111,817 research outputs found
Vowel processing in Italian pediatric cochlear-implant users: A behavioral and neurophysiological study
No full textMultichannel cochlear implant (CI) devices partially restore the auditory sensation in children affected by congenital, bilateral, and severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss, especially in the absence of background noise, provided that CI surgery takes place during the sensitive period for maturation of the auditory pathways, which is presumed to end at 3.5 years [Sharma et al. 2002abc, 2005, 2007; 2009; Gilley et al. 2008].
A few previous studies on Italian pediatric CI users investigated the general auditory abilities as well as the speech intelligibility of deaf children [cf. Santarelli et al. 2009; Colletti et al. 2012; Caselli et al. 2012; Martines et al. 2013], by using the usual tests administered by speech therapists. Plenty of previous studies investigated detection, categorization, and discrimination of speech sounds, both consonants and vowels, at the cortical level (automatically), in CI children exposed to languages other than Italian, such English [Kileny et al. 1997; Sharma et al. 2002abc, 2005, 2007; 2009; Gilley et al. 2008; Henkin et al. 2008], Dutch [Beynon et al. 2002], German [Ortmann et al. 2013], Hebrew [Singh et al. 2004], and Croatian [Munivrana & Mildner 2013].
As compared to the above-mentioned studies, the present research introduces three methodological innovations: i) it investigates the processing of vowels; ii) it relies on natural speech stimuli, only minimally normalized; and iii) it combines the use of behavioral measures (e.g., tests of categorization and discrimination of speech sounds, administered attentively) with the use of neurophysiological measures (e.g., the EEG recording for subsequent extraction of the auditory ERPs indexing speech sound detection, categorization, and discrimination).
The present study investigates the processing of single vowels (e.g., /u/, /i/, /e/, /o/, /a/) as well as of same-vowel pairs (e.g., /u/-/u/, /i/-/i/, /e/-/e/, /o/-/o/, /a/-/a/) and of different-vowel pairs (e.g., /u/-/i/, /i/-/u/, /e/-/i/, /i/-/e/, /o/-/a/, /a/-/o/) at the behavioral (e.g., conscious) and at the neurophysiological (e.g., automatic) levels in a group of deaf Italian children implanted during the sensitive period for central auditory maturation (range of age at surgery: 2.1 – 4.4 years) and who had been using their CI for at least 2 years (range of duration of CI stimulation: 2.4 – 8.1 years). At the behavioral level, tests of vowel detection and of vowel categorization were administered. At the neurophysiological level, the EEG activity was passively recorded when children were watching a silent movie while hearing vowel stimuli on the background. Subsequently, the P1, N1, and MMN responses of the auditory ERPs are the neural correlates of (speech) sound detection, categorization, and discrimination, in turn, were extracted. The vowel processing performance of the CI children will be compared against the performance exhibited by a group of normal-hearing (NH) children matched for biological age with the CI children. This study also investigated whether, and to what extent, some external factors were able to constrain vowel processing at the behavioral and neurophysiological level in CI children. These factors are the following ones: i) vowel quality; ii) the articulatory characteristics of the five vowels; iii) the larger vs. smaller Euclidean distance characterizing the vowel pairs; iv) the different distinctive feature specification and, more particularly, the direction of change in the distinctive feature specification between the first and the second vowel of each pair; v) the earlier vs. later age at surgery; and vi) the longer vs. shorter duration of CI use.
The main findings of the present study are the following ones. First, the main difference between the behavioral and the neurophysiological levels of processing in CI children consists in the fact that the processing of vowel pairs is partially impaired for accuracy only at the behavioral level, whereas the processing of single vowels is partially impaired for accuracy, and rarely delayed, only at the neurophysiological level. Second, at the neurophysiological level, CI children are impaired at the auditory, not at the cognitive, level. In fact, in spite of typically being less accurate in detection and categorization of single vowels, CI children are not impaired in the processing of vowel pairs. Third, age at surgery and duration of implant stimulation are irrelevant for behavioral vowel processing, whereas they constrain cortical vowel processing, although not systematically: deaf children implanted before 3.4 years and/or who had been using their CI for at least 5.8 years may process single vowels as well as vowel pairs faster and more accurately. Vowel quality, the articulatory characteristics of the five vowels, the Euclidean, and the direction of change in the distinctive feature specification, on the other hand, turn out to be irrelevant in constraining vowel processing either at the behavioral and at the neurophysiological level
A Novel Nanobody Scaffold Optimized for Bacterial Expression and Suitable for the Construction of Ribosome Display Libraries
No full textSingle-domain antigen-binding fragments of camelid antibodies, known as VHHs or nanobodies, are widely used affinity reagents. However, their production involving animal immunization is time- and resource-intensive. Starting from a sequence dataset of llama VHHs, we designed a novel scaffold, based on conserved framework sequences, suitable for bacterial nanobody expression and synthetic library construction. The consensus scaffold was validated by grafting the CDRs from two known nanobodies. While maintaining their binding properties, the two chimeric nanobodies showed higher levels of expression and solubility in E. coli when compared to the corresponding wild types. A proof-of-concept synthetic combinatorial library, suitable for ribosome display (RD) selection, was obtained by encoding three randomized complementarity determining regions within the consensus framework. The library, made of linear DNA fragments, has an estimated complexity of > 1012 that is three orders of magnitude higher than common phage display libraries. The bacterial expression of several library clones showed a high production of soluble recombinant proteins. The high complexity of the library, confirmed by sequencing of a subset of clones, as well as a preliminary RD selection of a maltose binding protein binder, indicated this approach as a starting point in the construction of synthetic combinatorial libraries to be used as animal-free tools for the low-cost selection of target-specific nanobodies
