Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Second brain'

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, 2003.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 311-318).
This thesis examines article choice and parameter-setting in second language (L2) acquisition. It argues, on the basis of L2-English elicitation and production data, that L2- learners have access to UG-based semantic distinctions governing article choice, but do not know which distinction is appropriate for English. A Fluctuation Hypothesis (FH) is proposed, according to which L2-learners fluctuate between different parameter settings until the input leads them to set the parameter to the target value. The thesis proposes that articles cross-linguistically may encode definiteness or specificity. The definition of specificity that is adopted is based on Fodor and Sag's (1982) view of specificity as speaker intent to refer. The behavior of referential this, a specificity marker in colloquial English, is examined, and it is proposed that the definition of specificity incorporates the concept of noteworthy property. An Article Choice Parameter is next proposed, which governs whether articles in a given language are distinguished on the basis of definiteness or on the basis of specificity. While English has the Definiteness setting of this parameter, it is suggested, on the basis of data from Mosel and Hovdhaugen (1992), that Samoan has the Specificity setting. It is hypothesized, in accordance with the FH, that L2-learners fluctuate between the two settings of the Article Choice Parameter. This hypothesis leads to the prediction that L2- English errors of article use should come in two types: overuse of the with specific indefinites and overuse of a with non-specific definites. These predictions are examined in a series of studies with adult speakers of Russian and Korean, two languages with no
(cont.) articles. The empirical data confirm the predictions, and show that L2-English article choice is not random but reflects access to the two settings of the Article Choice Parameter. The same patterns of results are found for L-Russian and L-Korean speakers, and it is shown that the results are not attributable to LI-transfer. On the basis of these findings, it is concluded that L2-learners have direct UG-access to semantic distinctions underlying article choice. The data also provide evidence for the existence of a specificity distinction which cross-cuts the definiteness distinction.
bu Tania Ruth Ionin.
Ph.D.

In the era of this 21st Century, there are numerous known and unknown causes of reading impairments which have destructively affected elementary school students. Some causes are linguistic, and others are nonlinguistic. Lack of research on how previous teaching methods and experiences in implementing brain-based teaching (BBT) strategies became critically important, and were the concerns for this study. Developed by Hart's brain-based learning (BBL) theory together with other BBL theorists such as Jensen and Caine, the purpose of this qualitative study was to observe and explore the implementation of BBT strategies from 4 distinct second-grade participant teachers/subjects, located at the school district of a southwestern state. With the research questions focused on brain-based knowledge, BBT paradigms and brain-based implementation of teaching strategies, data from the cross-case synthesis and analyses of participant subjects' interviews, classroom observations, interactive journals, and other sources related to the study were processed and analyzed to address the research questions. Findings indicated that participant subjects perceived positive experiences of the implementation of BBT strategies in a way that enhanced their teaching qualities and improved students' reading impairments. The results of this study will likely contribute to positive social change by raising awareness for effective teaching and learning as well as promoting implementing BBT strategies in all teaching and learning environments. The results of this study may promote positive change in education, aim to improve brain-based teachers' enthusiasm and self-efficacy, and reduced students' reading impairments.

Examines how the cognitive and biological perspectives of Intrinsic Motivation (IM) could collaboratively engage second language (L2) students in the university writing classroom. Brain-structures and body systems specifically associated with intrinsic motivation are detailed, and brain-based learning strategies are outlined. Concludes with a sample application for the university writing classroom that reflects a brain-based approach to L2 learning.

Moths detect CO2 on labial palps and axons from Labial palps project into a single glomerulus, the Labial palp pit organ glomerulus (LPOG). Mass-staining of the LPOG visualized the secondary pathway in the brain. These data was used for 3D reconstrucion of neurons in the paricular pathway. Based on the preparations from Ingrid Moe Dahl we performed intensification, immunostatning and rescanned for better visualixation. After the visualization,brain neuropils and the prosjection neurons of ech of the brain preparation were constructed manually using the computer software AMIRA 5.3. The prosjection neurons from the LPOG were found to project to three main tracts: the lateral antennal lobe tract, the mediolateral antennal lobe tract and  the second mediolateral antennal lobe tract. in additionm we also observed prosjection neurons in the dorsomedial antennal lobe tract. The main termination areas of the LPOG prosjection neurons are the superior protocerebrum, and the ipsi-and contralateral lateral protocerebrum. In contrast to the previous finding, we observed LPOG prosjection neurons in the mushroom body calyces, indicating some modulation by experience. In the antennal lobe, interneurons from the LPOG and the other glomeruli. The presence of LPOG prosjection pathways. Thus, the reconstructions yielded new information relevant for understanding the putative CO2 pathway.

