Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-22T17:26:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 dm2_rdilli.pdf: 6543916 bytes, checksum: c1e5f8d9e3780088d192fcc2919a072b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-03-11 / In ubiquitous environments resources should be shared so that they can be accessed from anywhere and anytime. In this approach the process of resource discovery plays an important role in adequately satisfy the requests for resources. This paper presents the proposed EXEHDA-SD, EXEHDA-Semantic Discovery, which consists of a mechanism for resource discovery for ubiquitous computing, which combines technologies into its architecture for the semantic processing of requests for resources, increasing expressiveness in representation and consultation. The mechanism provides for the dynamics in which resources enter and leave the environment and pursue issues such as scalability and user preferences. In this sense, the work includes a study on mechanisms of resource discovery in the context of ubiquitous computing and technology for semantic processing with the intention of substantiating the architectural choices of the mechanism. The EXEHDA-SD was modeled to be prototyped as a service to the EXEHDA middleware, enabling the execution of search for resources located in the cells of the ubiquitous environment, in a scalable perspective, through the use of ontologies and tools for handling. Processing ontology expands the capacity for representation of environmental resources and their location. The use of semantic description of resources, among other things, facilitates the location of features similar to those requested. The model was compared with the state of the art, and its differential was discussed. Moreover, their functions were evaluated by three case studies / Em ambientes ubíquos os recursos devem estar compartilhados para que possam ser acessados de qualquer lugar e a qualquer momento. Nesta abordagem o processo de descoberta de recursos assume um importante papel em satisfazer adequadamente as requisições por recursos. Este trabalho apresenta a proposta do EXEHDA-SD, EXEHDASemantic Discovery, que consiste em um mecanismo de descoberta de recursos, para computação ubíqua, que agrega tecnologias em sua arquitetura para o processamento semântico de requisições por recursos, aumentando a expressividade na representação e consulta. O mecanismo prevê a dinamicidade em que os recursos entram e saem do ambiente e persegue aspectos como escalabilidade e preferências do usuário. Neste sentido, o trabalho desenvolvido contempla um estudo sobre mecanismos de descoberta de recursos no contexto da computação ubíqua e das tecnologias para processamento semântico com a intenção de fundamentar as escolhas arquiteturais do mecanismo. O EXEHDA-SD foi modelado para ser prototipado na forma de um serviço para o middleware EXEHDA, possibilitando a realização de pesquisas por recursos localizados nas células do ambiente ubíquo, em uma perspectiva escalável, através da utilização de ontologias e ferramentas para sua manipulação. O processamento de ontologias expande a capacidade de representação dos recursos do ambiente, bem como sua localização. A utilização de semântica na descrição dos recursos, dentre outros aspectos, facilita a localização de recursos similares ao solicitado. O modelo foi comparado com o estado da arte, e seu diferencial foi discutido. Outrossim, suas funcionalidades foram avaliadas por três estudos de caso

Submitted by Aline Batista (alinehb.ufpel@gmail.com) on 2018-04-19T12:36:54Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) dissertacao_eduardo_soares_de_abreu.pdf: 4224104 bytes, checksum: fc46a837bb512d7f07fb7941f7cd362d (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Aline Batista (alinehb.ufpel@gmail.com) on 2018-04-19T14:43:52Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) dissertacao_eduardo_soares_de_abreu.pdf: 4224104 bytes, checksum: fc46a837bb512d7f07fb7941f7cd362d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-19T14:44:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) dissertacao_eduardo_soares_de_abreu.pdf: 4224104 bytes, checksum: fc46a837bb512d7f07fb7941f7cd362d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-05-29 / Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / Nos últimos anos, as técnicas de Reconhecimento de Atividades têm atraído atenção crescente. Entre as muitas aplicações, um interesse especial está no domínio ubíquo da e-Health, onde o reconhecimento automático de atividades é usado em sistemas de reabilitação, gerenciamento de doenças crônicas, monitoramento de idosos, bem como em aplicações de bem-estar pessoal. Esse interesse tem tido como motivação o envelhecimento da população. Este