Tests of the Intersensory Redundancy Hypothesis across early postnatal development

The Intersensory Redundancy Hypothesis (IRH; Bahrick & Lickliter, 2000, 2002, 2012) predicts that early in development information presented to a single sense modality will selectively recruit attention to modality-specific properties of stimulation and facilitate learning of those properties at the expense of amodal properties (unimodal facilitation). Vaillant (2010) demonstrated that bobwhite quail chicks prenatally exposed to a maternal call alone (unimodal stimulation) are able to detect a pitch change, a modality-specific property, in subsequent postnatal testing between the familiarized call and the same call with altered pitch. In contrast, chicks prenatally exposed to a maternal call paired with a temporally synchronous light (redundant audiovisual stimulation) were unable to detect a pitch change. According to the IRH (Bahrick & Lickliter, 2012), as development proceeds and the individual's perceptual abilities increase, the individual should detect modality-specific properties in both nonredundant, unimodal and redundant, bimodal conditions. However, when the perceiver is presented with a difficult task, relative to their level of expertise, unimodal facilitation should become evident. The first experiment of the present study exposed bobwhite quail chicks 24 hr after hatching to unimodal auditory, nonredundant audiovisual, or redundant audiovisual presentations of a maternal call for 10min/hr for 24 hours. All chicks were subsequently tested 24 hr after the completion of the stimulation (72 hr following hatching) between the familiarized maternal call and the same call with altered pitch. Chicks from all experimental groups (unimodal, nonredundant audiovisual, and redundant audiovisual exposure) significantly preferred the familiarized call over the pitch-modified call. The second experiment exposed chicks to the same exposure conditions, but created a more difficult task by narrowing the pitch range between the two maternal calls with which they were tested. Chicks in the unimodal and nonredundant audiovisual conditions demonstrated detection of the pitch change, whereas the redundant audiovisual exposure group did not show detection of the pitch change, providing evidence of unimodal facilitation. These results are consistent with predictions of the IRH and provide further support for the effects of unimodal facilitation and the role of task difficulty across early development.

The impact of the Florida state -mandated Basic Skills Exit Tests at Miami -Dade Community College

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of the Florida State-mandated Basic Skills Exit Tests (BSET) on the effectiveness of remedial instruction programs to adequately serve the academically underprepared student population. The primary research question concerned whether the introduction of the BSET has resulted in remedial completers who are better prepared for college-level coursework. ^ This study consisted of an ex post facto research design to examine the impact of the BSET on student readiness for subsequent college-level coursework at Miami-Dade Community College. Two way analysis of variance was used to compare the performance of remedial and college-ready students before and after the introduction of the BSET requirement. Chi-square analysis was used to explore changes in the proportion of students completing and passing remedial courses. Finally, correlation analysis was used to explore the utility of the BSET in predicting subsequent college-level course performance. Differences based on subject area and race/ethnicity were explored. ^ The introduction of the BSET did not improve the performance of remedial completers in subsequent college-level courses in any of the subject areas. The BSET did have a negative impact on the success rate of students in remedial reading and mathematics courses. There was a significant decrease in minority students' likelihood of passing remedial reading and mathematics courses after the BSET was introduced. The reliability of the BSET is unacceptably low for all subject areas, based on estimates derived from administrations at M-DCC. Nevertheless, there was a significant positive relationship between BSET score and grade point average in subsequent college-level courses. This relationship varied by subject area and ethnicity, with the BSET reading score having no relationship with subsequent course performance for Black non-Hispanic students. ^ The BSET had no discernable positive effect on remedial student performance in subsequent college-level courses. In other words, the BSET has not enhanced the effectiveness of the remedial programs to prepare students for later coursework at M-DCC. The BSET had a negative impact on the progress and success of students in remedial reading and mathematics. ^

Reducing uncertainties in estimation of wind effects on tall buildings using aerodynamic wind tunnel tests

Tall buildings are wind-sensitive structures and could experience high wind-induced effects. Aerodynamic boundary layer wind tunnel testing has been the most commonly used method for estimating wind effects on tall buildings. Design wind effects on tall buildings are estimated through analytical processing of the data obtained from aerodynamic wind tunnel tests. Even though it is widely agreed that the data obtained from wind tunnel testing is fairly reliable the post-test analytical procedures are still argued to have remarkable uncertainties. This research work attempted to assess the uncertainties occurring at different stages of the post-test analytical procedures in detail and suggest improved techniques for reducing the uncertainties. Results of the study showed that traditionally used simplifying approximations, particularly in the frequency domain approach, could cause significant uncertainties in estimating aerodynamic wind-induced responses. Based on identified shortcomings, a more accurate dual aerodynamic data analysis framework which works in the frequency and time domains was developed. The comprehensive analysis framework allows estimating modal, resultant and peak values of various wind-induced responses of a tall building more accurately. Estimating design wind effects on tall buildings also requires synthesizing the wind tunnel data with local climatological data of the study site. A novel copula based approach was developed for accurately synthesizing aerodynamic and climatological data up on investigating the causes of significant uncertainties in currently used synthesizing techniques. Improvement of the new approach over the existing techniques was also illustrated with a case study on a 50 story building. At last, a practical dynamic optimization approach was suggested for tuning structural properties of tall buildings towards attaining optimum performance against wind loads with less number of design iterations.

