This study evaluated the potential of using Passive Radiofrequency Identification [RFID] Technology as basis for a Real Time Location Tracking System [RTLTS] to assist an individual with a visual impairment participating in physical activities, such as basketball. While RTLTSs exist based upon other technologies, Passive RFID Technology had yet to be examined for its potential in such an application. In this study, a system was designed and modified, for Passive RFID Technology, in order to enhance the performance of the RTLTS. More specifically, the first iteration of the software code employed the use of multiple RFID antennas to cooperatively designate unique zones, which allowed for the identification of a user’s general position. A series of tests were then conducted to assess the system’s accuracy. In addition, it was determined whether or not factors, such as the addition of multiple tags identifying an object, change in the attenuation level and height level of the antenna, or the position of the tag, had a significant effect on the accuracy of the system. This study showed that the system’s greatest accuracy was obtained when six distinct Passive RFID tags were used to identify the object and when the antenna had a direct line of sight to the tags. Results also showed that these read accuracy rates were indeed comparable to other technologies. Therefore, there exists optimism in using Passive RFID technology as a basis for a RTLTS to assist an individual with a visual impairment.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / The goals of the present research were two fold: first to examine an acute head injury sample to test memory functions, second to study what parts of the memory process are most affected during post traumatic amnesia with special emphasis on retrieval of structured material in delayed recall. Subsidiary interests include studying recovery and the relationship between memory functioning and severity of injury. After head injury a common complaint is a transitory period of amnesia for recent events (PTA). PTA is often thought of as one stage in the recovery of consciousness and is believed to be an index of neurological severity. A model was proposed to account for amnesia. Two separate memory mechanisms prior to permanent storage were hypothesized, one for short term and the other for long term storage. Inputs are coded on the basis of recurrent patterns of common features. Retrieval occurs by means of the coded representation. Amnesia is viewed as a malfunctioning of the coding mechanism. Amnesia is thus held to be an inability to fully utilize coding of stimulus material as an aid in recall. Following this theory, it was predicted that the perceptive and cognitive functions were operating in amnesia and that immediate recall was also unimpaired. The major prediction was that retrieval of structured stimulus material by delayed recall would be impaired compared to normals, while retrieval of unrelated stimulus material would be unimpaired. Retrieval by recognition would only be mildly impaired because less information is required for recognition than for recall. Hence, the memory event can be reconstructed in recognition on the basis of partial coding. It was further predicted that, with recovery, there would be improvement of memory functioning and that there would be a relationship between severity of injury and memory functioning. A Memory Scale was constructed which included four subtests designed to test the above theory. Each subtest included both related and unrelated stimulus material. An additional test (a Picture Similarities Test) was employed to measure conceptualization. Forty seven acute head injury patients were tested as soon after injury as possible and matched with forty four control subjects (patients with acute trauma, but no head injury) on the basis of age, education, occupation and performance on the Ammons Picture Vocabulary Test. Head injury patients with approximately normal intelligence (Ammons I.Q. 80 or above) followed the predictions with these exceptions: Immediate recall and recognition of related stimulus material showed a trend toward impairment, though immediate recall and recognition of unrelated stimulus material did not. The findings with the patients with normal intelligence suggest, that while cognitive and perceptual abilities are not affected by trauma, utilization of organization as an aid in recall of related stimulus material is not as effective in the experimental· as in the control group. Head injury patients with low I.Q.'s (79 or below on the Ammons) demonstrated impairment of perception and immediate recall as well as the predicted impairment of delayed recall. These patients appeared to exhibit a generalized cognitive disturbance. No definite trends toward recovery were observed on any of the memory tests. There was also no relationship between severity of injury and performance on the Memory Scale. However, there was a significant correlation between performance on the Ammons and Picture Similarities tests and neurological severity. Patients with the lowest scores on these tests were most impaired neurologically. Intelligence thus appears to be more closely associated with severity of injury than is memory functioning per se. / 2031-01-01

