A Simulation of High Latitude F-Layer Instabilities in the Presence of Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Coupling

A magnetic-field-line-integrated model of plasma interchange instabilities is developed for the high latitude ionosphere including magnetospheric coupling effects. We show that primary magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling effect is to incorporate the inertia of the magnetospheric plasma in the analysis. As a specific example, we present the first simulation of the E x B instability in the inertial regime, i.e., nu sub i omega where nu sub i is the ion-neutral collision frequency and omega is the wave frequency. We find that the inertial E x B instability develops in a fundamentally different manner than in the collisional case ni sub i omega. Our results show that striations produced in the inertial regime are spread and retarded by ion inertial effects, and result in more isotropic irregularities than those seen in the collisional case

Evolution of particle composition in CLOUD nucleation experiments

Sulphuric acid, ammonia, amines, and oxidised organics play a crucial role in nanoparticle formation in the atmosphere. In this study, we investigate the composition of nucleated nanoparticles formed from these compounds in the CLOUD (Cosmics Leaving Outdoor Droplets) chamber experiments at CERN (Centre européen pour la recherche nucléaire). The investigation was carried out via analysis of the particle hygroscopicity, ethanol affinity, oxidation state, and ion composition. Hygroscopicity was studied by a hygroscopic tandem differential mobility analyser and a cloud condensation nuclei counter, ethanol affinity by an organic differential mobility analyser and particle oxidation level by a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer. The ion composition was studied by an atmospheric pressure interface time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The volume fraction of the organics in the particles during their growth from sizes of a few nanometers to tens of nanometers was derived from measured hygroscopicity assuming the Zdanovskii–Stokes–Robinson relationship, and compared to values gained from the spectrometers. The ZSR-relationship was also applied to obtain the measured ethanol affinities during the particle growth, which were used to derive the volume fractions of sulphuric acid and the other inorganics (e.g. ammonium salts). In the presence of sulphuric acid and ammonia, particles with a mobility diameter of 150 nm were chemically neutralised to ammonium sulphate. In the presence of oxidation products of pinanediol, the organic volume fraction of freshly nucleated particles increased from 0.4 to ~0.9, with an increase in diameter from 2 to 63 nm. Conversely, the sulphuric acid volume fraction decreased from 0.6 to 0.1 when the particle diameter increased from 2 to 50 nm. The results provide information on the composition of nucleated aerosol particles during their growth in the presence of various combinations of sulphuric acid, ammonia, dimethylamine and organic oxidation products

Post-license Education for Novice Drivers: Evaluation of a Training Programme implemented in Spain

Introduction: This study evaluated the implementation of a 2nd phase training programme for novice drivers in Spain, which puts the primary focus of the training on the higher hierarchical levels of driver behaviour. Method: Two hundred and sixty-three participants took part throughout the study, which was implemented as an experimental design with the test and control groups assessed before and after the one day safety training. Measurement of the impact of the training program focused on the participants¿ self-evaluation and self reporting of some driving behaviour indicators related to accident risk. Results: Data analysis showed a change in the expected direction in the scale related to the skills for careful driving, but not for the other four scales considered. A feedback survey about the training course offered some important input for evaluating the organization, contents, tuition, and results of the three parts of the training programme (discussion group, on-road and track training) as reported by the participants in the test group. Conclusions and suggestions: The results of the experiment show that using a one day driver safety course, it is possible to change some of the drivers¿ evaluations connected to safe driving style into safe direction. The follow-up period was exceptionally long (9 months) and the design (randomly divided experimental and control groups with before and after measurements) was reliable. More effort should be devoted to improving the on-road part of the training, which was often perceived as a typical driving lesson rather than a feedback drive

Tethered Swimming Can Be Used to Evaluate Force Contribution for Short-Distance Swimming Performance

The purpose of this study was two-fold: (a) to compare stroke and the physiological responses between maximal tethered and free front crawl swimming and (b) to evaluate the contribution of force exertion for swimming performance over short distances. A total of 34 male swimmers, representing various levels of competitive performance, participated in this study. Each participant was tested in both a 30-second maximal tethered swimming test and a 50-m free swimming test. The tethered force parameters, the swimming speed, stroke (stroke rate [SR]), and the physiological responses (increase in blood lactate concentration [ΔBLa], heart rate, and rate of perceived exertion) were recorded and calculated. The results showed no differences in stroke and the physiological responses between tethered and free swimming, with a high level of agreement for the SR and ΔBLa. A strong correlation was obtained between the maximum impulse of force per stroke and the speed (r = 0.91; p < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis revealed that the maximum impulse and SR in the tethered condition explained 84% of the free swimming performance. The relationship between the swimming speed and maximum force tended to be nonlinear, whereas linear relationships were observed with the maximum impulse. This study demonstrates that tethered swimming does not significantly alter stroke and the physiological responses compared with free swimming, and that the maximum impulse per stroke should be used to evaluate the balance between force and the ability to effectively apply force during sprint swimming. Consequently, coaches can rely on tethered forces to identify strength deficits and improve swimming performance over short distances.UBI/FCSH/Santander/2010info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Korkeakouluopiskelijoiden mentaaliharjoittelun strategiat pianon- ja kitaransoitossa

