Making connections: engineering and language issues in teaching english for specific purposes

Tese apresentada para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Doutor em Línguas, Literaturas e Culturas

A domain-specific language for ETL patterns specification in Data Warehousing Systems

During the last few years many research efforts have been done to improve the design of ETL (Extract-Transform-Load) systems. ETL systems are considered very time-consuming, error-prone and complex involving several participants from different knowledge domains. ETL processes are one of the most important components of a data warehousing system that are strongly influenced by the complexity of business requirements, their changing and evolution. These aspects influence not only the structure of a data warehouse but also the structures of the data sources involved with. To minimize the negative impact of such variables, we propose the use of ETL patterns to build specific ETL packages. In this paper, we formalize this approach using BPMN (Business Process Modelling Language) for modelling more conceptual ETL workflows, mapping them to real execution primitives through the use of a domain-specific language that allows for the generation of specific instances that can be executed in an ETL commercial tool.

Using a domain-specific language to enrich ETL schemas

Today it is easy to find a lot of tools to define data migration schemas among different types of information systems. Data migration processes use to be implemented on a very diverse range of applications, ranging from conventional operational systems to data warehousing platforms. The implementation of a data migration process often involves a serious planning, considering the development of conceptual migration schemas at early stages. Such schemas help architects and engineers to plan and discuss the most adequate way to migrate data between two different systems. In this paper we present and discuss a way for enriching data migration conceptual schemas in BPMN using a domain-specific language, demonstrating how to convert such enriched schemas to a first correspondent physical representation (a skeleton) in a conventional ETL implementation tool like Kettle.

Static and dynamic interpretations of hand specific body language cues for HCI

Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg, Fakultät für Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik, Univ., Dissertation, 2015

Compositional hypotheses of subcompositional stability and specific perturbation change and their testing

In standard multivariate statistical analysis common hypotheses of interest concern changes in mean vectors and subvectors. In compositional data analysis it is now well established that compositional change is most readily described in terms of the simplicial operation of perturbation and that subcompositions replace the marginal concept of subvectors. To motivate the statistical developments of this paper we present two challenging compositional problems from food production processes.Against this background the relevance of perturbations and subcompositions can beclearly seen. Moreover we can identify a number of hypotheses of interest involvingthe specification of particular perturbations or differences between perturbations and also hypotheses of subcompositional stability. We identify the two problems as being the counterpart of the analysis of paired comparison or split plot experiments and of separate sample comparative experiments in the jargon of standard multivariate analysis. We then develop appropriate estimation and testing procedures for a complete lattice of relevant compositional hypotheses

Immunoscintigraphic localization of inflammatory lesions: concept, radiolabelling and in vitro testing of a granulocyte specific antibody.

Current nuclear medicine techniques for the localization of inflammatory processes are based on injection of 111In labelled autologous granulocytes which need to be isolated and radiolabelled in vitro before reinjection. A new technique is presented here that obviates the need for cell isolation by the direct intravenous injection of a granulocyte specific 123I labelled monoclonal antibody. In this publication the basic parameters of the antibody granulocyte interaction are described. Antibody binding does not inhibit vital functions of the granulocytes, such as chemotaxis and superoxide generation. Scatchard analysis of binding data reveals an apparent affinity of the antibody for granulocytes of 6.8 X 10(9) l/mol and approximately 7.1 X 10(4) binding sites per cell. Due to the high specificity of the antibody, the only expected interference is from CEA producing tumors.

Testing new identity models and processes in French-speaking adolescents and emerging adults students

Developing a sense of identity is a crucial psychosocial task for young people. The purpose of this study was to evaluate identity development in French-speaking adolescents and emerging adults (in France and Switzerland) using a process-oriented model of identity formation including five dimensions (i.e., exploration in breadth, commitment making, exploration in depth, identification with commitment, and ruminative exploration). The study included participants from three different samples (total N = 2239, 66.7% women): two samples of emerging adult student and one sample of adolescents. Results confirmed the hypothesized five-factor dimensional model of identity in our three samples and provided evidence for convergent validity of the model. The results also indicated that exploration in depth might be subdivided in two aspects: a first form of exploration in depth leading to a better understanding and to an increase of the strength of current commitments and a second form of exploration in depth leading to a re-evaluation and a reconsideration of current commitments. Further, the identity status cluster solution that emerged is globally in line with previous literature (i.e., achievement, foreclosure, moratorium, carefree diffusion, diffused diffusion, undifferentiated). However, despite a structural similarity, we found variations in identity profiles because identity development is shaped by cultural context. These specific variations are discussed in light of social, educational and economic differences between France and the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Implications and suggestions for future research are offered.

