48 research outputs found
Weather conditions and daily television use in the Netherlands, 1996â2005
This study examines the impact of daily atmospheric weather conditions on daily television use in the Netherlands for the period 1996â2005. The effects of the weather parameters are considered in the context of mood and mood management theory. It is proposed that inclement and uncomfortable weather conditions are associated with lower human mood, and that watching entertainment and avoiding informational programs may serve to repair such mood. We consequently hypothesize that people spend more time watching television if inclement and uncomfortable weather conditions (low temperatures, little sunshine, much precipitation, high wind velocity, less daylight) coincide with more airtime for entertainment programs, but that they view less if the same weather conditions coincide with more airtime devoted to information fare. We put this interaction thesis to a test using a time series analysis of daily television viewing data of the Dutch audience obtained from telemeters (Tâ=â3,653), merged with meteorological weather station statistics and program broadcast figures, whilst controlling for a wide array of recurrent and one-time societal events. The results provide substantial support for the proposed interaction of program airtime and the weather parameters temperature and sunshine on aggregate television viewing time. Implications of the findings are discussed
The Timing of the Cognitive Cycle
We propose that human cognition consists of cascading cycles of recurring brain
events. Each cognitive cycle senses the current situation, interprets it with
reference to ongoing goals, and then selects an internal or external action in
response. While most aspects of the cognitive cycle are unconscious, each cycle
also yields a momentary âignitionâ of conscious broadcasting.
Neuroscientists have independently proposed ideas similar to the cognitive
cycle, the fundamental hypothesis of the LIDA model of cognition. High-level
cognition, such as deliberation, planning, etc., is typically enabled by
multiple cognitive cycles. In this paper we describe a timing model LIDA's
cognitive cycle. Based on empirical and simulation data we propose that an
initial phase of perception (stimulus recognition) occurs 80â100 ms from
stimulus onset under optimal conditions. It is followed by a conscious episode
(broadcast) 200â280 ms after stimulus onset, and an action selection phase
60â110 ms from the start of the conscious phase. One cognitive cycle would
therefore take 260â390 ms. The LIDA timing model is consistent with brain
evidence indicating a fundamental role for a theta-gamma wave, spreading forward
from sensory cortices to rostral corticothalamic regions. This posteriofrontal
theta-gamma wave may be experienced as a conscious perceptual event starting at
200â280 ms post stimulus. The action selection component of the cycle is
proposed to involve frontal, striatal and cerebellar regions. Thus the cycle is
inherently recurrent, as the anatomy of the thalamocortical system suggests. The
LIDA model fits a large body of cognitive and neuroscientific evidence. Finally,
we describe two LIDA-based software agents: the LIDA Reaction Time agent that
simulates human performance in a simple reaction time task, and the LIDA Allport
agent which models phenomenal simultaneity within timeframes comparable to human
subjects. While there are many models of reaction time performance, these
results fall naturally out of a biologically and computationally plausible
cognitive architecture
Radical radiotherapy for inoperable non-small cell lung cancer
We set out to determine the factors that predict the outcome of conventional radical radiotherapy for inoperable non-small cell lung cancer. A retrospective casenote review was carried out of all 69 patients treated between 1986 and 1992 at the Northern Ireland Centre for Clinical Oncology, Belfast, with radical radiotherapy for inoperable non-small cell lung cancer. The tumour dose ranged from 45 Gy to 67.5 Gy, delivered in 15-30 fractions, 5 days per week over 3-6 weeks. All patients were followed up for 5 years.We set out to determine the factors that predict the outcome of conventional radical radiotherapy for inoperable non-small cell lung cancer. A retrospective casenote review was carried out of all 69 patients treated between 1986 and 1992 at the Northern Ireland Centre for Clinical Oncology, Belfast, with radical radiotherapy for inoperable non-small cell lung cancer. The tumour dose ranged from 45 Gy to 67.5 Gy, delivered in 15-30 fractions, 5 days per week over 3-6 weeks. All patients were followed up for 5 years