The false/ recovered memory debate has highlighted the complexities involved in assessing the validity of memories for emotional childhood events. This dissertation begins by tracing the history of the dominant school of thought on memory, the spatial perspective, as well as far less conspicuous reconstructive views, and challenges influential modern spatial views (e.g., repression) in light of a more defensible reconstructive model. The empirical component of this dissertation was designed to compare the nature of real, created, and fabricated childhood memories for emotional events within individuals. The critical issues being addressed in the experiment were: (1) whether people could come to remember false ("created") memories for emotional events; (2) if so, whether differences existed between created memories and real and/or intentionally lied about (fabricated) memories, and; (3) whether there were individual differences in susceptibility to created memories. Using a variation of an approach developed by Hyman, Husband, and Billings (1995), a questionnaire was forwarded to participants' parents inquiring about six categories of negative emotional events (serious medical procedure, serious animal attack, getting seriously hurt by another child, serious indoor accident, serious outdoor accident, and getting lost) which the participant may or may not have experienced between the ages of 4 and 10 years. Parents were asked to describe each event which had occurred and to give a number of specific pieces of information relating to the event. Based on the questionnaire information (85% response rate), 77 participants were interviewed about each of a: (1) real event; (2) false event; and (3) fabricated event, in three weekly-spaced interviews. Over the three interviews, the interviewers attempted to implant a created memory for the false emotional event using encouragement, context reinstatement, guided imagery, and instructing daily recall attempts. In the first interview, participant were asked about the real event and the false event (counterbalanced), each introduced as a true event. They were provided the event tide and four specific pieces of information to cue their memories (their age, location, season/ month, and people present), based on questionnaire information (contrived for the false events). In the second interview, participants were re-interviewed about their memories for the false event followed by the implantation procedure. In the third interview, participants were again interviewed about the false event with the same interview approach. Finally (after the last attempt at recalling the false event), they were provided written instructions to fabricate a childhood memory, again with an event category and four information clues, given preparation rime and a monetary incentive, and interviewed about the fabricated event with the same format as the other two memory types. Following transcription of the two or three (if a created memory had emerged) final memory reports, the memories were compared on several dependent measures, collectively designated the Memory Assessment Procedure (MAP), relating to their subjective and presentation characteristics. Participants were then asked to complete a Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) questionnaire to examine if susceptibility to created memories was related to a general dissociative cognitive pattern. Results indicated that twenty (26%) of participants created complete memories for the false emotional events (seven animal attacks, five instances of getting seriously hurt by another child, four serious outdoor accidents, three episodes of getting lost, and one medical procedure). Furthermore, 29.9% of participants reported some false information pertaining to the false event ("partial" memories), for a total of 55.9% of participants recalling information relating to the false event. The remaining participants (44.2%) reported no information pertaining to the false event. There were several interesting differences among the three memory types, including stress ratings, vividness/ clarity ratings, confidence ratings, coherence, number of details, repeated details, and memory failures. For example, when relating a created memory, participants were less confident and the memories were less vivid and detailed compared to the other memory types, but similar in sensory components and relevancy. On the other hand, participants were highly confident in their fabricated memories which were rated as highly stressful and vivid, and the memories were detailed. However, when relating a fabricated memory, participants repeated details and were less willing to admit lacking memory, relative to real memories. Other findings are reported on the origin of the created memories, age factors, memory perspective, reasons provided for first forgetting the false event, and post-interview confidence in the created memories. On the DES , participants who had come up with a partial or a created memory scored, on average, about twice as high as those participants who had recalled no false information, indicating that susceptibility to memory distortion may be related to a general dissociative pattern. This was the largest scale created memory study to date and the first to look at a variety of emotional childhood events and the content of the memories. Implications of the findings for the false memory debate and memory assessment in forensic contexts are discussed.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 68-80) Also available in print.