The development and pilot-testing of a training curriculum in adolescent medicine and health.

PURPOSE: To select and propose a set of knowledge, attitudes, and skills essential for the care of adolescents; to encourage the development of adolescent health multidisciplinary networks; and to set up training programs in as many European countries as possible. METHODS: The curriculum was developed by 16 physicians from 11 European countries with various professional specializations. In line with modern guidelines in medical education, it is a modular, flexible instrument which covers the main teaching areas in the field, such as basic skills (i.e. setting, rights and confidentiality, gender and cultural issues) as well as specific themes (i.e. sexual and reproductive health, eating disorders, chronic conditions). It consists of 17 thematic modules, each containing detailed objectives, learning approaches, examples, and evaluation methods. RESULT: Two international one-week summer schools were used to assess the feasibility and appropriateness of the curriculum. The overall evaluation was good, with most of the items surpassing three on a four-point Likert scale. However, it pointed to several aspects (process and content) which will need to be refined in the future, such as an increase in interactive sessions (role playing), and a better mix of clinical and public health issues.

Nondeclarative learning in children with Specific Language Impairment: Predicting regularities in the visuomotor, phonological, and cognitive domains.

Ullman (2004) suggested that Specific Language Impairment (SLI) results from a general procedural learning deficit. In order to test this hypothesis, we investigated children with SLI via procedural learning tasks exploring the verbal, motor, and cognitive domains. Results showed that compared with a Control Group, the children with SLI (a) were unable to learn a phonotactic learning task, (b) were able but less efficiently to learn a motor learning task and (c) succeeded in a cognitive learning task. Regarding the motor learning task (Serial Reaction Time Task), reaction times were longer and learning slower than in controls. The learning effect was not significant in children with an associated Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), and future studies should consider comorbid motor impairment in order to clarify whether impairments are related to the motor rather than the language disorder. Our results indicate that a phonotactic learning but not a cognitive procedural deficit underlies SLI, thus challenging Ullmans' general procedural deficit hypothesis, like a few other recent studies.

Cardiac Troponin Specific Autoantibodies: Analytical Tools for Exploring Their Impact on Cardiac Troponin I Testing

Cardiac troponin (cTn) I and T are the recommended biomarkers for the diagnosis and risk stratification of patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS), a major cause of cardiovascular death and disability worldwide. It has recently been demonstrated that cTn-specific autoantibodies (cTnAAb) can negatively interfere with cTnI detection by immunoassays to the extent that cTnAAb-positive patients may be falsely designated as cTnI-negative. The aim of this thesis was to develop and optimize immunoassays for the detection of both cTnI and cTnAAb, which would eventually enable exploring the clinical impact of these autoantibodies on cTnI testing and subsequent patient management. The extent of cTnAAb interference in different cTnI assay configurations and the molecular characteristics of cTnAAbs were investigated in publications I and II, respectively. The findings showed that cTnI midfragment targeting immunoassays used predominantly in clinical practice are affected by cTnAAb interference which can be circumvented by using a novel 3+1-type assay design with three capture antibodies against the N-terminus, midfragment and C-terminus and one tracer antibody against the C-terminus. The use of this assay configuration was further supported by the epitope specificity study, which showed that although the midfragment is most commonly targeted by cTnAAbs, the interference basically encompasses the whole molecule, and there may be remarkable individual variation at the affected sites. In publications III and IV, all the data obtained in previous studies were utilized to develop an improved version of an existing cTnAAb assay and a sensitive cTnI assay free of this specific analytical interference. The results of the thesis showed that approximately one in 10 patients with suspected ACS have detectable amounts of cTnAAbs in their circulation and that cTnAAbs can inhibit cTnI determination when targeted against the binding sites of assay antibodies used in its immunological detection. In the light of these observations, the risk of clinical misclassification caused by the presence of cTnAAbs remains a valid and reasonable concern. Because the titers, affinities and epitope specificities of cTnAAbs and the concentration of endogenous cTnI determine the final effect of circulating cTnAAbs, appropriately sized studies on their clinical significance are warranted. The new cTnI and cTnAAb assays could serve as analytical tools for establishing the impact of cTnAAbs on cTnI testing and also for unraveling the etiology of cTn-related autoimmune responses.