Assessing Methods for Assigning SNPs to Genes in Gene-Based Tests of Association Using Common Variants

Gene-based tests of association are frequently applied to common SNPs (MAF>5%) as an alternative to single-marker tests. In this analysis we conduct a variety of simulation studies applied to five popular gene-based tests investigating general trends related to their performance in realistic situations. In particular, we focus on the impact of non-causal SNPs and a variety of LD structures on the behavior of these tests. Ultimately, we find that non-causal SNPs can significantly impact the power of all gene-based tests. On average, we find that the “noise” from 6–12 non-causal SNPs will cancel out the “signal” of one causal SNP across five popular gene-based tests. Furthermore, we find complex and differing behavior of the methods in the presence of LD within and between non-causal and causal SNPs. Ultimately, better approaches for a priori prioritization of potentially causal SNPs (e.g., predicting functionality of non-synonymous SNPs), application of these methods to sequenced or fully imputed datasets, and limited use of window-based methods for assigning inter-genic SNPs to genes will improve power. However, significant power loss from non-causal SNPs may remain unless alternative statistical approaches robust to the inclusion of non-causal SNPs are developed.

An Assessment of the Performances of Several Univariate Tests of Normality

The importance of checking the normality assumption in most statistical procedures especially parametric tests cannot be over emphasized as the validity of the inferences drawn from such procedures usually depend on the validity of this assumption. Numerous methods have been proposed by different authors over the years, some popular and frequently used, others, not so much. This study addresses the performance of eighteen of the available tests for different sample sizes, significance levels, and for a number of symmetric and asymmetric distributions by conducting a Monte-Carlo simulation. The results showed that considerable power is not achieved for symmetric distributions when sample size is less than one hundred and for such distributions, the kurtosis test is most powerful provided the distribution is leptokurtic or platykurtic. The Shapiro-Wilk test remains the most powerful test for asymmetric distributions. We conclude that different tests are suitable under different characteristics of alternative distributions.

A method for enhancing digital information displayed to computer users with visual refractive errors via spatial and spectral processing

This research pursued the conceptualization, implementation, and verification of a system that enhances digital information displayed on an LCD panel to users with visual refractive errors. The target user groups for this system are individuals who have moderate to severe visual aberrations for which conventional means of compensation, such as glasses or contact lenses, does not improve their vision. This research is based on a priori knowledge of the user's visual aberration, as measured by a wavefront analyzer. With this information it is possible to generate images that, when displayed to this user, will counteract his/her visual aberration. The method described in this dissertation advances the development of techniques for providing such compensation by integrating spatial information in the image as a means to eliminate some of the shortcomings inherent in using display devices such as monitors or LCD panels. Additionally, physiological considerations are discussed and integrated into the method for providing said compensation. In order to provide a realistic sense of the performance of the methods described, they were tested by mathematical simulation in software, as well as by using a single-lens high resolution CCD camera that models an aberrated eye, and finally with human subjects having various forms of visual aberrations. Experiments were conducted on these systems and the data collected from these experiments was evaluated using statistical analysis. The experimental results revealed that the pre-compensation method resulted in a statistically significant improvement in vision for all of the systems. Although significant, the improvement was not as large as expected for the human subject tests. Further analysis suggest that even under the controlled conditions employed for testing with human subjects, the characterization of the eye may be changing. This would require real-time monitoring of relevant variables (e.g. pupil diameter) and continuous adjustment in the pre-compensation process to yield maximum viewing enhancement.

A experiência do usuário idoso no design de jogo digital para a reabilitação neural de pacientes com quadro de acidente vascular cerebral (AVC)

