Diss.--Fribourg. / Bibliography: p. 155-160.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 2005. / Title from title page screen, viewed on April 12, 2007. Dissertation Committee: Anita Tarr (chair), Cynthia Huff, Karen Coats, Roberta Seelinger Trites. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 166-178) and abstract. Also available in print.

Background: Urban form is a contributor to physical inactivity, which is a problem around the world. The association between urban form and physical activity is not fully understood, in part because improved methodologies of assessing urban form are necessary. This thesis consists of four studies that examined the association between urban form and physical activity in Edmonton, Alberta, using Geographic Information Systems. The research goals of this thesis were: (1) to compare two objective methods of assessing urban form walkability; (2) to examine the association between objective and subjective urban form measures and physical activity; and (3) to compare self-reported physical activity of individuals living in high and low walkability neighborhoods. Methods: Study 1 addressed Goal 1 and focused on objectively measuring urban form walkability based on public health and architectural (space syntax) measures. Study 2 addressed Goal 2 and focused on urban form association with self-reported physical activity. Study 3 addressed Goals 2 and 3 and focused on urban form association with self-reported walking. Study 4 addressed Goal 3 and involved an observational study of the pedestrian, cyclist, and vehicular movement in four neighbourhoods stratified by walkability and socio-economic status (SES). Results: Study 1 revealed agreement between public health and space syntax measures of assessing urban form. Study 2 revealed that only the objective environment was associated with physical activity. Study 3 revealed that only the perceived environment was associated with walking. Study 3 also revealed that walking as recommended was not different for individuals living in environments objectively assessed as higher versus lower in walkability. Study 4 revealed that observed pedestrian movement was higher in volume in neighbourhoods objectively assessed as higher in walkability. Cyclist movement was lower in volume in the neighbourhood classified as lower in walkability and in SES than in the other three neighbourhoods. Vehicular movement was no different in volume in the four neighbourhoods. Conclusion: Both objective and subjective urban form influence physical activity. A common Social Ecological Models - Space Syntax framework would enable a better understanding of urban form influences on physical activity.

A numerical study aimed at investigating the conditions under which different flow regimes appear near coastal capes is presented. The impacts of the regimes are also quantified in terms of integral quantities like mixing, current transport and form drag. Idealized and realistic numerical simulations are run both in barotropically and baroclinically-driven systems. The realistic cases model the Western Adriatic Current (WAC) in the Adriatic Sea. In both cases, the turbulent state of the flow is controlled in first approximation by the Burger number, Bu. When a steady barotropic and geostrophic current impinges on a triangular idealized cape, vertical movements are strong for Bu < 0.1 and pronounced lee waves can be found downstream of the obstacle. For 0.1 less than or equal to Bu < 1, fluid parcels flow more around the obstacle than over it. Flow separation occurs and small tip eddies start to shed. For Bu greater than or equal to 1, tip eddies merge to form larger eddies in the lee of the cape. Flow regimes are also strongly dependent on the obstacle slope alpha when Bu greater than or equal to 1. Flow regime diagrams in the Bu-alpha space are determined. A baroclinic current as the WAC becomes unstable in absence of wind as it separates from the coast for the presence of capes along its path. Downwelling favorable winds narrow and thicken the coastal buoyant current, raising Bu above a critical value and suppressing baroclinic instabilities. Upwelling favorable winds enhance instabilities via the opposite mechanism. With downwelling winds waters mix but remain relatively fresh (S less than or equal to 38), while most of the freshwater signal is lost with upwelling winds. The along-shore transport increases with downwelling winds while it decreases and can even reverse with upwelling winds. The form drag calculated across the obstacles in the different simulations is at least twice the magnitude of skin friction. In barotropic conditions it increases with increasing Bu and decreasing alpha and an empirical parametrization in the Bu-alpha space is put forth. Across the Gargano Promontory, more symmetric pressure fields are observed with downwelling winds; the form drag decreases as a result. The opposite is registered with upwelling winds.

No description available.