The false/ recovered memory debate has highlighted the complexities involved in assessing the validity of memories for emotional childhood events. This dissertation begins by tracing the history of the dominant school of thought on memory, the spatial perspective, as well as far less conspicuous reconstructive views, and challenges influential modern spatial views (e.g., repression) in light of a more defensible reconstructive model. The empirical component of this dissertation was designed to compare the nature of real, created, and fabricated childhood memories for emotional events within individuals. The critical issues being addressed in the experiment were: (1) whether people could come to remember false ("created") memories for emotional events; (2) if so, whether differences existed between created memories and real and/or intentionally lied about (fabricated) memories, and; (3) whether there were individual differences in susceptibility to created memories. Using a variation of an approach developed by Hyman, Husband, and Billings (1995), a questionnaire was forwarded to participants' parents inquiring about six categories of negative emotional events (serious medical procedure, serious animal attack, getting seriously hurt by another child, serious indoor accident, serious outdoor accident, and getting lost) which the participant may or may not have experienced between the ages of 4 and 10 years. Parents were asked to describe each event which had occurred and to give a number of specific pieces of information relating to the event. Based on the questionnaire information (85% response rate), 77 participants were interviewed about each of a: (1) real event; (2) false event; and (3) fabricated event, in three weekly-spaced interviews. Over the three interviews, the interviewers attempted to implant a created memory for the false emotional event using encouragement, context reinstatement, guided imagery, and instructing daily recall attempts. In the first interview, participant were asked about the real event and the false event (counterbalanced), each introduced as a true event. They were provided the event tide and four specific pieces of information to cue their memories (their age, location, season/ month, and people present), based on questionnaire information (contrived for the false events). In the second interview, participants were re-interviewed about their memories for the false event followed by the implantation procedure. In the third interview, participants were again interviewed about the false event with the same interview approach. Finally (after the last attempt at recalling the false event), they were provided written instructions to fabricate a childhood memory, again with an event category and four information clues, given preparation rime and a monetary incentive, and interviewed about the fabricated event with the same format as the other two memory types. Following transcription of the two or three (if a created memory had emerged) final memory reports, the memories were compared on several dependent measures, collectively designated the Memory Assessment Procedure (MAP), relating to their subjective and presentation characteristics. Participants were then asked to complete a Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) questionnaire to examine if susceptibility to created memories was related to a general dissociative cognitive pattern. Results indicated that twenty (26%) of participants created complete memories for the false emotional events (seven animal attacks, five instances of getting seriously hurt by another child, four serious outdoor accidents, three episodes of getting lost, and one medical procedure). Furthermore, 29.9% of participants reported some false information pertaining to the false event ("partial" memories), for a total of 55.9% of participants recalling information relating to the false event. The remaining participants (44.2%) reported no information pertaining to the false event. There were several interesting differences among the three memory types, including stress ratings, vividness/ clarity ratings, confidence ratings, coherence, number of details, repeated details, and memory failures. For example, when relating a created memory, participants were less confident and the memories were less vivid and detailed compared to the other memory types, but similar in sensory components and relevancy. On the other hand, participants were highly confident in their fabricated memories which were rated as highly stressful and vivid, and the memories were detailed. However, when relating a fabricated memory, participants repeated details and were less willing to admit lacking memory, relative to real memories. Other findings are reported on the origin of the created memories, age factors, memory perspective, reasons provided for first forgetting the false event, and post-interview confidence in the created memories. On the DES , participants who had come up with a partial or a created memory scored, on average, about twice as high as those participants who had recalled no false information, indicating that susceptibility to memory distortion may be related to a general dissociative pattern. This was the largest scale created memory study to date and the first to look at a variety of emotional childhood events and the content of the memories. Implications of the findings for the false memory debate and memory assessment in forensic contexts are discussed. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

archives@tulane.edu / We extend the conventional models in mathematical epidemiology to account for more practical (yet complicated) situations in infectious disease transmissions, such as behavior change, risk level differentiation and infectiousness as a function of time since infection. We allow the transmission rate and recovery rate to vary as functions of time since infection. We present the derivation of the integral differential equation model and analyze the associated analytical and long-time solutions. We prove the well-posedness of an initial boundary value problem for the model. We also derive the threshold quantities for the epidemic to grow. We then extend the approach for the vector-borne infectious disease models. We compare several risk distribution functions due to geographic reasons. We construct the behavior change factor for the host population to account for different levels of infectiousness due to behavior distinction and behavior change. We establish the well-posedness of an initial boundary value problem of the new model. Sensitivity analysis shows that different risk distribution functions that are designed to adjust for spatial and geographic reasons have a large impact on the solution. / 1 / Li Guan

