This study describes a series of case studies on topic management patterns of five children (ages 5 to 10 years) with language impairment. The children participated in semi-structured topic tasks that assessed conversational abilities on topics that were verbally introduced and topics that were introduced both verbally and with an object. Although there was considerable variability among participants, the children generally responded to most introductions by acknowledging and maintaining the topic. With the exception of one child, however, the children in this study demonstrated immature topic manipulation patterns that could be expected to have negative social ramifications.

The interactions of biomolecules and cells at solid-liquid interfaces play a pivotal role in a range of biomedical applications and have hence been studied in detail. An improved understanding of these interactions results in the ability to manipulate biomolecules and concurrently cells spatially and temporally at surfaces with high precision. Spatial control can be achieved using patterned surface chemistries whilst temporal control is achieved by switchable surfaces. The combination of these two surface properties offers unprecedented control over the behaviour of biomolecules and cells at the solid-liquid interface. This is particularly relevant for cell microarray applications, where a range of biological processes must be duly controlled in order to maximise the efficiency and throughput of these devices. Of particular interest are transfected cell microarrays (TCMs), which significantly widen the scope of microarray genomic analysis by enabling the high-throughput analysis of gene function within living cells Initially, this thesis focuses on the spatially controlled, electro-stimulated adsorption and desorption of DNA. Surface modification of a silicon chip with an allylamine plasma polymer (ALAPP) layer resulted in a surface that supported DNA adsorption and sustained cell attachment. Subsequent high density grafting of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) formed a layer resistant to biomolecule adsorption and cell attachment. PEG grafted surfaces also showed significantly reduced attachment of DNA with an equilibrium binding constant of 23 ml/mg as compared with 1600 ml/mg for ALAPP modified surfaces. Moreover, both hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions were shown to contribute to the binding of DNA to ALAPP. Spatial control over the surface chemistry was achieved using excimer laser ablation of the PEG coating which enabled the production of patterns of re-exposed ALAPP with high resolution. Preferential electro-stimulated adsorption of DNA to the ALAPP regions and subsequent desorption by the application of a negative bias was observed. Furthermore, this approach was investigated for TCM applications. Cell culture experiments demonstrated efficient and controlled transfection of cells. Electro-stimulated desorption of DNA was shown to yield enhanced solid phase transfection efficiencies with values of up to 30%. The ability to spatially control DNA adsorption combined with the ability to control the binding and release of DNA by application of a controlled voltage enables an advanced level of control over DNA bioactivity on solid substrates and lends itself to biochip applications. As an alternative approach to surface patterning, the fabrication and characterisation of chemical patterns using a technique that can be readily integrated with methods currently used for the formation of microarrays is also presented. Here, phenylazide modified polymers were printed onto low fouling ALAPP-PEG modified surfaces. UV irradiation of these polymer arrays resulted in the crosslinking of the polymer spots and their covalent attachment to the surface. Cell attachment was shown to follow the patterned surface chemistry. Due to the use of a microarray contact printer it was easily possible to deposit DNA on top of the polymer microarray spots. A transfected cell microarray was generated in this way, demonstrating the ability to limit cell attachment to specific regions and the suitability of this approach for high density cell assays. In order to allow for the high-throughput characterisation of the resultant polymer microarrays, surface plasmon resonance imaging was utilised to study the adsorption and desorption of bovine serum albumin, collagen and fibronectin. This analysis enabled insights into the underlying mechanisms of cell attachment to the polymers studied. For the system analysed here, electrostatic interactions were shown to dominate cellular behaviour.

Cette thèse présente Cabri-géomètre, un logiciel d'aide à l'enseignement de la géométrie. Cabri-géomètre est un cahier de brouillon interactif, un micromonde qui permet de construire et d'explorer les figures de la géométrie euclidienne plane. Il est notamment possible de modifier la position des objets dits quelconques et de voir évoluer la figure en temps réel. Toutes les actions sur la figure se font par manipulation directe (en les désignant avec une souris) des objets impliques. Le terme de micromonde recouvre les environnements d'apprentissage dans lesquels l'apprenant construit lui-même ses connaissances en expérimentant et en étudiant les phénomènes du domaine. Dans une première partie, nous présentons quelques généralités sur l'enseignement intelligemment assiste par ordinateur, les tendances de recherche et la place de cabri-géomètre sur l'éventail des réalisations actuelles. Dans une deuxième partie, nous exposons les spécifications de ce micromonde en insistant notamment sur les problèmes rencontres lors de la définition des interfaces et de la représentation informatique de la structure logique des figures de géométrie

