Äldreriktat tal avser kommunikationsanpassningar gentemot äldre liknande de som görs till små barn. Anpassningarna sker inom flera språkliga domäner och är en del av äldres kommunikativa miljö. Ämnet är relativt outforskat och få eller inga studier har gjorts i Sverige. Föreliggande studies syfte var att undersöka eventuell förekomst av äldreriktat tal, samt beskriva dess karakteristika då personal på olika typer av boenden för äldre samtalar med en äldre. Deltagare är fem personer som arbetar på olika former av boenden för äldre. Samtal mellan personal och äldre samt samtal mellan personal och en kollega spelades in och grovtranskriberades. Inspelningarna klipptes till filer utifrån varje analys syfte. Arbetet antog en datadriven ansats och data studerades utifrån tidigare forskning kring äldreriktat och barnriktat tal. I föreliggande studie påvisades att deltagande personal på boende för äldre, i varierande grad, anpassade sin kommunikation inom flera språkliga domäner. Anpassningarna förekom huvudsakligen inom den prosodiska domänen men förekom i viss utsträckning även inom den grammatiska. Anpassningar inom den pragmatiska domänen påvisades till viss del medan anpassningar inom den semantiska domänen ej förekom. Tendenser till talanpassningar förekom hos majoriteten av deltagarna. Följande tillägg av delaspekter till äldreriktat tal föreslås; upprepat användande av namn, mindre samtidigt tal och färre tvekfenomen. / The term elderspeak refers to the adjustments of communication towards elderly people which are similar to those made towards young children. The adjustments are made within several language domains, and are a part of the communicative environment of the elders. The subject is relatively uninvestigated, and few, if any, studies have been conducted on the subject in Sweden. Thus the aim of the present study was to investigate the possible occurrence of elderspeak, and to describe its characteristics. The present study is based upon five participants working at different forms of geriatric institutions. Conversations between a caregiver and a resident and conversations between a caregiver and a colleague were recorded and broadly transcribed. The recordings were cut into separate files according to the purpose of respective analysis. The study was carried out with a data-driven perspective and previously established aspects of elderspeak and child directed speech was searched for. The present study established that caregivers to a varying extent adjusted their communication within several language domains. The adjustments mainly took place within the prosodic domain but they also took place within the grammatical domain. Adjustments within the pragmatic domain were found to some extent, but no adjustments within the semantic domain were found. Tendencies to adjustments of the speech were present in the majority of the participants. The present study suggests the following additions to the aspects of the elderspeak phenomenon; frequent use of name, less hesitation phenomena and less frequent simultaneous speech.

