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Search asymmetry was used to test two theories of sustained attention lapses currently debated in the literature: the boredom-mindlessness theory and the resource depletion-mental fatigue theory. Participants performed feature present and a feature absent target detection tasks using either a sustained attention to response task (high Go low No-Go) or a traditionally formatted task (high No-Go low Go) response format. In addition to performance, functional near infrared spectroscopy was employed to measure lateral cerebral oxygenation levels and self-reports of tense arousal, energetic arousal, task related and unrelated thoughts occurring during the tasks were utilised. Detections were lower and reaction times longer in the feature absent search than the feature present search regardless of response format. Detections were lower, but reaction times shorter in the sustained attention to response task than the traditionally formatted task regardless of feature search. Greater right than left frontal hemisphere activation occurred in the sustained attention to response task than the traditionally formatted task. In addition, the sustained attention to response task was more fatiguing based on self-reports than the traditionally formatted task, but there were no differences in Task-Unrelated Thoughts across task conditions. Overall, the results of this study support a resource theory explanation of sustained attention lapses, not a mindlessness-boredom theory explanation. Moreover, the results suggest the sustained attention to response task places high response inhibition, not sustained attention, demands on participants.

This study examined muscle activation and relative joint angles during a conventional deadlift while using either a double‐pronated or overhand/underhand (OU) grip. Ten weight‐trained individuals performed the deadlift with 60% and 80% of their 1‐repetition maximum, with three different grip variations. EMG recordings were taken of the left and right biceps brachii, brachioradialis, upper trapezius, and upper latissimus dorsi. Motion capture was used to measure angles of the wrist, elbow, knee, and hip. With an OU grip, significant bilateral asymmetry was seen in EMG activity of biceps brachii and brachioradialis. Mean wrist and elbow angle also showed significant bilateral asymmetry when using an OU grip. Training recommendations for the OU grip deadlift should emphasize the need to vary which hand is supinated/pronated to avoid muscle imbalances and possible injury. Furthermore, it may be preferential to use a double‐pronated grip to avoid asymmetric training altogether.

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In light of recent theoretical and methodological developments in the areas of French morphosyntax and child acquisition, the present dissertation reconsiders the asymmetry reported in previous studies of the acquisition of subject and object clitics in French-speaking children. Our reanalysis allows us to address two important questions in the domain of acquisition, namely optionality in the child’s grammar and the role of input in development. By means of an exhaustive analysis of child and adult production, our research illustrates that adults produce several subject/object asymmetries, and we propose that the asymmetry reported for children is attributable to properties of the target language and not to the acquisition process. Beyond these conclusions, our research reveals a significant asymmetry during the course of acquisition, namely that the subject clitic reaches the target grammar faster than the object clitic. This asymmetry, which we qualify as rhythmic, is caused by a prolonged optionality of the object clitic. However, our study shows that this optionality is not generalized. Until roughly 3 years of age, object and subject clitics show a parallel development in spontaneous speech: they are optional. After this period (around 3 years), their production reaches the levels observed in adults. In contrast, some studies in elicited production have shown that object clitics are still optional beyond 3 years. These contradictory results lead us to propose that there are two types of optionality: spontaneous and induced. We explore possible sources of these phenomena and propose that the status of pronouns as clitic elements plays a role in spontaneous optionality. As for the induced optionality, we propose that it is attributable to variation in the input and the child’s tendency to regularize it. Overall, our results allow us to redefine the asymmetry, to propose that optionality is a multifactorial phenomenon, and to illustrate the role of input in the optionality exhibited by French children for this domain.