This work relates to the automated parallel manipulation of parts at sub-millimeter scale and is a part of EU funded GOLEM Project. The main challenge at this scale is to develop novel methods for high throughput parallel assembly of components of a few hundreds of micrometers. At this scale, a serial approach would be extremely limited by the requirements on precision, speed ans especially by the particularities of physics. The proposed approach in this work is opto-fluidic, based on the Marangoni effect, a convective fluidic phenomena. The Marangoni effect is explored and analyzed both theoretically and experimentally. An experimental set-up is designed and constructed in this purpose. These studies show the advantages of the proposed approach for high speed manipulation of microcomponents in different sizes and geometries. The manipulation set-up is also entirely automated in order to show the parallel manipulation capabilities of this novel assembly technique. The first chapter gives an overview of contactless manipulation techniques at microscale, such as optical tweezers, electric field, dielectrophoresis, acoustic waves and thermal motion based techniques. A comparison of the techniques points Marangoni effect as a viable solution. The second chapter deals with the theoretical analysis of two convection phenomena: free convection and B'enard-Marangoni convection. This through a multi-physics finite elements based modeling. The governing equations for these phenomena are presented based on the fluid dynamics laws. A Proposed model is applied on a simple case of natural convection for initial analysis. Several simulations and their experimental validations are presented. Different parameters are analyzed such as water depth, temperature distribution and velocity field. Finally, a comparison between these phenomena is presented to know which mechanism predominates and is more suitable in our case. The Marangoni effect is presented as a promising method to drag micro-objects immersed in liquid media using only an IR laser beam as a heat source. This analysis allowed us to define the parameters for a conception of an experimental set-up for non-contact manipulation. The third chapter describes the design of this above mentioned robotic platform. This platform is composed of several components: an optical microscope, a laser source as local thermal source, a scanner to address the laser with precision and other electronics. A vision system, using a high speed camera is also implemented. A calibration of this vision system is established in order to define the available precision of the overall system, dimensions and measurable velocities of manipulated parts by experimental analysis. This approach also allows to measure instantaneous acceleration values and leads to the estimation of the force applied to manipulated objects. The fourth chapter deals with the automation of the manipulation process. The aim is to show that the proposed system is able to displace several microparts to predefined positions without user interaction. Particularly, the control of the Marangoni effect through the control of the position of the local heat source is demonstrated. The motion of this local thermal source is supplied by reflecting a laser beam on a mirror controlled by a high speed scanner. The implemented automation allows for a real time and high speed control hence it is possible to act simultaneously on several parts. The control loop is closed with vision feedback which is able to track at high frequency and sufficient precision all the involved parts at different form and dimensions. An experimental validation of parallel manipulation is describes and shows the originality of the proposed approach.

<p>Tidigare forskning pekar på att psykologiska faktorer påverkar hur individen rekryteras till en sekt. Förförståelsen inför denna intervjustudie var att det skulle kunna finnas ett behov av ett rehabiliteringscentrum i Sverige, och frågeställningen gällde vilka behov som föreligger hos en individ som lämnar en destruktiv sekt sett utifrån professionella hjälpares perspektiv. 14 personer deltog, psykiatriker, präster, politiker, terapeuter och psykologer. Resultatet visade att det finns olika anledningar till att individer rekryteras in i en sekt liksom till att de lämnar den. Resultatet visade också att det föreligger ett hjälpbehov hos individer som lämnar sekter och gemensamma svar för alla respondenter var att det behövs: (1) samtal, (2) gemenskap, (3) någon som lyssnar.</p>

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of spinal manipulation therapy (SMT) duration and amplitude on spinal stiffness. Methods: Simulated SMTs were performed at the L6 spinous process in twenty-two felines. SMTs ranging from 25 to 250 ms duration were performed. Groups 1 and 2 received maximal displacements of 1.0mm to 3.0mm. Groups 3 and 4 received maximal loads of 25% to 85% body weight. Local stiffness was quantified by applying an indentation to the vertebra. Results: Repeated SMTs caused minimal changes in stiffness. The interaction effect of duration X displacement in Groups 1 and 2, and the effect of duration in Group 3 were significant. Conclusion: Repeated SMTs cause minimal changes in stiffness thought to be due to a viscoelastic response. Some of the changes following select SMT conditions may be the result of an interaction effect between SMT duration and amplitude. No specific threshold condition was identified as causing a greater stiffness change. / Physical Therapy

Tidigare forskning pekar på att psykologiska faktorer påverkar hur individen rekryteras till en sekt. Förförståelsen inför denna intervjustudie var att det skulle kunna finnas ett behov av ett rehabiliteringscentrum i Sverige, och frågeställningen gällde vilka behov som föreligger hos en individ som lämnar en destruktiv sekt sett utifrån professionella hjälpares perspektiv. 14 personer deltog, psykiatriker, präster, politiker, terapeuter och psykologer. Resultatet visade att det finns olika anledningar till att individer rekryteras in i en sekt liksom till att de lämnar den. Resultatet visade också att det föreligger ett hjälpbehov hos individer som lämnar sekter och gemensamma svar för alla respondenter var att det behövs: (1) samtal, (2) gemenskap, (3) någon som lyssnar.