envelhecimento resulta em significativos desafios socioeconômicos no setor da saúde pública, bem como na incidência de doenças crônico-degenerativas, sendo a demência uma das mais preocupantes. Uma alternativa que vem sendo amplamente proposta é a utilização de casas inteligentes (ambiente assistido de vivência), nos quais as residências das pessoas sob tratamento deverão contemplar serviços computacionais que possam auxiliá-las nas suas práticas diárias, de forma o mais transparente possível. Este trabalho tem como acrônimo EXEHDA-AR (EXEHDA-Activity Recognition), e seu objetivo principal é contribuir com o Subsistema de Reconhecimento de Contexto e Adaptação do middleware EXEHDA (Execution Environment for Highly Distributed Applications) capacitando-o para o atendimento das demandas do Reconhecimento de Atividades, explorando para isto uma abordagem baseada em Ciência de Contexto. O EXEHDA-AR explora processamento semântico para prover Reconhecimento de Atividades em Casas Inteligentes, para tanto foram propostos componentes a serem integrados ao middleware EXEHDA, bem como um modelo ontológico. Os dados de contexto coletados são agrupados segundo o conceito de janela de tempo deslizante. Quando avaliado o EXEHDA-AR obteve uma acurácia média de 94,36% no Reconhecimento de Atividades. Estes resultados apontam que métodos baseados em processamento semântico constituem uma alternativa viável para o reconhecimento de Atividades com baixo nível de intrusão, indicando a continuidade dos esforços de pesquisa. / In recent years, the techniques of Activity Recognition have attracted increasing attention. Among the many applications, special interest lies in the ubiquitous domain of e-Health, where automatic activity recognition is used in rehabilitation systems, chronic disease management, elderly monitoring, as well as in personal wellness applications. This interest has been motivated by the aging of the population. This aging results in significant socioeconomic challenges in the public health sector, as well as in the incidence of chronic-degenerative diseases, with dementia being one of the most worrying. An alternative that has been widely proposed is the use of intelligent houses (ambient assisted living), in which the residences of people under treatment should contemplate computational services that can assist them in their daily practices, in the most transparent way possible. This work has the acronym EXEHDA-AR (EXEHDA-Activity Recognition), and its main objective is to contribute with the Context Recognition and Adaptation Subsystem of the EXEHDA (Execution Environment for Highly Distributed Applications) middleware, enabling it to meet the demands Of Activity Recognition, using a Context Awareness approach. The EXEHDA-AR explores semantic processing to provide Activity Recognition in smart home, for which we have proposed components to be integrated with the EXEHDA middleware as well as an ontological model. The collected context data are grouped according to the concept of time-sliding window. When evaluated the EXEHDA-AR obtained an average accuracy of 94.36% in the Recognition of Activities. These results indicate that methods based on semantic processing constitute a viable alternative for the Recognition of Activities with low level of intrusion, indicating the continuity of research efforts.

The ability of the brain to change and form new neuropathways after brain injury is remarkable. The current study investigates the brains ability to form new pathways for language processing following traumatic brain injury (TBI), specifically a left temporal lobectomy. Two subjects participated in this study; one participant with TBI and one age-matched control. Sentence stimuli consisted of four types: semantically correct, semantically incorrect, syntactically correct, and syntactically incorrect. Participants underwent a fMRI scan while the auditory stimuli were presented in four blocks. Participants were asked to record if the sentence was correct or incorrect by pressing the corresponding button. It was found that reaction times for both the participant with TBI and the control were longer for the incorrect conditions. The participant with TBI generally had longer reaction times compared to the control participant and had more errors. During the fMRI scans, patient movement occurred. The block design was not set up to account for movement. Due to this factor, imaging results are questionable. While there were differences between the participant with TBI and the control participant, these differences are expected to be much larger in someone with this degree of brain injury. It is recommended for further studies to be conducted in this area with a revised block design to account for patient movement.

