A self-regulatory approach to understanding boredom proneness

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Cognition and Emotion on 2016-11-16, available online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2015.1064363We investigated the relationship between self-regulation and two types of boredom proneness (perceived lack of internal stimulation, perceived lack of external stimulation) using a variety of measures of self-regulation. These included a general measure of self-control, measures of both regulatory focus (i.e., promotion or a sensitivity to gains/non-gains vs. prevention or a sensitivity to losses/non-losses) and regulatory mode (i.e., assessment or the tendency to compare means and goals vs. locomotion or the tendency to initiate and maintain commitment to action), and measures of cognitive flexibility (i.e., a perceived sense of control and the tendency to seek alternative solutions). Results identified a unique set of factors related to each boredom proneness component. Trait self-control and prevention focus were associated with lower boredom propensity due to a lack of external stimulation. Locomotion and the tendency to seek alternatives were associated with lower boredom propensity due to a lack of internal stimulation. These findings suggest that effective goal pursuit is associated with reduced likelihood of experiencing boredom.NSERC Discovery [grant no. 261628

Exploring the Relationship between Self-Regulation and Boredom

The following two studies examined the relationship between various aspects of self-regulation, boredom proneness and the experience of boredom. Prior research on trait boredom has demonstrated that it is often related to variables indicative of poor self-regulatory control. Likewise, prior research has shown a relationship between state boredom and conditions in which individuals are prevented from self-regulating effectively. The goal of this research was to directly test the relationship between boredom proneness and various aspects of self-regulation, as well as exploring how conditions that prevent effective self-regulation influence the experience of boredom. Study 1 explored the relationship between self-regulation and boredom proneness using a variety of measures of self-regulation. Results identified a unique set of factors related to boredom proneness, suggesting that effective goal pursuit is associated with reduced likelihood of experiencing boredom. Study 2 examined the influence of low perceived control on the experience of boredom. To do this, high or low perceived control was induced using a computerized version of the children’s game ‘rock-paper-scissors’ in which individuals arbitrarily either won or lost, respectively, regardless of their own play strategy. Individuals in the low control condition (0% win rate) reported being less bored than individuals in the high perceived control condition where wins came easily. This suggests that the potential to gain control may play a role in facilitating engagement with the environment and may be an important factor in mitigating the experience of boredom. This research highlights the importance of effective self-regulation in the experience of boredom

The Desire to Act: Exploring Situational, Dispositional and Genetic Correlates of a Fundamental Motivational State

Animals do not simply act to survive and maximize pleasure. They also act for the sake of action itself. Although such intrinsically motivated actions are ubiquitous throughout the animal kingdom, the mechanisms by which they are enacted remain poorly understood. Likewise, little is known in regard to what influences which actions an animal ultimately chooses. It has been speculated for some time that boredom signals our failure to satisfy this drive to act, and that it may play a crucial role in launching us into action. The goal of the current thesis was to investigate the role of boredom in mediating our desire to engage with our environment and to explore factors that influence how we interact with our environment. Chapter 2 tested whether boredom signals opportunities for action and makes us want to engage with such opportunities. Chapter 3 investigated whether different situations make us sensitive to distinct opportunities to act. Chapter 4 investigated whether a genetic variation predisposes us to be sensitive to specific opportunities to act. The results from this thesis highlight the importance of boredom in regulating our desire for action and provide novel insights into what factors make us act in specific ways. The last chapter situates these results within a broader self-regulatory framework

ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕ ПРОЕКТНОГО ПОДХОДА ОРГАНАМИ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОЙ ВЛАСТИ В ЦЕЛЯХ СТИМУЛИРОВАНИЯ ИННОВАЦИОННОЙ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ

The article deals with basic aspects, mechanisms and tools the project approach used by public authorities to stimulate innovation in organizations using the financial resources of state development institutions. The article focuses on the use and improvement of improving the design to ensure maximum effect from the use of innovative product or service

ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕ ПРОЕКТНОГО ПОДХОДА ОРГАНАМИ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОЙ ВЛАСТИ В ЦЕЛЯХ СТИМУЛИРОВАНИЯ ИННОВАЦИОННОЙ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ

The article deals with basic aspects, mechanisms and tools the project approach used by public authorities to stimulate innovation in organizations using the financial resources of state development institutions. The article focuses on the use and improvement of improving the design to ensure maximum effect from the use of innovative product or service

Photoautotrophic removal of hydrogen sulfide from biogas using purple and green sulfur bacteria

Producción CientíficaBiogas desulfurization based on anoxygenic photosynthetic processes represents an alternative to physicochemical technologies, decreasing the risk of O2 and N2 contamination. This work aimed at assessing the potential of Allochromatium vinosum and Chlorobium limicola for biogas desulfurization under different light intensities (10 and 25 klx) and H2S concentrations (1, 1.5 and 2%) in batch photobioreactors. In addition, the influence of rising biogas flow rates (2.9, 5.8 and 11.5 L d-1 in stage I, II and III, respectively) on the desulfurization performance in a 2.3 L photobioreactor utilizing C. limicola under continuous mode was assessed. The light intensity of 25 klx negatively influenced the growth of A. vinosum and C. limicola, resulting in decreased H2S removal capacity. An increase in H2S concentrations resulted in higher volumetric H2S removal rates in C. limicola (2.9–5.3 mg L-1 d-1) tests compared to A. vinosum (2.4–4.6 mg L-1 d-1) tests. The continuous photobioreactor completely removed H2S from biogas in stage I and II. The highest flow rate in stage III induced a deterioration in the desulfurization activity of C. limicola. Overall, the high H2S tolerance of A. vinosum and C. limicola supports their use in H2S desulfurization from biogas