This thesis examines case studies and historical accounts taken from different periods of the history of recording technology, and addresses questions concerning the impact of mediatization, manipulation, and mediation on listeners' and performers' approaches to music. The project considers the development of the idea of "copies without originals," and of the ideological frameworks that have been used to describe and classify recorded sound. The first case study covers the early days of the phonograph and its development in Victorian society, then contrasts the values and motivations of those early years with modern-day rock performance and its own value systems. Moving into the mid-twentieth century, a chapter of this thesis is devoted to the work of Glenn Gould, and the possibilities for tape manipulation that the Canadian pianist explored during the period of his career that was focused on the recording studio. Lastly, this project examines the innovative, user-driven methods of music-making that are gaining momentum today, including Bjork's "Biophilia" app album, and the emergence of a new genre of popular music in Asia that uses vocal synthesizers in place of live performers. By exploring these case studies alongside the works of scholars in musicology, media studies, sound theory, film and television, and popular music studies, this thesis demonstrates how cultural need, individual innovation, and social involvement interact to direct the development and application of emerging media technologies.

Chronic neck pain, including subclinical neck pain (SCNP), is a significant problem that places a burden on the healthcare system. Chiropractic manipulation has shown not only to be effective in treating symptoms of neck pain, but also in providing a neuromodulatory effect on the central nervous system. The motor cortex and cerebellum are thought to be important neural structures involved in motor learning and sensorimotor integration (SMI), and are therefore key structures to investigate how SMI is changed in a SCNP group following chiropractic care. Motor sequence learning (MSL) has also been shown to provide alterations in cerebellar projections to the motor cortex. Therefore, the studies in this thesis set out to determine if it was possible to induce both cortical and cerebellar learning, and if chiropractic care could alter motor output via transcranial magnetic stimulation measures to facilitate this learning. The study‟s results suggest that in a healthy group of subjects there is alteration in the intracortical inhibition of the motor cortex and no significant change in the cerebellum, following MSL. However, the results also suggest that in a SCNP group, there is a modulation of the cerebellar connections to the motor cortex but no effect specific to the motor cortex following both MSL and chiropractic manipulation. Therefore, these findings suggest that people with intermittent neck pain have concomitant changes in SMI and could manifest as clinical symptomology. / UOIT

Digital microfluidics is a new technology that permits manipulation of liquid droplets on an array of electrodes. Using this technology, nanoliter to microliter size droplets of different samples and reagents can be dispensed from reservoirs, moved, split, and merged together. Digital microfluidics is poised to become an important and useful tool for biomedical applications because of its capacity to precisely and automatically carry out sequential chemical reactions. In this thesis, a set of tools is presented to accelerate the integration of digital microfluidics into Lab-on-a-Chip platforms for a wide range of applications. An important contribution in this thesis is the development of three rapid prototyping techniques, including the use of laser printing to pattern flexible printed circuit board (PCB) substrates, to make the technology accessible and less expensive. Using these techniques, both digital and channel microfluidic devices can be produced in less than 30 minutes at a minimal cost. These rapid prototyping techniques led to a new method for manipulating liquid droplets on non-planar surfaces. The method, called All Terrain Droplet Actuation (ATDA), was used for several applications, including DNA enrichment by liquid-liquid extraction. ATDA has great potential for the integration of different physico-chemical environments on Lab-on-a-Chip devices. A second important contribution described herein is the development of a new microfluidic format, hybrid microfluidics, which combines digital and channel microfluidics on the same platform. The new hybrid device architecture was used to perform biological sample processing (e.g. enzymatic digestion and fluorescent labeling) followed by electrophoretic separation of the analytes. This new format will facilitate complete automation of Lab-on-a-Chip devices and will eliminate the need for extensive manual sample processing (e.g. pipetting) or expensive robotic stations. Finally, numerical modeling of droplet actuation on single-plate digital microfluidic devices, using electrodynamics, was used to evaluate the droplet actuation forces. Modeling results were verified experimentally using an innovative technique that estimates actuation forces based on resistive forces against droplet motion. The results suggested a list of design tips to produce better devices. It is hoped that the work presented in this thesis will help introduce digital microfluidics to many of the existing Lab-on-a-Chip applications and inspire the development of new ones.