Luktesansen er den eldste av sansene. Grunnet dens mindre håndgripelige natur sammenliknet med de andre sansene er den ofte blitt mystifisert. Selv om flere hundre millioner år skiller virveldyr og insekters felles stamfar evolusjonsmessig, er luktesansens underliggende nevrale organisasjon sammenliknbar på tvers av arter. I dette studiet ble hjernen til nattsvermerarten Heliothis virescens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) brukt som modell for å studere nevrale prinsipper knyttet til luktesansen. Dataene gav detaljert informasjon om anatomisk organisering av det første synaptiske nivå i luktebanen hos denne arten. Det primære luktsenter, som hos insektet betegnes antenneloben, har slående likheter med menneskets luktelapp og utgjør derfor et system av generell interesse knyttet til å studere blant annet luktesansen. Ved å benytte teknikken med retrograd farging av andre ordens luktenevroner knyttet til ett av hjernens høyere integrasjonsområder (calyces), ble anatomisk organisering av det primære luktsenter, samt de nevrale traktene som frakter luktinformasjon fra antenneloben til calyces visualisert. En fremtredende bunt med axoner (den mediale antennoprotocerebrale trakt: M-APT), som projiserer til calyces, ble beskrevet i detalj med sine spredte røtter i antenneloben. Grunnet beskjeden farging av en annen antennoprotocerebral trakt (den laterale antennoprotocerebrale trakt: L-APT), ser det ut til at få fibre terminerer i calyces gjennom denne trakten. Et fjerde cellekluster i antenneloben, som tidligere ikke er beskrevet, ble funnet og navngitt parvus (Latin: lite) anterior cellekluster på grunn av dets moderate størrelse. Mens den retrograde fargingen av andre ordens projeksjonsnevroner viste at dendritter fra disse nevronene forgreiner seg fra ett punkt og sprer seg innvendig i hvert glomerulus, viste anterograd farging av sensoriske axoner fra antennenerven at disse projiseringene innerverer hovedsakelig periferien av antennelobens glomeruli.
The puzzling and often mystified sense of smell is the oldest of the senses. Though several hundred million years separates the common ancestor of vertebrata and invertebrata in evolution, the general underlying neural organization of olfaction is preserved and highly similar across species today. In the present study the tobacco budworm Heliothis virescens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) was used as a model organism for studying the neural system linked to olfaction. This provided a detailed anatomical account of the first synaptic level of the olfactory pathway in this particular species. The anatomical organization of the primary olfactory center (antennal lobe), and the neural pathways conveying olfactory information from here to a higher level brain area (calyces of the mushroom body), were visualized by retrograde staining of second-order neurons targeting the calyces. A prominent axonal bundle (the medial antennoprotocerebral tract: M-APT), conveying olfactory information to the calyces, was described in detail along with its sub-divisional roots in the antennal lobe. Due to sparse staining of another antennoprotocerebral tract (the lateral antennoprotocerebral tract: L-APT), it is suggested that only a few fibers terminate in the calyces through this tract. A fourth antennal-lobe cell cluster, previously not described, was found. It was named the parvus (Latin: small) anterior cell cluster due to its modest size. Whereas the retrograde staining of second order projection neurons demonstrated dendrites entering each glomerulus at its base and branching within the core, anterograde staining of sensory axons from the antennae showed that these projections target the periphery of each glomerulus.

The main objective of this dissertation is to investigate the effects of acquiring a second language (L2) at later periods of language development and native-like homonym processing in the first language (L1) from the perspective of Event-Related brain Potentials (ERP) using a cross-modal lexical decision task. To date, there is a lack of neurophysiological investigations into the effect that acquiring an L2 can have on processing strategies in the L1, and whether or not there is a precise age at which L2 exposure no longer affects native-like language processing. As such, my goal is to pinpoint this sensitive period specifically for homonym processing. To achieve this, I will present and discuss the results of two studies. The first study employs behavioural response measures using a cross-modal lexical decision task where participants simultaneously heard a sentence and made a decision to a visually-presented pseudoword or real word. The second study employs ERP measures using a novel ERP paradigm which investigates not only the main objective of this dissertation, but the second objective as well. This second objective is for this dissertation to become the first to evaluate the outcome of combining the cross-modal lexical decision task with ERPs. The behavioural and neurophysiological results for the monolingual group support the Reordered Access Model (Duffy, Morris, & Rayner, 1988) while the results for the bilingual groups do not. The results of the current studies indicate that those bilinguals who acquired French as an L2 rather than as a second native L1 show increasing divergence from monolingual native speakers in L1 homonym processing, with later acquirers exhibiting an exponentially marked divergence. This was found even though the task was carried out in English, the L1 (or one of the L1s) of all participants. The diverging performances of the bilinguals from the monolinguals were apparent in behavioural responses as well as in the amplitude, scalp distribution, and latency of ERP components, These differences were unique to each group, which supports the hypothesis that the acquisition of an L2 influences processing in the L1 (Dussias & Sagarra, 2007). Specifically, the early and late bilingual groups exhibited a marked divergence from the monolingual group as they revealed syntactic priming effects (p<.001) as well as lexical frequency effects (p<.001). They also revealed the greatest P600-like effect as they processed target words which were inappropriately- related to the priming homonyms (such as skin in Richard had a shed in the back of the garden). This suggests a heightened sensitivity to surface cues due to the L2 influencing homonym processing in the L1 (Cook, 2003; Dussias & Sagarra, 2007). Comparatively, the monolingual group revealed equal N400-like effects for lexical ambiguities overall compared to the unrelated conditions, and a context-by-frequency-interaction slowing their processing of the target word that is appropriately-related to the subordinate reading of the priming homonym, suggesting that they are not as sensitive to these same surface cues. Importantly, these results confirm that using ERPs along with a cross-modal lexical decision task is a promising paradigm to further study language processing.

For nearly four decades, research has documented positive correlations between metacognitive abilities and student growth. Teachers who wish to cultivate metacognitive thinking should encourage their students to plan, investigate, and expand on the concepts they learn in class (Fisher, Frey, & Hattie, 2016; Flavell, 1979). This mixed-methods study sought to investigate the effects of the Drive My Brain Model ([DMB], Gomez, 2016) on English language learners’ (ELLs) metacognition. The sample for the quantitative portion of this study was comprised of 54 fifth-grade ELLs from a public elementary school located in Orange County, California. The qualitative sample consisted of 12 students that represented a proportional sample of the students at the school, and two teachers. A quasi-experimental design was used for this study. The treatment group received roughly 30 minutes of Drive My Brain (DMB) Model activities each day over eight weeks, receiving a total of 1,155 minutes of intervention. Two pre-developed, validated surveys were used as pre-test/post-test for both groups. Survey scores for both groups were compared using a Chi-square test. Results indicated that statistically significant growth was achieved by the treatment group. Additional quantitative measures included an observation checklist, student task rubrics, and a student Likert survey questionnaire. Results indicated that students, who felt the DMB Model was easy to use, performed better on content tasks. Qualitative analysis supported quantitative findings. Student task artifacts revealed that students in the treatment group used more metacognitive and cognitive strategies. Additionally, student and teacher interviews found the DMB Model to be easy to use.

