Reading is a fundamental skill for functioning in today’s society. Given the breadth of activities that require reading, it is important to develop a comprehensive model of basic reading processes. Furthermore, considering that many pictures co-appear with words in everyday life, it is imperative to understand the nature of picture identification processes, as well as how they interact with reading processes. As such, the present thesis focuses on developing a model of reading and extending it to include picture processing. In the present research, experiments on word identification (Experiments 1 and 2) examined onset reaction time (RT) in a word naming task using an additive factors method. The pattern of additive and overadditive joint effects on naming RT among Instructions (INST: name all, name words), Word Frequency (WF: log10HAL), Semantic Neighbourhood Density (SND: Inverse Ncount), and Word Type (WT: regular, exception) supported a cognitive chronometric architecture consisting of at least two cascaded stages of processing, with the orthographic lexical system as the locus of the INST x WF and the INST x SND interactions, and the phonological output system as the locus of the WF x WT and the SND x WT interactions. Additivity between INST and WT supports the notion that these variables affect separable systems, and a WF x SND interaction supports a common locus of their effects. These results support a dual-route cascaded model over parallel processing models of basic reading. We also examined response duration (RD) in these data by recording and hand-marking vocal responses, which provides evidence that reading processes are ongoing even after the initiation of a vocal response, and supports the notion that the more lexically a word is read, the shorter the RD. As such, the effects of WT and INST on RD were opposite to their effects on RT. Given the dissociating effects between RT and RD, these results provide new challenges to all models of basic reading processes. Experiments on picture and word identification (Experiments 3 and 4) involved localizing common systems and connections between these processes, and served to extend the dual-route model of reading. These experiments examined naming RT and RD for exception and regular words, and their corresponding pictures. The pattern of joint effects on RT among Format (pictures, words), Picture-Orthography Agreement, WF, and WT (regular, exception) supported a triple-route cascaded model. The results suggest the orthographic lexical system is accessed for both picture and word naming, and demonstrated a dissociation between regular and exception words on RT versus RD, whereas pictures consistently yielded an exception item advantage for both measures. Experiment 4 examined Arabic digits and their corresponding number words, and found that Arabic digits produce shorter RDs than number words. In general, the results suggest that the picture and word identification systems are strongly coupled between the picture memory system and the orthographic lexical system, particularly for items that rely on “whole-word” lexical representations. We argue that RD provides a wider window for exploring cognition, and a converging measure of lexical processing, which must be considered when studying basic identification processes of any stimulus type. The development of a comprehensive model of basic reading processes will help identify behavioural markers of normal reading processes, and will serve to advance research on basic word recognition. In addition, given that a broad definition of ‘literacy’ should include picture processing, the development of a model that includes picture processing will serve to advance research on how reading and picture processing interact with each other, which may be critical for individuals with low literacy skills.

No description available.

Cytochrome P450¡]CYP¡^2J2, the single member of human cytochromes P450 II J subfamily, plays an important role in the biosynthesis of biologically active cis-epoxyeicosatrienoic acids. An allelic variant named CYP 2J2*7, a relatively frequent G¡÷T substitution at position-50 relative to the transcription start site, which interrupts a critical Sp1 binding site, results in both decreased promoter activity in vitro and reduced circulating levels of CYP2J2 epoxygenase metabolites. Epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EETs) are endogenously produced and incorporated into membrane phospholipids in the pancreas. Low concentrations of 5,6-EETs stimulate insulin secretion, whereas 8,9-, 11,12-, and 14,15-EETs stimulate glucagon secretion from the pancreas. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are ligand-activated transcription factors belonging to the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily. EETs increased PPAR-£\ and PPAR-£^ transcription activity. PPAR-£\ and PPAR-£^ play a key role in the regulation of adipogenesis, lipid metabolism, insulin sensitivity and inflammation. Thus, genetic abnormalities in the function or expression of CYP2J2, the pathogenetic of enzymes may play a role in diabetes. The present study investigates whether CYP 2J2*7 gene polymorphism can be associated with type 2 diabetes in a Chinese population. We studied 2,073 Chinese type 2 diabetes patients and 704 control subjects without. CYP 2J2*7 gene polymorphism was determined by PCR-RFLP and real-time PCR. In both study groups, the genotype frequency distributions of this polymorphism were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The CYP2J2*7 genotype distribution or allele frequencies were not different between type 2 diabetes and control subjects. Diabetics with young age of onset¡]¡Ø35 years old¡^ had a higher frequency of T variant than that of the age of onset of greater than 35 years old and controls ( GG / GT + TT = 84.2% / 15.8% vs. 90.3% / 9.7% vs. 91.3% / 8.7%¡Fp = 0.018¡Ap = 0.027 ). CYP2J2*7 genotype had a statistically significant association with age of onset ( p for trend = 0.042 ). The HOMA-IR and HOMA-£] values were significantly higher in diabetic patients with young age of onset compared to those of late onset diabetics and controls. CYP2J2*7 polymorphism was associated with HOMA-IR and HOMA-£] in diabetics with young age of onset and controls, subjects and T variants had significant higher value of HOMA-IR and HOMA-£]¡]early onset diabetics¡GGG / GT + TT = 8.9 ¡Ó 6.1 / 6.4 ¡Ó 3.8, p=0.045¡Fcontrols¡GGG / GT + TT = 2.6 ¡Ó 1.1 / 2.1 ¡Ó 0.8, p = 0.007¡^.These findings suggest that CYP 2J2*7 polymorphism may play a role in the pathogenesis of young onset type 2 diabetes and family diabetic history.

