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Thirty recreationally active individuals, 16 males and 14 females, participated in the study to examine the effects of policosanol supplementation on reaction time, force production and the blood lipid profile. The subjects were matched based on height, weight. gender, current physical activity level and body fat percentage. The matched subjects where randomly assigned to either the policosanol or placebo group. Supplementation period lasted 8 weeks with reaction and decision time measurements taken at baseline, weeks 2, 4, 6 and 8. Force production was evaluated with the Cybex Dynamometer at speeds of 60, 120, 180 and 240 degrees/second at baseline, weeks 2, 4, 6 and 8. Blood was drawn and analyzed at baseline, weeks 4 and 8. A two way repeated analysis of variance was used to analyze differences between pre and post measurement at a significance level of p <_ .05. There were no significant changes in reaction ordecision time between groups. Force production significantly increased in both groups however, there was no significance between groups. The blood analysis demonstrated significant changes in total cholesterol and triglycerides. No differences were found in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol or liver function measurements. It was concluded that further research in needed to examine the effects of reaction time in older individuals with possibly slower reaction times. The increase in force was due to a training effect and not from policosanol supplementation. However, future research with policosanol and strength needs to incorporate a training protocol. The trend observed with the blood parameters was concluded be a normalizing effect rather than a lowering effect. / School of Physical Education

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Time-to-event outcomes are widely utilized in medical research. Assessing the cumulative effects of time-varying exposures on time-to-event outcomes poses challenges in statistical modeling. First, exposure status, intensity, or duration may vary over time. Second, exposure effects may be delayed over a latent period, a situation that is not considered in traditional survival models. Third, exposures that occur within a time window may cumulatively in uence an outcome. Fourth, such cumulative exposure effects may be non-linear over exposure latent period. Lastly, exposure-outcome dynamics may differ among groups defined by individuals' characteristics. These challenges have not been adequately addressed in current statistical models. The objective of this dissertation is to provide a novel approach to modeling group-specific dynamics between cumulative timevarying exposures and a time-to-event outcome. A framework of group-specific dynamic models is introduced utilizing functional time-dependent cumulative exposures within an etiologically relevant time window. Penalizedspline time-dependent Cox models are proposed to evaluate group-specific outcome-exposure dynamics through the associations of a time-to-event outcome with functional cumulative exposures and group-by-exposure interactions. Model parameter estimation is achieved by penalized partial likelihood. Hypothesis testing for comparison of group-specific exposure effects is performed by Wald type tests. These models are extended to group-specific non-linear exposure intensity-latency-outcome relationship and group-specific interaction effect from multiple exposures. Extensive simulation studies are conducted and demonstrate satisfactory model performances. The proposed methods are applied to the analyses of group-specific associations between antidepressant use and time to coronary artery disease in a depression-screening cohort using data extracted from electronic medical records.

近年來，我國財政收支嚴重不平衡，地方政府相較於中央財政問題更困窘。由歷年來賦稅依存度或稅收資料顯示，地方賦稅收入並無法足夠支應地方支出，加上因為地區經濟發展狀況不同，各縣市財政收入不平衡，造成貧窮縣市之財政狀況更為艱辛，須依靠中央政府之補助款才得以提供地方事務。 本研究探討各地方財產稅之影響因素，因財產稅占各地方政府之賦稅收入之大宗，加上探討地方稅建制之文獻均認為財產稅最適合最為地方財源收入，故本研究藉由探討影響地方財產稅收之因素，分析我國地方政府財政制度之現況與困境，並對目前我國地方財政之困難提出建議。 本研究將影響地方財產稅因素分為經濟因素、人口因素、治安狀況、商業情況與房地產市場狀況，利用台北市、台北縣、高雄市與台中市民國81-93年之資料，進行實證分析。因本研究所採用的資料涵蓋4個轄區與13個年度，故計量模型採用Panel Data模型，Panel Data模型不僅可以分析解釋變數對財產稅收之影響程度，利用固定效果模型 (Fixed Effect Model) 更可以得知4個轄區之地方特定效果與時間效果。 根據實證結果顯示，我國地方財產稅具有明顯的地方特定效果與時間效果，表示地方財產稅容易受到各地人文地理制度之不同、地方無法量化之特質、土地政策的變動與總體景氣之影響。對於財產稅易受土地政策的變動與總體景氣之影響，我們合理懷疑其原因是因為本研究所稱之財產稅中含有土地增值稅與契稅兩種機會稅，才導致財產稅收會受到景氣變動之影響，經由實證分析結果驗證我們的論點，土地增值稅與契稅相較於地價稅與房屋稅易受整體經濟與土地政策變動之影響。 我國地方政府財政狀況，從實證結果亦能發現財政水平不均之情況，觀察固定效果發現台北市相對於其他轄區財產稅收較多，其原因可能為台北市為我國首都，人文地理與經濟發展情況均較其他轄區進步的地方特質效果所導致。透過本研究時間效果之分析，顯示地方政府若欲以降低該地區犯罪率或活絡該地之商業活動等僅具地區性之經濟活動來增加財產稅收，是較無效果的。地方財產稅收之增加主要仍須倚靠國家整體經濟景氣活絡，或以土地政策誘導房地產市場交易，是較可行的方法。

