The impact of embodied simulation in vocabulary learning

The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the multisensory nature of vocabulary knowledge by using learning designed to encourage the simulation of sensorimotor experiences. Forty participants were instructed to learn pseudowords together with arbitrary definitions, either by mentally experiencing (sensorimotor simulation) the definitions, or by mentally repeating them. A test phase consisting of three tasks was then administered: in a recognition task, participants had to recognize learned pseudowords among distractors. In a categorization task, they had to categorize pseudowords as representing either living or non-living items. Finally, in a sentence completion task, participants had to decide whether pseudowords were congruent with context sentences. As expected, the sensorimotor simulation condition induced better performances only in the categorization task and the sentence completion task. The results converge with data from the literature in demonstrating that knowledge emergence implies sensorimotor simulation and showing that vocabulary learning can benefit from encoding that encourages the simulation of sensorimotor experiences.

Selective Effects of Focusing on Spatial Details in Episodic Future Thinking for Self-Relevant Positive Events

Mental simulations of positive future events increase their detail/vividness and plausibility, with effects on cognitive-affective processes such as anticipated and anticipatory pleasure. More recently, spatial details have been distinguished as important in increasing detail and elaborating mental scene construction. Building on this research, this study (N=54; M age=26.9) compared simulations of positive, self-relevant future events spatial details (i.e. people, objects, sequences of actions) with simulations focused on content details. Cross-sectionally at baseline, spatial details uniquely predicted phenomenological characteristics of future events, including anticipatory pleasure. The guided simulations increased detail and vividness, mental imagery, and pre-experiencing in both conditions. The content simulation condition did not increase content details relative to the spatial simulation condition, however, the inverse was true. Relatedly, overall detail and vividness was higher in the spatial condition, as was perceived control. The findings are discussed in relation to future thinking and mental health.

Power System Dynamic Stability Improvement with UPFC using LQR Technique

Many damping controller devices based on other techniques have been proposed time to time. For the study of the damping performance, it has been proposed a power systems model with ‘UPFC’ and power oscillation damping controller in the present article. The proposed controller performance has been studied under different simulation condition results and that also includes various loading condition, i.e., normal with 100 percent, under loading 80 percent and overloading with 120 percent at different operational points. Finally, a better result has been observed by using the proposed damping controlling device than earlier available existing devices. However, the result obtained by using Eigen value analysis is supported by the facts obtained by the settling time analysis and the analysis of simulation results

The Susceptibility Simulation of Ochratoxin A and Aflatoxins Contamination on Fermented and Unfermented Cocoa Beans in High Storage Humidity

Most of Indonesia’s cocoa beans has been produced through fermentation. Various metabolite end products such as alcohol, lactic acid, and acetic acid are produced during cocoa beans fermentation. These metabolites would induce different chemical characteristic of fermented cocoa beans. In this research, parameters evaluated were OTA and AFs contamination to determine the susceptibility of fermented and unfermented cocoa beans on OTA and AFs production during storage simulation. To investigate the susceptibility, this research was conducted on storage simulation condition which was 91% of relative humidity. It is hypothesized that metabolic end-products from the breakdown substrate during fermentation process have an effect on mycotoxin production by fungi.This is the first report of ochratoxin A and aflatoxins contamination susceptibility in fermented and unfermented cocoa beans. Fermented cocoa beans were more susceptible to AFs contamination. The highest AFs contamination was found in fermented inoculated cocoa beans after 10 days storage. Unfermented cocoa beans were more susceptible to OTA production. The highest OTA contamination was found in unfermented inoculated cocoa beans after 15 days storage.The results of the present study indicated a promising different potential between ochratoxin A and aflatoxins production in fermented and unfermented cocoa beans during simulation storage condition, suggesting the existence of limiting factors on the accumulation of ochratoxin A and aflatoxins in the beans by the metabolic-end products produced during fermentation.

Effects of the Initial Consolidation on the 3D Wave-Induced Seabed Response Around a Pile

Seabed consolidation state could be seen as the initial simulation condition for numerically simulating wave-induced seabed response. In this study, based on a three dimensional numerical model, effects of initial consolidation state on the 3D wave-induced unsaturated seabed response around mono-pile were investigated. By model application, the consolidation state of seabed around the pile foundation was described. Two common calculation approaches (seabed consolidation is considered or not) for wave-induced seabed response were compared by describing the distributions pattern of soil effective stresses and pore pressures around the pile. Significance of the consolidation state on seabed dynamic response against distances to pile was also carefully addressed. Numerical simulations indicated (1) the initial consolidation significantly increases the vertical effective normal stress in the vicinity of pile, (2) effects of the initial seabed consolidation on the wave-induced seabed response decrease with the increasing distance to the pile. This study suggests the initial consolidation should be considered in assessing the seabed stability for the design of the mono-pile foundation.

Effects of Uniaxial Strain on the Structures of Vacancy Clusters in FCC Metals

The effects of [001] uniaxial strain on the stable structures and structural evolution of vacancy clusters in fcc metals, Cu, Ni, Al and Fe, have been studied and compared. Under uniaxial strain, the clusters in all these metals tend to align parallel or perpendicular to the strain axis under tensile or compressive strain. Moreover, both the body cluster and the {001} planar cluster become the dominant types. In addition, the stacking fault tetrahedron cluster becomes another dominant type in Al under compressive strain. The cluster structures in Fe are disordered under strain possibly because the pure fcc Fe is thermodynamically unstable under the current simulation condition.

Dynamic Modeling and Simulation of Rough Cylindrical Micro/Nanoparticle Manipulation with Atomic Force Microscopy

In this paper, the process of pushing rough cylindrical micro/nanoparticles on a surface with an atomic force microscope (AFM) probe is investigated. For this purpose, the mechanics of contact involving adhesion are studied first. Then, a method is presented for estimating the real area of contact between a rough cylindrical particle (whose surface roughness is described by the Rumpf and Rabinovich models) and a smooth surface. A dynamic model is then obtained for the pushing of rough cylindrical particles on a surface with an AFM probe. Afterwards, the process is simulated for different particle sizes and various roughness dimensions. Finally, by reducing the length of the cylindrical particle, the simulation condition is brought closer to the manipulation condition of a smooth spherical particle on a rough substrate, and the simulation results of the two cases are compared. Based on the simulation results, the critical force and time of manipulation diminish for rough particles relative to smooth ones. Reduction in the aspect ratio at a constant cross-section radius and the radius of asperities (height of asperities based on the Rabinovich model) results in an increase in critical force and time of manipulation.

Energy Harvesting Shock Absorbers for Vehicles: Design, Modeling and Simulation

Energy harvesting shock absorber is used for harvesting the kinetic energy in the vehicle suspension vibration. In this paper, we present design, modeling, and simulation of a novel energy harvesting shock absorber based on rack and pinion mechanism. The shock absorber consists of three main components: the mechanical vibration input, the transmission module, and the micro-generator module. The shock absorber is installed between the vehicle frame and chassis to obtain a relative linear motion acting as mechanical vibration input. The function of transmission mechanism module is to convert the relative linear motion to a unidirectional rotation for the input shaft of micro-generator. The micro-generator will produce electricity due to the input shaft rotating in one direction. This shock absorber was tested in simulation condition, and the last performance evaluation demonstrates the validity of the proposed energy harvesting shock absorber.