The Web has been a blessing for visually impaired users as with the help of assistive technologies such as screen readers, they can access previously inaccessible information independently. However, for screen reader users, web-based information seeking can still be challenging as web pages are mainly designed for visual interaction. This affects visually impaired users’ perception of theWeb as an information space as well as their experience of search interfaces. The aim of this thesis is therefore to consider visually impaired users’ information seeking behaviour, abilities and interactions via screen readers in the design of a search interface to support complex information seeking. We first conduct a review of how visually impaired users navigate the Web using screen readers. We highlight the strategies employed, the challenges encountered and the solutions to enhance web navigation through screen readers. We then investigate the information seeking behaviour of visually impaired users on the Web through an observational study and we compare this behaviour to that of sighted users to examine the impact of screen reader interaction on the information seeking process. To engage visually impaired users in the design process, we propose and evaluate a novel participatory approach based on a narrative scenario and a dialogue-led interaction to verify user requirements and to brainstorm design ideas. The development of the search interface is informed by the requirements gathered from the observational study and is supported through the inclusion of visually impaired users in the design process. We implement and evaluate the proposed search interface with novel features to support visually impaired users for complex information seeking. This thesis shows that considerations for information seeking behaviour and users’ abilities and mode of interaction contribute significantly to the design of search user interfaces to ensure that interface components are accessible as well as usable.

Spectral rendering, or the synthesis of images by taking into account the wavelengths of light, allows effects otherwise impossible with other methods. One of these effects is dispersion, the phenomenon that creates a rainbow when white light shines through a prism. Spectral rendering has previously remained in the realm of off-line rendering (with a few exceptions) due to the extensive computation required to keep track of individual light wavelengths. Caustics, the focusing and de-focusing of light through a refractive medium, can be interpreted as a special case of dispersion where all the wavelengths travel together. This thesis extends Adaptive Caustic Mapping, a previously proposed caustics mapping algorithm, to handle spectral dispersion. Because ACM can display caustics in real-time, it is quite amenable to be extended to handle the more general case of dispersion. A method is presented that runs in screen-space and is fast enough to display plausible dispersion phenomena in real-time at interactive frame rates.

Meiotic recombination promotes genetic variation by reciprocal exchange of genetic material producing novel allelic combinations that influence important agronomic traits in crop plants. Therefore, harnessing meiotic recombination has the potential to accelerate crop improvement via classical breeding. Numerous genes involved in crossover formation have been identified in model systems. For example, SPO11 mediates generation of meiotic DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) across all eukaryotes, which may be repaired as crossovers. However, downstream regulators of recombination remain to be identified, including those with species-specific roles. To isolate crossover frequency modifiers I performed a high-throughput forward genetic screen using EMS mutagenesis of Arabidopsis carrying a fluorescent crossover reporter line called 420. The primary screen isolated nine mutants from ~3,000 scored individuals that showed significantly higher (high crossover rate, hcr) or lower (low crossover rate, lcr) crossover frequency, including a new fancm allele. Four mutants (hcr1, hcr2, hcr3 and lcr1) were mapped by sequencing and candidate genes identified. The hcr1 mutation was confirmed as being located within the PROTEIN PHOSPHATASE X-1 (PPX-1) gene, using isolation of an independent allele and complementation studies. Similarly, the lcr1 mutation was confirmed to be within the gene TBP-ASSOCIATED FACTOR 4B (TAF4B). Using immunocytological staining I observed that hcr1 did not show changes in DSB-associated foci (RAD51), but it did show a significant increase in crossover-associated MLH1 foci. The hcr1 mutation increases crossovers mainly in the sub-telomeric chromosome regions, which remain sensitive to crossover interference. Also the genetic interaction between the hcr1 and fancm mutations is additive. These results support a model where PPX- 1 acts to limit recombination via the Class I interfering CO pathway, downstream of DSB formation. In summary, this genetic screen has led to discovery of novel genes that regulate meiotic recombination and their functional characterization may find utility in crop breeding programs.

