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This investigation of risky decision making models the standard forced-choice two outcome lottery task by incorporating elements of complexity present in real-world decision making. Potential decision criteria such as current wealth and quality of life information were made available to examine the influence of time-dependent contextual cues on decision strategy selection, since previous investigations of decision making have not included specific contextual cues that would allow for people to use complex or "dynamic" decision strategies. Two studies explored simulated decision strategies requiring more or less complexity. Results suggest that strategies using dynamic, time-dependent criteria provide important advantages over simpler strategies. Also, as 'aspirations' become closer to the most likely outcome and as trajectories include a larger margin of previous experiences, there is more control over improvements to the likelihood of ending up in an extremely good place over an extremely bad place. Certain changes to the decision environment seem to affect the accuracy of dynamic decision strategies, which in turn can help or hinder their effectiveness. As a test of convergence, an empirical test was conducted to compare actual decision strategy use with simulated decision strategies. Two distinctly different decision tasks were used: one required only passive choices between two lotteries and the other required active changes to a given lottery situation. Information about lottery outcomes, current wealth, and quality of life were provided to participants to provide additional context to the decision environment. Participants seemed to be using a variety of different strategies, including strategies that focus on dynamic information. Simple risk policies were often very good at describing risk preferences, though a subset of participants were relying on a complex decision strategies. There were also systematic differences in dynamic decision strategy usage. The combination of simulations and the empirical investigation elucidate the advantages to exploring risk preferences with attention to different decision strategies in specific environments, especially including more complex or "dynamic" decision strategies.

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This research presents a system for mechanically characterizing single cells using automated micropipette aspiration. Using vision-based control and position control, the system controls a micromanipulator, a motorized translation stage, and a custom-built pressure system to position a micropipette (4 $\mu$m opening) to approach a cell, form a seal, and aspirate the cell into the micropipette for quantifying the cell's elastic and viscoelastic parameters as well as viscosity. Image processing algorithms were developed to provide controllers with real-time visual feedback and to accurately measure cell deformation behavior on the fly. Experiments on both solid-like and liquid-like cells demonstrated that the system is capable of efficiently performing single-cell micropipette aspiration and has low operator skill requirements. Once the system was validated, it was used to study voided urine cells. In this study, the mechanical properties of bladder carcinoma cells were investigated.

This research presents a system for mechanically characterizing single cells using automated micropipette aspiration. Using vision-based control and position control, the system controls a micromanipulator, a motorized translation stage, and a custom-built pressure system to position a micropipette (4 $\mu$m opening) to approach a cell, form a seal, and aspirate the cell into the micropipette for quantifying the cell's elastic and viscoelastic parameters as well as viscosity. Image processing algorithms were developed to provide controllers with real-time visual feedback and to accurately measure cell deformation behavior on the fly. Experiments on both solid-like and liquid-like cells demonstrated that the system is capable of efficiently performing single-cell micropipette aspiration and has low operator skill requirements. Once the system was validated, it was used to study voided urine cells. In this study, the mechanical properties of bladder carcinoma cells were investigated.

The phenomenon of industries developing into group organizations has become more and more popular. Most group industries are working actively and hard to expand their market shares and profits by diversifying their investments. Because of having a complete self-developed system, some group companies think their practical experience of business flow paths in system development can be used as reference resources for other companies. These group companies, therefore, encourage their information units to shift the models of ¡§entrepreneurial venture Spin-off company¡¨. According to the past experience and impressions of cooperating with the spin-off companies, some subsidiaries of the group companies have developed a strategy to outsource their information system to spin-off companies. This is a case study with long-term observation in the field. We use the theory of Aspiration-Level Adaptation (Cyert & March, 1963) as a basis to explain the process of decision adaptation while the subsidiary of the group company seeks for software outsourcing from a spin-off company. The outsourcing of the subsidiary of the group company was determined by the inter-trust relationship between the subsidiary and spin-off company as well as the past working performance. The decision index is quite simple. But when the performance of the outsourcing information spin-off company cannot meet the subsidiary¡¦s expectations, the subsidiary will adjust its behaviors and decisions toward the spin-off company by its past experience. The subsidiary will also set up a suitable outsourcing management and control mechanism. Thus, we can see that the information outsourcing process is a continual process of aspiration-level adaptation, and the outsourcing company will adjust its decision according to the degrees that the spin-off company meets its expectancy level.

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Background: Cough Reflex Testing (CRT) has been shown to be useful in the challenging task of identifying silent aspiration (aspiration without a cough response). With the emergence of the routine clinical use of CRT in the acute stroke population, the following clinical conundrum often arises: Does passing a previously failed CRT mean the risk of silent aspiration has resolved? The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between change in laryngeal cough threshold sensitivity and change in PAS (Penetration Aspiration Scale) score within the acute stage post-stroke. Methods: This was a prospective longitudinal pilot study of 20 acute stroke patients utilizing a Cough Reflex Threshold Test (CRTT) at 0.4M, 0.6M and 0.8M citric acid concentrations and Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES). A cough response threshold was obtained from the CRTT and a PAS (penetration aspiration scale) score from FEES. Inclusion criteria required a PAS score of 4 or above on preliminary FEES or impaired CRT threshold as defined by weak or failed cough test result at 0.8M citric acid concentration. Both test methods were repeated every four days for 20 days or until the participant no longer aspirated/penetrated and had a normal result on CRTT on two consecutive assessment sessions. Agreement between changes in the two tests was evaluated using the Cohen’s Kappa statistic. Results: Eighteen of the twenty participants in this study aspirated on initial assessment, ten of which were silent. One participant continued to aspirate at study completion. On initial assessment eleven participants had a C2 response threshold at 0.4M citric acid concentration and three participants failed to reach threshold at 0.8M citric acid concentration. At study completion, 18 participants had a C2 response threshold at 0.4M citric acid concentration and one participant failed to reach threshold at 0.8M citric acid concentration. During the study, sixty-six re-assessments took place; there were fifteen incidences of improved cough response threshold on re-assessment and thirty-one incidences of improved PAS score. There was no significant agreement between improved laryngeal cough reflex threshold and improved PAS score during the acute stage Kappa = 0.0598 (p <.0.574), 95% CI (- 0.1496- 0.2692). Conclusion: Significant limitations of this study included small data set and potential flooring effect of the CRT. Due to the limitations of this study, no conclusions can be made as to the appropriateness of reinstating oral intake based on passing a previously failed CRT.

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Thesis studied correlations between swallowing accelerometry parameters and anthropometrics in 50 healthy participants. Anthropometrics include: age, gender, weight, height, body fat percent, neck circumference and mandibular length. Dual-axis swallowing signals, from a biaxial accelerometer were obtained for 5-saliva and 10-water (5-wet and 5-wet chin-tuck) swallows per participant. Two patient-independent automatic segmentation algorithms using discrete wavelet transforms of swallowing sequences segmented: 1) saliva/wet swallows and 2) wet chin-tuck swallows. Extraction of swallows hinged on dynamic thresholding based on signal statistics. Canonical correlation analysis was performed on sets of anthropometric and swallowing signal variables including: variance, skewness, kurtosis, autocorrelation decay time, energy, scale and peak-amplitude. For wet swallows, significant linear relationships were found between signal and anthropometric variables. In superior-inferior directions, correlations linked weight, age and gender to skewness and signal-memory. In anterior-posterior directions, age was correlated with kurtosis and signal-memory. No significant relationship was observed for dry and wet chin-tuck swallowing