Does monetary policy affect the real economy? If so, what is the transmission mechanism or channel through which these effects occur? These two questions are among the most important and controversial in macroeconomics. This dissertation presents some new empirical evidence that addresses each question for the U.S. and Chinese economies. Literature on monetary transmission suggests that the monetary policy can take effect on the real economy through several ways. The most noteworthy one is credit channels, including the bank lending channel and the interest channel. First, I use a new method to test for structural breaks in the U.S. monetary policy history and present some new empirical evidence to support an operative bank lending channel in the transmission mechanism of monetary policy. Results show that an operative bank lending channel existed in 1955 to 1968, and its impact on the economy has become much smaller since 1981, but it still has a significant buffering effect on output by attenuating the effect of the interest channel. Second, I adopt the recently developed time series technique to explore the puzzling negative correlation between output and stock returns in China currently, and posit that it is due to a negative link between monetary policy and stock returns when monetary policy increases output. The monetary policy has not been transmitted well in the public sector which is the principal part of Chinese stock market, and increased investment capital from monetary expansion goes to real estate sector instead of the stock market. Last, I demonstrate how monetary policy has been transmitted into the public and private sectors of China through the credit channel. The fundamental identification problem inherent in using aggregated data that leads to failure in isolating demand shock from supply shock is explicitly solved by introducing control factors. I find that the monetary policy has great impact on private sector rather than public sector through credit channel in China. These findings have important practical implications for U.S. and China’s economic development by improving the efficiency of the monetary policy because a comprehensive understanding of monetary transmission will lead to better policy design.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of popular culture, especially prime-time television, on women learner-viewers’ identity development. More specifically, this study explores one specific television show, the 1962-64 Cathy Gale episodes of The Avengers as a portal to adult learning. It further explores the ways in which television, as a form of public pedagogy, can help facilitate the formation of a critical or feminist identity among adult learner viewers. The research questions guiding this study were: 1) How and what did women learn from watching The Avengers? 2) How did women incorporate that learning into their lives and into their identities? and 3) How did women interpret and accommodate the feminist example of Cathy Gale? Data for this study was collected over a two-and-a-half year period. Data consisted of interviews with contemporaneous viewers of the Cathy Gale Avengers episodes, interviews with scriptwriters and the actor who played Cathy Gale, Honor Blackman, numerous documents from statistics obtained at the British Film Institute, fanzines, and newspaper articles of the period. Analysis revealed that in particular historical times and situations television viewing can become a form of public pedagogy, facilitating transformational learning in adult viewers that produces lasting, life-changing effects. The investigation revealed that not only did biologically-born women incorporate Cathy Gale’s feminist example into their identities and actions, but biologically born males whose core gender identity was female did also. This dissertation is written in article format. Each of the six sections has been designed as stand-alone pieces to aid accessibility and enhance readers’ engagement with the study.

The purpose of this thesis was to determine whether practice-induced adjustments and retention of a goal directed isometric motor accuracy task were similar between ipsilateral upper and lower limb and whether there is an ipsilateral transfer between upper and lower limbs. In addition, this thesis project aimed to determine whether motor output variability and the activity of the involved agonist and antagonist muscles could predict any of the above stated changes. Sixteen young adults (8 men, 8 women; 22.1 or - 2.1 years) performed 80 trials of goal directed isometric contractions that involved accurately matching a target force of 25% MVC in 200 ms, either with the upper limb or the lower limb followed by the other limb. After an interval of 48 hours, 10 trials similar to the practice trials were performed to examine retention. Feedback of performance was provided in the form of a force-time trajectory along with numerical error values for force and time on each trial. End-point error was quantified as the absolute deviation from the targeted force and time. Motor output variability was quantified as the SD of force, SD of time to peak force and SD of force trajectory. The practice-induced adjustments for force and time endpoint accuracy were similar for the two limbs, however, two days later, retention of the force accuracy was better with the upper limb compared with the lower limb. Practice-induced reduction and practice-to-retention increase in force and time endpoint error were predicted by respective changes in peak force and time to peak force trial-to-trial variability for both limbs. In addition, the changes in accuracy were predicted by the changes in the activity of the involved agonist and antagonist muscles. Nonetheless, the changes in muscle activity differed between the two limbs. The adjustments in muscle activity were also different during the practice session despite the fact that the rate of improvement was similar for the two limbs. Finally, there was an asymmetric transfer of force accuracy from the lower limb to the ipsilateral upper limb, which was associated with the changes in motor output variability. The upper limb, which is inherently less variable as compared to the lower limb, may have retained the task better due to the formation of a stronger muscle synergy (or stronger internal model) to perform the contractions with accuracy. The lower limb, on the other hand may have formed a weaker internal model due to the greater interference from amplified signal-dependent noise (motor output variability) or an alternative motor plan, which may have been concerned primarily with the minimization of motor output variability instead of formation of a muscle synergy to perform the contractions accurately.

