Shifting Between Cognitive and Visual Distraction: The Impact of Cognitive Ability on Distraction Caused by Secondary Tasks

We conducted an experiment in order to investigate impacts of centralexecutive (CE) functions and modality of secondary task presentation in a dualtaskexperiment. We found that shifting ability, out of three major CE functions(inhibition, shifting, and updating) was particularly important in determiningwhether primary (pedal-tracking) task performance was better in the presence ofauditory, vs. visual, presentation of the secondary task

Contextualizing context for synthetic biology--identifying causes of failure of synthetic biological systems.

Despite the efforts that bioengineers have exerted in designing and constructing biological processes that function according to a predetermined set of rules, their operation remains fundamentally circumstantial. The contextual situation in which molecules and single-celled or multi-cellular organisms find themselves shapes the way they interact, respond to the environment and process external information. Since the birth of the field, synthetic biologists have had to grapple with contextual issues, particularly when the molecular and genetic devices inexplicably fail to function as designed when tested in vivo. In this review, we set out to identify and classify the sources of the unexpected divergences between design and actual function of synthetic systems and analyze possible methodologies aimed at controlling, if not preventing, unwanted contextual issues

Working Memory Capacity and Executive Attention as Predictors of Distracted Driving

The present study empirically examined the effects of working memory capacity (WMC) and executive attention on distracted driving. Study 1 examined whether a Grocery List Task (GLT) distractor would load onto WMC. Forty-three participants completed a series of WMC tasks followed by the GLT. They then completed two driving trials: driving without the GLT and driving while completing the GLT. It was hypothesized that WMC would positively correlate with GLT performance. A bivariate correlation indicated that WMC was positively associated with performance on the GLT. Study 2 tested a series of distractor tasks (GLT, Tone Monitoring, and Stop Signal) to examine whether these three distractor tasks were also related to WMC, and if each of the distractor tasks would result in poor driving performance. Eighty-four participants were randomly assigned to the distractor conditions. Results indicated that GLT was related to WMC, but Tone Monitoring was not related to WMC. Also, engaging in each of the three distractor tasks led to significantly poorer driving performance. Study 3 evaluated whether rainy or clear weather conditions would affect the relationship between WMC and distracted driving using the same three distractor tasks (GLT, Tone Monitoring, and Stop Signal) as used in Study 2. Ninety-six participants were randomly assigned to the distractor conditions. Results showed that engaging in GLT while driving led to slower braking response times compared to not engaging in GLT driving while driving. Furthermore, WMC moderated the degree to which distraction impaired performance. The present findings clearly indicate that all three distractor tasks had a deleterious effect on driving performance. Furthermore, this effect of distraction on driving depends on many factors, including the type of distraction, the driving performance measure, and the individual\u27s cognitive capabilities. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed and directions for future research are presented

C-MOS array design techniques: SUMC multiprocessor system study

The current capabilities of LSI techniques for speed and reliability, plus the possibilities of assembling large configurations of LSI logic and storage elements, have demanded the study of multiprocessors and multiprocessing techniques, problems, and potentialities. Evaluated are three previous systems studies for a space ultrareliable modular computer multiprocessing system, and a new multiprocessing system is proposed that is flexibly configured with up to four central processors, four 1/0 processors, and 16 main memory units, plus auxiliary memory and peripheral devices. This multiprocessor system features a multilevel interrupt, qualified S/360 compatibility for ground-based generation of programs, virtual memory management of a storage hierarchy through 1/0 processors, and multiport access to multiple and shared memory units

Researcher's guide to the NASA Ames Flight Simulator for Advanced Aircraft (FSAA)

Performance, limitations, supporting software, and current checkout and operating procedures are presented for the flight simulator, in terms useful to the researcher who intends to use it. Suggestions to help the researcher prepare the experimental plan are also given. The FSAA's central computer, cockpit, and visual and motion systems are addressed individually but their interaction is considered as well. Data required, available options, user responsibilities, and occupancy procedures are given in a form that facilitates the initial communication required with the NASA operations' group