Tiivistelmä. Mentaaliharjoittelua käytetään musiikin opetuksessa vain vähän, vaikka esimerkiksi urheilun valmennuksessa mentaaliharjoittelua on hyödynnetty jo pitkään. Kokemuksemme mukaan mentaaliharjoittelulla on merkittävät mahdollisuudet musiikin harjoittelun tukena. Musiikin opetuksessa mentaaliharjoittelu ei ole tullut juurikaan vastaan, vaikka monesti paljon matkustavan muusikon työnkuvaan se sopisi erinomaisesti. Mentaaliharjoittelu mahdollistaisi musiikillisten taitojen opettelun myös kotona, vaikka instrumentteja ei olisikaan käytettävissä. Tutkimuksessamme tarkastelimme mentaaliharjoittelua ja siinä käytettyjä strategioita. Käytimme työssämme eksploratiivista menetelmää ja avointa haastattelua aineistonkeruussa. Tutkittavat soittivat neljä eri kappaletta: kaksi pianolla ja kaksi kitaralla. Molemmilla soittimilla soitettiin kappale harjoitellen perinteisellä tavalla (soittimen kanssa) sekä kappale harjoitellen mentaalisesti (ilman soitinta). Soittotilanteet videoitiin, jonka jälkeen tutkittavat haastateltiin stimulated recall -tyylisesti. Kappaleet sävellettiin tutkimusta varten, jotta ne olisivat tutkittaville entuudestaan tuntemattomia. Aineistomme koostuu soittosuoritusten videomateriaalista sekä avoimen haastattelun litteroidusta tekstistä, joka on analysoitu sisällönanalyysin avulla. Tutkittavat käyttivät mentaaliharjoittelun strategioina musiikillisten taitojen hyödyntämistä sekä yleisten kognitiivisten taitojen hyödyntämistä. Esiin nousseita musiikillisia strategioita olivat esimerkiksi auditiivisuus, kinesteettisyys sekä visualisuus. Yleisiä kognitiivisia taitoja tässä tutkimuksessa ovat esimerkiksi mieleen painaminen ilman musiikillista kontekstia sekä ulkoa opettelu. Harjoittelustrategiat eivät juuri eronneet kitaran ja pianon välillä — tosin pääinstrumenteillaan soittaessaan tutkittavat suoriutuivat tehtävistä paremmin. Verrattaessa mentaaliharjoittelua perinteiseen soittoharjoitteluun harjoittelustrategiat olivat hyvin samankaltaisia, mutta käytetyt musiikilliset strategiat erosivat hieman toisistaan. Tutkimus osoitti, että tutkittavista parhaisiin mentaaliharjoittelun tuloksiin pääsivät he, jotka pystyivät käyttämään harjoittelun strategioina musiikillisia strategioita. Myös he, jotka pystyivät ”niputtamaan” työmuistinsa rajallista kapasiteettia musiikin kokonaisvaltaisen ymmärtämisen avulla, suoriutuivat vahvasti mentaaliharjoittelusta. Heikommin tehtävistä suoriutui, mikäli harjoittelu jäi yleisten kognitiivisten taitojen varaan. Tällöin ajattelua ei liitetty ollenkaan musiikkiin, vaan kappaleet opeteltiin enemmänkin lyhytkestoisen ja pienikapasiteettisen työmuistin rajoissa.Strategies for university students’ mental training in playing the piano and the guitar. Abstract. Mental training is seldom used in teaching music, although it has long been used for instance in sports coaching. Our experience shows that mental training has a significant potential to support music training. In music teaching, mental training has hardly been encountered, even though it would be perfect for musicians who are often travelling. Mental training would also allow learning musical skills at home, even when no instruments are available. In our study, we examined mental training and strategies used in it. Our research used an exploratory method and an open interview in data collection. The subjects played four different musical pieces: two on the piano and two on the guitar. Both instruments were used to play a song that had been practised in the traditional way (with the instrument) and a song that had been practised mentally (without the instrument). The playing situations were recorded on video, and the subjects were interviewed in a stimulated recall style. The musical pieces were composed for the research, so they were unknown to the subjects. Our material consists of the video material of the playing performances and the transcript of the open interview, which has been analysed using content analysis. The subjects used exploitation of musical skills and exploitation of general cognitive skills as strategies for mental training. The musical skills that emerged were, for example, audacity, kinesthetics, and visualization. Common cognitive skills in this study included for example memorizing without musical context and committing to memory. Training strategies did not differ to any great extent between the guitar and the piano — although the subjects performed better when playing their main instrument. Training strategies were very similar when mental training was compared to traditional practice, but the musical strategies used differed slightly. The study showed that the subjects who obtained the best results from mental training were those who were able to use musical strategies as training strategies. Also, those subjects performed strongly on mental training who were able to “bundle” the limited capacity of their working memory through comprehensive understanding of music. Weaker performance was observed by those who used just general cognitive skills for training. In this case, thinking was not connected to music at all, instead the songs were learned more within the limits of short-term and low-capacity working memory