The prevalence of stress and anxiety disorders in modern society is increasing, but the development of new treatments decreasing due to high research costs and low success rates in clinical trials. The latest type of compounds introduced to treat anxiety and depression was the specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), which was introduced in 1987. Since then, no new class of compounds have been introduced, suggesting that the need to find alternative targets in treating mental disorders is needed. In this thesis I have used the zebrafish as a model organism to study the modulation of behaviours through intracellular signalling pathways, known to be involved in learning, memory and anxiety. First, using the pro-convulsant compound, pentylenetetrazole (PTZ), an automated tracking system was established to quantify and analyse swimming behaviour in larvae zebrafish. Pentylenetetrazole induces seizures in zebrafish at high concentrations, however this thesis identifies that the combination of a low level of PTZ and subjecting the fish to alternating cycles of light and dark induced a reversed response to light and dark. A group of compounds with known anti-seizure effects were subsequently screened, which found that a combinational treatment with diazepam and two types of neurosteroids reversed the PTZ-induced light dark response. Secondly, using the same automated analysis setup, the effect of cAMP modulators was studied on behaviour in zebrafish larvae. Our lab has previously established that Rolipram, a PDE4 inhibitor, causes anxiety thigmotaxis in zebrafish larvae. In this thesis we treated zebrafish larvae with Rolipram and other compounds modulating cAMP, which greatly increased the swimming activity, which was reversed by subsequently treating with PD0325901. To test if the pharmacological modulation of cAMP-levels through the inhibition of other PDEs would lead to increased locomotor activity, a small library of PDE inhibitors was screened, and 4 compounds were identified that caused an increase in locomotion – three of these compounds were PDE4-inhibitors. Finally, by using two behavioural assays, I found that in adult fish Rolipram cause anxiety-like phenotypes, which is also reversible by MAPK-inhibition.

Knowledge transferred during meetings is often ephemeral in nature and thus must be captured if it is to be retained. Ideally, a capture solution should be able to 1) accommodate any number of screens without sacrificing image quality and 2) allow dynamic access to a complete media capture while the capture is taking place. Both students and employees can benefit from the information captured during the lectures and meetings for enhanced discussion and afterward for knowledge retention. Current systems do not support multiple screen capture well, and no system supports dynamic access to the active meeting capture during the meeting. We built a central display server that manages communication to all participants and presenter, manages what is shown on each display, captures all media sent to it and allows playback of that capture on the fly. Static media (images, video, and audio) can be referenced, along with dynamic media (desktop sharing), by any participant's notes in order to initiate and direct playback of the meeting capture – in other words, rewind the presentation. We validated the functionality of our tool by simulating a three screen class lecture where each student performed tasks requiring them to access the capture both during and after the meeting. With basic training, all participants successfully engaged in the rewind interaction and review process.

Sight is the most important of our five senses. It allows us to navigate our environment, find food and avoid danger. Sight can be used to accurately render a drawing or to recognize nuance in a form. It can also be used in more dynamic ways to parse the complicated social systems and customs that build our societies. Despite all that we can see, we are inundated with what we cannot. This inability to see can be categorized into two subdivisions: items that possess characteristics that are beyond our eye's physical capacity of perception (e.g. microscopic objects or electromagnetic radiation) and items and situations whose exact presence goes unnoticed due to our mind's conditioning from repeated exposure (e.g. glass in a window frame or halftone dots that form a printed picture). Through the use of special instruments or awareness raising techniques these invisible objects can be brought to light. Artists and their art have often played important roles in society by revealing things that go unnoticed and making them plain to see for all. These revelations can be as simple as capturing the beauty of a natural landscape or as controversial as portraying the impact of religion, gender or oppression in our communities. My most recent set of prints investigate "seeing the unseen" by meditating on the minutiae and microscopic organisms that permeate our surroundings yet escape our attention. By utilizing handmade paper's tactile qualities, juxtaposing seemingly dissimilar objects and the use of bold and often times unnatural color, I have attempted to create a space where items of different scales can exist side by side so we can revel in their wonder, discover visual similarities between objects and plainly see them with our own eyes.