Le but de ce travail est de développer un outil d'aide à l'analyse de mission pour un satellite artificiel autour de la Lune. Nous développons tout d'abord une théorie analytique qui décrit suffisamment bien la dynamique du satellite lunaire : nous considérons les quatre perturbations majeures de natures différentes qui l'influencent, ainsi que leurs différents couplages. Les résultats sont obtenus sous forme fermée, sans aucun développement en série de l'excentricité ni de l'inclinaison de l'orbite du satellite : la solution s'applique donc à une large gamme de valeurs. Nous utilisons la méthode des Transformées de Lie pour moyenniser deux fois l'Hamiltonien du problème, dans des variables canoniques, ce qui permet d'intégrer des orbites avec un temps de calcul réduit d'un facteur environ 200 000. Grâce à cela, nous produisons des cartes inédites d'espaces de phase (a,i) qui permettent de sélectionner les paramètres orbitaux selon les besoins de la mission lunaire. De nombreuses vérifications analytiques par rapport à la littérature ont été réalisées, et se sont avérées concluantes; la qualité des deux moyennisations a également été vérifiée. Le logiciel développé est souple et permet un traitement automatisé; les intégrations sont automatiquement vérifiées. Nous avons aussi apporté quelques améliorations significatives au manipulateur algébrique des FUNDP, comme l'ajout de fractions symboliques. Par ailleurs, nous résolvons le problème zonal complet du satellite artificiel, étudions l'effet de C22 sur l'inclinaison critique ainsi que l'effet de la Terre sur les durées de vie orbitales limitées de certains satellites lunaires. The aim of this work is to develop a tool helpful to mission analysis of a lunar artificial satellite. We first develop an analytical theory which sufficiently well describes the dynamics of the lunar satellite : we consider the four main perturbations of various kind which influence it, together with their several coupling. The results are obtained in closed form, without any series expansion in eccentricity nor inclination of the orbit of the satellite : so the solution applies for a wide range of values. We use the Lie Transform method for averaging twice the Hamiltonian of the problem, in canonical variables, which allows to integrate orbits with a CPU time reduced by a factor of about 200 000. Thanks to that, we produce unpublished (a,i) phase space maps from which the orbital parameters can be selected on the basis of the needs of the lunar mission. Many conclusive analytical checks with the literature have been performed, and both averaging processes have been checked. The software developed is flexible and allows an automated treatment; the integrations are automatically checked. We also improved significantly the algebraic manipulator of the FUNDP, like the inclusion of symbolic fractions. Moreover, we solve the complete zonal problem of the artificial satellite, we study the effect of C22 on the critical inclination, and also the effect of the Earth on the limited orbital lifetimes of some lunar satellites.

Human information processing depends critically on continuous predictions about upcoming events, but the temporal convergence of expectancy-based top-down and input-driven bottom-up streams is poorly understood. We show that, during reading, event-related potentials differ between exposure to highly predictable and unpredictable words no later than 90 ms after visual input. This result suggests an extremely rapid comparison of expected and incoming visual information and gives an upper temporal bound for theories of top-down and bottom-up interactions in object recognition.

This thesis presents a novel three dimensional (3D) image-analysis method for characterizing the physical characteristics of coarse particles in the field, and introduces new methodology for the total analysis of glacial till samples. The novel image analysis method, called the GID method, is capable of determining the size, shape and surface texture of each individual clast analysed. Images of particles are taken in the field and analysis is done in the laboratory. Therefore the GID method makes it feasible to analyse statistically representative large sample in short period; for poorly sorted sediments, such as till, one-tonne is required if the analysis includes cobble size. The capability of the GID method was demonstrated by studying coarse clasts (20-200 mm) from till. There is excellent agreement in the results of the size distribution obtained from the GID method and sieve analysis. The GID method results for size and shape parameters show high and very high repeatability. The particle angularity in the GID method has not been measured to acceptable level; the repeatability test shows some variability. The new methodology for total analysis of till applied the GID method at four different locations in Sweden. The total analysis included 3D size and shape distribution of coarse particles coupled to electrical resistivity, lithological distribution and magnetic susceptibility of the clasts. The results show clear difference in the till samples from the different sites. / <p>QC 20120828</p>

This study investigates the acquisition of grammatical gender and number agreement in Italian as a second language (L2). The theoretical framework is based on a functional approach that stresses the importance of form function mappings, cues, frequency effects and the statistical properties of the language input. The Competition Model is of particular importance and the Italian oral corpus LIP is used to make calculations that measure the validity, availability and reliability of the Italian noun endings. The data consists of 71 transcribed teacher-student dialogues with Swedish learners of Italian at Stockholm University. The results show that learners have problems with feminine gender in the plural and with ambiguous noun endings, i.e. cases where one form is connected to more than one function. These findings can be explained by cue competition and frequency effects and to some extent by a markedness effect.  A second study with time (longitudinal development) and reliability of the noun endings (high or low) as independent variables and degree of accuracy as dependent variable showed a positive increase in accuracy rates over time, both for low and high reliability noun endings. There was also a significant interaction effect between the two independent variables according to which cases of agreement with low validity noun endings showed a higher increase in accuracy rates than high validity noun endings. This could be explained by the power law of practice, i.e. cases of agreement with high reliability noun endings soon reach a very high level of accuracy from which it is difficult to make further progress.

Background: A well-known study, similar to ours, was made in 1985 in America, showing that "loser" portfolios outperformed the market while "winner" portfolios earned less return than the market. This finding is not in accordance with the theory of efficient markets. If a market is efficient, there should be no possibility of making sustainable excess returns and prices should follow a random walk. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to study a "winner" portfolio and a "loser" portfolio in order to establish whether the Swedish stock market is efficient in the weak form. We will study the efficiency of the A-list at Stockholm Stock Exchange. Delimitations: We test efficiency of the Swedish stock market in the weak form. Our investigation comprises stocks registered on the A-list of the Stockholm Stock Exchange. We do not take tax- and transactions costs into consideration in this study. Methodology: "Winner" and "loser" portfolios are formed for the period 1997- 2002. We keep the portfolios during a test period of one year, i.e. form new portfolios at the end of each year. The first winner and loser portfolios are selected on the last day of trading in 1996 and the last two portfolios are selected on the last day of trading in 2001. Results: Our result indicates that the Swedish stock market is efficient in the weak form during the period 1997-2002.