Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:43:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Raphael DallAnese Durante.pdf: 1430058 bytes, checksum: 5ebdc1c90224c85f622a002bc89e8145 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-06-22 / Fundo Mackenzie de Pesquisa / This research aims to present comments about the nature of freedom in the game between man and apparatus. Starting from a realistic method of investigation considering the movement of the game as part of a real universe, where the relationship of continuity and alterity are conditions of this ludic activity we tried to estabilish theoretical relations between Charles S. Pierce and Vilém Flusser aiming to study principles from this game, for exemple, the principles of freedom, necessity and automation; analysing then, its vital importance to the origin of a habit. At the same moment, in addition to observe a brief history of the concept of the game and include into the research a conception of a game as ludic and free activity, we aims, through a careful conceptual analysis, the metaphysical function of the apparatus. Finally, we reaffirm the relationship of alterity in the game as a possible way to freedom, we highlight our methodological and epistemological considerations and we also raise some questions about the proper research in the direction to have if become some type of method. / Esta pesquisa busca apresentar considerações sobre o caráter da liberdade no jogo entre homem e aparelho. Partindo de um método de investigação realista considerando o movimento do jogo como parte de um universo real, onde as relações de continuidade e alteridade são condições a esta atividade lúdica tentamos estabelecer relações teóricas entre Charles S. Peirce e Vilém Flusser tendo por objetivo estudar os princípios decorrentes deste jogo, a saber, os princípios de liberdade, necessidade e automação; observando, em seguida, a vital importância destes para a origem de um hábito. Ainda neste momento, além de observarmos uma breve história do conceito de jogo e incluirmos à pesquisa uma concepção de jogo como atividade lúdica e livre, buscamos compreender, por meio de uma cuidadosa análise conceitual, a função metafísica do aparelho. Finalmente, reafirmamos a relação de alteridade no jogo como um possível caminho à liberdade, destacamos nossas considerações epistemológicas e metodológicas e também levantamos algumas questões sobre a própria pesquisa, no sentido de ter se tornado algum tipo de método.

ABSTRACT Public speaking is a challenge faced by people from all walks of life. Research in the area of public speaking has focused on examining techniques to reduce public speaking anxiety. Very little research, however, has focused on the acquisition of public speaking skills. While presenting speeches, many people engage in nervous habits that have the potential to decrease the effectiveness of the speech and their credibility as a speaker. This study evaluated the effectiveness of simplified habit reversal in reducing three of these nervous habits: filled pauses, tongue clicking, and inappropriate use of the word like. Following baseline, participants received simplified habit reversal training that consisted of awareness training and competing response training. During post-intervention assessments all 6 participants exhibited an immediate decrease in all three target behaviors.

Addiction is characterized by a progressive loss of executive control over drug-seeking and consumption, and may be associated with a behavioral shift from instrumental goal-directed actions to stimulus-response habits. Sex differences in drug addiction have been linked to changing hormone levels across the estrous cycle, and females exhibit a particular vulnerability to psychostimulants such as cocaine and amphetamines. Psychostimulants and estrogen both influence dopaminergic activity in the dorsal striatum, a region of the brain in which dopamine activity is thought to mediate the shift from action to habit. In the present set of experiments, we examined the roles of sex, amphetamine, and degree of training on habit formation in rats. To test habit formation in each experiment, animals were trained on a variable interval (VI) schedule of reinforcement to nose-poke for sucrose pellet reinforcers, then the sucrose was devalued in half of the animals by pairing its presentation with injections of lithium chloride (LiCl) to induce nausea. Animals for whom the sucrose was paired with LiCl acquired a conditioned taste aversion for the sucrose reinforcer. When tested in extinction, paired animals who remained goal-directed should inhibit their responding for the devalued sucrose, whereas animals in habit should be insensitive to the devaluation and respond at a similar rate as their non-devalued counterparts. Experiment 1 examined the role of sex in habit formation in which intact male and female rats received identical training, devaluation, and testing in two separate within-sex experiments. After 240 reinforcer exposures females exhibited habitual behavior whereas males remained goal-directed. In Experiment 2, female rats were ovariectomized (OVX) and half were given cyclic estrogen replacement. All animals received either pre-exposure to methamphetamine (METH) or vehicle. Following exposure to 120 reinforcers, a level of training that had previously been shown to be subthreshold to habit formation in males, all female groups demonstrated goal-directed responding at test, revealing a lack of effect of hormone replacement or drug pre-treatment on habit formation in OVX females at this level of reinforcer exposure. Experiment 3 aimed to determine the degree of nose-poke training that would be sub-threshold to habit formation in intact females, and two groups were given different amounts of training. Both groups exhibited habitual responding, indicating that habit threshold in females is lower than hypothesized. Overall, these experiments suggest that females shift into habitual behavior earlier in training than males, and further experiments need to be conducted to determine how factors such as hormone milieu and psychostimulant exposure influence this progression.