Stroke is nowadays one of the main causes of death in Brazil and worldwide. During the rehabilitation process, patients undergo physioterapic exercises based on repetition, which may cause them to feel little progress is being made. Focusing on themes from the areas of Human-Computer Interaction and Motor Imagery, the present work describes the development of a digital game concept aimed at motor rehabilitation to the neural rehabilitation of patients who have suffered a stroke in a playful and engaging way. The research hypothesizes that an interactive digital game based on Motor Imagery contributes to patients' raised commitment in the stroke sequel rehabilitation process. The research process entailed the investigation of 10 subjects who live with sequels caused by stroke - it was further established that subjects were over 60 years old. Using as foundation an initial survey regarding target-users' specificities, where an investigation on subjectrelated aspects was carried out through Focus Group (n=9) and Contextual Analysis (n=3), having as subjects elderly individuals, a list with the necessary requirements for the conceptualization of a digital game was fleshed out. The initial survey also enabled the establishment of preliminary interactions for the formulation of game prototypes. At first, low-resolution prototypes were used, with two distinct interaction models for the game - one with a direct approach to the Motor Imagery concept, and another using a narrative with characters and scene settings. The goal was to verify participants' receptivity regarding the addition of playful activities into game dynamics. Prototypes were analyzed while being used by five patients, through the Cooperative Evaluation technique. The tests indicated a preference for option with elements in a playful narrative. Based on these results high fidelity prototypes were created, where concepts close to the game's final version were elaborated. The High Fidelity prototype was also evaluated with four patients through the Cooperative Evaluation technique. It was concluded that elderly individuals and patients were receptive to the idea of a digital game for the rehabilitation from sequels caused by stroke; that, for the success of devices aimed at these cohorts, their contexts, needs and expectations must be respected above all; and that user-centered design is an essential approach in that regard.

Optimisation of a droplet digital PCR assay for the diagnosis of Schistosoma japonicum infection: A duplex approach with DNA binding dye chemistry

Schistosomiasis is a chronically debilitating helminth infection with a significant socio-economic and public health impact. Accurate diagnostics play a pivotal role in achieving current schistosomiasis control and elimination goals. However, many of the current diagnostic procedures, which rely on detection of schistosome eggs, have major limitations including lack of accuracy and the inability to detect pre-patent infections. DNA-based detection methods provide a viable alternative to the current tests commonly used for schistosomiasis diagnosis. Here we describe the optimisation of a novel droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) duplex assay for the diagnosis of Schistosoma japonicum infection which provides improved detection sensitivity and specificity. The assay involves the amplification of two specific and abundant target gene sequences in S. japonicum; a retrotransposon (SjR2) and a portion of a mitochondrial gene (nad1). The assay detected target sequences in different sources of schistosome DNA isolated from adult worms, schistosomules and eggs, and exhibits a high level of specificity, thereby representing an ideal tool for the detection of low levels of parasite DNA in different clinical samples including parasite cell free DNA in the host circulation and other bodily fluids. Moreover, being quantitative, the assay can be used to determine parasite infection intensity and, could provide an important tool for the detection of low intensity infections in low prevalence schistosomiasis-endemic areas.

Comparative study of stereopsis with three different tests: TNO®, Stereo Acuity Test Fly® and StereoTAB® in students in higher school

Purpose: Stereopsis is the perception of depth based on retinal disparity. Global stereopsis depends on the process of random dot stimuli and local stereopsis depends on contour perception. The aim of this study was to correlate 3 stereopsis tests: TNO®, StereoTA B®, and Fly Stereo Acuity Test® and to study the sensitivity and correlation between them, using TNO® as the gold standard. Other variables as near convergence point, vergences, symptoms and optical correction were correlated with the 3 tests. Materials and Methods: Forty-nine students from Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Lisboa (ESTeSL), aged 18-26 years old were included. Results: The stereopsis mean (standard-deviation-SD) values in each test were: TNO® = 87.04” ±84.09”; FlyTest® = 38.18” ±34.59”; StereoTA B® = 124.89’’ ±137.38’’. About the coefficient of determination: TNO® and StereoTA B® with R2 = 0.6 e TNO® and FlyTest® with R2 =0.2. Pearson correlation coefficient shows a positive correlation between TNO® and StereoTA B® (r = 0.784 with α = 0.01). Phi coefficient shows a strong and positive association between TNO® and StereoTA B® (Φ = 0.848 with α = 0.01). In the ROC Curve, the StereoTA B® has an area under the curve bigger than the FlyTest® with a sensivity of 92.3% for 94.4% of specificity, so it means that the test is sensitive with a good discriminative power. Conclusion: We conclude that the use of Stereopsis tests to study global Stereopsis are an asset for clinical use. This type of test is more sensitive, revealing changes in Stereopsis when it is actually changed, unlike the test Stereopsis, which often indicates normal Stereopsis, camouflaging a Stereopsis change. We noted also that the StereoTA B ® is very sensitive and despite being a digital application, possessed good correlation with the TNO®.

