal. Además analiza el lugar del cuerpo como traductor de cultura tomando como eje la investigación de los desplazados de Urabá a Medellín

Sobre cuerpo y... ¿Educación Física? ¿Educación Corporal? ¿Expresiones Motrices? Entrevista a Rubiela Arboleda Gómez

A lo largo de la entrevista Rubiela Arboleda Gómez aborda la noción de cuerpo y la de movimiento, poniendo en tensión el concepto de Expresiones Motrices, concepto elaborado y desarrollado por ella, con el de Educación Corporal. Además analiza el lugar del cuerpo como traductor de cultura tomando como eje la investigación de los desplazados de Urabá a Medellín

Prática de ensino supervisionada em Educação Pré-escolar e Ensino do 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico

O presente relatório pretende dar a conhecer parte do trabalho desenvolvido no âmbito de Unidade Curricular de Prática de Ensino Supervisionada (PES), integrada no Mestrado em Educação Pré-Escolar (EPE) e Ensino do 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico (1.º CEB) e visa aprofundar a reflexão acerca da ação educativa. No âmbito da EPE, a ação desenvolveu-se numa Instituição Particular de Solidariedade Social com um grupo de 16 crianças, com idades de 3 e 4 anos. No âmbito do 1.º CEB, a ação educativa ocorreu numa instituição da rede pública com uma turma de crianças do 1.º ano de escolaridade, constituída por 19 crianças, com idades de 6 e 7 anos. A ação educativa nos dois contextos foi desenvolvida no sentido de responder aos interesses e necessidades das crianças, sendo que as atividades propostas visaram uma aprendizagem realizada através da pesquisa, reflexão e descoberta, proporcionando às mesmas momentos de aprendizagens significativas, ativas e socializadoras. Com o decurso da prática, as atividades que desenvolvemos foram pensadas no sentido de darmos resposta a uma questão-problema: A criança e as expressões artísticas e físico-motoras: que relação de aprendizagem com outros saberes? Considerando esta interpelação estabelecemos como objetivos: (i) Compreender o contributo das Expressões Artísticas e Físico-Motoras no desenvolvimento social, emocional e cognitivo da criança e (ii) Utilizar as expressões artísticas como ferramenta de aprendizagem para a construção de conhecimentos noutras áreas do saber. O estudo enquadra-se numa abordagem mista (qualitativa/quantitativa). Para que fosse possível recolhermos a informação para a presente investigação, foi necessário selecionarmos um conjunto de técnicas e de instrumentos de recolha de dados. Para tal, recorremos à observação, aos registos fotográficos, às notas de campo e a um inquérito por questionário aos educadores/professores cooperantes. Salientamos que durante a apresentação das experiências de ensino-aprendizagem pretendemos ter sempre em conta as diferentes áreas de conteúdo/curriculares. Os dados decorrentes do quadro teórico e da ação educativa desenvolvida permitem relevar a importância das Expressões Artísticas e Físico-Motoras como um processo de ensino-aprendizagem para ajudar as crianças a aprenderem e a desenvolverem-se, constituindo uma mais-valia ao nível do enriquecimento das atividades e da concretização dos objetivos e metas de aprendizagem previstos para estas etapas. Palavras-chave:

Brain networks subserving the evaluation of static and dynamic facial expressions

Because moving depictions of face emotion have greater ecological validity than their static counterparts, it has been suggested that still photographs may not engage ‘authentic’ mechanisms used to recognize facial expressions in everyday life. To date, however, no neuroimaging studies have adequately addressed the question of whether the processing of static and dynamic expressions rely upon different brain substrates. To address this, we performed an functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment wherein participants made emotional expression discrimination and Sex discrimination judgements to static and moving face images. Compared to Sex discrimination, Emotion discrimination was associated with widespread increased activation in regions of occipito-temporal, parietal and frontal cortex. These regions were activated both by moving and by static emotional stimuli, indicating a general role in the interpretation of emotion. However, portions of the inferior frontal gyri and supplementary/pre-supplementary motor area showed task by motion interaction. These regions were most active during emotion judgements to static faces. Our results demonstrate a common neural substrate for recognizing static and moving facial expressions, but suggest a role for the inferior frontal gyrus in supporting simulation processes that are invoked more strongly to disambiguate static emotional cues.

Analytical Closed-Form Expressions for Harmonic Distortion Corresponding to Novel Switching Sequences for Neutral-Point-Clamped Inverters

Analytical closed-form expressions for harmonic distortion factors corresponding to various pulsewidth modulation (PWM) techniques for a two-level inverter have been reported in the literature. This paper derives such analytical closed-form expressions, pertaining to centered space-vector PWM (CSVPWM) and eight different advanced bus-clamping PWM (ABCPWM) schemes, for a three-level neutral-point-clamped (NPC) inverter. These ABCPWM schemes switch each phase at twice the nominal switching frequency in certain intervals of the line cycle while clamping each phase to one of the dc terminals over certain other intervals. The harmonic spectra of the output voltages, corresponding to the eight ABCPWM schemes, are studied and compared experimentally with that of CSVPWM over the entire modulation range. The measured values of weighted total harmonic distortion (WTHD) of the line voltage V-WTHD are used to validate the analytical closed-form expressions derived. The analytical expressions, pertaining to two of the ABCPWM methods, are also validated by measuring the total harmonic distortion (THD) in the line current I-THD on a 2.2-kW constant volts-per-hertz induction motor drive.