This dissertation examines the prediction of speech intelligibility and quality using simulated auditory nerve fiber activity. The relationship of neural mean-rate and spike-timing activity to the perceptual salience of the envelope (ENV) and temporal fine-structure (TFS) of speech is indistinct. TFS affects neural temporal coding in two ways. TFS produces phase-locked spike-timing responses and narrowband cochlear filtering of TFS generates recovered ENV. These processes, with direct encoding of ENV to mean-rate responses, are the established transduction processes. We postulate that models based on mean-rate (over a time-window of approx. 6 to 16 ms) and spike-timing cues should produce accurate predictions of subjectively graded speech. Two studies are presented. The first study examined the contribution of mean-rate and spike-timing cues to predicting intelligibility. The relative level of mean-rate and spike-timing cues were manipulated using chimaerically vocoded speech. The Spectro-Temporal Modulation Index (STMI) and Neurogram SIMilarity (NSIM) were used to quantify the mean-rate and spike-timing activity. Linear regression models were developed using the STMI and NSIM. An interpretable model combining the STMI and the fine-timing NSIM demonstrated the most accurate predictions of the graded speech. The second study examined the contribution of mean-rate and spike-timing cues for predicting the quality of enhanced wideband speech. The mean-rate and fine-timing NSIM were used to quantify the mean-rate and spike-timing activity. Linear regression models were developed using the NSIM measures and optimization of the NSIM was investigated. A quality-optimized model with intermediate temporal resolution had the best predictive performance. The modelling approach used here allows for the study of normal and impaired hearing. It supports the design of hearing-aid processing algorithms and furthers the understanding how TFS cues might be applied in cochlear implant stimulation schemes. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / This dissertation examines how auditory nerve fiber activity can be used to predict speech intelligibility and quality. A model of the cochlea is used to generate simulated auditory nerve fiber responses to speech stimuli and the information conveyed by the corresponding spike-events is quantified using different measures of neural activity. A set of predictive models are constructed in a systematic manner using these neural measures and used to estimate the perceptual scoring of intelligibility and quality of normal-hearing listeners for two speech datasets. The results indicate that a model combining a measure of average neural discharge activity with a measure of instantaneous activity provides the best prediction accuracy. This work contributes to the knowledge of neural coding in the cochlea and higher centers of the brain and facilitates the development of hearing-aid and cochlear implant processing strategies.

published_or_final_version / Psychology / Master / Master of Philosophy

The objective of this work was to determine the influence of recovered fibres on the mechanical properties of board. Industrial board was provided by Fiskeby Board AB and laboratory board was made by using an isotropic sheet former. Board properties such as tensile strength, tensile stiffness, z-strength and bending stiffness were evaluated. Variation in the grammages of the middle and bottom layers of laboratory board was done and influence on the mechanical properties was studied. Each layer of multiply board was also tested separately at industrial board grammage and standard grammage. Results showed an increase in the tensile properties with the increase in the grammage of bottom layer, an increase in the z-strength of the board was also observed. Bending stiffness calculated by laminate theory also indicated an increase with the increase in the grammage of bottom layer. While testing of the separate layers showed an increase in the tensile properties of the layers with increasing the grammage while a decrease in z-strength was observed. Cracks occurred in the bottom layer of the multiply boards but an increase in the mechanical properties of board was observed. / Returfibrer är miljövänliga och ger ett försprång framför nyfiber på grund av låg kostnad. Det är dock allmänt känt att returfibrer inte uppvisar samma egenskaper som nyfibrer, i själva verket försämras fiberegenskaperna efter varje återvinningsprocess. Mekaniska egenskaper är mycket viktiga för kartongproducenter och därmed läggs en hel del energi på förbättringar utan kostsamma investeringar.   I detta examensarbete utvärderades mekaniska egenskaper för 4-skikts kartong såsom dragstyrka, dragstyvhet, böjstyvhet och z-styrka. Den industriella kartongen som användes kom från Fiskeby Board AB och laboratoriekartong tillverkades med en isotrop arkformer. Separata skikt formades och guskades därefter samman. Ytvikten av det mellersta och undre skiktet ändrades och effekten på kartongens egenskaper utvärderades. Varje lager testades också separat vid ytvikter representativt för den industriella kartongen samt vid standardiserade ytvikter. Styrkan i tjockleksriktningen utvärderades med z-styrka och Scott Bond. Böjstyvheten beräknades med hjälp av laminatteorin.   Skillnaderna i dragstyrka mellan kartong framställd i industrin och laboratorie var små, men dragstyvheten var lägre för laboratoriearken på grund av torktekniken. Skillnaderna i z-styrka var inte signifikanta, men baserat på trenden uppvisade laboratoriearken en lägre styrka på grund av ett lägre presstryck. Delamineringen i de testade proverna skedde i det undre skiktet och inga sprickor uppstod mellan skikten.   Genom ökning av ytvikten av de separata skikten ökade styrkeegenskaper såsom dragstyrka och Scott Bond medan z-styrkan minskade. Genom att minska ytvikten av det mellersta lagret och öka ytvikten av det nedre kunde en ökning av styrkeegenskaperna observeras. Ökningen av z-styrkan var inte signifikant men baserat på trenden kan en ökning förväntas. En betydande ökning av Scott Bond kunde dock ses. Böjstyvheten beräknad genom laminatteorin visade också på en ökning. Även om sprickor fortfarande förekommer i det undre skiktet efter ökning av ytvikten, kan förbättrade kartongegenskaper uppnås.

Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo investigar as relações de comunicação em ambientes de fábricas recuperadas e/ou ocupadas, geridas pelos trabalhadores sob o modelo da autogestão. Nossas hipóteses se fundamentam na perspectiva de que a comunicação, assim como o trabalho, tem uma dimensão ontológica, ainda que este ocupe a posição de fundante do ser social. Esta dimensão ontológica faz com que a comunicação seja constitutiva tanto das relações de produção, quanto do próprio processo produtivo. Nosso recorte se faz sobre as fábricas autogestionadas, anteriormente organizadas sob a forma de sociedades de capital (empresas capitalistas). O que nos interessa é verificar como se dão as relações de comunicação em uma situação onde as relações de produção já não ocorrem sob o modelo hierarquizado tradicional de empresas capitalistas, bem como de que forma a comunicação funciona no modelo autogestionado. Além disso, partimos também da perspectiva de que o mundo do trabalho é a principal mediação nos processos comunicacionais, o que inclui a maneira pela qual o sujeito se relaciona com as formas da comunicação em geral (meios, mediações etc.), o que vem sendo demonstrado pelos estudos de Fígaro (2001 e 2008). Assim, esperamos contribuir com os resultados já alcançados, realizando nossa pesquisa em fábricas autogestionadas. Optamos por uma perspectiva multidisciplinar apoiada no materialismo histórico. Isso inclui o estudo das condições objetivas de realização da comunicação e nosso recurso aos estudos em economia política; o estudo da dimensão subjetiva e simbólica e nosso aporte à análise do discurso; assim como à filosofia e teoria de Marx e outros autores que seguem o seu pensamento. / This research aims to investigate the relations of communication in recovered factories environments and / or occupied, managed by workers under the model of self-management. Our hypotheses are based on the view that the communication, and the work has an ontological dimension, even though it occupies the foundational position of social being. This ontological dimension makes the communication is both constitutive relations of production, as the actual production process. Our look is done on the self-managed factories, previously organized in the form of capital companies (capitalist firms). What interests us is to see how to give the relations of communication in a situation where the relations of production do not arise under the traditional hierarchical model of capitalist enterprises, as well as how communication works in the self-managed model. It also set off the prospect that the world of work is the main mediation in communication processes, including the way in which the subject is related to the forms of communication in general (media, mediation etc.), which has being demonstrated by studies of Figaro (2001 and 2008). Thus, we hope to contribute to the results already achieved by conducting our research in self-managed factories. We opted for a multidisciplinary approach supported in historical materialism. This includes the study of objective conditions for implementing the communication and use of our studies in political economy; the study of subjective and symbolic dimension and our contribution to discourse analysis; as well as the philosophy and theory of Marx and others who follow your thinking.

Foi desenvolvido um método de recuperação de proteína de cefalotórax de camarão-rosa (Penaeus brasiliensis e Penaeus paulensis), tendo como base a separação física e a insolubilização por precipitação isoelétrica (pH 4,5) e aquecimento (70-75°C/5min), caracterizando-se posteriormente o produto obtido e o resíduo sólido resultante. O método empregado propiciou um rendimento de cerca de 2% e a proteína recuperada mostrou-se acompanhada de reduzida quantidade de cálcio (0,03%) e quitina (0,5%) e de níveis de metais tóxicos (Hg, Cd, Pb, Cu e Zn) muito abaixo de limites permitidos em alimentos. Com base no cômputo químico dos amino ácidos essenciais, a proteína obtida apresentou uma qualidade nutricional de 54% e de 90%, em relação à caseína e à proteína da F.A.O/O.M.S, respectivamente, limitada primariamente pelo triptofano. A eficiência desta proteína em promover o crescimento dos animais foi de 81%, comparada à caseína, prejudicada parcialmente por sua digestibilidade (78%). A solubilidade da proteína estudada foi baixa a pH 7 (8,70%) e pôde ser melhorada (20 a 97,5%) através de tratamento alcalino e/ou eliminação do aquecimento na recuperação da mesma. Sua capacidade de emulsificação foi de 31% a 125% comparada à da proteína de soja comercial (Proteimax 90 HG), quando adotou-se também o tratamento alcalino e/ou a eliminação do aquecimento na sua recuperação. Com base no cômputo químico dos amino ácidos essenciais, a qualidade nutricional da proteína do residuo foi de 21% e de 35%, respectivamente em relação à caseína e à proteína da