Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

The aim of this thesis was to investigate some of the processes that contribute to the effective comprehension of text in an adult population. The thesis begins with an assessment of component skills that are of theoretical relevance to reading comprehension skill. Experiment One explored the relation between gist-based memory processes and reading comprehension skill. Weaknesses in semantic processing have been shown to contribute to comprehension difficulties both in childhood (e.g. Nation & Snowling, 1999), and adulthood (e.g. Perfetti, Yang & Schmalhoffer, 2007). Weekes, Hamilton, Oakhill & Holliday (2008) used the false memory (DRM) paradigm developed by Deese (1959); Roediger and McDermott (1995) to assess the relation between reading comprehension and memory processes in children. In the DRM, subjects memorise lists of semantically related words (e.g. bed, rest, awake) for later recall. During recall, it is typical to see intrusions of semantically related but non-presented items (e.g. ‘sleep' is often falsely recalled following presentation of the above). Weekes et al. (2008) found that children with comprehension difficulties produced fewer such intrusions than did good comprehenders, suggesting that poor comprehenders have difficulty extracting the central theme or ‘gist' from the word lists, a deficit that was attributed to weakness in semantic processing and memory. Experiment One demonstrated that this effect was not replicable in an adult population. Although there is evidence that deficits in semantic processing contribute to reading comprehension difficulties in adulthood, these appear to be too subtle to manifest themselves in the DRM paradigm. In Experiment Two, measures of vocabulary, word-level skills (orthography and decoding), working memory and verbal IQ were taken from a population of young adult readers. These measures were used as predictors of comprehension skill in multiple regression analyses. Moderate support for the Verbal Efficiency/Lexical Quality Hypothesis (Perfetti, 1985; 2007) was obtained, in that word-level skills and vocabulary size accounted for unique portions of variance in comprehension skill. Experiments Three and Four explored the processes involved in on-line reading comprehension and, specifically, in a comprehension task that demanded integration. In both experiments, subjects took part in a coherence judgement task (Ferstl, Guthke & von Cramon, 2002; Ferstl, 2006) in which they had to verify whether two sentences cohered with one another or not. Four conditions that resulted from crossing coherence and cohesion (i.e. the presence of a lexical connection), were used: Coherent and cohesive (where sentences cohered, and a cohesive tie made their coherence explicit); coherent and incohesive (where sentences cohered, but coherence had to be inferred on the basis of pragmatic information rather than lexical cohesion); incoherent and cohesive (where sentences that do not cohere were erroneously linked with a cohesive tie); and incoherent and incohesive (where sentences did not cohere, and were not erroneously linked with a cohesive tie). Typically, the paradigm elicits an interaction between coherence and cohesion in reading times for the second (target) sentence: Targets in coherent and cohesive trials are read more quickly than targets in coherent and incohesive trials; and targets in incoherent and incohesive trials are read more quickly than are targets in incoherent and cohesive trials. Experiment Three replicated this interaction, and demonstrated that variance in its size was predicted by working memory capacity, with high working memory readers showing larger interaction effect sizes than low capacity readers. The interaction was interpreted as a monitoring effect that was triggered by target sentences in the atypical conditions (i.e. incoherent and cohesive; coherent and incohesive). It was proposed that high capacity readers were better able to engage in this monitoring. Experiment Four sought to explore the semantic deficit hypothesis in relation to this effect, with the proposal that efficient semantic processes, rather than working memory capacity, contributed to variance in the size of the interaction. Performance on a semantic fluency task was found to predict unique variance in the size of the interaction effect, over and above that accounted for by working memory capacity. This finding suggests that the effect is better explained by semantic processing than by working memory capacity, and that the interaction may be better described as a semantic elaboration effect rather than a comprehension monitoring effect. The conclusion of this thesis is that reading comprehension in adult readers relies upon efficient and accurate lexical access, comprising both lower-level processes such as accurate word recognition and decoding skill, and higher-level processes of semantic elaboration and integration.