<p>This thesis presents the work done to implement new computational tools and methods dedicated to aircraft conceptual design sizing and optimization. These tools have been exercised on different aircraft concepts in order to validate them and assess their relevance and applicability to practical cases.First, a geometry construction protocol has been developed. It is indeed essential to have a geometry description that supports the derivation of all discretizations and idealizations used by the different analysis modules (aerodynamics, weights and balance, stability and control, etc.) for which an aircraft concept is evaluated. The geometry should also be intuitive to the user, general enough to describe a wide array of morphologies and suitable for optimization. All these conditions are fulfilled by an appropriate parameterization of the geometry. In addition, a tool named CADac (Computer Aided Design aircraft) has been created in order to produce automatically a closed and consistent CAD solid model of the designs under study. The produced CAD model is easily meshable and therefore high-fidelity Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) computations can be performed effortlessly without need for tedious and time-consuming post-CAD geometry repair.Second, an unsteady vortex-lattice method based on TORNADO has been implemented in order to enlarge to scope of flight conditions that can be analyzed. It has been validated satisfactorily for the sudden acceleration of a flat plate as well as for the static and dynamic derivatives of the Saab 105/SK 60.Finally, a methodology has been developed to compute quickly in a semi-empirical way the buffet envelope of new aircraft geometries at the conceptual stage. The parameters that demonstrate functional sensitivity to buffet onset have been identified and their relative effect quantified. The method uses a combination of simple sweep theory and fractional change theory as well as the buffet onset of a seed aircraft or a provided generic buffet onset to estimate the buffet envelope of any target geometry. The method proves to be flexible and robust enough to predict within mainly 5% (and in any case 9%) the buffet onset for a wide variety of aircrafts, from regional turboprop to long-haul wide body or high-speed business jets.This work was done within the 6^th European framework project SimSAC (Simulating Stability And Control) whose task is to create a multidisciplinary simulation environment named CEASIOM (Computerized Environment for Aircraft Synthesis and Integrated Optimization Methods), oriented toward stability and control and specially suited for aircraft conceptual design sizing and optimization.</p> / SimSAC

My dissertation focuses on the impact of oil trade ties and network on political instability: democratization, civil war onset, and coups. Oil is an important resource to most states, while a few states, especially autocratic states, can produce and export it. This implies that the break of oil trade ties may strategically or economically damage oil-importing states more than oil-exporting states. In the three essays of my dissertation, I argue that oil trade ties allow oil-exporting states to resist to external pressures and encourage oil-importing states to support important oil exporters in order to avoid losing access to a much-needed commodity. In order to measure the effect of oil trade ties on three political instability problems, I employ centrality indices in weighted networks of network analysis. Based on the centrality indices, I measure the effect of oil-importing states on oil-exporters’ abilities to resist international pressures and to obtain external support, and examine how an oil-exporting state’s oil trade ties affect its three political instability phenomena: democratization, civil war onset, and coup risk. Empirical results reveal three ways in which an oil-exporting state’s oil trade ties might affect its political instability; an autocratic oil-exporting state’s oil trade ties reduce external democratizing pressures and hinder democratization; an oil-exporting state’s oil trade ties attract external prewar support for its government, and reduce the likelihood of civil war onset when the exporter experiences external prewar support for its government; an oil-exporting state’s oil trade ties reduce the likelihood of coup.