F.A.O/0.M.S., com limitação primária em triptofano. O rendimento em quitina e em quitosana atingiu 2,7g e 2,5g a partir do resíduo equivalente a 100g de cefalotórax ou 29g e 26g para cada 100g do mesmo, respectivamente. / A method for the protein recuperation from pink shrimp (Penaeus brasilensis and Penaeus palensis) cephalotorax was developed and the recuperated product and generated solid waste were characterized. The physical separation and protein insolubilization by isoelectric precipitation (pH4,5) and heating (70-75°C/5min) were the base of this method. The method promoted a yie1d of 2% and the protein product showed low quantities of calcium (0,03%) and chitin (0,5%) and very low quantities of toxic metals (Hg, Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn) in relation to limits permited in foods. Based on the essential amino acids chemical score the recuperated protein showed a nutritional quality of 54% and 90%, compared to casein and F.A.O/O.M.S reference protein, respectively, primarily limited in triptophan. The eficiency of this protein in animal growth promotion was of 81% in relation to casein, limited partially by its digestibility (78%). The solubilty of the protein was low at pH 7 (8,70%) and was improved (20 to 97,5%) through the alkaline treatment and/or heating elimination in its recuperation. The emulsification capacity of this protein was from 31% to 125% campared to commercial say protein (Proteimax 90 HG) when the a1ka1ine treatment and/or heating elimination was also used. Accarding to the essential amino acids chemical score the protein nutritional quality of the solid waste was of 21% and 35% respectively, in relation to casein and F.A.O/O.M.S. reference proteint with primary limitation in triptophan. The yield in chitin and chitosan was 2,7g and 2,5g/100g cephalotorax or 29g and 26g/100g solid waste, respectively.

La gazéification est un procédé de conversion thermochimique permettant de convertir un combustible solide en gaz de synthèse (syngaz), composé notamment de H2 et CO. L’utilisation de déchets non-dangereux sous forme de CSR doit, en plus de fournir une énergie avec de bons rendements, respecter les normes environnementales. Nos travaux évaluent les performances énergétiques et environnementales de la gazéification à l’air de CSR (bois, pneus, plastiques, boues de STEP) en réacteurs en lit fixe co-courant à l’échelle pilote et industrielle. Les méthodes d’analyse utilisées permettent un suivi de la composition du syngaz, ainsi que des polluants (soufrés, azotés, goudrons, métaux lourds) dans les effluents du procédé, par rapport à une ressource propre (bois brut). Les performances de gazéification du CSR Bois sont identiques au Bois. Cependant un ajout de 20%m de CSR Pneus, Plastique ou Boues de STEP à du CSR Bois conduit à une diminution de H2 et CO compensée par une augmentation d’hydrocarbures légers (CH4, C2), conduisant à un pouvoir calorifique similaire, compris entre 4,9 et 5,4 MJ/Nm3. Les performances de gazéification sont légèrement plus fiables avec les mélanges de CSR, entre 35 et 49% alors qu’elles atteignent 48 à 52% pour le Bois et le CSR Bois. Par rapport au Bois, seuls les composés azotés sont en plus grand nombre pour le CSR Bois. Pour les mélanges de CSR, les teneurs en goudrons, composés soufrés et azotés sont plus élevées. De plus, les teneurs en métaux lourds sont plus élevées dans les fines particules que dans les charbons, demandant probablement un traitement particulier. / Gasification is a thermochemical conversion process converting solid fuel into synthetic gas (syngas), containing H2 and CO. Sorting waste to produce SRF aims to allow a better energy recovery of waste, while satisfying environmental regulations. This study focuses on energetic and environmental performances of the air gasification of SRF (wood, tire, plastics, sewage sludge) using downdraft fixed bed reactors at pilot and industrial scale. Analytical procedures allow quantification of syngas composition as well as pollutant contents (sulfur, nitrogen, tars, heavy metals) in gasification outlet streams, considering raw wood as a reference. SRF Wood gasification performances are identical to Raw Wood. However adding 20%w of SRF Tire, Plastics or Sewage Sludge to SRF Wood leads to a decrease in H2 and CO contents, balanced by an increase in light hydrocarbons (CH4, C2), resulting in a similar syngas calorific value, ranging between 4.9 and 5.4 MJ/Nm3. Gasification performances are slightly lower with SRF mixes, ranging between 35 and 49%, while reaching 48 to 52% for Raw Wood and SRF Wood. Compared to Wood, only nitrogen containing pollutants are in higher concentrations with SRF Wood. In the case of SRF mixes, tars, sulfur and nitrogen containing pollutants are in higher concentrations. Moreover, heavy metals contents are higher in fine particles than in chars, resulting in a particular post-treatment.