One of the least explored areas of C.S. Peirce's wide range of work is his contributions to psychology and the philosophy of mind. This dissertation examines the corpus of this work, especially as it relates to the subjects of mind, habit, instinct, sentiment, emotion, perception, consciousness, cognition, and community. The argument is that Peirce's contributions to these areas of investigation were both highly original and heavily influenced by the main intellectual currents of his time. An effort has been made to present Peirce's philosophy without apology, within the conceptual framework and idiom of its time, and without appeal to a comprehensive view that Peirce never articulated. Nevertheless, as several noted interpreters have argued, much of this work can be viewed through the lens of Peirce's innovative theory of signs and the notion of the semiotic triad as its central unifying feature, despite the fact that the general theory was itself under continuous refinement and remained incomplete at the time of his death. Another hermeneutical device employed is William James' better known and more accessible work which, when juxtaposed with Peirce's ideas, serves to bring them into sharper relief. While general and historical in the presentation of material, this study seeks, at the same time, to engage the criticism of contemporary Peirce scholars in an attempt to account for several of the conundrums inherent in Peirce's work. Among the problems with implications for his philosophy of mind and theory of inquiry are the limitations of his theory of continuity, his negative view of the self, his somewhat ambiguous position on the relation of psychology to logic, and the metaethical puzzle arising from application of his theory of probable inference to truly fateful decisions. These problems provide an interesting perspective and lend balance to the truly insightful contributions Peirce made to the discovery of the mind.

Bibliography: leaves 215-236

This thesis explored the effect of cocaine use on treatment outcomes for heroin dependent individuals in Sydney, Australia. A naturalistic, longitudinal design was employed in order to examine the effects of cocaine on outcomes over a two year period. Study 1 assessed the prevalence and correlates of cocaine use among heroin dependent individuals. Cocaine use was found to be common among entrants to all three of the major treatment modalities in NSW. Heroin users who also used cocaine (CU) displayed a poorer clinical profile at baseline than non-cocaine users (NCU), reporting higher levels of drug use and dependence, and a greater prevalence of needle risk-taking and criminal behaviour. Study 2 examined outcomes three months post-study entry. CU and NCU were found to have been equally well retained in treatment. Despite significantly reduced levels of cocaine use amongst the cohort, however, CU continued to display the higher levels of drug-related harm that characterized them at baseline. In order to determine whether cocaine use itself was responsible for the greater levels of harm observed amongst CU, or whether instead CU were an inherently more dysfunctional group for whom cocaine use merely served as a marker, comparisons were made within groups on the basis of cocaine use patterns over the study period. The results of these analyses demonstrated that commencing cocaine use resulted in a clear decline in functioning, whereas cessation resulted in corresponding improvements. In Study 3 outcomes were examined twelve months post-study. Baseline cocaine use was again found to predict poorer outcome, despite a large scale reduction in cocaine use amongst the cohort. Importantly, CU were significantly less likely than NCU to be abstinent from heroin at twelve months and more likely to have been incarcerated since study entry. In addition, the effect of persistence of cocaine use was examined. Results indicated that the harms associated with cocaine use increased with increasing persistence of use. Outcomes at two years post-study entry were explored in Study 4. At this time CU and NCU recorded similar outcomes in most domains. Thus, it appeared that the harms caused by cocaine use may take a substantial period of time to diminish. Patterns of cocaine use and motivations for cessation and commencement were also examined. Responses suggested that cocaine use amongst the cohort was largely opportunistic, with participants ceasing use for a variety of reasons, including the financial and psychological problems caused by cocaine use. Past year prevalence of cocaine dependence was measured in this study, with the majority of those who had used cocaine in the past year meeting criteria for dependence. In Study 5, generalized estimating equations were used to measure the effect of baseline cocaine use on major outcome variables over the entire two year study period. Even after controlling for treatment variables, heroin use and other baseline polydrug use, the results of this study confirmed previous findings within the thesis by demonstrating the negative effect of baseline cocaine use on most outcome variables. Evidently, cocaine use among dependent heroin users has serious, long lasting, consequences. To date, however, there has been a stark lack of research examining the effect of cocaine use on treatment outcomes for heroin dependence. To that end, the results of this thesis are encouraging, suggesting that treatment for heroin dependence may also aid in reducing cocaine use among this group.