Ο σκοπός της παρούσας διπλωματικής είναι η κατασκευή ενός συστήματος εκμάθησης μουσικών οργάνων. Συγκεκριμένα, στα πλαίσια της διπλωματικής αυτής μελετήθηκε το όργανο της κιθάρας. Αυτό επετεύχθη με την βοήθεια του Matlab software όπου έχουμε το πρωτότυπο κομμάτι μουσικής και το κομμάτι το οποίο παίζει ο μαθητής και κάνουμε την σύγκριση μεταξύ των δύο. Για να γίνει αυτό όμως πρέπει να γίνουν κάποια βήματα προηγουμένως. Αρχικά, εντοπίζουμε σε ποιο χρονικό σημείο παίζονται οι νότες, δηλαδή βρίσκουμε τα onset points. Έπειτα, καθορίζουμε ποια νότα παίζεται στα αντίστοιχα χρονικά σημεία, το οποίο επιτυγχάνεται με την Harmonic Product Spectrum μέθοδο όπου βρίσκουμε την θεμελιώδη συχνότητα. Τέλος, καθορίζουμε με ποια κριτήρια θα γίνει η σύγκριση και τι αποτελέσματα θα παρέχουμε. / The purpose of this project is the construction of a musical-ιnstrument learning system. Specifically, in the context of this thesis, we studied the guitar. This was achieved with the help of Matlab software where we define the original music track and the track played by the student and make the comparison between the two. To do this, however, we must take some steps. First, we identify the time which the notes are played, that is to say we find the onset points. Then, we determine what note is played in the respective time points, which is obtained by the Harmonic Product Spectrum method, where we find the fundamental frequency. Finally, we determine the comparison criteria and what results are provided.

Previous studies have suggested that protective responses in the pelvic floor muscles (PFMs), described in terms of hypertonicity and over-reactivity, are associated with and may worsen the symptoms of provoked vestibulodynia (PVD, i.e., chronic vulvar pain). A recent study reported that, upon manual palpation of the PFM, hypertonicity was consistently found in the superficial but not the deep PFM layers. The goals of this study were to compare superficial and deep PFM resting tone, protective response magnitude and onset timing to moderate perceived vulvar pain between women with and without PVD. Eleven women with PVD and eleven control women Tcompleted a gynecological examination and standardized PFM electromyography (EMG) testing. Three trials of sTurface EMG activity of the PFM were recorded while a pressure-pain stimulus (PPS) was applied to the vulvar vestibule. Increasing pressure was applied to achieve a perceived pain intensity rating of 6/10 using an 11-point numerical rating scale presented visually. The women with PVD had higher resting EMG activity in their superficial PFMs (p=0.04) as compared to the control group, while no difference was found at the level of the deep PFMs (p=0.12). Participants in both groups demonstrated contractile responses to the PPS in both the superficial and the deep PFM, and these responses were significantly higher (p=0.0001) in the superficial (50.06 vs 38.69 % maximal voluntary electrical activation [MVE]) as compared to the deep (24.88 vs 22.52 %MVE) PFM layers. Women with PVD had significantly higher PFM responses at the superficial layer as compared to the control women (p<0.0005). The onset of the superficial and deep EMG PFM responses followed the PPS application in both groups. No differences were found between the deep and superficial PFM onset latency to the timing of the PPS application.The results of this study suggest that women with PVD have superficial PFMs that are more responsive to vulvar pain than those in non-affected women. The findings also suggest that superficial PFM over-reactivity, rather than deep PFM over-reactivity, is part of the PFM dysfunction reported in women with PVD. / Thesis (Master, Rehabilitation Science) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-26 15:46:22.84

No description available.

<p>The goal of this research study was to do an explorative study in order to establish the experiences of patients with regard to social and health services factors that contribute to delays in seeking treatment for Tuberculosis.</p>

<p>The focus of this research is the experiences of patients with regard to social and health services factors that contribute to delays in seeking treatment for tuberculosis. The goal of this&nbsp / research study was to do an explorative study in order to establish the experiences of patients with regard to social and health services factors that contribute to delays in seeking treatment for Tuberculosis. The objectives to meet the goal were an exploration and description of patients&rsquo / experiences with regards to social and health service factors contributing to delays in seeking&nbsp / treatment for Tuberculosis. Another goal was to make recommendations on social and health service factors that contribute to patients&rsquo / delays in seeking treatment based on the findings. The research study had been of a qualitative nature exploring patients&rsquo / experiences of social and health services factors that contribute to delays in seeking treatment for Tuberculosis. Qualitative&nbsp / research was used in this study using semi-structured interviews with an interview guide. Data analysis was done according to the eight steps as recorded in Tesch in Creswell (1994: 155). The&nbsp / findings of this research were or include social factors contributing to patients&rsquo / delays in seeking treatment for TB. There were four categories related to social factors namely socio-economic,&nbsp / substance abuse, psycho-social and interpersonal relations factors. The findings also indicated that there were health service factors contributing to patients&rsquo / delay in seeking treatment for TB.&nbsp / These include quality of health care services, attitudes of medical staff and other medical conditions treatment. It was concluded that social and health services, as mentioned indeed contribute to patients&rsquo / delays in seeking treatment for Tuberculosis. Recommendations for practice included better case detection, treatment and health education. In order to address the various social&nbsp / factors as described above it is necessary to treat TB holistically and include a social worker as part of the multidisciplinary team.</p>