Two conflicting findings characterize cognitive processing accompanying bilingualism. The “bilingual advantage” refers to improved cognitive performance for bilingual compared to monolingual participants. Most bilingual advantages fall under the umbrella of cognitive control mechanisms, most frequently demonstrated using the Stroop task and the Simon task (e.g., Bialystok, 2008; Coderre, Van Heuven, & Conklin, 2013). The “bilingual disadvantage,” on the other hand, refers to bilinguals’ diminished performance on tasks that require word retrieval or switching between languages. This study examined the intersection of the bilingual advantage and the bilingual disadvantage to investigate whether they stem from a single cognitive control process. The bilingual advantage was measured as speech onset time differences between monolingual and bilingual participants in the Stroop task after being primed in the same language (i.e., English prime and English Stroop for monolinguals, and either English prime and English Stroop or Spanish prime and Spanish Stroop for bilinguals). The bilingual disadvantage was measured as differences in bilingual participants’ speech onset times between the same-language conditions described above and cross-language conditions (i.e., either English prime and Spanish Stroop or Spanish prime and English Stroop). Monolinguals performed better than bilinguals did on the same-language Stroop [F(3,1) = 83.5, p < 0.001, MSE = 15415], so a bilingual advantage was not demonstrated. However, bilinguals did perform better in same-language blocks than cross-language blocks [F(7,3) = 24.6, p < 0.001, MSE = 22648]. This suggests that the current protocol successfully elicits the bilingual disadvantage. Further research is needed to evaluate whether the same cognitive control processes are responsible for the two effects. Possible extensions of this work include observing a larger number of participants to rule out between-subjects effects and using a button press rather than spoken response during the Stroop task.

This study investigated the relationship between bilingualism and cognitive skills. It shows how 10 to 12 year old bilingual learners apply cognitive aptitudes on mathematic tests compared to monolingual speakers. The study took place in Mexico and compared monolingual Spanish speakers with bilingual Spanish ? German speakers regarding their cognitive aptitudes. The cognitive skills that were being investigated were velocity in spatial speed, short-term memory, logical thinking and abstract reasoning. This study is especially addressed to teachers and parents because it shows the cognitive impact on a child who is learning content in a second language. The results demonstrate that bilingual education in the group tested increases the positive use of cognitive skills on tasks such as mathematics. The study also indicates a difference between gender in which boys outperformed girls in the tests. Finally, this study has been conducted to encourage bilingual education in Mexico and to show parents that this kind of education does not overwhelm their children, on the contrary, it augments their ability to use their cognitive skills.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Georgia State University, 2007.
Vincent Rehder, committee chair; Sarah Pallas, Walter William Walthall, committee members. Electronic text (248 p. : ill. (some col.)) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed Jan. 28, 2008; title from file title page. Includes bibliographical references (p. 218-248).

These learning strategies have presented a theoretical framework for applying brain-based learning to EFL teaching. The model is based on the holistic principles of brain based learning rather than memorization of skills and knowledge as has been previously employed in EFL instruction.

The neurotoxic potential of intravenous administered benzylpenicillin (BPC) was studied in rabbits with intact blood-CNS barriers and rabbits with experimental E. coli meningitis. At onset of epileptogenic EEG activity or seizures, serum, CSF and brain tissue were collected for assay of BPC. Based on the fact that, in tissues, BPC seems to remain extracellularly, brain concentrations of BPC were expressed as brain tissue fluid (BTF) levels, calculated as lOx the concentration in whole brain tissue. Neurotoxicity could be precipitated in all rabbits. In normal rabbits BTF levels of BPC were considerably higher than those in CSF indicating a better penetration across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). BPC penetrated better to CSF and BTF in meningitic rabbits than in normal controls, suggesting some degree of damage of the BBB concomitant with meningeal inflammation. E. coli meningitis did not increase the neurotoxicity of BPC. In control rabbits the intracistemal injection of saline resulted in some degree of pleocytosis. Unmanipulated animals are therefore preferable as controls. Epileptogenic EEG-changes was the most precise of the two variables used for demonstration of neurotoxicity. EEG-changes were therefore used as neurotoxicity criterion in the following rabbit experiments. To evaluate the effect of uraemia alone and uraemia plus meningitis on the neurotoxity of BPC in rabbits, cephaloridine was used to induce uraemia. Meningitis was induced by intracistemal inoculation of a cephalosporinresistant strain of E. cloacae. Untreated  rabbits were used as controls. Uraemia resulted in increased BTF penetration of BPC, possibly explained by permeability changes in the BBB and/or decreased binding of BPC to albumin. Uraemia did not result in increased penetration of BPC into the CSF of non-meningitic rabbits. Uraemic non-meningitic rabbits had the highest BTF levels of BPC at the criterion, indicating that cephaloridine-induced renal failure increased the epileptogenic threshold in these rabbits. The combination of uraemia and meningitis increased the neurotoxicity of BPC since the criterion was reached at considerably lower BTF levels of BPC. Meningitis, either alone or together with uraemia, did not increase the neurotoxicity in comparison to control rabbits. Higher BTF levels of BPC were found in meningitic rabbits than in controls with intact blood-CNS barriers at onset of EEG-changes. In all groups of rabbits there was a pronounced variability of BPC levels in the CSF while the intra-group variations in BTF levels were much smaller. Thus, BTF and not CSF levels were decisive for the neurotoxicity of BPC. Using   the same EEG-model, the neurotoxic potential of imipenem/cilastatin (I) and a new penem derivative, FCE 22101 were compared in a cross-over study. Both I and FCE 22101 were significantly more neurotoxic than BPC. While BTF levels of the three antibiotics could be detected in all tested rabbits, detectable CSF levels were only found in one of twelve rabbits treated with I or FCE 22101, indicating that BTF concentrations rather than CSF ones are decisive for neurotoxicity of ß-lactam antibiotics. The EEG-model used was found to be a suitable model for cross-over studies of intravenously administered antibiotics. Using the "silent-second" as EEG-threshold, a CNS interaction between intraperitoneally administered BPC and intravenous thiopental was demonstrated in rats. The most probably site for this interaction is the organic acid transport system out of the CNS. Thiopental distribution in the rat brain seemed to depend not only on its lipid solubility.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Umeå universitet, 1988, härtill 5 uppsatser.