Increased demands on amphetamine dependence treatment services point to a need for effective pharmacotherapies for withdrawal symptom suppression. However, empirical data on which to base effective treatments are scarce. To address the need for an evidence base, four studies were conducted in two countries - Australia and Thailand. Firstly, the time course and severity of amphetamine withdrawal symptoms were characterised in two inpatient samples of amphetamine users. Results identified the first week of abstinence as an acute withdrawal phase characterised by increased sleeping, eating and a cluster of mood and anxiety - related symptoms. Following the acute phase, most withdrawal symptoms remained stable and at low levels for the remaining two weeks of abstinence ( the sub - acute phase ). Data from these two studies formed the basis for a new instrument, the Amphetamine Cessation Symptom Assessment scale ( ACSA ). On psychometric testing, the ACSA showed satisfactory reliability and a clear psychometric structure, delineating symptom clusters and their correlates with a three factor solution providing the best fit to the data. Using the ACSA to measure outcome, the safety and efficacy of the serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor antidepressant mirtazapine ( 15 - 60 mg per day, n = 13 ), and the wake-promoting drug, modafinil ( 400mg per day, n = 14 ) were assessed in successive, open - label, inpatient pilot trials. Study medication was administered for up to ten days. An historical comparison group ( n = 22 ) who received treatment as usual consisting of pericyazine 2.5 - 10mg per day for control of agitation served as a comparison. Results showed that modafinil and mirtazapine were well tolerated, producing minimal positive subjective effects. There were significant group differences in withdrawal severity ( F = 18.6, df 2,219 p < 0.001 ). Post - hoc analysis showed that modafinil was more effective than mirtazapine ( p = 0.041 ), and both were more effective than treatment as usual ( both p < 0.001 ) in ameliorating withdrawal severity. Overall, these studies identified a peak in withdrawal severity during the first week of abstinence ; demonstrated the reliability and validity of the ACSA and identified modafinil as a safe and potentially effective pharmacotherapy for the treatment of amphetamine withdrawal symptoms. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Medical School, 2005.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of English, March 1999. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

The aim of the present investigation is to increase theunderstanding of the role played by the solvent in inhibitingor enhancing crystal growth. Drowning-out crystallizationexperiments has been performed by the controlled addition ofwater or ethanol water mixtures to a saturated solution ofbenzoic acid in ethanol-water mixtures. Crystal habitcontrolling factors have been identified.Seededcrystallization experiments have been carried out to evaluatethe effect of solvent composition on crystal habit at constantsupersaturation. The solubility of benzoic acid inethanol-water mixtures at the working temperatures has beendetermined. Electro-zone sensing determinations and microscopicmeasurements are used to characterize the final crystallineproduct. It has been found that the shape of the benzoic acidcrystals grown from ethanol-water solutions ranges from needlesto platelets. Platy particles possess a predominant basal plane(001), bound by (010) and (100) faces, while needles aredeveloped along the b-axis. Long needle-shaped particles havebeen produced at low initial bulk concentration and highethanol concentration in the feed. Small platelets are obtainedat high initial bulk concentrations and high waterconcentration in the feed. The effect of solvent composition on the growth rate hasbeen evaluated at constant supersaturation. Seed crystals arecharacterized by image analysis measurement both before andafter each experiment. Length and width dimensions have beenmeasured on the particle silhouette. The growth rate, thesolid-liquid interfacial energy and the surface entropy factorfor the (010) faces (length dimension) and (100) faces (widthdimension) have been estimated. The interfacial energy andsurface entropy factor decreases in the direction of increasingethanol concentration due to increasing solubility. The results suggest that at low ethanol concentration(xEtOH&lt;60%) growth proceeds by screw dislocation mechanism,and adsorption of ethanol molecules may reduce the growth rate.As the ethanol concentration increases above a critical value(xEtOH ≥60%), the growth mechanism shifts to surfacenucleation and the growth rate increases with increasingethanol concentration. It has been suggested that the observedeffect of the solvent composition on crystal habit is theresult of two conflicting effects here referred as the kineticand interfacial energy effects. High interactions of the pairethanol-benzoic acid seem to be responsible of the growthretardation (kinetic effect) exerted by the solvent. On theother hand, increased ethanol concentration leads to reduceinterfacial energy and increasing surface nucleation whichmight contribute to enhance growth kinetics. <b>Keywords:</b>drowning-out crystallisation, solventcomposition, benzoic acid, solubility, crystal growth,interfacial energy, surface entropy factor, growth mechanism,crystal shape distribution.

