Formulae for the downtime distribution of a monotone system observed in a time interval

1996 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harald Haukås ◽  
Terje Aven
2001 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 256-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caterina Pesce ◽  
Rainer Bösel

Abstract In the present study we explored the focusing of visuospatial attention in subjects practicing and not practicing activities with high attentional demands. Similar to the studies of Castiello and Umiltà (e. g., 1990) , our experimental procedure was a variation of Posner's (1980) basic paradigm for exploring covert orienting of visuospatial attention. In a simple RT-task, a peripheral cue of varying size was presented unilaterally or bilaterally from a central fixation point and followed by a target at different stimulus-onset-asynchronies (SOAs). The target could occur validly inside the cue or invalidly outside the cue with varying spatial relation to its boundary. Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) and reaction times (RTs) were recorded to target stimuli under the different task conditions. RT and ERP findings showed converging aspects as well as dissociations. Electrophysiological results revealed an amplitude modulation of the ERPs in the early and late Nd time interval at both anterior and posterior scalp sites, which seems to be related to the effects of peripheral informative cues as well as to the attentional expertise. Results were: (1) shorter latency effects confirm the positive-going amplitude enhancement elicited by unilateral peripheral cues and strengthen the criticism against the neutrality of spatially nonpredictive peripheral cueing of all possible target locations which is often presumed in behavioral studies. (2) Longer latency effects show that subjects with attentional expertise modulate the distribution of the attentional resources in the visual space differently than nonexperienced subjects. Skilled practice may lead to minimizing attentional costs by automatizing the use of a span of attention that is adapted to the most frequent task demands and endogenously increases the allocation of resources to cope with less usual attending conditions.


2001 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Leonard Burns ◽  
James A. Walsh ◽  
David R. Patterson ◽  
Carol S. Holte ◽  
Rita Sommers-Flanagan ◽  
...  

Summary: Rating scales are commonly used to measure the symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and conduct disorder (CD). While these scales have positive psychometric properties, the scales share a potential weakness - the use of vague or subjective rating procedures to measure symptom occurrence (e. g., never, occasionally, often, and very often). Rating procedures based on frequency counts for a specific time interval (e. g., never, once, twice, once per month, once per week, once per day, more than once per day) are less subjective and provide a conceptually better assessment procedure for these symptoms. Such a frequency count procedure was used to obtain parent ratings on the ADHD, ODD, and CD symptoms in a normative (nonclinical) sample of 3,500 children and adolescents. Although the current study does not provide a direct comparison of the two types of rating procedures, the results suggest that the frequency count procedure provides a potentially more useful way to measure these symptoms. The implications of the results are noted for the construction of rating scales to measure the ADHD, ODD, and CD symptoms.


1981 ◽  
Vol 20 (03) ◽  
pp. 169-173
Author(s):  
J. Wagner ◽  
G. Pfurtscheixer

The shape, latency and amplitude of changes in electrical brain activity related to a stimulus (Evoked Potential) depend both on the stimulus parameters and on the background EEG at the time of stimulation. An adaptive, learnable stimulation system is introduced, whereby the subject is stimulated (e.g. with light), whenever the EEG power is subthreshold and minimal. Additionally, the system is conceived in such a way that a certain number of stimuli could be given within a particular time interval. Related to this time criterion, the threshold specific for each subject is calculated at the beginning of the experiment (preprocessing) and adapted to the EEG power during the processing mode because of long-time fluctuations and trends in the EEG. The process of adaptation is directed by a table which contains the necessary correction numbers for the threshold. Experiences of the stimulation system are reflected in an automatic correction of this table. Because the corrected and improved table is stored after each experiment and is used as the starting table for the next experiment, the system >learns<. The system introduced here can be used both for evoked response studies and for alpha-feedback experiments.


1987 ◽  
Vol 58 (02) ◽  
pp. 744-748 ◽  
Author(s):  
A R Saniabadi ◽  
G D O Lowe ◽  
J C Barbenel ◽  
C D Forbes

SummarySpontaneous platelet aggregation (SPA) was studied in human whole blood at 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 60 minutes after venepuncture. Using a whole blood platelet counter, SPA was quantified by measuring the fall in single platelet count upon rollermixing aliquots of citrated blood at 37° C. The extent of SPA increased with the time after venepuncture, with a correlation coefficient of 0.819. The inhibitory effect of dipyridamole (Dipy) on SPA was studied: (a) 10 μM at each time interval; (b) 0.5-100 μM at 3 and 30 minutes and (c) 15 μM in combination with 100 μM adenosine, 8 μM 2-chloroadenosine (2ClAd, an ADP receptor blocker) and 50 μM aspirin. There was a rapid decrease in the inhibitory effect of Dipy with the time after venepuncture; the correlation coefficient was -0.533. At all the concentrations studied, Dipy was more effective at 3 minutes than at 30 minutes after venepuncture. A combination of Dipy with adenosine, 2ClAd or aspirin was a more effective inhibitor of SPA than either drug alone. However, when 15 μM Dipy and 10 μM Ad were added together, the inhibitory effect of Dipy was not increased significantly, suggesting that Dipy inhibits platelet aggregation independent of Ad. The increase in SPA with the time after venepuncture was abolished when blood was taken directly into the anticoagulant containing 5 μM 2ClAd. It is suggested that ADP released from the red blood cells is responsible for the increased platelet aggregability with the time after venepuncture and makes a serious contribution to the artifacts of in vitro platelet function studies.


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