Functional design for operational earth resources ground data processing

The author has identified the following significant results. Study emphasis was on developing a unified concept for the required ground system, capable of handling data from all viable acquisition platforms and sensor groupings envisaged as supporting operational earth survey programs. The platforms considered include both manned and unmanned spacecraft in near earth orbit, and continued use of low and high altitude aircraft. The sensor systems include both imaging and nonimaging devices, operated both passively and actively, from the ultraviolet to the microwave regions of the electromagnetic spectrum

Developing a distributed electronic health-record store for India

The DIGHT project is addressing the problem of building a scalable and highly available information store for the Electronic Health Records (EHRs) of the over one billion citizens of India

Governance of Digitalization in Europe A contribution to the Exploration Shaping Digital Policy - Towards a Fair Digital Society? BertelsmannStiftung Study

Digital policy is a unique policy area. As a cross-cutting policy issue, it has an impact not only on individual areas of regulation but on almost all other policy areas as well. Aspects of digital policy such as data regimes, cybersecurity and standardization issues are relevant not only to the the future of the internet or 5G mobile communications infrastructure, but to other areas of our lives to which they are closely linked, which range from automated driving to digital assistance systems in education and healthcare to the digitalization of sectors such as agriculture and construction. Nevertheless, regulation efforts have thus far been primarily sector-specific and national in their scope. With a few exceptions, such as the EU’s controversial General Data Protection Regulation, there are few digital policy frameworks in place for Europe that defines and integrates basic principles for broad application. Instead, we face a situation in which a variety of approaches stand side by side, at times complementing each other but also – all too often – competing with each other in ways that foster inconsistencies. The development of Europe’s 5G infrastructure is illustrative of this state of affairs. Despite the presence of what were originally uniform objectives across Europe, 28 nationally distinct tendering procedures with different requirements have since emerged. As a result, we must now find ways to manage the problems associated with having three or more networks per country, high costs, a difficult debate over security and the threat of dependency on non-EU providers

The Nature of Working Memory in Aphasia

Thesis (PhD) - Indiana University, Speech and Hearing, 2007It is well known that many adults with aphasia demonstrate concomitant deficits in higher-level cognitive functions, including attention, executive function, and short-term and working memory. This has led to two premises: (a) the domain-specific hypothesis, in which aphasia is associated with additional cognitive deficits only to the extent that these are dependent upon language; and (b) the domain-general hypothesis, in which aphasia is associated with nonlinguistic cognitive impairments as a consequence of either overlapping anatomy or widespread cortical changes post-insult. The purpose of this research was to disentangle these competing hypotheses with regards to working memory (WM) in adults with aphasia. Like other categories of cognitive impairment in this patient group, past research has identified but failed to elucidate WM impairments in aphasic language processing. Toward this end, 15 adults with left-hemisphere damage and aphasia (LHD) and 12 non-brain-damaged controls (NBD) completed a parametric WM task with systematic variation of psycholinguistic complexity (high-frequency, low-frequency, or non-nameable stimuli) and WM load (0-, 1-, and 2-back). Data were analyzed with respect to the differential impact of these variables within and across subjects and groups. Whereas expected effects of word frequency were elicited in stimulus confrontation naming, LHD subjects were affected only minimally by frequency manipulations during the n-back task. Instead, these subjects demonstrated a significant performance decrement relative to controls with increasing WM load. Moreover, aphasia severity was moderately correlated with WM for non-nameable (i.e., more difficult) but not nameable stimuli. At the theoretical level, these results support a resource-based processing model in aphasia; at the neurobiological level, these findings are consistent with the proposition of widespread cortical connectivity changes irrespective of type or location of brain damage. A secondary purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability of LHD performance on the n-back task, given the known performance variability associated with aphasia and the general dearth of reliability data for higher-level tasks. Results demonstrated that the n-back task is a reliable WM indicator over time for this population