Intravascular Ultrasound in the Detection of Bridging Stent Graft Instability During Fenestrated and Branched Endovascular Aneurysm Repair Procedures: A Multicentre Study on 274 Target Vessels

Objective: The use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) reduces contrast medium use and radiation exposure during conventional endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of IVUS in detecting bridging stent graft (bSG) instability during fenestrated and branched EVAR (F/B-EVAR). Methods: This was a prospective observational multicentre study. The following outcomes were evaluated: (1) technical success of the IVUS in each bSG, (2) IVUS findings compared with intra-operative angiography, (3) incidence of post-operative computed tomography angiography (CTA) findings not detected with IVUS, and (4) absence of IVUS related adverse events. Target visceral vessel (TVV) instability was defined as any branch or fenestration issues requiring an additional manoeuvre or re-intervention. Any IVUS assessment that detected stenosis, kinking, or any geometric TVV issue was considered to be branch instability. All procedures were performed in ad hoc hybrid rooms. Results: Eighty patients (69% males; median age 72 years; interquartile range 59, 77 years) from four aortic centres treated with F/B-EVAR between January 2019 and September 2021 were included: 70 BEVAR (21 off the shelf; 49 custom made), eight FEVAR (custom made), and two F/B-EVAR (custom made), for a total of 300 potential TVVs. Two TVVs (0.7%) were left unstented and excluded from the analysis. The TVVs could not be accessed with the IVUS catheter in seven cases (2.3%). Furthermore, 17 (5.7%) TVVs could not be examined due to a malfunction of the IVUS catheter. The technical success of the IVUS assessment was 91.9% (274/298), with no IVUS related adverse events. Seven TVVs (2.5%) showed signs of bSG instability by means of IVUS, leading to immediate revisions. The first post-operative CTA at least 30 days after the index procedure was available in 268 of the 274 TVVs originally assessed by IVUS. In seven of the 268 TVVs (2.6%) a re-intervention became necessary due to bSG instability. Conclusion: This study suggests that IVUS is a safe and potentially valuable adjunctive imaging technology for intra-operative detection of TVV instability. Further long term investigations on larger cohorts are required to validate these promising results and to compare IVUS with alternative technologies in terms of efficiency, radiation exposure, procedure time, and costs

Ice Particle Impacts on a Moving Wedge

This work presents the results of an experimental study of ice particle impacts on a moving wedge. The experiment was conducted in the Adverse Environment Rotor Test Stand (AERTS) facility located at Penn State University. The wedge was placed at the tip of a rotating blade. Ice particles shot from a pressure gun intercepted the moving wedge and impacted it at a location along its circular path. The upward velocity of the ice particles varied from 7 to 12 meters per second. Wedge velocities were varied from 0 to 120 meters per second. Wedge angles tested were 0 deg, 30 deg, 45 deg, and 60 deg. High speed imaging combined with backlighting captured the impact allowing observation of the effect of velocity and wedge angle on the impact and the post-impact fragment behavior. It was found that the pressure gun and the rotating wedge could be synchronized to consistently obtain ice particle impacts on the target wedge. It was observed that the number of fragments increase with the normal component of the impact velocity. Particle fragments ejected immediately after impact showed velocities higher than the impact velocity. The results followed the major qualitative features observed by other researchers for hailstone impacts, even though the reduced scale size of the particles used in the present experiment as compared to hailstones was 4:1

ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ ПРОТИЗАПАЛЬНОЇ АКТИВНОСТІ ЕКСТРАКТІВ ПОЛИНУ ГІРКОГО ТА ПОЛИНУ ЗВИЧАЙНОГО ЗА УМОВИ ПАТОЛОГІЇ РІЗНОГО ГЕНЕЗУ