In open skill sports and other tasks, decision-making can be as important as physical performance. Whereas many studies have investigated visual perception there is little research on auditory perception as one aspect of decision making. Auditory localisation studies have almost exclusively focussed on underlying processes, such as interaural time difference and interaural level difference. It is not known, however, whether semantic spatial information contained in the sound is actually used, and whether it assists pure auditory localisation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect on auditory localisation of spatial semantic information. In Experiment One, this was explored by measuring whole body orientation to the words &quotLeft", &quotRight", &quotBack", &quotFront" and &quotYes", as well as a tone, each presented from left right, front and back locations. Experiment Two explored the effect of the four spatial semantic words presented either from their matching locations, or from a position rotated 20 degrees anticlockwise. In both experiments there were two conditions, with subjects required to face the position indicated by the sound location, or the meaning of the word. Movements of the head were recorded in three dimensions with a Polhemus Fastrak system, and were analysed with a custom program. Ten young adult volunteers participated in each experiment. Reaction time, movement time, initial rotation direction, rotation direction at peak velocity, and the accuracy of the final position were the dependent measures. The results confirmed previous reports of confusions between front and back locations, that is, errors about the interaural axis. Unlike previous studies, many more back-to-front than front-toback errors was made. The experiments provided some evidence for a spatial Stroop interference effect, that is, an effect on performance of conflicting information provided by the irrelevant dimension of the stimulus, but only for reaction time and initial movement direction, and only in the Word condition. The results are interpreted using a model of the processes needed to respond to the stimulus and produce an orienting movement. They suggest that there is an asymmetric interference effect in which auditory localisation can interfere with localisation based on semantic content of words, but not the reverse. In addition, final accuracy was unaffected by any interference, suggesting that these effects are restricted to the initial stages of response selection.

Esta dissertação teve como objetivo investigar as relações entre reconhecimento de palavras e compreensão de leitura textual e o processamento léxico. A dissertação é constituída de dois estudos. No primeiro estudo, são revisados modelos de leitura de palavras e de texto com o objetivo de examinar o papel do processamento léxico-semântico no reconhecimento visual de palavras e na compreensão de leitura textual. O paradigma de priming semântico é apresentado como uma ferramenta para a investigação da relação entre processamento léxico-semântico e ambos os componentes de leitura examinados. São apresentados os principais modelos teóricos de priming semântico, juntamente com uma revisão dos estudos empíricos que relacionam priming semântico e leitura, e algumas conclusões e perspectivas de investigação são apresentadas. No segundo estudo, foram investigadas empiricamente as relações entre processamento léxico-semântico e leitura (reconhecimento visual de palavras e compreensão de leitura textual) em uma amostra de 68 crianças, de 7 a 12 anos, de escolas particulares de Porto Alegre. O processamento léxico-semântico foi avaliado através de uma tarefa de decisão lexical no paradigma de priming semântico, enquanto as habilidades de leitura foram medidas por uma tarefa de leitura de palavras/pseudopalavras isoladas e uma tarefa de compreensão de leitura textual (resposta a questões e reconto de história). Foram investigadas correlações entre efeitos de priming semântico e desempenho em tarefas de leitura de palavras e compreensão de leitura textual e se o priming semântico prediz o desempenho dos participantes nas tarefas de leitura. Os resultados mostraram que o priming semântico se correlaciona com ambas as medidas de leitura, e que o reconhecimento de palavras medeia parcialmente a relação entre processamento léxico-semântico e compreensão de leitura textual. / The aim of this dissertation was to investigate the relationships between word recognition and reading comprehension with lexical-semantic processing. The dissertation is composed of two studies. In the first study, models of word reading and reading comprehension are reviewed in order to examine the role of lexical-semantic processing in visual word recognition and in reading comprehension. The semantic priming paradigm is presented as an instrument for the investigation of relationships between lexical-semantic processing and the components of reading examined. The main theoretical models of semantic priming are presented and a review of studies which relate semantic priming and reading is conducted, and some conclusions and perspectives for investigation are presented. In the second study, relations between lexical-semantic processing and reading (visual word recognition and reading comprehension) were investigated empirically in a sample of 68 children, aged seven to twelve years, from private schools in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Lexical-semantic processing was evaluated by a lexical decision task in the semantic priming paradigm and reading abilities were assessed with a word/nonword reading task and a reading comprehension task (questionnaire and story retelling). Correlations between semantic priming effects and word reading and reading comprehension were investigated, as well as if semantic priming effects predict performance on the reading task. Results showed that semantic priming correlates with both groups of reading measures, and that word reading partially mediates the relation between lexical-semantic processing and reading comprehension.