Objective: To determine the demographic, economic, geographic, and health infrastructure factors related to the percentage of students by school who comply with state-mandated dental screenings in Iowa. Methods: An exploratory, cross-sectional study was conducted, utilizing secondary data sources from the Iowa Department of Public Health, the Iowa Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to examine factors related to dental screening compliance rates for public school kindergarteners in Iowa (AY year 2014-15). Both school-level and county-level factors were considered. A ninety percent student compliance rate was established as the criteria for a school to satisfy the threshold for being compliant with screening requirement. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the relationship of the independent variables on whether the schools satisfactorily met the criteria for compliance. Results: Fifty-six percent of the 504 schools included in the study satisfactorily met the established criteria. Schools located in dental health professional shortage areas or in urban adjacent areas were more likely to have a greater percentage of kindergarten students exceed the 90% compliance threshold (p<0.05). Schools where a greater percentage of students were screened by a dentist or where larger populations of children were eligible for free or reduced price lunch (FRPL) (≥40%) were less likely to meet the compliance threshold. Conclusions: Schools with more lower income students, those in metro areas, and those with a higher reliance on dentists performing the oral health screenings could benefit from targeted efforts to improve compliance with mandated dental screenings.

Les polymères à empreintes moléculaires sont des matériaux aux propriétés de reconnaissance spécifiques qui peuvent être mis à profit pour la détection d’une large gamme d’analytes. Ainsi, depuis quelques années, des travaux décrivent leur utilisation dans des capteurs en raison de leur capacité à piéger une cible définie.L’objectif de ce travail est d’ajouter des propriétés redox à des polymères à empreintes moléculaires pour détecter le Bisphénol A (BPA) par des méthodes électrochimiques simples. Ces polymères électroactifs sont synthétisés par polymérisation par précipitation d’une sonde redox, le méthacrylate deméthylferrocène (Fc), et du diméthacrylate d’éthylène glycol (EDMA) en présence du BPA pour le polymère imprimé (e-MIP-Fc) et en son absence pour le polymère non-imprimé (e-NIP-Fc).L’introduction d’un deuxième monomère fonctionnel, la 4-vinyl pyridine (4-VP), conduit à deux autres polymères imprimé (e-MIP-Fc-VP) et non-imprimé (e-NIP-Fc-VP). Les propriétés d’adsorption des polymères ainsi obtenus sont caractérisés en batch à l’aide de la LC-MS et présentent une capacité de reconnaissance du BPA avec un facteur d’empreinte de 2,5 et 1,3 respectivement pour l’e-MIP-Fc-VP et e-MIP-Fc justifiant de l’efficacité de l’empreinte. Leurs caractérisations par voltampérométrie cyclique confirment d’une part la bonne intégration du monomère ferrocényle dans les e-MIP/e-NIP et d’autre part la capacité de ces polymères à révéler la présence ou pas de la cible. Les particules e-MIP-Fc ont ensuite été intégrées dans des dispositifs type micro électrode ou transistor OECT (Organic ElectroChemical Transistor). Les premiers résultats, mêmes s’ils doivent être confirmés, s’avèrent encourageants avec,comme attendu, des modifications des propriétés électriques en présence du BPA. L’e-MIP-Fc-VP après mélange avec de la pâte de carbone, a été utilisé en sérigraphie pour obtenir une électrode de travail modifiée dans des électrodes sérigraphiées (Screen Printed Electrode). Ces électrodes permettent la reconnaissance du BPA avec des limites de détection et de quantification de 60 pM et 190 pM respectivement pour une gamme de concentrations comprise entre 0,15 et 1,84 nM, ouvrant ainsi des perspectives intéressantes pour la détection du BPA en milieu aqueux. / Molecularly imprinted polymers are materials with specific recognition properties that can be used for the detection of a wide range of template. In recent years, many works have been reported on their use in sensors because of their