Orientador: Candido Giraldez Vieitez / Banca: Neusa Maria Dal Ri / Banca: Marilia Faria de Miranda / Resumo: Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo principal investigar, na comunidade rural Centro Mesquita na cidade de Marília, como ocorre a relação educativa concreta, entre técnicos e agricultores na realização do Programa de Microbacias Hidrográficas (PMBH), na busca da promoção do desenvolvimento rural sustentável. Foram sujeitos da presente pesquisa todos os técnicos do escritório regional de Marília envolvidos no Programa e os agricultores do bairro rural Centro Mesquita. A partir das informações coletadas por meio de entrevista, procurou-se detectar se existem conceitos equivalentes entre agricultores e extensionistas, e se esses conceitos são considerados quando é realizada a extensão rural. Além das entrevistas, observamos, de maneira sistemática, a execução da extensão rural buscando identificar sua natureza quando da participação dos agricultores. Os dados foram analisados ponderando os objetivos de transformação que o referido Programa se propõe e a realidade dos agricultores. Tendo como base a pedagogia de Paulo Freire centrou-se a pesquisa na detecção do diálogo entre os agricultores e técnicos quanto a questões ambientais e de produção. / Abstract: This research had as main objective to investigate, in the rural community Centro Mesquita in the city of Marília, as it happens the concrete educational relationship, among technicians and farmers in the accomplishment of Microbacias Hidrográficas's Program (PMBH), in the search of the promotion of the maintainable rural development. They were subject of the present researches all technicians of the regional office of Marília involved in the Program and the farmers of the rural neighborhood from Centro Mesquita. Starting from the information collected through interview, it tried to detect if equivalent concepts exist between farmers and "extensionistas", and if those concepts are considered when the rural extension is accomplished. Besides the interviews, we observed, in a systematic way, the execution of the rural extension looking for to identify your nature when of the farmers' participation. The data were analyzed considering the transformation objectives that referred him Program if it proposes and the farmers' reality. Tends as base Paulo Freire's pedagogy the research it was centered in the detection of the dialogue between the farmers and technicians as to environmental subjects and of production. / Mestre

Trois thèmes ont été poursuivis dans la thèse : -On introduit les fonctions symétriques non commutatives dans le cadre des extensions de Ore. On généralise les résultats obtenus par Gelfand, Retakh et Wilson. Notre méthode est en outre plus naturelle et évite l’utilisation des quasi déterminants. -On montre que les factorisations des polynômes de Wedderburn sont en bijection avec des drapeaux complets d’espaces vectoriels provenant de noyaux d’applications polynomiales en des transformations pseudo-linéaires. D’autres résultats, motivés par la théorie des codes, concernent la factorisation dans des anneaux de Ore construits sur des corps finis. On y montre, en particulier, comment se ramener au cas d’un anneau de polynômes classique. -On caractérise l’existence de P.P.C.M. à gauche de polynômes linéaires dans des extensions de Ore sur des anneaux quelconques. Dans ce cadre, une étude détaillée des transformations pseudo-linéaires s’est révélée, une fois encore, un outil indispensable. / Three themes have been pursued in the thesis : We introduce the noncommutative symmetric functions in the frame of Ore extensions. We generalize the results obtained by Gelfand, Retakh and Wilson. Moreover our method is more natural and avoid the use of quasideterminants. We show that the factorizations of Wedderburn polynomials are in bijection with complete flags of vector spaces coming from kernels of polynomial maps in pseudo-linear transformations. Other results, motivated by coding theory, concern the factorizations in Ore extension over finite fields. In particular, we show how to translate factorisations in these rings into factorisations in the usual polynomial rings. We characterize the existence of L.L.C.M of linear polynomials in Ore extensions over general rings. In this frame, a detailed study of pseudo-linear transformations was necessary.

During the use phase of products, a series of obsolescing factors contribute to why a product is disposed of. Currently the visual state of a product is considered primarily in terms of aesthetic obsolescence which is synonymous with influential factors such as changes in fashion or personal preferences in style. The physical condition of a product is not commonly understood within the context of product replacement and the physical changes due to use are not understood fully. The research contributes to and provides original empirical research findings for the current literature on product lifetime extension, material semantics, the circular economy, emotionally durable design and material culture. Through an initial exploratory study (Photographic Analysis (PA) Study) of previously unexplained types of wear and damage that occur on portable electronic devices a taxonomy of damage (TOD) was established which provided the nomenclature for further studies. The second study (Retrospective Assessment (RA) Study) established the attitudes to wear based on the wear type, location, material and the stage during ownership that the wear occurred at. The RA Study highlighted the differences in the attitudinal responses to differing types of wear and damage and identified the differences in the temporal assessments of wear and damage. A third study (Real Time Assessment (RTA) Study) aimed to confirm or repudiate the findings found in the RA Study. The focus during the study was attitudes to the wear and damage in relation to the differences in materials, the location of the wear and the type of wear and damage was also looked at and led to a fuller understanding of how products and materials are perceived during the use phase; a stage of the product lifetime that is not currently well understood in terms of users aesthetic or cosmetic sensibilities. The final study (Semantic Perception of Materials (SPM) Study) focused on the visual and tactile perceptions of materials. The study established attitudinal perceptions of wear and damage of materials with a quantitative research methodology which has produced a better understanding of material semantics within the context of electronic objects. Through the four studies, discussion topics arose and major findings of the doctoral study were drawn out and seen to be interesting enough for further research and study. These discussions include the importance of including cosmetic obsolescence into the lexicon of product obsolescence and product lifetime extension literature, the differences in the perceptions of materials when they are within the context of a product or being assessed as samples, how differing product contexts affect user perceptions of wear and damage on materials and the potential inclusion of a material wear index that could inform the material selection process that goes further than the technical aspects outlined in current material selection tools and literature.

