Attentional focus, dispositional reinvestment, and skilled motor performance under pressure

Copyright @ 2006 Human KineticsAttentional processes governing skilled motor behavior were examined in two studies. In Experiment 1, field hockey players performed a dribbling task under single-task, dual-task, and skill-focused conditions under both low and high pressure situations. In Experiment 2, skilled soccer players performed a dribbling task under single-task, skill-focused, and process-goal conditions, again under low and high pressure situations. Results replicated recent findings regarding the detrimental effect of skill-focused attention and the facilitative effect of dual-task conditions on skilled performance. In addition, focusing on movement related process goals was found to adversely affect performance. Support for the predictive validity of the Reinvestment Scale was also found, with high reinvesters displaying greater susceptibility to skill failure under pressure. Results were consistent with explicit monitoring theories of choking and are further discussed in light of the conceptual distinction between explicit monitoring and reinvestment of conscious control

Investigation of environmental effects on coatings for thermal control

Accomplishments made during study of coatings are reported. Development of structure/property theory for selecting most appropriate pigments for space vehicle paints is discussed along with improvements made in zinc-oxide pigmented potassium silicate paint

Adaptive unstructured triangular mesh generation and flow solvers for the Navier-Stokes equations at high Reynolds number

A method for generating high quality unstructured triangular grids for high Reynolds number Navier-Stokes calculations about complex geometries is described. Careful attention is paid in the mesh generation process to resolving efficiently the disparate length scales which arise in these flows. First the surface mesh is constructed in a way which ensures that the geometry is faithfully represented. The volume mesh generation then proceeds in two phases thus allowing the viscous and inviscid regions of the flow to be meshed optimally. A solution-adaptive remeshing procedure which allows the mesh to adapt itself to flow features is also described. The procedure for tracking wakes and refinement criteria appropriate for shock detection are described. Although at present it has only been implemented in two dimensions, the grid generation process has been designed with the extension to three dimensions in mind. An implicit, higher-order, upwind method is also presented for computing compressible turbulent flows on these meshes. Two recently developed one-equation turbulence models have been implemented to simulate the effects of the fluid turbulence. Results for flow about a RAE 2822 airfoil and a Douglas three-element airfoil are presented which clearly show the improved resolution obtainable

Learning Agility: In Search of Conceptual Clarity and Theoretical Grounding

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/92376/1/j.1754-9434.2012.01444.x.pd

Learning Agility: Many Questions, a Few Answers, and a Path Forward

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/92383/1/j.1754-9434.2012.01465.x.pd

A preliminary study and proposed methodology: Utilisation of pervasive computing (NeXus-4) and questionnaires to determine selected physiological and psychological parameters in participants working at a higher education institute in the UK

High levels of stress are widespread throughout academics in institution offurther and higher education. 3 out of 20 academics from an institute of Higher Education took part in the study presented The NeXus-4 physiological monitoring system wirelessly captured various physiological data associated with stress via a portable system that supported input channels for: blood pressure, heart rate, core temperature and peripheral perfusion. 10-min baseline measurements were recorded, followed by 20 minute experimental recordings during the various academic activities. The two psychological questionnaires were issued and completed prior to recording the physiological data. Results of the current study indicated that there was significant increase in heart rate and bloodflow during marking and lecturing vs. baseline, and lecturing showed higher values compared to marking. Counterintuitively, there was a strong and significant positive correlation between job stress and job satisfaction - suggesting pressure and demands are viewed positivelyin this occupational group. © 2008 IEEE

A phenomenological analysis of antiproton interactions at low energies

We present an optical potential analysis of the antiproton-proton interactions at low energies. Our optical potential is purely phenomenological, and has been parametrized on data recently obtained by the Obelix Collaboration at momenta below 180 MeV/c. It reasonably fits annihilation and elastic data below 600 MeV/c, and allows us for an evaluation of the elastic cross section and rho-parameter down to zero kinetic energy. Moreover we show that the mechanism that depresses antiproton-nucleus annihilation cross sections at low energies is present in antiproton-proton interactions too.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

Passive Vaporizing Heat Sink

A passive vaporizing heat sink has been developed as a relatively lightweight, compact alternative to related prior heat sinks based, variously, on evaporation of sprayed liquids or on sublimation of solids. This heat sink is designed for short-term dissipation of a large amount of heat and was originally intended for use in regulating the temperature of spacecraft equipment during launch or re-entry. It could also be useful in a terrestrial setting in which there is a requirement for a lightweight, compact means of short-term cooling. This heat sink includes a hermetic package closed with a pressure-relief valve and containing an expendable and rechargeable coolant liquid (e.g., water) and a conductive carbon-fiber wick. The vapor of the liquid escapes when the temperature exceeds the boiling point corresponding to the vapor pressure determined by the setting of the pressure-relief valve. The great advantage of this heat sink over a melting-paraffin or similar phase-change heat sink of equal capacity is that by virtue of the =10x greater latent heat of vaporization, a coolant-liquid volume equal to =1/10 of the paraffin volume can suffice

Held to ransom - CMV treatment in South Africa

Cytomegalovirus is a multi-systemic infection reactivated in the immunocompromised. Diagnosis and treatment are prohibitively costly in sub-Saharan Africa, and efforts need to be made for their price reduction to support the expanding highly active antiretroviral treatment programme in the region