author-bios-SRD-19-0063.R1 – Supplemental material for The Network Structure of Police Misconduct
No full textSupplemental material, author-bios-SRD-19-0063.R1 for The Network Structure of Police Misconduct by George Wood, Daria Roithmayr and Andrew V. Papachristos in Socius</p
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
No full textThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
No full text“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Využití sociálních médií v B2B prodeji
No full textTato diplomová práce se zabývá tím, jak mohou B2B obchodníci využívat sociální média v prodeji. Na základě systematické rešerše literatury, autor zjistil, že akademici, zkoumající danou problematiku, navrhují další výzkum, a to: v kterých konkrétních krocích se dají využít sociální média v prodeji (Salo, 2017). Autor se na základě toho rozhodl zjistit, jaké sociální sítě, různé technologie a pluginy se dají využít v B2B prodeji - tzv. social sellingu. Social selling se v této práci týká primárně procesu akvizice a okrajově péčí o stávající zákazníky. Autor si vybral kvalitativní průzkum pomocí 10 hloubkových polo-strukturovaných rozhovorů, aby odhalil jak, která sociální média to jsou, tak i motivaci prodejců, proč tato média používat/nepoužívat. Aby autor dodržel správnost vyhodnocení výsledků, data byla analyzována pomocí Tématické analýzy, která v této studii vykrystalizovala 2 hlavní strategické přístupy v social sellingu. Tyto přístupy (tzv. Push a Pull strategie) obsahují praktické příklady a konkrétní aktivity, které mohou prodejci využívat v každodenní praxi. Tyto výsledky jsou prezentovány s důrazem na praktičnost a jednoduchost implementace. Tvoří proto hlavní přínos autorovo výzkumu. V poslední části autor zmiňuje výzvy a manažerská doporučení, které mohou obchodníci využít v každodenním pracovním životě.This diploma thesis focuses on social media usage in B2B sales. Based on the systematic literature review conducted by the author, he has found out that recent researchers (Salo, 2017) suggest further research in the area of how and in which sales phase should various social networking sites, technologies and plugins used. To further fill this research gap, author decided to identify these social media and their usage among B2B salespeople in the so-called social selling process. The social selling process in this thesis applies mainly to acquiring new prospects and tangentially to taking care of existing clients (follow-up step). Author has chosen a qualitative research method via conducting 10 in-depth semi-structured interviews to reveal these instruments as well as motivation of a sales person on why to use social media in the selling process. The collected data was analyzed using Thematic analysis to ensure the right procedure and to identify main themes which crystalized into 2 main strategic approaches in social selling. These approaches (Push and Pull) include practical examples of concrete activities which sales people can use in their daily jobs and are presented with focus on practicality and ease of implementation. These also form the main contribution of author`s research. In the last part, author mentions challenges in social selling and recommended managerial implications for salesforce
TeX v jednoduchém unixovém prostředí
No full textsummary:Při ladění TeXového dokumentu potřebujeme mnohokrát opakovaně pouštět TeX, podívat se, jak dopadl výsledek v prohlížeči DVI nebo PDF souboru, mrknout na výpis TeXu na terminálu, podívat se případně do logu a celou činnost opakovat. V tomto článku je ukázáno, jak tuto práci dělá autor článku. Proces "editor-TeX-kuk" je zde podporován jednoduchými unixovými nástroji: bashovým skriptem texloop, který si autor pro tyto účely vytvořil, dále terminálem Xterm a jednoduchým editorem, který umí navázat na klávesovou zkratku spuštění příkazu v systému. Čtenář se zde může inspirovat a přizpůsobit tyto nástroje svým vlastním potřebám. V článku je popsána funkce skriptu texloop, dále je neformálně rozveden dlouholetý vývoj autorova vztahu k textovým editorům a konečně je zde uvedena konfigurace terminálu Xterm, aby vyhovoval českému prostředí jak v kódování ISO-8859-2, tak v kódování UTF-8. Pro kódování UTF-8 si v závěru článku vygenerujeme TeXový formát csplain.summary:By debugging a TeX document it is necessary many times repeatedly to run TeX, to look for the result in DVI or PDF file, to gander the TeX output on the terminal, or eventually to have a look in the log-file, and all that action to repeat. In the paper it is show, how this work is made by author. The process '‘'editor-TeX-look' is supported by simple Unix tools: bash script texloop, created by author for these purposes, Xterm terminal and a simple editor, which is able to link to the shortcut key the activation of a system command. The reader could be inspired with the solution and to adapt these tools to his/her own needs. In the paper the function of the texloop script is described, and further the longstanding evolution of the author's relation to text editors is informal elaborated and finally a configuration of Xterm terminal, suitable for the czech environment with both ISO-8859-2 and UTF-8 encoding is introduced. For UTF-8 encoding the TeX format csplain is generated at the end of the paper
Analýza perspektivy vedoucích prodeje na řízení pojišťovacích agentů v etnicky různorodých zastoupeních v Organizaci G, Malajsie.