La artritis reumatoide (AR) es la artropatía inflamatoria crónica más frecuente, afecta aproximadamente el 0.5% - 1% de la población general y causa una progresiva destrucción articular, discapacidad y disminución de la expectativa de vida. La etiología de la AR es desconocida y su patogenia solo parcialmente conocida al día de hoy. En los últimos años se han estudiado e identificado múltiples factores de riesgo para su desarrollo. Sabemos que intervienen factores genéticos y ambientales y que la interacción de ambos puede ser determinante en el desarrollo de la enfermedad. Entre los factores ambientales el tabaco ha sido ampliamente estudiado y actualmente se lo reconoce como el factor de riesgo no genético más importante para el desarrollo de AR, siendo este efecto particularmente importante en aquellos sujetos que presentan una susceptibilidad genética (presencia del epitopo reumatoide (ER)). Estudios más recientes ponen de manifiesto que el consumo de tabaco puede influir además en la expresión clínica de la enfermedad, determinar un curso evolutivo más grave y una mayor destrucción articular, aunque no todos los estudios son concordantes en estos últimos aspectos. El objetivo general de esta tesis fue analizar el efecto del consumo de tabaco en la expresión clínica y curso evolutivo de la artritis reumatoide en una cohorte de pacientes con artritis reumatoide de reciente comienzo. Para esto se llevó a cabo un estudio prospectivo en una cohorte de pacientes con artritis reumatoide de inicio (menos de dos años desde el inicio de los síntomas). En ellos se analizaron las características epidemiológicas, clínicas, serológicas y radiológicas basales y periódicamente, cada tres meses, hasta los dos años de evolución. Estas variables fueron comparadas entre aquellos pacientes fumadores y los no fumadores. Se observó que los pacientes con AR fumadores son con mayor frecuencia son portadores del epitopo reumatoide, lo que sugiere la existencia de una relación genético-ambiental en el desarrollo de la AR. En nuestra serie no hemos podido observar relación entre el consumo de tabaco y la presencia de ACPA. Desde el punto de vista de la expresión clínica de la AR, los pacientes fumadores presentaron un debut de su enfermedad más temprano que los no fumadores. La actividad clínica y biológica de la enfermedad y discapacidad que presentaron tanto al momento del debut de la AR como tras dos años de seguimiento fueron similares entre fumadores y no fumadores. El tabaco no parece influir en la expresión clínica de la enfermedad (a corto plazo). En cuanto a la destrucción articular, el tabaco demostró ser un factor predictor independiente de destrucción articular, junto con el sexo femenino y la presencia del ER. No obstante la magnitud de este efecto sería moderada. La prevalencia de ACPA en la población sana, tanto si son fumadores o no lo son, es del 1.9%. En grandes fumadores el consumo de tabaco no determina una mayor producción de ACPA. Sin embargo los grandes fumadores con EPOC sí tendrían una mayor predisposición a la producción de ACPA, aunque a títulos bajos. La implicación y relevancia clínica de los mismos debe ser aún estudiada en mayor profundidad.