Analysis of large networks in biology, science, technology and social systems have become very popular recently. These networks are mathematically represented as graphs. The task is then to extract relevant qualitative information about the empirical networks from the analysis of these graphs. It was found that a graph can be conveniently represented by the spectrum of a suitable difference operator, the normalized graph Laplacian, which underlies diffusions and random walks on graphs. When applied to large networks, this requires computation of the spectrum of large matrices. The normalized Laplacian matrices representing large networks are usually sparse and unstructured. The thesis consists in a systematic evaluation of the available eigenvalue solvers for nonsymmetric large normalized Laplacian matrices describing directed graphs of empirical networks. The methods include several Krylov subspace algorithms like implicitly restarted Arnoldi method, Krylov-Schur method and Jacobi-Davidson methods which are freely available as standard packages written in MATLAB or SLEPc, in the library written C++. The normalized graph Laplacian as employed here is normalized such that its spectrum is confined to the range [0, 2]. The eigenvalue distribution plays an important role in network analysis. The numerical task is then to determine the whole spectrum with appropriate eigenvalue solvers. A comparison of the existing eigenvalue solvers is done with Paley digraphs with known eigenvalues and for citation networks in sizes 400, 1100 and 4500 by computing the residuals.

This dissertation examines several issues regarding the congestion on the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway. Chapter II identifies and measures the impact of lock congestion on grain barge rates on these waterways. Results indicate grain barge rates on both rivers are not affected by lagged lock congestion. In present time, however, lock congestion in the lower reaches of the upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers are found to increase barge rates that link the north central United States to the lower Mississippi Gulf port area. The findings suggest the impact of lock congestion on grain barge rates is moderate. Chapter III explores the interaction between grain prices in export and domestic markets and transportation rates linking these markets over time. Three model frameworks were evaluated and some consistent results are observed. In general, shocks in transportation rates (barge, rail, and ocean) explain a great proportion of the variation in corn and soybean market prices in the long run, suggesting the importance of transportation in grain price determination. The volatile ocean freight rates are the mostimportant transportation rates contributing to the variation in grain prices, while shocks in barge rates on the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway generally explain less than 15 percent of the variation in grain prices. The dynamic interrelationships among the six evaluated transportation rates are also found. In addition, the north central corn markets likely have the most influence over other markets while soybean export price dominates the soybean market in the long run. Chapter IV estimates the structural demand for grain barge transportation on both the upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. Results suggest foreign grain demand is the most influential force affecting grain barge demand on both rivers. Also, results indicate an inelastic demand for grain barge transportation on the Upper Mississippi in the short run; demand is price elastic in the long run. The price elasticity for grain barge demand on the Illinois River is consistently inelastic. Additionally, the winter season and floods affect demand on the Upper Mississippi negatively, while barge demand increases on the Illinois River in winter.

Chemically and physically patterned surfaces can be used as templates to guide nano- and micro- scale particle assembly, but the design is often limited by an inability to sufficiently characterize how pattern features influence local particle-surface interactions on the order of thermal energy, kT. The research outlined in this dissertation describes comprehensive optical microscopy (i.e. evanescent wave, video) measurements and analyses of many-body and multi-dimensional interactions, dynamics and structure in inhomogeneous colloidal fluid systems. In particular, I demonstrate how non-intrusive observation of an ensemble of particles diffusing past each other and over a physically patterned surface topography can be used to obtain sensitive images of energy landscape features. I also link diffusing colloidal probe dynamics to energy landscape features, which is important for understanding the temporal imaging process and self-assembly kinetics. A complementary effort in this dissertation investigated the use of external AC electric fields to reversibly tune colloidal interactions to produce metastable ordered configurations. In addition, the electrical impedance spectra associated with colloidal assemblies formed between interfacial microelectrode gaps was measured and consistently modelled using representative equivalent circuits. Significant results from this dissertation include the synergistic use of the very same colloids as both imaging probes and building blocks in feedback controlled selfassembly on patterns. Cycling the AC field frequencies was found to be an effective way to anneal equilibrium colloidal configurations. Quantitative predictions of dominant transport mechanisms as a function of AC electric field amplitude and frequency were able to consistently explain the steady-state colloidal microstructures formed within electrode gaps observed using video microscopy. A functional electrical switch using gold nanoparticles was realized by reversibly forming and breaking colloidal wires between electrode gaps. Extension of the concepts developed in this dissertation suggest a general strategy to engineer the assembly of colloidal particles into ordered materials and controllable devices that provide the basis for numerous emerging technologies (e.g. photonic crystals, nanowires, reconfigurable antennas, biomimetic materials).