Leibnizian, Galilean and Newtonian structures of spacetime

The following three geometrical structures on a manifold are studied in detail: (1) Leibnizian: a non-vanishing 1-form $\Omega$ plus a Riemannian metric \h on its annhilator vector bundle. In particular, the possible dimensions of the automorphism group of a Leibnizian G-structure are characterized. (2) Galilean: Leibnizian structure endowed with an affine connection $\nabla$ (gauge field) which parallelizes $\Omega$ and \h. Fixed any vector field of observers Z ($\Omega (Z) = 1$), an explicit Koszul--type formula which reconstruct bijectively all the possible $\nabla$'s from the gravitational ${\cal G} = \nabla_Z Z$ and vorticity $\omega = rot Z/2$ fields (plus eventually the torsion) is provided. (3) Newtonian: Galilean structure with \h flat and a field of observers Z which is inertial (its flow preserves the Leibnizian structure and $\omega = 0$). Classical concepts in Newtonian theory are revisited and discussed.Comment: Minor errata corrected, to appear in J. Math. Phys.; 22 pages including a table, Late

Mode resolved density of atmospheric aerosol particles

In this study, we investigate the mode resolved density of ultrafine atmospheric particles measured in boreal forest environment. The method used here enables us to find the distinct density information for each mode in atmospheric fine particle population: the density values for nucleation, Aitken, and accumulation mode particles are presented. The experimental data was gained during 2 May 2005–19 May 2005 at the boreal forest measurement station &quot;SMEAR II&quot; in Hyytiälä, Southern Finland. The density values for accumulation mode varied from 1.1 to 2 g/cm&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt; (average 1.5 g/cm&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;) and for Aitken mode from 0.4 to 2 g/cm&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt; (average 0.97 g/cm&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;). As an overall trend during the two weeks campaign, the density value of Aitken mode was seen to gradually increase. With the present method, the time dependent behaviour of the particle density can be investigated in the time scale of 10 min. This allows us to follow the density evolution of the nucleation mode particles during the particle growth process following the nucleation burst. The density of nucleation mode particles decreased during the growth process. The density values for 15 nm particles were 1.2–1.5 g/cm&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt; and for grown 30 nm particles 0.5–1 g/cm&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;. These values are consistent with the present knowledge that the condensing species are semi-volatile organics, emitted from the boreal forest

Implementation of the driver training curriculum in Spain – An analysis based on the Goals for Driver Education (GDE) framework

The Goals for Driver Education (GDE) framework represents a conceptual outline of the goals to be satisfied in driver education (Hatakka et al., 2002). We aimed to analyze the implementation of the driver training curriculum in Spain, taking this framework as reference; the Spanish driving instructors was the target population from which to gather the information to be analyzed. For this purpose, we developed the DTCI (Driver Training Curriculum Implementation) scale as well as a number of questions concerning the driving instructors&#39; opinions about their own training as instructors, and they were included in a survey that provided information for a probabilistic sample of 676 driving instructors. On the one hand, an analysis of the factor structure of the DTCI scale provided a two-factor solution that fitted the hierarchical levels of the first dimension of the GDE framework; however, no factor differentiation reflected the components of the second dimension of this framework. On the other hand, the survey results suggested that the Spanish driver education system places more emphasis on knowledge and skills related to the operative and tactical aspects of driving, whereas less importance is placed on risk-prevention and self-evaluation skills related to the strategic and personal levels of driving behavior. These results reveal a potential weakness in the driver training curricula from the point of view of the GDE framework and support the application of instructional methods and teaching tools that correct these potential flaws in the training of student drivers.</p