This study investigated the strategies employed by adjunct writing teachers in their attempts to reconcile changes in writing program policy with their existing pedagogies. The methods of investigation combined class observation with extensive interviews with three Ball State University adjunct faculty members to identify the means by which these writing instructors brought new pedagogical goals in their classrooms. It also sought to identify the mechanisms each teacher used to integrate computer-oriented teaching styles into his or her course planning. The purpose of this study was to identify means by which a writing program administration could better introduce change to its teachers of first year composition courses, who are largely adjunct staff.The results of this study showed that while each faculty member felt committed to using technology in his or her teaching, each confronted change differently. Studies in faculty vitality were examined to identify development strategies which could effectively address the differences in faculty change. This study recommends, based on the strategies of each participant, that writing programs seek more kairic models of development. These models would seek to foster continuous discussion of change in order that fitting incentives for development could arise in "the proper time," or kairically, for individual teachers. / Department of English

Le mésothéliome pleural est considéré comme très spécifique d’une exposition à l’amiante. Cependant, certains aspects de l’étiologie de cette maladie n’ont pas encore été bien caractérisés. Les objectifs de cette étude sont : i) d’estimer la relation dose-effet entre exposition professionnelle aux fibres d’amiante et survenue de mésothéliome pleural selon différents indicateurs temporels d’exposition ; ii) d’étudier l’effet d’une exposition professionnelle aux laines minérales et aux poussières alvéolaires de silice cristalline libre sur le risque de survenue de mésothéliome pleural et iii) d’identifier les professions et secteurs d’activité à risque de survenue de mésothéliome pleural à partir de données recueillies sur une période de 20 ans. Les cas provenaient de ceux recrutés dans une précédente étude cas-témoins réalisée entre 1987 et 1993 et des cas enregistrés dans le programme national de surveillance du mésothéliome entre 1998 et 2006 (1 199 hommes). Les témoins ont été appariés en fréquence sur l’année de naissance et le sexe (2 378 hommes). L’exposition professionnelle à l’amiante, aux laines minérales et à la silice a été évaluée à partir de matrices emplois-exposition. Les relations dose-effet ont été estimées à l’aide du modèle logistique et leur forme a été obtenue grâce à l’utilisation de fonctions splines cubiques restreintes. Si la relation dose-effet à l’amiante est bien confirmée (particulièrement aux faibles doses), cette étude apporte de nouveaux résultats sur la relation temps-effet (rôle du temps écoulé depuis la dernière exposition ou effet de l’âge à la première exposition). Elle ouvre également de nouvelles perspectives sur le rôle des co-expositions (laines minérales) et permet d’identifier de nouvelles activités à risque, comme les mécaniciens automobiles. / Asbestos exposure is recognized as the primary cause of pleural mesothelioma. However, some aspects of etiology of this disease have not been well characterized. The objective of this study was to elucidate dose-response relationships of temporal pattern of occupational asbestos exposure in males, using case-control data, to study effect of man made vitreous fibers and silica dust on the risk of pleural mesothelioma and finally, to describe occupations and industries at high risk for this cancer among men in France according a period of twenty years of observation. Cases came from a French case-control study conducted in 1987-1993 and from the French National Mesothelioma Surveillance Program in 1998-2006 (1,199 males). Population controls were frequency matched by sex and year of birth (2,378 males). Occupational asbestos exposure was evaluated with a job-exposure matrix. The dose-response relationships were estimated using logistic regression models and form of this relationship were estimated using restricted cubic spline functions. Dose-response relationship was confirmed (particularly for lowest doses). However, this study provides new results about time-effect relationships (role of time since last exposure or effect of age at first exposure). This study opens up new prospects on the role of co-exposure (mineral wool) and permit to identify new activities at risk for pleural mésothéliome as motor vehicle mechanics.

Ce travail avait pour objectif de réaliser des couches minces de Zno co-dopées Cobalt et Indium en vue de la réalisation de cellules photovoltaïques. Pour la fabrication des couches minces, nous avons choisi la méthode de pulvérisation cathodique en radio fréquence. Cette méthode nous permet d'obtenir des couches ayant différentes propriétés qui dépendent des paramètres de dépôt. Les couches minces de CIZO obtenus sont recuites sous N2 et H2 pour la série 1 et O2 pour la série 2. Dans la première partie de ce travail, nous avons entrepris une étude des propriétés morphologiques, vibrationnelles et optiques.Dans la deuxième partie de ce travail, nous avons étudié l'effet de l'épaisseur et l'effet de recuit sous azote pour améliorer les différentes propriétés (structurales, morphologiques, optiques et électriques) de nos échantillons. Dans la troisième partie de ce travail, nous avons étudié l'influence de temps de recuite sur les différentes propriétés (structurales, morphologiques, optiques et électriques) de nos échantillons. / This work has a purpose to make thin layers of Zno co-dopees cobalt and indium for the production of photovoltaic cells. For the manufacture of thin layers, we have chosen the method of magnatron sputtring. This method allows we obtain layers having different properties which depend on parameters of deposition. Thick layers of cizo obtained are received inN2 and H2 for series 1 and O2 for series 2. In the first part of this work, we have undertaken a study of the morphological, vibrational and optical properties. In the second part of this work, we have experienced the effect of thickness and the effect of anneling on the different properties (structural, morphological, optical, and electrical) of our samples. In the third part of this work, we have investigated the influence of annealing time on the different properties (structural, morphological, optical and electrical) of our samples.