Esta dissertação teve como objetivo investigar as relações entre reconhecimento de palavras e compreensão de leitura textual e o processamento léxico. A dissertação é constituída de dois estudos. No primeiro estudo, são revisados modelos de leitura de palavras e de texto com o objetivo de examinar o papel do processamento léxico-semântico no reconhecimento visual de palavras e na compreensão de leitura textual. O paradigma de priming semântico é apresentado como uma ferramenta para a investigação da relação entre processamento léxico-semântico e ambos os componentes de leitura examinados. São apresentados os principais modelos teóricos de priming semântico, juntamente com uma revisão dos estudos empíricos que relacionam priming semântico e leitura, e algumas conclusões e perspectivas de investigação são apresentadas. No segundo estudo, foram investigadas empiricamente as relações entre processamento léxico-semântico e leitura (reconhecimento visual de palavras e compreensão de leitura textual) em uma amostra de 68 crianças, de 7 a 12 anos, de escolas particulares de Porto Alegre. O processamento léxico-semântico foi avaliado através de uma tarefa de decisão lexical no paradigma de priming semântico, enquanto as habilidades de leitura foram medidas por uma tarefa de leitura de palavras/pseudopalavras isoladas e uma tarefa de compreensão de leitura textual (resposta a questões e reconto de história). Foram investigadas correlações entre efeitos de priming semântico e desempenho em tarefas de leitura de palavras e compreensão de leitura textual e se o priming semântico prediz o desempenho dos participantes nas tarefas de leitura. Os resultados mostraram que o priming semântico se correlaciona com ambas as medidas de leitura, e que o reconhecimento de palavras medeia parcialmente a relação entre processamento léxico-semântico e compreensão de leitura textual. / The aim of this dissertation was to investigate the relationships between word recognition and reading comprehension with lexical-semantic processing. The dissertation is composed of two studies. In the first study, models of word reading and reading comprehension are reviewed in order to examine the role of lexical-semantic processing in visual word recognition and in reading comprehension. The semantic priming paradigm is presented as an instrument for the investigation of relationships between lexical-semantic processing and the components of reading examined. The main theoretical models of semantic priming are presented and a review of studies which relate semantic priming and reading is conducted, and some conclusions and perspectives for investigation are presented. In the second study, relations between lexical-semantic processing and reading (visual word recognition and reading comprehension) were investigated empirically in a sample of 68 children, aged seven to twelve years, from private schools in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Lexical-semantic processing was evaluated by a lexical decision task in the semantic priming paradigm and reading abilities were assessed with a word/nonword reading task and a reading comprehension task (questionnaire and story retelling). Correlations between semantic priming effects and word reading and reading comprehension were investigated, as well as if semantic priming effects predict performance on the reading task. Results showed that semantic priming correlates with both groups of reading measures, and that word reading partially mediates the relation between lexical-semantic processing and reading comprehension.