The e-learning system is one of many educational methods that allow flexible learner-centered education. It is also an information system based on the Internet. Hence, the increasing use of the e-learning has provided an inter-disciplinary research opportunity to information systems and educational engineering fields. But the benefits of an e-learning are subjected to the organization¡¦s learning environments, readiness and the acceptance of self-directed users. In other words, self-directed learning (SDL) is a prerequisite to e-learning success. It is important to evaluate the readiness of self-directed users and their acceptance of e-learning system. This paper focuses on examining the applicability of both the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) in explaining adult self-directed users¡¦ acceptance of e-learning system in a blended learning context. The combination of user groups (adult learners), the technology (e-learning system), and the context (blended learning in a higher education institution) is new to IT acceptance researches. The purpose of this research is to shed light on more effective ways to motivate part-time adult learners to use e-learning system in a higher education institution. This study extends both the TAM and UTAUT models with self-directed learning (SDL) concepts. A questionnaire was developed based on previous works in the areas of technology acceptance and SDL. Based on responses from 433 adult blended learners, both SDL-based TAM and UTAUT models were evaluated in terms of overall fit, explanatory power, and their causal links. Overall, findings suggest that TAM may be more appropriate than UTAUT for examining high SDLRS score user group¡¦s e-learning acceptance behaviour; UTAUT may provide e-learning designers and management teams some crucial suggestions to enhance low SDLRS score users¡¦ system utilization. This study also asserts that the successful transition to an e-learning environment requires that the self-directed learners be actively encouraged and supported by their organizations. Results of this study provide reliable and valid SDL-based TAM and UTAUT instruments for organizations to determine whether their learners had the necessary skills for SDL-based blended learning before investing huge budget and time in a large-scale e-learning project. As more organizations experiment with e-learning systems, the SDL-based TAM and UTAUT models could be used to (a) assess the degree of users¡¦ self-directed readiness before e-learning implementation; and (b) evaluate the factors affecting users¡¦ acceptance of new e-learning system and provide useful remedies for improving system utilization rate after e-learning implementation.

The current study investigated the effects of aging on the strategic control of attention at encoding and the extent to which this relationship was mediated by working memory capacity. The value-directed remembering task used by Castel et al. (2009) was modified to include an inhibitory task demand (i.e., value-directed forgetting), and age differences were predicted due to declines in the efficiency of inhibitory mechanisms. Results confirmed this prediction, as older adults were less efficient in maximizing their selectivity scores upon the inclusion of task interference, and working memory was found to be supportive of performance. Results additionally support an age-related decline in the directed forgetting effect, such that older adults recalled and recognized fewer TBR items and more TBF items, relative to younger adults. Taken together, results suggest an age-related decline in the ability to inhibit goal-irrelevant information, thereby limiting working memory resources available for greater processing of goal-relevant information.

The objective of the proposed research is to develop high performance, low computational complexity resolution enhancement and demosaicing algorithms. Our approach to both problems is to find creative ways to incorporate edge information into the algorithm design. However, in contrast with the usual edge directed approaches, we do not try to detect edge presence and orientation explicitly. For the image interpolation problem, we study the relationship between low resolution and high resolution pixels, and derive a general interpolation formula to be used on all pixels. This simple interpolation algorithm is able to generate sharp edges in any orientation. We also propose a simple 3 by 3 filter that quantifies local luminance transition and apply it to the demosaicing problem. Additionally, we propose a gradient based directional demosaicing method that does not require setting any thresholds. We show that the performance of this algorithm can be improved by using multiscale gradients. Finally, we address the low spectral correlation demosaicing problem by proposing a new family of hybrid color filter array (CFA) patterns and a local algorithm that is two orders of magnitude faster than a comparable non-local solution while offering the same level of performance.