Endogenous and Exogenous Time Pressure: Interactions with Mathematics Anxiety in Explaining Arithmetic Performance

Eighty adults performed mental arithmetic under endogenous (time limit) or exogenous (presence of a clock) time pressure. Results demonstrated a significant interaction between math anxiety and endogenous pressure: error rates were significantly greater among high math anxious individuals when given a time limit. A significant interaction was observed between exogenous time pressure and math anxiety: performance of low math anxious individuals was reduced when a clock was present. Effects were only present in response to problems involving a carry operation, supporting previous findings that math anxiety may be particularly detrimental on math problems that rely more on working memory resources. The findings suggest that the type of time pressure may need to be taken into account when designing assessments.N/

Modelling a Dune Field

We present a model to describe the collective motion of barchan dunes in a field. Our model is able to reproduce the observation that a typical dune stays confined within a stripe. We also obtain some of the pattern structures which ressemble those observed from aerial photos which we do analyse and compare with the specific field of La\^ayounne.Comment: 15 pages, 13 figure

An Analytical Construction of the SRB Measures for Baker-type Maps

For a class of dynamical systems, called the axiom-A systems, Sinai, Ruelle and Bowen showed the existence of an invariant measure (SRB measure) weakly attracting the temporal average of any initial distribution that is absolutely continuous with respect to the Lebesgue measure. Recently, the SRB measures were found to be related to the nonequilibrium stationary state distribution functions for thermostated or open systems. Inspite of the importance of these SRB measures, it is difficult to handle them analytically because they are often singular functions. In this article, for three kinds of Baker-type maps, the SRB measures are analytically constructed with the aid of a functional equation, which was proposed by de Rham in order to deal with a class of singular functions. We first briefly review the properties of singular functions including those of de Rham. Then, the Baker-type maps are described, one of which is non-conservative but time reversible, the second has a Cantor-like invariant set, and the third is a model of a simple chemical reaction $R \leftrightarrow I \leftrightarrow P$. For the second example, the cases with and without escape are considered. For the last example, we consider the reaction processes in a closed system and in an open system under a flux boundary condition. In all cases, we show that the evolution equation of the distribution functions partially integrated over the unstable direction is very similar to de Rham's functional equation and, employing this analogy, we explicitly construct the SRB measures.Comment: 53 pages, 10 figures, to appear in CHAO

Autophagy of mucin granules contributes to resolution of airway mucous metaplasia

Abstract Exacerbations of muco-obstructive airway diseases such as COPD and asthma are associated with epithelial changes termed mucous metaplasia (MM). Many molecular pathways triggering MM have been identified; however, the factors that regulate resolution are less well understood. We hypothesized that the autophagy pathway is required for resolution of MM by eliminating excess non-secreted intracellular mucin granules. We found increased intracellular levels of mucins Muc5ac and Muc5b in mice deficient in autophagy regulatory protein, Atg16L1, and that this difference was not due to defects in the known baseline or stimulated mucin secretion pathways. Instead, we found that, in mucous secretory cells, Lc3/Lamp1 vesicles colocalized with mucin granules particularly adjacent to the nucleus, suggesting that some granules were being eliminated in the autophagy pathway rather than secreted. Using a mouse model of MM resolution, we found increased lysosomal proteolytic activity that peaked in the days after mucin production began to decline. In purified lysosomal fractions, Atg16L1-deficient mice had reduced proteolytic degradation of Lc3 and Sqstm1 and persistent accumulation of mucin granules associated with impaired resolution of mucous metaplasia. In normal and COPD derived human airway epithelial cells (AECs), activation of autophagy by mTOR inhibition led to a reduction of intracellular mucin granules in AECs. Our findings indicate that during peak and resolution phases of MM, autophagy activity rather than secretion is required for elimination of some remaining mucin granules. Manipulation of autophagy activation offers a therapeutic target to speed resolution of MM in airway disease exacerbations

An Acoustic Charge Transport Imager for High Definition Television Applications: Low-Voltage SAW Amplifiers on Multilayer GaAs/ZnO Substrates

This thesis addresses the acoustoelectric issues concerning the amplification of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) and the reflection of SAWs from slanted reflector gratings on GaAs, with application to a novel acoustic charge transport (ACT) device architecture. First a simple model of the SAWAMP was developed, which was subsequently used to define the epitaxially grown material structure necessary to provide simultaneously high resistance and high electron mobility. In addition, a segmented SAWAMP structure was explored with line widths on the order of an acoustic wavelength. This resulted in the demonstration of SAWAMPS with an order of magnitude less voltage and power requirements than previously reported devices. A two-dimensional model was developed to explain the performance of devices with charge confinement layers less then 0.5 mm, which was experimentally verified. This model was extended to predict a greatly increased gain from the addition of a ZnO overlay. These overlays were experimentally attempted, but no working devices were reported due to process incompatibilities. In addition to the SAWAMP research, the reflection of SAWs from slanted gratings on GaAs was also studied and experimentally determined reflection coefficients for both 45 deg grooves and Al stripes on GaAs have been reported for the first time. The SAWAMp and reflector gratings were combined to investigate the integrated ring oscillator for application to the proposed ACT device and design parameters for this device have been provided