capability to specifically bind a defined analyte.The aim of this work is to assign to the molecularly imprinted polymers redox properties in order to detect Bisphenol A (BPA) by using easy electrochemical techniques. These electroactive polymers are synthesizedby precipitation polymerization of ferrocenylmethyl methacrylate (Fc) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate(EDMA) in the presence of BPA for the imprinted polymer (e-MIP-Fc) and in its absence for the nonimprinted polymer (e-NIP-Fc). The copolymerization of the previous monomer with 4-vinylpyridine (4-VP) leads to two other imprinted (e-MIP-Fc-VP) and non-imprinted (e-NIP-Fc-VP) polymers. The resulting polymers are characterized in batch using LC-MS and have ability to recognize BPA with an imprinting factor of 2.5 and 1.3 respectively for e-MIP-Fc-VP and e-MIP-Fc the proving the recognition efficiency ofthese polymers. Their cyclic voltammetry recording confirm first, the good integration of the redoxferrocenyl monomer inside the polymers e-MIP/e-NIP during the polymerization, and on the other hand,the capability of these polymers to reveal the presence of BPA in the solution. The e-MIP-Fc particles were then integrated inside devices like microelectrode and OECT (Organic ElectroChemical Transistor). The first results, even if they must be confirmed, are positive regarding the modification of the electrical properties of these devices in the presence of BPA. The e-MIP-Fc-VP particles, after mixing with a carbon paste, were screen-printed to obtain a modified working electrode in a screen-printed electrode device. This electrode enable the recognition of BPA with limits of detection and quantification of 60 pM and 190 pM respectively, for a concentration range between 0.15 and 1.84 nM, thus opening up interesting perspectives for the detection of BPA in aqueous medium.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between movement competency and health related quality of life (HRQOL) in adults aged 55 to 75 years. Seventy-eight, male (40) and female (38), subjects completed the study. Their mean (SD) age, height, and mass were 64.9 (5.8) years and 63.6 (4.9) years, 1.8 (.08) m and 1.7 (.07) m, 82.6 (11.8) kg and 70.3 (17.9) kg, for male and female, respectively. Subjects completed several tests in 3 categories: movement competency (Functional Movement ScreenTM [FMS] [all 7 tests], sitting-rising test [SRT]); physical activity level (Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly [PASE]); and health related quality of life [HRQOL] (SF-36v2). A linear regression model was then developed to examine the relationship of a number of variables to quality of life. The strongest relationship to HRQOL was the FMS, with a positive correlation of 0.474 which is highly significant (p < 0.0001). Once the FMS score was accounted for, no other terms in the regression model were significant. The correlation between our two assessments of movement competency, the FMS and SRT was 0.644 which is highly significant (p < 0.0001). Our primary hypothesis was supported that those with better movement competency have a better health related quality of life. Our results suggest further research should be undertaken to see if properly administered individualized corrective therapeutic exercise programs could improve older adults' movement competency and thereby improve their quality of life.

<p>Split-screen innebär att filmduken är uppdelad i flera delar. Uppsatsen behandlar</p><p>filmer där subjektiva upplevelser beskrivs med hjälp av split-screen. Det är ett berättande utifrån en karaktär. En subjektiv upplevelse kan vara en dröm, en hallinucation, ett minne, eller förnimmelse. Split-screen har funnits sen filmens begynnelse och haft sina glansdagar på bland annat 1910-talet och 1970-talet. I och med datorerna är det lättare att skapa split-screeneffekter Vi som publik är också mer vana vid flera datorfönster och bildrutor samtidigt. Split-screen har kommit in i en ny glansdager era. Det finns ett flertal filmer som använder sig av split-screen för att skildra subjektiva upplevelser. Uppsatsens metod är att lyfta fram exempel då det fungerar med split-screen och subjektiva upplevelser.</p>