digitalisering@umu

Establishing a commercial, lignocellulose-based, second-generation ethanol process has received several decades of attention by both researchers and industry. However, a fully economically viable process still remains a long-term goal. The main bottleneck to this achievement is the recalcitrance of lignocellulosic feedstocks, although there are several other factors, such as the huge investment required for second-generation ethanol facilities. An intelligent alternative solution discussed in this thesis is an integrated approach using firstgeneration ethanol plants for second-generation processes. Wheat is the major feedstock for first-generation ethanol in Europe; therefore, wheat-based lignocellulose waste, such as wheat straw, bran, and whole stillage fiber (a waste stream from first-generation wheat-based ethanol plants) was the primary focus of the integration model in this thesis. Since the major share of first-generation ethanol plant economics focuses on the animal feed DDGS (Distillers’ dried gains with solubles), the integration of lignocellulose should be designed in order to maintain DDGS quality. An ethanol-producing edible filamentous fungus, Neurospora intermedia, a potential protein source in DDGS, was considered for use as the fermenting microbe. The morphological and physiological aspects of this fungus were studied in the thesis, leading to the first report of fungal pellet development. An alternative approach of using dilute phosphoric acid to pretreat lignocellulose, as it does not negatively affect fungal growth or DDGS quality, was demonstrated in both the laboratory and on a 1m3 pilot scale. Furthermore, the process of hydrolysis of pretreated lignocelluloses and subsequent N. intermedia fermentation on lignocellulose hydrolysate was also optimized in the laboratory and scaled up to 1 m3 using an in-house pilot-scale airlift bioreactor. Fungal fermentation on acid-pretreated and enzyme-hydrolyzed wheat bran, straw and whole stillage fiber resulted in a final ethanol yield of 95%, 94% and 91% of the theoretical maximum based on the glucan content of the substrate, respectively. Integrating the first- and second-generation processes using thin stillage (a waste stream from first-generation wheat-based ethanol plants) enhanced the fungal growth on straw hydrolysate, avoiding the need for supplementing with extra nutrients. Based on the results obtained from this thesis work, a new model for integrated first- and second-generation ethanol using edible filamentous fungi processes that also adds value to animal feed (DDGS) was developed.

La protéine NCp7 est une cible potentielle de choix pour une thérapie anti-VIH car elle est impliquée dans de nombreuses étapes du cycle viral, et sa séquence est hautement conservée. En combinant les techniques de spectroscopie de fluorescence et de RMN, nous avons montré que NCp7 modifie la conformation de la boucle de PBS et déstabilise l’extrémité supérieure de la tige. De ce fait, NCp7 active l’hybridation de PBS en stimulant la formation de complexes boucle-boucle, alors qu’en absence de protéine l’extrémité protrudente constitue le site principal de nucléation. Les modifications de la boucle de PBS induites par NCp7 permettent la formation d’homodimères qui jouent probablement un rôle dans la variabilité génétique du virus. Les propriétés spectroscopiques de la 8-vinyl-déoxyadenosine, un analogue fluorescent de l’adénine, ont été étudiées. Par ses propriétés, cette sonde apparaît supérieure à la 2-AP
The NCp7 protein is a potential target for an anti-HIV therapy since it is involved in numerous stages of the viral cycle, and its sequence is highly conserved. By combining fluorescence spectroscopy and RMN techniques, we showed that NCp7 modifies the conformation of the PBS loop and destabilizes the upper extremity of the stem. Therefore, NCp7 activates the PBS annealing by stimulating the formation of “kissing complexes”, while in absence of protein, the protruding extremity constitutes the main nucleation site. The modifications of PBS loop inferred by NCp7 also allow homodimers of PBS, which probably play a role in the genetic variability of the virus. The spectroscopic properties of the 8-vinyl-déoxyadenosine, a fluorescent analogue of the adenine, were studied. By its properties, this probe seems superior to the 2-AP

Dans la seconde moitié du XIXᵉ siècle britannique, le nombre d’ouvrages, d’articles ou de conférences se rapportant au problème des rapports entre l’esprit et le corps est particulièrement conséquent. En effet, cette époque est caractérisée par la formulation de la théorie de l’évolution de Darwin, par l’émergence des sciences du cerveau, et par une lutte pour l’autorité intellectuelle entre les élites traditionnelles et certains scientifiques fraîchement arrivés sur la scène culturelle. Dans ce cadre, des scientifiques, rejetant la tutelle métaphysique ou théologique de la science, souhaitent aussi arracher la question de l'esprit des mains des métaphysiciens et théologiens, pour proposer une étude expérimentale des liens entre phénomènes physiques et phénomènes mentaux. Ils s'aventurent alors sur le terrain de la philosophie de l'esprit, proposant leurs propres théories concernant les relations de l'esprit et du corps. La thèse centrale et très discutée est celle de l’épiphénoménisme, telle qu’elle a été présentée par Thomas Henry Huxley en 1874. Elle stipule l'inefficacité causale des états mentaux sur le corps, animal ou humain, et fait de la volonté une illusion de la conscience. La formulation originaire de l'épiphénoménisme est par ailleurs solidaire de deux autres thèses centrales : l'agnosticisme métaphysique et la conception mécaniste du monde. Toutefois, certains scientifiques ou philosophes qui militent en faveur d’une prise en compte de la physiologie dans l’étude de l’esprit ne souscrivent pas à l’épiphénoménisme. Les critiques formulées à l’encontre de l’automatisme de Huxley ne proviennent donc pas uniquement des défenseurs de la liberté métaphysique et de la responsabilité humaine. Par ailleurs, il est possible de relever des nuances voire des désaccords théoriques chez les divers adhérents à l’automatisme. Le problème des rapports de l’esprit et du corps constitue à nos yeux une nouvelle porte d’entrée dans les débats de cette époque. Il nous a permis d’identifier un mouvement philosophique que nous avons qualifié de « philosophie psychophysiologique victorienne » et dont cette thèse a pour ambition d'être la première exploration globale et systématique. Les principaux auteurs étudiés sont les suivant : Thomas Henry Huxley, John Tyndall, William Clifford, Henry Maudsley, Alexander Bain, William B. Carpenter, George Henry Lewes et George Romanes
During the second half of the nineteenth century in Great Britain, a substantial number of articles, conferences and books were dedicated to the mind-body problem. This period was indeed marked by the Darwinian theory, the development of brain sciences, together with the fight for intellectual leadership between some scientists and traditional authorities. A certain number of scientists rejected the theological tutelage of science as well as the metaphysical studies of the mind. They defended an experimental approach to the mind-body problem. Therefore, they started developing their own philosophy of mind. The most controversial thesis debated in this overall context was the thesis of epiphenomenalism formulated by Thomas Huxley in 1874. He argued that mind was causally inefficient, thus saying that the conscious will was an illusion. The defence of this astonishing position is related to two other main ideas: metaphysical agnosticism and the mechanical conception of the world. Even though it was widely accepted among Huxley’s close colleagues, this thesis was criticised by some people who also defended a scientific study of the mind. The mind-body problem thus appeared to us as a new way to enter the controversies of this time. Its study enabled us to identify a philosophical movement, which we labelled “Victorian psycho-physiological philosophy” and which this work aims at providing a global and systematic exploration of. The main authors of this study are the following: Thomas Henry Huxley, John Tyndall, William Clifford, Henry Maudsley, Alexander Bain, William B. Carpenter, George Henry Lewes and George Romanes