L'Internet des objets (ldO) connaît un intérêt grandissant depuis plusieurs années, avec la multiplication des objets dits « connectés » et des applications associées. Pour assurer la connectivité de ces objets, des réseaux sans fil longue portée à faible consommation énergétique, dédiés à l'ldO, ont été développés, ces réseaux proposant une connectivité adaptée aux contraintes propres de l'ldO. Plus récemment, le 3GPP a fait évoluer ses technologies 2G et 4G pour pouvoir également fournir des solutions de connectivité adaptées à l'ldO. Pour obtenir l'extension de couverture requise, ces évolutions utilisent entre autres un mécanisme de répétition en aveugle. Dans ce contexte, cette thèse s'intéresse aux mécanismes de recombinaison au sein du récepteur et à l'impact de l'évolution temporelle du canal de propagation et des imperfections du système sur les performances de ces mécanismes, en prenant la technologie 2G comme cas d'application. Tout d'abord, nous nous intéressons aux performances des différents mécanismes dans le cadre d'un récepteur sans imperfection. Puis, nous considérons une synchronisation fréquentielle imparfaite et une estimation de canal imparfaite. Dans ce dernier cas, de nouveaux schémas de recombinaison mixte, alliant deux mécanismes de recombinaison successifs, sont proposés. Enfin, la dernière partie de l'étude consiste en une implémentation du système complet sur des cartes radio-logicielles. Les résultats de cette thèse peuvent être exploités afin d'adapter le schéma de combinaison en fonction de l'application visée, et ainsi de réduire la consommation énergétique du système. / The Internet of Things (loT) is a concept, where a large number of connected devices are communicating together through the same network, constituting an autonomous and intelligent entity. The increasing number of connected devices and IoT services confirms the growing interest for the loT and its applications. To provide connectivity to the devices, several dedicated wireless low power and wide area networks have been created. Recently, with the Release 13, the 3GPP decided to modify the 2G and 4G technologies, to be able to also provide such connectivity for the loT devices, creating the field of Cellular-loT. These evolutions imply a coverage extension compared to the legacy technologies. To obtain this extension, these new standards especially use a blind repetition mechanism. In this context, this thesis studies the performance of several diversity combiners at the receiver, and observes the impact of the temporal evolution of the propagation channel and of imperfections in the receiver. The 2G GSM system is chosen as the application case. Firstly, we consider a receiver without imperfection. Secondly, we consider imperfect frequency synchronization in the receiver. Then, we consider imperfect channel estimation and propose a hybrid combining scheme, obtained by mixing two different combining mechanisms. Finally, in the last part of our study, we carry out a hardware implementation of the system into a software-radio platform. With the theoretical and simulation results provided in this thesis, one can better evaluate the potential of each combining scheme proposed in the framework of loT communications to efficiently benefit from blind repetition mechanisms.

This test demonstration was intended to develop a modern management program to improve broiler production in Nigeria through extension teaching methodology. The management programs included animal health, nutrition, and general care. Some of the factors that limit broiler production in Nigeria are associated with the management strategy presently adopted by Nigerian subsistence farmers. This report considers the effect of different protein sources on broiler nutrition and the techniques necessary to get the farmers to practice the result of up-to-date research findings. The extension teaching demonstration reported here is based on 60 day-old chicks. Chicks were randomly assigned to two pens, Pen A and Pen B at the Utah State University poultry farm. Pen A had 40 chicks and Pen B had 20 chicks. Chicks in Pen A received Diet #1 (corn-cottonseed meal). Chicks were weighed weekly starting on July 2, 1983 which was the third week of the demonstration. The difference between the weekly weight gain was obvious. Birds fed corn-soybean diet were superior to those fed corn-cottonseed meal diet. The birds in Pen A were marketable at eight weeks whereas those in Pen B were not marketable at the same chronological age. A field day was conducted at the poultry farm to report the results of the demonstration.