Nanoparticle-Assisted Immunoassays for Point-of-Care Testing - With Specific Interest in Minimally Interference-Prone Assays for Cardiac Troponin I

Cardiac troponins (cTn) I and T are the current golden standard biochemical markers in the diagnosis and risk stratification of patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome. During the past few years, novel assays capable of detecting cTn‐concentrations in >50% of apparently healthy individuals have become readily available. With the emerging of these high sensitivity cTn assays, reductions in the assay specificity have caused elevations in the measured cTn levels that do not correlate with the clinical picture of the patient. The increased assay sensitivity may reveal that various analytical interference mechanisms exist. This doctoral thesis focused on developing nanoparticle‐assisted immunometric assays that could possibly be applied to an automated point‐of‐care system. The main objective was to develop minimally interference‐prone assays for cTnI by employing recombinant antibody fragments. Fast 5‐ and 15‐minute assays for cTnI and D‐dimer, a degradation product of fibrin, based on intrinsically fluorescent nanoparticles were introduced, thus highlighting the versatility of nanoparticles as universally applicable labels. The utilization of antibody fragments in different versions of the developed cTnI‐assay enabled decreases in the used antibody amounts without sacrificing assay sensitivity. In addition, the utilization of recombinant antibody fragments was shown to significantly decrease the measured cTnI concentrations in an apparently healthy population, as well as in samples containing known amounts of potentially interfering factors: triglycerides, bilirubin, rheumatoid factors, or human anti‐mouse antibodies. When determining the specificity of four commercially available antibodies for cTnI, two out of the four cross‐reacted with skeletal troponin I, but caused crossreactivity issues in patient samples only when paired together. In conclusion, the results of this thesis emphasize the importance of careful antibody selection when developing cTnI assays. The results with different recombinant antibody fragments suggest that the utilization of antibody fragments should strongly be encouraged in the immunoassay field, especially with analytes such as cTnI that require highly sensitive assay approaches.

Language-specific aspects of reading acquisition: the case of Russian

We have investigated Russian children’s reading acquisition during an intermediate period in their development: after literacy onset, but before they have acquired well-developed decoding skills. The results of our study suggest that Russian first graders rely primarily on phonemes and syllables as reading grain-size units. Phonemic awareness seems to have reached the metalinguistic level more rapidly than syllabic awareness after the onset of reading instruction, the reversal which is typical for the initial stages of formal reading instruction creating external demand for phonemic awareness. Another reason might be the inherent instability of syllabic boundaries in Russian. We have shown that body-coda is a more natural representation of subsyllabic structure in Russian than onset-rime. We also found that Russian children displayed variability of syllable onset and offset decisions which can be attributed to the lack of congruence between syllabic and morphemic word division in Russian. We suggest that fuzziness of syllable boundary decisions is a sign of the transitional nature of this stage in the reading development and it indicates progress towards an awareness of morphologically determined closed syllables. Our study also showed that orthographic complexity exerts an influence on reading in Russian from the very start of reading acquisition. Besides, we found that Russian first graders experience fluency difficulties in reading orthographically simple words and nonwords of two and more syllables. The transition from monosyllabic to bisyllabic lexical items constitutes a certain threshold, for which the syllabic structure seemed to be of no difference. When we compared the outcomes of the Russian children with the ones produced by speakers of other languages, we discovered that in the tasks which could be performed with the help of alphabetic recoding Russian children’s accuracy was comparable to that of children learning to read in relatively shallow orthographies. In tasks where this approach works only partially, Russian children demonstrated accuracy results similar to those in deeper orthographies. This pattern of moderate results in accuracy and excellent performance in terms of reaction times is an indication that children apply phonological recoding as their dominant strategy to various reading tasks and are only beginning to develop suitable multiple strategies in dealing with orthographically complex material. The development of these strategies is not completed during Grade 1 and the shift towards diversification of strategies apparently continues in Grade 2.