Consummation was the one term about which Kenneth Burke wasn't particularly long-winded - odd considering his claim that it was the apex of his theory of form. Perhaps Burke never explained exactly what consummation was because he himself was never clear on the subject, as he told John Woodcock in an interview toward the end of his career. Burke began conceptualizing his theory of form early on - in his 20s - and published it in his first critical book, Counter-Statement, in 1931. At that time, Burke's theory of form had already taken one evolutionary step - from self-expression, with the focus on the artist, to communication, with the focus on the psychology of the reader. Communication was to Burke an "arousing and fulfilling of desires." However, by the 60s, Burke introduced us to a new term which he only used a handful of times in his entire corpus: consummation. This paper attempts to define consummation by exploring Burke's theory of form and looking to his correspondences with friends and scholars. It offers two answers: first, consummation is the act of a reader responding to a writer in critical conversation; second, consummation is the ultimate cathartic achievement. Both play an important civic role. Using current science regarding the gut in connection with emotional purgation, this paper treats seriously Burke's essay "The Thinking of the Body (Comments on the Imagery of Catharsis in Literature)" and his ideas regarding the "Demonic Trinity": micturition, defecation, and parturition, explaining Burkean catharsis as it differs from, deepens, and extends Aristotelian catharsis. What can we learn from what Burke meant by consummation? That the symbolic world is much more significant to our survival than we may realize. As the world of scientific motion advanced rapidly during Burke's lifetime, he began to lose hope that symbolic action could keep up with it. We can see how important poetry and the symbolic motive was for him; he seemed to think it was a matter of life and death. This paper explores what it meant for Burke to seek a consummated life, and the implications that held for him and for us. In the end, the paper posits the importance of catharsis to society in terms of war and peace.

Within the past few decades brain injury, or traumatic brain injury (TBI), has gained widespread attention. Early focus was on more severe forms of TBI; severity typically measured using the Glasgow Coma Scale. In more recent years, however, mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), most notably concussions, has gained increasing interest due to the high frequency of concussions suffered in athletes of all levels and, recently, in military personnel due to blast injuries. Studies being performed have focused not only on ways to help minimize the incidence of concussion as well as treating concussive symptoms, but also on detecting concussions. Many concussions go unreported due to inadequate knowledge of concussive symptoms amongst the general population. Because many concussions go unnoticed and hence unreported the individual who has sustained a concussion is at risk for a more serious injury in the future. One such injury is Second Impact Syndrome (SIS). Second Impact Syndrome is essentially a synergistic event where the sum of two seemingly mild concussions combine to create an event that is potentially fatal. The findings during the autopsy are that there is insignificant damage to the brain to cause death. The damage that occurs, however, is on a molecular level causing a strain on the metabolic processes of the brain called dysautoregulation. Without an understanding of the changes that have occurred on a molecular level in SIS the assignment of cause and manner of death is difficult for the medical examiner. Currently, in order to diagnose SIS, a thorough scene investigation, along with the documentation of a previous head injury is needed. Without a full understanding of SIS and the pathophysiology changes that take place a medical examiner (ME) could misclassify the cause and manner of death in a death due to SIS. In the future, eliminating the prerequisite of identification and documentation of previous head injuries in order to diagnose SIS is needed. This paper evaluates the literature on the current knowledge of TBI and concussions in an attempt to create a protocol on how a medical examiner should approach a case where autopsy findings are unremarkable.