Radar Detection of High Concentrations of Ice Particles - Methodology and Preliminary Flight Test Results

High Ice Water Content (HIWC) has been identified as a primary causal factor in numerous engine events over the past two decades. Previous attempts to develop a remote detection process utilizing modern commercial radars have failed to produce reliable results. This paper discusses the reasons for previous failures and describes a new technique that has shown very encouraging accuracy and range performance without the need for any hardware modifications to industrys current radar designs. The performance of this new process was evaluated during the joint NASA/FAA HIWC RADAR II Flight Campaign in August of 2018. Results from that evaluation are discussed, along with the potential for commercial application, and development of minimum operational performance standards for a future commercial radar product

Surface, but Not Age Impact Lower Limb Joint Work During Walk and Stair Ascent

During common locomotor activates, such as walk or stair negotiation, older adults exhibit unfavorable lower limb biomechanical changes, including diminished joint torque and power, and proximal mechanical work redistribution that may increase their fall risk. To investigate age-related differences in lower limb work, twelve young (18 to 25 years) and 12 older (\u3e 65 years) adults performed a walk and stair ascent task on a normal, slick, and uneven surface. For each walk and stair ascent trial, synchronous 3D marker trajectories and GRF data were collected. Stance phase positive limb and joint work, and relative joint work were submitted to statistical analysis. Ascending stairs required more positive work than the walk, particularly from the knee, which may increase fall risk. Yet, both walking and ascending stairs over a challenging surface required more, proximally distributed work

Surface, but Not Age, Impacts Lower Limb Joint Work during Walking and Stair Ascent

Older adults often suffer an accidental fall when navigating challenging surfaces during common locomotor tasks, such as walking and ascending stairs. This study examined the effect of slick and uneven surfaces on lower limb joint work in older and younger adults while walking and ascending stairs. Fifteen young (18–25 years) and 12 older (\u3e65 years) adults had stance phase positive limb and joint work quantified during walking and stair ascent tasks on a normal, slick, and uneven surface, which was then submitted to a two-way mixed model ANOVA for analysis. The stair ascent required greater limb, and hip, knee, and ankle work than walking (all p \u3c 0.001), with participants producing greater hip and knee work during both the walk and stair ascent (both p \u3c 0.001). Surface, but not age, impacted positive limb work. Participants increased limb (p \u3c 0.001), hip (p = 0.010), and knee (p \u3c 0.001) positive work when walking over the challenging surfaces, and increased hip (p = 0.015), knee (p \u3c 0.001), and ankle (p = 0.010) work when ascending stairs with challenging surfaces. Traversing a challenging surface during both walking and stair ascent tasks required greater work production from the large proximal hip and knee musculature, which may increase the likelihood of an accidental fall in older adults

Safety, Tolerability, and Pharmacokinetic Properties of Intravenous Delafloxacin After Single and Multiple Doses in Healthy Volunteers

AbstractPurposeThe objective of this report was to determine the pharmacokinetic properties, safety, and tolerability of single and multiple doses of intravenous delafloxacin. In addition, the absolute bioavailability (BA) of the 450-mg tablet formulation of delafloxacin was determined.MethodsThree clinical trials are summarized. The first study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single- (300, 450, 600, 750, 900, and 1200 mg) ascending-dose study of IV delafloxacin in 62 (52 active, 10 placebo) healthy volunteers. The second study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of IV delafloxacin (300 mg) given as a single dose on day 1, followed by twice-daily dosing on days 2 through 14; 12 (8 active, 4 placebo) healthy volunteers were enrolled. The third study was an open-label, randomized, 2-period, 2-sequence crossover study in which 56 healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 sequences of a single oral dose of delafloxacin (450-mg tablet) or IV delafloxacin (300 mg). Serial blood samples were collected, and plasma pharmacokinetic parameters of delafloxacin were calculated.FindingsDelafloxacin Cmax values increased proportionally with increasing single IV dose for the dose range of 300 to 1200 mg, whereas the AUC values increased more than proportionally to dose for the same dose range. The mean terminal half-life of delafloxacin was approximately 12 hours (ranging from 8 to 17 hours). The volume of distribution (Vd) at steady state was approximately 35 L, which is similar to the volume of total body water. There was minimal accumulation of delafloxacin after twice-daily IV administration of 300 mg with an accumulation ratio of 1.09. The delafloxacin total exposure after a single 1-hour IV infusion of 300 mg and a single oral dose of a 450-mg tablet were equivalent with geometric least square mean ratio (90% CI) of 0.8768 (0.8356–0.9200) for AUC0–∞ and 0.8445 (0.8090–0.8815) for AUC0–t, respectively. The Cmax values of delafloxacin were not equivalent for the 2 formulations with a ratio (90% CI) of 0.5516 (0.5150–0.5908), respectively. The mean absolute bioavailability of delafloxacin was 58.8%.ImplicationsDelafloxacin was well tolerated in healthy volunteers after single and multiple IV doses. The total systemic exposure to IV (300 mg) and oral (450 mg) delafloxacin is comparable, supporting that a switch between the 2 formulations is appropriate