In light of recent theoretical and methodological developments in the areas of French morphosyntax and child acquisition, the present dissertation reconsiders the asymmetry reported in previous studies of the acquisition of subject and object clitics in French-speaking children. Our reanalysis allows us to address two important questions in the domain of acquisition, namely optionality in the child’s grammar and the role of input in development. By means of an exhaustive analysis of child and adult production, our research illustrates that adults produce several subject/object asymmetries, and we propose that the asymmetry reported for children is attributable to properties of the target language and not to the acquisition process. Beyond these conclusions, our research reveals a significant asymmetry during the course of acquisition, namely that the subject clitic reaches the target grammar faster than the object clitic. This asymmetry, which we qualify as rhythmic, is caused by a prolonged optionality of the object clitic. However, our study shows that this optionality is not generalized. Until roughly 3 years of age, object and subject clitics show a parallel development in spontaneous speech: they are optional. After this period (around 3 years), their production reaches the levels observed in adults. In contrast, some studies in elicited production have shown that object clitics are still optional beyond 3 years. These contradictory results lead us to propose that there are two types of optionality: spontaneous and induced. We explore possible sources of these phenomena and propose that the status of pronouns as clitic elements plays a role in spontaneous optionality. As for the induced optionality, we propose that it is attributable to variation in the input and the child’s tendency to regularize it. Overall, our results allow us to redefine the asymmetry, to propose that optionality is a multifactorial phenomenon, and to illustrate the role of input in the optionality exhibited by French children for this domain.

Walking is an essential task important to recovery after stroke. However, there is a limited understanding regarding the characteristics of walking in in-patients with stroke. The objectives of this thesis were to: 1) develop an instrument capable of acquiring temporal characteristics of everyday walking; 2) investigate the quantity and control of everyday walking; and 3) profile the task-specific link between walking and cardiorespiratory response. In study 1 we developed and validated a wireless monitoring system (ABLE system). Study 2 revealed low quantities of everyday walking (4816 steps; SD 3247) characterized by short bout durations (59.8s; SD 23.4) and asymmetric walking. In study 3 we observed a modest task-related response in HR(19.4% HRR); however, the intensity and duration of everyday walking did not approach the guidelines for aerobic benefit. Monitoring in-patient walking can help guide clinical decision making in developing methods to maximize recovery after stroke.

This dissertation consists of three stand-alone but interrelated empirical studies investigating various aspects of the well-documented ??home bias anomaly?? in international investment. The findings help to understand the international investment allocation behaviour of mutual funds as well as their implications for asset pricing and mutual fund evaluation. The first study investigates the roles of various firm attributes that encapsulate the deadweight costs in determining firm level investment bias. The main findings suggest that firm characteristics related to transaction costs, corporate governance and information asymmetry create significant barriers for fund managers. In addition, foreign funds are more constrained than domestic funds by information asymmetry, even in developed and liberalized markets. Moreover, this study stylises the international investment allocation model in Cooper and Kaplanis (1986) with a quadratic cost function, which reveals the marginal influence of market level deadweight costs on the relationship between firm characteristics and investment bias. It is found that when market level cross-border barriers are exacerbated, as in the case of emerging and restricted financial markets, foreign fund managers become more sensitive to market level deadweight costs and ignore firm characteristics. In general, these findings imply that the market level ??home bias anomaly?? is an outcome of the complementary effects of investment barriers at both firm and market levels. The second study examines the role of firm level investment bias in predicting future stock returns. It is found that both firm level foreign and domestic biases contain valuable information with respect to firm prospects. However, domestic bias is more informative than foreign bias in terms of subsequent stock returns, partially because of information asymmetry. The third study explores the determinants of fund level investment bias and its ability to predict fund performance. It is found that fund portfolio attributes determine fund level investment biases after controlling for market and fund investment objective specific effects, and fund level investment bias is positively related to fund performance due to lower deadweight costs. Moreover, good macroeconomic environments foster the development of the mutual fund industry.

We construct a model which provides maximal mixing between a pseudo-Dirac Vµ/VT pair, based on a local U(1)Lµ-LT symmetry. Its strengths, weaknesses and phenomenological consequences are examined. A new intermediate range force is predicted, mediated by the light gauge boson of U(1)Lµ-LT. Through the mixing of µ, T and e, this force couples to electrons and thus may be searched for in precision “gravity” experiments.The generation of relic neutrino asymmetries in the early universe via the mechanism of partially coherent active-sterile neutrino oscillations is considered. We study how an approximate evolution equation for the growth of the asymmetry can be extracted from the exact Quantum Kinetic Equations which describe the evolution of the neutrino ensemble, and examine the nature of some of the approximations employed.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Agricultural Economics, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Apr. 1, 2009) Includes bibliographical references. Also issued in print.