Quandles are distributive algebraic structures originally introduced independently by David Joyce and Sergei Matveev in 1979, motivated by the study of knots. In this dissertation, we discuss a number of generalizations of the notion of quandles. In the first part of this dissertation we discuss biquandles, in the context of augmented biquandles, a representation of biquandles in terms of actions of a set by an augmentation group. Using this representation we are able to develop a homology and cohomology theory for these structures. We then introduce an n-ary generalization of the notion of quandles. We discuss a number of properties of these structures and provide a number of examples. Also discussed are methods of obtaining n-ary quandles through iteration of binary quandles, and obtaining binary quandles from n-ary quandles, along with a classification of low order ternary quandles. We build upon this generalization, introducing n-ary f-quandles, and similarly discuss examples, properties, and relations between the n-ary structures and their binary counter parts, as well as low order classification of ternary f-quandles. Finally we present cohomology theory for general n-ary f-quandles.

Despite the abundance of horticultural crops, farmers in the Nusa Tenggara Timur province of Indonesia (NTT) are still living under poverty level. The Indonesian government has identified agricultural extension workers as a 'point of spear' of agricultural development and given them 12 roles. Horticultural agribusiness would certainty be able to increase farmers' standard of living if agricultural extension workers can perform their roles effectively. However, in 1997, the average production of fruits was only 3.8 tonnes per hectare and 1.9 tonnes per hectare of vegetables. Ashraf (1993) has suggested that inefficiency of agricultural extension workers is one of the reasons why agricultural production does not improve to its full capacity. A study investigating the roles of Agricultural extension workers in horticultural agribusiness in Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) Indonesia was conducted. Interviews were conducted of 223 farmers, 46 agricultural extension workers and 32 government officers. A literature search suggests this is the first study ever done in Indonesia particularly in NTT which involved farmers, agricultural extension workers and government officers to investigate: 1) what roles were expected of agricultural extension workers by farmers, government officers and agricultural extension workers, 2) the perceptions of these groups about the effectiveness of agricultural extension workers in performing their roles, and 3) factors that impede agricultural extension workers' ability to perform their roles effectively. While the views of the three groups did not coincide, all three expected agricultural extension workers to use examples and demonstrations. All farmers expected agricultural extension workers to deliver extension in the right time. / Both farmers and government officers expected agricultural extension workers to increase farmers' knowledge and skills, empower farmers and their group, and to be a part of farmers' community. Meanwhile, the roles of running activities that only deal with the agricultural activities, to support research recommendation, and to be the bridge between farmers and government were expected by government officers and agricultural extension workers. Farmers and agricultural extension workers have the same expectation for agricultural extension workers to transfer programs that suit. farmers' needs and problems, and to bring the programs as promised. The respondents perceptions about the effectiveness of agricultural extension workers in fulfilling their 12 roles were as follows: 1) farmers were dissatisfied with the roles for running plot demonstrations, program planning, using a brochure and running a field school; 2) agricultural extension workers were dissatisfied with the roles of making a brochure, running a field school, and delivering government projects; and 3) government officers were dissatisfied with the roles to encourage farmers' participation, finding and solving farmers' problems, agricultural extension workers as trainers, and running field schools. A Chi-square test found a significant difference between the groups in their perceptions of agricultural extension workers performance of their roles. The eight main constraints that impede agricultural extension workers' ability to perform their roles were the repeated restructuring of the Agricultural Department, low award or salary, lack of training, lack of transport, unclear job direction geographical conditions, lack of authority , and bureaucratic complexity. / In conclusion, while the results of this study support the hypothesis that agricultural extension workers are not performing their roles effectively there are a number of reasons for this, many of them beyond the responsibility of agricultural extension workers. A key reason appears to be system failure. While the NTT province is supposedly following the Training and Visit model, very little effective training appears to be taking place and agricultural extension workers lack transport and other facilities to conduct effective visits and demonstrations. Another key deficiency is locally relevant research findings.