A Binary Classifier for Test Case Feasibility Applied to Automatically Generated Tests of Event-Driven Software

Modern software application testing, such as the testing of software driven by graphical user interfaces (GUIs) or leveraging event-driven architectures in general, requires paying careful attention to context. Model-based testing (MBT) approaches first acquire a model of an application, then use the model to construct test cases covering relevant contexts. A major shortcoming of state-of-the-art automated model-based testing is that many test cases proposed by the model are not actually executable. These \textit{infeasible} test cases threaten the integrity of the entire model-based suite, and any coverage of contexts the suite aims to provide. In this research, I develop and evaluate a novel approach for classifying the feasibility of test cases. I identify a set of pertinent features for the classifier, and develop novel methods for extracting these features from the outputs of MBT tools. I use a supervised logistic regression approach to obtain a model of test case feasibility from a randomly selected training suite of test cases. I evaluate this approach with a set of experiments. The outcomes of this investigation are as follows: I confirm that infeasibility is prevalent in MBT, even for test suites designed to cover a relatively small number of unique contexts. I confirm that the frequency of infeasibility varies widely across applications. I develop and train a binary classifier for feasibility with average overall error, false positive, and false negative rates under 5\%. I find that unique event IDs are key features of the feasibility classifier, while model-specific event types are not. I construct three types of features from the event IDs associated with test cases, and evaluate the relative effectiveness of each within the classifier. To support this study, I also develop a number of tools and infrastructure components for scalable execution of automated jobs, which use state-of-the-art container and continuous integration technologies to enable parallel test execution and the persistence of all experimental artifacts.

Desenvolvimento de plataforma digital para análise da satisfação dos utentes de unidades de saúde

Este documento descreve o trabalho realizado em conjunto com a empresa MedSUPPORT[1] no desenvolvimento de uma plataforma digital para análise da satisfação dos utentes de unidades de saúde. Atualmente a avaliação de satisfação junto dos seus clientes é um procedimento importante e que deve ser utilizado pelas empresas como mais uma ferramenta de avaliação dos seus produtos ou serviços. Para as unidades de saúde a avaliação da satisfação do utente é atualmente considerada como um objetivo fundamental dos serviços de saúde e tem vindo a ocupar um lugar progressivamente mais importante na avaliação da qualidade dos mesmos. Neste âmbito idealizou-se desenvolver uma plataforma digital para análise da satisfação dos utentes de unidades de saúde. O estudo inicial sobre o conceito da satisfação de consumidores e utentes permitiu consolidar os conceitos associados à temática em estudo. Conhecer as oito dimensões que, de acordo com os investigadores englobam a satisfação do utente é um dos pontos relevantes do estudo inicial. Para avaliar junto do utente a sua satisfação é necessário questiona-lo diretamente. Para efeito desenvolveu-se um inquérito de satisfação estudando cuidadosamente cada um dos elementos que deste fazem parte. No desenvolvimento do inquérito de satisfação foram seguidas as seguintes etapas: Planeamento do questionário, partindo das oito dimensões da satisfação do utente até às métricas que serão avaliadas junto do utente; Análise dos dados a recolher, definindo-se, para cada métrica, se os dados serão nominais, ordinais ou provenientes de escalas balanceadas; Por último a formulação das perguntas do inquérito de satisfação foi alvo de estudo cuidado para garantir que o utente percecione da melhor forma o objetivo da questão. A definição das especificações da plataforma e do questionário passou por diferentes estudos, entre eles uma análise de benchmarking[2], que permitiram definir que o inquérito iv estará localizado numa zona acessível da unidade de saúde, será respondido com recurso a um ecrã táctil (tablet) e que estará alojado na web. As aplicações web desenvolvidas atualmente apresentam um design apelativo e intuitivo. Foi fundamental levar a cabo um estudo do design da aplicação web, como garantia que as cores utilizadas, o tipo de letra, e o local onde a informação são os mais adequados. Para desenvolver a aplicação web foi utilizada a linguagem de programação Ruby, com recurso à framework Ruby on Rails. Para a implementação da aplicação foram estudadas as diferentes tecnologias disponíveis, com enfoque no estudo do sistema de gestão de base de dados a utilizar. O desenvolvimento da aplicação web teve também como objetivo melhorar a gestão da informação gerada pelas respostas ao inquérito de satisfação. O colaborador da MedSUPPORT é o responsável pela gestão da informação pelo que as suas necessidades foram atendidas. Um menu para a gestão da informação é disponibilizado ao administrador da aplicação, colaborador MedSUPPORT. O menu de gestão da informação permitirá uma análise simplificada do estado atual com recurso a um painel do tipo dashboard e, a fim de melhorar a análise interna dos dados terá uma função de exportação dos dados para folha de cálculo. Para validação do estudo efetuado foram realizados os testes de funcionamento à plataforma, tanto à sua funcionalidade como à sua utilização em contexto real pelos utentes inquiridos nas unidades de saúde. Os testes em contexto real objetivaram validar o conceito junto dos utentes inquiridos.

Outsource marketing : efeitos na relação entre investimentos em ações de marketing digital e desempenho financeiro

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Economia, Administração e Contabilidade, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Administração, 2016.