碩士
國立高雄應用科技大學
電子工程系
106
Purpose : To explore dosimetric analysis and induce secondary cancer risk (SCR) using VariableAperture Collimator (IRIS) and InCise Multileaf Collimator (MLC) CyberKnife M6 for patients with brain tumor. Materials and methods : In this study, evaluated IRIS and MLC techniques for dosimetric analysis for 10 patients with brain tumor using stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatment with CyberKnife and calculated excess absolute risk (EAR) with Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR VII) for Brain Stem and Soft tissue organs, in order to conform with the same radiation damage definition between Schneider and BEIR VII, models of risk equivalent dose (RED) were created with dose conversion from Biologically Effective Dose (BED) and Schneider’s formula to calculate organ equivalent dose (OED), when using OED to analyze secondary cancer risk (SCR), calculated excess absolute risk (EAR) and lifetime attributable risk (LAR) using different OED models with gender and age factors, to evaluate Brain Stem and Soft tissue organs SCR in carcinoma and sarcoma as a reference for clinical treatment planning. Results : In this study, dosimetric analysis of IRIS and MLC showed that the average dose was only significant for the Optic Chiasm organ, and IRIS was higher than MLC, the maximum dose with Optic Chiasm, Right Optic Nerve and Brain stem organ were significant and IRIS was higher than MLC; In the Brain Stem Organ of Carcinoma for secondary cancer was found that linear、LinExp、Plateau and Full models of EAR and LAR were not significant differences on technique, and the difference value IRIS was higher than MLC, EAR was 8.25%、7.44%、7.22% and 7.34%, LAR was 16.23%、15.33%、14.67% and 14.81%; In the Soft tissue organ of Sarcoma, we found EAR and LAR were significant differences in addition to the low repopulation model, the rest models were no significant differences, and the difference value IRIS was higher than MLC, EAR was 7.92%、14.61%、2.15% and 5.49%, LAR was 6.31%、12.56%、3.97% and 4.13%. Conclusions : In this study, the probability of SCR after radiotherapy treatment for patients with brain tumor found both EAR probability, and Schneider was 2-3 multiples higher than BEIR VII. In our study, Schneider’s Brain stem and Soft tissue organs with brain tumor, for the IRIS and MLC techniques of the SCR models, except for the low repopulation model were no difference between the two techniques of secondary cancer, dosimetric analysis and SCR model can provide physicians with clinical reference settings for organ at risk dose.

碩士
國立成功大學
資訊管理研究所
102
The technique of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been used to observe human brain’s activities since 1991. Afterward, fMRI has widely adopted in varied research domains. For example, psychologists start using fMRI to conduct cognition-related studies to determine which area of human brain is responsible for functioning language use, memory retrieval, and emotional fluctuation. Biologists also use fMRI to explore which area of human brain is responsible for functioning different senses and feeling, including touch, smell, ache, hungry, thirsty, and breadth. Nowadays, fMRI has been applied to explore which area of human brain can activate or function decision-making processes. According to the literature review, nucleus accumbens (NAcc), medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), and insula can be activated when purchasing decision is made. In the study of consumer purchasing decisions, the brand is a major factor affecting consumer purchase decisions. Interaction between the consumer and the brand is similar to interpersonal relationships. Many study of brand of brain image indicated that brand had a significant impact on brain activation. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to verify the areas of human brain’s neuron to be activated when decision-making behavior is conducted in online auction context for consumers who ever purchased second-hand and/or new products. Brain activity of online consumers who make decision on purchasing second-hand and/or new products in different brand perspectives is explored. Here, the neuron which has been activated may be located in different areas of human brain due to consumers’ different brand perspectives and perceived value of second-hand and/or new products. This study recruit 12 online consumers had purchased SHPs and/or new products on online auction platform. The results of this study find MPFC and insula activation when online consumers purchased SHPs, and DLPFC activation when they purchased brand products.

How do infants learn the sounds of their native language? Do they need to use general-auditory or language-specific mechanisms to make sense of the distributional nature of their phonetic input? To answer this question, this study investigated the neural correlates of phonetic discrimination in monolingual and bilingual infants (2-6 and 10-14 months) and adults using a new lens afforded by functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) neuroimaging. All participants heard syllables phonetically contrastive in their native English and Hindi (non-native) in an oddball paradigm while being imaged with fNIRS. Age comparisons of infant brain activation in multiple sites revealed that left Broca‟s area showed a developmental decline in response to native-language experience only. Bilateral STG showed robust recruitment at both ages in response to both stimulus languages. These findings were robust across monolinguals and bilinguals. Together, the results suggest that all infants use neural tissue predisposed for linguistic-phonetic processing in early life.

碩士
高雄醫學大學
行為科學研究所碩士班
93
The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of a Chinese version of the Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment-Second Edition for neurological patients. LOTCA-II consisted of 26 items categorized into six subtests, including Orientation, Visual Perception, Spatial Perception, Motor Praxis, Visuomotor Organization, and Thinking Operations. Three groups of subjects participated in the study. They were: stroke (n = 31), traumatic brain injury (TBI)(n = 33), and normal controls (n = 31). Our findings showed that internal consistency using Cronbach''s alpha ranging from .43 to .84 for the subtests and .91 for the total in the stroke group, whereas Cronbach''s alpha ranged from .56 to .94 for the subtests and .94 for the total in the TBI group. Test-retest reliability coefficients over a one-week time span ranged from .63 to 1.0 in stroke group, and from .89 to .98 in TBI group. Inter-rater reliability coefficients were excellent for both patient groups, as well. All coefficients reached statistical significance at the .001 level. With regard to concurrent validity, LOTCA-II was moderately correlated with full-scale score on the Chinese version of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Mini-Mental State Examination score, Test of Visual Perception total score, total accuracy score of the Benton Visual Retention Test as well as three scores on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (Perseverative Responses, Perseverative Errors, and Categories Completed) in stroke group. For TBI group, moderate to high correlations were found between LOTCA-II and the above-mentioned measures. Concerning discriminant validity, significant differences in the LOTCA-II performance were noted between TBI and normal groups, but not between CVA and normal groups. LOTCA-II Thinking Operations subtest significantly differentiated stroke patients from controls. On the other hand, no significant hemispheric effects were seen on the LOTCA-II performance regardless of diagnostic groups. Lastly, the results of exploratory factor analysis lent support for an unitary factor structure of the LOTCA-II. Taken together, LOTCA-II is a reliable and valid tool for the evaluation of general cognitive abilities in the stroke and TBI groups. Recommendations for future research were made, along with clinical implications. Keywords: Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment-Second Edition, Reliability, Validity, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury

博士
國立臺灣師範大學
資訊教育研究所
105
In a digital age, bilingual learning is currently pervasive in globalization society and is inevitably facilitated by learning technology. In order to investigate the effectiveness of digital learning on learning Chinese as a second language (CSL) from the perspective of cognitive neuroscience, the present study integrated the interdisciplinary knowledge among digital learning, linguistics, and cognitive neuroscience by non-invasive neuroimaging technology measurement in addition to behavior assessment. The research evidences elaborate the learning effect as a result of the brain neural plasticity, in which was observed after the short-term and non-specific tonal perception training for CSL beginning learners. By using a MEG experiment of magnetic correspondent of mismatch negativity (MMNm) paradigm with within-subjects design, the present study investigated the learning effect of CSL beginning learner who enrolled in a short term digital learning program. In the experiment, the measurements of MMNm, with the contrast between large deviant T3/T1 and between small deviant T3/T2, were computed to index the patterns of processing lexical tone in the brain. Results of the MMNm data indicated that activation for large contrast T3/T1 elicited earlier and significantly larger amplitude than of the small deviant contrast T3/T2, which is in line with previous studies done on native Chinese speakers. More importantly, in the comparison of pre-test and post-test time course, the amplitude of MMNm showed a significant increase in the left hemisphere after learning. The evidence indicated clearly a learning effect in the perception of linguistic features and a left lateralized neural network of processing Mandarin lexical tones as native-like pattern. Moreover, in the source analysis, the left lateralized patterns of prefrontal generator (i.e., insula) and generator of auditory cortex (i.e., Heschl's Gyrus) were observed after learning, which is also consistent with the native Mandarin speaker's response patterns. In other words, the present study provides neural evidence for a functional reorganization in the brain of CSL learners after a short-term and non-specific training program. The functional reorganization, in line with the duplex perception mechanism and functional –dependent lateralization, is reflected in transforming from predisposed acoustic-dependent right dominance for non-tonal language to linguistic functional-dependent left lateralization, as a tonal language native-like pattern. In sum, the present study provides an innovative implication of brain neural plasticity to bridge the changes of behavioral performance and neural mechanism of digital learning on second language.

碩士
國立清華大學
核子工程與科學研究所
106
Evaluating the risk of secondary cancer induction after radiation therapy is especially important in pediatric patients because the tissue of the child is in the growth phase and the survival period is longer after the cure, and the current proton therapy does not take into account the dose effects of proton-induced neutron radiation outside the field. In addition, there is also a lack of consideration in the literature to assess the conbination risk of induced cancer by inside and outside the field. Due to the above three points, the purpose of this study is to develop a suitable risk assessment module for different dose ranges inside and outside the field, using their respective risk assessment models, and to assess the secondary risk of pediatric brain tumors after wobbling proton therapy. After approval by Institutional Review Board(IRB), 11 patients' DICOM data were obtained. Patient information was extracted and the relative position between the Organ at risk (OAR) and the beam was reconstructed to define whether the OAR in the field or out of the field. Select the appropriate risk assessment model inside and outside the field respectively. For high-dose areas(in field), use the Organ equivalent dose(OED) method developed by Uwe Schneider. For low-dose areas(out-of-field) deposited dose by scattered photon, proton and second neutron, refer to the linear risk model established in the BEIR VII report. The OAR radiation-induced cancer risk inside and outside the field was weighted by the survival probability of Taiwan's Life Table, and the life attributable risk(LAR) accumulated to the average life expectancy of Taiwan was calculated as the risk analysis target. Finally, this risk calculation system was used to evaluate the secondary carcinogenic risk of 11 clinical pediatric brain tumor patients, respectively, compared with the secondary cancer risk under the treatment plan of wobbling proton and photon technology. After the construction of the clinical risk calculation system developed in this study, the feasibility of the system was verified based on the published literature, and the system was used to calculate clinical pediatric brain tumor cases. The calculation results show that the LAR of the pediatric brain OAR is between 0 % and 9 %. The LAR distribution in each case is related to the volume and location of PTV. For the risk assessment of pediatric brain tumor patients, the results of the proton and the photon treatment planning were compared. In the group which PTV locates in the out-of-center of the head or is smaller volume, the risk of wobbling proton therapy was significantly lower than that of photon therapy.