Esta dissertação teve como objetivo investigar as relações entre reconhecimento de palavras e compreensão de leitura textual e o processamento léxico. A dissertação é constituída de dois estudos. No primeiro estudo, são revisados modelos de leitura de palavras e de texto com o objetivo de examinar o papel do processamento léxico-semântico no reconhecimento visual de palavras e na compreensão de leitura textual. O paradigma de priming semântico é apresentado como uma ferramenta para a investigação da relação entre processamento léxico-semântico e ambos os componentes de leitura examinados. São apresentados os principais modelos teóricos de priming semântico, juntamente com uma revisão dos estudos empíricos que relacionam priming semântico e leitura, e algumas conclusões e perspectivas de investigação são apresentadas. No segundo estudo, foram investigadas empiricamente as relações entre processamento léxico-semântico e leitura (reconhecimento visual de palavras e compreensão de leitura textual) em uma amostra de 68 crianças, de 7 a 12 anos, de escolas particulares de Porto Alegre. O processamento léxico-semântico foi avaliado através de uma tarefa de decisão lexical no paradigma de priming semântico, enquanto as habilidades de leitura foram medidas por uma tarefa de leitura de palavras/pseudopalavras isoladas e uma tarefa de compreensão de leitura textual (resposta a questões e reconto de história). Foram investigadas correlações entre efeitos de priming semântico e desempenho em tarefas de leitura de palavras e compreensão de leitura textual e se o priming semântico prediz o desempenho dos participantes nas tarefas de leitura. Os resultados mostraram que o priming semântico se correlaciona com ambas as medidas de leitura, e que o reconhecimento de palavras medeia parcialmente a relação entre processamento léxico-semântico e compreensão de leitura textual. / The aim of this dissertation was to investigate the relationships between word recognition and reading comprehension with lexical-semantic processing. The dissertation is composed of two studies. In the first study, models of word reading and reading comprehension are reviewed in order to examine the role of lexical-semantic processing in visual word recognition and in reading comprehension. The semantic priming paradigm is presented as an instrument for the investigation of relationships between lexical-semantic processing and the components of reading examined. The main theoretical models of semantic priming are presented and a review of studies which relate semantic priming and reading is conducted, and some conclusions and perspectives for investigation are presented. In the second study, relations between lexical-semantic processing and reading (visual word recognition and reading comprehension) were investigated empirically in a sample of 68 children, aged seven to twelve years, from private schools in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Lexical-semantic processing was evaluated by a lexical decision task in the semantic priming paradigm and reading abilities were assessed with a word/nonword reading task and a reading comprehension task (questionnaire and story retelling). Correlations between semantic priming effects and word reading and reading comprehension were investigated, as well as if semantic priming effects predict performance on the reading task. Results showed that semantic priming correlates with both groups of reading measures, and that word reading partially mediates the relation between lexical-semantic processing and reading comprehension.

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Les avantages liés à la formation musicale transfèrent au traitement du langage, et à certaines fonctions perceptives et cognitives. Nous examinons si cette formation facilite aussi l'apprentissage de mots nouveaux au long de la vie. Les enfants «musiciens» et les jeunes musiciens professionnels surpassent les participants de contrôle dans une série d’expériences, avec une plasticité cérébrale plus rapide, et une connectivité fonctionnelle plus forte, mesurées par électroencéphalographie. Les résultats des musiciens plus âgés sont moins clairs, suggérant un impact limité de la formation musicale sur le déclin cognitif. Enfin, les jeunes musiciens ont une meilleure mémoire à long terme des nouveaux mots, ce qui contribuerait à expliquer l’avantage observé. Ces effets de transfert de la formation musicale au niveau sémantique et de la mémoire à long terme révèlent l’importance des fonctions cognitives générales et ouvrent de nouvelles perspectives pour l’éducation et la rééducation. / Based on results evidencing music training-related advantages on speech processing, perceptive and cognitive functions, we examine whether music training facilitates novel word learning throughout the lifespan. We show that musically-trained children and young professional musicians outperform controls in a series of experiments, with faster brain plasticity and stronger functional connectivity, as measured by electroencephalography. By contrast, advantages for old adult musicians are less clear-cut, suggesting a limited impact of music training to counteract cognitive decline. Finally, young musicians show better long-term memory for novel words, which possibly contributes, along with better auditory perception and attention, to their advantage in word learning. By showing transfer effects from music training to semantic processing and long-term memory, results reveal the importance of domain-general cognitive functions and open new perspectives for education and rehabilitation.