No full textCílem této práce je odhalit klíčové faktory a výzvy spojené s řízením etnicky různorodého pojišťovacího zastoupení v oboru životního pojištění v Malajsii. Autor si klade za cíl zkoumat pohled vedoucích prodeje v Organizaci G v Malajsii na jejich způsob řízení agentů. Kombinované kvantitativní a kvalitativní metody budou použity prostřednictvím průzkumu a rozhovorů se 79 agenty a 12 vedoucími prodeje. Odpovědi budou analyzovány za účelem porozumění výzvám, kterým čelí vedoucí prodeje při řízení etnicky různorodého zastoupení, a zkoumat potenciální řešení. Autor navrhuje iniciativy a metody k posílení stylů vedení a zlepšení procesů pro udržení úspěšného zastoupení v kontextu etnické rozmanitosti.The goal of this thesis is to uncover the key factors and challenges in managing an ethnically diverse insurance agency in Malaysia's life insurance industry. The author aims to examine the sales managers' perspective in Organisation G, Malaysia, regarding their expression of managing their agents. Quantitative and qualitative methods will be employed through surveys and interviews among 79 agents and 12 sales managers. The responses will be analysed to understand the challenges sales managers face in managing a multi-ethnic agency and explore potential solutions. The author proposes initiatives and methods to enhance leadership styles and improve the processes for maintaining a successful agency in the context of multi-ethnicity
AUTHOR BOOK
No full textVytvořil jsem autorskou knihu o čtyřiceti stránkách s ilustracemi a minimem textu. Kniha je černobílá, dominuje v ní tušová kresba štětcem a perem. Kromě té je v knize ale i text, který slouží jako poetické doplnění ilustrací.
Obsah knihy se zaměřuje na úzký kruh přátel a zároveň vypovídá o autorovi jak vybranými motivy, situacemi tak linkou.
Vyznění knihy je spíše pocitové, má zanechat dojem, ne popisně vysvětlovat.ObhájenoI have created author book that has 40 pages with ilustrations and minimum of text. The book is black and white and contains ink drawings. There is also text poetically coresponding with pictures
Genderová nerovnost v odměňování v Kazachstánu
No full textBakalářská práce sleduje problematiku genderové nerovnosti v odměňování se zaměřením na Kazachstán. Cílem práce je analýza genderové nerovnosti v odměňování zaměstnanců konkrétní společnosti X. Teoretická část se zaměřuje na důvody existence genderové nerovnosti ze sociologického a ekonomického hlediska. Pozornost je věnována genderové politice a historii vzniku genderové nerovnosti v Kazachstánu, jakož i rozdílům ve mzdách žen a mužů v Kazachstánu. V rámci vlastního výzkumu využila autorka kvantitativní metod. Výzkum sleduje vztah mezi pohlavím a mzdou ve firmě X. Název společnosti neuveden v práci z důvodu ochrany dat. Výsledná zjištění ukazují na nerovnost v odměňování žen a mužů ve společnosti X od roku 2015 do roku 2018. Výsledky slouží k formulaci doporučení, které by mohly přispět k redukci genderových nerovností ve mzdách ve firmě X.This bachelor thesis analyzes the problem of gender inequality in terms of wages in Kazakhstan. The thesis aims to study the problem of gender inequality and to reveal it on the example of wages of company X's employees. The theoretical basis of the thesis focused on reasons for the existence of gender inequality from sociological and economic points of view, gender policy and history of the formation of gender inequality in Kazakhstan, as well as on differences in female and male wages in Kazakhstan. The author used quantitative method for the research in the practical part. The research investigates the relationship between gender and wage in company X. In order to support data protection rules and desire of the company X to maintain privacy, the name of the organization was not revealed in the current thesis. Results showed the persistent existence of the gender pay inequalities in company X from 2015 to 2018. The findings of the current research serve to provide recommendations for the reduction of gender inequalities in terms of wages in company X
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