Le traumatisme craniocérébral léger (TCCL) a des effets complexes sur plusieurs fonctions cérébrales, dont l’évaluation et le suivi peuvent être difficiles. Les problèmes visuels et les troubles de l’équilibre font partie des plaintes fréquemment rencontrées après un TCCL. En outre, ces problèmes peuvent continuer à affecter les personnes ayant eu un TCCL longtemps après la phase aiguë du traumatisme. Cependant, les évaluations cliniques conventionnelles de la vision et de l’équilibre ne permettent pas, la plupart du temps, d’objectiver ces symptômes, surtout lorsqu’ils s’installent durablement. De plus, il n’existe pas, à notre connaissance, d’étude longitudinale ayant étudié les déficits visuels perceptifs, en tant que tels, ni les troubles de l’équilibre secondaires à un TCCL, chez l’adulte. L’objectif de ce projet était donc de déterminer la nature et la durée des effets d’un tel traumatisme sur la perception visuelle et sur la stabilité posturale, en évaluant des adultes TCCL et contrôles sur une période d’un an. Les mêmes sujets, exactement, ont participé aux deux expériences, qui ont été menées les mêmes jours pour chacun des sujets. L’impact du TCCL sur la perception visuelle de réseaux sinusoïdaux définis par des attributs de premier et de second ordre a d’abord été étudié. Quinze adultes diagnostiqués TCCL ont été évalués 15 jours, 3 mois et 12 mois après leur traumatisme. Quinze adultes contrôles appariés ont été évalués à des périodes identiques. Des temps de réaction (TR) de détection de clignotement et de discrimination de direction de mouvement ont été mesurés. Les niveaux de contraste des stimuli de premier et de second ordre ont été ajustés pour qu’ils aient une visibilité comparable, et les moyennes, médianes, écarts-types (ET) et écarts interquartiles (EIQ) des TR correspondant aux bonnes réponses ont été calculés. Le niveau de symptômes a également été évalué pour le comparer aux données de TR. De façon générale, les TR des TCCL étaient plus longs et plus variables (plus grands ET et EIQ) que ceux des contrôles. De plus, les TR des TCCL étaient plus courts pour les stimuli de premier ordre que pour ceux de second ordre, et plus variables pour les stimuli de premier ordre que pour ceux de second ordre, dans la condition de discrimination de mouvement. Ces observations se sont répétées au cours des trois sessions. Le niveau de symptômes des TCCL était supérieur à celui des participants contrôles, et malgré une amélioration, cet écart est resté significatif sur la période d’un an qui a suivi le traumatisme. La seconde expérience, elle, était destinée à évaluer l’impact du TCCL sur le contrôle postural. Pour cela, nous avons mesuré l’amplitude d’oscillation posturale dans l’axe antéropostérieur et l’instabilité posturale (au moyen de la vitesse quadratique moyenne (VQM) des oscillations posturales) en position debout, les pieds joints, sur une surface ferme, dans cinq conditions différentes : les yeux fermés, et dans un tunnel virtuel tridimensionnel soit statique, soit oscillant de façon sinusoïdale dans la direction antéropostérieure à trois vitesses différentes. Des mesures d’équilibre dérivées de tests cliniques, le Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency 2nd edition (BOT-2) et le Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) ont également été utilisées. Les participants diagnostiqués TCCL présentaient une plus grande instabilité posturale (une plus grande VQM des oscillations posturales) que les participants contrôles 2 semaines et 3 mois après le traumatisme, toutes conditions confondues. Ces troubles de l’équilibre secondaires au TCCL n’étaient plus présents un an après le traumatisme. Ces résultats suggèrent également que les déficits affectant les processus d’intégration visuelle mis en évidence dans la première expérience ont pu contribuer aux troubles de l’équilibre secondaires au TCCL. L’amplitude d’oscillation posturale dans l’axe antéropostérieur de même que les mesures dérivées des tests cliniques d’évaluation de l’équilibre (BOT-2 et BESS) ne se sont pas révélées être des mesures sensibles pour quantifier le déficit postural chez les sujets TCCL. L’association des mesures de TR à la perception des propriétés spécifiques des stimuli s’est révélée être à la fois une méthode de mesure particulièrement sensible aux anomalies visuomotrices secondaires à un TCCL, et un outil précis d’investigation des mécanismes sous-jacents à ces anomalies qui surviennent lorsque le cerveau est exposé à un traumatisme léger. De la même façon, les mesures d’instabilité posturale se sont révélées suffisamment sensibles pour permettre de mesurer les troubles de l’équilibre secondaires à un TCCL. Ainsi, le développement de tests de dépistage basés sur ces résultats et destinés à l’évaluation du TCCL dès ses premières étapes apparaît particulièrement intéressant. Il semble également primordial d’examiner les relations entre de tels déficits et la réalisation d’activités de la vie quotidienne, telles que les activités scolaires, professionnelles ou sportives, pour déterminer les impacts fonctionnels que peuvent avoir ces troubles des fonctions visuomotrice et du contrôle de l’équilibre.
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) has complex effects on several brain functions that can be difficult to assess and follow-up. Visual and balance problems are frequently reported after an mTBI. Furthermore, these problems can still affect mTBI individuals far beyond the acute stage of injury. However, standard clinical assessments of vision and balance most often fail to objectivize these symptoms, especially if they are lingering. Moreover, to our knowledge, no longitudinal study investigated either mTBI-related deficits of visual perception per se, or mTBI-related balance deficits in adults. The aim of this project was to determine the nature and duration of the effects of such a traumatism on visual perception as well as on postural stability, by evaluating mTBI and control adults over a one-year period. Exactly the same subjects participated in both experiments, which took place on the same days for every subject. The impact of mTBI on the visual perception of sine-wave gratings defined by first-and second-order characteristics was, first, investigated. Fifteen adults diagnosed with mTBI were assessed at 15 days, 3 months and 12 months after injury. Fifteen matched controls followed the same testing schedule. Reaction times (RTs) for flicker detection and motion direction discrimination were measured. Stimulus contrast of first- and second-order patterns was equated to control for visibility, and correct-response RT means, standard deviations (SDs), medians, and interquartile ranges (IQRs) were calculated. The level of symptoms was also evaluated to compare it to RT data. In general in mTBI, RTs were longer and more variable (ie., larger SDs and IQRs), than those of controls. In addition, mTBI participants’ RTs to first-order stimuli were shorter than those to second-order stimuli, and more irregular for first- than for second-order stimuli in the motion condition. All these observations were made over the 3 sessions. The level of symptoms observed in mTBI was higher than that of control participants and this difference did also persist up to one year after the brain injury, despite an improvement. The second experiment, then, investigated the impact of mTBI on postural control. To achieve that, antero-posterior body sway amplitude (BSA) and postural instability (given by body sway velocity root mean square, vRMS) during upright stance, feet together, on a firm surface, were measured in five different conditions: with eyes closed and in a 3D virtual reality tunnel, either static or sinusoidally moving in the antero-posterior direction at 3 different velocities. Balance measures derived from clinical tests, Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency 2nd edition (BOT-2) and Balance Error Scoring System (BESS), were also used. Participants diagnosed with mTBI exhibited more postural instability (i.e. higher body sway vRMS) than control participants at 2 weeks and at 3 months post-injury, regardless of the testing condition. These mTBI-related balance deficits were no longer present one year postinjury. These results also suggest that visual processing impairments revealed in the first experiment might have contributed to mTBI-related balance deficits. Anteroposterior BSA as well as measures derived from clinical tests for balance assessment did not appear to be sensitive enough to quantify postural deficits of mTBI participants. The combination of RT measures with particular stimulus properties appeared to be a highly sensitive method for measuring mTBI-induced visuomotor anomalies, and to provide a fine probe of the underlying mechanisms when the brain is exposed to mild trauma. Likewise, postural instability measures prove to be sensitive enough for measuring mTBI-induced balance deficits. Developing screening tests in this respect intended for early post-mTBI use would be of interest. Also, studying relationships of such deficits with performance in daily life activities, such as school, work, or sports, is crucial in order to determine the functional impacts of these alterations in visuomotor and balance functions.