The plasticity of the mirror system: how reward learning modulates cortical motor simulation of others

Cortical motor simulation supports the understanding of others' actions and intentions. This mechanism is thought to rely on the mirror neuron system (MNS), a brain network that is active both during action execution and observation. Indirect evidence suggests that alpha/beta suppression, an electroencephalographic (EEG) index of MNS activity, is modulated by reward. In this study we aimed to test the plasticity of the MNS by directly investigating the link between alpha/beta suppression and reward. 40 individuals from a general population sample took part in an evaluative conditioning experiment, where different neutral faces were associated with high or low reward values. In the test phase, EEG was recorded while participants viewed videoclips of happy expressions made by the conditioned faces. Alpha/beta suppression (identified using event-related desynchronisation of specific independent components) in response to rewarding faces was found to be greater than for non-rewarding faces. This result provides a mechanistic insight into the plasticity of the MNS and, more generally, into the role of reward in modulating physiological responses linked to empathy.

Down-regulation of dendritic spine and glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 expressions in the reelin haploinsufficient heterozygous reeler mouse

Heterozygous reeler mice (HRM) haploinsufficient for reelin express ≈50% of the brain reelin content of wild-type mice, but are phenotypically different from both wild-type mice and homozygous reeler mice. They exhibit, (i) a down-regulation of glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD67)-positive neurons in some but not every cortical layer of frontoparietal cortex (FPC), (ii) an increase of neuronal packing density and a decrease of cortical thickness because of neuropil hypoplasia, (iii) a decrease of dendritic spine expression density on basal and apical dendritic branches of motor FPC layer III pyramidal neurons, and (iv) a similar decrease in dendritic spines expressed on the basal dendrite branches of CA1 pyramidal neurons of the hippocampus. To establish whether the defect of GAD67 down-regulation observed in HRM is responsible for neuropil hypoplasia and decreased dendritic spine density, we studied heterozygous GAD67 knockout mice (HG67M). These mice exhibited a down-regulation of GAD67 mRNA expression in FPC (about 50%), but they expressed normal amounts of reelin and had no neuropil hypoplasia or down-regulation of dendritic spine expression. These findings, coupled with electron-microscopic observations that reelin colocalizes with integrin receptors on dendritic spines, suggest that reelin may be a factor in the dynamic expression of cortical dendritic spines perhaps by promoting integrin receptor clustering. These findings are interesting because the brain neurochemical and neuroanatomical phenotypic traits exhibited by the HRM are in several ways similar to those found in postmortem brains of psychotic patients.

Small-signal input admittance characteristics of a brushless DC motor drive

To carry out stability studies on more electric systems in which there is a preponderance of motor drive equipment, input admittance expressions are required for the individual pieces of equipment. In this paper the techniques of averaging and small-signal linearisation will be used to derive a simple input admittance model for a low voltage, trapezoidal back EMF, brushless, DC motor drive system.

Quantification of motor vehicle emission factors from on road measurements

Assessment and prediction of the impact of vehicular traffic emissions on air quality and exposure levels requires knowledge of vehicle emission factors. The aim of this study was quantification of emission factors from an on road, over twelve months measurement program conducted at two sites in Brisbane: 1) freeway type (free flowing traffic at about 100 km/h, fleet dominated by small passenger cars - Tora St); and 2) urban busy road with stop/start traffic mode, fleet comprising a significant fraction of heavy duty vehicles - Ipswich Rd. A physical model linking concentrations measured at the road for specific meteorological conditions with motor vehicle emission factors was applied for data analyses. The focus of the study was on submicrometer particles; however the measurements also included supermicrometer particles, PM2.5, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen. The results of the study are summarised in this paper. In particular, the emission factors for submicrometer particles were 6.08 x 1013 and 5.15 x 1013 particles per vehicle-1 km-1 for Tora St and Ipswich Rd respectively and for supermicrometer particles for Tora St, 1.48 x 109 particles per vehicle-1 km-1. Emission factors of diesel vehicles at both sites were about an order of magnitude higher than emissions from gasoline powered vehicles. For submicrometer particles and gasoline vehicles the emission factors were 6.08 x 1013 and 4.34 x 1013 particles per vehicle-1 km-1 for Tora St and Ipswich Rd, respectively, and for diesel vehicles were 5.35 x 1014 and 2.03 x 1014 particles per vehicle-1 km-1 for Tora St and Ipswich Rd, respectively. For supermicrometer particles at Tora St the emission factors were 2.59 x 109 and 1.53 x 1012 particles per vehicle-1 km-1, for gasoline and diesel vehicles, respectively.