Despite widespread availability of effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), people living with HIV (PWH) remain at risk of developing comorbidities including HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment (H-NCI). These individuals may then be at an increased risk for treatment non-adherence, which leads to poor quality of life and early mortality. Despite this risk, there is a paucity in trained professionals in low- and middle-income countries with appropriate knowledge and skills to identify H-NCI and make appropriate referrals for additional confirmatory testing or intervention, depending on the severity and context of the screening. General medical doctors, nurses and adherence counsellors provide most HIV related healthcare services at a primary healthcare level in South Africa. However, awareness of the clinical presentation of H-NCI, and their current screening practices among these cadres, is unclear. To address these knowledge gaps this thesis set out to explore the following aims (1) examine existing H-NCI knowledge and practices among healthcare workers delivering HIV services in South Africa, (2) develop an appropriate H-NCI training programme for primary healthcare workers, and (3) lastly, pilot the H-NCI training to determine whether H-NCI screening would be feasible at a primary healthcare level in South Africa. Methods To achieve these objectives, the study was divided into two phases. In phase one, a scoping review identified and summarised published studies addressing brain and/or behaviour training approaches, including H-NCI, targeting frontline HIV healthcare workers in Africa. An online survey was developed and administered to examine existing H-NCI knowledge and current practices among healthcare workers providing HIV services in South Africa. Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were then conducted to explore knowledge gaps, previous H-NCI training and healthcare workers' perspectives of screening at a primary healthcare level. In phase two, an H-NCI training curriculum was developed and a work-integrated H-NCI training programme targeting primary healthcare workers was piloted. The pilot training assessed knowledge of H-NCI signs and symptoms, healthcare workers' attitude toward and comfort with H-NCI screening tools and healthcare workers ability to accurately administer an H-NCI screening tool. The assessments were repeated two months post-training to evaluate retention of knowledge and skills. Results The scoping review of the existing literature suggested that there were few brain and/ or behaviour training programs targeting healthcare workers providing HIV services in Africa. Of the ten studies identified in the scoping review, one study included H-NCI in the training curriculum. The online survey found that H-NCI knowledge was limited and screening practices virtually non-existent among healthcare workers providing HIV care in South Africa. Qualitative data gathered during the focus group discussions and the in-depth interviews provided greater insight on the existing knowledge and practices gaps as well as highlighting that healthcare workers had not received training on H-NCI. The results from the qualitative investigations showed that primary healthcare workers were in favour of receiving such training. Overall, knowledge of H-NCI improved among primary healthcare workers following the work-integrated H-NCI training programme. The training demonstrated that primary healthcare workers providing clinical services, such as medical doctors or professional nurses were able to administer an H-NCI screening tool. Although knowledge of the clinical presentation of H-NCI improved among adherence counsellors, these healthcare workers experienced challenges in administering the H-NCI screening tool. Conclusion As a body of work, the findings from this thesis suggest that healthcare professionals providing HIV services in South Africa have limited knowledge to identify H-NCI, and screening practices are uncommon. Although training revealed differences between cadres in administering screening tools, healthcare workers providing clinical care, including general medical doctors and professional nurses, may be able to provide H-NCI screening at routine annual visits. Although adherence counsellors are ideally situated in the clinic flow to provide targeted screening by flagging clinical presentation of H-NCI among PWH accessing care, this cadre will require additional training, mentorship and support to successfully administer H-NCI screening tools. However, the feasibility of H-NCI screening at a primary healthcare, timing and nature of any screening remains to be explored. This body of work is a step toward increasing the availability of skilled healthcare workers with appropriate knowledge and skills to screen and identify H-NCI in low- and middle-income countries. The work presented in this thesis provides a foundation for further development of the H-NCI training module and future investigations examining targeted screening strategies at a primary healthcare level, feasibility and access to existing interventions post-screening

For decades, Brazilians with impairments have not been able to enjoy full citizenship rights because of the existing oppressive structures in their society. This study examines comprehensions of justice for citizens with impairments in Brazil and what the implications of those perspectives may be for policy arguments and for social change. The principal sources of these justice-related outlooks are three key stakeholder groups: policymakers, disability nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and people with impairments. The analysis is organized as follows. First, I provide an overview of the study, its aims and significance and research questions. Second, I discuss the theoretical foundations of the inquiry, focusing on debate among democratic theorists on the meaning of citizenship and social theorists on the significance and goals of social justice, as well as the key debates among disability theorists on the purport of disability, oppression, emancipation and social inclusion. Next, I describe the research design and methods employed in this effort, explaining the rationale behind my choice of a qualitative approach and offering details concerning the study's data collection, analysis and interpretation. Fourth, I summarize the issues and tensions implicit in Brazil\'s practices and institutions as these relate to the nation's disabled citizens. Fifth, I discuss the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), which has helped an already growing social movement in Brazil formalize and legitimate its aims and place disability justice on the national agenda. Sixth, I explore the major conceptions of justice expressed by disability NGOs and analyze what these views suggested for efforts to secure full citizenship for the disabled in Brazil. Next, I explore the conceptions of impairment, disability and justice as imagined and lived by Brazilians with impairments. Specific ideas and conceptions of disability informed the understandings of justice of the individuals with impairments whom I interviewed. Finally, I provide an interdisciplinary interpretation of the research findings, in which I create a dialogue among different perspectives in order to outline a new understanding of justice for people with impairments and the social change needed to reach that aspiration. After discussing the insights of different stakeholders on justice, I share my recommendations for further research. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this current study was to first examine through assessments and the use of school-based disability criteria, the quantitative and qualitative patterns in phonological processing, phonological working memory, oral retellings, and oral and written narratives in middle school-aged children with reading disabilities (RD; N=10) and those with language impairments (LI; N=5) in order to provide data to further explain the complex profiles of these two clinical populations. Secondly, a single-subject multiple baseline across subjects design study examined the effectiveness of an intervention program targeting expository and narrative discourse in adolescents with language and reading deficits (N=4). Expository and narrative discourse assessments were replicated at post-intervention for pre and post comparisons of performance. The findings will assist speech-language pathologists in accurately and efficiently evaluating and treating these two clinical populations in linguistic areas that are critical to successful academic and social development.

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