Introduction. Artemisia genus species are used in medicine for centuries. They have appetizing, anthelmintic, bactericidal, choleretic and anti-inflammatory effects. Their activity is caused by different groups of biologically active compounds. The aim of the study – to learn the anti-inflammatory effect of Artemisia absinthium L. and Artemisia vulgaris L. extracts using carrageenan and formalin models of edema. Research Methods. To determine the anti-inflammatory effect of Artemisia absinthium L. and Artemisia vulga­ris L. herb extracts under the pathology of different genesis, two techniques were used: models of carrageenin and formalin edema (aseptic inflammation). They are recommended by the State Expert Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine for preclinical studies and for research of anti-exudative activity. The study and analysis of the obtained experimental data were performed in comparison with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug – sodium diclofenac and with quercetin. Results and Discussion. It was found that a comparative study of the anti-inflammatory effect of Artemisia L. herb extracts in conditions of carrageenan edema, which is characterized by cyclooxygenase way of inflammation, Artemisia absinthium L. and Artemisia vulgaris L. extracts showed anti-exudative effect throughout the experiment. The best suppression of edema was observed during fifth hour since the introduction of the phlogogenic agent. It reveals the effect of Artemisia absinthium L. and Artemisia vulgaris L. extracts on inflammatory mediators – prosta­glan­dins. In condition of the formalin edema, membrane protein degradation develops and inflammatory mediators, in particular prostaglandins, are released. Conclusions. We have established a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect of Artemisia absinthium L. and Artemisia vulgaris L. extracts, which affect the mediators of inflammation – prostaglandins, and can be used as anti-inflammatory agents in conditions of the inflammatory processes of the pancreas and gall bladder.Вступление. К растениям, которые имеют многовековой опыт использования в медицине, относят виды рода Полынь, которые применяют как аппетитные, глистогонные, бактерицидные, желчегонные и противовоспалительные средства, действие которых обусловлено наличием различных групп биологически активных соединений. Цель исследования – изучить противовоспалительную активность экстрактов полыни горькой и полыни обыкновенной на моделях карагенинового и формалинового отеков. Методы исследования. Для определения противовоспалительной активности экстрактов травы полыни горькой и полыни обыкновенной при патологии различного генеза использовали две методики на моделях асептического воспаления (карагениновый и формалиновый отеки), которые рекомендовал Государственный экспертный центр МОЗ Украины для доклинических исследований и определения антиэкссудативной активности. Исследование и анализ полученных экспериментальных данных проводили в сравнении с препаратом из группы нестероидных противовоспалительных средств – натрия диклофенаком и кверцетином. Результаты и обсуждение. Сравнительное изучение противовоспалительной активности экстрактов полыни горькой и полыни обыкновенной при карагениновом отеке, который характеризовался циклооксигеназным путем воспаления, показало, что они проявляли антиэкссудативное действие в течение всего эксперимента. Наибольшее угнетение отека наблюдали на 5 ч с момента введения флогогенного агента, что свидетельствовало о влиянии экстрактов полыни горькой и полыни обыкновенной на медиаторы воспаления – простагландины. При формалиновом отеке антиэкссудативная активность экстрактов проявлялась уже на 3 ч и повышалась до конца эксперимента, что указывало на угнетение активности медиаторов воспаления. Вывод. Установлено выраженное противовоспалительное действие экстрактов полыни горькой и полыни обыкновенной, которые влияют на медиаторы воспаления – простагландины, их можна использо­вать как противовоспалительные средства при воспалительных процессах поджелудочной железы и желчного пузыря.Вступ. До рослин, що мають багатовіковий досвід використання в медицині, належать види роду Полин, які застосовують як апетитні, глистогінні, бактерицидні, жовчогінні та протизапальні засоби. Їх дія зумовлена наявністю різних груп біологічно активних сполук. Мета дослідження – вивчити протизапальну активність екстрактів полину гіркого і полину звичайного на моделях карагенінового та формалінового набряків. Методи дослідження. Для визначення протизапальної активності екстрактів трави полину гіркого і полину звичайного за умови патології різного генезу використовували дві методики на моделях асептичного запалення (карагеніновий та формаліновий набряки), які рекомендував Державний експертний центр МОЗ України для доклінічних досліджень і встановлення антиексудативної активності. Дослідження та аналіз отриманих експериментальних даних проводили в порівнянні з препаратом із групи нестероїдних протизапальних засобів – натрію диклофенаком та кверцетином. Результати й обговорення. Порівняльне вивчення протизапальної активності екстрактів полину гіркого і полину звичайного при карагеніновому набряку, який характеризувався циклооксигеназним шляхом запалення, показало, що вони проявляли антиексудативну дію протягом усього експерименту. Найбільше пригнічення набряку спостерігали на 5 год з моменту введення флогогенного агента, що свідчило про вплив екстрактів полину гіркого і полину звичайного на медіатори запалення – простагландини. При формаліновому набряку антиексудативна активність екстрактів проявлялась уже на 3 год і підвищувалась до кінця експерименту, що вказувало на пригнічення активності медіаторів запалення. Висновок. Встановлено виражену протизапальну дію екстрактів полину гіркого і полину звичайного, які впливають на медіатори запалення – простагландини, їх можна використовувати як протизапальні засоби при запальних процесах підшлункової залози та жовчного міхура

The controlled-drift detector,”

Abstract A new position-sensing X-ray detector is presented. The novel device is called Controlled-Drift Detector (CDD). The detector is fully depleted and is operated by switching between integration and drift modes. The relevant details of the detector design are discussed. A complete experimental characterization of the fast readout of the integrated signal charges achievable with static drift "elds in the range 100}400 V/cm has been carried out. Preliminary measurements to evaluate the charge-handling capacity are also shown. The CDD can provide unambiguous two-dimensional position measurement, high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy and time resolution below 1 ms